20 Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his palace[a](A) and said, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king rose(B) from his seat, 21 Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword(C) 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[b]; 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(D) in the inner room of the palace.”

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 3:20 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain; also in verse 24.
  2. Judges 3:23 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.

20 And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, 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 parlour upon him, and locked them.

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

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