Judges 1

1 After the death of Joshua, the children of Israel asked of Yahweh, saying, “Who should go up for us first against the Canaanites, to fight against them?”

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

2 Yahweh said, “Judah shall go up. Behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.”

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

3 Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with you into your lot.” So Simeon went with him.

And Judas said to his brother Symeon, Come up with me into my lot, and let us array ourselves against the Chananites, and I also will go with you into your lot: and Symeon went with him.

4 Judah went up, and Yahweh delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand. They struck ten thousand men in Bezek.

And Judas went up; and the Lord delivered the Chananite and the Pherezite into their hands, and they struck them in Bezek to [the number of] ten thousand men.

5 They found Adoni-Bezek in Bezek, and they fought against him. They struck the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

And they overtook Adonibezek in Bezek, and fought against him; and they struck the Chananite and the Pherezite.

6 But Adoni-Bezek fled. They pursued him, caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his big toes.

And Adonibezek fled, and they pursued after him, and took him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.

7 Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings, having their thumbs and their big toes cut off, scavenged under my table. As I have done, so God has done to me.” They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

And Adonibezek said, Seventy kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered [their food] under my table: as I therefore have done, so God has recompensed me: and they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

8 The children of Judah fought against Jerusalem, took it, struck it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.

And the children of Judas fought against Jerusalem, and took it, and struck with the edge of the sword, and they burnt the city with fire.

9 After that, the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, and in the South, and in the lowland.

And afterwards the children of Judas went down to fight with the Chananite dwelling in the hill country, and the south, and the plain country.

10 Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron. (The name of Hebron before that was Kiriath Arba.) They struck Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.

And Judas went to the Chananite who lived in Chebron; and Chebron came out against him; [and the name of Chebron before was Cariatharbocsepher: ] and they struck Sessi, and Achiman, and Tholmi, children of Enac.

11 From there he went against the inhabitants of Debir. (The name of Debir before that was Kiriath Sepher.)

And they went up thence to the inhabitants of Dabir; but the name of Dabir was before Cariathsepher, the city of Letters.

12 Caleb said, “I will give Achsah my daughter as wife to the man who strikes Kiriath Sepher, and takes it.”

And Chaleb said, Whosoever shall strike the city of Letters, and shall first take it, I will give to him Ascha my daughter to wife.

13 Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it, so he gave him Achsah his daughter as his wife.

And Gothoniel the younger son of Kenez the brother of Chaleb took it; and Chaleb gave him his daughter Ascha to wife.

14 When she came, she got him to ask her father for a field. She got off her donkey; and Caleb said to her, “What would you like?”

And it came to pass as she went in, that Gothoniel urged her to ask a field of her father; and she murmured and cried from off her ass, You have sent me forth into a south land: and Chaleb said to her, What is your request?

15 She said to him, “Give me a blessing; because you have set me in the land of the South, give me also springs of water.” Then Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

And Ascha said to him, Give me, I pray you, a blessing, for you have sent me forth into a south land, and you shall give me the ransom of water: and Chaleb gave her according to her heart the ransom of the upper [springs] and the ransom of the low [springs].

16 The children of the Kenite, Moses’ brother-in-law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which is in the south of Arad; and they went and lived with the people.

And the children of Jothor the Kenite the father-in-law of Moses went up from the city of palm-trees with the children of Judas, to the wilderness that is in the south of Juda, which is at the descent of Arad, and they lived with the people.

17 Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they struck the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. The name of the city was called Hormah.

And Judas went with Symeon his brother, and struck the Chananite that inhabited Sepheth, and they utterly destroyed them; and they called the name of the city Anathema.

18 Also Judah took Gaza with its border, and Ashkelon with its border, and Ekron with its border.

But Judas did not inherit Gaza nor her coasts, nor Ascalon nor her coasts, nor Accaron nor her coasts, [nor] Azotus nor the lands around it.

19 Yahweh was with Judah, and drove out the inhabitants of the hill country; for he could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.

