Old Testament · History
Judges chapter 3
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These are the Yahweh left in the land to Israel — specifically everyone who hadn’t experienced any of the wars for Canaan.He did this only so that future generations of Israelites — the ones who had never been in battle before — could learn warfare firsthand.The five of the , all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon all the way to .They were there to test Israel — to find out whether they would listen to the commands Yahweh had given their ancestors through Moses.So the people of Israel lived among the , the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.They married their daughters, gave their own daughters to their sons, and .The people of Israel . They forgot Yahweh their God and served the and the .Yahweh’s against Israel, so he to , king of . The people of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim for eight years.But when the people of Israel to Yahweh, Yahweh raised up a for them — son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother — and he rescued them. came over him, and he Israel. He went out to war, and Yahweh handed Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram over to him. His hand overpowered Cushan-rishathaim.Then the land had for , until Othniel son of Kenaz died.But the people of Israel again did what was wrong in Yahweh’s eyes. And because they did what was wrong in his eyes, Yahweh strengthened king of against Israel.Eglon rallied the and to join him, and together they attacked and captured the .So the people of Israel Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years.Then the people of Israel cried out to Yahweh, and Yahweh raised up a rescuer for them — Ehud son of Gera the , a man. The people of Israel sent him to deliver their to Eglon king of Moab.Ehud made himself a about a foot and a half long, and strapped it to his under his clothes.He presented the tribute payment to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was an man.After Ehud finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the men who had carried it.But he himself turned back at the near Gilgal and said, “I have a for you, Your Majesty.” Eglon said, “Quiet!” — and all his attendants left the room.Ehud approached him while he was sitting alone in his . Ehud said, “I have a for you.” And Eglon stood up from his seat.Ehud reached with his , drew the dagger from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon’s .The handle went in after the blade, and completely. He didn’t pull the dagger out of his belly, and .Then Ehud went out through the . He closed the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.After he left, Eglon’s servants came and saw that the doors of the upper room were locked. They said, “He must be in the cool room.”They , but he still didn’t open the doors of the upper room. So they got the key and opened them — and there was their master, fallen on the floor, dead.While they waited, Ehud escaped. He passed the carved stones and got away to .When he arrived, he blew a in the . The people of Israel came down from the hills with him, and he took the lead.He told them, “Follow me, because Yahweh has handed your enemies the Moabites over to you!” They followed him down, seized the of the Jordan opposite Moab, and didn’t let anyone cross.They struck down about Moabites at that time — all . Not a single one escaped.So Moab was under Israel’s hand that day. And the land had peace for .After Ehud came son of Anath. He struck down six hundred Philistines with an . He too Israel.