1Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan; 2Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof; 3Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-hermon unto the entering in of Hamath. 4And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.
5¶ And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites: 6And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods. 7And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.
8¶ Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushan-rishathaim eight years.3.8 Mesopotamia: Heb. Aram-naharaim 9And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.3.9 deliverer: Heb. saviour 10And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushan-rishathaim.3.10 came: Heb. was3.10 Mesopotamia: Heb. Aram 11And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
12¶ And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. 13And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees. 14So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. 15But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.3.15 a Benjamite: or, the son of Jemini3.15 lefthanded: Heb. shut of his right hand 16But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh. 17And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man. 18And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present. 19But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.3.19 quarries: or, graven images 20And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.3.20 a summer…: Heb. a parlour of cooling 21And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly: 22And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.3.22 the dirt…: or, it came out at the buttocks 23Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them. 24When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.3.24 covereth…: or, doeth his easement 25And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth. 26And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath. 27And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them. 28And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over. 29And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man.3.29 lusty: Heb. fat 30So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.
31¶ And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.
Mataifa Yaliyobaki Katika Ile Nchi
13:1 Kut 15:25Haya ndiyo mataifa Bwana aliyoyaacha ili kuwajaribu Waisraeli wote ambao hawakujua vita vyovyote vya Kanaani 2(alifanya hivi ili tu kuwafundisha wazao wa Waisraeli ambao hawakuwa wamejua vita hapo awali): 33:3 Yos 13:2; Mwa 10:14; 10:17; Kut 3:8; Kum 3:8; Hes 13:21wafalme watano wa Wafilisti, Wakanaani wote, Wasidoni, Wahivi waishio katika milima ya Lebanoni kuanzia Mlima wa Baal-Hermoni hadi Lebo-Hamathi. 43:4 Kut 12:25Waliachwa ili kuwajaribu Waisraeli kuona kama wangetii amri za Bwana, alizokuwa amewapa baba zao kwa mkono wa Mose.
53:5 Za 106:36; Yos 3:10; 11:3; Ezr 9:1Waisraeli wakaishi miongoni mwa Wakanaani, Wahiti, Waamori, Waperizi, Wahivi na Wayebusi. 63:6 Ezr 10:18; Neh 13:23; Mal 2:11; Kut 34:16; Kum 7:3-4, 16Wakawaoa binti zao, nao wakawatoa binti zao waolewe na wana wa hayo mataifa, na kuitumikia miungu yao.
Othnieli
73:7 Kum 4:9; 32:18; Amu 8:34; Za 78:11; 106:7; Yer 23:27; Amu 2:11-13; 1Fal 16:33; 2Nya 34:7; Isa 17:8Waisraeli wakafanya maovu machoni pa Bwana, wakamsahau Bwana Mungu wao na kutumikia Mabaali na Maashera. 83:8 Amu 2:14; Za 44:12; Isa 50:1; 52:3; Mwa 24:10Hasira ya Bwana ikawaka dhidi ya Israeli, hivyo akawauza na kuwatia mikononi mwa Kushan-Rishathaimu mfalme wa Aramu-Naharaimu3:8 Yaani Mesopotamia ya Kaskazini-Magharibi. ambaye Israeli walikuwa chini yake wakimtumikia kwa muda wa miaka minane. 93:9 Amu 6:6-7; 10:10; 1Sam 12:10; Za 106:44; 107:13; Kum 28:29; Neh 9:27Waisraeli walipomlilia Bwana, yeye akawainulia mwokozi, Othnieli mwana wa Kenazi, ndugu mdogo wa Kalebu, ambaye aliwaokoa. 103:10 Hes 11:25; Amu 6:34; 11:29; 13:25; 14:6; 15:14; 1Sam 11:6; 16:13; 1Fal 18:46; 1Nya 12:18; 2Nya 24:20; Isa 11:2; Mwa 10:22Roho wa Bwana akaja juu yake, hivyo akawa mwamuzi wa Israeli, akaenda vitani. Bwana akamtia Kushan-Rishathaimu mfalme wa Aramu mikononi mwa Othnieli, naye akamshinda. 113:11 Yos 14:15; Amu 5:31; 8:28; Kut 16:35; 15:17Hivyo nchi ikawa na amani kwa muda wa miaka arobaini, mpaka Othnieli mwana wa Kenazi alipofariki.
Ehudi
123:12 Amu 2:11; 1Sam 12:9Waisraeli wakafanya maovu mbele za Bwana tena, kwa kuwa walifanya maovu hayo Bwana akamtia nguvu Egloni mfalme wa Moabu dhidi ya Israeli. 133:13 Mwa 19:38; Amu 10:11; Mwa 14:7; Amu 1:16Egloni akawataka Waamoni na Waamaleki waungane naye, akaja kuishambulia Israeli, nao wakatwaa Mji wa Mitende3:13 Yaani Yeriko. 143:14 Yer 48:1Waisraeli wakawa chini ya Egloni mfalme wa Moabu kwa muda wa miaka kumi na minane.
