Ehud: The Hidden Blade

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Previously on the chosen people. 00:00:03 Speaker 2: We stand at the edge of our inheritance. The city of Debier lies before us, the citadel of thorns, guarded by ruthless men who worship gods of wood and son. We have we have bled to reach this place, and now I ask who among you will bleed once more to see it. 00:00:37 Speaker 1: For Othnil broke through the crowd beside the fire and stood before Caleb. I will go Othnil never lost his ability to listen to the voice. The still and quiet pointing of God's spirit remained with him as he ruled the land of Israel for forty years. 00:00:56 Speaker 3: You will call me the Lord's Man, raised me for my courage, and you have responded to my call. 00:01:04 Speaker 4: Ignorous the words. 00:01:06 Speaker 3: We are all the Lord's men, from the farmer to the blacksmith, from the herder to the merchant, we are met with a heritage. 00:01:19 Speaker 1: They mistook the faithfulness of God for their own strength. Lulled into confidence by their prosperity, the people of Israel began to indulge themselves. All the wonderful blessings the Lord had showered upon them were taken as a sign of their own glory. They mistook themselves as righteous people and let their guards down. Prosperity had become a narcotic, dulling the edge of vigilance and replacing gratitude with conceit. The sins of sloth and greed crept into the heart of Israel like a thief in the night, and idolatry soon followed, blooming like a corpse flower in the wild. The strong backs that had once borne the yoke of labor grew bowed with indolence. The sharp eyes of watchmen dulled, and gates that should have been shout against the world's wolves hung open, like an invitation to ruin Other nations. Lean and hungry circled the land as predators circled fattened sheep, And then the wolves came. The Moabites descended from the hills with the swiftness of a spring storm, leaving ruin in their wake. King Eglon, their corpulent master, led them with cunning and cruelty. His warriors spilled across Israel's fields and cities a flood of iron and flame. The streets of once proud cities ran red with the blood of Israelite men, women, and children. By dawn, the Moabites had planted their banners in the smoking ruins, and King Eglon met made his seat in Gilgal, His laugh a guttural sound that echoed over the morning land. Eglon's girth as legendary, his appetite boundless. He was a glutton made flesh, his every indulgence a mirror of the sins that had ensnared Israel. Under his rule, the Israelites were yoked like beasts. The people labored in the fields for Moabite masters, while their daughters and sons were dragged into servitude. For eighteen years, Eglon's shadow fell over Israel like a storm cloud, and in their despair, the Israelites finally cried out to the Lord for deliverance. Far from the weeping cities, and Eglons gilded throne. A man labored in quiet on the shores of the Great Sea, Ahud, son of Gheira, worked with hands calloused by salt and rope. The rye sun gilded the waves, and gulls circled the skies above his small boat. Ayhod smiled and greeted the sun as one would a. 00:04:09 Speaker 4: Friend, good morning. Nice of you to show. 00:04:12 Speaker 1: Up Ayhood's work. Ethic was unmatched. He was famous for beating the sun to its rise. While others slept soundly. He worked while others ate until they were bursting at the seams. He ate only what he needed. Ayhood was a different breed of man, Nimble, strong, intelligent, and courageous. Ayhood was a left handed man, feared in his culture as someone sinister, conniving, and dangerously powerful. His father had once tried to bind his left hand to force him into conformity, but Ayhood's spirit proved unyielding. Mocked by his own people, he had turned to a life on the fringes, smuggling goods and hiring out his blade to those who would pay. Yet his exile had forged him, sharpening his mind and his body as a whetstone sharpened steel. Ayhood was lean and sinewy, a man carved by hardship. His left hand, though scorned, was quick and precise, capable of feats that astonished and unnerved those who underestimated him. Rarely had time to regret it. His exile had shown him the depths of human depravity, and he had resolved that no man, not even himself, would be ruled by such darkness. Ay Hood mused about such things as he cinched a few more knots. 00:05:41 Speaker 4: Those who have lived the life of pleasure and ease know nothing of the blessing that comes from toil and hardship. 