{"meta":{"source":"Prime Bible","sourceUrl":"https://primebible.com","license":"Public domain (translation text); see citation policy at /citation-policy","organization":"501(c)(3) nonprofit — EIN 41-2531951","canonicalUrl":"https://primebible.com/dbt/judges/3","llmTxt":"https://primebible.com/llms.txt","generatedAt":"2026-05-27T00:31:09.729Z"},"reference":{"translation":"DBT","book":"Judges","bookSlug":"judges","chapter":3,"testament":"OLD"},"navigation":{"previousChapter":2,"nextChapter":4,"totalChapters":21,"totalVerses":31},"verses":[{"verseNumber":1,"text":"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;"},{"verseNumber":2,"text":"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 known it before."},{"verseNumber":3,"text":"These are the nations: the five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sido'nians, and the Hivites who dwelt on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Ba'al-her'mon as far as the entrance of Hamath."},{"verseNumber":4,"text":"They were for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by Moses."},{"verseNumber":5,"text":"So the people of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Per'izzites, the Hivites, and the Jeb'usites;"},{"verseNumber":6,"text":"and they took their daughters to themselves for wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons; and they served their gods."},{"verseNumber":7,"text":"And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, forgetting the LORD their God, and serving the Ba'als and the Ashe'roth."},{"verseNumber":8,"text":"Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cu'shan-rishatha'im king of Mesopota'mia; and the people of Israel served Cu'shan-rishatha'im eight years."},{"verseNumber":9,"text":"But when the people of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who delivered them, Oth'ni-el the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother."},{"verseNumber":10,"text":"The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel; he went out to war, and the LORD gave Cu'shan-rishatha'im king of Mesopota'mia into his hand; and his hand prevailed over Cu'shan-rishatha'im."},{"verseNumber":11,"text":"So the land had rest forty years. Then Oth'ni-el the son of Kenaz died."},{"verseNumber":12,"text":"And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the sight of the LORD."},{"verseNumber":13,"text":"He gathered to himself the Ammonites and the Amal'ekites, and went and defeated Israel; and they took possession of the city of palms."},{"verseNumber":14,"text":"And the people of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years."},{"verseNumber":15,"text":"But when the people of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab."},{"verseNumber":16,"text":"And Ehud made for himself a sword with two edges, a cubit in length; and he girded it on his right thigh under his clothes."},{"verseNumber":17,"text":"And he presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man."},{"verseNumber":18,"text":"And when Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people that carried the tribute."},{"verseNumber":19,"text":"But he himself turned back at the sculptured stones near Gilgal, and said, |I have a secret message for you, O king.| And he commanded, |Silence.| And all his attendants went out from his presence."},{"verseNumber":20,"text":"And Ehud came to him, as he was sitting alone in his cool roof chamber. And Ehud said, |I have a message from God for you.| And he arose from his seat."},{"verseNumber":21,"text":"And Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly;"},{"verseNumber":22,"text":"and the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the sword out of his belly; and the dirt came out."},{"verseNumber":23,"text":"Then Ehud went out into the vestibule, and closed the doors of the roof chamber upon him, and locked them."},{"verseNumber":24,"text":"When he had gone, the servants came; and when they saw that the doors of the roof chamber were locked, they thought, |He is only relieving himself in the closet of the cool chamber.|"},{"verseNumber":25,"text":"And they waited till they were utterly at a loss; but when he still did not open the doors of the roof chamber, they took the key and opened them; and there lay their lord dead on the floor."},{"verseNumber":26,"text":"Ehud escaped while they delayed, and passed beyond the sculptured stones, and escaped to Se-i'rah."},{"verseNumber":27,"text":"When he arrived, he sounded the trumpet in the hill country of E'phraim; and the people of Israel went down with him from the hill country, having him at their head."},{"verseNumber":28,"text":"And he said to them, |Follow after me; for the LORD has given your enemies the Moabites into your hand.| So they went down after him, and seized the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and allowed not a man to pass over."},{"verseNumber":29,"text":"And they killed at that time about ten thousand of the Moabites, all strong, able-bodied men; not a man escaped."},{"verseNumber":30,"text":"So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years."},{"verseNumber":31,"text":"After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed six hundred of the Philistines with an oxgoad; and he too delivered Israel."}],"citation":{"inline":"Judges 3 (DBT)","markdown":"[Judges 3](https://primebible.com/dbt/judges/3)","sbl":"Prime Bible. *The Bible.* DBT. https://primebible.com/dbt/judges/3 (accessed 2026-05-27)."}}