The Judges & Ruth

in every place where they have gone out, the hand of Jehovah hath been against them for evil, as Jehovah hath spoken, and as Jehovah hath sworn to them, and they are distressed--greatly.

And Jehovah raiseth up judges, and they save them from the hand of their spoilers;

and also unto their judges they have not hearkened, but have gone a-whoring after other gods, and bow themselves to them; they have turned aside with haste out of the way in which their fathers walked to obey the commands of Jehovah--they have not done so.

And when Jehovah raised up to them judges--then was Jehovah with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for it repenteth Jehovah, because of their groaning from the presence of their oppressors, and of those thrusting them away.

And it hath come to pass, at the death of the judge--they turn back and have done corruptly above their fathers, to go after other gods, to serve them, and to bow themselves to them; they have not fallen from their doings, and from their stiff way.

And the anger of Jehovah doth burn against Israel, and He saith, `Because that this nation have transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened to My voice--

I also continue not to dispossess any from before them of the nations which Joshua hath left when he dieth,

in order to try Israel by them, whether they are keeping the way of Jehovah, to go in it, as their fathers kept it or not.'

And Jehovah leaveth these nations, so as not to dispossess them hastily, and did not give them into the hand of Joshua.

And these are the nations which Jehovah left, to try Israel by them, all who have not known all the wars of Canaan;

(only for the sake of the generations of the sons of Israel's knowing, to teach them war, only those who formerly have not known them) --

five princes of the Philistines, and all the Canaanite, and the Zidonian, and the Hivite inhabiting mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-Hermon unto the entering in of Hamath;

and they are to prove Israel by them, to know whether they obey the commands of Jehovah that He commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

And the sons of Israel have dwelt in the midst of the Canaanite, the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite,

and take their daughters to them for wives, and their daughters have given to their sons, and they serve their gods;

and the sons of Israel do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, and forget Jehovah their God, and serve the Baalim and the shrines.

And the anger of Jehovah burneth against Israel, and He selleth them into the hand of Chushan-Rishathaim king of Aram-Naharaim, and the sons of Israel serve Chushan-Rishathaim eight years;

and the sons of Israel cry unto Jehovah, and Jehovah raiseth a saviour to the sons of Israel, and he saveth them--Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother;

and the Spirit of Jehovah is upon him, and he judgeth Israel, and goeth out to battle, and Jehovah giveth unto his hand Chushan-Rishathaim king of Aram, and strong is his hand against Chushan-Rishathaim;

and the land resteth forty years. And Othniel son of Kenaz dieth,

and the sons of Israel add to do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah; and Jehovah strengtheneth Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because that they have done the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah;

and he gathereth unto him the Bene-Ammon and Amalek, and goeth and smiteth Israel, and they possess the city of palms;

and the sons of Israel serve Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.

And the sons of Israel cry unto Jehovah, and Jehovah raiseth to them a saviour, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjamite (a man--shut of his right hand), and the sons of Israel send by his hand a present to Eglon king of Moab;

and Ehud maketh for himself a sword, and it hath two mouths (a cubit is its length), and he girdeth it under his long robe on his right thigh;