1 Now these are the nations which Yahweh left, to prove Israel by them, even as many [of Israel] as had not known all the wars of Canaan;
2 only that the generations of the sons of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as formerly knew nothing of it:
3 [namely], the five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-hermon to the entrance of Hamath.
4 And they were [left], to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would listen to the commandments of Yahweh, which he commanded their fathers by Moses.
5 And the sons of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites:
6 and they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons and served their gods.
7 And the sons of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and forgot Yahweh their God, and served the Baalim and the Asheroth.
8 Therefore the anger of Yahweh was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the sons of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.
9 And when the sons of Israel cried to Yahweh, Yahweh raised up a savior to the sons of Israel, who saved them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.
10 And the Spirit of Yahweh came upon him, and he judged Israel; and he went out to war, and Yahweh delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand: and his hand prevailed against Cushan-rishathaim.
11 And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
12 And the sons of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh: and Yahweh strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh.
13 And he gathered to him the sons of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and struck Israel, and they possessed the city of palm-trees.
14 And the sons of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
15 But when the sons of Israel cried to Yahweh, Yahweh raised them up a savior, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.
16 And Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length; and he girded it under his raiment on his right thigh.
17 And he offered the tribute to Eglon king of Moab: now Eglon was a very fat man.
18 And when he had made an end of offering the tribute, he sent away the people who bore the tribute.
19 But he himself turned back from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret message to you, O king. And he said, Keep silent. And all who stood by him went out from him.
20 And Ehud came to him; and he was sitting by himself alone in the cool upper room. And Ehud said, I have a message from God to you. And he arose out of his seat.
21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his body:
22 and the handle also went in after the blade; and the fat closed on the blade, for he did not draw the sword out of his body; and it came out behind.
23 Then Ehud went forth into the porch, and shut the doors of the upper room on him, and locked them.
24 Now when he had gone out, his slaves came; and they saw, and noticed that the doors of the upper room were locked; and they said, Surely he is relieving himself in the upper chamber.
25 And they tarried until they were ashamed; and saw that he didn't open the doors of the upper room: therefore they took the key, and opened [them], and saw that their lord had fallen down dead on the earth.
26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped to Seirah.
27 And it came to pass, when he came, that 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] before them.
28 And he said to them, Follow after me; for Yahweh has delivered your{+} enemies the Moabites into your{+} hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and didn't allow a man to pass over.
29 And they struck of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, every robust man, and every man of valor; and not a man escaped.
30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest 80 years.
31 And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox-goad: and he also saved Israel.