Ehud Kills Eglon

15 But when the sons of Israel (A)cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by [a]him to Eglon the king of Moab. 16 Now Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length, and he strapped it on his right thigh under his cloak. 17 Then he presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. 18 And it came about, when he had finished presenting the tribute, that Ehud sent away the people who had carried the tribute. 19 But he himself turned back from the idols which were at Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” And the king said, “Silence!” And all who were attending him left him. 20 Then Ehud came to him while he was sitting in his cool roof chamber alone. And Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” And he got up from his seat. 21 Then Ehud reached out with his left hand and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. 22 The hilt of the sword also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade because he did not pull the sword out of his belly; and [b]the refuse came out. 23 Then Ehud went out into the [c]vestibule, and shut the doors of the roof chamber behind him, and locked them.

24 When he had left, [d]the king’s servants came and looked, and behold, the doors of the roof chamber were locked; and they said, “(B)Undoubtedly he is [e]relieving himself in the cool room.” 25 So they waited [f]until it would have been shameful to wait longer; but behold, he did not open the doors of the roof chamber. So they took the key and opened them, and behold, their master had fallen to the [g]floor dead.

26 Now Ehud escaped while they were hesitating, and he passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah. 27 And [h]when he arrived, (C)he blew the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was [i]leading them. 28 Then he said to them, “Pursue them, for the Lord has handed your enemies the Moabites over to you.” So they went down after him and took control of (D)the crossing places of the Jordan opposite Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross. 29 They struck and killed about ten thousand Moabites at that time, all robust and valiant men; and no one escaped. 30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land was at rest for eighty years.

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 3:15 Lit his hand
  2. Judges 3:22 Meaning of the Heb uncertain, but perhaps excrement
  3. Judges 3:23 Meaning uncertain
  4. Judges 3:24 Lit his
  5. Judges 3:24 Lit covering his feet; a euphemism referring to a squatting position
  6. Judges 3:25 Lit until shaming
  7. Judges 3:25 Lit earth
  8. Judges 3:27 Lit it happened
  9. Judges 3:27 Lit before them

15 But when the children of Israel (A)cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for them: Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a (B)left-handed man. By him the children of Israel sent tribute to Eglon king of Moab. 16 Now Ehud made himself a dagger (it was double-edged and a cubit in length) and fastened it under his clothes on his right thigh. 17 So he brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. (Now Eglon was a very fat man.) 18 And when he had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who had carried the tribute. 19 But he himself turned back (C)from the [a]stone images that were at Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.”

He said, “Keep silence!” And all who attended him went out from him.

20 So Ehud came to him (now he was sitting upstairs in his cool private chamber). Then Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” So he arose from his seat. 21 Then Ehud reached with his left hand, took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. 22 Even the [b]hilt went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the dagger out of his belly; and his entrails came out. 23 Then Ehud went out through the porch and shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.

24 When he had gone out, [c]Eglon’s servants came to look, and to their surprise, the doors of the upper room were locked. So they said, “He is probably (D)attending[d] to his needs in the cool chamber.” 25 So they waited till they were (E)embarrassed, and still he had not opened the doors of the upper room. Therefore they took the key and opened them. And there was their master, fallen dead on the floor.

26 But Ehud had escaped while they delayed, and passed beyond the [e]stone images and escaped to Seirah. 27 And it happened, when he arrived, that (F)he blew the trumpet in the (G)mountains of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mountains; and [f]he led them. 28 Then he said to them, “Follow me, for (H)the Lord has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they went down after him, seized the (I)fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over. 29 And at that time they killed about ten thousand men of Moab, all stout men of valor; not a man escaped. 30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And (J)the land had rest for eighty years.

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 3:19 Tg. quarries
  2. Judges 3:22 handle
  3. Judges 3:24 Lit. his
  4. Judges 3:24 Lit. covering his feet
  5. Judges 3:26 Tg. quarries
  6. Judges 3:27 Lit. he went before them

15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.

16 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.

17 And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.

18 And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present.

19 But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.

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.

25 And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.

26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath.

27 And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.

28 And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the Lord hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.

29 And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man.

30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.

