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Judges 3
Modern English Version

3 Now these are the nations that the Lord left to test those in Israel who had not experienced war in Canaan 2 (so that later generations of the children of Israel who did not know war before might know it, to teach them how to fight): 3 the five Philistine lords, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath. 4 They were to test Israel, in order to know if they would obey the commandments of the Lord, which He commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

5 The children of Israel lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 6 They took their daughters for themselves as wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

Othniel

7 The children of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs. 8 The anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia. The children of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim for eight years. 9 Then the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up a deliverer in order to save the children of Israel—Othniel son of Kenaz, the younger brother of Caleb. 10 The Spirit of the Lord came on him, and he judged Israel. He went out to battle, and the Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Mesopotamia, into his hands, so that Othniel overpowered Cushan-Rishathaim. 11 The land rested forty years, then Othniel son of Kenaz died.

Ehud

12 Then the children of Israel once more did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord strengthened King Eglon of Moab against Israel because they had done what was evil in the sight of the Lord. 13 Eglon joined forces with the Ammonites and Amalekites; then he went and attacked Israel and took possession of the City of Palms. 14 The children of Israel served King Eglon of Moab for eighteen years.

15 Then the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up a deliverer—Ehud son of Gera the Benjamite, a left-handed man. The children of Israel sent a tribute payment by him to King Eglon of Moab. 16 Ehud made a cubit-long[a] two-edged sword for himself and strapped it onto his right thigh under his cloak. 17 He brought the tribute payment to King Eglon of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. 18 When Ehud finished offering the tribute payment, he sent away the people who carried it. 19 But he himself turned back from the stone idols that were at Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.”

And he said, “Keep silence!” And all who attended him departed from him.

20 Ehud approached him as he was sitting alone in his cool upper chamber. Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” And Eglon rose from his seat. 21 Then Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into the belly of Eglon. 22 The hilt went in after the blade and the fat closed over the blade and his entrails came out, for he did not pull the sword out of the belly of Eglon. 23 Then Ehud went out to the entrance hall and closed the doors of the upper chamber on him and locked them.

24 When he went out, the servants of Eglon came. They looked and noticed the doors of the upper chamber were locked. They thought, “Surely he is attending to his needs in the cool chamber.” 25 They waited until they were embarrassed, but he still did not open the doors of the upper chamber. So they took a key and opened it. There, fallen dead on the floor, was their lord.

26 Yet Ehud escaped while they were waiting. He passed the sacred stones and escaped to Seirah. 27 Upon his arrival, he blew a ram’s horn trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim. Then the children of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he led them.

28 He said to them, “Follow me, for the Lord has given your enemies the Moabites into your hands.” They followed him, and they captured the Jordan fords leading to Moab. They did not let anyone cross. 29 They struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all strong and valorous men, and not a single man escaped. 30 So Moab was humbled under the hand of Israel that day, and the land had peace for eighty years.

Shamgar

31 After Ehud was Shamgar son of Anath. He struck down six hundred Philistine men with an ox goad. He also saved Israel.

Footnotes

  1. Judges 3:16 About 18 inches, or 45 centimeters.
Close LEB

Judges 3
Lexham English Bible

Some Nations Remain in the Land

3 These are the nations that Yahweh left, to test Israel by them (that is, to test all those who had not experienced[a] any of the wars of Canaan, 2 in order that the generations of Israel would know war, to teach those who had not experienced it[b] before): 3 the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites,[c] the Sidonians,[d] and the Hivites[e] living on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon up to Lebo-Hamath. 4 They were left for testing Israel, to know whether they would keep the commands of Yahweh that he commanded their ancestors[f] through the hand of Moses. 5 And the Israelites[g] lived in the midst of the Canaanites,[h] the Hittites,[i] the Amorites,[j] the Perizzites,[k] the Hivites,[l] and the Jebusites.[m] 6 And they took their daughters as wives for themselves, and they gave their daughters to their sons, and they served their gods.[n]

Othniel

7 The Israelites[o] did evil in the eyes of Yahweh. They forgot Yahweh their God, and they served the Baals and the Asheroth.[p] 8 And the anger of Yahweh was kindled[q] against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim, the king of Aram Naharaim; and the Israelites[r] served Cushan-Rishathaim eight years. 9 The Israelites[s] cried out to Yahweh, and Yahweh raised up a deliverer for the Israelites[t] who delivered them, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. 10 And the spirit of Yahweh came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and Yahweh gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into his hand, and he prevailed over[u] Cushan-Rishathaim. 11 So the land rested forty years. Then Othniel son of Kenaz died.

