القراءة بلغتين

وتِلكَ هي الأُمَمُ الَّتي تَرَكَها الرَّبُّ لِيَمتَحِنَ بِها إِسْرائيل، جَميعَ الَّذينَ لم يَعرِفوا حُروبَ كَنْعان

(لِتَعْليمِ أَجْيالِ بَني إِسْرائيلَ فَقَط، لِتَعْليمِ الحَربِ لِلَّذينَ لم يَعْرِفوها قَبلًا فَقَط)

خَمْسَةُ أَقْطابِ الفَلِسطينِيِّين وجَميعُ الكَنْعانِيِّينَ والصَّيدونِيِّينَ والحُوِّيِّينَ المُقيمينَ بِجَبَلِ لُبْنان، مِن جَبَلِ بَعلَ حَرْمونَ إِلى مدخَلِ حَماة

ولَم يَكونوا إِلَّا لِٱمتِحانِ إِسْرائيلَ بِهم، هَل يَسمَعونَ لِوَصايا الرَّبِّ الَّتي أَوصى بَها آباءَهم على لِسان موسى

فأَقامَ بَنو إِسْرائيلَ بَينَ الكَنْعانِيِّينَ والحِثِّيِّينَ والأَمورِيِّينَ والفَرِزِّيِّينَ والحُوِّيِّينَ واليَبوسِيِّين

وٱتَّخَذوا بَناتِهم زَوجاتٍ لَهم وأَعْطَوا بَناتِهم لِبَنيهم، وعَبَدوا آلِهَتَهم

وصَنَعَ بَنو إِسْرائيلَ الشَّرَّ في عَينَيِ الرَّبّ، ونَسوا الرَّبَّ إِلٰهَهم، وعَبَدوا البَعْلَ والعَشْتاروت

فغَضِبَ الرَّبُّ على إِسْرائيل، وباعَهم إِلى يَدِ كوشانَ رِشَعْتائيم، مَلِكِ أَدوم، وٱستُعبِدَ بَنو إِسْرائيلَ لِكوشانَ رِشَعْتائيمَ ثَمانِيَ سِنين

فَصَرَخَ بَنو إِسْرائيلَ إِلى الرَّبّ، فأقامَ الرَّبُّ لِبَني إِسْرائيلَ مُخَلِّصًا فَخَلَّصَهم، وهو عُتْنيئيلُ بنُ قَناز، أَخو كالِبَ الأَصغَر

وكانَ روحُ الرَّبِّ علَيه، فَتَوَلَّى القَضاءَ لإِسْرائيل، وخَرَجَ لِلحَرْب، فأَسلَمَ الرَّبُّ إِلى يَدِه كوشانَ رِشَعْتائيم، مَلِكَ أَدوم، وٱشتَدَّت يَدُه على كوشانَ رِشَعْتائيم

وهَدَأَتِ الأَرضُ أَربَعينَ سَنَة. وتُوُفِّيَ عُتْنيئيلُ بنُ قَناز

فعادَ بَنو إِسْرائيلَ إِلى عَمَلِ الشَّرِّ في عَينَيِ الرَّبّ، فقَوَّى الرَّبُّ عَجْلون، مَلِكَ موآب، على إِسْرائيل، لِأَنَّهم صَنَعوا الشَّرَّ في عَينَيِ الرَّبّ

فضَمَّ إِلَيه بَني عَمُّونَ وعَماليق، ومضى وضَرَبَ إِسْرائيل، وأَخَذَ مَدينَةَ النَّخْل

وٱستُعبِدَ بَنو إِسْرائيلَ لِعَجْلون، مَلِكِ موآب، ثَمَانِيَ عَشرَةَ سَنَة

فصَرَخَ بَنو إِسْرائيلَ إِلى الرَّبّ، فأَقامَ الرَّبُّ لَهم مُخَلِّصًا، أَهودَ بنَ جيرا البَنْيامينِيّ، وكانَ رَجُلًا أَيسَر. فأَرسَلَ بَنو إِسْرائيلَ عن يَدِه جِزيَةً إِلى عَجْلون، مَلِكِ موآب

فعَمِلَ أَهودُ لِنَفْسِه سَيفًا ذا حَدَّين، طولُه ذِراع، وتَقَلَّدَه تَحتَ ثَوبِه على فَخذِه اليُمْنى

وقَدَّمَ الجِزيَةَ إِلى عَجْلون، مَلِكِ موآب، وكانَ عَجْلونُ رَجُلًا سَمينًا جِدًّا

فلَمَّا ٱنتَهَى مِن تَقْديمِ الجِزْيَة، صَرَفَ القَومَ حامِلي الجِزْيَة

ثُمَّ رَجَعَ مِن عِندِ الأَوثانِ الَّتي عِندَ الجِلْجالِ وقال: «لي إِلَيكَ كَلامُ سِرٍّ أَيُّها المَلِك». فقال: «صَه!». فخَرَجَ مِن عِندِ المَلِكِ جَميعُ الواقِفينَ لَدَيه

فتَقَدَّمَ إِلَيه أَهود، وكانَ جالِسًا في غُرفَةِ السَّطْحِ الَّتي كانَت لَه وَحدَه. وقالَ أَهود: «لي إِلَيكَ كَلامٌ مِن عِندِ الله». فنَهَضَ عَجْلونُ عن سَريره

فَمَدَّ إِهُودُ يَدَهُ الْيُسْرَى وَأَخَذَ السَّيْفَ عَنْ فَخْذِهِ الْيُمْنَى وَضَرَبَهُ فِي بَطْنِهِ.

