Judges 3:12-30
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Ehud
12 The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord strengthened King Eglon of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the sight of the Lord.(A) 13 In alliance with the Ammonites and the Amalekites, he went and defeated Israel, and they took possession of the city of palms.(B) 14 So the Israelites served King Eglon of Moab eighteen years.
15 But when the Israelites cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The Israelites sent tribute by him to King Eglon of Moab.(C) 16 Ehud made for himself a sword with two edges, a cubit in length, and he fastened it on his right thigh under his clothes. 17 Then he presented the tribute to King Eglon of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man.(D) 18 When Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent the people who carried the tribute on their way. 19 But he himself turned back at the sculptured stones near Gilgal and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” So the king said,[a] “Silence!” and all his attendants went out from his presence. 20 Ehud came to him, while he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber, and said, “I have a message from God for you.” So he rose from his seat. 21 Then Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into Eglon’s[b] belly; 22 the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the sword out of his belly, and the dirt[c] came out. 23 Then Ehud went out into the vestibule[d] and closed the doors of the roof chamber on him and locked them.
24 After he had gone, the servants came. When they saw that the doors of the roof chamber were locked, they thought, “He must be relieving himself[e] in the cool chamber.”(E) 25 So they waited until they were embarrassed. When he still did not open the doors of the roof chamber, they took the key and opened them. There was their lord lying dead on the floor.(F)
26 Ehud escaped while they delayed and passed beyond the sculptured stones and escaped to Seirah. 27 When he arrived, he sounded the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hill country, having him at their head. 28 He said to them, “Follow after me, for the Lord has given your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they went down after him and seized the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites and allowed no one to cross over.(G) 29 At that time they killed about ten thousand of the Moabites, all strong, able-bodied men; no one escaped. 30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest eighty years.(H)
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Judges 3:12-30
International Standard Version
Ehud, Israel’s Second Judge
12 The Israelis again practiced evil in full view of the Lord. So the Lord strengthened Eglon king of Moab in his control over Israel, because they had practiced evil in full view of the Lord. 13 Eglon[a] assembled together the Ammonites and the Amalekites, proceeded to attack Israel, and captured the cities of palms. 14 So the Israelis served king Eglon of Moab for eighteen years.
15 But when the Israelis cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up Gera’s son Ehud, a left-handed descendant of Benjamin, as a deliverer for them. The Israelis paid tribute through him to king Eglon of Moab. 16 Ehud forged a double-edged sword that was one cubit[b] long, tied it to his right thigh under his cloak, 17 and went to present the tribute to King Eglon of Moab. Now Eglon happened to be a very obese man.
18 As he finished presenting the tribute, Ehud[c] sent away the people who had been carrying it. 19 He had turned away from the idols that were at Gilgal. So he told Eglon, “I have a secret message for you, king.”
King Eglon[d] responded “Silence!” and all of his attendants left him.
20 Ehud approached him while he was sitting by himself in the cool roof chamber of his palace.[e] He said, “I have a message from God for you!” So when Eglon[f] got up from his seat, 21 Ehud used his left hand to take the sword from his right thigh and then plunged it into Eglon’s[g] abdomen. 22 The hilt also penetrated along with the sword blade, and Eglon’s fat closed in over the blade. Because he did not withdraw the sword from Eglon’s abdomen, the sword point[h] exited from Eglon’s entrails.[i]
23 Then Ehud left the cool chamber in the direction of the vestibule, shutting and locking the doors behind him. 24 After he left, Eglon’s[j] attendants came to look, but the doors to the cool chamber were locked! So they said, “He must be relieving himself[k] in the inner part of the cool chamber.”[l] 25 They waited until they were embarrassed, since he never opened the doors to the chamber. Eventually they took a key, opened the doors, and found their master dead on the ground.
26 Meanwhile, Ehud escaped while they were delayed, passed by the idols, and escaped in the direction of Seirah. 27 When he arrived there, he sounded a trumpet in the mountainous region[m] of Ephraim. While the Israeli army accompanied Ehud from the mountainous regions,[n] 28 he told them, “Attack them, because the Lord has given your enemies—the Moabites—into your control.” So the Israeli army[o] followed after him, seized the fords of the Jordan River opposite Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross. 29 At that time they attacked about 10,000 Moabites, all of whom were strong and valiant men. Not one man escaped. 30 As a result, Moab was subdued under the control of Israel, and the land remained quiet for 80 years.
Read full chapterNotas al pie
- Judges 3:13 Lit. He
- Judges 3:16 I.e. about a foot and a half
- Judges 3:18 Lit. he
- Judges 3:19 Lit. So he
- Judges 3:20 The Heb. lacks of his palace
- Judges 3:20 Lit. he
- Judges 3:21 Lit. his
- Judges 3:22 So LXX. MT reads abdomen, it
- Judges 3:22 Or from behind
- Judges 3:24 Lit. his
- Judges 3:24 Lit. be covering his feet
- Judges 3:24 Or cool area; i.e. a private room (usually on a roof) for residence in warm weather
- Judges 3:27 Or the hill country
- Judges 3:27 Or the hill country
- Judges 3:28 Lit. he
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