< Richter 1 >

1 Und nach Josues Tode fragten die Söhne Israels den Herrn: "Wer von uns soll zuerst in den Kampf wider die Kanaaniter ziehen?"
After Joshua died, the Israeli people asked Yahweh, “Which [of our tribes] should attack the Canaan people-group first?”
2 Da sprach der Herr: "Juda soll hinziehen! Ich gebe das Land in seine Hand."
Yahweh replied, “I will enable the tribe of Judah to defeat [IDM] the Canaan people-group.”
3 Da sprach Juda zu seinem Bruder Simeon: "Zieh mit mir in mein Losteil! Wir wollen wider die Kanaaniter streiten. Dann ziehe auch ich mit dir in dein Losteil." Und Simeon zog mit ihm.
The men of Judah went to their fellow Israelis, [the men] from the tribe of Simeon, and said to them, “Come and help us to fight the Canaan people-group [in order that we can take from them] the land [that Yahweh] allotted to us. If you do that, we will go with you [and help you] conquer the people in the land [that Yahweh promised to give to] you.” So the men from the tribe of Simeon went with the men of the tribe of Judah.
4 Juda zog nun hin, und der Herr gab die Kanaaniter und die Periziter in seine Hand. Sie schlugen diese bei Bezek, 10.000 Mann.
When the men of those two tribes attacked, Yahweh enabled them to defeat 10,000 men of the Canaan people-group and the Periz people-group [DOU] at Bezek [city].
5 In Bezek stießen sie auf den Zepterträger, kämpften mit ihm und schlugen die Kanaaniter und Periziter.
During the battle they found Adoni-Bezek, the leader of the city,
6 Der Zepterträger jedoch floh. Sie aber jagten ihm nach, griffen ihn und hieben ihm die Daumen und die großen Zehen ab.
but he [tried to] run away. The Israelis pursued him and caught him. Then they cut off his thumbs and his big toes.
7 Da sprach der Zepterträger: "Siebzig Könige mit abgehauenen Daumen und Zehen haben unter meinem Tische aufgelesen. Wie ich getan, so hat mir Gott vergolten." Dann brachten sie ihn nach Jerusalem, und er erlitt dort den Tod.
Adoni-Bezek said, “[My army captured] 70 kings. We cut off their thumbs and big toes. After that, [we forced] those kings to eat scraps that fell from our table. Now God has (paid me back for/done to me like) [what we did to them].” Then the men of Judah took Adoni-Bezek to Jerusalem, and he died there.
8 Judas Söhne kämpften nämlich gegen Jerusalem, eroberten es und schlugen es mit des Schwertes Schärfe und steckten die Stadt in Brand.
The army of Judah fought against the men of Jerusalem, and they captured the city. With their swords they killed [the people who lived there] and they burned [the houses in] the city.
9 Danach zogen Judas Söhne zum Kampfe gegen die Kanaaniter hinab, die das Gebirge, das Südland und die Niederung bewohnten.
Later, the men of Judah went down to fight the Canaan people-group who lived in the hilly area, in the desert to the south, and in the foothills [to the west].
10 Und Juda zog gegen die Kanaaniter in Hebron. Hebron aber hieß vormals Kirjat Arba. Sie schlugen Sesai, Achiman und Talmai.
The men of Judah also went to fight against the Canaan people-group who lived in Hebron [city], which at that time was named Kiriath-Arba. They defeated [the armies of kings] Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.
11 Von dort zogen sie gegen Debirs Einwohner. Debir hieß vormals Kirjat Sepher.
Then they left that area and went to fight against the people living in Debir [city], which was previously named Kiriath-Sepher.
12 Und Kaleb sprach: "Wer Kirjat Sepher bezwingt und einnimmt, dem gebe ich meine Tochter Aksa zum Weibe."
[Before they attacked the city], Caleb said to them, “If one of you attacks and captures Kiriath-Sepher, I will allow him to marry my daughter.”