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Ehud Rescues Israel from Moab

15 But when the Israelites cried out to the Lord [for help], the Lord raised up a [a]man to rescue them, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, [b]a left-handed man. And the Israelites sent a gift of tribute by him to Eglon king of Moab. 16 Now Ehud made for himself a sword a [c]cubit long, which had two edges, and he bound it on his [d]right thigh under his robe. 17 And he brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. 18 And when Ehud had finished presenting the [e]tribute, he sent away the people who had carried it. 19 But Ehud himself turned back from the [f]sculptured stones at Gilgal, [and he returned to Eglon] and said [to him], “I have a secret message for you, O king.” Eglon said “Keep silence.” And all who attended him left him. 20 Ehud came to him as he was sitting alone in his [private] cool upper chamber, and Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” And the king got up from his seat. 21 Then Ehud reached out with his left hand and took the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon’s belly. 22 And the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, because Ehud did not draw the sword out of his belly; and the refuse came out. 23 Then Ehud went out into the vestibule and shut the doors of the upper chamber behind him, and locked them.

24 When Ehud departed, Eglon’s servants came. And when they saw that the doors of the upper room were locked, they said, “He is only [g]relieving himself in the cool room.” 25 They waited [a very long time] until they became embarrassed and uneasy, but he still did not open the doors of the upper room. So [finally] they took the key and opened them, and behold, their master had fallen to the floor, dead.

26 Now Ehud escaped while they lingered, and he passed beyond the sculptured stones and escaped to Seirah. 27 When he had arrived, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was in front of them. 28 And he said to them, “Pursue them, for the Lord has handed over your enemies the Moabites to you.” So they went down after him and seized the [h]fords of the Jordan opposite Moab and did not allow anyone to cross. 29 They struck down at that time about ten thousand Moabite men, all strong, courageous men; not a man escaped. 30 So Moab was subdued and humbled that day under the hand of Israel, and the land was at rest for eighty years.

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 3:15 Lit deliverer.
  2. Judges 3:15 Lit bound in his right hand.
  3. Judges 3:16 I.e. about eighteen inches.
  4. Judges 3:16 If a bodyguard searched Ehud he would have focused on his left side, where a right-handed man would hide a sword.
  5. Judges 3:18 The tribute apparently required a company of people to transport and may have consisted of such things as valuable commodities, precious metals, and domestic animals.
  6. Judges 3:19 These stones may have been either boundary markers or idols.
  7. Judges 3:24 Lit covering his feet (with his garment)—a euphemism for defecating, probably because of the squatting position taken.
  8. Judges 3:28 I.e. narrow or shallow places where a river may be crossed by wading.

15 And the sons of Israel cry unto Jehovah, and Jehovah raiseth to them a saviour, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjamite (a man -- shut of his right hand), and the sons of Israel send by his hand a present to Eglon king of Moab;

16 and Ehud maketh for himself a sword, and it hath two mouths (a cubit [is] its length), and he girdeth it under his long robe on his right thigh;

17 and he bringeth near the present to Eglon king of Moab, and Eglon [is] a very fat man.

18 And it cometh to pass, when he hath finished to bring near the present, that he sendeth away the people bearing the present,

19 and he himself hath turned back from the graven images which [are] at Gilgal, and saith, `A secret word I have unto thee, O king;' and he saith, `Hush!' and go out from him do all those standing by him.

20 And Ehud hath come unto him, and he is sitting in the upper chamber of the wall which he hath for himself, and Ehud saith, `A word of God I have unto thee;' and he riseth from off the throne;

21 and Ehud putteth forth his left hand, and taketh the sword from off his right thigh, and striketh it into his belly;

22 and the haft also goeth in after the blade, and the fat shutteth on the blade, that he hath not drawn the sword out of his belly, and it goeth out at the fundament.

23 And Ehud goeth out at the porch, and shutteth the doors of the upper chamber upon him, and hath bolted [it];

24 and he hath gone out, and his servants have come in, and look, and lo, the doors of the upper chamber are bolted, and they say, `He is only covering his feet in the inner chamber of the wall.'

25 And they stay till confounded, and lo, he is not opening the doors of the upper chamber, and they take the key, and open, and lo, their lord is fallen to the earth -- dead.

26 And Ehud escaped during their tarrying, and hath passed by the images, and is escaped to Seirath.

27 And it cometh to pass, in his coming in, that he bloweth with a trumpet in the hill-country of Ephraim, and go down with him do the sons of Israel from the hill-country, and he before them;

28 and he saith unto them, `Pursue after me, for Jehovah hath given your enemies, the Moabites, into your hand;' and they go down after him, and capture the passages of the Jordan towards Moab, and have not permitted a man to pass over.

29 And they smite Moab at that time, about ten thousand men, all robust, and every one a man of valour, and not a man hath escaped,

30 and Moab is humbled in that day under the hand of Israel; and the land resteth eighty years.

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