Judg 3
1
These are the nations which the Lord left, that by them he might instruct Israel,
and all that had not known the wars of the Chanaanites:
2
That afterwards their children might learn to fight with their enemies, and to be
trained up to war:
3
The five princes of the Philistines, and all the Chanaanites, and the Sidonians, and
the Hevites that dwelt in mount Libanus, from mount Baal Hermon to the entering into
Emath.
4
And he left them, that he might try Israel by them, whether they would hear the commandments
of the Lord, which he had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses, or not.
5
So the children of Israel dwelt in the midst of the Chanaanite, and the Hethite, and
the Amorrhite, and the Pherezite, and the Hevite, and the Jebusite:
6
And they took their daughters to wives, and they gave their own daughters to their
sons, and they served their gods.
7
And they did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they forgot their God, and served
Baalim and Astaroth.
8
And the Lord being angry with Israel, delivered them into the hands of Chusan Rasathaim
king of Mesopotamia, and they served him eight years.
9
And they cried to the Lord, who raised them up a saviour, and delivered them, to wit,
Othoniel the son of Cenez, the younger brother of Caleb:
10
And the spirit of the Lord was in him, and he judged Israel. And he went out to fight,
and the Lord delivered into his hands Chusan Rasathaim king of Syria, and he overthrew
him.
11
And the land rested forty years, and Othoniel the son of Cenez died.
12
And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord: who strengthened
against them Eglon king of Moab: because they did evil in his sight.
13
And he joined to him the children of Ammon, and Amalec: and he went and overthrew
Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.
14
And the children of Israel served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years:
15
And afterwards they cried to the Lord, who raised them up a saviour called Aod, the
son of Gera, the son of Jemini, who used the left hand as well as the right. And the
children of Israel sent presents to Eglon king of Moab by him.
16
And he made himself a two-edged sword, with a haft in the midst of the length of the
palm of the hand, and was girded therewith under his garment on the right thigh.
17
And he presented the gifts to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was exceeding fat.
18
And when he had presented the gifts unto him, he followed his companions that came
along with him.
19
Then returning from Galgal, where the idols were, be said to the king: I have a secret
message to thee, O king. And he commanded silence: and all being gone out that were
about him,
20
Aod went in to him: now he was sitting in a summer parlour alone, and he said: I have
a word from God to thee. And he forthwith rose up from his throne,
21
And Aod put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust
it into his belly,
22
With such force that the haft went in after the blade into the wound, and was closed
up with the abundance of fat. So that he did not draw out the dagger, but left it
in his body as he had struck it in. And forthwith by the secret parts of nature the
excrements of the belly came out.
23
But Aod carefully shutting the doors of the parlour and locking them,
24
Went out by a postern door. And the king's servants going in, saw the doors of the
parlour shut, and they said: Perhaps he is easing nature in his summer parlour.
25
And waiting a long time till they were ashamed, and seeing that no man opened the
door, they took a key: and opening, they found their lord lying dead on the ground.
26
But Aod, while they were in confusion, escaped, and passed by the place of the idols,
from whence he had returned. And he came to Seirath:
27
And forthwith he sounded the trumpet in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel
went down with him, he himself going in the front.
28
And he said to them: Follow me: for the Lord hath delivered our enemies the Moabites
into our hands. And they went down after him, and seized upon the fords of the Jordan,
which are in the way to Moab: and they suffered no man to pass over.
29
But they slew of the Moabites at that time, about ten thousand, all strong and Valiant
men: none of them could escape.
30
And Moab was humbled that day under the hand of Israel: and the land rested eighty
years.
31
After him was Samgar the son of Anath, who slew of the Philistines six hundred men
with a ploughshare: and he also defended Israel.