The nations which were left to prove Israel.

1 ¶ Now these² [are] the nationsº which² the LORDº left,¹ª² to proveºª² Israelº by them, [even]² as many²² [of Israel] as had not² knownºª² all² the warsº of Canaan;º 2 Only² that¹² the generationsº of the childrenº of Israelº might know,ºª to teachºª them war,º at the least² such as² beforeº knewºª nothing² thereof; 3 [Namely], fiveº lordsº of the Philistines,º and all² the Canaanites,º and the Sidonians,º and the Hivitesº that dweltºª in mountº Lebanon,º from mountº² Baalhermonº unto² the entering inºª of Hamath.º 4 And they were² to proveºª² Israelº by them, to knowºª whether they would hearkenºª unto² the commandmentsº of the LORD,º which² he commandedºª² their fathersº by the handº of Moses.º

By communion with them they commit idolatry.

5 ¶ And the childrenº of Israelº dweltºª amongº the Canaanites,º Hittites,º and Amorites,º and Perizzites,º and Hivites,º and Jebusites:º 6 And they tookºª² their daughtersº to be their wives,º and gaveºª their daughtersº to their sons,º and servedºª² their gods.º 7 And the childrenº of Israelº didºª² evilº in the sightº of the LORD,º and forgatºª² the LORDº their God,º and servedºª² Baalimº and the groves.º

Othniel delivereth them from Cushan-rishathaim,

8 ¶ Therefore the angerº of the LORDº was hotºª against Israel,º and he soldºª them into the handº of Chushanrishathaimº kingº of Mesopotamia:º and the childrenº of Israelº servedºª² Chushanrishathaimº eightº years.º 9 And when the childrenº of Israelº criedºª unto² the LORD,º the LORDº raised upºª a delivererºª to the childrenº of Israel,º who deliveredºª them, [even]² Othnielº the sonº of Kenaz,º Caleb'sº youngerº brother.º 10 And the Spiritº of the LORDº came² upon² him, and he judgedºª² Israel,º and went outºª to war:º and the LORDº deliveredºª² Chushanrishathaimº kingº of Mesopotamiaº into his hand;º and his handº prevailedºª against² Chushanrishathaim.º 11 And the landº had restºª fortyº years.º And Othnielº the sonº of Kenazº died.ºª

Ehud from Eglon,

12 ¶ And the childrenº of Israelº didºª evilº againºª in the sightº of the LORD:º and the LORDº strengthenedºª² Eglonº the kingº of Moabº against² Israel,º because²² they had doneºª² evilº in the sightº of the LORD.º 13 And he gatheredºª unto² him² the childrenº of Ammonº and Amalek,º and went¹ª² and smoteºª² Israel,º and possessedºª² the cityº of palm trees.ºª¹ 14 So the childrenº of Israelº servedºª² Eglonº the kingº of Moabº eighteenºº years.º 15 But when the childrenº of Israelº criedºª unto² the LORD,º the LORDº raised them upºª a deliverer,ºª² Ehud¹² the sonº of Gera,º a Benjamite,º² a manº lefthanded:ºº² and by himº the childrenº of Israelº sentºª a presentº unto Eglonº the kingº of Moab.º 16 But Ehud¹² madeºª him a daggerº which had twoº edges,º of a cubitº length;º and he did girdºª it under²² his raimentº upon² his rightº thigh.º 17 And he broughtºª² the presentº unto Eglonº kingº of Moab:º and Eglonº [was] a veryº fatº man.º 18 And when² he had made an endºª to offerºª² the present,º he sent awayºª² the peopleº that bareºª the present.º 19 But he² himself turned againºª from² the quarriesº that² [were] by² Gilgal,º and said,ºª I have a secretº errandº unto thee, O king:º who said,ºª Keep silence.ºª And all² that stoodºª by him went outºª from²² him. 20 And Ehud¹² cameºª unto² him; and he² was sittingºª in a summerº parlour,º which² he had for himself alone.² And Ehud¹² said,ºª I have a messageº from Godº unto² thee. And he aroseºª out of²² [his] seat.º 21 And Ehud¹² put forthºª² his leftº hand,º and tookºª² the daggerº from²² his rightº thigh,º and thrustºª it into his belly:º 22 And the haftº also² went inºª afterº the blade;º and the fatº closedºª uponº the blade,º so that² he could not² drawºª the daggerº out of his belly;º² and the dirtº came out.ºª 23 Then Ehud¹² went forthºª through the porch,º and shutºª the doorsº of the parlourº upon him,² and lockedºª them. 24 When he² was gone out,ºª his servantsº came;ºª and when they sawºª that, behold,² the doorsº of the parlourº [were] locked,ºª they said,ºª Surely² he² coverethºª² his feetº in his summerº chamber.º 25 And they tarriedºª till² they were ashamed:ºª and, behold,² he openedºª not² the doorsº of the parlour;º therefore they tookºª² a key,º and openedºª [them]: and, behold,² their lordº [was] fallen downºª deadºª on the earth.º 26 And Ehud¹² escapedºª while² they tarried,ºª and passed beyondºª² the quarries,º and escapedºª unto Seirath.º 27 And it came to pass,² when he was come,ºª that he blewºª a trumpetº in the mountainº of Ephraim,º and the childrenº of Israelº went downºª with² him from² the mount,º and he² beforeº them. 28 And he saidºª unto² them, Followºª afterº me: for² the LORDº hath deliveredºª² your enemiesºª² the Moabitesº into your hand.º And they went downºª afterº him, and tookºª² the fordsº of Jordanº toward Moab,º and sufferedºª not² a manº to pass over.ºª 29 And they slewºª of² Moabº at that² timeº about tenº thousandº men,º all² lusty,º and all² menº of valour;º and there escapedºª not² a man.º 30 So Moabº was subduedºª that² dayº under² the handº of Israel.º And the landº had restºª fourscoreº years.º

Shamgar from the Philistines.

31 ¶ And afterº him was² Shamgarº the sonº of Anath,º which slewºª of² the Philistinesº sixº hundredº menº with an oxº goad:º and he² also² deliveredºª² Israel.º