Judges 3:1-12

New King James Version

The Nations Remaining in the Land

3 Now these are ^(A)the nations which the Lord left, that He might test Israel by them, that is, all who had not ^[a]known any of the wars in Canaan ² (this was only so that the generations of the children of Israel might be taught to know war, at least those who had not formerly known it), ³ namely, ^(B)five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who dwelt in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to the entrance of Hamath. ⁴ And they were left, that He might test Israel by them, to ^[b]know whether they would obey the commandments of the Lord, which He had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

^5 (C)Thus the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. ⁶ And ^(D)they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons; and they served their gods.

Othniel

⁷ So the children of Israel did ^(E)evil in the sight of the Lord. They ^(F)forgot the Lord their God, and served the Baals and ^[c]Asherahs. ⁸ Therefore the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and He ^(G)sold them into the hand of ^(H)Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim eight years. ⁹ When the children of Israel ^(I)cried out to the Lord, the Lord ^(J)raised up a deliverer for the children of Israel, who delivered them: ^(K)Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. ^10 (L)The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord delivered Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed over Cushan-Rishathaim. ¹¹ So the land had rest for forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

Ehud

^12 (M)And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord strengthened ^(N)Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord.