3These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in CanaanH1471H3068H3240H5254H3478H3045H4421H36672(he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience):H7535H1755H1121H3478H3045H3925H4421H6440H30453the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath.H2568H5633H6430H3669H6722H2340H3427H2022H3844H2022H1179H935H25744They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the LORD'S commands, which he had given their forefathers through Moses.H5254H3478H3045H8085H4687H3068H6680H1H3027H48725The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.H1121H3478H3427H7130H3669H2850H567H6522H2340H29836They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.H3947H1323H802H5414H1323H1121H5647H4307The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.H1121H3478H6213H7451H5869H3068H7911H3068H430H5647H1168H8428The anger of the LORD burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim, to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years.H639H3068H2734H3478H4376H3027H3573H4428H763H1121H3478H5647H3573H8083H81419But when they cried out to the LORD, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, who saved them.H1121H3478H2199H3068H3068H6965H3467H1121H3478H3467H6274H1121H7073H3612H6996H25110The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, so that he became Israel's judge and went to war. The LORD gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him.H7307H3068H8199H3478H3318H4421H3068H5414H3573H4428H763H3027H3027H5810H357311So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.H776H8252H705H8141H6274H1121H7073H419112Once again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and because they did this evil the LORD gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel.H1121H3478H6213H7451H3254H5869H3068H3068H2388H5700H4428H4124H3478H6213H7451H5869H306813Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms.H622H1121H5983H6002H3212H5221H3478H3423H5892H8558H589914The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years.H1121H3478H5647H5700H4428H4124H8083H6240H814115Again the Israelites cried out to the LORD, and he gave them a deliverer--Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab.H1121H3478H2199H3068H3068H6965H3467H164H1121H1617H1145H376H334H3225H3027H1121H3478H7971H4503H5700H4428H412416Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a foot and a half long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing.H164H6213H2719H8147H6366H1574H753H2296H4055H3225H340917He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man.H7126H4503H5700H4428H4124H5700H3966H1277H37618After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way the men who had carried it.H3615H7126H4503H7971H5971H5375H450319At the idols near Gilgal he himself turned back and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king." The king said, "Quiet!" And all his attendants left him.H7725H6456H1537H559H5643H1697H4428H559H2013H5975H331820Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his summer palace and said, "I have a message from God for you." As the king rose from his seat,H164H935H3427H4747H5944H164H559H1697H430H6965H367821Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king's belly.H164H7971H8040H3027H3947H2719H3225H3409H8628H99022Even the handle sank in after the blade, which came out his back. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it.H5325H935H310H3851H2459H5462H1157H3851H8025H2719H990H6574H331823Then Ehud went out to the porch; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.H164H3318H4528H5462H1817H5944H527424After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, "He must be relieving himself in the inner room of the house."H3318H5650H935H7200H1817H5944H5274H559H5526H7272H4747H231525They waited to the point of embarrassment, but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead.H2342H954H6605H1817H5944H3947H4668H6605H113H5307H4191H77626While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah.H164H4422H4102H5674H6456H4422H816727When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them.H935H8628H7782H2022H669H1121H3478H3381H2022H644028"Follow me," he ordered, "for the LORD has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands." So they followed him down and, taking possession of the fords of the Jordan that led to Moab, they allowed no one to cross over.H559H7291H310H3068H5414H341H4124H3027H3381H310H3920H4569H3383H4124H5414H376H567429At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not a man escaped.H5221H4124H6256H6235H505H376H8082H376H2428H4422H37630That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years.H4124H3665H3117H3027H3478H776H8252H8084H814131After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel.H310H8044H1121H6067H5221H6430H8337H3967H376H1241H4451H3467H3478