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¹ Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Yisra'el by them, even as many [of Yisra'el] as had not known all the wars of Kana`an;

² only that the generations of the children of Yisra'el might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing of it:

³ [namely], the five lords of the Pelishtim, and all the Kana`anim, and the Tzidonim, and the Hivvi who lived on Mount Levanon, from Mount Ba`al-Hermon to the entrance of Hamat.

⁴ They were [left], to prove Yisra'el by them, to know whether they would listen to the mitzvot of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by Moshe.

⁵ The children of Yisra'el lived among the Kana`anim, the Hitti, and the Amori, and the Perizzi, and the Hivvi, and the Yevusi:

⁶ and they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons and served their gods.

⁷ The children of Yisra'el did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgot the LORD their God, and served the Ba`alim and the Asherot.

⁸ Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Yisra'el, and he sold them into the hand of Kushan-Rish`atayim king of Aram-Naharayim: and the children of Yisra'el served Kushan-Rish`atayim eight years.

⁹ When the children of Yisra'el cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a savior to the children of Yisra'el, who saved them, even `Otni'el the son of Kenaz, Kalev's younger brother.

¹⁰ The Spirit of the LORD came on him, and he judged Yisra'el; and he went out to war, and the LORD delivered Kushan-Rish`atayim king of Aram-Naharayim into his hand: and his hand prevailed against Kushan-Rish`atayim.

¹¹ The land had rest forty years. `Otni'el the son of Kenaz died.

¹² The children of Yisra'el again did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened `Eglon the king of Mo'av against Yisra'el, because they had done that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.

¹³ He gathered to him the children of `Ammon and `Amalek; and he went and struck Yisra'el, and they possessed the city of palm trees.

¹⁴ The children of Yisra'el served `Eglon the king of Mo'av eighteen years.

¹⁵ But when the children of Yisra'el cried to the LORD, the LORD raised them up a savior, Ehud the son of Gera, the Binyamini, a man left-handed. The children of Yisra'el sent tribute by him to `Eglon the king of Mo'av.

¹⁶ Ehud made him a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length; and he girded it under his clothing on his right thigh.

¹⁷ He offered the tribute to `Eglon king of Mo'av: now `Eglon was a very fat man.

¹⁸ When he had made an end of offering the tribute, he sent away the people who bore the tribute.

¹⁹ But he himself turned back from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand to you, king. He said, Keep silence. All who stood by him went out from him.

²⁰ Ehud came to him; and he was sitting by himself alone in the cool upper room. Ehud said, I have a message from God to you. He arose out of his seat.

²¹ 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 on the blade, for he didn't draw the sword out of his body; and it came out behind.

²³ Then Ehud went forth into the porch, and shut the doors of the upper room on 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 They waited until they were ashamed; and, behold, he didn't open the doors of the upper room: therefore they took the key, and opened [them], and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the eretz.

²⁶ Ehud escaped while they waited, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped to Seirah.

²⁷ It happened, when he had come, that he blew a shofar in the hill-country of Efrayim; and the children of Yisra'el went down with him from the hill-country, and he before them.

²⁸ He said to them, Follow after me; for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Mo`avim into your hand. They went down after him, and took the fords of the Yarden against the Mo`avim, and didn't allow a man to pass over.

²⁹ They struck of Mo'av at that time about ten thousand men, every lusty man, and every man of valor; and there escaped not a man.

³⁰ So Mo'av was subdued that day under the hand of Yisra'el. The land had rest eighty years.

³¹ After him was Shamgar the son of `Anat, who struck of the Pelishtim six hundred men with an ox-goad: and he also saved Yisra'el.