Judges

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;

1These are the nations the LORD left in the land. He left them to test the people of Israel. Many Israelites had never fought in the wars in Canaan.

2Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;

2He did this so the new families of Israel would learn about war. They had never learned about fighting before.

3Namely, 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.

3These nations were the five rulers of the Philistines and all the Canaanites. The people of Sidon were there too, and the Hivites. The Hivites lived in the mountains of Lebanon. Their land went from Mount Baal-hermon to the road into Hamath.

4And 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.

4These nations were left to test Israel. God wanted to see if Israel would obey his commands. He had given those commands to their fathers through Moses.

5And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:

5So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites. They also lived among the Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

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

6They took the daughters of those people as wives. They gave their own daughters to those men's sons. And they served the gods of those people.

7And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.

7The people of Israel did what was evil to the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God. They served false gods called the Baals and the Asherahs.

8Therefore 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.

8So the LORD was very angry with Israel. He handed them over to Cushan-rishathaim, the king of Mesopotamia. Israel had to serve that king for eight years.

9And 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.

9Then the people of Israel cried out to the LORD for help. The LORD sent a man to save them. He was Othniel, the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.

10And 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.

10The Spirit of the LORD came on Othniel. He became Israel's judge, a leader who ruled them and saved them. He went out to war. The LORD handed King Cushan-rishathaim over to him, and Othniel won.

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

11Then the land was at peace for forty years. After that, Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

12And 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.

12Again the people of Israel did what was evil to the LORD. So the LORD made Eglon, the king of Moab, strong against Israel. This happened because Israel had done evil.

13And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.

13Eglon got the people of Ammon and Amalek to join him. Together they attacked Israel and beat them. They took over the city of palm trees.

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

14So the people of Israel had to serve Eglon, king of Moab, for eighteen years.

15But 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.

15Then the people of Israel cried out to the LORD again. He sent them Ehud, the son of Gera, from the family of Benjamin. Ehud was left-handed. Israel sent him to carry a gift to Eglon, king of Moab.

16But 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.

16Ehud made himself a sword that was sharp on both edges. It was about as long as your arm. He tied it under his coat, on his right leg.

NoteThe KJV says the sword was "a cubit" long. A cubit was about eighteen inches, or the length of a grown-up's forearm.

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

17He brought the gift to Eglon, the king of Moab. Eglon was a very fat man.

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

18When Ehud had finished giving the gift, he sent the men who carried it away.

19But 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.

19But Ehud himself turned back at the carved stones near Gilgal. He said, "I have a secret message for you, O king." The king said, "Be quiet." Then everyone standing near him left the room.

NoteThe KJV calls these "the quarries." The word means carved stone images set up near Gilgal, not a place where rock was dug.

20And 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.

20Ehud came close to him. The king was sitting alone in his cool upstairs room. Ehud said, "I have a message from God for you." The king stood up from his seat.

21And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:

21Ehud reached out with his left hand. He pulled the sword off his right leg. He pushed it into the king's belly.

22And 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.

22Even the handle went in after the blade. The fat closed over it, so Ehud could not pull the sword out. The king's insides spilled out.

23Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them.

23Then Ehud went out through the porch. He shut the doors of the room behind him and locked them.

24When 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.

24After he was gone, the king's servants came. They saw that the doors were locked. They said, "He must be using the bathroom in his cool room."

Note"He covereth his feet" was a polite old way of saying someone was going to the bathroom.

25And 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.

25They waited so long that they began to worry. Still the doors did not open. So they took a key and opened them. Their master was lying dead on the floor.

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

26Ehud got away while the servants waited. He went past the carved stones and escaped to Seirah.

27And 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.

27When he got there, he blew a horn in the hill country of Ephraim. The people of Israel came down the hills with him. Ehud walked in front of them.

28And 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.

28He said to them, "Follow me. The LORD has handed your enemies the Moabites over to you." They followed him down. They took the shallow crossings of the Jordan River that led to Moab. They let no one cross over.

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

29That day they killed about ten thousand men of Moab. All of them were strong and brave fighters. Not one man got away.

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

30So Moab was beaten by Israel that day. Then the land was at peace for eighty years.

NoteThe KJV says "fourscore years." A score is twenty, so fourscore means eighty.

31And 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.

31After Ehud came Shamgar, the son of Anath. He killed six hundred Philistines with an ox goad, a long pointed stick used to drive oxen. He also saved Israel.