1 O Senhor Deus deixou alguns povos na terra para pôr à prova os israelitas que não haviam tomado parte nas guerras de Canaã. 2 Ele fez isso somente para ensinar todos os israelitas a guerrear, especialmente aqueles que nunca haviam estado numa batalha. 3 Os povos que ficaram na terra foram: os moradores das cinco cidades dos filisteus, todos os cananeus, os sidônios e os heveus que viviam nos montes Líbanos, desde o monte Baal-Hermom até a subida de Hamate. 4 Eles ficaram para pôr à prova o povo de Israel a fim de que o Senhor visse se eles iam ou não obedecer aos mandamentos que lhes tinha dado por meio de Moisés. 5 Assim o povo de Israel ficou morando no meio dos cananeus, dos heteus, dos amorreus, dos perizeus, dos heveus e dos jebuseus. 6 E os israelitas casaram com essa gente e adoraram os seus deuses.

7 O povo de Israel esqueceu o Senhor, seu Deus. Pecou contra ele e adorou os deuses dos cananeus e os postes da deusa Aserá. 8 Por isso o Senhor ficou muito irado com Israel e deixou que Cuchã-Risataim, rei da Mesopotâmia, os conquistasse. E o povo de Israel foi dominado por ele durante oito anos. 9 Então os israelitas pediram socorro ao Senhor, e ele mandou um homem para libertá-los. Esse homem foi Otoniel, filho de Quenaz, o irmão mais novo de Calebe. 10 Ele foi guiado pelo Espírito de Deus, o Senhor, e se tornou o líder de Israel. Otoniel foi para a guerra, e o Senhor fez com que ele vencesse o rei da Mesopotâmia. 11 Depois disso Otoniel ainda viveu quarenta anos, e durante todo esse tempo a terra de Israel ficou em paz.

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.

31 O líder seguinte foi Sangar, filho de Anate. Ele matou seiscentos filisteus com um ferrão de tocar bois. E assim ele também libertou o povo de Israel.

1 Now these are the nations which Yahweh left, to prove Israel by them, even as many [of Israel] as had not known all the wars of Canaan;

2 only that the generations of the sons of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as formerly knew nothing of it:

3 [namely], the five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-hermon to the entrance of Hamath.

4 And they were [left], to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would listen to the commandments of Yahweh, which he commanded their fathers by Moses.

5 And the sons of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites:

6 and they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons and served their gods.

7 And the sons of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and forgot Yahweh their God, and served the Baalim and the Asheroth.

8 Therefore the anger of Yahweh was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the sons of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.

9 And when the sons of Israel cried to Yahweh, Yahweh raised up a savior to the sons of Israel, who saved them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.

10 And the Spirit of Yahweh came upon him, and he judged Israel; and he went out to war, and Yahweh delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand: and his hand prevailed against Cushan-rishathaim.

11 And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

12 And the sons of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh: and Yahweh strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh.

13 And he gathered to him the sons of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and struck Israel, and they possessed the city of palm-trees.

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

15 But when the sons of Israel cried to Yahweh, Yahweh raised them up a savior, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.

16 And Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length; and he girded it under his raiment on his right thigh.

17 And he offered the tribute to Eglon king of Moab: now Eglon was a very fat man.

18 And when he had made an end of offering the tribute, he sent away the people who bore the tribute.

19 But he himself turned back from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret message to you, O king. And he said, Keep silent. And all who stood by him went out from him.

20 And Ehud came to him; and he was sitting by himself alone in the cool upper room. And Ehud said, I have a message from God to you. And he arose out of his seat.

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

22 and the handle also went in after the blade; and the fat closed on the blade, for he did not draw the sword out of his body; and it came out behind.

23 Then Ehud went forth into the porch, and shut the doors of the upper room on him, and locked them.

24 Now when he had gone out, his slaves came; and they saw, and noticed that the doors of the upper room were locked; and they said, Surely he is relieving himself in the upper chamber.

25 And they tarried until they were ashamed; and saw that he didn't open the doors of the upper room: therefore they took the key, and opened [them], and saw that their lord had fallen down dead on the earth.

26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped to Seirah.

27 And it came to pass, when he came, that he blew a trumpet in the hill-country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel went down with him from the hill-country, and he [was] before them.

28 And he said to them, Follow after me; for Yahweh has delivered your{+} enemies the Moabites into your{+} hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and didn't allow a man to pass over.

29 And they struck of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, every robust man, and every man of valor; and not a man escaped.

30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest 80 years.

31 And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox-goad: and he also saved Israel.