15 Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he gave them a deliverer(A)—Ehud(B), a left-handed(C) man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute(D) to Eglon king of Moab. 16 Now Ehud(E) had made a double-edged sword about a cubit[a] long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. 17 He presented the tribute(F) to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man.(G) 18 After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way those who had carried it. 19 But on reaching the stone images near Gilgal he himself went back to Eglon and said, “Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you.”

The king said to his attendants, “Leave us!” And they all left.

20 Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his palace[b](H) and said, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king rose(I) from his seat, 21 Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword(J) from his right thigh and plunged it into the king’s belly. 22 Even the handle sank in after the blade, and his bowels discharged. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. 23 Then Ehud went out to the porch[c]; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.

24 After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, “He must be relieving himself(K) in the inner room of the palace.” 25 They waited to the point of embarrassment,(L) but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead.

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 3:16 That is, about 18 inches or about 45 centimeters
  2. Judges 3:20 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain; also in verse 24.
  3. Judges 3:23 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.

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