الإصحَاحُ
الثَّالِثُ

 

Chapter
3

1
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
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
Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the
Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-hermon
unto the entering in of Hamath.

4
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
And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites,
and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:

6
And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to
their sons, and served their gods.

7
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
Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into
the hand of Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel
served Chushan-rishathaim eight years.

9
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
And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to
war: and the LORD delivered Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his
hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushan-rishathaim.

11
And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

12
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
And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel,
and possessed the city of palm trees.

14
So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.

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.

31
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.