³⁷ The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab^[a];^(A) he is the father of the Moabites^(B) of today.

⁹ Then the Lord said to me, “Do not harass the Moabites or provoke them to war, for I will not give you any part of their land. I have given Ar^(A) to the descendants of Lot^(B) as a possession.”

Moab Revolts

3 Joram^[a](A) son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years. ² He did evil^(B) in the eyes of the Lord, but not as his father^(C) and mother had done. He got rid of the sacred stone^(D) of Baal that his father had made. ³ Nevertheless he clung to the sins^(E) of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them.

⁴ Now Mesha king of Moab^(F) raised sheep, and he had to pay the king of Israel a tribute of a hundred thousand lambs^(G) and the wool of a hundred thousand rams. ⁵ But after Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled^(H) against the king of Israel. ⁶ So at that time King Joram set out from Samaria and mobilized all Israel. ⁷ He also sent this message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight^(I) against Moab?”

“I will go with you,” he replied. “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”

⁸ “By what route shall we attack?” he asked.

“Through the Desert of Edom,” he answered.

⁹ So the king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom.^(J) After a roundabout march of seven days, the army had no more water for themselves or for the animals with them.

¹⁰ “What!” exclaimed the king of Israel. “Has the Lord called us three kings together only to deliver us into the hands of Moab?”

¹¹ But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here, through whom we may inquire^(K) of the Lord?”

An officer of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha^(L) son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.^[b](M)”

¹² Jehoshaphat said, “The word^(N) of the Lord is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.

¹³ Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Why do you want to involve me? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.”

“No,” the king of Israel answered, “because it was the Lord who called us three kings together to deliver us into the hands of Moab.”

¹⁴ Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not pay any attention to you. ¹⁵ But now bring me a harpist.”^(O)

While the harpist was playing, the hand^(P) of the Lord came on Elisha ¹⁶ and he said, “This is what the Lord says: I will fill this valley with pools of water. ¹⁷ For this is what the Lord says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water,^(Q) and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink. ¹⁸ This is an easy^(R) thing in the eyes of the Lord; he will also deliver Moab into your hands. ¹⁹ You will overthrow every fortified city and every major town. You will cut down every good tree, stop up all the springs, and ruin every good field with stones.”

²⁰ The next morning, about the time^(S) for offering the sacrifice, there it was—water flowing from the direction of Edom! And the land was filled with water.^(T)

²¹ Now all the Moabites had heard that the kings had come to fight against them; so every man, young and old, who could bear arms was called up and stationed on the border. ²² When they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water. To the Moabites across the way, the water looked red—like blood. ²³ “That’s blood!” they said. “Those kings must have fought and slaughtered each other. Now to the plunder, Moab!”

²⁴ But when the Moabites came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and fought them until they fled. And the Israelites invaded the land and slaughtered the Moabites. ²⁵ They destroyed the towns, and each man threw a stone on every good field until it was covered. They stopped up all the springs and cut down every good tree. Only Kir Hareseth^(U) was left with its stones in place, but men armed with slings surrounded it and attacked it.

²⁶ When the king of Moab saw that the battle had gone against him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they failed. ²⁷ Then he took his firstborn^(V) son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him as a sacrifice on the city wall. The fury against Israel was great; they withdrew and returned to their own land.

David’s Victories^(A)

8 In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines^(B) and subdued^(C) them, and he took Metheg Ammah from the control of the Philistines.

² David also defeated the Moabites.^(D) He made them lie down on the ground and measured them off with a length of cord. Every two lengths of them were put to death, and the third length was allowed to live. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought him tribute.^(E)

³ Moreover, David defeated Hadadezer^(F) son of Rehob, king of Zobah,^(G) when he went to restore his monument at^[a] the Euphrates^(H) River. ⁴ David captured a thousand of his chariots, seven thousand charioteers^[b] and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He hamstrung^(I) all but a hundred of the chariot horses.

⁵ When the Arameans of Damascus^(J) came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand of them. ⁶ He put garrisons^(K) in the Aramean kingdom of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject^(L) to him and brought tribute. The Lord gave David victory wherever he went.^(M)

⁷ David took the gold shields^(N) that belonged to the officers of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem. ⁸ From Tebah^[c] and Berothai,^(O) towns that belonged to Hadadezer, King David took a great quantity of bronze.

