The Nations Remaining in the Land
1 So then, the Lord left some nations in the land to test the Israelites who had not been through the wars in Canaan. 2 He did this only in order to teach each generation of Israelites about war, especially those who had never been in battle before. 3 Those left in the land were the five Philistine cities, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the Lebanon Mountains from Mount Baal Hermon as far as Hamath Pass. 4 They were to be a test for Israel, to find out whether or not the Israelites would obey the commands that the Lord had given their ancestors through Moses. 5 And so the people of Israel settled down among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 6 They intermarried with them and worshiped their gods.
Othniel
7 The people of Israel forgot the Lord their God; they sinned against him and worshiped the idols of Baal and Asherah. 8 So the Lord became angry with Israel and let King Cushan Rishathaim of Mesopotamia conquer them. They were subject to him for eight years. 9 Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he sent someone to free them. This was Othniel, the son of Caleb's younger brother Kenaz. 10 The spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he became Israel's leader. Othniel went to war, and the Lord gave him the victory over the king of Mesopotamia. 11 There was peace in the land for forty years, and then Othniel died.
Ehud
12 The people of Israel sinned against the Lord again. Because of this the Lord made King Eglon of Moab stronger than Israel. 13 Eglon joined the Ammonites and the Amalekites; they defeated Israel and captured Jericho, the city of palm trees. 14 The Israelites were subject to Eglon for eighteen years.
15 Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he sent someone to free them. This was Ehud, a left-handed man, who was the son of Gera, from the tribe of Benjamin. The people of Israel sent Ehud to King Eglon of Moab with gifts for him. 16 Ehud had made himself a double-edged sword about a foot and a half long. He had it fastened on his right side under his clothes. 17 Then he took the gifts to Eglon, who was a very fat man. 18 When Ehud had given him the gifts, he told the men who had carried them to go back home. 19 But Ehud himself turned back at the carved stones near Gilgal, went back to Eglon, and said, “Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you.”
So the king ordered his servants, “Leave us alone!” And they all went out.
20 Then, as the king was sitting there alone in his cool room on the roof, Ehud went over to him and said, “I have a message from God for you.” The king stood up. 21 With his left hand Ehud took the sword from his right side and plunged it into the king's belly. 22 The whole sword went in, handle and all, and the fat covered it up. Ehud did not pull it out of the king's belly, and it stuck out behind, between his legs. 23 Then Ehud went outside, closed the doors behind him, locked them, 24 and left. The servants came and saw that the doors were locked, but they only thought that the king was inside, relieving himself. 25 They waited as long as they thought they should, but when he still did not open the door, they took the key and opened it. And there was their master, lying dead on the floor.
26 Ehud got away while they were waiting. He went past the carved stones and escaped to Seirah. 27 When he arrived there in the hill country of Ephraim, he blew a trumpet to call the people of Israel to battle; then he led them down from the hills. 28 He told them, “Follow me! The Lord has given you victory over your enemies, the Moabites.” So they followed Ehud down and captured the place where the Moabites were to cross the Jordan; they did not allow anyone to cross. 29 That day they killed about ten thousand of the best Moabite soldiers; none of them escaped. 30 That day the Israelites defeated Moab, and there was peace in the land for eighty years.
Shamgar
31 The next leader was Shamgar son of Anath. He too rescued Israel, and did so by killing six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad.
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.
