Judges 3

ve'elleh haggoyim asher hinniakh Adonai lenassot bam et-yisra'el et kol-asher lo-yade'u et kol-milkhamot kena'an

These are the nations that GOD left in order to test the Israelites who had not known any of the wars of Canaan,

raq lema'an da'at dorot bene-yisra'el lelammedam milkhamah raq asher-lefanim lo yeda'um

so that succeeding generations of Israelites might be made to experience war—but only those who had not known the former wars:

khameshet sarne felishtim vekhol-hakkena'ani vehatsidoni vehakhivvi yoshev har hallevanon mehar ba'al khermon ad levo khamat

the five principalities of the Philistines and all the Canaanites, Sidonians, and Hivites who inhabited the hill country of the Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath.

vayyihyu lenassot bam et-yisra'el lada'at hayishme'u et-mitsvot Adonai asher-tsivvah et-avotam beyad-mosheh

These served as a means of testing Israel, to learn whether they would obey the commandments that GOD had enjoined upon their ancestors through Moses.

uvene yisra'el yashevu beqerev hakkena'ani hakhitti veha'emori vehapperizzi vehakhivvi vehayevusi

The Israelites settled among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites;

vayyiqkhu et-benotehem lahem lenashim ve'et-benotehem natenu livnehem vayya'avdu et-elohehem

they took their daughters to wife and gave their own daughters to their sons, and they worshiped their gods.

vayya'asu vene-yisra'el et-hara be'ene Adonai vayyishkekhu et-Adonai elohehem vayya'avdu et-habbe'alim ve'et-ha'asherot

The Israelites did what was offensive to GOD; they ignored the ETERNAL their God and worshiped the Baalim and the Asheroth.

vayyikhar-af Adonai beyisra'el vayyimkerem beyad kushan rishatayim melekh aram naharayim vayya'avdu vene-yisra'el et-kushan rishatayim shemoneh shanim

GOD became incensed at Israel and surrendered them to King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim; and the Israelites were subject to Cushan-rishathaim for eight years.

vayyizaqu vene-yisra'el el-Adonai vayyaqem Adonai moshia livne yisra'el vayyoshi'em et otni'el ben-qenaz akhi khalev haqqaton mimmennu

The Israelites cried out to GOD, and GOD raised a champion for the Israelites to deliver them: Othniel the Kenizzite, a younger kinsman of Caleb.

vattehi alayw ruakh-Adonai vayyishpot et-yisra'el vayyetse lammilkhamah vayyitten Adonai beyado et-kushan rishatayim melekh aram vatta'oz yado al kushan rishatayim

The spirit of GOD descended upon him and he became Israel’s chieftain. He went out to war, and GOD delivered King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram into his hands. He prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim,

vattishqot ha'arets arba'im shanah vayyamot otni'el ben-qenaz

and the land had peace for forty years. When Othniel the Kenizzite died,

vayyosifu bene yisra'el la'asot hara be'ene Adonai vayekhazzeq Adonai et-eglon melekh-mo'av al-yisra'el al ki-asu et-hara be'ene Adonai

the Israelites again did what was offensive to GOD. And because they did what was offensive to GOD, GOD let King Eglon of Moab prevail over Israel.

vayye'esof elayw et-bene ammon va'amaleq vayyelekh vayyakh et-yisra'el vayyireshu et-ir hattemarim

[Eglon] brought the Ammonites and the Amalekites together under his command, and went and defeated Israel and occupied the City of Palms.

vayya'avdu vene-yisra'el et-eglon melekh-mo'av shemoneh esreh shanah

The Israelites were subject to King Eglon of Moab for eighteen years.

vayyizaqu vene-yisra'el el-Adonai vayyaqem Adonai lahem moshia et-ehud ben-gera ben-hayemini ish itter yad-yemino vayyishlekhu vene-yisra'el beyado minkhah le'eglon melekh mo'av

Then the Israelites cried out to GOD, and GOD raised up a champion for them: the Benjaminite Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed man. It happened that the Israelites sent tribute to King Eglon of Moab through him.

