Ehud

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.

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.

NoteMoab was a country right next to Israel. It was on the other side of the Dead Sea.

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.

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

NoteAmmon and Amalek were other peoples who lived near Israel. The city of palm trees was Jericho. Tall palm trees grew there because it had plenty of water.

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

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

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.

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.

NoteBenjamin was one of the twelve big families of Israel. This gift was not a present between friends. It was money and goods Israel had to pay the king. A beaten country had to pay every year. Being left-handed mattered here. Most men carried a sword on their left side. Guards would not think to check Ehud's right side.

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.

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.

NoteA cubit is about eighteen inches long. That is the length from your elbow to your fingertips.

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

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

NoteBeing fat showed that a king was rich. He always had plenty of food to eat.

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

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

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.

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.

NoteGilgal was a town near the Jordan River. The carved stones there were most likely statues of gods.

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.

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.

NoteThe upstairs room had windows to catch the breeze. Kings rested there to get away from the heat.

21Ehud reached out with his left hand. He pulled the sword off his right leg. He pushed 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:

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.

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.

23Then Ehud went out through the porch. He shut the doors of the 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.

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."

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.

NoteThe old words say he "covereth his feet." That was a polite way of saying he was using the bathroom.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

NoteThe horn was a ram's horn. Blowing it was like a loud alarm. It called people to come together and fight.

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.

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.

NoteA ford is a shallow spot in a river. People can walk across there. Ehud's men guarded those spots so no enemy could get home.

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

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.

NoteThe old words call the men "lusty." Back then that just meant strong and healthy.

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

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

NoteThe old words say "fourscore." A score means twenty. So fourscore means eighty.

1After Ehud died, the people of Israel did evil again. The LORD saw what they did.

And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead.

NoteEhud was a leader who helped Israel before this. His story is in chapter 3. In old Bibles, LORD in capital letters stands for God's own name.

2So the LORD handed them over to Jabin, a king in Canaan. He ruled in the city of Hazor. The leader of his army was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth.

And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.

NoteCanaan was the land where Israel lived. Some cities there still had their own kings. Hazor was a big city with strong walls. The old words say the LORD "sold" Israel. That means he let this king rule over them.

3The people of Israel cried out to the LORD for help. Jabin had nine hundred iron chariots, which are strong war carts. For twenty years he treated Israel very harshly.

And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.

NoteA chariot was a small cart with two wheels, pulled by fast horses. Soldiers rode in it and shot arrows. Iron parts made it strong. Israel had no chariots at all.