| New International Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan | 1These are the nations that the LORD left to test all the Israelites who had not known any of the wars in Canaan, |
| 2(he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience): | 2if only to teach warfare to the subsequent generations of Israel, especially to those who had not known it formerly: |
| 3the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath. | 3the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath. |
| 4They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the LORD's commands, which he had given their ancestors through Moses. | 4These nations were left to test the Israelites, to find out whether they would keep the commandments of the LORD, which He had given their fathers through Moses. |
| 5The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. | 5Thus the Israelites continued to live among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. |
| 6They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods. | 6And they took the daughters of these people in marriage, gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods. |
| 7The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs. | 7So the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs. |
| 8The anger of the LORD burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim, to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years. | 8Then the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram-naharaim, and the Israelites served him eight years. |
| 9But when they cried out to the LORD, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, who saved them. | 9But when the Israelites cried out to the LORD, He raised up Othniel son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz as a deliverer to save them. |
| 10The Spirit of the LORD came on him, so that he became Israel's judge and went to war. The LORD gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. | 10The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge and went out to war. And the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into the hand of Othniel, who prevailed against him. |
| 11So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died. | 11So the land had rest for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died. |
| 12Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and because they did this evil the LORD gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel. | 12Once again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD. So He gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. |
| 13Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms. | 13After enlisting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join forces with him, Eglon attacked and defeated Israel, taking possession of the City of Palms. |
| 14The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years. | 14The Israelites served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years. |
| 15Again the Israelites cried out to the LORD, and he gave them a deliverer--Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. | 15And again they cried out to the LORD, and He raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed Benjamite, as their deliverer. So they sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. |
| 16Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a cubit long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. | 16Now Ehud had made for himself a double-edged sword a cubit long. He strapped it to his right thigh under his cloak |
| 17He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man. | 17and brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was an obese man. |
| 18After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way those who had carried it. | 18After Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he ushered out those who had carried it. |
| 19But on reaching the stone images near Gilgal he himself went back to Eglon and said, "Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you." The king said to his attendants, "Leave us!" And they all left. | 19But upon reaching the idols near Gilgal, he himself turned back and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” “Silence,” said the king, and all his attendants left him. |
| 20Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his palace and said, "I have a message from God for you." As the king rose from his seat, | 20Then Ehud approached him while he was sitting alone in the coolness of his upper room. “I have a word from God for you,” Ehud said, and the king rose from his seat. |
| 21Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king's belly. | 21And Ehud reached with his left hand, pulled the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon’s belly. |
| 22Even the handle sank in after the blade, and his bowels discharged. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. | 22Even the handle sank in after the blade, and Eglon’s fat closed in over it, so that Ehud did not withdraw the sword from his belly. And Eglon’s bowels emptied. |
| 23Then Ehud went out to the porch; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them. | 23Then Ehud went out through the porch, closing and locking the doors of the upper room behind him. |
| 24After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, "He must be relieving himself in the inner room of the palace." | 24After Ehud was gone, Eglon’s servants came in and found the doors of the upper room locked. “He must be relieving himself in the cool room,” they said. |
| 25They waited to the point of embarrassment, but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead. | 25So they waited until they became worried and saw that he had still not opened the doors of the upper room. Then they took the key and opened the doors—and there was their lord lying dead on the floor. |
| 26While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the stone images and escaped to Seirah. | 26Ehud, however, had escaped while the servants waited. He passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah. |
| 27When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them. | 27On arriving in Seirah, he blew the ram’s horn throughout the hill country of Ephraim. The Israelites came down with him from the hills, and he became their leader. |
| 28"Follow me," he ordered, "for the LORD has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands." So they followed him down and took possession of the fords of the Jordan that led to Moab; they allowed no one to cross over. | 28“Follow me,” he told them, “for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they followed him down and seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over. |
| 29At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not one escaped. | 29At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all robust and valiant men. Not one of them escaped. |
| 30That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years. | 30So Moab was subdued under the hand of Israel that day, and the land had rest for eighty years. |
| 31After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel. | 31After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath. And he too saved Israel, striking down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. |
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