Judges 3
New International Version
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.
Footnotes
- Judges 3:8 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
- Judges 3:10 Or leader
- Judges 3:13 That is, Jericho
- Judges 3:16 That is, about 18 inches or about 45 centimeters
- Judges 3:20 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain; also in verse 24.
- Judges 3:23 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
Jeremiah 49
New International Version
A Message About Ammon
49 Concerning the Ammonites:(A)
This is what the Lord says:
“Has Israel no sons?
Has Israel no heir?
Why then has Molek[a](B) taken possession of Gad?(C)
Why do his people live in its towns?
2 But the days are coming,”
declares the Lord,
“when I will sound the battle cry(D)
against Rabbah(E) of the Ammonites;
it will become a mound of ruins,(F)
and its surrounding villages will be set on fire.
Then Israel will drive out
those who drove her out,(G)”
says the Lord.
3 “Wail, Heshbon,(H) for Ai(I) is destroyed!
Cry out, you inhabitants of Rabbah!
Put on sackcloth(J) and mourn;
rush here and there inside the walls,
for Molek(K) will go into exile,(L)
together with his priests and officials.
4 Why do you boast of your valleys,
boast of your valleys so fruitful?
Unfaithful Daughter Ammon,(M)
you trust in your riches(N) and say,
‘Who will attack me?’(O)
5 I will bring terror on you
from all those around you,”
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.
“Every one of you will be driven away,
and no one will gather the fugitives.(P)
6 “Yet afterward, I will restore(Q) the fortunes of the Ammonites,”
declares the Lord.
A Message About Edom(R)(S)
7 Concerning Edom:(T)
This is what the Lord Almighty says:
“Is there no longer wisdom in Teman?(U)
Has counsel perished from the prudent?
Has their wisdom decayed?
8 Turn and flee, hide in deep caves,(V)
you who live in Dedan,(W)
for I will bring disaster on Esau
at the time when I punish him.
9 If grape pickers came to you,
would they not leave a few grapes?
If thieves came during the night,
would they not steal only as much as they wanted?
10 But I will strip Esau bare;
I will uncover his hiding places,(X)
so that he cannot conceal himself.
His armed men are destroyed,
also his allies and neighbors,
so there is no one(Y) to say,
11 ‘Leave your fatherless children;(Z) I will keep them alive.
Your widows(AA) too can depend on me.’”
12 This is what the Lord says: “If those who do not deserve to drink the cup(AB) must drink it, why should you go unpunished?(AC) You will not go unpunished, but must drink it. 13 I swear(AD) by myself,” declares the Lord, “that Bozrah(AE) will become a ruin and a curse,[b] an object of horror(AF) and reproach;(AG) and all its towns will be in ruins forever.”(AH)
14 I have heard a message from the Lord;
an envoy was sent to the nations to say,
“Assemble yourselves to attack it!
Rise up for battle!”
15 “Now I will make you small among the nations,
despised by mankind.
16 The terror you inspire
and the pride(AI) of your heart have deceived you,
you who live in the clefts of the rocks,(AJ)
who occupy the heights of the hill.
Though you build your nest(AK) as high as the eagle’s,
from there I will bring you down,”
declares the Lord.
17 “Edom will become an object of horror;(AL)
all who pass by will be appalled and will scoff
because of all its wounds.(AM)
18 As Sodom(AN) and Gomorrah(AO) were overthrown,
along with their neighboring towns,”
says the Lord,
“so no one will live there;
no people will dwell(AP) in it.
19 “Like a lion(AQ) coming up from Jordan’s thickets(AR)
to a rich pastureland,
I will chase Edom from its land in an instant.
Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this?
Who is like(AS) me and who can challenge me?(AT)
And what shepherd(AU) can stand against me?”
