15 Mas quando clamaram ao Senhor, mandou-lhes um libertador, Eude, filho de Gera, benjamita, que era canhoto. Eude era o homem que devia levar o imposto anual de Israel até à capital moabita. Ora antes de encetar a viagem mandou fazer uma espada de dois gumes, de meio metro de comprimento, e escondeu-a na roupa que vestia, junto à coxa direita. Depois de ter entregue o dinheiro ao rei Eglom, que era muito gordo, foi-se embora. Já fora da cidade, junto das pedreiras de Gilgal, despediu os companheiros e voltou sozinho ter com o rei. Tenho uma mensagem secreta para ti, disse-lhe rei mandou imediatamente sair toda a gente que ali se encontrava, de forma a poder conversar em privado com ele. Estavam numa sala fresca, nos andares superiores. Eude avançou então e disse: É uma mensagem de Deus! O rei levantou-se logo. Eude, com a mão esquerda puxou da espada que tinha escondida junto à perna direita e cravou-lha no ventre. O próprio punho da espada ficou enterrado na gordura do corpo. Eude deixou assim a espada, fechou as portas atrás de si e escapou-se por uma saída secundária.

24 Quando os servos do rei chegaram, mais tarde, viram as portas fechadas e esperaram, pensando que talvez ele estivesse na casa de banho. Mas depois de passar muito tempo sem que o rei aparecesse, começaram a estar preocupados e foram buscar uma chave. Ao abrirem a porta depararam com o seu senhor morto, estendido por terra.

26 Entretanto Eude, chegando de novo às pedreiras, fugira em direcção a Seirá. Quando chegou às colinas de Efraim fez um apelo às armas, ao som de trombetas, e organizou um exército sob o seu próprio comando.

28 Sigam-me, gritou porque o Senhor entregou já os vossos inimigos, os moabitas, nas vossas mãos! Inicialmente a sua acção consistiu em ocupar os baixios do Jordão, perto de Moabe, para evitar que os outros passassem por ali, atravessando o rio a pé. Seguidamente foram atacar os moabitas, matando aproximadamente uns dez mil dos seus mais fortes e mais hábeis guerreiros, não deixando escapar ninguém. E dessa maneira Moabe foi conquistado por Israel naquele mesmo dia. A terra ficou em paz durante os oitenta anos seguintes.

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.