Judges 1

1 After the death of Josue the children of Israel consulted the Lord, saying: Who shall go up before us against the Chanaanite, and shall be the leader of the war?

And it came to pass, after the death of Joshua, that the sons of Israel asked of Yahweh, saying, —Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites, first, to make war upon them?

2 And the Lord said: Juda shall go up: behold I have delivered the land into his hands.

And Yahweh said—Judah, shall go, —lo! I have delivered the land into his power.

3 And Juda said to Simeon his brother: Come up with me into my lot, and fight against the Chanaanite, that I also may go along with thee into thy lot. And Simeon went with him.

Then said Judah, unto Simeon his brother—Come up with me into the territory allotted me, and let us make war on the Canaanites, then will, I also, go with thee, into thy territory. So Simeon went with him.

4 And Juda went up, and the Lord delivered the Chanaanite, and the Pherezite into their hands: and they slew of them in Bezec ten thousand men.

And Judah went up, and Yahweh delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand, —and they smote them in Bezek, ten thousand men.

5 And they found Adonibezec in Bezec, and fought against him, and they defeated the Chanaanite, and the Pherezite.

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

6 And Adonibezec fled: and they pursued after him and took him, and cut off his fingers and toes.

But Adoni-bezek fled, and they pursued him, —and took him, and cut off his thumbs, and his great toes.

7 And Adonibezec said: Seventy kings having their fingers and toes cut off, gathered up the leavings of the meat under my table: as I have done, so hath God requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

Then said Adoni-bezek—Seventy kings, with their thumbs and great toes cut off, have been picking up crumbs under my table, as I have done, so, hath God requited me. And they brought him into Jerusalem, and he died there.

8 And the children of Juda besieging Jerusalem, took it, and put it to the sword, and set the whole city on fire.

And the sons of Judah made war upon Jerusalem, and captured it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, —and, the city, they set on fire.

9 And afterwards they went down and fought against the Chanaanite, who dwelt in the mountains, and in the south, and in the plains.

And, afterwards, the sons of Judah went down to make war upon the Canaanites, —dwelling in the hill country, and in the south, and in the lowland.

10 And Juda going forward against the Chanaanite, that dwelt in Hebron (the name whereof was in former times Cariath-Arbe) slew Sesai, and Ahiman, and Tholmai:

And Judah went against the Canaanites who were dwelling in Hebron, now, the name of Hebron, formerly, was Kiriath-arba, —and they smote Sheshai and Ahiman, and Talmai.

11 And departing from thence he went to the inhabitants of Dabir, the ancient name of which was Cariath-Sepher, that is, the city of letters.

And he went from thence, against the inhabitants of Debir, —now, the name of Debir, formerly, was Kiriath-sepher.

12 And Caleb said: He that shall take Cariath-Sepher, and lay it waste, to him will I give my daughter Axa to wife.

And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kiriath-sepher, and captureth it, I will give unto him Achsah my daughter, to wife.

13 And Othoniel the son of Cenez, the younger brother of Caleb, having taken it, he gave him Axa his daughter to wife.

Then Othniel, son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, captured it, —and he gave him Achsah his daughter, to wife.

14 And as she was going on her way her husband admonished her to ask a field of her father. And as she sighed sitting on her ass, Caleb said to her: What aileth thee?

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

15 But she answered: Give me a blessing, for thou hast given me a dry land: give me also a watery land. So Caleb gave her the upper and the nether watery ground.

And she said unto him—Give me a present; for, south land, hast thou given me, give me therefore pools of water. So Caleb gave her Upper-pools, and Lower-pools.

16 And the children of the Cinite, the kinsman of Moses, went up from the city of palms, with the children of Juda into the wilderness of his lot, which is at the south side of Arad, and they dwelt with him.

Now, the sons of the Kenite, father-in-law of Moses, had come up from the city of palm-trees, with the sons of Judah, into the wilderness of Judah, which is in the south of Arad, —so they went and dwelt with the people.

17 And Juda went with Simeon his brother, and they together defeated the Chanaanites that dwelt in Sephaath, and slew them. And the name of the city was called Horma, that is, Anathema.

Then went Judah, with Simeon his brother, and they smote the Canaanites dwelling in Zephath, —and devoted it to destruction, and the name of the city was called Hormah.

