1-2 And the Lord had another reason for letting these enemies stay. The Israelites needed to learn how to fight in war, just as their ancestors had done. Each new generation would have to learn by fighting 3 the Philistines and their five rulers, as well as the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites that lived in the Lebanon Mountains from Mount Baal-Hermon to Hamath Pass.
4 Moses had told the Israelites what the Lord had commanded them to do, and now the Lord was using these nations to find out if Israel would obey. 5-6 But they refused. And some of them even married Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites who lived all around them. That's how they started worshiping foreign gods.
Othniel
7 The Israelites sinned against the Lord by forgetting him and worshiping idols of Baal and Astarte. 8 This made the Lord angry, so he let Israel be defeated by King Cushan Rishathaim of northern Syria, who ruled Israel eight years and made everyone pay taxes. 9 The Israelites begged the Lord for help, and so he chose Othniel to rescue them. Othniel was the son of Caleb's younger brother Kenaz. 10 The Spirit of the Lord took control of Othniel, and he led Israel in a war against Cushan Rishathaim. The Lord let Othniel win, 11 and Israel was at peace until Othniel died about 40 years later.
Ehud
12 Once more the Israelites started disobeying the Lord. So he let them be defeated by King Eglon of Moab, 13 who had joined forces with the Ammonites and the Amalekites to attack Israel. Eglon and his army captured Jericho. 14 Then he ruled Israel for 18 years and forced the Israelites to pay heavy taxes.
15-16 The Israelites begged the Lord for help, and the Lord chose Ehud from the Benjamin tribe to rescue them. They put Ehud in charge of taking the taxes to King Eglon, but before Ehud went, he made a double-edged dagger. Ehud was left-handed, so he strapped the dagger to his right thigh, where it was hidden under his robes.
17-18 Ehud and some other Israelites took the taxes to Eglon, who was a very fat man. As soon as they gave the taxes to Eglon, Ehud said it was time to go home.
19-20 Ehud went with the other Israelites as far as the statues at Gilgal. Then he turned back and went upstairs to the room where Eglon had his throne. Ehud said, “Your Majesty, I need to talk with you in private.”
Eglon replied, “Don't say anything yet!” His officials left the room, and Eglon stood up as Ehud came closer.
“Yes,” Ehud said, “I have a message for you from God!” 21 Ehud pulled out the dagger with his left hand and shoved it so far into Eglon's stomach 22-23 that even the handle was buried in his fat. Ehud left the dagger there. Then after closing and locking the doors to the room, he climbed through a window onto the porch 24 and left.
When the king's officials came back and saw that the doors were locked, they said, “The king is probably inside relieving himself.” 25 They stood there waiting until they felt foolish, but Eglon still didn't open the doors. Finally, they unlocked the doors and found King Eglon lying dead on the floor. 26 But by that time, Ehud had already escaped past the statues.
Ehud went to the town of Seirah 27-28 in the hill country of Ephraim and started blowing a trumpet as a signal to call the Israelites together. When they came, he shouted, “Follow me! The Lord will help us defeat the Moabites.”
The Israelites followed Ehud down to the Jordan valley, and they captured the places where people cross the river on the way to Moab. They would not let anyone go across, 29 and before the fighting was over, they killed about 10,000 Moabite warriors—not one escaped alive.
30 Moab was so badly defeated that it was a long time before they were strong enough to attack Israel again. And Israel was at peace for 80 years.
Shamgar
31 Shamgar the son of Anath was the next to rescue Israel. In one battle, he used a sharp wooden pole to kill 600 Philistines.
Kanaaninkoolu mennu tuta bankoo kaŋ
1 Bituŋ Yaawe* naata bankoo moo doolu bula ka tu bankoo ñiŋ kaŋ jee. A ye ñiŋ ke meŋ kamma, wo le mu ka Banisirayilankoolu kotobo, mennu maŋ feŋ kalamuta keloolu to, mennu tambita Kanaani. 2 A ye ñiŋ ke le ka Banisirayila la wo jamaanoo moolu karandi keloo la kuwo to, mennu nene maŋ duŋ keloo kono.
