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¹ Now, these, are the nations which Yahweh left, that he might, by them, put Israel to the proof, - all who had not known any of the wars of Canaan;

² that the generations of the sons of Israel might certainly get to know, by being taught to make war, - such, at least, as aforetime knew nothing thereof: -

³ five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Zidonians, and the Hivites dwelling in Mount Lebanon, - from Mount Baal-hermon as far as the entering in of Hamath.

⁴ So then these were left , that, by them, he might put Israel to the proof, - to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of Yahweh which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

⁵ And thus, the sons of Israel, dwelt in the midst of the Canaanites, - the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites;

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

⁷ Thus did the sons of Israel the thing that was wicked in the sight of Yahweh, and forgat Yahweh their God, - and served the Baals and the Asherahs.

⁸ Then kindled the anger of Yahweh upon Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia, - and the sons of Israel served Chushan-rishathaim, eight years.

⁹ And the sons of Israel made outcry unto Yahweh, so Yahweh raised up a saviour unto the sons of Israel, who saved them, - even Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.

¹⁰ And the Spirit of Yahweh came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war, and Yahweh delivered into his hand, Chushan-rishathaim, king of Syria, - and his hand prevailed over Chushan-rishathaim.

¹¹ And the land had rest forty years, - and Othniel son of Kenaz, died.

¹² And the sons of Israel again did the thing that was wicked, in the sight of Yahweh, - and Yahweh emboldened Eglon, king of Moab, against Israel, because they did the thing that was wicked in the sight of Yahweh;

¹³ and he gathered unto him, the sons of Ammon, and Amalek, - and came and smote Israel, and took possession of the city of palm-trees.

¹⁴ So the sons of Israel served Eglon king of Moab, eighteen years.

¹⁵ And the sons of Israel made outcry unto Yahweh, and Yahweh raised up unto them a saviour, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man left-handed, - and the sons of Israel sent, by his hand, a present, unto Eglon king of Moab.

¹⁶ So Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length, - and girded it under his raiment, upon his right thigh.

¹⁷ So he offered the present unto Eglon, king of Moab, - now, Eglon, was an exceedingly fat man.

¹⁸ And so it was, when he had made an end of offering the present, that he sent away the people who had been bearing the present;

¹⁹ but, he himself, turned back from the images that were by Gilgal, and said, A secret word, have I, unto thee, O king! And he said - Silence! Thereupon went out from his presence all who had been standing near him.

²⁰ And, Ehud, came in unto him, he, having been sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself, alone, and Ehud said, A divine word, have I, unto thee. So he arose from off his seat.

²¹ And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the sword from off his right thigh, - and thrust it into his body;

²² and, the handle also, went in after the blade, and the flesh closed upon the blade, for he withdrew not the sword out of his body, - and he came out into the ante-chamber.

²³ And, when Ehud came out into the porch, he closed the doors of the parlour upon him, and bolted them.

²⁴ When, he, had come out, his servants, went in, and looked, and lo! the doors of the parlour were bolted, - so they said, Surely he covereth his feet, in the summer chamber.

²⁵ But, though they tarried a long time, yet lo! he opened not the doors of the parlour, - so they took the key, and opened them , when lo! their lord, fallen to the ground dead.

²⁶ But, Ehud, escaped while they delayed, - yea, he, passed the images, and escaped into Seirah.

²⁷ And so it was, when he came, that he blew with a horn, throughout the hill country of Ephraim, - and the sons of Israel came down with him, out of the hill country, he, being before them.

²⁸ And he said unto them - Come down after me, for Yahweh hath delivered your enemies, the Moabites, into your hand. So they came down after him, and captured the fords of the Jordan, towards Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.

²⁹ And they smote of Moab, at that time, about ten thousand men, every one a mighty man, and every one a man of valour, - and, there escaped not a man.

³⁰ And Moab was subdued on that day, under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest eighty years, and Ehud judged them until his death.

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