vayya'as lo ehud kherev velah shene feyot gomed orkah vayyakhgor otah mittakhat lemaddayw al yerekh yemino

So Ehud made for himself a two-edged dagger, a gomed in length, which he girded on his right side under his cloak.

vayyaqrev et-hamminkhah le'eglon melekh mo'av ve'eglon ish bari me'od

He presented the tribute to King Eglon of Moab. Now Eglon was a very stout man.

vayehi ka'asher killah lehaqriv et-hamminkhah vayeshallakh et-ha'am nose'e hamminkhah

When [Ehud] had finished presenting the tribute, he dismissed the people who had conveyed the tribute.

vehu shav min-happesilim asher et-haggilgal vayyomer devar-seter li elekha hammelekh vayyomer has vayyetse'u me'alayw kol-ha'omedim alayw

But he himself returned from Pesilim, near Gilgal, and said, “Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you.” [Eglon] thereupon commanded, “Silence!” So all those in attendance left his presence;

ve'ehud ba elayw vehu-yoshev ba'aliyyat hammeqerah asher-lo levaddo vayyomer ehud devar-elohim li elekha vayyaqom me'al hakkisse

and when Ehud approached him, he was sitting alone in his cool upper chamber. Ehud said, “I have a message for you from God”; whereupon he rose from his seat.

vayyishlakh ehud et-yad semolo vayyiqqakh et-hakherev me'al yerekh yemino vayyitqa'eha bevitno

Reaching with his left hand, Ehud drew the dagger from his right side and drove it into Eglon’s belly.

vayyavo gam-hannitsav akhar hallahav vayyisgor hakhelev be'ad hallahav ki lo shalaf hakherev mibbitno vayyetse happarshedonah

The fat closed over the blade and the hilt went in after the blade—for he did not pull the dagger out of his belly—and the filth came out.

vayyetse ehud hammisderonah vayyisgor daltot ha'aliyyah ba'ado vena'al

Stepping out into the vestibule, Ehud shut the doors of the upper chamber on him and locked them.

vehu yatsa va'avadayw ba'u vayyiru vehinneh daltot ha'aliyyah ne'ulot vayyomeru akh mesikh hu et-raglayw bakhadar hammeqerah

After he left, the courtiers returned. When they saw that the doors of the upper chamber were locked, they thought, “He must be relieving himself in the cool chamber.”

vayyakhilu ad-bosh vehinneh enennu foteakh daltot ha'aliyyah vayyiqkhu et-hammafteakh vayyiftakhu vehinneh adonehem nofel artsah met

They waited a long time; and when he did not open the doors of the chamber, they took the key and opened them—and there their master was lying dead on the floor!

ve'ehud nimlat ad hitmahmeham vehu avar et-happesilim vayyimmalet hasse'iratah

But Ehud had made good his escape while they delayed; he had passed Pesilim and escaped to Seirah.

vayehi bevo'o vayyitqa bashofar behar efrayim vayyeredu immo vene-yisra'el min-hahar vehu lifnehem

When he got there, he had the ram’s horn sounded through the hill country of Ephraim, and all the Israelites descended with him from the hill country; and he took the lead.

vayyomer alehem ridfu akharay ki-natan Adonai et-oyevekhem et-mo'av beyedkhem vayyeredu akharayw vayyilkedu et-maberot hayyarden lemo'av velo-natenu ish la'avor

“Follow me closely,” he said, “for GOD has delivered your enemies, the Moabites, into your hands.” They followed him down and seized the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites; they let no one cross.

vayyakku et-mo'av ba'et hahi ka'aseret alafim ish kol-shamen vekhol-ish khayil velo nimlat ish

On that occasion they slew about 10,000 Moabites; they were all robust and brave men, yet not one of them escaped.

vattikkana mo'av bayyom hahu takhat yad yisra'el vattishqot ha'arets shemonim shanah

On that day, Moab submitted to Israel; and the land was tranquil for eighty years.

ve'akharayw hayah shamgar ben-anat vayyakh et-pelishtim shesh-me'ot ish bemalmad habbaqar vayyosha gam-hu et-yisra'el

After him came Shamgar son of Anath, who slew six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too was a champion of Israel.