3 Mennu tuta bankoo ñiŋ kaŋ, wolu le mu Filisitinkoolu la maralilaa luuloo ti, Kanaaninkoolu, Sidoninkoolu aniŋ Hiwinkoolu, mennu tarata sabatiriŋ Libanooni konkoolu kaŋ, ka bo Baali-Herimoni* Konkoo kaŋ ka taa Lebo-Hamati. 4 Ñinnu la sabatoo daliiloo keta meŋ ti, wo le mu ka Banisirayilankoolu kotobo, fo ì be ke la Yaawe la yaamaroolu mutalaa le ti, a ye mennu dii ì la alifaa foloolu la ka bo Musa la.
5 Banisirayilankoolu tarata sabatiriŋ Kanaaninkoolu kono le, Hitinkoolu, Amorinkoolu, Perisi koomalankoolu, Hiwinkoolu aniŋ Yebusinkoolu. 6 Ì ye wolu dimmusoolu futuu, ì ka ì dimmusoolu fanaa futundi wolu dinkewolu ye, aduŋ ì ka wolu la alloolu fanaa batu.
Kiitindirilaa Otiniyeli
7 Banisirayilankoolu ye kuu jawoo le ke Yaawe ñaa koto. Ì ñinata Yaawe la, ì la Alla, ka Baali* niŋ Asera* jalaŋolu batu. 8 Yaawe naata kamfaa baake Banisirayilankoolu kamma, bituŋ a ye ì duŋ Kusani-Risatayimu bulu, Mesopotamiya mansakewo. Ì tarata wo la maroo le to fo sanji seyi.
9 Bari kabiriŋ ì woosiita Yaawe ye, a naata tankandirilaa dii ì la, meŋ mu Otiniyeli ti, Kenasi dinkewo, Kenasi meŋ mu Kalebu dookewo ti. Wo le ye ì tankandi. 10 Yaawe la Nooroo jiita a kaŋ. Bituŋ a naata ke Banisirayilankoolu la kiitindirilaa ti. A taata keloo la, aduŋ Yaawe ye Kusani-Risatayimu Mesopotamiya mansa duŋ a bulu, a ye i kutu a la.
11 Bituŋ tenkuŋo naata sabati bankoo kaŋ fo sanji taŋ naani, bituŋ Otiniyeli Kenasi dinkewo faata.
Kiitindirilaa Ehudi
12 Kotenke, Banisirayilankoolu ye kuu jawoo ke Yaawe ñaa koto. Ì la ñiŋ kuu jawu kewo kamma la, Yaawe ye ì duŋ Ekiloni, Mowabi mansa la maroo to. 13 Ekiloni ye Ammoninkoolu niŋ Amalekinkoolu kafundi a faŋ ma, a naata keloo wulindi Banisirayilankoolu kamma. Bituŋ ì naata saatewo taa, tamaree suŋolu siyaata daameŋ. 14 Banisirayilankoolu tarata Ekiloni la maroo to, Mowabi mansa, fo sanji taŋ niŋ seyi.
15 Banisirayilankoolu naata woosii Yaawe ye kotenke. Bituŋ a naata tankandirilaa dii ì la, meŋ mu Ehudi ti. Ehudi, ate mu maraamaa le ti. Kera dinkewo le mu ka bo Benjamini lasiloo kono. Banisirayilankoolu ye ate le kii, ka taa naamoo joo Ekiloni yaa, Mowabi mansa. 16 Ehudi ye hawusari* daa fuloo le dadaa, meŋ na jamfoo si taa fo nonkonkatiñaa kiliŋ ñoŋ na. A ye a sooti a bulubaa karoo la, a la dendika baa koto. 17 A ye naamoo dii Ekiloni la, Mowabi mansa. Ekiloni, ate mu kee nunku baa le ti. 18 Kabiriŋ Ehudi ye naamoo dii, mennu ye naamoo duni, a ko wolu ye seyi.