13 Da nahm es des Kenaz Sohn Otniel, Kalebs jüngerer Bruder. Da gab er ihm seine Tochter Aksa zum Weibe.
Othniel, who was the son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz, captured the city. So Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him, to become his wife.
14 Als sie hinzog, überlistete sie ihren Vater, da sie von ihm ein Feld wollte. Sie neigte sich nämlich vom Esel, so daß Kaleb sie fragte: "Was ist dir?"
When Acsah married Othniel, she told him to ask her father to give him a field. [But she decided to ask him herself. She rode to Caleb’s house on her donkey], and when she got off the donkey, Caleb [could see that something was troubling her. So he] asked her, “What do you want?”
15 Sie aber sprach zu ihm: "Gib mir doch eine Abschiedsgabe! Du vergibst mich ja nach dem Südland. So gib mir Wasser!" Da gab ihr Kaleb oberirdische und unterirdische Wasserstellen.
She replied, “I want you to do a favor for me. You have given me some land in the southern desert, [but it is very dry there]. So please also give me some [land that has] springs of water.” So Caleb gave her some land on higher ground that had a spring, and some land on lower ground that also had a spring.
16 Die Söhne des Keniters, des Schwiegervaters Mosis, waren aus der Palmenstadt zu den Söhnen Judas nach der Wüste Juda im Rücken Arads hinauf gezogen. Diese aber zogen ab und verpflanzten das Volk.
The people of the Ken people-group who were descendants of Moses’ father-in-law left Jericho, which was called ‘The City of Palm Trees’. They went with some of the men of Judah to live with them in the southern desert area, near Arad [city].
17 Auch Juda zog mit seinem Bruder Simeon weiter. Sie schlugen die Kanaaniter zu Sephat und bannten es. Daher nannte man die Stadt Chorma.
The men of Judah and their fellow Israelis from the tribe of Simeon defeated the people of the Canaan people-group who lived in Zephath [city]. They completely destroyed the city and gave it a new name, Hormah, [which means ‘complete destruction’].
18 Dann eroberte Juda Gaza, Askalon und Ekron je mit ihrem Gebiet.
The men of Judah also captured Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron [cities] and all the land that is near those cities.
19 Und der Herr war mit Juda, und es besetzte das Gebirge; die Talbewohner nämlich konnte es nicht vertreiben, weil sie eiserne Wagen hatten.
Yahweh helped the men of Judah to capture the hilly area, but they could not force the people who were living in the plains to leave, because [those people had better weapons—] had iron chariots.
20 Sie gaben nun Hebron dem Kaleb, wie es Moses befohlen. Und er vertrieb daraus die Enaksöhne.
Hebron [city] was given to Caleb because Moses had promised him that he could have that city. And Caleb forced the three clans descended from Anak to leave that area.
21 Auch die Benjaminiten konnten die Jebusiter, Jerusalems Insassen, nicht vertreiben. So blieben die Jebusiter bei den Söhnen Benjamins bis auf diesen Tag.
But the people of the tribe of Benjamin could not force the people of the Jebus people-group to leave Jerusalem. So, since that time the people of the Jebus people-group have lived in Jerusalem with the people of the tribe of Benjamin.
22 Auch die vom Hause Josephs zogen gegen Betel, und der Herr war mit ihnen.
The men of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh went to fight against [the men of] Bethel [city], and Yahweh helped them.
23 Die vom Hause Josephs ließen nun Betel ausspähen. Die Stadt aber hieß vordem Luz.
They sent some spies to [find out everything that they could find out about] Bethel, which was previously called Luz.
24 Die Kundschafter sahen nun einen Mann aus der Stadt kommen und sagten zu ihm: "Zeig uns den Zugang zur Stadt! Wir erweisen dir dafür Gutes."
The spies saw a man who was coming out of the city. They said to him, “If you show us a way to get into the city, we will be kind to you [and we will not kill you].”
