9The Israelites cried out to the Lord.3:9 Jdg 3:15; 6:6–7; 10:10 So the Lord raised up Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s youngest brother,3:9 Jdg 1:13 as a deliverer3:9 Dt 28:29,31; Jdg 6:36; 1Sm 14:39; Is 19:20; 43:11; Hs 13:4 to save the Israelites.

10The Spirit of the Lord came on him, and he judged Israel. Othniel went out to battle, and the Lord handed over King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram to him, so that Othniel overpowered him.

11Then the land had peace for3:11 Jdg 3:30; 5:31; 8:28; 2Ch 14:1,5–6 forty years, and Othniel son of Kenaz died.

15Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed3:15 Jdg 20:16 Benjaminite,3:15 = son of the right hand as a deliverer for them. The Israelites sent him with the tribute3:15 2Sm 8:2,6; 2Ch 9:24; 17:11 for King Eglon of Moab.

16Ehud made himself a double-edged sword eighteen inches long.3:16 Lit sword a gomed in length He strapped it to his right thigh under his clothes

17and brought the tribute to King Eglon of Moab, who was an extremely fat man.

18When Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he dismissed the people who had carried it.

19At the carved images near Gilgal he returned and said, “King Eglon, I have a secret message for you.” The king said, “Silence!” and all his attendants left him.

20Then Ehud approached him while he was sitting alone in his upstairs room where it was cool. Ehud said, “I have a message from God for you,” and the king stood up from his throne.

21Ehud reached with his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and plunged it into Eglon’s belly.

22Even the handle went in after the blade, and Eglon’s fat closed in over it, so that Ehud did not withdraw the sword from his belly. And the waste came out.3:22 Or And Eglon’s bowels discharged

23Ehud escaped by way of the porch, closing and locking the doors of the upstairs room behind him.

24Ehud was gone when Eglon’s servants came in. They looked and found the doors of the upstairs room locked and thought he was relieving himself3:24 Lit was covering his feet in the cool room.

25The servants waited until they became embarrassed and saw that he had still not opened the doors of the upstairs room. So they took the key and opened the doors — and there was their lord lying dead on the floor!

26Ehud escaped while the servants waited. He passed the Jordan near the carved images and reached Seirah.

27After he arrived, he sounded the ram’s horn throughout the hill country of Ephraim. The Israelites came down with him from the hill country, and he became their leader.

28He told them, “Follow me, because the Lord has handed over your enemies, the Moabites, to you.” So they followed him, captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over.3:28 Jdg 12:5–6

29At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all stout and able-bodied men. Not one of them escaped.

30Moab became subject to Israel that day, and the land had peace for eighty years.