00:05:46 Speaker 1: As a Hood overlooked the glistening waters and drew a deep breath, he thanked God for his struggles. He had spent many years away from home, traveling the Great Sea, seeing what existed beyond his tribe. In those years, he witnessed the lowest depths a man can go. The wicked and debased culture of the Canaanites had seeped its way into the Israelites, and the nation was darker than it had ever been before. Luckily, Ahod was a fighter. In his life. He had learned to fight for his own safety, but also how to fight to preserve his character. A Hood stepped down from his boat and on to the shore. He looked to the port and watched a large ship come in and dock. A Hood strapped his sword securely to his right side and tucked a hidden blade under his tunic on his right thigh. He made his way over to the ship intently. The boat was filled with dried goods, cloth barrels, of wine and grain. A Hood waved to the captain. The grisly man nodded and stepped off the boat. 00:06:54 Speaker 5: You must be the left handed man I was told about. I see your sword strapped to your right. 00:06:59 Speaker 1: A Hood looked down at his sword and nodded. The captain spat and gestured to his supplies. 00:07:05 Speaker 5: Whose goods are for a merchant Gilgal. He spayed a hefty coin to keep him from bandits. If you can escort thesier goods to my buyer, I'll give you a fifth of the profits. 00:07:16 Speaker 1: A Hod watched as the supplies were being loaded onto a cart with two donkeys at the front. It would be hard to hide them. Bandits were bound to spot them on the road. Somehow, it seemed unavoidable that a Hood would need to fight. He turned to the captain. 00:07:32 Speaker 4: Give me a fourth of the profits. We'd take the smaller roads with the cart dis large. Give me no choice but to use my sword. 00:07:40 Speaker 1: The captain sneered and spat again. 00:07:43 Speaker 5: Ah very well, left hand, protect my goods and you'll get your money. 00:07:49 Speaker 1: Ahd held back an enthusiastic grin and shook the captain's hand. He went back to his boat to grab provisions for the journey ahead, and came back. The rider of the merchant's cart was an older man. He wore a tattered brown tunic and head covering. His face was cracked from years in the sun, but his smile was soft and welcoming. 00:08:11 Speaker 4: Shalon fred I am ehod Son of Gira. 00:08:16 Speaker 1: The man replied with a smile and bow of his head, then pointed toward his mouth and shrugged. 00:08:22 Speaker 4: I see you're mute. 00:08:24 Speaker 1: The man nodded, bowed his head again. 00:08:27 Speaker 4: That's all right, friend, I find the tongue to often be more trouble than it is worth. 00:08:30 Speaker 1: The rider chuckled and invited Ahud up on to the cart. The two of them traveled the main roads leading through the land of Daan to the borders of Benjamin. They would only travel during the day, knowing that the knight was for thieves and robbers. At night, Ayhood would sit awake with his sword drawn. During the day he would sleep as the old rider steered the cart. The occasional robber would approach them on the road, only to be dealt with swiftly by Ahud. He was unmatched in his skills with a blade. Nobody ever expected to fight a left handed man. Their journey lasted a week, and as they drew closer to Gilgal, ay Hood grew more and more nervous. He whittled a stick with his blade as they rode and opened up to his companion. 00:09:18 Speaker 4: You know, I am from the tribe of Benjamin by families in Gilgal, Although I am not sure they'd want to see me. They do not approve of how I choose to remain left handed. 00:09:28 Speaker 1: The old man listened silently, nodding and humming, as a Hood told stories of his exploits as a smuggler and mercenary. 00:09:37 Speaker 4: I never wanted the life of a mercenary. What are the choice was there for me? People see I'm left handed and only see danger. Might as well give them what they expect. 00:09:47 Speaker 1: Ay Hood paused as the two of them passed by a small village. There were no children playing, and the men in the field looked miserable. A Hood scanned his surroundings and saw Moabide soldiers posted every fifty feet throughout the village. The people were being forced to work by the Moabites. It didn't sit well with Ahod. He felt his heart beginning to stir for the people a rising sense of justice and righteousness whirled up within him. His fingers tapped over the blade on his right thigh. However, he kept it hidden. He had a job to do and it was not his place to interfere. The road eventually led to Gilgal, and Aehood was pleased that the merchant's supplies would be on time and intact. They were a mile away from the city gates when a Hood saw several men on horses approaching. They were Moabites, and Ahod's heart sank when he saw them. The Moabite soldiers surrounded the cart, and the old man brought it to a halt. 00:10:49 Speaker 6: What is your business here? 00:10:51 Speaker 4: We have goods for a merchant in the city. It is a simple shipment of dry goods and wine. Nothing that concerns the king. 00:10:57 Speaker 5: Everything in this land concerns the one half will be taking as tribute to King Eglon. 00:11:05 Speaker 1: The soldiers dismounted their horses to take a look at the supplies. Ahard drew his sword swiftly and lifted it to one of their throats. All of them were taken aback by his quickness with his blade. A Hoard scowled at them and pressed the tip of his sword closer to the man's throat. 00:11:23 Speaker 4: I have been hired to protect these goods from bandits and robbers. 00:11:28 Speaker 1: I believe you qualify as such. The Moabite in charge was still on his horse. He cackled and leaned forward. 00:11:35 Speaker 5: Your utmuched, he bloom, step aside before we kill. 00:11:40 Speaker 1: You and your friend here. Ahard looked over to the old man. One of the soldiers had a spear aimed at his chest. Ahud turned his eyes to the man on the horse and glared at him. He gritted his teeth and slowly lowered his sword. The soldiers laughed and took half the supplies on the cart. After they had loaded up the supplies, they turned back to Ayhood and struck him on the head. He stumbled back and paused for a long while. His knuckles turned white on the hilt of his sword, but he remained calm. That was until another soldier came in for another strike. Ayhood caught the man's wrist, snapped it back, and struck his nose swiftly with the hilt of his sword. Two came up from behind and took him by the arms. He threw one of them his shoulder and kicked the other in the knee. The Moabid captain lifted his spear and threw it towards the cart. It whistled into the air, splitting the wood of the cart right beside the old man. Ay Hood ceased fighting and lifted his arms in surrender. He didn't want to risk the man's life. They overpowered a Hood and locked him to the ground. They kicked him in the ribs and struck him on the head. Ay Hood covered himself from their blows until they ceased. They spat down at him, scoffed, and left. Ayhood's face was bloodied and bruised. He felt his side for cracked ribs and winced. He groaned and propped himself up on the cart. The old man helped him up and nursed his. 00:13:10 Speaker 4: Wounds mobile dogs. 00:13:12 Speaker 1: The old man dabbed Ahood's cheek with a rag, then pulled up his shirt to examine the broken ribs? 00:13:18 Speaker 4: Are that far worse the real losses here? Of those goods now? Neither of us kipaid. 00:13:23 Speaker 1: The companions collected themselves and descended into Gilgal. When Ahud left the city years ago, it was bursting with life, merchants and vendors laced the market place and children played without fear. That was in the time of Othniel. However, since then life left the city. People worked with their heads down, afraid of the Moabite soldiers. Idols of the Canaanite gods were erected tall within the borders for everyone to see. Offerings were laid at their feet, and temple prostitutes stood close by to lure men in the Two weary travelers finally made it to the merchant's home. Ahod was ashamed that he came with only half the goods. He knocked on the door and stood back with his head held low. The merchant answered the door. Ahod was surprised when he saw him. He seemed to be only a few years older than a Hood, well built and tore ay. Hood gestured to the cart. 00:14:25 Speaker 4: We're here with your good sir. While we managed to fight off all the bandits and avoid catastrophe, we were not successful in staving off King Eglin in his guards. 00:14:34 Speaker 2: I'm sorry. 00:14:36 Speaker 1: The merchant tilted his head and examined the cart. He shook his head. 00:14:40 Speaker 3: H Tarin, it's taken everything from us. I'm Asrael, son of Asrael. 00:14:48 Speaker 1: Please I'm in a hood, and the old man stepped in. The walls of the merchant's home were mounted with many weapons and skins. It was clear to Ahod that Azrael used to to be a warrior, or perhaps still was. Israel sat them both down and poured the meat a cup of wine. 00:15:06 Speaker 3: What's your name, mercenary? 