20 Therefore, hear what the Lord has planned against Edom,(AV)
what he has purposed(AW) against those who live in Teman:(AX)
The young of the flock(AY) will be dragged away;
their pasture will be appalled at their fate.(AZ)
21 At the sound of their fall the earth will tremble;(BA)
their cry(BB) will resound to the Red Sea.[c]
22 Look! An eagle will soar and swoop(BC) down,
spreading its wings over Bozrah.(BD)
In that day the hearts of Edom’s warriors(BE)
will be like the heart of a woman in labor.(BF)
A Message About Damascus
23 Concerning Damascus:(BG)
“Hamath(BH) and Arpad(BI) are dismayed,
for they have heard bad news.
They are disheartened,
troubled like[d] the restless sea.(BJ)
24 Damascus has become feeble,
she has turned to flee
and panic has gripped her;
anguish and pain have seized her,
pain like that of a woman in labor.(BK)
25 Why has the city of renown not been abandoned,
the town in which I delight?
26 Surely, her young men(BL) will fall in the streets;
all her soldiers will be silenced(BM) in that day,”
declares the Lord Almighty.
27 “I will set fire(BN) to the walls of Damascus;(BO)
it will consume(BP) the fortresses of Ben-Hadad.(BQ)”
A Message About Kedar and Hazor
28 Concerning Kedar(BR) and the kingdoms of Hazor,(BS) which Nebuchadnezzar(BT) king of Babylon attacked:
This is what the Lord says:
“Arise, and attack Kedar
and destroy the people of the East.(BU)
29 Their tents and their flocks(BV) will be taken;
their shelters will be carried off
with all their goods and camels.
People will shout to them,
‘Terror(BW) on every side!’
30 “Flee quickly away!
Stay in deep caves,(BX) you who live in Hazor,(BY)”
declares the Lord.
“Nebuchadnezzar(BZ) king of Babylon has plotted against you;
he has devised a plan against you.
31 “Arise and attack a nation at ease,
which lives in confidence,”
declares the Lord,
“a nation that has neither gates nor bars;(CA)
its people live far from danger.
32 Their camels(CB) will become plunder,
and their large herds(CC) will be spoils of war.
I will scatter to the winds(CD) those who are in distant places[e](CE)
and will bring disaster on them from every side,”
declares the Lord.
33 “Hazor(CF) will become a haunt of jackals,(CG)
a desolate(CH) place forever.
No one will live there;
no people will dwell(CI) in it.”
A Message About Elam
34 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam,(CJ) early in the reign of Zedekiah(CK) king of Judah:
35 This is what the Lord Almighty says:
“See, I will break the bow(CL) of Elam,
the mainstay of their might.
36 I will bring against Elam the four winds(CM)
from the four quarters of heaven;(CN)
I will scatter them to the four winds,
and there will not be a nation
where Elam’s exiles do not go.
37 I will shatter Elam before their foes,
before those who want to kill them;
I will bring disaster on them,
even my fierce anger,”(CO)
declares the Lord.
“I will pursue them with the sword(CP)
until I have made an end of them.
38 I will set my throne in Elam
and destroy her king and officials,”
declares the Lord.
39 “Yet I will restore(CQ) the fortunes of Elam
in days to come,”
declares the Lord.
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 49:1 Or their king; also in verse 3
- Jeremiah 49:13 That is, its name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that it is cursed.
- Jeremiah 49:21 Or the Sea of Reeds
- Jeremiah 49:23 Hebrew on or by
- Jeremiah 49:32 Or who clip the hair by their foreheads
Proverbs 17:15-28
New International Version
16 Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom,
when they are not able to understand it?(C)
17 A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for a time of adversity.(D)
18 One who has no sense shakes hands in pledge
and puts up security for a neighbor.(E)
19 Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin;
whoever builds a high gate invites destruction.
20 One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper;
one whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble.
21 To have a fool for a child brings grief;
there is no joy for the parent of a godless fool.(F)
24 A discerning person keeps wisdom in view,
but a fool’s eyes(K) wander to the ends of the earth.
25 A foolish son brings grief to his father
and bitterness to the mother who bore him.(L)
26 If imposing a fine on the innocent is not good,(M)
surely to flog honest officials is not right.
27 The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,(N)
and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.(O)
28 Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
and discerning if they hold their tongues.(P)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Bible Gateway Recommends





