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

Ehud

12 (A)And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord strengthened (B)Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord. 13 Then he gathered to himself the people of Ammon and (C)Amalek, went and [a]defeated Israel, and took possession of (D)the City of Palms. 14 So the children of Israel (E)served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.

15 But when the children of Israel (F)cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for them: Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a (G)left-handed man. By him the children of Israel sent tribute to Eglon king of Moab. 16 Now Ehud made himself a dagger (it was double-edged and a cubit in length) and fastened it under his clothes on his right thigh. 17 So he brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. (Now 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 he himself turned back (H)from the [b]stone images that were at Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.”

He said, “Keep silence!” And all who attended him went out from him.

20 So Ehud came to him (now he was sitting upstairs in his cool private chamber). Then Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” So he arose from his seat. 21 Then Ehud reached with his left hand, took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. 22 Even the [c]hilt went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the dagger out of his belly; and his entrails came out. 23 Then Ehud went out through the porch and shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.

24 When he had gone out, [d]Eglon’s servants came to look, and to their surprise, the doors of the upper room were locked. So they said, “He is probably (I)attending[e] to his needs in the cool chamber.” 25 So they waited till they were (J)embarrassed, and still he had not opened the doors of the upper room. Therefore they took the key and opened them. And there was their master, fallen dead on the floor.

26 But Ehud had escaped while they delayed, and passed beyond the [f]stone images and escaped to Seirah. 27 And it happened, when he arrived, that (K)he blew the trumpet in the (L)mountains of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mountains; and [g]he led them. 28 Then he said to them, “Follow me, for (M)the Lord has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they went down after him, seized the (N)fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over. 29 And at that time they killed about ten thousand men of Moab, all stout men of valor; not a man escaped. 30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And (O)the land had rest for eighty years.

Shamgar

31 After him was (P)Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed six hundred men of the Philistines (Q)with an ox goad; (R)and he also delivered (S)Israel.

Deborah

When Ehud was dead, (T)the children of Israel again did (U)evil in the sight of the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Judges 3:13 struck
  2. Judges 3:19 Tg. quarries
  3. Judges 3:22 handle
  4. Judges 3:24 Lit. his
  5. Judges 3:24 Lit. covering his feet
  6. Judges 3:26 Tg. quarries
  7. Judges 3:27 Lit. he went before them

11 So the land had peace(A) for forty years,(B) until Othniel son of Kenaz(C) died.

Ehud

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

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

Shamgar

31 After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath,(AB) who struck down six hundred(AC) Philistines(AD) with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel.

Deborah

Again the Israelites did evil(AE) in the eyes of the Lord,(AF) now that Ehud(AG) was dead.

Footnotes

  1. Judges 3:13 That is, Jericho
  2. Judges 3:16 That is, about 18 inches or about 45 centimeters
  3. Judges 3:20 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain; also in verse 24.
  4. Judges 3:23 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.