Iudicum 3

1 hae sunt gentes quas Dominus dereliquit ut erudiret in eis Israhelem et omnes qui non noverant bella Chananeorum

These are the nations that the LORD left to test all the Israelites who had not known any of the wars in Canaan,

2 et postea discerent filii eorum certare cum hostibus et habere consuetudinem proeliandi

if only to teach warfare to the subsequent generations of Israel, especially to those who had not known it formerly:

3 quinque satrapas Philisthinorum omnemque Chananeum et Sidonium atque Eveum qui habitabat in monte Libano de monte Baalhermon usque ad introitum Emath

the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the mountains of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath.

4 dimisitque eos ut in ipsis experiretur Israhelem utrum audiret mandata Domini quae praeceperat patribus eorum per manum Mosi an non

These nations were left to test the Israelites, to find out whether they would keep the commandments of the LORD, which He had given their fathers through Moses.

5 itaque filii Israhel habitaverunt in medio Chananei et Hetthei et Amorrei et Ferezei et Evei et Iebusei

Thus the Israelites continued to live among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

6 et duxerunt uxores filias eorum ipsique filias suas eorum filiis tradiderunt et servierunt diis eorum

And they took the daughters of these people in marriage, gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

7 feceruntque malum in conspectu Domini et obliti sunt Dei sui servientes Baalim et Astharoth

So the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.

8 iratusque Dominus contra Israhel tradidit eos in manus Chusanrasathaim regis Mesopotamiae servieruntque ei octo annis

Then the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram-naharaim, and the Israelites served him eight years.

9 et clamaverunt ad Dominum qui suscitavit eis salvatorem et liberavit eos Othonihel videlicet filium Cenez fratrem Chaleb minorem

But when the Israelites cried out to the LORD, He raised up Othniel son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz as a deliverer to save them.

10 fuitque in eo spiritus Domini et iudicavit Israhel egressusque est ad pugnam et tradidit Dominus in manu eius Chusanrasathaim regem Syriae et oppressit eum

The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge and went out to war. And the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into the hand of Othniel, who prevailed against him.

11 quievitque terra quadraginta annis et mortuus est Othonihel filius Cenez

So the land had rest for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.

12 addiderunt autem filii Israhel facere malum in conspectu Domini qui confortavit adversum eos Eglon regem Moab quia fecerunt malum in conspectu eius

Once again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD. So He gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.

13 et copulavit ei filios Ammon et Amalech abiitque et percussit Israhel atque possedit urbem Palmarum

After enlisting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join forces with him, Eglon attacked and defeated Israel, taking possession of the City of Palms.

14 servieruntque filii Israhel Eglon regi Moab decem et octo annis

The Israelites served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.

15 et postea clamaverunt ad Dominum qui suscitavit eis salvatorem vocabulo Ahoth filium Gera filii Iemini qui utraque manu utebatur pro dextera miseruntque filii Israhel per illum munera Eglon regi Moab

And again they cried out to the LORD, and He raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed Benjamite, as their deliverer. So they sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab.

16 qui fecit sibi gladium ancipitem habentem in medio capulum longitudinis palmae manus et accinctus est eo subter sagum in dextro femore

Now Ehud had made for himself a double-edged sword a cubit long. He strapped it to his right thigh under his cloak

17 obtulitque munera Eglon regi Moab erat autem Eglon crassus nimis

and brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was an obese man.

18 cumque obtulisset ei munera prosecutus est socios qui cum eo venerant

After Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he ushered out those who had carried it.

19 et reversus de Galgalis ubi erant idola dixit ad regem verbum secretum habeo ad te o rex et ille imperavit silentium egressisque omnibus qui circa eum erant

But upon reaching the idols near Gilgal, he himself turned back and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” “Silence,” said the king, and all his attendants left him.

20 ingressus est Ahoth ad eum sedebat autem in aestivo cenaculo solus dixitque verbum Dei habeo ad te qui statim surrexit de throno

Then Ehud approached him while he was sitting alone in the coolness of his upper room. “I have a word from God for you,” Ehud said, and the king rose from his seat.

21 extenditque Ahoth manum sinistram et tulit sicam de dextro femore suo infixitque eam in ventre eius

And Ehud reached with his left hand, pulled the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon’s belly.

22 tam valide ut capulus ferrum sequeretur in vulnere ac pinguissimo adipe stringeretur nec eduxit gladium sed ita ut percusserat reliquit in corpore statimque per secreta naturae alvi stercora proruperunt

Even the handle sank in after the blade, and Eglon’s fat closed in over it, so that Ehud did not withdraw the sword from his belly. And Eglon’s bowels emptied.

23 Ahoth autem clausis diligentissime ostiis cenaculi et obfirmatis sera

Then Ehud went out through the porch, closing and locking the doors of the upper room behind him.

24 per posticam egressus est servique regis ingressi viderunt clausas fores cenaculi atque dixerunt forsitan purgat alvum in aestivo cubiculo

After Ehud was gone, Eglon’s servants came in and found the doors of the upper room locked. “He must be relieving himself in the cool room,” they said.

25 expectantesque diu donec erubescerent et videntes quod nullus aperiret tulerunt clavem et aperientes invenerunt dominum suum iacentem in terra mortuum

So they waited until they became worried and saw that he had still not opened the doors of the upper room. Then they took the key and opened the doors—and there was their lord lying dead on the floor.

26 Ahoth autem dum illi turbarentur effugit et pertransiit locum Idolorum unde reversus fuerat venitque in Seirath

Ehud, however, had escaped while the servants waited. He passed by the idols and escaped to Seirah.

27 et statim insonuit bucina in monte Ephraim descenderuntque cum eo filii Israhel ipso in fronte gradiente

On arriving in Seirah, he blew the ram’s horn throughout the hill country of Ephraim. The Israelites came down with him from the hills, and he became their leader.

28 qui dixit ad eos sequimini me tradidit enim Dominus inimicos nostros Moabitas in manus nostras descenderuntque post eum et occupaverunt vada Iordanis quae transmittunt in Moab et non dimiserunt transire quemquam

“Follow me,” he told them, “for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they followed him down and seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over.

29 sed percusserunt Moabitas in tempore illo circiter decem milia omnes robustos et fortes viros nullus eorum evadere potuit

At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all robust and valiant men. Not one of them escaped.

30 humiliatusque est Moab die illo sub manu Israhel et quievit terra octoginta annis

So Moab was subdued under the hand of Israel that day, and the land had rest for eighty years.

31 post hunc fuit Samgar filius Anath qui percussit de Philisthim sescentos viros vomere et ipse quoque defendit Israhel

After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath. And he too saved Israel, striking down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad.