1 Estas são as nações que o Senhor deixou subsistir para provar por meio delas os israelitas, todos aqueles que não tinham visto as guerras de Canaã,2 e isso tão-somente para instrução das novas gerações israelitas, a fim de lhes ensinar a combater, ao menos àqueles que não o tinham feito antes.3 Eram os cinco príncipes dos filisteus, todos os cananeus, os sidônios, os heveus que habitavam os montes do Líbano, desde a montanha de Baal-Hermon até a entrada de Hamat.4 Essas nações ficaram para provar Israel, e ver se eles obedeceriam aos mandamentos que o Senhor havia prescrito aos seus pais por intermédio de Moisés.5 Os filhos de Israel habitaram no meio dos cananeus, dos hiteus, dos amorreus, dos ferezeus, dos heveus e dos jebuseus.6 Tomaram por mulheres suas filhas e eles mesmos deram suas filhas aos filhos deles, e serviram os seus deuses.7 Os israelitas fizeram o mal aos olhos do Senhor, esqueceram-se do Senhor, seu Deus, e serviram aos baal e às asserá.8 A ira do Senhor inflamou-se contra Israel, e ele entregou-os nas mãos de Cusã-Rasataim, rei da Mesopotâmia, a quem ficaram sujeitos durante oito anos.9 Os israelitas clamaram ao Senhor, que lhes suscitou um libertador para salvá-los: Otoniel, filho de Cenez, irmão mais novo de Caleb.10 O Espírito do Senhor desceu sobre ele: ele julgou Israel e saiu para a guerra. O Senhor entregou-lhe Cusã-Rasataim, rei da Mesopotâmia, e sua mão triunfou sobre ele.11 A terra teve quarenta anos de descanso, e Otoniel, filho de Cenez, morreu.12 Os israelitas fizeram de novo o mal aos olhos do Senhor, e o Senhor excitou contra eles Eglon, rei de Moab, porque tinham feito o mal aos seus olhos.13 Eglon aliou-se aos filhos de Amon e de Amalec, e pôs-se em marcha contra Israel; derrotou-o e apoderou-se da cidade das Palmeiras.14 E os israelitas estiveram sujeitos a Eglon, rei de Moab, por dezoito anos.15 Os filhos de Israel clamaram ao Senhor, que lhes suscitou um libertador na pessoa de Aod, o canhoto, filho de Gera, benjaminita. Os filhos de Israel mandaram, por meio dele, um presente a Eglon, rei de Moab.16 Aod mandou fazer para si uma espada de dois gumes, de um côvado de comprimento, e a levava debaixo de suas vestes, apoiada na coxa direita.17 Ele veio e ofereceu o presente a Eglon, rei de Moab, que era muito gordo.18 Terminada a cerimônia, levou os homens que tinham trazido o presente19 até as estelas próximas de Gálgala. Voltou ao rei e disse-lhe: Senhor, tenho uma palavra a dizer-te. Silêncio, ordenou o rei; e todos os seus familiares se retiraram.20 Aod entrou; o rei estava assentado, só, no seu quarto de verão. Tenho a dizer-te uma palavra da parte do Senhor, disse Aod. O rei levantou-se do seu trono.21 E logo tomou Aod com a mão esquerda a espada que trazia na coxa direita e mergulhou-lha no ventre22 com tanta força que o próprio cabo entrou após a lâmina, e ficou coberto pela muita gordura. E não retirou do ventre sua espada, cuja lâmina saía por detrás.23 Aod saiu pela galeria, depois de ter fechado bem atrás de si as portas do quarto de cima, deixando-as trancadas.24 E, tendo ele partido, notaram os servos do rei que as portas estavam fechadas: Sem dúvida, disseram, estará fazendo necessidade, em seu quarto de verão.25 Mas, depois de esperarem muito tempo, ficaram alarmados, e, vendo que a porta do apartamento não se abria, tomaram a chave, abriram-na e encontraram o seu senhor morto e estendido por terra.26 Enquanto isso, Aod fugiu para além das estelas, e foi para Seirat.27 Logo que chegou à montanha de Efraim, tocou a trombeta e os filhos de Israel desceram da montanha com ele.28 Segui-me, disse-lhes ele, porque o Senhor entregou-vos os moabitas, vossos inimigos. Eles o seguiram e ocuparam os vaus do Jordão, por onde se vai a Moab, de modo a não deixar passar ninguém.29 Mataram então cerca de dez mil homens, todo o escol e todo o vigor de Moab; ninguém escapou.30 Naquele dia foi Moab humilhado sob a mão de Israel. E a terra teve um descanso de oitenta anos.31 Depois de Aod, Samgar, filho de Anat, derrotou seiscentos filisteus com um aguilhão de bois. Samgar também foi um libertador para Israel.

1 Now these [are] the Gentiles which the LORD left, to prove Israel with them, [even] as many [of Israel] as had not known all the wars of Canaan;2 [he left them] only that the generations of the sons of Israel might know, [and] to teach them war, only [for those] that had known nothing before:3 [namely], five cardinals of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and the Hivites that dwelt in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath.4 These, therefore, were [left] to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.5 And as the sons of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites,6 they took their daughters to be their wives and gave their daughters to their sons and served their gods.7 And the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD and forgot the LORD their God and served the Baalim and the groves.8 Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia, and the sons of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years.9 And when the sons of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a saviour to the sons of Israel, who saved them, [even] Othniel, the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.10 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel and went out to war; and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand, and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.11 And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel, the son of Kenaz, died.12 And the sons 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 sons of Ammon and of Amalek and went and smote Israel and took the city of palm trees.14 So the sons of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.15 But when the sons of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a saviour, Ehud, the son of Gera, a son of Jemini, a man, who had his right hand impeded, and by him the sons of Israel sent a present unto Eglon, the king of Moab.16 But Ehud had made himself a two-edged sword of a cubit length, and he girded it under his clothing 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 offered the present, he sent away the people that had brought the present.19 But he, himself turned again from the graven images that [were] by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret word for thee, O king, who then 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 word from God unto thee. Then he arose out of [his] seat.21 But Ehud put forth his left hand and took the sword from his right thigh and thrust it into Eglon's belly;22 in such a manner that 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 excrement 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 the doors of the parlour [were] locked, they said, Peradventure he covers his feet in his summer chamber.25 And having waited until they were confounded and he [had] not opened 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 But while they had waited, Ehud escaped and passed beyond the graven images and escaped unto Seirath.27 And as he entered in, he blew the shofar in the mountain of Ephraim, and the sons of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.28 Then he said unto them, Follow after me, for the LORD has delivered your enemies, the Moabites, into your hands. And they went down after him and took the fords of the Jordan towards Moab and did not let anyone pass.29 And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all fat, and all men of war, and there escaped not a man.30 So Moab was subjected that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest eighty years.31 And after him was Shamgar, the son of Anath, who slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad, and he also saved Israel.: