1
Now
these are the
nations which the
LORD left, to
test Israel by them (that is,
all who had not
experienced any of the
wars of
Canaan;
tw{S;n.l h'wh.y ;xyiNih r,v]a ~Iyw{G;h h,Lea.w ? .W[.d'y -a{l r,v]a -l'K tea lea'r.fIy -t,a ~'B ? !;['n.K tw{m]x.lim -l'K tea
2
only in
order that the
generations of the
sons of
Israel might be
taught war,
those who had not
experienced it
formerly ).
~'d.M;l.l lea'r.fIy -yen.B tw{r{D t;[;D !;[;m.l q;r ? ~.W['d.y a{l ~yin'p.l -r,v]a q;r h'm'x.lim
3
These nations are: the
five lords of the
Philistines and
all the
Canaanites and the
Sidonians and the
Hivites who
lived in
Mount Lebanon, from
Mount Baal-hermon as
far as
Lebo-hamath.
yin{dyiC;h.w yin][;n.K;h -l'k.w ~yiT.vil.p yen.r;s t,vem]x ? !w{m.r,x l;[;B r;hem !w{n'b.L;h r;h bev{y yi.Wix;h.w ? t'm]x aw{b.l d;[
4
They were for
testing Israel, to
find out if they would
obey the
commandments of the
LORD,
which He had
commanded their
fathers through Moses.
.W[.m.vIy]h t;[;d'l lea'r.fIy -t,a ~'B tw{S;n.l .Wy.hiY;w ? ~'tw{b]a -t,a h\Wic -r,v]a h'wh.y t{w.cim -t,a ? h,v{m -d;y.B
5
The
sons of
Israel lived among the
Canaanites, the
Hittites, the
Amorites, the
Perizzites, the
Hivites, and the
Jebusites;
yiTix;h yin][;n.K;h b,r,q.B .Wb.v'y lea'r.fIy yen.b.W ? yis.Wb.y;h.w yi.Wix;h.w yiZir.P;h.w yir{m/a'h.w
6
and they
took their
daughters for themselves as
wives, and
gave their own
daughters to their
sons, and
served their
gods.
~,hyetw{n.B -t,a.w ~yiv'n.l ~,h'l ~,hyetw{n.B -t,a .Wx.qiY;w ? ~,hyeh{l/a -t,a .Wd.b;[;Y;w ~,hyen.bil .Wn.t'n
7
The
sons of
Israel did what was
evil in the
sight of the
LORD, and
forgot the
LORD their
God and
served the
Baals and the
Asheroth.
yenye[.B [;r'h -t,a lea'r.fIy -yen.b .Wf][;Y;w ? .Wd.b;[;Y;w ~,hyeh{l/a h'wh.y -t,a .Wx.K.viY;w h'wh.y ? tw{rev]a'h -t,a.w ~yil'[.B;h -t,a
8
Then the
anger of the
LORD was
kindled against
Israel, so that He
sold them into the
hands of
Cushan-rishathaim king of
Mesopotamia; and the
sons of
Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.
d;y.B ~er.K.miY;w lea'r.fIy.B h'wh.y @;a -r;xiY;w ? .Wd.b;[;Y;w ~Iy'r]h;n ~;r]a .$,l,m ~Iy;t'[.vir !;v.WK ? h,n{m.v ~Iy;t'[.vir !;v.WK -t,a lea'r.fIy -yen.b ? ~yin'v
9
When the
sons of
Israel cried to the
LORD, the
LORD raised up a
deliverer for the
sons of
Israel to
deliver them,
Othniel the
son of
Kenaz,
Caleb's younger brother.
~,q'Y;w h'wh.y -l,a lea'r.fIy -yen.b .Wq][.ziY;w ? tea ~e[yivw{Y;w lea'r.fIy yen.bil ;[yivw{m h'wh.y ? .WN,Mim !{j'Q;h bel'k yix]a z;n.q -n,B leayin.t'[
10
The
Spirit of the
LORD came upon him, and he
judged Israel. When he
went out to
war, the
LORD gave Cushan-rishathaim king of
Mesopotamia into his
hand, so that he
prevailed * over Cushan-rishathaim.