153:15 Amu 1:4; 20:16; 1Nya 12:2; 2Sam 8:2-6; 1Fal 4:21; 2Fal 17:3; Es 10:1; Za 68:29; 72:10; 89:22; Mhu 2:8; Isa 60:5; Hos 10:6; Za 107:13Waisraeli wakamlilia tena Bwana, naye akawapa mwokozi: Ehudi, mtu wa shoto, mwana wa Gera, Mbenyamini. Waisraeli wakatuma kwa Egloni mfalme wa Moabu ushuru kwa mkono wa Ehudi. 16Basi Ehudi alikuwa ametengeneza upanga wenye ukatao kuwili, urefu wake ni kama dhiraa moja,3:16 Dhiraa moja ni sawa na sentimita 45. akaufunga upanga huo ndani ya nguo yake kwenye paja lake la mkono wa kuume. 173:17 Ay 15:27; Za 73:4Akamkabidhi ushuru Egloni mfalme wa Moabu, ambaye alikuwa mtu mnene sana. 18Baada ya Ehudi kumkabidhi ule ushuru, wale watu waliokuwa wameubeba huo ushuru aliwaruhusu waende zao. 19Yeye mwenyewe akafuatana nao hadi kwenye sanamu ya kuchora kwenye mawe karibu na Gilgali, ndipo yeye akarudi, akafika kwa Egloni na kusema, “Ee Mfalme, ninao ujumbe wa siri kwa ajili yako.”
Mfalme akasema, “Nyamazeni kimya!” Nao wale waliomhudumia wote wakamwacha, wakatoka nje.
203:20 Amo 3:15; Neh 8:5Ndipo Ehudi akamsogelea alipokuwa ameketi peke yake kwenye chumba cha juu cha jumba lake la kifalme la majira ya kiangazi, na kusema, “Ninao ujumbe kutoka kwa Mungu kwa ajili yako.” Mfalme alipokuwa anainuka kutoka kwenye kiti chake, 213:21 2Sam 2:16; 3:27; 20:10Ehudi akaunyoosha mkono wake wa kushoto na kuufuta ule upanga aliokuwa ameufunga kwenye paja lake la kulia, akamdunga Mfalme Egloni tumboni mwake. 22Hata mpini nao ukazama tumboni pamoja na upanga wenyewe, nao upanga ukatokea mgongoni mwake. Ehudi hakuuchomoa huo upanga, nayo mafuta yakashikamana juu ya upanga. 23Ehudi akatoka nje barazani; akamfungia milango ya chumba cha juu na kuifunga kwa funguo.
243:24 1Sam 24:3Baada ya kuondoka, watumishi wakaja na kukuta milango ya chumba cha juu imefungwa kwa funguo. Wakasema, “Bila shaka amejipumzisha kwenye chumba cha ndani cha nyumba yake ya majira ya kiangazi.” 253:25 2Fal 2:17; 8:11Wakangoja hata wakawa na fadhaa, basi wakati hakufungua milango ya chumba, wakachukua funguo na kuifungua. Tazama wakaona bwana wao amelala sakafuni, amekufa.
26Walipokuwa wangali wanangoja, Ehudi akatoroka, akapita hapo kwenye sanamu ya kuchora kwenye mawe na kukimbilia Seira. 273:27 Law 25:9; Amu 6:34; 7:18; 2Sam 2:28; Isa 18:3; Yer 42:14Alipofika huko, akapiga tarumbeta katika nchi ya vilima ya Efraimu, nao Waisraeli wakateremka pamoja naye kutoka vilimani, yeye akiwa anawaongoza.
283:28 Mwa 19:37; Yos 2:24; Amu 1:2; Hes 13:29; Yos 2:9Akawaagiza, “Nifuateni, kwa kuwa Bwana amewatia Moabu, adui zenu, mikononi mwenu.” Kwa hiyo wakateremka wakamfuata, wakavishika vivuko vya Yordani kuelekea Moabu, wala hawakuacha mtu yeyote kuvuka. 29Wakati huo wakawaua Wamoabu watu waume wapatao 10,000 ambao wote walikuwa wenye nguvu na mashujaa; hakuna mtu yeyote aliyetoroka. 303:30 Mwa 36:35Siku ile Moabu wakashindwa na Israeli, nayo nchi ikawa na amani kwa miaka themanini.
Shamgari
313:31 Amu 5:6; Yos 23:10; 13:2; Amu 10:11; 13:1; 1Sam 5:1; 31:1; 2Sam 8:1; Yer 25:30; 47:1Baada ya Ehudi akaja Shamgari mwana wa Anathi, aliyewapiga Wafilisti 600 kwa fimbo iliyochongoka ya kuongozea ngʼombe. Naye pia akawaokoa Waisraeli.
