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1. The Lord did not force all the other nations to leave Israel's land. He wanted to test the Israelites. None of the Israelites living at this time had fought in the wars to take the land of Canaan. So the Lord let those other nations stay in their country. (The Lord did this to teach the Israelites who had not fought in those wars.) Here are the names of the nations the Lord left in the land:
1. Now these H428 are the nations H1471 which H834 the LORD H3068 left H5117 , to prove H5254 H853 Israel H3478 by them, even H853 as many H3605 H834 of Israel as had not H3808 known H3045 H853 all H3605 the wars H4421 of Canaan H3667 ;
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2. Only H7535 that H4616 the generations H1755 of the children H1121 of Israel H3478 might know H3045 , to teach H3925 them war H4421 , at the least H7535 such as H834 before H6440 knew H3045 nothing H3808 thereof;
3. the five rulers of the Philistines, all of the Canaanites, the people of Sidon, and the Hivites who lived in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath.
3. Namely , five H2568 lords H5633 of the Philistines H6430 , and all H3605 the Canaanites H3669 , and the Sidonians H6722 , and the Hivites H2340 that dwelt H3427 in mount H2022 Lebanon H3844 , from mount H4480 H2022 Baal H1179 -hermon unto H5704 the entering in H935 of Hamath H2574 .
4. The Lord left those nations in the land to test the Israelites. He wanted to see if the Israelites would obey the Lord's commands that he had given to their ancestors through Moses.
4. And they were H1961 to prove H5254 H853 Israel H3478 by them , to know H3045 whether they would hearken H8085 unto H853 the commandments H4687 of the LORD H3068 , which H834 he commanded H6680 H853 their fathers H1 by the hand H3027 of Moses H4872 .
5. The Israelites lived with the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
5. And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 dwelt H3427 among H7130 the Canaanites H3669 , Hittites H2850 , and Amorites H567 , and Perizzites H6522 , and Hivites H2340 , and Jebusites H2983 :
6. The Israelites began to marry the daughters of those people. They allowed their own daughters to marry the sons of those people. The Israelites also began to worship their gods.
6. And they took H3947 H853 their daughters H1323 to be their wives H802 , and gave H5414 their daughters H1323 to their sons H1121 , and served H5647 H853 their gods H430 .
7. The Lord saw that the Israelites did evil things. They forgot about the Lord their God and served the false gods Baal and Asherah.
7. And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 did H6213 H853 evil H7451 in the sight H5869 of the LORD H3068 , and forgot H7911 H853 the LORD H3068 their God H430 , and served H5647 H853 Baalim H1168 and the groves H842 .
8. The Lord was angry with the Israelites, so he allowed King Cushan Rishathaim of Aram Naharaim to defeat the Israelites and to rule over them. The Israelites were under that king's rule for eight years.
8. Therefore the anger H639 of the LORD H3068 was hot H2734 against Israel H3478 , and he sold H4376 them into the hand H3027 of Cushan H3573 -rishathaim king H4428 of Mesopotamia H763 : and the children H1121 of Israel H3478 served H5647 H853 Cushan H3573 -rishathaim eight H8083 years H8141 .
9. But the Israelites cried to the Lord for help, and the Lord sent a man named Othniel to save them. He was the son of Kenaz, who was Caleb's younger brother. Othniel saved the Israelites.
9. And when the children H1121 of Israel H3478 cried H2199 unto H413 the LORD H3068 , the LORD H3068 raised up H6965 a deliverer H3467 to the children H1121 of Israel H3478 , who delivered H3467 them, even H853 Othniel H6274 the son H1121 of Kenaz H7073 , Caleb H3612 's younger H6996 brother H251 .
10. The Spirit of the Lord filled Othniel, and he became a judge for the Israelites. He led the Israelites to war. The Lord helped Othniel defeat King Cushan Rishathaim of Aram.
10. And the Spirit H7307 of the LORD H3068 came H1961 upon H5921 him , and he judged H8199 H853 Israel H3478 , and went out H3318 to war H4421 : and the LORD H3068 delivered H5414 H853 Cushan H3573 -rishathaim king H4428 of Mesopotamia H763 into his hand H3027 ; and his hand H3027 prevailed H5810 against H5921 Cushan H3573 -rishathaim.
