Judges 1

1 After the death of Joshua, the Israelites inquired of the LORD, “Who will be the first to go up and fight for us against 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 shall go up,” answered the LORD. “Indeed, I have delivered the land into their hands.”

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

3 Then the men of Judah said to their brothers the Simeonites, “Come up with us to our allotted territory, and let us fight against the Canaanites. And we likewise will go with you to your territory.” So the Simeonites went 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 When Judah attacked, the LORD delivered the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at 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 And there they found Adoni-bezek and fought against him, striking down 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 As Adoni-bezek fled, they pursued him, seized him, and 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 Then Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have gathered the scraps under my table. As I have done to them, so God has repaid me.” And they brought 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 Then the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire.

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 Afterward, the men of Judah marched down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country, in the Negev, and in the foothills.

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 Judah also marched against the Canaanites who were living in Hebron (formerly known as Kiriath-arba), and they struck down 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 marched against the inhabitants of Debir (formerly known as Kiriath-sepher).

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

12 And Caleb said, “To the man who strikes down Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage.”

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

13 So Othniel son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz captured the city, and Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him in marriage.

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

14 One day Acsah came to Othniel and urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What do you desire?”

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 “Give me a blessing,” she answered. “Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me springs of water as well.” So Caleb gave her both 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 Now the descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, the Kenite, went up with the men of Judah from the City of Palms to the Wilderness of Judah in the Negev near Arad. They went to live 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 the men of Judah went with their brothers the Simeonites, attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, and devoted the city to destruction. So it was called 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 And Judah also captured Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron—each with its 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 possession of the hill country; but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the plains because they had chariots of iron.

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 Just as Moses had promised, Judah gave Hebron to Caleb, who drove out the descendants of the 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 The Benjamites, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the Benjamites.

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 house of Joseph also attacked 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 Bethel (formerly known as Luz),

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

24 and when the spies saw a man coming out of the city, they said to him, “Please show us how to get into the city, and we will treat you kindly.”

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 So the man showed them the entrance to the city, and they put the city to the sword but released that man and all his family.

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 And the man went to the land of the Hittites, built a city, 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 At that time Manasseh failed to drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo, and their villages; for the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that 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 Israel became stronger, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor, but they never drove them out completely.

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 also failed to drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer; so the Canaanites continued to dwell among them in Gezer.

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

30 Zebulun failed to drive out the inhabitants of Kitron and Nahalol; so the Canaanites lived among them and served as forced laborers.

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 failed to drive out the inhabitants 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 Asherites lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, because they did not drive 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 failed to drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath. So the Naphtalites also lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, but the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath served them as forced laborers.

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 forced the Danites into the hill country and did not allow them to come down into the plain.

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

35 And the Amorites were determined to dwell in Mount Heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim. But when the house of Joseph grew in strength, they pressed the Amorites into 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 And the border of the Amorites extended from the Ascent of Akrabbim to Sela and beyond.

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