19 A ye ì dandaŋ fo bere leseriŋolu la dulaa to Kilikali daala, a muruta mansa kaŋ, a ko a ye ko, “Mansa, i la mansayaa buuñaa kaŋ, ŋa kulloo kuwo doo le soto, n ñanta meŋ fo la i ye.” Mansa ko a la moolu ye ko, “Ali m fuu jaŋ na!” Bituŋ dookuulaalu mennu be a fee, wolu bee fintita banta. 20 Kabiriŋ Ehudi ye mansa ñiŋ waliŋ, a ye a tara, a be siiriŋ a dammaa, a la santobuŋ sumaa kono. Ehudi ko a ye ko, “Ŋa kumakaŋo doo le soto ka bo Alla yaa, n ñanta meŋ fo la i ye.” A la ñiŋ kumoo foo kaŋ doroŋ, mansakewo ñiŋ kidita naŋ ka bo a la siiraŋo kaŋ. 21 Bituŋ Ehudi ye a maraa buloo taa, a ye hawusari daa fuloo bondi naŋ ka bo a bulubaa karoo to. Bituŋ a ye Ekiloni soo a la a konoo to. 22 Hawusaroo ñiŋ bee le dunta a balajaatoo kono, hani hawusari kuŋo faŋo bee le dunta konoto, fo a fintita a koo to. Ehudi maŋ hawusaroo ñiŋ bondi, fo a balasuboo ye hawusaroo baloo bee muuri. 23 Bituŋ Ehudi fintita banta ka taa ñaatobuŋo kono, a ye santobuŋo daa tawuŋ a kooma la, a ye a soroŋ.
24 Ate boriŋ koolaa jee, Ekiloni la dookuulaalu futata. Kabiriŋ ì ye santobuŋ daa je sorondiŋ, ì kumata ko, “Mansa be tara la jonkoŋo le to a la buŋ sumaa kono.” 25 Ì meeta a batu la, fo labaŋo ì jaakalita. Bari kabiriŋ a meeta, Ekiloni maŋ santobuŋo daa yele, ì faŋolu ye caaboo taa, ì ye jee yele. Bituŋ ì naata a tara, ì la mansa be laariŋ bunteroo to, a faariŋo.
26 Kabiriŋ itolu be mansa batu kaŋ, Ehudi borita ka taa. A tambita niŋ bere leseriŋolu la dulaa le to la, a borita ka taa Seyira. 27 Kabiriŋ a futata jee, a ye saakotoŋ binoo* fee Efurayimu* konkotundoo* kaŋ. Bituŋ Banisirayilankoolu bulata a nooma ka bo konkotundoo kaŋ, a tambita ì ñaato.
28 A ko ì ye ko, “Ali bula n nooma, Yaawe ye ali jawoolu mennu mu Mowabinkoolu ti duŋ ali bulu le.” Bituŋ ì bulata a nooma, ì ye Yoridani Boloŋo teyidulaalu muta, mennu ka taa fo Mowabi. Ì maŋ hani moo kiliŋ ne bula ka teyi niŋ jee la. 29 Wo luŋo la, ì ye Mowabinka moo wuli taŋ ñoŋ kontoo le faa, ì bee moo bambandiŋ, aduŋ ì ye keloo noo. Hani kee kiliŋ ne maŋ kana noo. 30 Wo luŋo la, Mowabi tarata Banisirayila la maroo le to. Bituŋ tenkuŋo naata sabati bankoo kaŋ fo sanji taŋ seyi.
Kiitindirilaa Samuka
31 Ehudi la kuwo koolaa, Samuka, Anati dinkewo, meŋ ye Filisitinka moo keme wooro faa kantarilaŋ dokoo la, fanaa naata Banisirayila tanka.
