12 Men Israels barn gjorde atter det som var ondt i Herrens øine; og Herren gav Eglon, kongen i Moab, makt over Israel, fordi de gjorde det som var ondt i Herrens øine.
13 Han fikk med sig Ammons barn og Amalek og drog ut og slo Israel, og de inntok Palmestaden.
14 Og Israels barn tjente Eglon, kongen i Moab, i atten år.
15 Da ropte Israels barn til Herren, og Herren opreiste dem en frelser, benjaminitten Ehud, Geras sønn, en kjevhendt mann. Israels barn sendte ham engang med en gave til Eglon, kongen i Moab;
16 da gjorde Ehud sig et tveegget, alenlangt sverd og bandt det om sig under sine klær ved sin høire hofte.
17 Så førte han gaven frem til Eglon, kongen i Moab; men Eglon var en meget fet mann.
18 Og da han hadde gitt gaven fra sig, lot han folkene som hadde båret gaven, dra hjem.
19 Men selv vendte han tilbake fra stenbruddene ved Gilgal og lot si: Jeg har et hemmelig ord til dig, konge! Da sa kongen: Hysj! Så gikk de ut alle de som stod om ham.
20 Og Ehud kom inn til ham, mens han satt alene i sin kjølige sal, og Ehud sa: Jeg har et ord fra Gud til dig. Da reiste han sig op fra sin stol.
21 Men Ehud rakte ut sin venstre hånd og tok sverdet fra sin høire hofte og støtte det i hans buk;
22 og heftet gikk inn efter bladet, og fettet lukket til om bladet, for han drog ikke sverdet ut av hans buk; det gikk ut baktil.
23 Og Ehud gikk ut i buegangen, og han lukket døren til salen hvor han var, og låste den.
24 Og da han var gått ut, kom tjenerne inn, og da de så at døren til salen var låst, sa de: Han har visst et ærend i svalkammeret.
25 Og de ventet meget lenge, men han lukket ikke op døren til salen; da tok de nøklen og lukket op, og se, deres herre lå død på gulvet.
26 Mens de gav sig tid, slapp Ehud bort; han var allerede kommet forbi stenbruddene og kom frem til Se'ira.
27 Da han kom dit, støtte han i basunen på Efra'im-fjellet; og Israels barn drog ned med ham fra fjellene, og han foran dem.
28 Og han sa til dem: Skynd eder efter mig! For Herren har gitt eders fiender, moabittene, i eders hånd. Så drog de ned efter ham, og de satte folk ved vadestedene over Jordan til Moab og lot ingen komme over.
29 Dengang slo de omkring ti tusen mann av Moab, som alle var sterke og djerve menn; ikke én slapp bort.
30 Så blev da Moab på den dag ydmyket under Israels hånd, og landet hadde ro i åtti år.
12 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. 13 And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees. 14 So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. 15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab. 16 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh. 17 And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man. 18 And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present. 19 But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him. 20 And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat. 21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly: 22 And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out. 23 Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them. 24 When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber. 25 And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth. 26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath. 27 And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them. 28 And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over. 29 And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man. 30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.