1 These are the nations that the Lord left in order to test Israel—those who had not experienced the wars of Canaan.

Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;

2 He did this to teach subsequent generations of the Israelites—those who had not known previous wars—how to fight.

Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;

3 The nations included the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the mountains of Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to the entrance of Hamath.

Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath.

4 They were left to test Israel in order to know whether they would obey the commandments of the Lord, which He had given to their ancestors through Moses.

And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

5 The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:

6 They took the daughters of these peoples as wives for themselves, gave their own daughters to the sons of these peoples, and worshiped their gods.

And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

7 The Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.

And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.

8 The anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He gave them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Aram Naharaim. The Israelites served Cushan-Rishathaim for eight years.

Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years.

9 When the Israelites cried out to the Lord, He raised up a deliverer for them, Othniel son of Kenaz, the younger brother of Caleb, who saved them.

And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.

10 The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went to war, and the Lord delivered Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Aram, into his hand, giving him victory over Cushan-Rishathaim.

And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.

11 The land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.

And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

12 The Israelites again did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord gave strength to Eglon, king of Moab, to overpower Israel because they had done evil in the Lord's sight.

And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.

13 Eglon gathered the Ammonites and Amalekites to himself, set out, and defeated Israel. They took possession of the City of Palms.

And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.

14 The Israelites served Eglon, king of Moab, for eighteen years.

So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.

15 Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and He raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjamite, a left-handed man. The Israelites sent him to deliver their tribute to Eglon, king of Moab.

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 Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a cubit long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing.

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 He presented the tribute to Eglon, king of Moab, who was a very fat man.

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

18 After Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he dismissed the people who had carried it.

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 back at the carved images near Gilgal and said, 'I have a secret message for you, O king.' The king said, 'Silence!' And all his attendants left him.

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 Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his palace, a room designed to stay cool. Ehud said, 'I have a word from God for you.' As the king rose from his seat,

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 Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh, and drove it into the king's belly.

And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:

22 Even the handle went in after the blade, and the fat closed over it, for he did not pull the sword out of his belly. And the excrement came out.

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 out onto the porch, closed the doors of the upper room behind him, and locked them.

Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them.

24 After he was gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, 'He must be relieving himself in the cool inner room.'

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 They waited to the point of embarrassment, but he still did not open the doors of the room. So they took the key and unlocked them, and there was their master fallen to the ground, dead.

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 While they lingered, Ehud escaped, passed by the carved images, and fled to Seirah.

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

27 When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them.

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 He said to them, 'Follow me, for the Lord has given your enemies, the Moabites, into your hands.' So they followed him, captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over.

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 At that time, they struck down about ten thousand Moabite men, all strong and able-bodied; not a single one escaped.

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 That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years.

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

31 After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel.

And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.