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3
1 The following are the nations the Lord left and used to test all those Israelites who had not known what it was like to be part of any of the wars in Canaan. 2 (He did so to teach warfare to the later generations of Israel, particularly to those who had not previously experienced it.) 3 They are: the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath. 4 They were left there be to a test for the Israelites, to find out whether the Israelites would keep the Lord's commandments which he had given their forefathers through Moses. 5 They lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 6 The Israelites intermarried with them, marrying their daughters, giving their own daughters to their sons, and worshiped their gods.
7 The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord's sight. They ignored the Lord their God and worshiped the images of Baals and Asherahs. 8 The Lord became angry with Israel, so he sold them to Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Aram Naharaim. The Israelites were subject to Cushan-Rishathaim for eight years.
9 But when the Israelites cried out to the Lord to help them, he provided someone to rescue them, Othniel, son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, and he saved them. 10 The Spirit of the Lord came on him, and he became Israel's judge. He went to war with Cushan-Rishathaim, king of Aram, and the Lord handed the king over to Othniel, who was victorious. 11 As a result, the country was a peace for forty years until Othniel, son of Kenaz, died.
12 But once again the Israelites did what was evil in the Lord's sight, and because they did this the Lord gave power to Eglon, king of Moab, to conquer Israel. 13 Eglon had the Ammonites and the Amalekite join him, and then attacked and defeated Israel, taking possession of the City of Palms.*“City of Palms”: Jericho. 14 The Israelites were subject to Eglon, king of Moab, for eighteen years.
15 Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord to help them, and he provided someone to rescue them, Ehud, son of Gera the Benjamite, a left-handed man. The Israelites sent him to pay the tribute to Eglon, king of Moab. 16 Ehud had made for himself a cubit long double-edged sword, and he strapped it to his right thigh under his clothes. 17 He came and presented the tribute to Eglon, king of Moab, who was a very fat man.
18 Then after delivering the tribute he sent home those who had helped carry it. 19 But when he reached the stone idols near Gilgal, he turned back. He went to see Eglon, and told him, “Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you.” The king told his attendants, “Silence!” and they all left.
20 Ehud then went over to where Eglon was sitting alone in his cool upstairs room, and told him, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king got up from his seat, 21 Ehud grabbed his sword with his left hand from his right thigh and drove it into Eglon's belly. 22 The handle went in with the blade and the fat closed over it. So Ehud didn't pull the sword out, and the king defecated.
23 Then Ehud closed and locked the doors, and escaped through the toilet.†“Toilet”: The meaning of the word is uncertain, some believe it means “porch,” however it appears that Ehud managed to get out of the room secretly. Descending through an open latrine seems to be the best conclusion. 24 After he had left, the servants came and saw that the doors of the room were locked. “He must be using the toilet,” they concluded. 25 So they waited until they couldn't stand it any more, and since he still hadn't opened the doors of the room, they went and found the key and opened the doors. There was their lord, lying dead on the floor.
26 While the servants delayed acting, Ehud escaped, passing the stone idols and on to Seirah. 27 When he got there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites joined him. They went down from the hills, with Ehud leading them. 28 He told them, “Follow me, for the Lord has handed Moab, your enemy, over to you.” So they followed him down and took control of the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab. They didn't let anyone cross. 29 Then they attacked the Moabites and killed around 10,000 of their best and strongest fighting men. Not a single one escaped. 30 Moab was conquered that day and made subject to Israel, and the country was at peace for eighty years.
31 After Ehud was Shamgar, son of Anath, who killed six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He also rescued Israel.

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*3:13 “City of Palms”: Jericho.

†3:23 “Toilet”: The meaning of the word is uncertain, some believe it means “porch,” however it appears that Ehud managed to get out of the room secretly. Descending through an open latrine seems to be the best conclusion.

© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher