1-2 And the Lord had another reason for letting these enemies stay. The Israelites needed to learn how to fight in war, just as their ancestors had done. Each new generation would have to learn by fighting 3 the Philistines and their five rulers, as well as the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites that lived in the Lebanon Mountains from Mount Baal-Hermon to Hamath Pass.
4 Moses had told the Israelites what the Lord had commanded them to do, and now the Lord was using these nations to find out if Israel would obey. 5-6 But they refused. And some of them even married Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites who lived all around them. That's how they started worshiping foreign gods.
Othniel
7 The Israelites sinned against the Lord by forgetting him and worshiping idols of Baal and Astarte. 8 This made the Lord angry, so he let Israel be defeated by King Cushan Rishathaim of northern Syria, who ruled Israel eight years and made everyone pay taxes. 9 The Israelites begged the Lord for help, and so he chose Othniel to rescue them. Othniel was the son of Caleb's younger brother Kenaz. 10 The Spirit of the Lord took control of Othniel, and he led Israel in a war against Cushan Rishathaim. The Lord let Othniel win, 11 and Israel was at peace until Othniel died about 40 years later.
Ehud
12 Once more the Israelites started disobeying the Lord. So he let them be defeated by King Eglon of Moab, 13 who had joined forces with the Ammonites and the Amalekites to attack Israel. Eglon and his army captured Jericho. 14 Then he ruled Israel for 18 years and forced the Israelites to pay heavy taxes.
15-16 The Israelites begged the Lord for help, and the Lord chose Ehud from the Benjamin tribe to rescue them. They put Ehud in charge of taking the taxes to King Eglon, but before Ehud went, he made a double-edged dagger. Ehud was left-handed, so he strapped the dagger to his right thigh, where it was hidden under his robes.
17-18 Ehud and some other Israelites took the taxes to Eglon, who was a very fat man. As soon as they gave the taxes to Eglon, Ehud said it was time to go home.
19-20 Ehud went with the other Israelites as far as the statues at Gilgal. Then he turned back and went upstairs to the room where Eglon had his throne. Ehud said, “Your Majesty, I need to talk with you in private.”
Eglon replied, “Don't say anything yet!” His officials left the room, and Eglon stood up as Ehud came closer.
“Yes,” Ehud said, “I have a message for you from God!” 21 Ehud pulled out the dagger with his left hand and shoved it so far into Eglon's stomach 22-23 that even the handle was buried in his fat. Ehud left the dagger there. Then after closing and locking the doors to the room, he climbed through a window onto the porch 24 and left.
When the king's officials came back and saw that the doors were locked, they said, “The king is probably inside relieving himself.” 25 They stood there waiting until they felt foolish, but Eglon still didn't open the doors. Finally, they unlocked the doors and found King Eglon lying dead on the floor. 26 But by that time, Ehud had already escaped past the statues.
Ehud went to the town of Seirah 27-28 in the hill country of Ephraim and started blowing a trumpet as a signal to call the Israelites together. When they came, he shouted, “Follow me! The Lord will help us defeat the Moabites.”
The Israelites followed Ehud down to the Jordan valley, and they captured the places where people cross the river on the way to Moab. They would not let anyone go across, 29 and before the fighting was over, they killed about 10,000 Moabite warriors—not one escaped alive.
30 Moab was so badly defeated that it was a long time before they were strong enough to attack Israel again. And Israel was at peace for 80 years.
Shamgar
31 Shamgar the son of Anath was the next to rescue Israel. In one battle, he used a sharp wooden pole to kill 600 Philistines.
Tautas, kas palika Kanaānā
1 Šīs ir tautas, kuras Kungs atstāja, lai ar tām pārbaudītu Israēlu – tos, kas nebija piedzīvojuši visus kanaāniešu karus, 2 tikai tāpēc, lai liktu Israēla dēlu paaudzēm zināt un mācīties karot – tiem, kas agrāk to nebija piedzīvojuši. 3 Tie bija pieci filistiešu augstmaņi, visi kanaānieši, sidonieši un hivieši, kas mīt Lebanona kalnos no Baal-Hermona kalna līdz Hamātai. 4 Tie tur bija, lai Israēls tiktu pārbaudīts – lai būtu redzams, vai tas paklausa Kunga baušļiem, kurus viņš pavēlējis viņu tēviem caur Mozu. 5 Israēla dēli mita starp kanaāniešiem, hetiešiem, amoriešiem, periziešiem, hiviešiem un jebūsiešiem. 6 Tie ņēma viņu meitas sev par sievām un savas meitas deva viņu dēliem, un kalpoja viņu dieviem.
