Judges 1

1 After Joshua died, the Israelites asked the Lord, “Which tribe from among us should go first and attack the Canaanites?”

And it came to pass after the death of Joshua, that the children of Israel asked the Lord, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites at the first, to fight against them?

2 “Judah is to go first,” the Lord replied. “I have handed the land over to them.”

And the Lord said, Judah shall go up; behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.

3 The men of Judah said to their relatives of the tribe of Simeon, “Come with us to the land that has been allotted to us, and fight together with us against the Canaanites. Then we'll do the same for you and your allotted land.” So the tribe of Simeon joined with them.

And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, and we will fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot. So Simeon went with him.

4 The men of Judah attacked the Canaanites and Perizzites, and the Lord handed them over in defeat. They killed ten thousand of the enemy at the town of Bezek.

And Judah went up; and the Lord delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand; and they smote [of] them in Bezek ten thousand men.

5 There they confronted Adoni-bezek and fought with him, defeating the Canaanites and Perizzites.

And they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek; and they fought against him, and they smote the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

6 Adoni-bezek ran away, but they chased after him and captured him, and then cut off his thumbs and big toes.

But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.

7 Adoni-bezek said, “I had seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off picking up left-overs from under my table. Now God has paid me back in the same way what I did to them.” They took him to Jerusalem where he died.

And Adoni-bezek said, Seventy kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered food under my table: as I have done, so hath God requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

8 The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem and conquered it. They killed the inhabitants with the sword and burned the town down.

And the children of Judah fought against Jerusalem, and captured it, and they smote it with the edge of the sword, and the city they set on fire.

9 After this the men of Judah went to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country, in the Negev, and in the foothills of the lowlands.

And afterward did the children of Judah go down to fight against the Canaanites, that dwelt in the mountain, and in the south, and in the lowlands.

10 They attacked the Canaanites who lived Hebron (previously known as Kiriath Arba) and defeated Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.

And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron; [now the name of Hebron was formerly Kiryath-arba'; ] and they smote Sheshai, and Achiman, and Talmai.

11 From there they went on to attack the people living in Debir (previously known as Kiriath Sepher).

And he went from there against the inhabitants of Debir; and the name of Debir was formerly Kiryath-sepher:

12 Caleb announced, “I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to whoever attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.”

And Caleb said, He that will smite Kiryath-sepher, and capture it, to him will I give 'Achsah my daughter for wife.

13 Othniel, son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, was the one captured it, so he gave him his daughter Acsah in marriage.

And 'Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, captured it: and he gave him 'Achsah his daughter for wife.

14 When Acsah came to Othniel, she encouraged him to ask her father for a field. As she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What do you want?”

And it came to pass, when she came to him, that she persuaded him to ask of her father a field: and she alighted from off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What aileth thee?

15 “Please give me a blessing,” she replied. “You gave me land that's like the desert, so please give me springs of water as well.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

And she said unto him, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a dry land: give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs.

16 The descendants of Moses' father-in-law, the Kenite, went with the people of Judah from the city of palms to the wilderness of Judah in the Negev near Arad where they settled among the people.

And the children of the Kenite, the father-in-law of Moses, went up out of the city of palm-trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which is at the south of 'Arad; and they went and dwelt with the people.

17 Then Judah joined Simeon and defeated the Canaanites living in Zephath. They completely destroyed the town, so they named it Hormah.

And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they smote the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and devoted it. And the name of the city was called Chormah.

18 Judah also captured the towns of Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron, each with its surrounding territory.

And Judah captured Gazzah with its territory, and Ashkelon with its territory, and 'Ekron with its territory.

19 The Lord was with Judah, and they took over the hill country, but they could not drive out the people living on the plain because they had iron chariots.

And the Lord was with Judah; and he took possession of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.

20 As Moses had stipulated, Hebron was given to Caleb, who drove out from it the descendants of three sons of Anak.

And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses had spoken; and he drove out thence the three sons of 'Anak.

21 However, Benjamin could not drive out the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so the Jebusites live among the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this very day.

And the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem, the children of Benjamin did not drive out; but the Jebusites dwelt with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem until this day.

22 The descendants of Joseph went and attacked the town of Bethel, and the Lord was with them.

And the house of Joseph, these also, went up against Beth-el; and the Lord was with them.

23 They sent spies to investigate Bethel, which was previously known as Luz.

And the house of Joseph sent to spy out Beth-el: now the name of the city formerly was Luz.

24 The spies saw a man leaving the town and told him, “Please show us how to get into town, and we will treat you well.”

And the watchers saw a man coming forth out of the city, and they said unto him, Show us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will show thee kindness.

25 The man showed them the way into the town, and they killed all the inhabitants except the man and his family, whom they let go.

And he showed them the entrance into the city, and they smote the city with the edge of the sword; but the man and all his family they let go free.

26 The man moved to the country of the Hittites, and built a town there and called it Luz, which is its name to this day.

And the man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city, and called its name Luz: this is its name unto this day.

27 However, Manasseh didn't drive out the people living in the towns of Beth Shan, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo and their surrounding villages because the Canaanites insisted on living in the land.

Neither did Menasseh drive out [the inhabitants of] Beth-shean and its towns, nor Ta'anach and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Yible'am and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns; but the Canaanites succeeded to remain in this land.

28 When the Israelites grew stronger, they made the Canaanites do forced labor, but they never completely drove them out.

And it came to pass, when Israel became strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute; but they did not drive them out entirely.

29 Ephraim didn't drive out the Canaanites living in the town of Gezer, so the Canaanites went on living there among them.

Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; and the Canaanites dwelt in the midst of them at Gezer.

30 Zebulun didn't drive out the people living in the towns of Kitron and Nahalol, so the Canaanites went on living there among them. However, the Canaanites were made to do forced labor for the people of Zebulun.

Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; and the Canaanites dwelt in the midst of them, and became tributary.

31 Asher didn't drive out the people living in the towns of Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, and Rehob,

Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of 'Akko, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Achlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Chelbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rechob;

32 so the people of Asher went on living there among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land because they hadn't driven them out.

And the Asherites dwelt in the midst of the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out.

33 Naphtali didn't drive out the people living in the towns of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath. So the people of Asher went on living there among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land because they hadn't driven them out. However, the people of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath were made to do forced labor for the people of Naphtali.

Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, nor the inhabitants of Beth-'anath; and he dwelt in the midst of the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became tributary unto them.

34 The Amorites pushed the people of Dan back into the hill country—they did not let them come down into the lowlands.

And the Emorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain; for they would not suffer them to come down into the valley;

35 The Amorites insisted on remaining in Mount Heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim, but when the tribes of Joseph grew stronger, the Amorites were made to do forced labor.

And the Emorites succeeded to remain on mount Cheres, in Ayalon, and in Sha'albim; but when the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, they became tributary.

36 The border with the Amorites ran from Scorpion Pass through Sela and on up from there.

And the territory of the Emorites was from the ascent of 'Akrabbim, from the Rock upward.