00:15:08 Speaker 4: I am aherd, son of Gira. 00:15:10 Speaker 3: Gira's well known here in Gilgo. I haven't heard of you. 00:15:15 Speaker 4: I doubt my father takes much pride in his left handed son. I have no doubt he has erased me from his memory. How long have the mobiits been taking goods like that? 00:15:24 Speaker 1: Is Israel placed some bread on the table, sat and folded his hands and shook his head. 00:15:30 Speaker 3: That fat and cow of a king is eating half of Israel. He sit to top his palace and gorgeous himself on the fruit of our labor. The men of Israel have cried out to the Lord for deliverance, but. 00:15:48 Speaker 1: Seems like our sins. 00:15:50 Speaker 3: Have finally doomed us. 00:15:52 Speaker 4: His hand has reached as far as the great sea. Has anyone stood up against him? 00:15:57 Speaker 3: The elders and leaders of the tribes of Israel, reading tonight, to seek the Lord once more. Ah, however, I must confess that our hopes groaned him. There was silence as a Hood contemplated the merchant's words. The same stirring he felt in the village returned. It was like the silent flickering of a new flame. 00:16:21 Speaker 4: I would like to come, if you would let me. 00:16:23 Speaker 3: Of course, we mean at midnight, you too, rest Until then. 00:16:29 Speaker 1: A Hood was escorted onto the roof of the merchant's home. It was a warm summer night, and the cloudless sky showcased a beautiful tapestry of stars. Ay Hood leaned over the edge of the balcony and looked out at the city. His hardened heart began to melt as he thought about their despair. King Eglong's cruelty had reached far across the borders of Israel, but here it seemed to be particularly cruel. The people were suffering, and Ayhood was surprised that he cared so deeply. He looked upwards towards the skies. The Lord was stirring up something within him, and he was finally attuning himself to what it was. They met in a place where the starlight didn't reach deep within the alleyways, of Gilgal, the elders, and many others gathered to seek the Lord and plead for deliverance. Ahud sat in the back of the upper room Asraoul was among the other men. The torches lit up the room dimly, and all the men faced the center. They deliberated with one another about what to do. 00:17:42 Speaker 6: The Lord is punishing us for our disobedience. We deserved the oppression of King Eglin. 00:17:49 Speaker 7: So we lay down and continued to give away our inheritance. Why can't we rise up and fight like the times of Osnio? 00:17:59 Speaker 6: Do we have any one in our midst willing to take on that responsibility. I have seen no man brave enough or perhaps foolish enough to take that mantle. The Lord has been silent, and we are doomed. 00:18:18 Speaker 1: A Hood shifted in place as he listened to their arguing. Something wasn't settling well with him. He felt the same stirring as before. There is someone ay Hood grew increasingly more aware of what God was trying to do within him. All his life he had been an outcast and shunned by the people, but now it seemed as though he was being set apart for something greater. The clamoring of the men increased, and they grew louder and more rowdy by the second. Ay Hood stepped forward and raised his voice. 00:18:53 Speaker 4: I will fight. 00:18:54 Speaker 1: Everyone turned a hushed silence. Overcame the previously loud room, whom all eyes were on. The left handed warrior. A Hood stood up straight with his shoulders back. He postured himself confidently and walked to the center of the room. He looked to the elders. 00:19:13 Speaker 4: Men of Israel outnumber the Moabites. We are greater in size, and we have the God of our ancestors on our side. Why do you squabble as though the Lord will not deliver you? 00:19:25 Speaker 6: Who are you? 00:19:27 Speaker 4: I am Ehud, son of Ghira. I am a left handed man from the tribe of Benjamin, a disappointment to my father, and an outcast in my own tribe. But I know I am chosen by the Lord to deliver his people. Trust me, trust him. 00:19:43 Speaker 6: Do you have a plan, son of Ghera. 00:19:46 Speaker 1: A Hood smiled and nodded. 00:19:49 Speaker 2: I do. 00:19:50 Speaker 4: First, I will need a ramshorn. 