14. So the Israelites served Eglon, king of Moab, for eighteen years.
15. But when the Israelites cried out to the Lord, he raised up for them a savior, Ehud, son of Gera, a Benjaminite who was left-handed. The Israelites would send their tribute to Eglon, king of Moab, by him.
16. Ehud made himself a two-edged dagger a foot long, and strapped it under his clothes on his right thigh.
17. He presented the tribute to Eglon, king of Moab; now Eglon was a very fat man.
18. When he had finished presenting the tribute, he dismissed the troops who had carried the tribute.
19. But he himself turned back at the sculptured stones near Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” And the king said, “Silence!” Then when all his attendants had left his presence,
20. Ehud went in to him where he sat alone in his cool upper room. Ehud said, “I have a word from God for you.” So the king rose from his throne.
21. Then Ehud with his left hand drew the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into Eglon’s belly.
22. The hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade because he did not withdraw the dagger from the body.
23. Then Ehud went out onto the porch, shutting the doors of the upper room on Eglon and locking them.
24. When Ehud had left and the servants had come, they saw that the doors of the upper room were locked, and thought, “He must be easing himself in the cool chamber.”
25. They waited until they were at a loss when he did not open the doors of the upper room. So they took the key and opened them, and there was their lord lying on the floor, dead.
26. During their delay Ehud escaped and, passing the sculptured stones, took refuge in Seirah.
27. On his arrival he sounded the horn in the mountain region of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down from the mountains with him as their leader.
28. “Follow me,” he said to them, “for the Lord has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your power.” So they followed him down and seized the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, permitting no one to cross.
29. On that occasion they slew about ten thousand Moabites, all of them strong warriors. Not one escaped.
30. So Moab was brought under the power of Israel at that time; and the land had rest for eighty years.