Judges:3:12-30

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* And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD . So the LORD strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel , because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD . * Then he gathered to himself the people of Ammon and Amalek , went and defeated Israel , and took possession of the City of Palms . * So the children of Israel served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years . * But when the children of Israel cried out to the LORD , the LORD raised up a deliverer for them : Ehud the son of Gera , the Benjamite , a left-handed man . By him the children of Israel sent tribute to Eglon king of Moab . * Now Ehud made himself a dagger (it was double-edged and a cubit in length ) and fastened it under his clothes on his right thigh . * So he brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab . (Now Eglon was a very fat man .) * And when he had finished presenting the tribute , he sent away the people who had carried the tribute . * But he himself turned back from the stone images that were at Gilgal , and said , "I have a secret message for you , O king ." He said , "Keep silence !" And all who attended him went out from him . * So Ehud came to him (now he was sitting upstairs in his cool private chamber ). Then Ehud said , "I have a message from God for you ." So he arose from his seat . * Then Ehud reached with his left hand , took the dagger from his right thigh , and thrust it into his belly . * Even the hilt went in after the blade , and the fat closed over the blade , for he did not draw the dagger out of his belly ; and his entrails came out . * Then Ehud went out through the porch and shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them . * When he had gone out , Eglon 's servants came to look , and to their surprise , the doors of the upper room were locked . So they said , "He is probably attending to his needs in the cool chamber ." * So they waited till they were embarrassed , and still he had not opened the doors of the upper room . Therefore they took the key and opened them . And there was their master , fallen dead on the floor . * But Ehud had escaped while they delayed , and passed beyond the stone images and escaped to Seirah . * And it happened , when he arrived , that he blew the trumpet in the mountains of Ephraim , and the children of Israel went down with him from the mountains ; and he led them . * Then he said to them , "Follow me , for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand ." So they went down after him , seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab , and did not allow anyone to cross over . * And at that time they killed about ten thousand men of Moab , all stout men of valor ; not a man escaped . * So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel . And the land had rest for eighty years .

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