Judges 3 - Prayer Tents

The Nations Left in Canaan

3These are the nations that the LORD left in the land to test those Israelites who had not experienced the wars of Canaan.H1471H3068H3240H5254H3478H3045H4421H3667 2He did this to teach warfare to generations of Israelites who had no experience in battle.H7535H1755H1121H3478H3045H3925H4421H6440H3045 3These are the nations: the Philistines (those living under the five Philistine rulers), all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath.H2568H5633H6430H3669H6722H2340H3427H2022H3844H2022H1179H935H2574 4These people were left to test the Israelites—to see whether they would obey the commands the LORD had given to their ancestors through Moses.H5254H3478H3045H8085H4687H3068H6680H1H3027H4872 5So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites,H1121H3478H3427H7130H3669H2850H567H6522H2340H2983 6and they intermarried with them. Israelite sons married their daughters, and Israelite daughters were given in marriage to their sons. And the Israelites served their gods.H3947H1323H802H5414H1323H1121H5647H430

Othniel Becomes Israel’s Judge

7The Israelites did evil in the LORD's sight. They forgot about the LORD their God, and they served the images of Baal and the Asherah poles.H1121H3478H6213H7451H5869H3068H7911H3068H430H5647H1168H842 8Then the LORD burned with anger against Israel, and he turned them over to King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim. And the Israelites served Cushan-rishathaim for eight years.H639H3068H2734H3478H4376H3027H3573H4428H763H1121H3478H5647H3573H8083H8141 9But when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD for help, the LORD raised up a rescuer to save them. His name was Othniel, the son of Caleb's younger brother, Kenaz.H1121H3478H2199H3068H3068H6965H3467H1121H3478H3467H6274H1121H7073H3612H6996H251 10The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he became Israel's judge. He went to war against King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram, and the LORD gave Othniel victory over him.H7307H3068H8199H3478H3318H4421H3068H5414H3573H4428H763H3027H3027H5810H3573 11So there was peace in the land for forty years. Then Othniel son of Kenaz died.H776H8252H705H8141H6274H1121H7073H4191

Ehud Becomes Israel’s Judge

12Once again the Israelites did evil in the LORD's sight, and the LORD gave King Eglon of Moab control over Israel because of their evil.H1121H3478H6213H7451H3254H5869H3068H3068H2388H5700H4428H4124H3478H6213H7451H5869H3068 13Eglon enlisted the Ammonites and Amalekites as allies, and then he went out and defeated Israel, taking possession of Jericho, the city of palms.H622H1121H5983H6002H3212H5221H3478H3423H5892H8558H5899 14And the Israelites served Eglon of Moab for eighteen years.H1121H3478H5647H5700H4428H4124H8083H6240H8141 15But when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD for help, the LORD again raised up a rescuer to save them. His name was Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed man of the tribe of Benjamin. The Israelites sent Ehud to deliver their tribute money to King Eglon of Moab.H1121H3478H2199H3068H3068H6965H3467H164H1121H1617H1145H376H334H3225H3027H1121H3478H7971H4503H5700H4428H4124 16So Ehud made a double-edged dagger that was about a foot long, and he strapped it to his right thigh, keeping it hidden under his clothing.H164H6213H2719H8147H6366H1574H753H2296H4055H3225H3409 17He brought the tribute money to Eglon, who was very fat.H7126H4503H5700H4428H4124H5700H3966H1277H376 18After delivering the payment, Ehud started home with those who had helped carry the tribute.H3615H7126H4503H7971H5971H5375H4503 19But when Ehud reached the stone idols near Gilgal, he turned back. He came to Eglon and said, "I have a secret message for you." So the king commanded his servants, "Be quiet!" and he sent them all out of the room.H7725H6456H1537H559H5643H1697H4428H559H2013H5975H3318 20Ehud walked over to Eglon, who was sitting alone in a cool upstairs room. And Ehud said, "I have a message from God for you!" As King Eglon rose from his seat,H164H935H3427H4747H5944H164H559H1697H430H6965H3678 21Ehud reached with his left hand, pulled out the dagger strapped to his right thigh, and plunged it into the king's belly.H164H7971H8040H3027H3947H2719H3225H3409H8628H990 22The dagger went so deep that the handle disappeared beneath the king's fat. So Ehud did not pull out the dagger, and the king's bowels emptied.H5325H935H310H3851H2459H5462H1157H3851H8025H2719H990H6574H3318 23Then Ehud closed and locked the doors of the room and escaped down the latrine.H164H3318H4528H5462H1817H5944H5274 24After Ehud was gone, the king's servants returned and found the doors to the upstairs room locked. They thought he might be using the latrine in the room,H3318H5650H935H7200H1817H5944H5274H559H5526H7272H4747H2315 25so they waited. But when the king didn't come out after a long delay, they became concerned and got a key. And when they opened the doors, they found their master dead on the floor.H2342H954H6605H1817H5944H3947H4668H6605H113H5307H4191H776 26While the servants were waiting, Ehud escaped, passing the stone idols on his way to Seirah.H164H4422H4102H5674H6456H4422H8167 27When he arrived in the hill country of Ephraim, Ehud sounded a call to arms. Then he led a band of Israelites down from the hills.H935H8628H7782H2022H669H1121H3478H3381H2022H6440 28"Follow me," he said, "for the LORD has given you victory over Moab your enemy." So they followed him. And the Israelites took control of the shallow crossings of the Jordan River across from Moab, preventing anyone from crossing.H559H7291H310H3068H5414H341H4124H3027H3381H310H3920H4569H3383H4124H5414H376H5674 29They attacked the Moabites and killed about 10,000 of their strongest and most able-bodied warriors. Not one of them escaped.H5221H4124H6256H6235H505H376H8082H376H2428H4422H376 30So Moab was conquered by Israel that day, and there was peace in the land for eighty years.H4124H3665H3117H3027H3478H776H8252H8084H8141

Shamgar Becomes Israel’s Judge

31After Ehud, Shamgar son of Anath rescued Israel. He once killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad.H310H8044H1121H6067H5221H6430H8337H3967H376H1241H4451H3467H3478