Judges 3:12-30

12 The children of Yisra'el again did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened `Eglon the king of Mo'av against Yisra'el, because they had done that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.
13 He gathered to him the children of `Ammon and `Amalek; and he went and struck Yisra'el, and they possessed the city of palm trees.
14 The children of Yisra'el served `Eglon the king of Mo'av eighteen years.
15 But when the children of Yisra'el cried to the LORD, the LORD raised them up a savior, Ehud the son of Gera, the Binyamini, a man left-handed. The children of Yisra'el sent tribute by him to `Eglon the king of Mo'av.
16 Ehud made him a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length; and he girded it under his clothing on his right thigh.
17 He offered the tribute to `Eglon king of Mo'av: now `Eglon was a very fat man.
18 When he had made an end of offering the tribute, he sent away the people who bore the tribute.
19 But he himself turned back from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand to you, king. He said, Keep silence. All who stood by him went out from him.
20 Ehud came to him; and he was sitting by himself alone in the cool upper room. Ehud said, I have a message from God to you. He arose out of his seat.
21 Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his body:
22 and the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed on the blade, for he didn't draw the sword out of his body; and it came out behind.
23 Then Ehud went forth into the porch, and shut the doors of the upper room on him, and locked them.
24 Now when he was gone out, his servants came; and they saw, and, behold, the doors of the upper room were locked; and they said, Surely he is covering his feet in the upper chamber.
25 They waited until they were ashamed; and, behold, he didn't open the doors of the upper room: therefore they took the key, and opened [them], and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the eretz.
26 Ehud escaped while they waited, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped to Seirah.
27 It happened, when he had come, that he blew a shofar in the hill-country of Efrayim; and the children of Yisra'el went down with him from the hill-country, and he before them.
28 He said to them, Follow after me; for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Mo`avim into your hand. They went down after him, and took the fords of the Yarden against the Mo`avim, and didn't allow a man to pass over.
29 They struck of Mo'av at that time about ten thousand men, every lusty man, and every man of valor; and there escaped not a man.
30 So Mo'av was subdued that day under the hand of Yisra'el. The land had rest eighty years.

Judges 3:12-30 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO JUDGES 3

This chapter gives an account of the nations left in Canaan to prove Israel, and who became a snare unto them, Jud 3:1-7; and of the servitude of Israel under the king of Mesopotamia for their sins, from which they were delivered by Othniel, Jud 3:8-11; and of their subjection to the Moabites, from which they were freed by Ehud, who privately assassinated the king of Moab, and then made his escape, Jud 3:12-30; and of the destruction of a large number of Philistines by Shamgar, with an ox goad, Jud 3:31.

The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.