Judges 3 - GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

3 These are the nations the Lord left behind to test all the Israelites who had not experienced any war in Canaan. 2 The Lord left them to teach Israel’s descendants about war, at least those who had known nothing about it in the past. 3 He left the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon from Mount Baal Hermon to the border of Hamath. 4 These nations were left to test the Israelites, to find out if they would obey the commands the Lord had given their ancestors through Moses.

The People Fail the Test

5 So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 6 The Israelites allowed their sons and daughters to marry these people. Israel also served their gods.

Othniel Defeats Cushan Rishathaim

7 The people of Israel did what the Lord considered evil. They forgot the Lord their God and served other gods and goddesses—the Baals and the Asherahs. 8 The Lord became angry with the people of Israel. He used King Cushan Rishathaim of Aram Naharaim to defeat them. So Israel served Cushan Rishathaim for eight years.

9 Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help. The Lord sent a savior to rescue them. It was Othniel, son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz. 10 When the Lord’s Spirit came over him, he became the judge of Israel. He went out to war. The Lord handed King Cushan Rishathaim of Aram Naharaim over to him, and Othniel overpowered him. 11 So there was finally peace in the land for 40 years. Then Othniel, son of Kenaz, died.

Ehud Defeats Moab

12 Once again, the people of Israel did what the Lord considered evil. So the Lord made King Eglon of Moab stronger than Israel, because Israel did what the Lord considered evil. 13 Eglon got the Ammonites and the Amalekites to help him, and they defeated the Israelites and occupied the City of Palms. 14 The Israelites served King Eglon of Moab for 18 years.

15 Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help. The Lord sent a savior to rescue them. It was Ehud, a left-handed man from the tribe of Benjamin. (Ehud was the son of Gera.)

The people sent him with their tax payment to King Eglon of Moab. 16 Ehud made a two-edged dagger for himself. He fastened it to his right side under his clothes. 17 Then he brought the tax payment to King Eglon. (Eglon was a very fat man.) 18 When Ehud had finished delivering the payment, he sent back the men who had carried it. 19 However, Ehud turned around at the stone idols near Gilgal ⌞and returned to Eglon⌟. He said, “Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you.”

The king replied, “Keep quiet!” Then all his advisers left the room.

20 Ehud came up to him as he sat alone in his room on the roof. He said to the king, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king rose from his throne, 21 Ehud reached with his left hand, took the dagger from his right side, and plunged it into Eglon’s belly. 22 Even the handle went in after the blade. Eglon’s fat covered the blade because Ehud didn’t pull the dagger out. The blade stuck out in back. 23 Ehud left the room. (He had closed and locked the doors of the room before he left.)

24 After Ehud went out, Eglon’s advisers came in. They were surprised that the doors were locked. “He must be using the toilet,” they said. 25 They waited and waited, but Eglon didn’t open the doors. So they took the key and opened the door. They were shocked to see their ruler lying on the floor, dead.

26 While they had been waiting, Ehud escaped. He went past the stone idols and escaped to Seirah. 27 When he arrived there, he blew a ram’s horn in the mountains of Ephraim ⌞to summon the troops⌟. So the troops of Israel came down from the mountains with him, and he led them. 28 He told them, “Follow me! The Lord will hand your enemy Moab over to you.”

They followed him and captured the shallow crossings of the Jordan River that led to Moab and refused to let anyone cross. 29 At that time they killed about ten thousand of Moab’s best fighting men. Not one of them escaped. 30 The power of Moab was crushed by Israel that day. So there was finally peace in the land for 80 years.

Shamgar Defeats the Philistines

31 After Ehud came Shamgar, son of Anath. He killed 600 Philistines with a sharp stick used for herding oxen. So he, too, rescued Israel.

