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.
1 Un šīs ir tās tautas, ko Tas Kungs atstāja, lai Israēlu pārbaudītu, proti, visus tos Israēlā, kas neko nezināja no kariem, kādi bija Kānaānā bijuši, 2 un vienīgi tādēļ, lai Israēla bērnu pēcnācēji zinātu un mācītos, kā kari jāved, tie, kas iepriekš nebija karu zinājuši: 3 pieci filistiešu valdnieki un visi kānaānieši, sidonieši un hīvieši, kuri dzīvoja Libanonas kalnos, no Baal-Hermona kalna līdz ceļam uz Hamatu. 4 Šie bija, lai pārbaudītu Israēlu, lai zinātu, vai tie klausīs Tā Kunga baušļiem, ko Viņš kā pavēli bija caur Mozu devis viņu tēviem. 5 Un Israēla bērni dzīvoja kānaāniešu, hetiešu, amoriešu, ferisiešu, hīviešu un jebusiešu vidū. 6 Un tie sev ņēma viņu meitas par sievām un deva savas meitas viņu dēliem, un kalpoja viņu dieviem. 7 Un tā Israēla bērni darīja to, kas ļauns Tā Kunga acīs, un viņi aizmirsa To Kungu, savu Dievu, un kalpoja baaliem un ašērām. 8 Tad Tā Kunga dusmas iedegās pret Israēlu, un Viņš tos nodeva Kušan-Rišataima rokā, kas bija Mezopotāmijas ķēniņš, un Israēla bērni kalpoja Kušan-Rišataimam astoņus gadus. 9 Tad Israēla bērni piesauca To Kungu, un Tas Kungs lika celties no Israēla bērniem glābējam Otniēlam, Kāleba jaunākā brāļa Kenasa dēlam, kas tos izglāba. 10 Un Tā Kunga Gars tika viņam dots, viņš bija soģis Israēlā, un viņš izgāja karot, un Tas Kungs nodeva viņa rokā Kušan-Rišataimu, Mezopotāmijas ķēniņu, un viņa roka smagi uzgūlās Kušan-Rišataimam. 11 Tad zemei bija miers četrdesmit gadus; tad Otniēls, Kenasa dēls, nomira. 12 Bet Israēla bērni joprojām darīja to, kas bija ļauns Tā Kunga acīs; tad Tas Kungs pastiprināja Eglona, Moāba ķēniņa, varu pār Israēlu, tāpēc ka tie darīja to, kas bija ļauns Tā Kunga acīs. 13 Un viņš sapulcināja pie sevis Amona bērnus un Amaleku, cēlās un sakāva Israēlu, un viņi ieņēma Temarimu. 14 Un Israēla bērni kalpoja Eglonam, Moāba ķēniņam, astoņpadsmit gadus. 15 Tad Israēla bērni piesauca To Kungu, un Tas Kungs lika celties no viņiem glābējam Ehudam, Geras dēlam, no Benjamīna cilts; šis vīrs bija kreilis, un Israēla bērni caur viņu sūtīja nodevas Eglonam, Moāba ķēniņam. 16 Un Ehuds sev izkala abpus griezīgu zobenu, olekti garu, un viņš to apjoza zem savām drēbēm pie savas labās puses gurniem. 17 Un viņš nonesa Eglonam, Moāba ķēniņam, nodevas; bet Eglons bija ļoti resns vīrs. 18 Kad Ehuds bija nodevas nodevis, tad viņš atlaida ļaudis, kas bija nodevas nesuši. 19 Bet viņš pats griezās atpakaļ no elku stabiem, kas ir Gilgalas tuvumā, un sacīja: "Man ir kāda slepena vēsts jānodod tev, ķēniņ." Un tas sacīja: "Klusu!" Tad visi viņa kalpi, kuri ap viņu stāvēja, izgāja ārā. 20 Ehuds iegāja pie viņa, bet viņš sēdēja vēsā augštelpā, kura bija viņam atsevišķi nodalīta, un Ehuds viņam sacīja: "Man ir tev jānodod Dieva vēstījums!" Tad Eglons piecēlās no sava sēdekļa. 21 Un Ehuds izstiepa savu kreiso roku un satvēra zobenu no labajiem sāniem un iedūra to viņam vēderā, 22 ka gan asmens, gan spals iegāja viņā, un tauki ieslēdza asmeni, jo viņš neizvilka zobenu no viņa ķermeņa. 23 Tad Ehuds iznāca stabu ailē, aizvēra aiz sevis augštelpas durvis un aizslēdza tās. 24 Kad viņš bija izgājis ārā, tad Eglona kalpi nāca un redzēja, un, lūk, augšējās istabas durvis bija aizslēgtas, un tie sprieda: "Viņš laikam atvieglojas vēsās telpas atsevišķā nodalījumā." 25 Viņi gaidīja diezgan ilgi, ka paši apkaunējās, un redzi, tomēr viņš neatvēra augštelpas durvis, tad tie ņēma atslēgu un atslēdza tās, un redzi, viņu kungs gulēja zemē beigts. 26 Bet Ehuds izbēga; kamēr tie tur gaidīja, viņš jau bija pagājis garām elku stabiem un aizbēga Seīra virzienā. 27 Un, kad viņš tur nonāca, viņš pūta tauri Efraima kalnos, un Israēla bērni devās lejup kopā ar viņu no Efraima kalniem, un viņš bija viņu priekšgalā. 28 Un viņš tiem sacīja: "Steidzieties man līdzi, jo Tas Kungs ir jūsu ienaidniekus, Moāba ļaudis, nodevis jūsu rokā!" Un tie devās viņam līdzi no kalna lejā un atņēma moābiešiem Jordānas braslu, un tie neļāva nevienam iet pāri. 29 Toreiz viņi nogalināja ap desmittūkstoš moābiešu vīru, kas visi bija krietni un spēcīgi karotāji, un neviens neizglābās. 30 Tā Moābs tika tanī dienā pazemots un pakļauts Israēla bērnu varai, un zemei bija miers astoņdesmit gadus. 31 Un Ehudam sekoja Šamgars, Anata dēls; viņš nogalināja seši simti filistiešu vīru ar vēršu dzenamo nūju; un arī viņš atbrīvoja Israēlu.
