Ehud, Di Left-Hand Man

One cool room for upstairs inside palace. One king sit down alone. One visitor come near am, talk quietly, I get message from God for you. Di king stand up from im seat. And everything for Israel wan change.

After Joshua die, one pattern begin. Israel go forget God and follow other gods. Trouble go come. Di people go cry out. And God go send person to rescue dem. Di Bible call dis rescuers judges. Dis time, di trouble na Eglon, king of Moab, for east of Jordan. With help from di Ammonites and di Amalekites, e cross di river come take di City of Palms, di old place of Jericho. For eighteen long years, Israel must dey pay am tribute.

Then di people cry out to Di Lord, and Di Lord raise one deliverer. Im name na Ehud, son of Gera, from di tribe of Benjamin. And di Bible make sure say we notice one detail. Ehud na left-hand man. Israel choose am to carry di tribute of di year go give King Eglon. But before e go, Ehud make one short sword wey get mouth for two sides, about di length of person forearm, and e tie am under im clothes for im right thigh.

For di palace, Ehud present di tribute give Eglon, wey di Bible tell us say na man wey fat well well. Then Ehud and di men wey help am carry load start to go back house. But near Gilgal, for di place of di carved stones, Ehud tell di others make dem continue, and e turn back alone. E waka enter di palace again. O king, I get secret message for you. Di king talk, Quiet! and all im servants comot from di room. Now na only di two of dem remain, inside di king cool upstairs room.

I get message from God for you, Ehud talk. Eglon stand up from im seat. Ehud stretch im left hand, draw di sword from im right thigh, and strike one time. Di man wey dey oppress Israel fall, and e no stand up again. Ehud comot through di porch, shut di doors of di upstairs room for im back, and lock dem.

Di servants come back, see say di doors lock. Dem look each other face. E must be say e dey ease imself for di cool room, dem whisper. So dem wait. Dem wait and wait. Dem wait until shame begin catch dem. Finally, dem find key open di doors, and see dia master, wey lie down for floor, dead. By dis time Ehud don go far. E don pass di carved stones and escape go di hill country of Ephraim.

There, Ehud blow trumpet, and di Israelites pour come down from di hills dey follow am. Follow me! Di Lord don give una enemies, di Moabites, enter una hand!

Dem rush go down to Jordan come seize di shallow places wey people dey take cross di river, so dat di Moabite soldiers no go fit cross go back dia house. Not even one escape. Dat day, Moab come under Israel hand. And di land get peace for eighty years.

See di surprise wey hide inside Ehud name tag. E come from di tribe of Benjamin, and Benjamin mean son of di right hand. Yet dis son of di right hand na left-hand man. Later for Judges, di Bible talk say di tribe of Benjamin get seven hundred chosen left-hand men wey fit use catapult throw stone hit one strand of hair and no miss. Many people wey dey explain di Bible also point out say most fighters dey tie sword for left side, so dem go fit draw am with right hand. Sword wey dem tie for right thigh, guards fit easily miss am.

Ehud, di left-hand man. You go find am for Judges chapter three, verse twelve reach thirty. When Israel cry out, God answer with person wey nobody for pick, and e use di same thing wey make am different. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Wetin about you dey look strange or small, wey God fit want use?