11. So the land was at peace for 40 years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.
11. And the land H776 had rest H8252 forty H705 years H8141 . And Othniel H6274 the son H1121 of Kenaz H7073 died H4191 .
12. Again the Lord saw the Israelites do evil things. So the Lord gave King Eglon of Moab power to defeat the Israelites.
12. And the children H1121 of Israel H3478 did H6213 evil H7451 again H3254 in the sight H5869 of the LORD H3068 : and the LORD H3068 strengthened H2388 H853 Eglon H5700 the king H4428 of Moab H4124 against H5921 Israel H3478 , because H5921 H3588 they had done H6213 H853 evil H7451 in the sight H5869 of the LORD H3068 .
13. Eglon got help from the Ammonites and the Amalekites. They joined him and attacked the Israelites. Eglon and his army defeated the Israelites and forced them to leave the City of Palm Trees (Jericho).
13. And he gathered H622 unto H413 him H853 the children H1121 of Ammon H5983 and Amalek H6002 , and went H1980 and smote H5221 H853 Israel H3478 , and possessed H3423 H853 the city H5892 of palm trees H8558 .
14. King Eglon of Moab ruled over the Israelites for 18 years.
14. So the children H1121 of Israel H3478 served H5647 H853 Eglon H5700 the king H4428 of Moab H4124 eighteen H8083 H6240 years H8141 .
15. The Israelites cried to the Lord for help, so he sent a man named Ehud son of Gera to save them. Ehud was from the tribe of Benjamin and was trained to fight with his left hand. The Israelites sent Ehud with a gift to King Eglon of Moab.
15. But when the children H1121 of Israel H3478 cried H2199 unto H413 the LORD H3068 , the LORD H3068 raised them up H6965 a deliverer H3467 , H853 Ehud H261 the son H1121 of Gera H1617 , a Benjamite H1121 H1145 , a man H376 left H334 H3027 H3225 -handed : and by him H3027 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 sent H7971 a present H4503 unto Eglon H5700 the king H4428 of Moab H4124 .
16. Ehud made himself a sword with two sharp edges that was about 12 inches long. He tied the sword to his right thigh and hid it under his uniform.
16. But Ehud H261 made H6213 him a dagger H2719 which had two H8147 edges H6366 , of a cubit H1574 length H753 ; and he did gird H2296 it under H4480 H8478 his raiment H4055 upon H5921 his right H3225 thigh H3409 .
17. So Ehud brought the gift to King Eglon of Moab. Eglon was a very fat man.
17. And he brought H7126 H853 the present H4503 unto Eglon H5700 king H4428 of Moab H4124 : and Eglon H5700 was a very H3966 fat H1277 man H376 .
18. After offering the gift, Ehud left the palace with the men who had carried the gift.
18. And when H834 he had made an end H3615 to offer H7126 H853 the present H4503 , he sent away H7971 H853 the people H5971 that bore H5375 the present H4503 .
19. When Ehud reached the statues near Gilgal, he turned and went back to King Eglon and said, "King, I have a secret message for you." The king told him to be quiet and then sent all of the servants out of the room.
19. But he H1931 himself turned again H7725 from H4480 the quarries H6456 that H834 were by H854 Gilgal H1537 , and said H559 , I have a secret H5643 errand H1697 unto thee , O king H4428 : who said H559 , Keep silence H2013 . And all H3605 that stood H5975 by him went out H3318 from H4480 H5921 him.
20. Ehud went to King Eglon. The king was sitting all alone in the upper room of his palace. Then Ehud said, "I have a message from God for you." The king stood up from his throne. He was very close to Ehud.
20. And Ehud H261 came H935 unto H413 him ; and he H1931 was sitting H3427 in a summer H4747 parlor H5944 , which H834 he had for himself alone H905 . And Ehud H261 said H559 , I have a message H1697 from God H430 unto H413 thee . And he arose H6965 out of H4480 H5921 his seat H3678 .
21. As the king was getting up from his throne, Ehud reached with his left hand and took out the sword that was tied to his right thigh. Then he pushed the sword into the king's belly.
