Judges 3:12-30
Evangelical Heritage Version
The Second Judge: Ehud Versus the Moabites
12 Again the people of Israel committed evil in the eyes of the Lord, so the Lord gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel because they had committed evil in the eyes of the Lord.
13 Eglon took Ammonites and Amalekites along with him. He advanced and attacked Israel and took possession of the City of Palms. 14 So the people of Israel served Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years.
15 Again the people of Israel called out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up a deliverer for them. The deliverer was Ehud son of Gera, a Benjaminite, who was left-handed.[a]
The Israelites sent him with a tribute payment for Eglon king of Moab. 16 Ehud made a double-edged sword for himself, about eighteen inches long,[b] and he strapped it under his clothing on his right thigh.
17 Ehud presented the tribute payment to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man. 18 After Ehud had presented the tribute payment, he sent the men who had delivered the tribute on their way. 19 But after he himself had passed the carved images that were at Gilgal, Ehud turned back and told the king, “I have a secret for you, O king!”
The king said, “Quiet, everyone,” so all his attendants left the room.
20 Ehud approached Eglon as Eglon was sitting in the cool upper chamber, all alone. Ehud said, “I have something from God for you.” So Eglon stood up from the throne. 21 Ehud reached out his left hand and took the sword that was on his right thigh and drove it into Eglon’s belly. 22 As the hilt went in after the blade, Eglon’s fat closed behind the blade. Ehud did not draw the sword out from Eglon’s belly, and the contents of his bowels came out. 23 Ehud then went out to the vestibule,[c] shut the doors of the upper chamber behind him, and locked them. 24 Then off he went!
When Eglon’s servants came back, they were surprised to see that the doors of the upper chamber were locked. They said, “He must be using the toilet.”[d] 25 They waited until the delay became embarrassing, but no one opened the doors to the upper chamber. Finally they took the key and opened the door. And there he was. Their master was lying on the ground—dead!
26 While they delayed, Ehud had escaped. He passed by the carved images and escaped to Seirah. 27 When he arrived, ram’s horns were sounded throughout the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites marched down from the hill country with Ehud leading the way. 28 He said to them, “Follow me, because the Lord has given your enemies, the Moabites, into your hands.” So they pursued them, captured the fords of the Jordan opposite Moab, and let no one cross. 29 At this time they struck down about ten thousand men of Moab, every one robust, each one a powerful warrior. Not one escaped. 30 This is how Moab was humbled on that day under the hand of Israel, and the land was quiet for eighty years.
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- Judges 3:15 Literally bound in his right hand. Possibly the term refers to a handicap, but it likely simply refers to left-handedness.
- Judges 3:16 The Hebrew word used here is not the usual word for the eighteen-inch cubit, so this weapon may have been fifteen inches long, or even as short as nine inches.
- Judges 3:23 Or colonnaded porch or balcony. The meaning of the word is uncertain. It seems that Ehud escaped by jumping off a balcony or perhaps by exiting through the toilet pit. See the next verse.
- Judges 3:24 Literally covering his feet in the cool room
Judges 3:12-30
Lexham English Bible
Ehud
12 And again the Israelites[a] 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,[b] and he went and defeated Israel, and they took possession of the city of palms. 14 And the Israelites[c] served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.
15 And the Israelites[d] cried out to Yahweh, and Yahweh raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjaminite and a left-handed man.[e] And the Israelites[f] sent a tribute to Eglon king of Moab through him.[g] 16 Ehud made for himself a short, two-edged[h] 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[i] had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who carried the tribute. 19 But he turned back from the sculptured stones[j] that were near Gilgal, and he said, “I have a secret message[k] for you, O king.” And he[l] 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[m] 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[n] 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.[o] 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,[p] “Surely he is relieving himself[q] 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[r] and escaped to Seirah. 27 And when he arrived he sounded the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites[s] 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;[t] no one escaped. 30 And Moab was subdued on that day under the hand of Israel. And the land rested eighty years.[u]
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- Judges 3:12 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Judges 3:13 Literally “sons of Ammon and Amalek” or “children of Ammon and Amalek”
- Judges 3:14 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Judges 3:15 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Judges 3:15 Literally “a man bound by his right hand”
- Judges 3:15 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Judges 3:15 Literally “in his hand”
- Judges 3:16 Literally “with two mouths”
- Judges 3:18 That is, Eglon
- Judges 3:19 Or “Pesilim”; some translations translate the phrase as a proper name
- Judges 3:19 Literally “a word of secrecy”
- Judges 3:19 Hebrew “he”
- Judges 3:20 Literally “word of God”
- Judges 3:21 That is, Eglon’s
- Judges 3:22 The Hebrew is uncertain; some translations have “and the dirt/entrails came out”
- Judges 3:24 Hebrew “they said”
- Judges 3:24 Literally “covering his feet”
- Judges 3:26 Or “Pesilim;” some translations to translate the phrase as a proper name
- Judges 3:27 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Judges 3:29 Literally “all fat and men of strength”
- Judges 3:30 Hebrew “year”
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