1 ¶ Now these are the nations which the LORD left, in order to test Israel, all in Israel who had not experienced any war in Canaan;

2 So that the generations of the children of Israel might know, and be taught war, at least those who previously knew nothing of it;

3 Namely, five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived on mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon to the entering in of Hamath.

4 And these nations were left to test Israel, to know whether Israel would listen to the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

5 And the children of Israel lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites:

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

7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgot the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.

8 ¶ Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushan-rishathaim for eight years.

9 And when the children of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.

10 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushan-rishathaim.

11 And the land had rest for forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

12 ¶ And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.

13 And Eglon gathered to him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and defeated Israel, and took possession of the city of palm trees.

14 So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab for eighteen years.

15 But when the children of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a left-handed man: and by him the children of Israel sent tribute to Eglon the king of Moab.

16 But Ehud made for himself a two edged sword, that was a cubit long; and he fastened it under his clothing on his right thigh.

17 And he brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.

18 And when he had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who had carried the tribute.

19 But at the quarries near Gilgal, he turned and went back, and said, I have a secret message for you, O king: Eglon commanded, Silence. And all who stood by him went out from him.

20 And Ehud came to him; as he was sitting in his cool upper apartment, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God to you. And he got up out of his seat.

21 And Ehud reached with his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:

22 And the hilt also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.

23 Then Ehud went out through the porch, closing and locking the doors of upper chamber behind him.

24 After he had left, Eglon’s servants came; and when they saw that, the doors of the upper chamber were locked, they said, Surely he is resting in his summer chamber.

25 And they waited until they were ashamed: but he did not open the doors of the upper chamber; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, there lay their master dead on the floor.

26 But Ehud escaped while they delayed, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped to Seirath.

27 And when he arrived, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the hill country, having him at their head.

28 And he said to them, Follow me: for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. So they went down after him, and captured the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and did not allow anyone to cross over.

29 And they slew at that time about ten thousand men of Moab, all strong, courageous men; and no man escaped.

30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years.

31 ¶ After Ehud came Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed six hundred Philistine men with an ox goad: he also delivered Israel.