Judges 3

¹ God con leave some nations for the land to test the Israelites wey never go through the war for Canaan.

² He do am to teach each generation of Israelites about war, especially those wey never go battle before.

³ Those wey remain for the land na five Philistine cities, all Canaanites, Sidonians, and Hivites wey dey live for the Lebanon Mountains from Mount Baals Hermon reach Hamath Pass.

⁴ Na test dem go be for Israel, to find out if Israelites go obey or no go obey the command wey God don give their ancestors through Moses.

⁵ Naso the people of Israel con settle down among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

⁶ Dem marry themselves and dem worship their gods.

⁷ The people of Israel con forget the LORD their God; dem sin against him and dem worship idols of Baal and Asherah.

⁸ God con dey vex for Israel and he allow King Cushan Rishathaim of Mesopotamia defeat them, and he rule on top them for eight years.

⁹ Israelites con cry out to God, and he send a man wey free them. The man na Othniel, son of Kanez wey be Caleb younger brother.

¹⁰ The spirit of God come on him, and he become leader for Israel. Othniel go war, and God give him victory on top the king of Mesopotamia.

¹¹ Peace dey for the land for forty years, and Othniel con die.

¹² The people of Israel con sin against God again. Na because of this God make king Eglon of Moab strong pass Israel.

¹³ Eglon join Ammonites and Amalekites; dem defeat Israel and dem capture Jericho, wey be the city of palm trees.

¹⁴ Israelites dey under Eglon for eighteen years.

¹⁵ Israelites con cry out to God, and he send a man make he free them. Na Ehud be the man, a man wey dey use left hand, wey be son of Gera, from Benjamin tribe. The people of Israel con send Ehud to King Eglon of Moab with gift for him.

¹⁶ Ehud don make a double-edge sword for himself, wey be around fifty centimeters long. He chain am for him right side under him clothes.

¹⁷ He con take the gift to Eglon, wey be very fat man.

¹⁸ When Ehud don give him the gift, he tell the men wey carry am say make dem go back home.

¹⁹ But Ehud himself con turn back when he reach the carved stone wey near Gilgal, he go back to Eglon, and talk say, “Your Majesty, I get secret message for you.” Naso the king tell him servant say, “Make una leave us alone!” and all of them con go out.

²⁰ As the king dey siddon there alone for him cool room on top the roof, Ehud go meet him and talk say, “I get message from God for you.” Then king con stand up.

²¹ Ehud con use him left hand take the sword from him right side and chook am for the king belle.

²² Na all the sword enter, handle and all, and the fat cover am up. Ehud no remove am from the king belle, and he come out for back, between him legs.

²³ Ehud con go outside, close the door, lock them,

²⁴ and leave. The servant come and see say the door don lock, but dem only think say the king dey inside, dey enjoy himself.

²⁵ Dem wait long reach the time dem think say dem suppose wait, but when he still no open the door, dem take the key and open am. And their master dey for there, dey lie down for floor.

²⁶ Ehud don go away as dem dey wait. He don pass the stone wey dem carve and escape go Seirah.

²⁷ When he reach there for hill country of Ephraim, he blow a trumpet to call the men of Israel for battle; he con lead them down from the hill.

²⁸ He talk say, “Make una follow me! God don give una victory over una enemies, the Moabites.” Naso dem follow Ehud go down and dem capture the place where the Moabites suppose cross the Jordan; dem no allow a single man cross.

²⁹ That day dem kill about 10,000 of Moabites better soldiers, anyone of them no escape.

³⁰ Na that day the Israelites defeat Moab, and peace dey for the land for eighty years.

³¹ The next leader na Shamgar son of Anath. Him too rescue Israel, and him do am as he kill 600 Philistines with ox goad.