| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Now these are the nations which the LORD left, that He might test Israel by them, that is, all who had not known any of the wars in Canaan | 1These are the nations the LORD left in order to test Israel, since the Israelites had fought none of these in any of the wars with Canaan. |
| 2(this was only so that the generations of the children of Israel might be taught to know war, at least those who had not formerly known it), | 2This was to teach the future generations of the Israelites how to fight in battle, especially those who had not fought before. |
| 3namely, five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who dwelt in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to the entrance of Hamath. | 3These 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. |
| 4And they were left, that He might test Israel by them, to know whether they would obey the commandments of the LORD, which He had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. | 4The LORD left them to test Israel, to determine if they would keep the LORD's commands He had given their fathers through Moses. |
| 5Thus the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. | 5But they settled among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. |
| 6And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons; and they served their gods. | 6The Israelites took their daughters as wives for themselves, gave their own daughters to their sons, and worshiped their gods. |
| 7So the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God, and served the Baals and Asherahs. | 7The Israelites did what was evil in the LORD's sight; they forgot the LORD their God and worshiped the Baals and the Asherahs. |
| 8Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim eight years. | 8The LORD's anger burned against Israel, and He sold them to Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram-naharaim, and the Israelites served him eight years. |
| 9When the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the children of Israel, who delivered them: Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. | 9The 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. |
| 10The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the LORD delivered Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed over Cushan-Rishathaim. | 10The Spirit of the LORD came 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. |
| 11So the land had rest for forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died. | 11Then the land was peaceful 40 years, and Othniel son of Kenaz died. |
| 12And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. | 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. |
| 13Then he gathered to himself the people of Ammon and Amalek, went and defeated Israel, and took possession of the City of Palms. | 13After 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. |
| 14So the children of Israel served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years. | 14The Israelites served Eglon king of Moab 18 years. |
| 15But when the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for them: Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. By him the children of Israel sent tribute to Eglon king of Moab. | 15Then 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. |
| 16Now Ehud made himself a dagger (it was double-edged and a cubit in length) and fastened it under his clothes on his right thigh. | 16Ehud made himself a double-edged sword 18 inches long. He strapped it to his right thigh under his clothes |
| 17So he brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. (Now Eglon was a very fat man.) | 17and brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was an extremely fat man. |
| 18And when he had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who had carried the tribute. | 18When Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he dismissed the people who had carried it. |
| 19But he himself turned back from the stone images that were at Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” He said, “Keep silence!” And all who attended him went out from him. | 19At 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. |
| 20So Ehud came to him (now he was sitting upstairs in his cool private chamber). Then Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” So he arose from his seat. | 20Then 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. |
| 21Then Ehud reached with his left hand, took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. | 21Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon's belly. |
| 22Even the hilt went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the dagger out of his belly; and his entrails came out. | 22Even 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. |
| 23Then Ehud went out through the porch and shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them. | 23Ehud escaped by way of the porch, closing and locking the doors of the upstairs room behind him. |
| 24When he had gone out, Eglon’s servants came to look, and to their surprise, the doors of the upper room were locked. So they said, “He is probably attending to his needs in the cool chamber.” | 24Ehud 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. |
| 25So they waited till they were embarrassed, and still he had not opened the doors of the upper room. Therefore they took the key and opened them. And there was their master, fallen dead on the floor. | 25The 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! |
| 26But Ehud had escaped while they delayed, and passed beyond the stone images and escaped to Seirah. | 26Ehud escaped while the servants waited. He crossed over the Jordan near the carved images and reached Seirah. |
| 27And it happened, when he arrived, that he blew the trumpet in the mountains of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mountains; and he led them. | 27After 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. |
| 28Then he said to them, “Follow me, for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they went down after him, seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over. | 28He 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. |
| 29And at that time they killed about ten thousand men of Moab, all stout men of valor; not a man escaped. | 29At that time they struck down about 10,000 Moabites, all strong and able-bodied men. Not one of them escaped. |
| 30So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years. | 30Moab became subject to Israel that day, and the land was peaceful 80 years. |
| 31After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel. | 31After Ehud, Shamgar son of Anath became judge. He delivered Israel by striking down 600 Philistines with an oxgoad. |
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