Wickedness of the Israelites. CHAP. III. Their obstinate idolatry. in the sight of the LORD, and served (even as many of Israel as had not known Baalim: all the wars of Canaan; 12 And they forsook the LORD God of 2 Only that the generations of the chiltheir fathers, which brought them out of dren of Israel might know to teach then the land of Egypt, and followed other war, at the least such as before knew gods, of the gods of the people that were nothing thereof;) round about them, and bowed themselves 3 Namely, five lords of the Philistines, unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, 13 And they forsook the LORD, and and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebaserved Baal and Ashtaroth. non, from mount Baal-hermon unto the 14 ¶ And the anger of the LORD was entering in of Hamath. hot against Israel, and he delivered them 4 And they were to prove Israel by into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, to know whether they would hearkthem, and he sold them into the hands of en unto the commandments of the Lord, their enemies round about, so that they which he commanded their fathers by the could not any longer stand before their hand of Moses. enemies. 5 And the children of Israel dwelt busites: 15 Whithersoever they went out, the among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amohand of the LORD was against them for rites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jeevil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed. 16 Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. 6 And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods. 7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the 17 And yet they would not hearken LORD their God, and served Baalim, and unto their judges, but they went a whoring the groves. after other gods, and bowed themselves 8 Therefore the anger of the LORD unto them: they turned quickly out of the was hot against Israel, and he sold them way which their fathers walked in, obey-into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim king ing the commandments of the LORD; but of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel they did not so. served Chushan-rishathaim eight years. 18 And when the LORD raised them up 9 And when the children of Israel cried judges, then the LORD was with the judge, unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deand delivered them out of the hand of liverer to the children of Israel, who detheir enemies all the days of the judge:livered them, even Othniel the son of Ke(for it repented the LORD because of their naz, Caleb's younger brother. groanings by reason of them that oppress- 10 And the Spirit of the LORD_came ed them and vexed them.) upon him, and he judged Israel, and went 19 And it came to pass, when the judge out to war: and the LORD delivered Chuwas dead, that they returned, and corrupt- shan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into ed themselves more than their fathers, in his hand; and his hand prevailed against following other gods to serve them, and Chushan-rishathaim. to bow down unto them; they ceased not 11 And the land had rest forty years: from their own doings, nor from their and Othniel the son of Kenaz died. stubborn way. 12 ¶ And the children of Israel did evil 20 T And the anger of the LORD was again in the sight of the LORD: and the hot against Israel; and he said, Because LORD strengthened Egion the king of that this people hath transgressed my co- Moab against Israel, because they had venant which I commanded their fathers, done evil in the sight of the LORD. and have not hearkened unto my voice; 13 And he gathered unto him the chil21 I also will not henceforth drive out dren of Ammon and Amalek, and went any from before them of the nations which and smote Israel, and possessed the city Joshua left when he died: of palm-trees. 22 That through them I may prove Is- 14 So the children of Israel served Egrael, whether they will keep the way of lon the king of Moab eighteen years. the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers 15 But when the children of Israel cried did keep it, or not. unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up 23 Therefore the LORD left those na- a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Bentions, without driving them out hastily, jamite, a man left-handed: and by him neither delivered he them into the hand of the children of Israel sent a present unto Joshua. Eglon the king of Moab. 16 But Ehud made him a dagger which TOW these are the nations which the had two edges, of a cubit length: and he did LORD left, to prove Israel by them, igird it under his raiment upon his right thigh. NOW CHAP. III. The conduct of Ehud. JUDGES. Deborah and Barak deliver Israel. 17 And he brought the present unto of Jabin king of Canaan that reigned in Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a Hazor, the captain of whose host was very fat man. Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the 18 And when he had made an end to Gentiles. offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present. 19 But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence And all that stood by him went out from him. 3 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD; for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel. 4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. 5 And she dwelt under the palm-tree of 20 And Ehud came unto him; and he Deborah, between Ramah and Beth-el in was sitting in a summer-parlour, which he mount Ephraim: and the children of Ishad for himself alone and Ehud said, Irael came up to her for judgment. have a message from God unto thee. And 6 And she sent and called Barak the he arose out of his seat. son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-naphtali, 21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God and took the dagger from his right thigh, of Israel commanded, saying, Go, and and thrust it into his belly: draw toward mount Tabor, and take 22 And the haft also went in after the with thee ten thousand men of the chilblade: and the fat closed upon the blade, dren of Naphtali, and of the children of so that he could not draw the dagger out Zebulun; of his belly; and the dirt came out. 7 And I will draw unto thee, to the ri 23 Then Ehud went forth through the ver Kishon, Sisera the captain of Jabin's porch, and shut the doors of the parlour army, with his chariots and his multitude; upon him, and locked them. and I will deliver him into thy hand? 24 When he was gone out, his servants 8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt came; and when they saw that, behold, go with me, then I will go: but if thou the doors of the parlour were locked, they wilt not go with me, then I will not go. said, Surely he covereth his feet in his 9 And she said, I will surely go with summer-chamber. thee: notwithstanding the journey that 25 And they tarried till they were thou takest shall not be for thine honour; ashamed: and behold, he opened not the for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand doors of the parlour, therefore they took of a woman. And Deborah arose, and a key and opened them: and behold, their went with Barak to Kedesh. lord was fallen down dead on the earth. 10 And Barak called Zebulun and 26 And Ehud escaped while they tar-Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ried; and passed beyond the quarries, and ten thousand men at his feet: and Deboescaped unto Seirath. rah went up with him. 27 And it came to pass when he was 11 Now Heber the Kenite, which was of come, that he blew a trumpet in the moun- the children of Hobab the father-in-law tain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel of Moses, had severed himself from the went down with him from the mount, and Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain he before them. of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh. 28 And he said unto them, Follow after 12 And they shewed Sisera that Barak me: for the LORD hath delivered your the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount enemies the Moabites into your hand. Tabor. And they went down after him, and took 13 And Sisera gathered together all his the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and chariots, even nine hundred chariots of suffered not a man to pass over. iron, and all the people that were with him, 29 And they slew of Moab at that time from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all river of Kishon. men of valour: and there escaped not a man. 14 And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; 30 So Moab was subdued that day un- for this is the day in which the LORD hath der the hand of Israel: and the land had delivered Sisera into thy hand is not rest fourscore years. the LORD gone out before thee? So Barak 31 And after him was Shamgar the went down from mount Tabor, and ten son of Anath, which slew of the Philis- thousand men after him. tines six hundred men with an ox-goad;} and he also delivered Israel. CHAP. IV. 15 And the LORD discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so ND the children of Israel again did that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, Ehud was dead. AND 16 But Barak pursued after the chari 2 And the LORD sold them into the hand ots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of |