Judges 3

The Lord Raises Up Judges

1 Now these are a the nations which the LORD left, that He might test Israel by them, that is, all who had not 1 known any of the wars in Canaan 2 (this was only so that the generations of the children of Israel might be taught to know war, at least those who had not formerly known it), 3 namely, b five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who dwelt in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to the entrance of Hamath. 4 And they were left, that He might test Israel by them, to 2 know whether they would obey the commandments of the LORD, which He had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. 5 c Thus the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 6 And d they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons; and they served their gods.

Othniel

7 So the children of Israel did e evil in the sight of the LORD. They f forgot the LORD their God, and served the Baals and 3 Asherahs. 3 8 Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and He g sold them into the hand of h CushanRishatha'im king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served CushanRishatha'im eight years. 9 When the children of Israel i cried out to the LORD, the LORD j raised up a deliverer for the children of Israel, who delivered them: k Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. 10 l The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the LORD delivered CushanRishatha'im king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed over CushanRishatha'im. 11 So the land had rest for forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

Ehud

12 m And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD strengthened n Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. 13 Then he gathered to himself the people of Ammon and o Amalek, went and 5 defeated Israel, and took possession of p the City of Palms. 14 So the children of Israel q served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.

15 But when the children of Israel r cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for them: Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a s left-handed man. By him the children of Israel sent tribute to Eglon king of Moab. 16 Now Ehud made himself a dagger (it was double-edged and a cubit in length) and fastened it under his clothes on his right thigh. 17 So he brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. (Now Eglon was a very fat man.) 18 And when he had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who had carried the tribute. 19 But he himself turned back t from the 6 stone images that were at Gilgal, and said, "I have a secret message for you, O king." He said, "Keep silence!" And all who attended him went out from him. 20 So Ehud came to him (now he was sitting upstairs in his cool private chamber). Then Ehud said, "I have a message from God for you." So he arose from his seat. 21 Then Ehud reached with his left hand, took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. 22 Even the 7 hilt went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the dagger out of his belly; and his entrails came out. 23 Then Ehud went out through the porch and shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.

24 When he had gone out, 8 Eglon's servants came to look, and to their surprise, the doors of the upper room were locked. So they said, "He is probably u attending 9 to his needs in the cool chamber." 25 So they waited till they were v embarrassed, and still he had not opened the doors of the upper room. Therefore they took the key and opened them. And there was their master, fallen dead on the floor.

26 But Ehud had escaped while they delayed, and passed beyond the 10 stone images and escaped to Seirah. 27 And it happened, when he arrived, that w he blew the trumpet in the x mountains of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mountains; and 11 he led them. 28 Then he said to them, "Follow me, for y the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand." So they went down after him, seized the z fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over. 29 And at that time they killed about ten thousand men of Moab, all stout men of valor; not a man escaped. 30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And a the land had rest for eighty years.

Shamgar

31 After him was b Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed six hundred men of the Philistines c with an ox goad; d and he also delivered e Israel.

  1. Cross References
    Judges 1:1
    Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, "Who shall be first to go up for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?
    Judges 2:21
    I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died.
    Judges 2:22
    "so that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the ways of the LORD, to walk in them as their fathers kept them, or not."
  2. Cross References
    Joshua 13:3
    From Sihor, which is east of Egypt, as far as the border of Ekron northward ( which is counted as Canaanite); the five lords of the Philistines - the Gazites, the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites.
  3. Cross References
    Psalms 106:35
    But they mingled with the Gentiles And learned their works.
  4. Cross References
    Exodus 34:15
    Lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they play the harlot with their gods and make sacrifice to their gods, and one of them invites you and you eat of his sacrifice.
    Exodus 34:16
    And you take of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters play the harlot with their gods and make your sons play the harlot with their gods.
    Deuteronomy 7:3
    Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son.
    Deuteronomy 7:4
    For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the LORD will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly.
    Joshua 23:12
    Or else, if indeed you do go back, and cling to the remnant of these nations - these that remain among you - and make marriages with them, and go in to them and they to you.
  5. Cross References
    Judges 2:11
    Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals.
  6. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 32:18
    Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful, And have forgotten the God who fathered you.
  7. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 32:30
    How could one chase a thousand, And two put ten thousand to flight, Unless their Rock had sold them, And the LORD had surrendered them?
    Judges 2:14
    And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel. So He delivered them into the hands of plunderers who despoiled them; and He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies.
  8. Cross References
    Habakkuk 3:7
    I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; The curtains of the land of Midian trembled.
  9. Cross References
    Judges 3:15
    But when the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for them: Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. By him the children of Israel sent tribute to Eglon king of Moab.
  10. Cross References
    Judges 2:16
    Nevertheless, the LORD raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered them.
  11. Cross References
    Judges 1:13
    And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it; so he gave him his daughter Achsah as wife.
  12. Cross References
    Numbers 27:18
    And the LORD said to Moses: "Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him.
    1 Samuel 11:6
    Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard this news, and his anger was greatly aroused.
    2 Chronicles 15:1
    Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded.
  13. Cross References
    Judges 2:19
    And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they reverted and behaved more corruptly than their fathers, by following other gods, to serve them and bow down to them. They did not cease from their own doings nor from their stubborn way.
  14. Cross References
    1 Samuel 12:9
    And when they forgot the LORD their God, He sold them into the hand of Sisera, commander of the army of Hazor, into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them.
  15. Cross References
    Judges 5:14
    From Ephraim were those whose roots were in Amalek. After you, Benjamin, with your peoples, From Machir rulers came down, And from Zebulun those who bear the recruiter's staff.
  16. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 34:3
    The South, and the plain of the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar.
    Judges 1:16
    Now the children of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, went up from the City of Palms with the children of Judah into the Wilderness of Judah, which lies in the South near Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.
    2 Chronicles 28:15
    Then the men who were designated by name rose up and took the captives, and from the spoil they clothed all who were naked among them, dressed them and gave them sandals, gave them food and drink, and anointed them; and they let all the feeble ones ride on donkeys. So they brought them to their brethren at Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then they returned to Samaria.
  17. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 28:48
    Therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you.
  18. Cross References
    Psalms 78:34
    When He slew them, then they sought Him; And they returned and sought earnestly for God.
  19. Cross References
    Judges 20:16
    Among all this people were seven hundred select men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair's breadth and not miss.
  20. Cross References
    Joshua 4:20
    And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal.
  21. Cross References
    1 Samuel 24:3
    So he came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to attend to his needs. ( David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave.)
  22. Cross References
    2 Kings 2:17
    But when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, "Send them!" Therefore they sent fifty men, and they searched for three days but did not find him.
    2 Kings 8:11
    Then he set his countenance in a stare until he was ashamed; and the man of God wept.
  23. Cross References
    Judges 6:34
    But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon; then he blew the trumpet, and the Abiezrites gathered behind him.
    1 Samuel 13:3
    And Jonathan attacked the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. Then Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear!
  24. Cross References
    Joshua 17:15
    So Joshua answered them, "If you are a great people, then go up to the forest country and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and the giants, since the mountains of Ephraim are too confined for you.
  25. Cross References
    Judges 7:9
    It happened on the same night that the LORD said to him, "Arise, go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand.
    Judges 7:15
    And so it was, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, that he worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel, and said, "Arise, for the LORD has delivered the camp of Midian into your hand.
    1 Samuel 17:47
    "Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD's, and He will give you into our hands."
  26. Cross References
    Joshua 2:7
    Then the men pursued them by the road to the Jordan, to the fords. And as soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.
    Judges 12:5
    The Gileadites seized the fords of the Jordan before the Ephraimites arrived. And when any Ephraimite who escaped said, "Let me cross over," the men of Gilead would say to him, " Are you an Ephraimite?" If he said, "No.
  27. Cross References
    Judges 3:11
    So the land had rest for forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
  28. Cross References
    Judges 5:6
    In the days of Shamgar, son of Anath, In the days of Jael, The highways were deserted, And the travelers walked along the byways.
  29. Cross References
    1 Samuel 17:47
    "Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD's, and He will give you into our hands."
  30. Cross References
    Judges 2:16
    Nevertheless, the LORD raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered them.
  31. Cross References
    1 Samuel 4:1
    And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to battle against the Philistines, and encamped beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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