12 Depois da morte de Otoniel, o povo de Israel pecou outra vez contra Deus, o Senhor. Por causa disso o Senhor fez com que Eglom, rei de Moabe, ficasse mais forte do que eles. 13 Eglom se juntou com os amonitas e os amalequitas, e eles atacaram Israel e tomaram Jericó, a cidade das palmeiras. 14 O povo de Israel foi dominado por Eglom durante dezoito anos. 15 Então os israelitas pediram outra vez socorro ao Senhor, e ele mandou outro homem para libertá-los. Foi Eúde, filho de Gera, da tribo de Benjamim. Eúde era canhoto. O povo de Israel mandou-o levar o pagamento dos impostos para Eglom, rei de Moabe. 16 Então Eúde fez um grande punhal, de mais ou menos meio metro de comprimento. Ele amarrou o punhal debaixo da roupa, do lado direito, 17 e foi levar os impostos a Eglom, que era muito gordo. 18 Depois de entregá-los, Eúde mandou embora os carregadores. 19 Mas ele voltou do lugar onde estavam as imagens de pedra, perto de Gilgal, e disse ao rei:

— Ó rei, tenho uma informação secreta para lhe dar.

Então o rei ordenou que todos os outros saíssem da sala. E todos saíram.

20 O rei estava sentado na sua sala de verão, no terraço. Eúde chegou perto dele e disse:

— Tenho um recado de Deus para o senhor.

O rei se levantou. 21 Então Eúde, com a mão esquerda, tirou o punhal que estava no seu lado direito e o enterrou na barriga de Eglom. 22 O punhal entrou até o cabo, e a gordura o cobriu porque Eúde não o tirou da barriga do rei. E a ponta do punhal apareceu entre as suas pernas. 23 Em seguida Eúde trancou as portas, saiu pela janela 24 e foi embora. Aí os empregados chegaram e viram que as portas estavam trancadas. Então pensaram que o rei tinha ido ao banheiro. 25 Esperaram muito tempo, mas, como ele não abria a porta, pegaram a chave e a abriram. E o rei estava morto, caído no chão.

26 Enquanto eles estavam esperando, Eúde fugiu. Passou pelas imagens de pedra e foi para Seirá. 27 Quando chegou lá, nas montanhas de Efraim, ele tocou uma corneta de chifre de carneiro para chamar os homens de Israel para a luta. Ele os guiou montanha abaixo, 28 dizendo:

— Sigam-me. O Senhor Deus deu a vocês a vitória sobre os inimigos, os moabitas.

Então os israelitas o seguiram e tomaram o lugar onde os moabitas costumavam atravessar o rio Jordão. E não deixaram ninguém atravessar. 29 Nessa batalha eles mataram mais ou menos dez mil soldados moabitas, todos fortes e valentes. E nem um escapou. 30 Assim os israelitas derrotaram Moabe naquele dia. E houve paz na terra de Israel durante oitenta anos.

12 And the sons of Israel again did the thing that was wicked, in the sight of Yahweh,and Yahweh emboldened Eglon, king of Moab, against Israel, because they did the thing that was wicked in the sight of Yahweh;

13 and he gathered unto him, the sons of Ammon, and Amalek,and came and smote Israel, and took possession of the city of palm-trees.

14 So the sons of Israel served Eglon king of Moab, eighteen years.

15 And the sons of Israel made outcry unto Yahweh, and Yahweh raised up unto them a saviour, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man left-handed,and the sons of Israel sent, by his hand, a present, unto Eglon king of Moab.

16 So Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length,and girded it under his raiment, upon his right thigh.

17 So he offered the present unto Eglon, king of Moab,now, Eglon, was an exceedingly fat man.

18 And so it was, when he had made an end of offering the present, that he sent away the people who had been bearing the present;

19 but, he himself, turned back from the images that were by Gilgal, and said, A secret word, have I, unto thee, O king! And he saidSilence! Thereupon went out from his presence all who had been standing near him.

20 And, Ehud, came in unto him, he, having been sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself, alone, and Ehud said, A divine word, have I, unto thee. So he arose from off his seat.

21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the sword from off his right thigh,and thrust it into his body;

22 and, the handle also, went in after the blade, and the flesh closed upon the blade, for he withdrew not the sword out of his body,and he came out into the ante-chamber.

23 And, when Ehud came out into the porch, he closed the doors of the parlour upon him, and bolted them.

24 When, he, had come out, his servants, went in, and looked, and lo! the doors of the parlour were bolted,so they said, Surely he covereth his feet, in the summer chamber.

25 But, though they tarried a long time, yet lo! he opened not the doors of the parlour,so they took the key, and opened , when lo! their lord, fallen to the ground dead.

26 But, Ehud, escaped while they delayed,yea, he, passed the images, and escaped into Seirah.

27 And so it was, when he came, that he blew with a horn, throughout the hill country of Ephraim,and the sons of Israel came down with him, out of the hill country, he, being before them.

28 And he said unto themCome down after me, for Yahweh hath delivered your enemies, the Moabites, into your hand. So they came down after him, and captured the fords of the Jordan, towards Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.

29 And they smote of Moab, at that time, about ten thousand men, every one a mighty man, and every one a man of valour,and, there escaped not a man.

30 And Moab was subdued on that day, under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest eighty years, and Ehud judged them until his death.