Judges 3:12-30

After the death of that great spiritual leader, Israel again began to worship idols and God allowed Eglon the king of Moab to conquer them, with the help of the Ammonites and Amalekites. Eglon ruled over Israel 18 years. At the cry of his people, God raised up Ehud, a Benjamite, to deliver them. Ehud supervised the delivery of tribute to Eglon, who was apparently residing in the city of palms, near the sight of Jericho.

When the tribute was fully delivered, Ehud turned back from the stone images at Gilgal and sent word to Eglon that he wished to speak to him privately. He told him he had a message from God, so Eglon stood. Ehud then withdrew an 18 inch dagger from his right side and sunk it into the fat king until even the handle was swallowed up. He locked the doors and escaped before any of the servants dared to unlock the doors and discover the body.

Ehud then assembled an army in the mountains of Ephraim and cut off the escape route of the Moabites by taking the fords near Jericho. Ten thousand of the enemy were destroyed during the battle and Israel had rest for eighty years (Ruth 3:12-30).