Read the Bible

¹ Now these are the nations which Jehovah left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan; ² only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as beforetime knew nothing thereof: ³ namely, the five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-hermon unto the entrance of Hamath. ⁴ And they were left, to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of Jehovah, which he commanded their fathers by Moses. ⁵ And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites: ⁶ and they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons and served their gods.

⁷ And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and forgat Jehovah their God, and served the Baalim and the Asheroth. ⁸ Therefore the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of ^[a]Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years. ⁹ And when the children of Israel cried unto Jehovah, Jehovah raised up a saviour to the children of Israel, who saved them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. ¹⁰ And the Spirit of Jehovah came upon him, and he judged Israel; and he went out to war, and Jehovah delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of ^[b]Mesopotamia into his hand: and his hand prevailed against Cushan-rishathaim. ¹¹ And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

¹² And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah: and Jehovah strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah. ¹³ And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and smote Israel, and they possessed the city of palm-trees. ¹⁴ And the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.

¹⁵ But when the children of Israel cried unto Jehovah, Jehovah raised them up a saviour, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a man left-handed. And the children of Israel sent tribute by him unto Eglon the king of Moab. ¹⁶ And Ehud made him a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length; and he girded it under his raiment upon his right thigh. ¹⁷ And he offered the tribute unto Eglon king of Moab: now Eglon was a very fat man. ¹⁸ And when he had made an end of offering the tribute, he sent away the people that bare the tribute. ¹⁹ But he himself turned back from the ^[c]quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king. And he said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him. ²⁰ And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting by himself alone in the cool upper room. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat. ²¹ And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his body: ²² and the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, for he drew not the sword out of his body; and ^[d]it came out behind. ²³ Then Ehud went forth into the porch, and shut the doors of the upper room upon him, and locked them.

²⁴ Now when he was gone out, his servants came; and they saw, and, behold, the doors of the upper room were locked; and they said, Surely he is covering his feet in the upper chamber. ²⁵ And they tarried till they were ashamed; and, behold, he opened not the doors of the upper room: therefore they took the key, and opened them; and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.

²⁶ And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the ^[e]quarries, and escaped unto Seirah. ²⁷ And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the hill-country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel went down with him from the hill-country, and he before them. ²⁸ And he said unto them, Follow after me; for Jehovah hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of the Jordan ^[f]against the Moabites, and suffered not a man to pass over. ²⁹ And they smote of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, every lusty man, and every man of valor; and there escaped not a man. ³⁰ So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.

³¹ And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who smote of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox-goad: and he also saved Israel.