Aman A Wɔkaa Kanaan
1Awurade gyaa aman bi wɔ asase no so a na ɔnam so pɛ sɛ ɔsɔ Israelfoɔ a wɔnkɔɔ Kanaan ko no bi da hwɛ. 2Ɔyɛɛ saa de kyerɛɛ Israel nkyirimma a wɔnkɔɔ ɔko da no sɛdeɛ wɔbɛnya akodie ho nimdeɛ. 3Saa aman no nie: Filistifoɔ (wɔn a na wɔhyɛ Filistifoɔ ahemfo baanum bi ase no), Kanaanfoɔ nyinaa, Sidonfoɔ, Hewifoɔ a na wɔte Lebanon bepɔ no so firi Baal Hermon bepɔ ho de kɔsi Lebo Hamat. 4Wɔgyaa saa nkurɔfoɔ yi de sɔɔ Israelfoɔ no hwɛeɛ, pɛɛ sɛ wɔhunu sɛ wɔbɛdi mmara a Awurade nam Mose so hyɛ maa wɔn agyanom no so anaa.
5Enti, Israelfoɔ no tenaa Kanaanfoɔ, Hetifoɔ, Amorifoɔ, Perisifoɔ, Hewifoɔ ne Yebusifoɔ no mu. 6Na wɔdii wɔn ho awadeɛ. Israelfoɔ mmammarima no warewaree wɔn mmammaa ɛnna wɔde Israelfoɔ mmammaa nso maa wɔn mmammarima awadeɛ. Na Israelfoɔ no somm wɔn anyame.
Otniel Bɛyɛ Israel So Ɔtɛmmufoɔ
7Israelfoɔ no yɛɛ deɛ ɛyɛ Awurade ani so bɔne. Wɔn werɛ firii Awurade wɔn Onyankopɔn, na wɔsomm Baalim ahoni ne Asera afɔrebukyia. 8Awurade abufuo mu yɛɛ den tiaa Israel enti, ɔde wɔn hyɛɛ Aramhene Kusan-Risataim nsam. Na Israelfoɔ yɛɛ Kusan-Risataim nkoa mfirinhyia nwɔtwe.
9Nanso, Israelfoɔ su frɛɛ Awurade no, ɔyii ɔbarima bi sɛ ɔgyefoɔ maa wɔn. Ne din ne Otniel a ɔyɛ Kaleb nua kumaa Kenas babarima. 10Awurade honhom baa ne so, enti ɔbɛyɛɛ Israel ɔtemmufoɔ. Ɔko tiaa Aramhene Kusan-Risataim na Awurade maa Otniel dii ne so nkonim. 11Enti, asomdwoeɛ baa asase no so mfirinhyia aduanan. Na Kenas babarima Otniel wuiɛ.
Ehud Bɛyɛ Israel So Ɔtemmufoɔ
12Bio, Israelfoɔ no yɛɛ deɛ ɛyɛ Awurade ani so bɔne, na ɛno enti, Awurade de tumi hyɛɛ Moabhene Eglon nsa ma ɔdii Israel so. 13Eglon boaboaa Amonfoɔ3.13 Na Amonfoɔ yɛ Lot asefoɔ (1 Mose 19.38). Na Amalekfoɔ nso yɛ Esau asefoɔ (1 Mose 36.12,16). Na wɔbɛn Israel, nanso na wɔyɛ Israelfoɔ atamfoɔ kɛseɛ. ne Amalekfoɔ ano ma wɔbɛkaa ne ho na wɔkɔto hyɛɛ Israelfoɔ so. Wɔdii wɔn so, faa kuropɔn Yeriko. 14Israelfoɔ no somm Moabhene Eglon mfirinhyia dunwɔtwe.
15Nanso Israelfoɔ no su frɛɛ Awurade bio no, Awurade maa wɔn ɔgyefoɔ. Ne din ne Ehud, Gera babarima a ɔyɛ abenkumma na ɔfiri Benyamin abusuakuo mu. Israelfoɔ no somaa Ehud sɛ ɔmfa wɔn apeatoɔ sika nkɔma Moabhene Eglon. 16Enti, Ehud bɔɔ sekan anofanu a ne tenten yɛ nsateakwaa dunwɔtwe. Ɔde hyɛɛ ne srɛ nifa ho de siee nʼatadeɛ mu. 17Ɔde apeatoɔ sika no brɛɛ Eglon a wayɛ kɛse twɔfee no. 18Ɔde sika no maa no wieeɛ no, Ehud gyaa wɔn a na wɔso sika no kwan ma wɔkɔɔ fie. 19Nanso, ɛberɛ a Ehud duruu aboɔ ahoni a ɛbɛn Gilgal no, ɔsane nʼakyi baa Eglon nkyɛn bɛka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Mewɔ kokoamsɛm bi meka kyerɛ wo.” Enti ɔhene no maa nʼasomfoɔ no nyinaa yɛɛ dinn na ɔmaa wɔn nyinaa firii ɛdan mu hɔ.