فغاصَ المِقبَضُ أَيضًا وَراءَ النَّصْل، وأَطبَقَ الشَّحْمُ وَراءَ النَّصْل، لِأَنَّه لم يَنزِعِ السَّيفَ من بَطنِه، وخَرَجَ مِنَ النَّافِذَة

بَعدَ أَن أَغلَقَ أَبْوابَ الغُرفَةِ وَراءَه وأَقفَلَها

فلَمَّا خَرَجَ أَهود، دَخَلَ خَدَمُ المَلِكِ ونَظَروا، فإِذا أَبْوابُ الغُرفَةِ مُقفَلة. فقالوا: «لَعَلَّه يَقْضي حاجَةً في مُخدَعِ غُرفَةِ السَّطْح»

فٱنتَظَروا حتَّى ٱحْتاروا في أَمرِه، ورَأَوا أَنَّه لم يَفتَحْ أَبْوابَ الغُرْفَة، فأَخذوا المِفْتاحَ وفَتَحوا، فإِذا سَيِّدُهم صَريعٌ على الأَرضِ مَيتًا

وفيما هم كانوا يَنْتَظِرون، أَفلَتَ أَهودُ ومَرَّ على الأَوثان ونَجا إِلى سَعيرة

وعِندَ وُصولِه، نَفَخَ في البوقِ في جَبَلِ أَفْرائيم. فنَزَلَ بَنو إِسْرائيلَ معَه مِنَ الجَبَل، وهو أَمامَهم

فقالَ لَهم: «إِتْبَعوني، فإِنَّ الرَّبَّ قد أَسلَمَ إِلى أَيديكم أَعْداءَكمُ المُوآبِيِّين». فنَزَلوا وَراءَه وٱستَولَوا على مَعابِرِ الأُردُنِّ إِلى موآب، ولَم يَدَعوا أَحَدًا يَعبُر

فضَرَبوا مِنَ المُوآبِيِّينَ في ذٰلك الوَقتِ نَحوَ عَشَرَةِ آلافِ رَجُل، كُلَّ شُجاعٍ وكُلَّ رَجُلِ بَأس، ولم يَنجُ مِنهم أَحد

فذَلَّ المُوآبِيُّونَ تَحتَ يَدِ إِسْرائيلَ في ذٰلك اليَوم، وهَدَأَتِ الأَرضُ ثَمانينَ سَنَة

وقامَ مِن بَعدِه شَمجَرُ بنُ عَنات، فضَرَبَ مِن أَهلِ فَلِسْطينَ سِتَّ مِئَةِ رَجُلٍ بِمِنخَسِ البَقَر، وخَلَّصَ هو أَيضًا إِسْرائيل

Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to test Israel by them, even as many as had not known all the wars of Canaan;

only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at least those who knew nothing of it before:

the five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to the entrance of Hamath.

They were left to test Israel by them, to know whether they would listen to the LORD’s commandments, which he commanded their fathers by Moses.

The children of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

They took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons and served their gods.

The children of Israel did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, and forgot the LORD their God, and served the Baals and the Asheroth.

Therefore the LORD’s anger burned against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served Cushan Rishathaim eight years.

When the children of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a savior to the children of Israel, who saved them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.

The LORD’s Spirit came on him, and he judged Israel; and he went out to war, and the LORD delivered Cushan Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. His hand prevailed against Cushan Rishathaim.

The land had rest forty years, then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done that which was evil in the LORD’s sight.

He gathered the children of Ammon and Amalek to himself; and he went and struck Israel, and they possessed the city of palm trees.

The children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.

But when the children of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a savior for them: Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. The children of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.

Ehud made himself a sword which had two edges, a cubit in length; and he wore it under his clothing on his right thigh.

He offered the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man.

When Ehud had finished offering the tribute, he sent away the people who carried the tribute.

But he himself turned back from the stone idols that were by Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.” The king said, “Keep silence!” All who stood by him left him.

Ehud came to him; and he was sitting by himself alone in the cool upper room. Ehud said, “I have a message from God to you.” He arose out of his seat.

Ehud put out his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his body.

The handle also went in after the blade; and the fat closed on the blade, for he didn’t draw the sword out of his body; and it came out behind.

Then Ehud went out onto the porch, and shut the doors of the upper room on him, and locked them.

After he had gone, his servants came and saw that the doors of the upper room were locked. They said, “Surely he is covering his feet in the upper room.”

They waited until they were ashamed; and behold, he didn’t open the doors of the upper room. Therefore they took the key and opened them, and behold, their lord had fallen down dead on the floor.

Ehud escaped while they waited, passed beyond the stone idols, and escaped to Seirah.

When he had come, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim; and the children of Israel went down with him from the hill country, and he led them.

He said to them, “Follow me; for the LORD has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” They followed him, and took the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and didn’t allow any man to pass over.

They struck at that time about ten thousand men of Moab, every strong man and every man of valor. No man escaped.

So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. Then the land had rest eighty years.

After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox goad. He also saved Israel.