1 Estas, pois, são as nações que o Senhor deixou ficar, para por elas provar a Israel, a saber, a todos os que não sabiam de todas as guerras de Canaã. 2 Isso tão somente para que as gerações dos filhos de Israel delas soubessem (para lhes ensinar a guerra), pelo menos as gerações que, dantes, não sabiam disso: 3 cinco príncipes dos filisteus, e todos os cananeus, e sidônios, e heveus, que habitavam nas montanhas do Líbano, desde o monte de Baal-Hermom até à entrada de Hamate. 4 Estes, pois, ficaram, para por eles o Senhor provar a Israel, para saber se dariam ouvidos aos seus mandamentos que tinha ordenado a seus pais pelo ministério de Moisés. 5 Habitando, pois, os filhos de Israel no meio dos cananeus, e heteus, e amorreus, e ferezeus, e heveus, e jebuseus, 6 tomaram de suas filhas para si por mulheres e deram aos filhos deles as suas filhas; e serviram a seus deuses.

7 E os filhos de Israel fizeram o que parecia mal aos olhos do Senhor, e se esqueceram do Senhor, seu Deus, e serviram aos baalins e a Astarote. 8 Então, a ira do Senhor se acendeu contra Israel, e ele os vendeu em mão de Cusã-Risataim, rei da Mesopotâmia; e os filhos de Israel serviram a Cusã-Risataim durante oito anos.

9 E os filhos de Israel clamaram ao Senhor, e o Senhor levantou aos filhos de Israel um libertador, e os libertou: Otniel, filho de Quenaz, irmão de Calebe, mais novo do que ele. 10 E veio sobre ele o Espírito do Senhor, e julgou a Israel e saiu à peleja; e o Senhor deu na sua mão a Cusã-Risataim, rei da Síria; e a sua mão prevaleceu contra Cusã-Risataim. 11 Então, a terra sossegou quarenta anos; e Otniel, filho de Quenaz, faleceu.

12 Porém os filhos de Israel tornaram a fazer o que parecia mal aos olhos do Senhor; então, o Senhor esforçou a Eglom, rei dos moabitas, contra Israel, porquanto fizeram o que parecia mal aos olhos do Senhor. 13 E ajuntou consigo os filhos de Amom e os amalequitas, e foi, e feriu a Israel, e tomaram a cidade das Palmeiras. 14 E os filhos de Israel serviram a Eglom, rei dos moabitas, dezoito anos.

15 Então, os filhos de Israel clamaram ao Senhor, e o Senhor lhes levantou um libertador: Eúde, filho de Gera, benjamita, homem canhoto. E os filhos de Israel enviaram pela sua mão um presente a Eglom, rei dos moabitas. 16 E Eúde fez uma espada de dois fios, do comprimento de um côvado, e cingiu-a por debaixo das suas vestes, à sua coxa direita. 17 E levou aquele presente a Eglom, rei dos moabitas; e era Eglom homem mui gordo. 18 E sucedeu que, acabando de entregar o presente, despediu a gente que trouxera o presente. 19 Porém voltou do ponto em que estão as imagens de escultura, ao pé de Gilgal, e disse: Tenho uma palavra secreta para ti, ó rei. Este disse: Cala-te. E todos os que lhe assistiam saíram de diante dele. 20 E Eúde entrou num cenáculo fresco, que o rei tinha para si só, onde estava assentado, e disse Eúde: Tenho para ti uma palavra de Deus. E levantou-se da cadeira. 21 Então, Eúde estendeu a sua mão esquerda, e lançou mão da espada da sua coxa direita, e lha cravou no ventre, 22 de tal maneira que entrou até à empunhadura após a folha, e a gordura encerrou a folha (porque não tirou a espada do ventre); e saiu-lhe o excremento. 23 Então, Eúde saiu à sala, e cerrou sobre ele as portas do cenáculo, e as fechou. 24 E, saindo ele, vieram os seus servos e viram, e eis que as portas do cenáculo estavam fechadas; e disseram: Sem dúvida está cobrindo seus pés na recâmara do cenáculo fresco. 25 E, esperando até se enfastiarem, eis que não abriu as portas do cenáculo; então, tomaram a chave e abriram, e eis seu senhor estendido morto em terra. 26 E Eúde escapou enquanto eles se demoraram; porque ele passou pelas imagens de escultura e escapou para Seirá. 27 E sucedeu que, entrando ele, tocou a buzina nas montanhas de Efraim; e os filhos de Israel desceram com ele das montanhas, e ele adiante deles. 28 E disse-lhes: Segui-me, porque o Senhor vos tem dado a vossos inimigos, os moabitas, na vossa mão; e desceram após ele, e tomaram os vaus do Jordão a Moabe, e a nenhum deixaram passar. 29 E, naquele tempo, feriram dos moabitas uns dez mil homens, todos corpulentos e todos homens valorosos; e não escapou nenhum. 30 Assim foi subjugado Moabe, naquele dia, debaixo da mão de Israel; e a terra sossegou oitenta anos.

31 Depois dele, foi Sangar, filho de Anate, que feriu seiscentos homens dos filisteus com uma aguilhada de bois; e também ele libertou a Israel.

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.