Ehud

12 And again the Israelites[v] did evil in the eyes of Yahweh. So Yahweh strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because they did evil in the eyes of Yahweh. 13 He gathered to himself the Ammonites and Amalekites,[w] and he went and defeated Israel, and they took possession of the city of palms. 14 And the Israelites[x] served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.

15 And the Israelites[y] cried out to Yahweh, and Yahweh raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjaminite and a left-handed man.[z] And the Israelites[aa] sent a tribute to Eglon king of Moab through him.[ab] 16 Ehud made for himself a short, two-edged[ac] sword (a cubit in length), and he fastened it under his clothes on his right thigh. 17 Then he presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. 18 When Ehud[ad] had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who carried the tribute. 19 But he turned back from the sculptured stones[ae] that were near Gilgal, and he said, “I have a secret message[af] for you, O king.” And he[ag] said, “Silence!” So all those standing in his presence went out, 20 and Ehud came to him while he was sitting alone in his cool upper room. And Ehud said, “I have a message from God[ah] for you.” So he got up from his seat. 21 Then Ehud reached with his left hand for the sword on his right thigh, and he thrust it into his[ai] stomach. 22 And the handle also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade because he did not draw back the sword from his stomach; and it went protruding out the back.[aj] 23 And Ehud went out the vestibule, and he closed the doors of the upper room and locked them behind him.

24 After he left, his servants returned. When they saw that the doors of the upper room were locked, they thought,[ak] “Surely he is relieving himself[al] in the cool inner room.” 25 And they waited so long they became embarrassed because he did not open the doors of the upper room. So they took the key and opened the doors, and there their lord was lying on the ground dead.

26 And Ehud escaped while they delayed. He passed by the sculptured stones[am] and escaped to Seirah. 27 And when he arrived he sounded the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites[an] went down from the hill country with him leading them. 28 And he said to them, “Follow after me! Yahweh has given Moab your enemies into your hand.” So they went down after him, and they captured the fords of the Jordan toward Moab; and they did not allow anyone to cross over. 29 And they struck Moab at that time, about ten thousand men, all strong and able men;[ao] no one escaped. 30 And Moab was subdued on that day under the hand of Israel. And the land rested eighty years.[ap]

Shamgar

31 And Shamgar son of Anath came after him, and he killed six hundred Philistines with the goad of an ox; he also delivered Israel.

Footnotes

  1. Judges 3:1 Literally “did not know”
  2. Judges 3:2 Literally “who had not known it”
  3. Judges 3:3 Hebrew “Canaanite”
  4. Judges 3:3 Hebrew “Sidonian”
  5. Judges 3:3 Hebrew “Hivite”
  6. Judges 3:4 Or “fathers”
  7. Judges 3:5 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  8. Judges 3:5 Hebrew “Canaanite”
  9. Judges 3:5 Hebrew “Hittite”
  10. Judges 3:5 Hebrew “Amorite”
  11. Judges 3:5 Hebrew “Perizzite”
  12. Judges 3:5 Hebrew “Hivite”
  13. Judges 3:5 Hebrew “Jebusite”
  14. Judges 3:6 Or “worshiped their gods”
  15. Judges 3:7 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  16. Judges 3:7 Asheroth are cultic poles set up next to an altar symbolizing the goddess Asherah
  17. Judges 3:8 Literally “the nose of Yahweh became hot”
  18. Judges 3:8 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  19. Judges 3:9 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  20. Judges 3:9 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  21. Judges 3:10 Literally “his hand was strong over”
  22. Judges 3:12 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  23. Judges 3:13 Literally “sons of Ammon and Amalek” or “children of Ammon and Amalek”
  24. Judges 3:14 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  25. Judges 3:15 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  26. Judges 3:15 Literally “a man bound by his right hand”
  27. Judges 3:15 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  28. Judges 3:15 Literally “in his hand”
  29. Judges 3:16 Literally “with two mouths”
  30. Judges 3:18 That is, Eglon
  31. Judges 3:19 Or “Pesilim”; some translations translate the phrase as a proper name
  32. Judges 3:19 Literally “a word of secrecy”
  33. Judges 3:19 Hebrew “he”
  34. Judges 3:20 Literally “word of God”
  35. Judges 3:21 That is, Eglon’s
  36. Judges 3:22 The Hebrew is uncertain; some translations have “and the dirt/entrails came out”
  37. Judges 3:24 Hebrew “they said”
  38. Judges 3:24 Literally “covering his feet”
  39. Judges 3:26 Or “Pesilim;” some translations to translate the phrase as a proper name
  40. Judges 3:27 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  41. Judges 3:29 Literally “all fat and men of strength”
  42. Judges 3:30 Hebrew “year”
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Judges 2
Judges 4
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The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.

Lexham English Bible (LEB)

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