00:19:54 Speaker 1: It was early morning and the sun was barely cresting over the walls of Gilgal. Ay Hood walked slowly up the winding dirt road leading up to the palace of King Eglong. He was shrouded in a cloak with a hood over his head. He pulled a cart behind him filled with cured meats, cheeses, small chests of gold and silver, and linen. He pulled the cart up to the palace gates and stood there. He looked up, looking up at the window near the very top, he took note of the palace surroundings. It was a large structure built on the top of the hill. At the front were the gates and the winding road that led down to the city. The back was against the edge of a hill sloping down into a valley. Ay Hood counted every guard posted in front and noted how many archers were up above to the palaces. Left was a large garrison filled with over a thousand soldiers. Every soldier who was not in the city streets was in that garrison. Ay Hood noted this and stood patiently the gate. Two Moabite guards approached with their spears in hand. He recognized them from his unfortunate running outside the city. Ay Hood remained hooded with his head down. He gestured back to his card, I have an. 00:21:15 Speaker 4: Offering from the elders of Israel I would like to present them as a symbol of contrition to King Edward. 00:21:21 Speaker 1: The men inspected the offering and glanced at Ahood's left side for any sword or blade. They could see none, so they opened the gates and allowed him to enter. The Inside of the palace was laced with decadent artwork, looed sculptures and Canaanite idols. The halls smelled of burnt meat and incense. There was an uneasy feeling in the air, and a Hood could feel that he was in the presence of a strange spirit. He prayed silently to the Lord for strength and felt reassured in the task at hand. Guards opened two large groupen doors, and a Hood stepped into the private chambers of King Eglon. It was a large room with pillows and couches around the perimeter. In the center, near the balcony, was a throne. Sitting atop the throne was a creature unlike any a Hood had ever seen. Yes, it was a man, but there was something different about him. He was large and corpulent, with no discernible life in his eyes. His body covered the throne completely, and his beard tangled down his chest to his waist. To his right was a large cup of wine, and to his left was a tray of bones, stripped and sucked of all the meat and marrow. Slave women surrounded the throne at his feet like animals, and behind him were a dozen men with attention to serve him. It was an unsettling sight. King Eglon was the slothful and gross representation of self indulgence, a symbol of what Israel was trapped in. Eglon's pale and lifeless eyes darted forward at Ahood. He snarled and spat in his direction. 00:23:08 Speaker 8: So the bombers of those rooms and a tribute do the dogs finally know who their master is. 00:23:16 Speaker 1: Amused with himself, the king gestured for his servants to bring him some of the meat and cheese. Eglon sniffed it and began to consume it. Ay Hood kept his head low and tried to discern how to make the next move. He looked around him and counted the guards and servants. There were too many to fight all at once without causing a stir. He looked up at the king, whose mouth was full of meat and cheese, with drool and food dripping down his beard. Ay Hood looked to his left and saw the cool chambers, a place for the king to relieve himself and for the smell to exit out of a large window. Ay Hood pulled a sack out of his cloak and looked back at Egglon, My good king. 00:24:03 Speaker 4: I've also brought dates from an orchard in the hills. They are the sweetest this time of year. 00:24:07 Speaker 1: The king smiled and waved for Ahod to bring them over. He came close to the king, gave him the dates, and bowed his head close to his ear. 00:24:16 Speaker 4: I have also come with a secret message for you, grace, one that must only reach your ears. 00:24:23 Speaker 1: Eglon raised a hand and hushed the people in the. 00:24:26 Speaker 4: Room leave us. 00:24:29 Speaker 1: The guards, slaves and servants left immediately, leaving only King Eglon and a Hood alone in the room. 00:24:36 Speaker 8: What is your message? 00:24:39 Speaker 2: Hebrew? 00:24:41 Speaker 8: Those dogs planning uprising. I've suspected to snake him ome palace, but I have no proof. 00:24:51 Speaker 4: Do I have a traitor in my midst? 