of their political government, that he made war upon them, and overcame
them in several battles, and made the most courageous to submit, and
entirely subdued their army, and ordered them to pay him tribute. And
when he had built him a royal palace at Jericho, [14] he omitted no
method whereby he might distress them; and indeed he reduced them to
poverty for eighteen years. But when God had once taken pity of the
Israelites, on account of their afflictions, and was moved to compassion
by their supplications put up to him, he freed them from the hard usage
they had met with under the Moabites. This liberty he procured for them
in the following manner;--

2. There was a young man of the tribe of Benjamin, whose name was Ehud,
the son of Gera, a man of very great courage in bold undertakings, and
of a very strong body, fit for hard labor, but best skilled in using
his left hand, in which was his whole strength; and he also dwelt at
Jericho. Now this man became familiar with Eglon, and that by means of
presents, with which he obtained his favor, and insinuated himself into
his good opinion; whereby he was also beloved of those that were about
the king. Now, when on a time he was bringing presents to the king, and
had two servants with him, he put a dagger on his right thigh secretly,
and went in to him: it was then summer thee, and the middle of the day,
when the guards were not strictly on their watch, both because of the
heat, and because they were gone to dinner. So the young man, when he
had offered his presents to the king, who then resided in a small parlor
that stood conveniently to avoid the heat, fell into discourse with him,
for they were now alone, the king having bid his servants that attended
him to go their ways, because he had a mind to talk with Ehud. He was
now sitting on his throne; and fear seized upon Ehud lest he should miss
his stroke, and not give him a deadly wound; so he raised himself up,
and said he had a dream to impart to him by the command of God; upon
which the king leaped out of his throne for joy of the dream; so Ehud
smote him to the heart, and leaving his dagger in his body, he went out
and shut the door after him. Now the king's servants were very still, as
supposing that the king had composed himself to sleep.

3. Hereupon Ehud informed the people of Jericho privately of what he had
done, and exhorted them to recover their liberty; who heard him gladly,
and went to their arms, and sent me