3So then, the LORD left some nations in the land to test the Israelites who had not been through the wars in Canaan.H1471H3068H3240H5254H3478H3045H4421H36672He did this only in order to teach each generation of Israelites about war, especially those who had never been in battle before.H7535H1755H1121H3478H3045H3925H4421H6440H30453Those left in the land were the five Philistine cities, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the Lebanon Mountains from Mount Baal Hermon as far as Hamath Pass.H2568H5633H6430H3669H6722H2340H3427H2022H3844H2022H1179H935H25744They were to be a test for Israel, to find out whether or not the Israelites would obey the commands that the LORD had given their ancestors through Moses.H5254H3478H3045H8085H4687H3068H6680H1H3027H48725And so the people of Israel settled down among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.H1121H3478H3427H7130H3669H2850H567H6522H2340H29836They intermarried with them and worshiped their gods.H3947H1323H802H5414H1323H1121H5647H4307The people of Israel forgot the LORD their God; they sinned against him and worshiped the idols of Baal and Asherah.H1121H3478H6213H7451H5869H3068H7911H3068H430H5647H1168H8428So the LORD became angry with Israel and let King Cushan Rishathaim of Mesopotamia conquer them. They were subject to him for eight years.H639H3068H2734H3478H4376H3027H3573H4428H763H1121H3478H5647H3573H8083H81419Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, and he sent someone to free them. This was Othniel, the son of Caleb's younger brother Kenaz.H1121H3478H2199H3068H3068H6965H3467H1121H3478H3467H6274H1121H7073H3612H6996H25110The spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he became Israel's leader. Othniel went to war, and the LORD gave him the victory over the king of Mesopotamia.H7307H3068H8199H3478H3318H4421H3068H5414H3573H4428H763H3027H3027H5810H357311There was peace in the land for forty years, and then Othniel died.H776H8252H705H8141H6274H1121H7073H419112The people of Israel sinned against the LORD again. Because of this the LORD made King Eglon of Moab stronger than Israel.H1121H3478H6213H7451H3254H5869H3068H3068H2388H5700H4428H4124H3478H6213H7451H5869H306813Eglon joined the Ammonites and the Amalekites; they defeated Israel and captured Jericho, the city of palm trees.H622H1121H5983H6002H3212H5221H3478H3423H5892H8558H589914The Israelites were subject to Eglon for eighteen years.H1121H3478H5647H5700H4428H4124H8083H6240H814115Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, and he sent someone to free them. This was Ehud, a left-handed man, who was the son of Gera, from the tribe of Benjamin. The people of Israel sent Ehud to King Eglon of Moab with gifts for him.H1121H3478H2199H3068H3068H6965H3467H164H1121H1617H1145H376H334H3225H3027H1121H3478H7971H4503H5700H4428H412416Ehud had made himself a double-edged sword about a foot and a half long. He had it fastened on his right side under his clothes.H164H6213H2719H8147H6366H1574H753H2296H4055H3225H340917Then he took the gifts to Eglon, who was a very fat man.H7126H4503H5700H4428H4124H5700H3966H1277H37618When Ehud had given him the gifts, he told the men who had carried them to go back home.H3615H7126H4503H7971H5971H5375H450319But Ehud himself turned back at the carved stones near Gilgal, went back to Eglon, and said, "Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you." So the king ordered his servants, "Leave us alone!" And they all went out.H7725H6456H1537H559H5643H1697H4428H559H2013H5975H331820Then, as the king was sitting there alone in his cool room on the roof, Ehud went over to him and said, "I have a message from God for you." The king stood up.H164H935H3427H4747H5944H164H559H1697H430H6965H367821With his left hand Ehud took the sword from his right side and plunged it into the king's belly.H164H7971H8040H3027H3947H2719H3225H3409H8628H99022The whole sword went in, handle and all, and the fat covered it up. Ehud did not pull it out of the king's belly, and it stuck out behind, between his legs.H5325H935H310H3851H2459H5462H1157H3851H8025H2719H990H6574H331823Then Ehud went outside, closed the doors behind him, locked them,H164H3318H4528H5462H1817H5944H527424and left. The servants came and saw that the doors were locked, but they only thought that the king was inside, relieving himself.H3318H5650H935H7200H1817H5944H5274H559H5526H7272H4747H231525They waited as long as they thought they should, but when he still did not open the door, they took the key and opened it. And there was their master, lying dead on the floor.H2342H954H6605H1817H5944H3947H4668H6605H113H5307H4191H77626Ehud got away while they were waiting. He went past the carved stones and escaped to Seirah.H164H4422H4102H5674H6456H4422H816727When he arrived there in the hill country of Ephraim, he blew a trumpet to call the people of Israel to battle; then he led them down from the hills.H935H8628H7782H2022H669H1121H3478H3381H2022H644028He told them, "Follow me! The LORD has given you victory over your enemies, the Moabites." So they followed Ehud down and captured the place where the Moabites were to cross the Jordan; they did not allow anyone to cross.H559H7291H310H3068H5414H341H4124H3027H3381H310H3920H4569H3383H4124H5414H376H567429That day they killed about ten thousand of the best Moabite soldiers; none of them escaped.H5221H4124H6256H6235H505H376H8082H376H2428H4422H37630That day the Israelites defeated Moab, and there was peace in the land for eighty years.H4124H3665H3117H3027H3478H776H8252H8084H814131The next leader was Shamgar son of Anath. He too rescued Israel, and did so by killing six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad.H310H8044H1121H6067H5221H6430H8337H3967H376H1241H4451H3467H3478
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