1
And it came to pass that after forty years of rest, that ‘Othniy'el, the son of Qnaz, did go all the way of the earth.
2
And it came to pass that once again, the children of Jacob did evil again in the sight of יהוה (YHVH);
3
And so it was that Ve’Daiyan Israel (לארשי ןידו Judge of Israel) did strengthen Eglown (עגלוֹן, the bull), the king of the Moabites, against Israel because they had done evil in the sight of יהוה (YHVH).
4
¶ And it came to pass that Eglown gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.
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And so it was that the children of Israel served Eglown, the king of Moab, for eighteen years.
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¶ And it came to pass that the children of Israel did cry unto יהוה (YHVH), Tzur Israel (לארשי רוּצ Rock of Israel).
7
And so it was that Ve’Daiyan Israel (לארשי ןידו the Protector of Israel) did raise them up a deliverer, and his name was Ehud (אהוּד, man of unity), the son of Gera, a Benjamite man who was restricted to the use of his left hand.
8
And so it was that by him the children of Israel did send a gift unto Eglown, the king of the Moabites.
9
Yea, and Ehud did have a dagger made for him, and the blade of it did have two edges, each one of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.
10
¶ And it came to pass that Ehud and his men did bring the gift of tribute unto Eglown, king of Moab; and Eglown was a very heavy man.
11
And so it was that after Ehud had offered tribute unto the king of the Moabites, he did send away the men who had carried in the tribute.
12
¶ And as Ehud did reach the idols of the Moabites, he did turn back, saying: I have a secret message unto thee, O King.
13
And Eglown, the king of the Moabites, did say: Keep thy silence.
14
¶ And it came to pass that upon the word of Eglown, king of Moab, all they who did attend to him went out from him.
15
And so it was that Ehud did come unto the king of the Moabites as he was sitting in a summer parlor, which he had for himself alone.
16
¶ And after all had gone out save it be Ehud and Eglown, Ehud did speak unto the king of the Moabites, saying: I have a message from Ve’Daiyan Israel (לארשי ןידו Protector/Judge of Israel) unto thee.
17
And Eglown, the king of the Moabites, did arise from out of his seat that he might hear this message.
18
And so it was that Ehud did put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into the belly of the king of the Moabites deeply, so that the hilt also went in after the blade;
19
And thus did the fat close up upon the blade so that Ehud could not draw the dagger out of his belly.
20
¶ And now, Ehud did know that Eglown was dead, for he did let go a deep breath, and the refuse (skat) did come out of him, and the stink of it was mighty.
21
¶ And it came to pass that Ehud did go forth through the porch, shutting the doors of the parlor upon him, and he did lock them.
22
And so it was that after he was gone that the attendants of the king did come in and, seeing that the doors had been bolted, they did say: Surely the king is cooling off in his summer chamber.
23
¶ And it came to pass that they did tarry long, even until they were ashamed of the length of it.
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And so it was that when the king of the Moabites had not opened the doors of the parlor after much time, the attendants did take a key and open the doors of it.
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¶ And it came to pass that they did look, and they did behold that their master did lie dead on the earth in the stink of that room.
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And so it was that Ehud had fled away to safety as they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Siyrah, a village of goat herders.
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¶ And it came to pass that when he knew that he was in a place of safety, Ehud did blow a shofar in the mountain of Ephraim:
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And so it was that all the children of Israel who did hear it did go down with him from the mount, and he before them.
29
¶ And it came to pass that Ehud did say unto them: Follow after me; for יהוה (YHVH), Ha’Tzur Israel (לארשי רוּצ the Rock of Israel) hath delivered your enemies, the Moabites, into your hand!
30
And so it was that they did go down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and they did not allow anyone to pass over.
31
¶ And it came to pass that they did slay ten thousand men, all lusty and all men of valor, for none could escape them.
32
And so it was that the Moabites were subdued that day under the hand of Israel.