1 Estas são as nações que Jeová deixou, para por elas provar a Israel, isto é, a quantos não tiveram experiência de todas as guerras de Canaã.2 Isto fez tão-somente para que as gerações dos filhos de Israel tivessem experiência de guerra, sendo nela instruídos unicamente os que dantes não tinham essa experiência.3 Estas são os cinco régulos dos filisteus, e todos os cananeus, e os sidônios, e os heveus que habitavam no monte Líbano, desde o monte Baal-Hermom até a entrada de Hamate.4 Estes serviram para provar a Israel, a fim de saber se eles obedeceriam aos mandamentos de Jeová, que ele ordenou aos seus pais por intermédio de Moisés.5 Os filhos de Israel habitaram no meio dos cananeus, dos heteus, dos amorreus, dos ferezeus, dos heveus e dos jebuseus.6 Tomaram por mulheres as filhas deles, deram suas filhas aos filhos dos mesmos, e serviram aos seus deuses.7 Os filhos de Israel fizeram o mal à vista de Jeová, e esqueceram-se de Jeová seu Deus, servindo os baalins e as aserotes.8 Pelo que se acendeu a ira de Jeová contra Israel, e os entregou nas mãos de Cusã-Risataim, rei de Mesopotâmia; os filhos de Israel serviram a Cusã-Risataim oito anos.9 Quando os filhos de Israel clamaram a Jeová, suscitou-lhes ele um salvador que os livrou, a saber, Otniel filho de Quenaz, irmão mais moço de Calebe.10 O espírito de Jeová veio sobre ele, e ele julgou a Israel; saiu a pelejar, e Jeová entregou-lhe nas mãos a Cusã-Risataim, rei de Mesopotâmia, contra o qual prevaleceu a sua mão.11 A terra teve descanso quarenta anos. Otniel, filho de Quenaz, morreu.12 Então tornaram os filhos de Israel a fazer o mal à vista de Jeová; e Jeová fortaleceu a Eglom, rei de Moabe, contra Israel, porque haviam feito o mal à sua vista.13 Eglom, unindo a si os filhos de Amom e de Amaleque, foi-se e feriu a Israel. Apoderaram-se da cidade das palmeiras,14 e os filhos de Israel serviram a Eglom, rei de Moabe, dezoito anos.15 Mas, quando os filhos de Israel clamaram a Jeová, suscitou-lhes ele um salvador, Eúde, filho de Gera, benjamita, homem canhoto. Por ele enviaram os filhos de Israel tributo a Eglom, rei de Moabe.16 Eúde, fazendo para si um punhal de dois gumes, dum côvado de comprido, cingiu-o debaixo do vestido à sua coxa direita.17 Apresentou o tributo a Eglom, rei de Moabe: ora Eglom era em extremo gordo.18 Eúde despediu a gente que trouxera o tributo, depois de o ter apresentado.19 Porém ele mesmo voltou das pedras esculpidas que estavam junto a Gilgal, e disse: Tenho que dizer-te, ó rei, uma palavra em segredo. Disse o rei: Silêncio! Todos os que lhe assistiam, saíram da sua presença.20 Eúde entrou a ele, e o rei estava sentado inteiramente a sós na sua sala de verão. Disse Eúde: Tenho que dizer-te uma palavra da parte de Deus. O rei levantou-se logo da sua cadeira.21 Então Eúde, estendendo a mão esquerda, tirou o punhal de sobre a coxa direita, e lho cravou no ventre.22 O cabo também entrou após a folha, e a gordura fechou-se sobre ela, porque não tirou do ventre o punhal. Saíram as fezes.23 Eúde, saindo ao pórtico, cerrou sobre ele as portas da sala, e trancou-as.24 Depois de ter ele saído, vieram os servos do rei. Olharam, e eis que as portas da sala estavam trancadas. Disseram: Sem dúvida ele está aliviando o ventre na privada do seu quarto.25 Esperaram até que viram que estavam enganados, pois que não abriu as portas da sala; portanto, tomaram a chave e as abriram. Eis que o seu senhor estava estendido morto em terra.26 Eúde escapou enquanto se demoravam e, tendo passado pelas pedras esculpidas, foi para Seirá.27 Depois de ter chegado, tocou na trombeta o alarme na região montanhosa de Efraim, e os filhos de Israel, com ele à frente, desceram dali.28 Disse-lhes: Segui-me, porque Jeová vos entregou nas mãos os vossos inimigos, os moabitas. Desceram após ele, apoderaram-se dos vaus do Jordão contra os moabitas, e não deixaram passar nem um só homem.29 Naquele tempo feriram dos moabitas uns dez mil homens, cada um deles robusto e valente; e não escapou nem sequer um.30 Assim foi subjugado Moabe naquele dia debaixo da mão de Israel. A terra teve descanso oitenta anos.31 Depois dele foi Sangar, filho de Anate, que matou a seiscentos homens dos filisteus com uma aguilhada de boi: também ele livrou 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.