Servidão dos israelitas sob Cusã, rei da Síria ou Arã
1 Estas, pois, são as nações que o Senhor deixou ficar, para por elas provar a Israel, a saber, a todos os que não sabiam de todas as guerras de Canaã. 2 Isso tão somente para que as gerações dos filhos de Israel delas soubessem (para lhes ensinar a guerra), pelo menos as gerações que, dantes, não sabiam disso: 3 cinco príncipes dos filisteus, e todos os cananeus, e sidônios, e heveus, que habitavam nas montanhas do Líbano, desde o monte de Baal-Hermom até à entrada de Hamate. 4 Estes, pois, ficaram, para por eles o Senhor provar a Israel, para saber se dariam ouvidos aos seus mandamentos que tinha ordenado a seus pais pelo ministério de Moisés. 5 Habitando, pois, os filhos de Israel no meio dos cananeus, e heteus, e amorreus, e ferezeus, e heveus, e jebuseus, 6 tomaram de suas filhas para si por mulheres e deram aos filhos deles as suas filhas; e serviram a seus deuses.
7 E os filhos de Israel fizeram o que parecia mal aos olhos do Senhor, e se esqueceram do Senhor, seu Deus, e serviram aos baalins e a Astarote. 8 Então, a ira do Senhor se acendeu contra Israel, e ele os vendeu em mão de Cusã-Risataim, rei da Mesopotâmia; e os filhos de Israel serviram a Cusã-Risataim durante oito anos.
Otniel livra-os
9 E os filhos de Israel clamaram ao Senhor, e o Senhor levantou aos filhos de Israel um libertador, e os libertou: Otniel, filho de Quenaz, irmão de Calebe, mais novo do que ele. 10 E veio sobre ele o Espírito do Senhor, e julgou a Israel e saiu à peleja; e o Senhor deu na sua mão a Cusã-Risataim, rei da Síria; e a sua mão prevaleceu contra Cusã-Risataim. 11 Então, a terra sossegou quarenta anos; e Otniel, filho de Quenaz, faleceu.
Servidão sob Eglom
12 Porém os filhos de Israel tornaram a fazer o que parecia mal aos olhos do Senhor; então, o Senhor esforçou a Eglom, rei dos moabitas, contra Israel, porquanto fizeram o que parecia mal aos olhos do Senhor. 13 E ajuntou consigo os filhos de Amom e os amalequitas, e foi, e feriu a Israel, e tomaram a cidade das Palmeiras. 14 E os filhos de Israel serviram a Eglom, rei dos moabitas, dezoito anos.
Eúde livra-os
15 Então, os filhos de Israel clamaram ao Senhor, e o Senhor lhes levantou um libertador: Eúde, filho de Gera, benjamita, homem canhoto. E os filhos de Israel enviaram pela sua mão um presente a Eglom, rei dos moabitas. 16 E Eúde fez uma espada de dois fios, do comprimento de um côvado, e cingiu-a por debaixo das suas vestes, à sua coxa direita. 17 E levou aquele presente a Eglom, rei dos moabitas; e era Eglom homem mui gordo. 18 E sucedeu que, acabando de entregar o presente, despediu a gente que trouxera o presente. 19 Porém voltou do ponto em que estão as imagens de escultura, ao pé de Gilgal, e disse: Tenho uma palavra secreta para ti, ó rei. Este disse: Cala-te. E todos os que lhe assistiam saíram de diante dele. 20 E Eúde entrou num cenáculo fresco, que o rei tinha para si só, onde estava assentado, e disse Eúde: Tenho para ti uma palavra de Deus. E levantou-se da cadeira. 21 Então, Eúde estendeu a sua mão esquerda, e lançou mão da espada da sua coxa direita, e lha cravou no ventre, 22 de tal maneira que entrou até à empunhadura após a folha, e a gordura encerrou a folha (porque não tirou a espada do ventre); e saiu-lhe o excremento. 23 Então, Eúde saiu à sala, e cerrou sobre ele as portas do cenáculo, e as fechou. 24 E, saindo ele, vieram os seus servos e viram, e eis que as portas do cenáculo estavam fechadas; e disseram: Sem dúvida está cobrindo seus pés na recâmara do cenáculo fresco. 25 E, esperando até se enfastiarem, eis que não abriu as portas do cenáculo; então, tomaram a chave e abriram, e eis seu senhor estendido morto em terra. 26 E Eúde escapou enquanto eles se demoraram; porque ele passou pelas imagens de escultura e escapou para Seirá. 27 E sucedeu que, entrando ele, tocou a buzina nas montanhas de Efraim; e os filhos de Israel desceram com ele das montanhas, e ele adiante deles. 28 E disse-lhes: Segui-me, porque o Senhor vos tem dado a vossos inimigos, os moabitas, na vossa mão; e desceram após ele, e tomaram os vaus do Jordão a Moabe, e a nenhum deixaram passar. 29 E, naquele tempo, feriram dos moabitas uns dez mil homens, todos corpulentos e todos homens valorosos; e não escapou nenhum. 30 Assim foi subjugado Moabe, naquele dia, debaixo da mão de Israel; e a terra sossegou oitenta anos.
31 Depois dele, foi Sangar, filho de Anate, que feriu seiscentos homens dos filisteus com uma aguilhada de bois; e também ele libertou a Israel.
1 Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan; 2 Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof; 3 Namely , five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-hermon unto the entering in of Hamath. 4 And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.
5 ¶ And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites: 6 And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods. 7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.
8 ¶ Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushan-rishathaim eight years. 9 And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. 10 And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushan-rishathaim. 11 And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
12 ¶ And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. 13 And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees. 14 So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years. 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. 26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath. 27 And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them. 28 And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over. 29 And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valour; and there escaped not a man. 30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.
31 ¶ And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.