18 And Juda took Gaza with its confines, and Ascalon and Accaron with their confines.

And Judah captured Gaza with the boundaries thereof, and Ashkelon, with the boundaries thereof, —and Ekron, with the boundaries thereof.

19 And the Lord was with Juda, and he possessed the hill country: but was not able to destroy the inhabitants of the valley, because they had many chariots armed with scythes.

And it same to pass that Yahweh was with Judah, and he took possession of the hill country, —but did not dispossess the inhabitants of the vale, because they had, chariots of iron.

20 And they gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had said, who destroyed out of it the three sons of Enac.

So they gave unto Caleb Hebron, as spake Moses, —and he drave out from thence the three sons of Anak.

21 But the sons of Benjamin did not destroy the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem: and the Jebusite hath dwelt with the sons of Benjamin in Jerusalem until this present day.

But, the Jebusites dwelling in Jerusalem, the sons of Benjamin did not drive out, —but the Jebusites have dwelt with the sons of Benjamin, in Jerusalem, unto this day.

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

Then went up the house of Joseph—they also, —unto Bethel, —and, Yahweh, was with them.

23 For when they were besieging the city, which before was called Luza,

And the house of Joseph sent to spy out Bethel, —now, the name of the city, formerly, was, Luz.

24 They saw a man coming out of the city, and they said to him: Shew us the entrance into the city, and we will shew thee mercy.

So the watchers saw a man, coming forth from the city, —and they said unto him—Shew us, we pray thee, the way to get into the city, and we will deal with thee, in lovingkindness.

25 And when he had shewn them, they smote the city with the edge of the sword: but that man and all his kindred they let go:

And he shewed them the way to get into the city, and they smote the city, with the edge of the sword, —but, the man and all his family, they let go.

26 Who being sent away, went into the land of Hethim, and built there a city, and called it Luza: which is so called until this day.

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

27 Manasses also did not destroy Bethsan, and Thanac with their villages, nor the inhabitants of Dor, and Jeblaam, and Mageddo with their villages. And the Chanaanite began to dwell with them.

But Manasseh took not possession of Beth-shean and her towns, nor of Taanach and her towns, nor dispossessed 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 were determined to remain in this land;

28 But after Israel was grown strong he made them tributaries, and would not destroy them.

when Israel, however, had waxed strong, they put the Canaanites under tribute, —though they, dispossessed, them not.

29 Ephraim also did not slay the Chanaanite that dwelt in Gazer, but dwelt with him.

And, Ephraim, dispossessed not the Canaanites who were dwelling in Gezer, —so the Canaanites remained in their midst, in Gezer.

30 Zabulon destroyed not the inhabitants of Cetron, and Naalol: but the Chanaanite dwelt among them, and became their tributaries.

Zebulun, dispossessed not the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol, —but the Canaanites remained in their midst, and came under tribute.

31 Aser also destroyed not the inhabitants of Accho, and of Sidon, of Ahalab, and of Achazib, and of Helba, and of Aphec, and of Rohob:

Asher, dispossessed not 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 And he dwelt in the midst of the Chanaanites the inhabitants of that land, and did not slay them.

but the Asherites dwelt in the midst of the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, —for they dispossessed them not.

33 Nephtali also destroyed not the inhabitants of Bethsames, and of Bethanath: and he dwelt in the midst of the Chanaanites the inhabitants of the land, and the Bethsamites and Bethanites were tributaries to him.

Naphtali, dispossessed not the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh nor the inhabitants of Beth-anath, but they dwelt in the midst of the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, —and, the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, and of Beth-anath, became theirs, under tribute.

34 And the Amorrhite straitened the children of Dan in the mountain, and gave them not place to go down to the plain:

And the Amorites forced the sons of Dan into the hill country, —for they suffered them not to come down into the vale;

35 And he dwelt in the mountain Hares, that is, of potsherds, in Aialon and Salebim. And the hand of the house of Joseph was heavy upon him, and he became tributary to him.

and, though the Amorites were determined to remain in the hill country of Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim, yet was the hand of the house of Joseph heavy, so that they came under tribute.

36 And the border of the Amorrhite was from the ascent of the scorpion, the rock, and the higher places.

And, the boundary of the Amorites, was from the ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela and upwards.