And the Lord was with Judas, and he inherited the mountain; for they were not able to destroy the inhabitants of the valley, for Rechab prevented them.

20 They gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had said, and he drove the three sons of Anak out of there.

And they gave Chebron to Chaleb, as Moses said; and thence he inherited the three cities of the children of Enac.

21 The children of Benjamin didn’t drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem, but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

But the children of Benjamin did not take the inheritance of the Jebusite who lived in Jerusalem; and the Jebusite lived with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem until this day.

22 The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and Yahweh was with them.

And the sons of Joseph, they also went up to Baethel; and the Lord was with them.

23 The house of Joseph sent to spy out Bethel. (The name of the city before that was Luz.)

And they encamped and surveyed Baethel: and the name of the city before was Luza.

24 The watchers saw a man come out of the city, and they said to him, “Please show us the entrance into the city, and we will deal kindly with you.”

And the spies looked, and behold, a man went out of the city, and they took him; and they said to him, Show us the way into the city, and we will deal mercifully with you.

25 He showed them the entrance into the city, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword; but they let the man and all his family go.

And he showed them the way into the city; and they struck the city with the edge of the sword; but they let go the man and his family.

26 The man went into the land of the Hittites, built a city, and called its name Luz, which is its name to this day.

And the man went into the land of Chettin, and built there a city, and called the name of it Luza; this [is] its name until this day.

27 Manasseh didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shean and its towns, nor Taanach and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.

And Manasse did not drive out [the inhabitants of] Baethsan, which is a city of Scythians, nor her towns, nor her suburbs; nor Thanac, nor her towns; nor the inhabitants of Dor, nor her suburbs, nor her towns; nor the inhabitant of Balac, nor her suburbs, nor her towns; nor the inhabitants of Magedo, nor her suburbs, nor her towns; nor the inhabitants of Jeblaam, nor her suburbs, nor her towns; and the Chananite began to dwell in this land.

28 When Israel had grown strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, and didn’t utterly drive them out.

And it came to pass when Israel was strong, that he made the Chananite tributary, but did not utterly drive them out.

29 Ephraim didn’t drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, but the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them.

And Ephraim did not drive out the Chananite that lived in Gazer; and the Chananite lived in the midst of him in Gazer, and became tributary.

30 Zebulun didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites lived among them, and became subject to forced labor.

And Zabulon did not drive out the inhabitants of Kedron, nor the inhabitants of Domana: and the Chananite lived in the midst of them, and became tributary to them.

31 Asher didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Acco, nor the inhabitants of Sidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob;

And Aser did not drive out the inhabitants of Accho, and [that people] became tributary to him, nor the inhabitants of Dor, nor the inhabitants of Sidon, nor the inhabitants of Dalaph, nor Aschazi, nor Chebda, nor Nai, nor Ereo.

32 but the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, for they didn’t drive them out.

And Aser lived in the midst of the Chananite who inhabited the land, for he could not drive him out.

33 Naphtali didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh, nor the inhabitants of Beth Anath; but he lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh and of Beth Anath became subject to forced labor.

And Nephthali did not drive out the inhabitants of Baethsamys, nor the inhabitants of Baethanach; and Nephthali lived in the midst of the Chananite who inhabited the land: but the inhabitants of Bethsamys and of Baetheneth became tributary to them.

34 The Amorites forced the children of Dan into the hill country, for they would not allow them to come down to the valley;

And the Amorite drove out the children of Dan into the mountains, for they did not suffer them to come down into the valley.

35 but the Amorites would dwell in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim. Yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became subject to forced labor.

And the Amorite began to dwell in the mountain of shells, in which [are] bears, and foxes, in Myrsinon, and in Thalabin; and the hand of the house of Joseph was heavy upon the Amorite, and he became tributary to them.

36 The border of the Amorites was from the ascent of Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward.

And the border of the Amorite [was] from the going up of Acrabin, from the rock and upwards.