Ehud

12 mAnd the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord strengthened nEglon 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 oAmalek, went and 4defeated Israel, and took possession of pthe City of Palms. 14 So the children of Israel qserved Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.

15 But when the children of Israel rcried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for them: Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a sleft-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 tfrom the 5stone 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 6hilt 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, 7Eglon’s servants came to look, and to their surprise, the doors of the upper room were locked. So they said, “He is probably uattending 8to his needs in the cool chamber.” 25 So they waited till they were vembarrassed, 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 9stone images and escaped to Seirah. 27 And it happened, when he arrived, that whe blew the trumpet in the xmountains of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mountains; and 1he led them. 28 Then he said to them, “Follow me, for ythe Lord has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they went down after him, seized the zfords 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 athe land had rest for eighty years.