Ehud

¹² Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord,^(A) and because they did this evil the Lord gave Eglon king of Moab^(B) power over Israel. ¹³ Getting the Ammonites^(C) and Amalekites^(D) to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms.^{[a](E) 14} The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab^(F) for eighteen years.

¹⁵ Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he gave them a deliverer^(G)—Ehud^(H), a left-handed^(I) man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute^(J) to Eglon king of Moab. ¹⁶ Now Ehud^(K) had made a double-edged sword about a cubit^[b] long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. ¹⁷ He presented the tribute^(L) to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man.^{(M) 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^[c](N) and said, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king rose^(O) from his seat, ²¹ Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword^(P) 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^[d]; 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^(Q) in the inner room of the palace.” ²⁵ They waited to the point of embarrassment,^(R) 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^(S) 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,^(T) your enemy, into your hands.^(U)” So they followed him down and took possession of the fords of the Jordan^(V) 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^(W) was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace^(X) for eighty years.

Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom

¹⁸ For the message of the cross is foolishness^(A) to those who are perishing,^(B) but to us who are being saved^(C) it is the power of God.^{(D) 19} For it is written:

²⁰ Where is the wise person?^(F) Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age?^(G) Has not God made foolish^(H) the wisdom of the world? ²¹ For since in the wisdom of God the world^(I) through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save^(J) those who believe.^{(K) 22} Jews demand signs^(L) and Greeks look for wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified:^(M) a stumbling block^(N) to Jews and foolishness^(O) to Gentiles, ²⁴ but to those whom God has called,^(P) both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God^(Q) and the wisdom of God.^{(R) 25} For the foolishness^(S) of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness^(T) of God is stronger than human strength.

²⁶ Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called.^(U) Not many of you were wise^(V) by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But God chose^(W) the foolish^(X) things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸ God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not^(Y)—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no one may boast before him.^{(Z) 30} It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus,^(AA) who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness,^(AB) holiness^(AC) and redemption.^{(AD) 31} Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”^[b](AE)

⁶ Even if I should choose to boast,^(A) I would not be a fool,^(B) because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, ⁷ or because of these surpassingly great revelations.^(C) Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh,^(D) a messenger of Satan,^(E) to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.^{(F) 9} But he said to me, “My grace^(G) is sufficient for you, for my power^(H) is made perfect in weakness.^(I)”^(J) Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight^(K) in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships,^(L) in persecutions,^(M) in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.^(N)