3 These are the nations the Lord left to test^(A) all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan ² (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience): ³ the five^(B) rulers of the Philistines,^(C) all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites^(D) living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon^(E) to Lebo Hamath.^{(F) 4} They were left to test^(G) the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord’s commands, which he had given their ancestors through Moses.

⁵ The Israelites lived^(H) among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites,^(I) Hivites and Jebusites.^{(J) 6} They took their daughters^(K) in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.^(L)

Othniel

⁷ The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord^(M) their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.^{(N) 8} The anger of the Lord burned against Israel so that he sold^(O) them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim^(P) king of Aram Naharaim,^[a](Q) to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years. ⁹ But when they cried out^(R) to the Lord, he raised up for them a deliverer,^(S) Othniel^(T) son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them. ¹⁰ The Spirit of the Lord came on him,^(U) so that he became Israel’s judge^[b] and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim^(V) king of Aram^(W) into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. ¹¹ So the land had peace^(X) for forty years,^(Y) until Othniel son of Kenaz^(Z) died.

Ehud

¹² Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord,^(AA) and because they did this evil the Lord gave Eglon king of Moab^(AB) power over Israel. ¹³ Getting the Ammonites^(AC) and Amalekites^(AD) to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms.^{[c](AE) 14} The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab^(AF) for eighteen years.

¹⁵ Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he gave them a deliverer^(AG)—Ehud^(AH), a left-handed^(AI) man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute^(AJ) to Eglon king of Moab. ¹⁶ Now Ehud^(AK) had made a double-edged sword about a cubit^[d] long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing. ¹⁷ He presented the tribute^(AL) to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man.^{(AM) 18} After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way those who had carried it. ¹⁹ But on reaching the stone images near Gilgal he himself went back to Eglon and said, “Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you.”

The king said to his attendants, “Leave us!” And they all left.

²⁰ Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his palace^[e](AN) and said, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king rose^(AO) from his seat, ²¹ Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword^(AP) from his right thigh and plunged it into the king’s belly. ²² Even the handle sank in after the blade, and his bowels discharged. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. ²³ Then Ehud went out to the porch^[f]; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.

²⁴ After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, “He must be relieving himself^(AQ) in the inner room of the palace.” ²⁵ They waited to the point of embarrassment,^(AR) but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead.

²⁶ While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the stone images and escaped to Seirah. ²⁷ When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet^(AS) in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them.

²⁸ “Follow me,” he ordered, “for the Lord has given Moab,^(AT) your enemy, into your hands.^(AU)” So they followed him down and took possession of the fords of the Jordan^(AV) that led to Moab; they allowed no one to cross over. ²⁹ At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not one escaped. ³⁰ That day Moab^(AW) was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace^(AX) for eighty years.

Shamgar

³¹ After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath,^(AY) who struck down six hundred^(AZ) Philistines^(BA) with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel.

The Throne in Heaven

4 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open^(A) in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet^(B) said, “Come up here,^(C) and I will show you what must take place after this.”^{(D) 2} At once I was in the Spirit,^(E) and there before me was a throne in heaven^(F) with someone sitting on it. ³ And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper^(G) and ruby.^(H) A rainbow^(I) that shone like an emerald^(J) encircled the throne. ⁴ Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders.^(K) They were dressed in white^(L) and had crowns of gold on their heads. ⁵ From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder.^(M) In front of the throne, seven lamps^(N) were blazing. These are the seven spirits^[a](O) of God. ⁶ Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass,^(P) clear as crystal.

In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures,^(Q) and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back.^{(R) 7} The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.^{(S) 8} Each of the four living creatures^(T) had six wings^(U) and was covered with eyes all around,^(V) even under its wings. Day and night^(W) they never stop saying:

⁹ Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne^(Z) and who lives for ever and ever,^{(AA) 10} the twenty-four elders^(AB) fall down before him^(AC) who sits on the throne^(AD) and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

The Scroll and the Lamb

5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne^(AG) a scroll with writing on both sides^(AH) and sealed^(AI) with seven seals. ² And I saw a mighty angel^(AJ) proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” ³ But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. ⁴ I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. ⁵ Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion^(AK) of the tribe of Judah,^(AL) the Root of David,^(AM) has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

⁶ Then I saw a Lamb,^(AN) looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures^(AO) and the elders.^(AP) The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes,^(AQ) which are the seven spirits^[c](AR) of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷ He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.^{(AS) 8} And when he had taken it, the four living creatures^(AT) and the twenty-four elders^(AU) fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp^(AV) and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers^(AW) of God’s people. ⁹ And they sang a new song, saying:^(AX)

¹¹ Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand.^(BE) They encircled the throne and the living creatures^(BF) and the elders.^{(BG) 12} In a loud voice they were saying:

¹³ Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth^(BK) and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:

¹⁴ The four living creatures^(BO) said, “Amen,”^(BP) and the elders^(BQ) fell down and worshiped.^(BR)