JUDGES. [ THE STORY OF EHUD].

AS THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL DID EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, AND SERVED BAALIM. AND THEY FORSOOK THE LORD GOD OF THEIR FATHERS, WHICH BROUGHT THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT, AND FOLLOWED OTHER  gods, OF THE PEOPLE AROUND THEM, AND BOWED THEMSELVES UNTO THEM., AND PROVOKED THE LORD TO ANGER. AND THEY FORSOOK THE LORD, AND SERVED BAAL AND ASHTAROTH . AND THE ANGER OF THE LORD WAS HOT AGAINST ISRAEL, AND HE DELIVER THEM INTO THE HANDS OF SPOILERS THAT SPOILED THEM, AND HE SOLD THEM INTO THE HANDS OF THEIR OF ENEMIES ROUND ABOUT, SO THAT THEY COULD NOT ANY LONGER  STAND BEFORE THEIR ENEMIES.WHITHERSOEVER THEY WENT OUT, THE HAND OF THE LORD WAS AGAINST THEM FOR EVIL, AS THE LORD HAD SAID, AND HAS THE LORD SWORN UNTO THEM, AND THEY WERE GREATLY DISTRESSED.
NEVERTHELESS THE LORD RAISED UP JUDGES, WHICH DELIVERED THEM OUT OF
THE HAND OF THOSE THAT SPOILED THEM. AND YET THEY WOULD NOT HEARKEN
UNTO THEIR JUDGES, BUT THEY WENT A WHORING AFTER OTHER 'gods,' AND BOWED THEMSELVES UNTO THEM; THEY TURNED QUICKLY OUT OF THE WAY WHICH THEIR FATHERS WALKED IN, OBEYING THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD.; BUT THEY DID NOT SO. AND WHEN THE LORD RAISED THEM UP JUDGES, THEN THE ,LORD WAS WITH THE JUDGE, AND DELIVERED THEM OUT OF THE HAND OF THEIR ENEMIES ALL THE DAYS OF THE JUDGE.: FOR IT REPENTED THE LORD BECAUSE OF THEIR GROANINGS  BY REASON OF THEM THAT OPPRESSED THEM AND VEXED THEM.  AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN THE JUDGE WAS DEAD, THAT THEY RETURNED, AND CORRUPTED THEMSELVES MORE THAN THEIR FATHERS, IN FOLLOWING OTHER GODS TO SERVE THEM AND BOW DOWN UNTO THEM; THEY CEASED  NOT FROM THEIR OWN DOINGS, NOR FROM THEIR STUBBORN WAY.  AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL DID EVIL AGAIN IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD.  AND HE GATHERED UNTO HIM THE CHILDREN OF AMMON AND AMALEK, AND WENT AND SMOTE ISRAEL., AND POSSESSED THE CITY OF PSALM TREES. SO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SERVED EGLON THE KING OF MOAB EIGHTEEN YEARS. BUT WHEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL CRIED UNTO THE LORD, THE LORD  RAISE THEM UP A DELIVERER , EHUD THE SON OF GEMA, A BENJAMITE, A MAN LEFT HANDED; AND BY HIM THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SENT HIM A PRESENT