迦南余族

1-2 耶和华为了考验那些没有经历过迦南战事的以色列人,让他们学习作战,就留下了以下各族: 五个非利士王、所有的迦南人、西顿人和住在巴力·黑门山到哈马口一带的黎巴嫩山区的希未人。 耶和华留下这几个外族是要考验以色列人,看他们是否愿意遵从祂借摩西向他们祖先颁布的诫命。 以色列人住在这些迦南人、赫人、亚摩利人、比利洗人、希未人和耶布斯人当中, 跟他们通婚,祭拜他们的神明。

士师俄陀聂

以色列人做耶和华视为恶的事,忘记他们的上帝耶和华,祭拜假神巴力和亚舍拉。 耶和华向他们发怒,把他们交在美索不达米亚王古珊·利萨田的手中,受古珊·利萨田统治八年。 他们向耶和华呼求,耶和华就使一位名叫俄陀聂的拯救者兴起,他是迦勒弟弟基纳斯的儿子。 10 耶和华的灵降在俄陀聂身上,他就做了以色列的士师,领兵出战。耶和华将美索不达米亚王古珊·利萨田交在他手中,他便战胜了古珊·利萨田。 11 此后,国内安享太平四十年,直到俄陀聂去世。

士师以笏

12 之后,以色列人又做耶和华视为恶的事,耶和华就使摩押王伊矶伦强盛起来,攻打以色列人。 13 伊矶伦联合亚扪人和亚玛力人进攻以色列人,占据了棕树城, 14 以色列人受摩押王伊矶伦统治十八年。 15 他们呼求耶和华,耶和华就使一位名叫以笏的拯救者兴起。他是便雅悯人基拉的儿子,善用左手。以色列人派他去向摩押王伊矶伦进贡。 16 他造了一把约半米长的两刃利剑,绑在右腿的衣服里。 17 他带着贡物去见肥胖的摩押王伊矶伦。 18 以笏献上了贡物之后,便和抬贡物的人一起离去。 19 到了吉甲附近雕石神像的地方,他让抬贡物的人先回去,自己则折回王宫,对王说:“王啊,我有机密禀告。”王就命左右的人回避,众人便都退去了。 20 当时王独自坐在楼上的房间乘凉,以笏近前说:“我有从上帝而来的讯息要禀告。”王站起来的时候, 21 以笏左手拔出藏在右腿上的剑刺进王的肚腹, 22 连剑柄也刺了进去,深深嵌入肥肉。以笏没有拔剑, 23 便走出房间,把门都关上,锁好。

24 以笏走后,王的仆人过来,见房门紧锁,以为王在大解。 25 等了很久,门还没开,他们很焦急,就拿钥匙开门,发现他们的主人已经倒毙在地上。

26 他们等待的时候,以笏已经逃走了。他经过雕石神像的地方,逃往西伊拉。 27 到了那里,他就在以法莲的山区吹响号角,召集以色列人。众人跟随以笏下山, 28 以笏对他们说:“跟我来!耶和华已经把仇敌摩押人交在你们手中了。”于是,众人跟着他占领了通往摩押的约旦河各渡口,不许任何人渡河。 29 当时他们杀了约一万名强悍善战的摩押勇士,没有一人逃脱。 30 这样,以色列人征服了摩押人,国中安享太平八十年。

珊迦

31 以笏之后,亚拿的儿子珊迦拯救了以色列人。他曾用一根赶牛棍杀了六百名非利士人。

Now these are the nations which the Lord left, to test Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan

(only so that the generations of the children of Israel might know to teach them war, at least such as before knew nothing thereof),

namely: five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites who dwelt in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baalhermon unto the entrance of Hamath.

And they were to test Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the Lord, which He commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites.

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

And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and forgot the Lord their God, and served the Baalim and the Asherahs.

Therefore the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim, king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years.

And when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer to 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 Chushanrishathaim, king of Mesopotamia, into his hand. And his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim;

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

12 And the children of Israel did evil again 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 he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.

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

15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded; and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.

16 But Ehud made himself a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he girded it under his raiment upon his right thigh.

17 And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab. And Eglon was a very fat man.

18 And when he had made an end of offering the present, he sent away the people who bore the present.

19 But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal and said, “I have a secret errand unto thee, O king,” who said, “Keep silence!” And all who stood by him went out from him.

20 And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlor, which he had for himself alone. 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 dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly.

22 And the haft 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 forth through the porch and shut the doors of the parlor upon him, and locked them.

24 When he had gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlor were locked, they said, “Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.”

25 And they tarried till they were ashamed; and behold, he opened not the doors of the parlor. Therefore they took a 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 quarries and escaped unto Seirah.

27 And it came to pass, when he had come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim; and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.

28 And he said unto them, “Follow after me, for the Lord hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” And they went down after him, and took the fords of the Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.

29 And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty and all men 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 slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel.