Judges 3:1–11

THE LORD TESTS ISRAEL

3 These are the nations the Lord left in order to test all those in Israel who had experienced none of the wars in Canaan.g 2 This was to teach the future generations of the Israelites how to fight in battle, especially those who had not fought before. 3 These nations included the five rulersh of the Philistinesi and all of the Canaanites, the Sidonians,j and the Hivitesk who lived in the Lebanese mountains from Mount Baal-hermon as far as the entrance to Hamath.A 4 The Lord left them to test Israel, to determine if they would keep the Lord’s commands he had given their ancestors through Moses.l 5 But they settled among the Canaanites, Hethites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 6 The Israelites took their daughters as wives for themselves, gave their own daughters to their sons, and worshiped their gods.m

OTHNIEL, THE FIRST JUDGE

7 The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord’s sight; they forgot the Lord their Godn and worshiped the Baals and the Asherahs. 8 The Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and he sold them to King Cushan-rishathaimB of Aram-naharaim,C,o and the Israelites served him eight years.

9 The Israelites cried out to the Lord.p So the Lord raised up Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s youngest brother,q as a delivererr to save the Israelites. 10 The Spirit of the Lord came on him, and he judged Israel. Othniel went out to battle, and the Lord handed over King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram to him, so that Othniel overpowered him. 11 Then the land had peace fors forty years, and Othniel son of Kenaz died.