lea'r.fIy -t,a j{P.viY;w h'wh.y -;x.Wr wy'l'[ yih.T;w ? !;v.WK -t,a w{d'y.B h'wh.y !eTiY;w h'm'x.liM;l aeceY;w ? !;v.WK l;[ w{d'y z'['T;w ~'r]a .$,l,m ~Iy;t'[.vir ? ~Iy't'[.vir
11
Then the
land had rest forty years. And
Othniel the
son of
Kenaz died.
leayin.t'[ t'm'Y;w h'n'v ~yi['B.r;a #,r'a'h j{q.viT;w ? z;n.q -n,B
12
Now the
sons of
Israel again did evil in the
sight of the
LORD. So the
LORD strengthened Eglon the
king of
Moab against Israel,
because * they had
done evil in the
sight of the
LORD.
yenye[.B [;r'h tw{f][;l lea'r.fIy yen.B .Wpis{Y;w ? b'aw{m -.k,l,m !w{l.g,[ -t,a h'wh.y qeZ;x.y;w h'wh.y ? yenye[.B [;r'h -t,a .Wf'[ -yiK l;[ lea'r.fIy -l;[ ? h'wh.y
13
And he
gathered to himself the
sons of
Ammon and
Amalek; and he
went and
defeated Israel, and they
possessed the
city of the
palm trees.
.$,leY;w qel'm][;w !w{M;[ yen.B -t,a wy'lea @{s/a,Y;w ? ~yir'm.T;h ryi[ -t,a .Wv.ryiY;w lea'r.fIy -t,a .$;Y;w
14
The
sons of
Israel served Eglon the
king of
Moab eighteen * years.
b'aw{m -.k,l,m !w{l.g,[ -t,a lea'r.fIy -yen.b .Wd.b;[;Y;w ? h'n'v her.f,[ h,nw{m.v
15
But when the
sons of
Israel cried to the
LORD, the
LORD raised up a
deliverer for them,
Ehud the
son of
Gera, the
Benjamite, a
left-handed * * man. And the
sons of
Israel sent tribute by him to
Eglon the
king of
Moab.
~,q'Y;w h'wh.y -l,a lea'r.fIy -yen.b .Wq][.ziY;w ? a'reG -n,B d.Whea -t,a ;[yivw{m ~,h'l h'wh.y ? .Wx.l.viY;w w{nyim.y -d;y reJia vyia yinyim.y;h -n,B ? .$,l,m !w{l.g,[.l h'x.nim w{d'y.B lea'r.fIy -yen.b ? b'aw{m
16
Ehud made himself a
sword which had
two edges, a
cubit in
length, and he
bound it on his
right thigh under his
cloak.
d,m{G tw{yep yen.v H'l.w b,r,x d.Whea w{l f;[;Y;w ? .$,r,y l;[ wy'D;m.l t;x;Tim H'tw{a r{G.x;Y;w H'K.r'a ? w{nyim.y
17
He
presented the
tribute to
Eglon king of
Moab. Now
Eglon was a
very fat man.
b'aw{m .$,l,m !w{l.g,[.l h'x.niM;h -t,a ber.q;Y;w ? d{a.m ayir'B vyia !w{l.g,[.w
18
It
came about
when he had
finished presenting the
tribute, that he
sent away the
people who had
carried the
tribute.
h'x.niM;h -t,a byir.q;h.l h'LiK r,v]a;K yih.y;w ? h'x.niM;h yea.f{n ~'['h -t,a x;L;v.y;w
19
But he
himself turned back from the
idols which were at
Gilgal, and
said, "I have a
secret message for you, O
king." And he
said,
"Keep silence." And
all who
attended him
left him.
l'G.liG;h -t,a r,v]a ~yilyis.P;h -nim b'v a.Wh.w ? r,ma{Y;w .$,l,M;h '$y,lea yil r,tes -r;b.D r,ma{Y;w ? wy'l'[ ~yid.m{['h -l'K wy'l'[em .Wa.ceY;w s'h
20
Ehud came to him while he was
sitting alone in his
cool roof chamber. And
Ehud said, "I have a
message from
God for you." And he
arose from his
seat.
h'req.M;h t;Yil][;B bev{y -a.Wh.w wy'lea a'B d.Whea.w ? ~yih{l/a -r;b.D d.Whea r,ma{Y;w w{D;b.l w{l -r,v]a ? aeSiK;h l;[em ~'q'Y;w '$y,lea yil
21
Ehud stretched out his
left hand,
took the
sword from his
right thigh and
thrust it into his
belly.
