4. The Lord left them to test Israel, to determine if they would keep the Lord’s commands He had given their fathers through Moses.
5. But they settled among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
6. The Israelites took their daughters as wives for themselves, gave their own daughters to their sons, and worshiped their gods.
7. The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord’s sight; they forgot the Lord their God and worshiped the Baals and the Asherahs.
8. The Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and He sold them to Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram-naharaim, and the Israelites served him eight years.
9. The Israelites cried out to the Lord. So the Lord raised up Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s youngest brother, as a deliverer to save the Israelites.
10. The Spirit of the Lord came on him, and he judged Israel. Othniel went out to battle, and the Lord handed over Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram to him, so that Othniel overpowered him.
11. Then the land was peaceful 40 years, and Othniel son of Kenaz died.
12. The Israelites again did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. He gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel, because they had done what was evil in the Lord’s sight.
13. After Eglon convinced the Ammonites and the Amalekites to join forces with him, he attacked and defeated Israel and took possession of the City of Palms.
14. The Israelites served Eglon king of Moab 18 years.
15. Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and He raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed Benjaminite, as a deliverer for them. The Israelites sent him to Eglon king of Moab with tribute money.
16. Ehud made himself a double-edged sword 18 inches long. He strapped it to his right thigh under his clothes
17. and brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was an extremely fat man.
18. When Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he dismissed the people who had carried it.
19. At the carved images near Gilgal he returned and said, “King Eglon, I have a secret message for you.” The king called for silence, and all his attendants left him.
20. Then Ehud approached him while he was sitting alone in his room upstairs where it was cool. Ehud said, “I have a word from God for you,” and the king stood up from his throne.