Judges 3:12-30
English Standard Version
Ehud
12 (A)And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord strengthened Eglon (B)the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the sight of the Lord. 13 He gathered to himself the Ammonites and the (C)Amalekites, and went and defeated Israel. And they took possession of (D)the city of palms. 14 And the people of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
15 Then the people of Israel (E)cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up for them (F)a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, (G)a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab. 16 And Ehud made for himself a sword with two edges, a cubit[a] in length, and he bound it on his right thigh under his clothes. 17 And he presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. 18 And when Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who carried the tribute. 19 But he himself turned back (H)at the idols near Gilgal and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” And he commanded, “Silence.” And all his attendants went out from his presence. 20 And Ehud came to him as he was sitting alone in his (I)cool roof chamber. (J)And Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” And he arose from his seat. 21 And Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. 22 And the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not pull the sword out of his belly; and the dung came out. 23 Then Ehud went out into the porch[b] and closed the doors of the roof chamber behind him (K)and locked them.
24 When he had gone, the servants came, and when they saw that the doors of the roof chamber were locked, they thought, (L)“Surely he is relieving himself in the closet of the cool chamber.” 25 And they waited till they were embarrassed. But when he still did not open the doors of the roof chamber, they took the key and opened them, and there lay their lord dead on the floor.
26 Ehud escaped while they delayed, and he passed beyond (M)the idols and escaped to Seirah. 27 When he arrived, (N)he sounded the trumpet in (O)the hill country of Ephraim. Then the people of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he was their leader. 28 And he said to them, “Follow after me, (P)for the Lord has given your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they went down after him and seized (Q)the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites and did not allow anyone to pass over. 29 And they killed at that time about 10,000 of the Moabites, all strong, able-bodied men; not a man escaped. 30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. (R)And the land had rest for eighty years.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Judges 3:16 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
- Judges 3:23 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
Judges 3:12-30
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Ehud
12 The Israelites again did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. He gave Eglon king of Moab(A) power over Israel, because they had done what was evil in the Lord’s sight. 13 After Eglon convinced the Ammonites and the Amalekites to join forces with him, he attacked and defeated Israel and took possession of the City of Palms.[a](B) 14 The Israelites served Eglon king of Moab 18 years.
15 Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and He raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed(C) Benjaminite,[b] as a deliverer for them. The Israelites sent him to Eglon king of Moab with tribute(D) money.
16 Ehud made himself a double-edged sword 18 inches long.[c] He strapped it to his right thigh under his clothes 17 and brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was an extremely fat man. 18 When Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he dismissed the people who had carried it. 19 At the carved images near Gilgal he returned and said, “King Eglon, I have a secret message for you.” The king called for silence, and all his attendants left him. 20 Then Ehud approached him while he was sitting alone in his room upstairs where it was cool. Ehud said, “I have a word from God for you,” and the king stood up from his throne.[d] 21 Ehud[e] reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon’s belly. 22 Even the handle went in after the blade, and Eglon’s fat closed in over it, so that Ehud did not withdraw the sword from his belly. And Eglon’s insides came out. 23 Ehud escaped by way of the porch, closing and locking the doors of the upstairs room behind him.
24 Ehud was gone when Eglon’s servants came in. They looked and found the doors of the upstairs room locked and thought he was relieving himself[f] in the cool room. 25 The servants waited until they became worried and saw that he had still not opened the doors of the upstairs room. So they took the key and opened the doors—and there was their lord lying dead on the floor!
26 Ehud escaped while the servants waited. He crossed over the Jordan near the carved images and reached Seirah. 27 After he arrived, he sounded the ram’s horn throughout the hill country of Ephraim. The Israelites came down with him from the hill country, and he became their leader. 28 He told them, “Follow me, because the Lord has handed over your enemies, the Moabites, to you.” So they followed him, captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over.(E) 29 At that time they struck down about 10,000 Moabites, all strong and able-bodied men. Not one of them escaped. 30 Moab became subject to Israel that day, and the land was peaceful 80 years.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Judges 3:13 = Jericho; Dt 34:3; Jdg 1:16; 2Ch 28:15
- Judges 3:15 = son of the right hand
- Judges 3:16 Lit sword a gomed in length
- Judges 3:20 LXX reads “A word of my God for you, O king,” and Eglon rose up from the throne near him.
- Judges 3:21 LXX reads It happened that when he rose up, Ehud immediately
- Judges 3:24 Lit was covering his feet
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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