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 of the LORD, saying, Who shall go up for us first against the Canaanites, 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, that we may 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, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered [their meat] under my table: as I have done, so God hath 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 took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and set the city 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 the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites that dwelt in the hill country, and in the South, and in the lowland.

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 beforetime was Kiriath-arba: ) and they smote Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.

11 From there they marched against the inhabitants of Debir (formerly known as Kiriath-sepher).

And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir. (Now the name of Debir beforetime was Kiriath-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 smiteth Kiriath-sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to 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, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to 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 [unto him], that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted down from off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wouldest thou?

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 that thou hast set me in the land of the South, 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, 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 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 utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah.

18 And Judah also captured Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron—each with its territory.

Also Judah took Gaza with the border thereof, and Ashkelon with the border thereof, and Ekron with the border thereof.

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 drave out [the inhabitants of] the hill country; for he 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 drave 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 children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem: but the Jebusites dwelt with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem, unto this day.

22 The house of Joseph also attacked Bethel, and the LORD was with them.

And the house of Joseph, they 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 beforetime 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 come forth out of the city, and they said unto him, Shew us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will deal kindly with thee.

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

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 the name thereof Luz: which is the name thereof 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.

And Manasseh did not drive out [the inhabitants of] Beth-shean and her towns, nor [of] Taanach and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns: but the Canaanites would dwell in that 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 was waxen strong, that they put the Canaanites to taskwork, and did not utterly drive them out.

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

And Ephraim drave not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.

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

Zebulun drave not out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributary.

31 Asher failed to drive out the inhabitants of Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, and Rehob.

Asher drave not out the inhabitants of Acco, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob:

32 So the Asherites lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, because they did not drive them out.

but the Asherites dwelt among 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 drave not out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, nor the inhabitants of Beth-anath; but he dwelt among 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 Amorites forced the children of Dan into the hill country: for they would not suffer them to come down to 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.

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 tributary.

36 And the border of the Amorites extended from the Ascent of Akrabbim to Sela and beyond.

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