Ehud Slays Eglon

Judges 3:12-30

Bible Stories

Judges 3:12 Then the sons of Israel resumed doing evil in the sight of the Lord, who strengthened Eglon, the king of Moab, against them because they did evil in his sight.

Judges 3:13 And he joined to him the sons of Ammon and the sons of Amalek. And he went forth and struck Israel, and he possessed the City of Palms. #Judges 3:14 And the sons of Israel served Eglon, the king of Moab, for eighteen years.

Judges 3:15 And afterward, they cried out to the Lord, who raised up for them a savior, called Ehud, the son of Gera, the son of Benjamin, who used either hand as well as the right hand. And the sons of Israel sent gifts to Eglon, the king of Moab, by him.

Judges 3:16 And he made for himself a two-edged sword, having a handle, reaching to the middle, the length of the palm of a hand. And he was girded with it under his cloak, on the right thigh.

Judges 3:17 And he offered the gifts to Eglon, the king of Moab. Now Eglon was exceedingly fat.

Judges 3:18 And when he had presented the gifts to him, he followed out his companions, who had arrived with him.

Judges 3:19 And then, returning from Gilgal where the idols were, he said to the king, “I have a secret word for you, O king.” And he ordered silence. And when all those who were around him had departed,

Judges 3:20 Ehud entered to him. Now he was sitting alone in a summer upper room. And he said, “I have a word from God to you.” And immediately he rose up from his throne.

Judges 3:21 And Ehud extended his left hand, and he took the dagger from his right thigh. And he thrust it into his abdomen

Judges 3:22 so strongly that the handle followed the blade into the wound, and was enclosed by the great amount of fat. Neither did he withdraw the sword. Instead, he left it in the body just as he had struck with it. And immediately, by the private parts of nature, the filth of the bowels went out.

Judges 3:23 Then Ehud carefully closed the doors of the upper room. And securing the bars,

Judges 3:24 he departed by a back exit. And the servants of the king, entering, saw that the doors of the upper room were closed, and they said, “Perhaps he is emptying his bowels in the summer room.”

Judges 3:25 And after waiting a long time, until they were embarrassed, and seeing that no one opened the door, they took the key, and opening it, they found their lord lying dead on the ground.

Judges 3:26 But Ehud, while they were in confusion, escaped and passed by the place of the idols, from which he had returned. And he arrived at Seirath.

Judges 3:27 And immediately he sounded the trumpet on Mount Ephraim. And the sons of Israel descended with him, he himself advancing at the front.

Judges 3:28 And he said to them: “Follow me. For the Lord has delivered our enemies, the Moabites, into our hands.” And they descended after him, and they occupied the fords of the Jordan, which cross over to Moab. And they did not permit anyone to cross.

Judges 3:29 And so, they struck down the Moabites at that time, about ten thousand, all strong and robust men. None of them were able to escape.

Judges 3:30 And Moab was humbled in that day under the hand of Israel. And the land was quiet for eighty years.