---
title: Joseph Smith Translation (1867 edition)
description: Judges from the Joseph Smith Translation (JST), 1867 edition.
authors:
  - Smith, Joseph, Jr.
collections:
  - joseph-smith
tags:
  - translation
published: "1867"
publisher: RLDS Publication Board
publisher_place: Plano, Illinois
publisher_note: "The title page reads: Published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; Joseph Smith, I. L. Rogers, E. Robinson, Publishing Committee; 1867."
edition: First edition (Plano, 1867)
language: en
type: book
chapter: 3
verse_count: 31
reference: "Joseph Smith Jr., *Joseph Smith Translation*, first edition (Plano, IL: RLDS Publication Board, 1867), Judges, chap. 3, https://archive.org/details/holyscripturestr00smituoft."
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/holyscripturestr00smituoft
  identifier: holyscripturestr00smituoft
  scan: University of Toronto / Trinity College Library copy, Internet Archive
  transcription: "OCR text of the 1867 scans (Toronto copy and a second copy, holyscriptures00smit), reconciled word by word; Romans was also checked against the page images. Method, per-chapter validation log and known limits: docs/jst-1867-import.md."
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: 1867 US publication
  source: https://archive.org/details/holyscripturestr00smituoft
  publication_year: 1867
---

# Judges 3

*The nations which were left to prove, Israel By communion with them they commit idolatry.*

**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 Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath.
**4** And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments oT 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 left-handed; 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 Ion 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 JU-DGES. 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 four-score years.
**31** And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an oxgoad; and he also delivered Israel.