⁹ When Tou^[d] king of Hamath^(P) heard that David had defeated the entire army of Hadadezer,^{(Q) 10} he sent his son Joram^[e] to King David to greet him and congratulate him on his victory in battle over Hadadezer, who had been at war with Tou. Joram brought with him articles of silver, of gold and of bronze.

¹¹ King David dedicated^(R) these articles to the Lord, as he had done with the silver and gold from all the nations he had subdued: ¹² Edom^[f](S) and Moab,^(T) the Ammonites^(U) and the Philistines,^(V) and Amalek.^(W) He also dedicated the plunder taken from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

¹³ And David became famous^(X) after he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites^[g] in the Valley of Salt.^(Y)

¹⁴ He put garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites^(Z) became subject to David.^(AA) The Lord gave David victory^(AB) wherever he went.^(AC)

David’s Officials^(AD)

¹⁵ David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and right^(AE) for all his people. ¹⁶ Joab^(AF) son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat^(AG) son of Ahilud was recorder;^{(AH) 17} Zadok^(AI) son of Ahitub and Ahimelek son of Abiathar^(AJ) were priests; Seraiah was secretary;^{(AK) 18} Benaiah^(AL) son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites^(AM) and Pelethites; and David’s sons were priests.^[h]

¹⁰ I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite,^(A) Mahlon’s widow, as my wife,^(B) in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown.^(C) Today you are witnesses!^(D)”

3 These are the nations the Lord left to test^(A) all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan ² (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience): ³ the five^(B) rulers of the Philistines,^(C) all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites^(D) living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon^(E) to Lebo Hamath.^{(F) 4} They were left to test^(G) the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord’s commands, which he had given their ancestors through Moses.

⁵ The Israelites lived^(H) among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites,^(I) Hivites and Jebusites.^{(J) 6} They took their daughters^(K) in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.^(L)

Othniel

⁷ The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord^(M) their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.^{(N) 8} The anger of the Lord burned against Israel so that he sold^(O) them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim^(P) king of Aram Naharaim,^[a](Q) to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years. ⁹ But when they cried out^(R) to the Lord, he raised up for them a deliverer,^(S) Othniel^(T) son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them. ¹⁰ The Spirit of the Lord came on him,^(U) so that he became Israel’s judge^[b] and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim^(V) king of Aram^(W) into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. ¹¹ So the land had peace^(X) for forty years,^(Y) until Othniel son of Kenaz^(Z) died.

Ehud

¹² Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord,^(AA) and because they did this evil the Lord gave Eglon king of Moab^(AB) power over Israel. ¹³ Getting the Ammonites^(AC) and Amalekites^(AD) to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms.^{[c](AE) 14} The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab^(AF) for eighteen years.

¹⁵ Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he gave them a deliverer^(AG)—Ehud^(AH), a left-handed^(AI) man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute^(AJ) to Eglon king of Moab. ¹⁶ Now Ehud^(AK) had made a double-edged sword about a cubit^[d] long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. ¹⁷ He presented the tribute^(AL) to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man.^{(AM) 18} After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way those who had carried it. ¹⁹ But on reaching the stone images near Gilgal he himself went back to Eglon and said, “Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you.”

The king said to his attendants, “Leave us!” And they all left.

²⁰ Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his palace^[e](AN) and said, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king rose^(AO) from his seat, ²¹ Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword^(AP) from his right thigh and plunged it into the king’s belly. ²² Even the handle sank in after the blade, and his bowels discharged. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. ²³ Then Ehud went out to the porch^[f]; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.

²⁴ After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, “He must be relieving himself^(AQ) in the inner room of the palace.” ²⁵ They waited to the point of embarrassment,^(AR) but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead.

²⁶ While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the stone images and escaped to Seirah. ²⁷ When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet^(AS) in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them.

²⁸ “Follow me,” he ordered, “for the Lord has given Moab,^(AT) your enemy, into your hands.^(AU)” So they followed him down and took possession of the fords of the Jordan^(AV) that led to Moab; they allowed no one to cross over. ²⁹ At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not one escaped. ³⁰ That day Moab^(AW) was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace^(AX) for eighty years.

Shamgar

³¹ After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath,^(AY) who struck down six hundred^(AZ) Philistines^(BA) with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel.

³ No Ammonite^(A) or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, not even in the tenth generation.^(B)

¹⁹ When you come to the Ammonites,^(A) do not harass them or provoke them to war,^(B) for I will not give you possession of any land belonging to the Ammonites. I have given it as a possession to the descendants of Lot.^(C)”