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.

15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.

16 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.

17 And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.

18 And when he had made an end to offer the present, he sent away the people that bare the present.

19 But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.

20 And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.

21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:

22 And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.

23 Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them.

24 When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.

25 And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.

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