21. And Ehud H261 put forth H7971 H853 his left H8040 hand H3027 , and took H3947 H853 the dagger H2719 from H4480 H5921 his right H3225 thigh H3409 , and thrust H8628 it into his belly H990 :
22. The sword went into Eglon's belly so far that even the handle sank in and the fat closed around it. The point of the blade came out his back. Ehud left the sword inside Eglon.
22. And the haft H5325 also H1571 went in H935 after H310 the blade H3851 ; and the fat H2459 closed H5462 upon H1157 the blade H3851 , so that H3588 he could not H3808 draw H8025 the dagger H2719 out of his belly H4480 H990 ; and the dirt H6574 came out H3318 .
23. Then Ehud went out of the private room, closed the doors to the upper room, and locked the king inside.
23. Then Ehud H261 went forth H3318 through the porch H4528 , and shut H5462 the doors H1817 of the parlor H5944 upon him H1157 , and locked H5274 them.
24. Ehud then left the main room, and the servants went back in. The servants found the doors to the upper room locked, so they said, "The king must be relieving himself in his private toilet."
24. When he H1931 was gone out H3318 , his servants H5650 came H935 ; and when they saw H7200 that, behold H2009 , the doors H1817 of the parlor H5944 were locked H5274 , they said H559 , Surely H389 he H1931 covereth H5526 H853 his feet H7272 in his summer H4747 chamber H2315 .
25. The servants waited for a long time, but the king never opened the doors to the upper room. Finally the servants got worried. They got the key and unlocked the doors. When the servants entered, they saw their king lying dead on the floor.
25. And they tarried H2342 till H5704 they were ashamed H954 : and, behold H2009 , he opened H6605 not H369 the doors H1817 of the parlor H5944 ; therefore they took H3947 H853 a key H4668 , and opened H6605 them : and, behold H2009 , their lord H113 was fallen down H5307 dead H4191 on the earth H776 .
26. While the servants were waiting for the king, Ehud had time to escape. He passed by the statues and went toward the place named Seirah.
26. And Ehud H261 escaped H4422 while H5704 they tarried H4102 , and passed beyond H5674 H853 the quarries H6456 , and escaped H4422 unto Seirath H8167 .
27. When Ehud came to Seirah, he blew a trumpet there in the hill country of Ephraim. The Israelites heard the trumpet and went down from the hills with Ehud leading them.
27. And it came to pass H1961 , when he was come H935 , that he blew H8628 a trumpet H7782 in the mountain H2022 of Ephraim H669 , and the children H1121 of Israel H3478 went down H3381 with H5973 him from H4480 the mount H2022 , and he H1931 before H6440 them.
28. He said to the Israelites, "Follow me! The Lord has helped us defeat our enemies, the Moabites." So the Israelites followed Ehud. They went down with him to take control of the places where people could easily cross the Jordan River into the land of Moab. The Israelites did not allow any one to go across the Jordan River.
28. And he said H559 unto H413 them, Follow H7291 after H310 me: for H3588 the LORD H3068 hath delivered H5414 H853 your enemies H341 H853 the Moabites H4124 into your hand H3027 . And they went down H3381 after H310 him , and took H3920 H853 the fords H4569 of Jordan H3383 toward Moab H4124 , and suffered H5414 not H3808 a man H376 to pass over H5674 .
29. They killed about 10,000 strong and brave men from Moab. Not one Moabite man escaped.
29. And they slew H5221 of H853 Moab H4124 at that H1931 time H6256 about ten H6235 thousand H505 men H376 , all H3605 lusty H8082 , and all H3605 men H376 of valor H2428 ; and there escaped H4422 not H3808 a man H376 .
30. So on that day the Israelites began to rule over the Moabites, and there was peace in the land for 80 years.
30. So Moab H4124 was subdued H3665 that H1931 day H3117 under H8478 the hand H3027 of Israel H3478 . And the land H776 had rest H8252 fourscore H8084 years H8141 .
31. After Ehud saved the Israelites, another man saved Israel. That man's name was Shamgar son of Anath. Shamgar used an ox goad to kill 600 Philistine men.
31. And after H310 him was H1961 Shamgar H8044 the son H1121 of Anath H6067 , which slew H5221 of H853 the Philistines H6430 six H8337 hundred H3967 men H376 with an ox H1241 goad H4451 : and he H1931 also H1571 delivered H3467 H853 Israel H3478 .