6. But the Israelites intermarried with them and served their gods.
7. The Israelites did things that the Lord saw as evil, and they forgot the Lord their God. They served the Baals and the Asherahs.
8. The Lord became angry with Israel and gave them over to King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim. The Israelites served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.
9. But then they cried out to the Lord. So the Lord raised up a deliverer for the Israelites, Othniel, Kenaz’s son, Caleb’s younger brother, who rescued them.
10. The Lord’s spirit was in Othniel, and he led Israel. When he marched out for war, the Lord handed over Aram’s King Cushan-rishathaim. Othniel overpowered Cushan-rishathaim,
11. and the land was peaceful for forty years, until Othniel, Kenaz’s son, died.
12. The Israelites again did things that the Lord saw as evil, and the Lord put Moab’s King Eglon in power over them, because they did these things that the Lord saw as evil.
13. He convinced the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, defeated Israel, and took possession of Palm City.
14. So the Israelites served Moab’s King Eglon eighteen years.
15. Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord. So the Lord raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud, Gera’s son, a Benjaminite, who was left-handed. The Israelites sent him to take their tribute payment to Moab’s King Eglon.
16. Now Ehud made for himself a double-edged sword that was about a foot and a half long, and he strapped it on his right thigh under his clothes.
17. Then he presented the tribute payment to Moab’s King Eglon, who was a very fat man.
18. When he had finished delivering the tribute payment, Ehud sent on their way the people who had carried it.
19. But he himself turned back at the carved stones near Gilgal, and he said, "I have a secret message for you, King."So Eglon said, "Hush!" and all his attendants went out of his presence.
20. Ehud approached him while he was sitting alone in his cool second-story room, and he said, "I have a message from God for you." At that, Eglon got up from his throne.
21. Ehud reached with his left hand and grabbed the sword from his right thigh. He stabbed it into Eglon’s stomach,