25 Da zeigte er ihnen den Zugang zur Stadt. Und sie schlugen die Stadt mit des Schwertes Schärfe. Den Mann aber ließen sie mit seiner ganzen Familie ziehen.
So the man showed them a way to enter the city. The men of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh entered the city and killed all the people with their swords, but they did not kill the man [who showed them how to get into the city], and they did not kill his family.
26 Da ging der Mann in das Chittiterland, baute eine Stadt und nannte sie Luz. So heißt sie bis auf diesen Tag.
That man went to the area where the descendants of Heth lived, and built a city. He named the city Luz, and that is still the name of that city.
27 Auch Manasse vertrieb nicht die Bewohner von Bet Sean, Taanak, Ibleam, Megiddo und ihren Dörfern. Den Kanaanitern nämlich gelang es, in diesem Lande zu bleiben.
There were people of the Canaan people-group who lived in Beth-Shan, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, and Megiddo [cities] and in the surrounding villages. [The men of] the tribe of Manasseh did not force those people to leave those towns, because the people of the Canaan people-group were determined to stay there.
28 Als aber Israel erstarkte, machte es die Kanaaniter zinsbar, vertrieb sie aber nicht ganz.
Later, the Israelis became (stronger/more numerous), and they forced the people of the Canaan people-group to work for them [as their slaves], but they did not force all the people of the Canaan people-group to leave their land.
29 Auch Ephraim vertrieb nicht die kanaanitischen Insassen von Gezer. So blieben die Kanaaniter mitten unter ihm zu Gezer.
[The men of] the tribe of Ephraim did not force the people of the Canaan people-group to leave Gezer [city]. So the people of the Canaan people-group continued to live with the people of the tribe of Ephraim.
30 Auch Zabulon vertrieb nicht die Insassen von Kitron noch die von Nahalol. So blieben die Kanaaniter mitten unter ihm, wurden aber zinsbar.
[The men of] the tribe of Zebulun did nor compel the people of the Canaan people-group who were living in Kitron and Nahalol [cities] to leave. They stayed there and lived among the people of the tribe of Zebulun, but the people of Zebulun forced them to work for them as their slaves.
31 Asser vertrieb nicht die Insassen von Akko und die von Sidon, Achlab, Akzib, Helba, Aphik und Rechob.
[The men of] the tribe of Asher did not force the people of the Canaan people-group who lived in Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Aphek and Rehob [cities] to leave.
32 So wohnten Assers Söhne mitten unter Kanaanitern, die im Lande blieben, weil man sie nicht vertrieb.
So the people of the tribe of Asher lived among them.
33 Naphtali vertrieb nicht die Insassen von Bet Semes noch die von Bet Anat. So wohnte es mitten unter den Kanaanitern, die im Lande blieben. Doch wurden die Einwohner von Bet Semes und Bet Anat ihnen zinsbar.
[The men of] the tribe of Naphtali did not compel the people who lived in Beth-Shemesh and Beth-Anath [cities] to leave, so the people in those two cities continued to live there, but the people of the Canaan people-group were forced to work as the slaves of the people of the tribe of Naphtali.
34 Die Amoriter aber drängten Dans Söhne auf das Gebirge; denn sie ließen sie nicht in die Ebene ziehen.
The people of the Amor people-group forced the people of the tribe of Dan to live in the hills. They did not allow them to come down [and live] on the plain.
35 So gelang es den Amoritern, in Har Cheres, Ajjalon und Saalbin zu bleiben. Als aber die Macht des Josephhauses erstarkte, wurden sie zinsbar.
The people of the Amor people-group were determined to stay in Heres Mountain and in Aijalon and Shaalbim [cities]. But when the Israelis became (stronger/more numerous), they forced the people of the Amor people-group to work as their slaves.
36 Das Amoritergebiet aber erstreckte sich von der Skorpionensteige, von dem Felsengebirge, weiter hinauf.
The land where the Amor people-group lived extended from Scorpion Pass [toward the west] beyond Sela [town], up into the hilly area.

< Richter 1 >