Otniēls
7 Tā Israēla dēli darīja to, kas ļauns Kunga acīs. Viņi aizmirsa Kungu, savu Dievu, un kalpoja baāliem un ašērām. 8 Tad Kunga dusmas iedegās pret Israēlu, un viņš tos pārdeva Divupes Arāma ķēniņam Kūšan-Rišataimam, un Israēla dēli kalpoja Kūšan-Rišataimam astoņus gadus. 9 Israēla dēli brēca uz Kungu, un Kungs lika celties Israēla dēlu glābējam, kas tos izpestīja, – Otniēlam, Kenaza dēlam, kurš bija Kāleba jaunākais brālis. 10 Kunga Gars bija ar viņu, un viņš tiesāja Israēlu. Viņš izgāja karā, un Kungs nodeva Arāma ķēniņu Kūšan-Rišataimu viņa rokā, un viņš valdīja pār Kūšan-Rišataimu. 11 Tad zemē bija miers četrdesmit gadus, līdz Otniēls, Kenaza dēls, nomira.
Ēhūds
12 Israēla dēli turpināja darīt to, kas ļauns Kunga acīs, un Kungs deva varu pār israēliešiem Moāba ķēniņam Eglonam, jo tie bija darījuši to, kas ļauns Kunga acīs. 13 Eglons sapulcināja pie sevis amoniešus un amālēkiešus, gāja un sakāva Israēlu un ņēma sev Palmu pilsētu. 14 Israēla dēli vergoja Moāba ķēniņam Eglonam astoņpadsmit gadus.
15 Tad Israēla dēli brēca uz Kungu, un Kungs lika celties viņu glābējam – benjāminietim Ēhūdam, Gēras dēlam. Viņš bija kreilis. Israēla dēli sūtīja ar viņu dāvanas Moāba ķēniņam Eglonam. 16 Ēhūds izgatavoja sev olekti garu abpusgriezīgu zobenu un apjoza to zem virsdrēbēm uz labā gurna. 17 Viņš pienesa dāvanu Moāba ķēniņam Eglonam, bet Eglons bija ļoti resns vīrs. 18 Kad dāvana bija pienesta, viņš aizsūtīja projām ļaudis, kas bija nesuši dāvanu, 19 bet pats nāca atpakaļ no akmens tēliem, kas pie Gilgālas, un sacīja: “Ķēniņ, man tev ir slepena ziņa!” Tas iesaucās: “Kuš!” – un visi, kas bija pie viņa, izgāja. 20 Tad Ēhūds pienāca viņam klāt – viņš sēdēja savā atsevišķajā vēsajā jumtistabā – un teica: “Man priekš tevis ir Dieva vārds!” – un Eglons piecēlās no sava sēdekļa. 21 Bet Ēhūds tvēra ar kreiso roku, izrāva zobenu, kas tam bija virs labā gurna, un iedūra to viņam vēderā, 22 ka arī spals iegāja līdz ar asmeni, un tauki sakļāvās pār asmeni, jo viņš neizvilka zobenu no Eglona vēdera, un mēsli iztecēja no viņa. 23 Tad Ēhūds izgāja lievenī, aizvēra jumtistabas durvis un aizslēdza tās. 24 Kad viņš bija aizgājis, nāca Eglona kalpi un skatījās – lūk, jumtistabas durvis aizslēgtas! Un tie sprieda: “Droši vien viņš atvieglojas vēsajā kambarī.” 25 Tā tie gaidīja, līdz apkaunējās, bet, kad neviens tā arī neatvēra jumtistabas durvis, viņi ņēma atslēgu un tās atvēra. Un redzi, viņu kungs gulēja zemē beigts! 26 Bet Ēhūds aizbēga, kamēr tie vilcinājās. Viņš jau bija pagājis garām akmens tēliem un aizbēdzis uz Seīru. 27 Tur nonācis, viņš pūta ragu Efraima kalnos, un Israēla dēli kopā ar viņu devās lejā no kalniem un viņš to priekšgalā. 28 Viņš tiem sacīja: “Sekojiet man, jo Kungs jums ir nodevis jūsu ienaidniekus moābiešus!” Viņi tam sekoja un ieņēma Jardānas braslus uz Moāba pusi, un nevienam neļāva celties pāri. 29 Toreiz viņi sakāva visus moābiešus – ap desmit tūkstošus vīru, visus spēcīgus un stiprus, neviens pats neizbēga! 30 Todien Israēls pazemoja Moābu. Tad zemei bija miers astoņdesmit gadus.
Šamgars
31 Un pēc viņa nāca Šamgars, Anāta dēls. Viņš sakāva filistiešus – seši simti vīru – ar vēršu dzenamo! Arī viņš izglāba Israēlu.