b,r,x;h -t,a x;QiY;w w{la{m.f d;y -t,a d.Whea x;l.viY;w ? w{n.jib.B 'h,['q.tiY;w w{nyim.y .$,r,y l;[em
22
The
handle also went in
after the
blade, and the
fat closed over the
blade, for he did not
draw the
sword out of his
belly; and the
refuse came out.
b,lex;h r{G.siY;w b;h;L;h r;x;a b'CiN;h -m;g a{b'Y;w ? aeceY;w w{n.jiBim b,r,x;h @;l'v a{l yiK b;h;L;h d;[.B ? h'n{d.v.r;P;h
23
Then
Ehud went out into the
vestibule and
shut the
doors of the
roof chamber behind him, and
locked them.
tw{t.l;D r{G.siY;w h'nw{r.D.siM;h d.Whea aeceY;w ? l'['n.w w{d][;B h'Yil;['h
24
When he had
gone out, his
servants came and
looked, and
behold, the
doors of the
roof chamber were
locked; and they
said, "He is
only relieving * himself in the
cool room."
heNih.w .Wa.riY;w .Wa'B wy'd'b][;w a'c'y a.Wh.w ? .$yisem .$;a .Wr.ma{Y;w tw{lU[.n h'Yil]['h tw{t.l;D ? h'req.M;h r;d]x;B wy'l.g;r -t,a a.Wh
25
They
waited until they
became anxious; but
behold, he did not
open the
doors of the
roof chamber. Therefore they
took the
key and
opened them, and
behold, their
master had
fallen to the
floor dead.
tw{t.l;D ;xet{p .WN,nyea heNih.w vw{B -d;[ .Wlyix'Y;w ? heNih.w .Wx'T.piY;w ;xeT.p;M;h -t,a .Wx.qiY;w h'Yil]['h ? tem h'c.r;a lep{n ~,hyen{d]a
26
Now
Ehud escaped while they were
delaying, and he
passed by the
idols and
escaped to
Seirah.
r;b'[ a.Wh.w ~'h.m.h;m.tih d;[ j;l.min d.Whea.w ? h't'ryi[.F;h jel'MiY;w ~yilyis.P;h -t,a
27
It
came about when he had
arrived, that he
blew the
trumpet in the
hill country of
Ephraim; and the
sons of
Israel went down with him from the
hill country, and he was in
front of them.
~Iy'r.p,a r;h.B r'pw{V;B [;q.tiY;w w{aw{b.B yih.y;w ? a.Wh.w r'h'h -nim lea'r.fIy -yen.b w{Mi[ .Wd.reY;w ? ~,hyen.pil
28
He
said to them,
"Pursue them, for the
LORD has
given your
enemies the
Moabites into your
hands." So they
went down after him and
seized the
fords of the
Jordan opposite
Moab, and did not
allow anyone to
cross.
h'wh.y !;t'n -yiK y;r]x;a .Wp.dir ~,hel]a ]r,ma{Y;w ? .Wd.reY;w ~,k.d,y.B b'aw{m -t,a ~,kyeb.y{a -t,a ? b'aw{m.l !eD.r;Y;h tw{r.B.[;m -t,a .Wd.K.liY;w wy'r]x;a ? r{b][;l vyia .Wn.t'n -a{l.w
29
They
struck down at that
time about
ten thousand Moabites,
all robust and
valiant men; and
no one escaped.
~yip'l]a t,r,f][;K ayih;h te['B b'aw{m -t,a .WK;Y;w ? j;l.min a{l.w lIy'x vyia -l'k.w !em'v -l'K vyia ? vyia
30
So
Moab was
subdued that
day under the
hand of
Israel. And the
land was
undisturbed for
eighty years.
lea'r.fIy d;y t;x;T a.Wh;h ~w{Y;B b'aw{m [;n'KiT;w ? h'n'v ~yinw{m.v #,r'a'h j{q.viT;w
31
After him
came Shamgar the
son of
Anath, who
struck down six hundred Philistines with an
oxgoad; and he
also saved Israel.
~yiT.vil.P -t,a .$;Y;w t'n][ -n,B r;G.m;v h'y'h wy'r]x;a.w ? a.Wh -m;G [;v{Y;w r'q'B;h d;m.l;m.B vyia tw{aem -vev ? lea'r.fIy -t,a