00:24:54 Speaker 1: A Hood feigned paranoia and held his ear to the door. 00:24:59 Speaker 4: A King, you are in danger, and this message cannot find anyone's ears, but you're on. 00:25:05 Speaker 1: A Hood gestured for him to join him in the cool chamber. Eglon labored to rise from his throne and followed a Hood to the chamber. He closed the door and breathed in deeply, what is your message? A Hood removed his hood and looked at the king. His eyes were like fiery arrows shooting forth the justice of God. 00:25:28 Speaker 4: My message is from the Lord. 00:25:29 Speaker 1: With a swift turn of his left hand, he reached down to a hidden blade tied to his right thigh and thrust it through the king's belly. A Hood drove the blade in deep, forcing the king back onto the wall. Eglon gasped and gargled up blood, but a Hood continued to drive the blade downward. The king's fat wrapped around the blade and consumed it completely. He drove down into his entrails, causing feces and blood to spill out of his samok. The sight was grotesque, and the smell was putred. The oppressor of Israel and King of Moab lay dead on the chamber floor, soaking in a pool of his own blood and dung. A had locked the chamber doors and looked out the window. It was a twenty foot drop down to the slope leading to the valley. He smiled and removed his cloak, crawled out the window, and scaled down the palace walls. Meanwhile, the guards and servants came in to check on the king, but the doors to the chamber were locked. The smell of dung was wafting through cracks in the door, and the men covered their noses. They thought he must have been relieving himself, so they waited for nearly an hour. They waited for a long while, until they were embarrassed by how long the king was taking. They knocked, but there was no answer. They knocked again louder. Finally, they broke the chamber door open. As they entered, they stepped in a disgusting puddle of blood and dumb. In the middle of the puddle was their dead king. While the men delayed, a hood scaled down the wall and landed in the soft grass. He looked up and smiled. He ran as fast as he could through the valley, past the stone idols erected near the palace. An arrow whizzed passed his ear on to the grass ahead of him. A Hood looked back. The palace guards knew what he had done and were trying to shoot him down a hood kept running as fast as he could, driving his legs up the grassy hill two hundred yards from the palace. Arrows continued to fly past him until he finally reached the top. Ahod caught his breath and removed the ramshorn secured to his belt. He drew a deep breath and blew its bellow was deep, beautiful, and triumphant. He blew the horn again, allowing a sound to echo across the plain into the city. He stopped and looked out at the walls. The sun warmed his cheek and the breeze blew gently against his face. Then, out of the silence, Ahod could feel the earth beginning to shake. Behind him were thousands of Israelites gathered to fight. Behind Ahod, the people of God were ignited once again and found their passion to fight for righteousness. As I was at the front and thought Ahod A's sword, he held it with his left hand and raised it high. 00:28:33 Speaker 4: In the air. Brothers, people of Israel, hear me, follow after me, For the Lord has given your enemies, the Mobites. It's your hand. 00:28:43 Speaker 2: Do not fear. 00:28:45 Speaker 1: The chosen people roared, and Ahold blew the rams all onwards again. He ran forward with his sword and a lord. The Israelits rallied behind Ahod, their despair giving way to righteous fury. They stormed the Moabide garrison at Gilgalla, swords flashing in the morning sun. The battle raged for hours, but the Moabites were unprepared for the ferocity of a united Israel. By day's end, ten thousand Moabite soldiers lay dead, and not one escaped. Ahud led his people to victory, and for eighty years Israel knew peace. The man who had been scorned as an outcast became a symbol of God's power to redeem and restore. Under his judgment, the people turned away from the sins that had ensnared them, and the land flourished once more. In Ahod, the left handed warrior, the Lord had raised a deliverer who proved that even the unlikeliest of men could wield the blade of justice. This Prey dot com production is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Gattina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabager and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvado, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwald, Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland Junior, Rosanna Pilcher, and Mitch Leshinsky. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Aaron Salvato, bre Rosalie and Chris Baig. You can hear more Prey dot com productions on the Prey dot Com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People, please rate and leave a review,