You Might Also Like:

Judges 3 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

3 And these [are] the nations which Jehovah left, to try Israel by them, all who have not known all the wars of Canaan; 2 (only for the sake of the generations of the sons of Israel's knowing, to teach them war, only those who formerly have not known them) -- 3 five princes of the Philistines, and a...
Read More

Judges 3 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

3 These be the folks which the Lord left alive, that in them he should teach Israel, and all men that knew not the battles of Canaanites; (These be the nations which the Lord left alive, so that through them he would teach the Israelites, all those who had not been part of the battles for Canaan;) 2...
Read More

Judges 3 - World English Bible (WEB)

3 Now these are the nations which Yahweh left, to test Israel by them, even as many as had not known all the wars of Canaan; 2 only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at least those who knew nothing of it before: 3 the five lords of the Philistines, all t...
Read More

Judges 3 - The Voice (VOICE)

3 Here is a list of the nations that the Eternal left in the land to test those Israelites who had not gone to war in Canaan, 2 so that those who had not experienced war personally might know it: 3 the five Philistine capital cities, all the Canaanite tribes, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who liv...
Read More

Judges 3 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

3 Now these are the nations that Adonai left, to test all Israel who had not experienced any of the wars of Canaan. 2 It was only in order that the generations of Bnei-Yisrael might learn from war, which they had not experienced before. 3 These nations included the five Philistine lords, and all t...
Read More

Judges 3 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Nations Remaining in the Land3 Now these are the nations which the Lord left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had no experience of any war in Canaan; 2 it was only that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, that he might teach war to such at least as had not kno...
Read More

Judges 3 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Nations Remaining in the Land3 Now these are the nations which the Lord left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had no experience of any war in Canaan; 2 it was only that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, that he might teach war to such at least as had not kno...
Read More

Judges 3 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Nations Remaining in the Land3 Now these are the nations that the Lord left to test all those in Israel who had no experience of any war in Canaan 2 (it was only that successive generations of Israelites might know war, to teach those who had no experience of it before): 3 the five lords of the Ph...
Read More

Judges 3 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Nations Remaining in the Land3 Now these are the nations that the Lord left to test all those in Israel who had no experience of war in Canaan(A)2 (it was only for successive generations of Israelites, to teach war to those who had no experience of it): 3 the five lords of the Philistines, and all t...
Read More

Judges 3 - New Living Translation (NLT)

The Nations Left in Canaan3 These are the nations that the Lord left in the land to test those Israelites who had not experienced the wars of Canaan. 2 He did this to teach warfare to generations of Israelites who had no experience in battle. 3 These are the nations: the Philistines (those living un...
Read More

Judges 3 - New Life Version (NLV)

The Nations That Are Still in the Land3 These are the nations the Lord left to test Israel. They were left to test all those who had not fought in any of the wars in Canaan. 2 So the children of the people of Israel who had not fought in wars might be taught about war. 3 These nations are: the fiv...
Read More

Judges 3 - New King James Version (NKJV)

The Nations Remaining in the Land3 Now these are (A)the nations which the Lord left, that He might test Israel by them, that is, all who had not [a]known any of the wars in Canaan 2 (this was only so that the generations of the children of Israel might be taught to know war, at least those who had ...
Read More

Judges 3 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

3 These are the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan 2 (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience): 3 the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the ...
Read More

Judges 3 - New International Version (NIV)

3 These are the nations the Lord left to test(A) all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan 2 (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience): 3 the five(B) rulers of the Philistines,(C) all the Canaanite...
Read More

Judges 3 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

3 The Lord left some nations in the land. He left them to test the Israelites who hadn’t lived through any of the wars in Canaan. 2 He wanted to teach the men in Israel who had never been in battle before. He wanted them to learn how to fight. 3 So he left the five rulers of the Philistines. He le...
Read More

Judges 3 - New English Translation (NET)

3 These were the nations the Lord permitted to remain so he could use them to test Israel—he wanted to test all those who had not experienced battle against the Canaanites.[a] 2 He left those nations simply because he wanted to teach the subsequent generations of Israelites, who had not experienced...
Read More