Judges 3:20 - Prayer Tents

Judges 3

The Lord Tests Israel

3These are the nations the LORD left in order to test Israel, since none of these Israelites had fought in any of the wars with Canaan.H1471H3068H3240H5254H3478H3045H4421H36672This was to teach the future generations of the Israelites [how to fight in] battle, especially those who had not fought before.H7535H1755H1121H3478H3045H3925H4421H6440H30453[These nations included:] the five rulers of the Philistines and all of the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the Lebanese mountains from Mount Baal-hermon as far as the entrance to Hamath.H2568H5633H6430H3669H6722H2340H3427H2022H3844H2022H1179H935H25744The LORD left them to test Israel, to determine if they would keep the LORD's commands He had given their fathers through Moses.H5254H3478H3045H8085H4687H3068H6680H1H3027H48725But they settled among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.H1121H3478H3427H7130H3669H2850H567H6522H2340H29836The Israelites took their daughters as wives for themselves, gave their own daughters to their sons, and worshiped their gods.H3947H1323H802H5414H1323H1121H5647H430

Othniel, the First Judge

7The Israelites did what was evil in the LORD's sight; they forgot the LORD their God and worshiped the Baals and the Asherahs.H1121H3478H6213H7451H5869H3068H7911H3068H430H5647H1168H8428The LORD's anger burned against Israel, and He sold them to Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram of the Two Rivers, and the Israelites served him eight years.H639H3068H2734H3478H4376H3027H3573H4428H763H1121H3478H5647H3573H8083H81419The Israelites cried out to the LORD. So the LORD raised up Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's youngest brother as a deliverer to save the Israelites.H1121H3478H2199H3068H3068H6965H3467H1121H3478H3467H6274H1121H7073H3612H6996H25110The Spirit of the LORD was on him, and he judged Israel. Othniel went out to battle, and the LORD handed over Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram to him, so that Othniel overpowered him.H7307H3068H8199H3478H3318H4421H3068H5414H3573H4428H763H3027H3027H5810H357311Then the land was peaceful 40 years, and Othniel son of Kenaz died.H776H8252H705H8141H6274H1121H7073H4191

Ehud

12The Israelites again did what was evil in the LORD's sight. He gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel, because they had done what was evil in the LORD's sight.H1121H3478H6213H7451H3254H5869H3068H3068H2388H5700H4428H4124H3478H6213H7451H5869H306813After Eglon convinced the Ammonites and the Amalekites to join forces with him, he attacked and defeated Israel and took possession of the City of Palms.H622H1121H5983H6002H3212H5221H3478H3423H5892H8558H589914The Israelites served Eglon king of Moab 18 years.H1121H3478H5647H5700H4428H4124H8083H6240H814115Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, and He raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed Benjaminite, as a deliverer for them. The Israelites sent him to Eglon king of Moab with tribute [money].H1121H3478H2199H3068H3068H6965H3467H164H1121H1617H1145H376H334H3225H3027H1121H3478H7971H4503H5700H4428H412416Ehud made himself a double-edged sword 18 inches long. He strapped it to his right thigh under his clothesH164H6213H2719H8147H6366H1574H753H2296H4055H3225H340917and brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was an extremely fat man.H7126H4503H5700H4428H4124H5700H3966H1277H37618When Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he dismissed the people who had carried it.H3615H7126H4503H7971H5971H5375H450319At the carved images near Gilgal he returned and said, "King [Eglon], I have a secret message for you." The king called for silence, and all his attendants left him.H7725H6456H1537H559H5643H1697H4428H559H2013H5975H331820Then Ehud approached him while he was sitting alone in his room upstairs [where it was] cool. Ehud said, "I have a word from God for you," and the king stood up from his throne.H164H935H3427H4747H5944H164H559H1697H430H6965H367821Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon's belly.H164H7971H8040H3027H3947H2719H3225H3409H8628H99022Even the handle went in after the blade, and Eglon's fat closed in over it, so that Ehud did not withdraw the sword from his belly. And Eglon's insides came out.H5325H935H310H3851H2459H5462H1157H3851H8025H2719H990H6574H331823Ehud escaped by way of the porch, closing and locking the doors of the upstairs room behind him.H164H3318H4528H5462H1817H5944H527424Ehud was gone when Eglon's servants came in. They looked and found the doors of the upstairs room locked and thought he was relieving himself in the cool room.H3318H5650H935H7200H1817H5944H5274H559H5526H7272H4747H231525The servants waited until they became worried and saw that he had still not opened the doors of the upstairs room. So they took the key and opened the doors— and there was their lord lying dead on the floor!H2342H954H6605H1817H5944H3947H4668H6605H113H5307H4191H77626Ehud escaped while the servants waited. He crossed over [the Jordan] near the carved images and reached Seirah.H164H4422H4102H5674H6456H4422H816727After he arrived, he sounded the ram's horn throughout the hill country of Ephraim. The Israelites came down with him from the hill country, and he became their leader.H935H8628H7782H2022H669H1121H3478H3381H2022H644028He told them, "Follow me, because the LORD has handed over your enemies, the Moabites, to you." So they followed him, captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over.H559H7291H310H3068H5414H341H4124H3027H3381H310H3920H4569H3383H4124H5414H376H567429At that time they struck down about 10,000 Moabites, all strong and able-bodied men. Not one of them escaped.H5221H4124H6256H6235H505H376H8082H376H2428H4422H37630Moab became subject to Israel that day, and the land was peaceful 80 years.H4124H3665H3117H3027H3478H776H8252H8084H8141

Shamgar

31After Ehud, Shamgar son of Anath [became judge]. He delivered Israel by striking down 600 Philistines with an oxgoad.H310H8044H1121H6067H5221H6430H8337H3967H376H1241H4451H3467H3478