Judges 3:17 - Prayer Tents

Idolatry Leads to Servitude

3Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to test Israel by them ([that is,] all who had not experienced any of the wars of Canaan;H1471H3068H3240H5254H3478H3045H4421H36672only in order that the generations of the sons of Israel might be taught war, those who had not experienced it formerly).H7535H1755H1121H3478H3045H3925H4421H6440H30453[These nations are:] the five lords of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and the Hivites who lived in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath.H2568H5633H6430H3669H6722H2340H3427H2022H3844H2022H1179H935H25744And they were for testing Israel, to find out if they would obey the commandments of the LORD, which He had commanded their fathers through Moses.H5254H3478H3045H8085H4687H3068H6680H1H3027H48725And the sons of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites;H1121H3478H3427H7130H3669H2850H567H6522H2340H29836and they took their daughters for themselves as wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.H3947H1323H802H5414H1323H1121H5647H4307And the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgot the LORD their God, and served the Baals and the Asheroth.H1121H3478H6213H7451H5869H3068H7911H3068H430H5647H1168H8428Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, so that He sold them into the hands of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the sons of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.H639H3068H2734H3478H4376H3027H3573H4428H763H1121H3478H5647H3573H8083H8141

The First Judge Delivers Israel

9And when the sons of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the sons of Israel to deliver them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.H1121H3478H2199H3068H3068H6965H3467H1121H3478H3467H6274H1121H7073H3612H6996H25110And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel. When he went out to war, the LORD gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand, so that he prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim.H7307H3068H8199H3478H3318H4421H3068H5414H3573H4428H763H3027H3027H5810H357311Then the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.H776H8252H705H8141H6274H1121H7073H419112Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD .H1121H3478H6213H7451H3254H5869H3068H3068H2388H5700H4428H4124H3478H6213H7451H5869H306813And he gathered to himself the sons of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and defeated Israel, and they possessed the city of the palm trees.H622H1121H5983H6002H3212H5221H3478H3423H5892H8558H589914And the sons of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.H1121H3478H5647H5700H4428H4124H8083H6240H8141

Ehud Delivers from Moab

15But when the sons of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.H1121H3478H2199H3068H3068H6965H3467H164H1121H1617H1145H376H334H3225H3027H1121H3478H7971H4503H5700H4428H412416And Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length; and he bound it on his right thigh under his cloak.H164H6213H2719H8147H6366H1574H753H2296H4055H3225H340917And he presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man.H7126H4503H5700H4428H4124H5700H3966H1277H37618And it came about when he had finished presenting the tribute, that he sent away the people who had carried the tribute.H3615H7126H4503H7971H5971H5375H450319But he himself turned back from the idols which were at Gilgal, and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king." And he said, "Keep silence." And all who attended him left him.H7725H6456H1537H559H5643H1697H4428H559H2013H5975H331820And Ehud came to him while he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber. And Ehud said, "I have a message from God for you." And he arose from his seat.H164H935H3427H4747H5944H164H559H1697H430H6965H367821And Ehud stretched out his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh and thrust it into his belly.H164H7971H8040H3027H3947H2719H3225H3409H8628H99022The handle also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the sword out of his belly; and the refuse came out.H5325H935H310H3851H2459H5462H1157H3851H8025H2719H990H6574H331823Then Ehud went out into the vestibule and shut the doors of the roof chamber behind him, and locked [them].H164H3318H4528H5462H1817H5944H527424When he had gone out, his servants came and looked, and behold, the doors of the roof chamber were locked; and they said, "He is only relieving himself in the cool room."H3318H5650H935H7200H1817H5944H5274H559H5526H7272H4747H231525And they waited until they became anxious; but behold, he did not open the doors of the roof chamber. Therefore they took the key and opened them, and behold, their master had fallen to the floor dead.H2342H954H6605H1817H5944H3947H4668H6605H113H5307H4191H77626Now Ehud escaped while they were delaying, and he passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah.H164H4422H4102H5674H6456H4422H816727And it came about when he had arrived, that he blew the trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he [was] in front of them.H935H8628H7782H2022H669H1121H3478H3381H2022H644028And he said to them, "Pursue [them], for the LORD has given your enemies the Moabites into your hands." So they went down after him and seized the fords of the Jordan opposite Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross.H559H7291H310H3068H5414H341H4124H3027H3381H310H3920H4569H3383H4124H5414H376H567429And they struck down at that time about ten thousand Moabites, all robust and valiant men; and no one escaped.H5221H4124H6256H6235H505H376H8082H376H2428H4422H37630So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land was undisturbed for eighty years.H4124H3665H3117H3027H3478H776H8252H8084H8141

Shamgar Delivers from Philistines

31And after him came Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad; and he also saved Israel.H310H8044H1121H6067H5221H6430H8337H3967H376H1241H4451H3467H3478