Judges 3 (NET)

Judges 3:1¹These were the nations the Lord permitted to remain so he could use them to test Israel—he wanted to test all those who had not experienced battle against the Canaanites.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:2²He left those nations simply because he wanted to teach the subsequent generations of Israelites, who had not experienced the earlier battles, how to conduct holy war.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:3³These were the nations: the five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:4⁴They were left to test Israel, so the Lord would know if his people would obey the commands he gave their ancestors through Moses.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:5⁵The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:6⁶They took the Canaanites’ daughters as wives and gave their daughters to the Canaanites; they worshiped their gods as well.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:7⁷The Israelites did evil in the Lord ’s sight. They forgot the Lord their God and worshiped the Baals and the Asherahs.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:8⁸The Lord was furious with Israel and turned them over to King Cushan Rishathaim of Armon Haraim. They were Cushan Rishathaim’s subjects for eight years.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:9⁹When the Israelites cried out for help to the Lord, he raised up a deliverer for the Israelites who rescued them. His name was Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:10¹⁰The Lord ’s Spirit empowered him and he led Israel. When he went to do battle, the Lord handed over to him King Cushan Rishathaim of Armon and he overpowered him.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:11¹¹The land had rest for forty years; then Othniel son of Kenaz died.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:12¹²The Israelites again did evil in the Lord ’s sight. The Lord gave King Eglon of Moab control over Israel because they had done evil in the Lord ’s sight.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:13¹³Eglon formed alliances with the Ammonites and Amalekites. He came and defeated Israel, and they seized the city of date palm trees.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:14¹⁴The Israelites were subject to King Eglon of Moab for eighteen years.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:15¹⁵When the Israelites cried out for help to the Lord, he raised up a deliverer for them. His name was Ehud son of Gera the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The Israelites sent him to King Eglon of Moab with their tribute payment.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:16¹⁶Ehud made himself a sword—it had two edges and was 18 inches long. He strapped it under his coat on his right thigh.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:17¹⁷He brought the tribute payment to King Eglon of Moab. (Now Eglon was a very fat man.)Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:18¹⁸After Ehud brought the tribute payment, he dismissed the people who had carried it.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:19¹⁹But he went back once he reached the carved images at Gilgal. He said to Eglon, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” Eglon said, “Be quiet!” All his attendants left.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:20²⁰When Ehud approached him, he was sitting in his well-ventilated upper room all by himself. Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you.” When Eglon rose up from his seat,Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:21²¹Ehud reached with his left hand, pulled the sword from his right thigh, and drove it into Eglon’s belly.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:22²²The handle went in after the blade, and the fat closed around the blade, for Ehud did not pull the sword out of his belly.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:23²³As Ehud went out into the vestibule, he closed the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:24²⁴When Ehud had left, Eglon’s servants came and saw the locked doors of the upper room. They said, “He must be relieving himself in the well-ventilated inner room.”Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:25²⁵They waited so long they were embarrassed, but he still did not open the doors of the upper room. Finally they took the key and opened the doors. Right before their eyes was their master, sprawled out dead on the floor!Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:26²⁶Now Ehud had escaped while they were delaying. When he passed the carved images, he escaped to Seirah.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:27²⁷When he reached Seirah, he blew a trumpet in the Ephraimite hill country. The Israelites went down with him from the hill country, with Ehud in the lead.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:28²⁸He said to them, “Follow me, for the Lord is about to defeat your enemies, the Moabites!” They followed him, captured the fords of the Jordan River opposite Moab, and did not let anyone cross.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:29²⁹That day they killed about 10,000 Moabites —all strong, capable warriors; not one escaped.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:30³⁰Israel humiliated Moab that day, and the land had rest for eighty years.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s

Judges 3:31³¹After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath. He killed 600 Philistines with an oxgoad. So he also delivered Israel.Copy LinkCopy VerseKJV+Strong’s