Judges 3:12-21

The Israelites again did what was evil in YAHWEH’s sight, and because they did what was offensive to YAHWEH, he gave King Eglon of Moab power over Israel. Eglon formed an alliance with the Ammonites and Amalekites, and they attacked and defeated Israel. Eglon captured Jericho, the City of Date Palms. King Eglon of Moab kept the Israelites in bondage to him for eighteen years. Then the Israelites, with shattered hearts, cried out to YAHWEH for mercy, and YAHWEH raised up a champion-deliverer to rescue them—Ehud, who was left-handed. He was the son of Gera from the tribe of Benjamin. One day, the Israelites sent him to present tribute to King Eglon of Moab. Ehud had made for himself a two-edged sword over a foot long, which he strapped under his coat to his right thigh. He and his entourage came before King Eglon, who was a very fat man, to present the tribute. After the formal presentation of the tribute, he told the men who accompanied him to go back home. Ehud went with them part of the way, but he turned back at the carved stones near Gilgal. He returned to Eglon and said, “Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you.” The king said to his attendants, “Leave us!” After all the king’s servants had left, Ehud approached King Eglon while he was sitting alone in his cool upper room and said to him, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king rose from his throne, Ehud reached beneath his robe with his left hand for the sword strapped to his right thigh, and he plunged it deep into Eglon’s belly!