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 cool 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 on to 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 never opened 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 signal on a trumpet. The Israelites came together, and 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 ten thousand 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 eighty years.
31. Shamgar the son of Anath was the next to rescue Israel. In one battle, he used a sharp wooden pole to kill six hundred Philistines.