20Afei, Ehud kɔɔ Eglon nkyɛn. Na ɔte aborɔsan dan bi a emu dwoɔ mu. Ehud ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Mewɔ asɛm bi a ɛfiri Onyankopɔn nkyɛn ka kyerɛ wo!” Ɛberɛ a ɔhene Eglon sɔre firii nʼakonnwa mu ara pɛ, 21Ehud de ne nsa benkum twee sekan a ɔde ahyɛ ne srɛ nifa ho no de wɔɔ ɔhene no yafunu mu. 22Sekan no kɔɔ akyiri kɔsii sɛ nʼabona no mpo wuraa ɔhene no sradeɛ mu maa ɛso kataeɛ. Enti, Ehud gyaa sekan no wɔ yafunu no mu maa ne nsono tu guiɛ. 23Afei, Ehud totoo apono no mu foroo agyanan dan no, faa ne nsuseneeɛ no mu dwane kɔeɛ.
24Ehud kɔeɛ akyi no, ɔhene asomfoɔ no baa hɔ bɛhunuu sɛ, apono a ɛkɔ aborɔsan no so no, wɔatoto mu. Na wɔdwene sɛ ɔwɔ agyananbea hɔ, 25enti, wɔtwɛneeɛ. Wɔtwɛneeɛ ara na ɔhene no mma no, ɛhaa wɔn ma wɔkɔpɛɛ safoa bi. Na wɔbuee ɛpono no, wɔhunuu sɛ wɔn wura awu da fam.
26Ɛberɛ a asomfoɔ no retwɛn no, Ehud dwane faa aboɔ ahoni no so a ɔrekɔ Seira. 27Ɔduruu Efraim bepɔ asase no so no, Ehud hyɛnee totorobɛnto kyerɛɛ ɔman no sɛ wɔmfa akodeɛ mmra. Enti, ɔdii Israelfoɔ kuo bi anim sianee bepɔ no.
28Ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Monni mʼakyi. Awurade ama moadi Moabfoɔ a wɔyɛ mo atamfoɔ no so nkonim.” Enti, wɔtu dii nʼakyi. Israelfoɔ no faa asubɔnten Yordan baabi a ɛhɔ nnɔ a wɔfiri Moab tware. Ɛno enti na obiara ntumi mfa hɔ ntwa Asubɔnten no. 29Wɔto hyɛɛ Moabfoɔ no so. Wɔkunkumm wɔn nnɔmmarima no bɛyɛ ɔpedu. Wɔn mu biara antumi annwane. 30Enti, Israelfoɔ dii Moabfoɔ so nkonim saa ɛda no, na asomdwoeɛ baa asase no so mfirinhyia aduɔwɔtwe.
Samgar Bɛyɛ Israel So Ɔtemmufoɔ
31Ehud akyi no, Anat babarima Samgar gyee Israelfoɔ. Ɔde nantwika abaa kumm Filistifoɔ aha nsia.
1These are the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan 2(he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience): 3the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath. 4They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord’s commands, which he had given their ancestors through Moses.
5The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 6They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
Othniel
7The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs. 8The anger of the Lord burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim,3:8 That is, North-west Mesopotamia to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years. 9But when they cried out to the Lord, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them. 10The Spirit of the Lord came on him, so that he became Israel’s judge3:10 Or leader and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. 11So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.
Ehud
12Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and because they did this evil the Lord gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel. 13Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms.3:13 That is, Jericho 14The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years.
15Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he gave them a deliverer – Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjaminite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. 16Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a cubit3:16 That is, about 45 centimetres long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. 17He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man. 18After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way those who had carried it. 19But on reaching the stone images near Gilgal he himself went back to Eglon and said, ‘Your majesty, I have a secret message for you.’
The king said to his attendants, ‘Leave us!’ And they all left.
20Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his palace3:20 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain; also in verse 24. and said, ‘I have a message from God for you.’ As the king rose from his seat, 21Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king’s belly. 22Even the handle sank in after the blade, and his bowels discharged. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. 23Then Ehud went out to the porch3:23 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.
24After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, ‘He must be relieving himself in the inner room of the palace.’ 25They waited to the point of embarrassment, but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead.
26While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the stone images and escaped to Seirah. 27When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them.
28‘Follow me,’ he ordered, ‘for the Lord has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands.’ So they followed him down and took possession of the fords of the Jordan that led to Moab; they allowed no-one to cross over. 29At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not one escaped. 30That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years.
Shamgar
31After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an ox-goad. He too saved Israel.
