Judges 1

1 After that Ioshua was dead, the children of Israel asked ye Lord, saying, Who shall goe vp for vs against the Canaanites, to fight first against them?

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?”

2 And the Lord said, Iudah shall goe vp: behold, I haue giuen the land into his hande.

“Judah shall go up,” answered the LORD. “Indeed, I have delivered the land into their hands.”

3 And Iudah said vnto Simeon his brother, Come vp with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites: and I likewise will goe with thee into thy lot: so Simeon went with him.

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.

4 Then Iudah went vp, and the Lord deliuered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hands, and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men.

When Judah attacked, the LORD delivered the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek.

5 And they founde Adoni-bezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and slewe the Canaanites, and the Perizzites.

And there they found Adoni-bezek and fought against him, striking down the Canaanites and Perizzites.

6 But Adoni-bezek fled, and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off the thumbes of his hands and of his feete.

As Adoni-bezek fled, they pursued him, seized him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes.

7 And Adoni-bezek said, Seuentie Kings hauing the thumbes of their hands and of their feete cut off, gathered bread vnder my table: as I haue done, so God hath rewarded me. so they brought him to Ierusalem, and there he died.

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.

8 (Nowe the children of Iudah had fought against Ierusalem, and had taken it and smitten it with the edge of the sworde, and had set the citie on fire.)

Then the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire.

9 Afterwarde also the children of Iudah went downe to fight against the Canaanites, that dwelt in the mountaine, and towarde the South, and in the lowe countrey.

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

10 And Iudah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron, which Hebron beforetime was called Kiriath-arba: and they slewe Sheshai, and Ahiman and Talmai.

Judah also marched against the Canaanites who were living in Hebron (formerly known as Kiriath-arba), and they struck down Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.

11 And from thence hee went to the inhabitantes of Debir, and the name of Debir in olde time was Kiriath-sepher.

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

12 And Caleb saide, He that smiteth Kiriath-sepher, and taketh it, euen to him wil I giue Achsah my daughter to wife.

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

13 And Othniel the sonne of Kenaz Calebs yonger brother tooke it, to whome hee gaue Achsah his daughter to wife.

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

14 And when shee came to him, shee mooued him to aske of her father a field, and shee lighted off her asse, and Caleb saide vnto her, What wilt thou?

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?”

15 And shee answered him, Giue mee a blessing: for thou hast giuen me a South countrey, giue me also springs of water: and Caleb gaue her the springs aboue and the springs beneath.

“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.

16 And the childre of Keni Moses father in law went vp out of the citie of the palme trees with the children of Iudah, into the wildernesse of Iudah, that lieth in the South of Arad, and went and dwelt among the people.

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.

17 But Iudah went with Simeon his brother, and they slewe the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and vtterly destroied it, and called the name of the citie Hormah.

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.

18 Also Iudah tooke Azzah with the coasts thereof, and Askelon with the coasts thereof, and Ekron with the coastes thereof.

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

19 And the Lord was with Iudah, and he possessed the mountaines: for he could not driue out the inhabitantes of the valleis, because they had charrets of yron.

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.

20 And they gaue Hebron vnto Caleb, as Moses had saide, and hee expelled thence the three sonnes of Anak.

Just as Moses had promised, Judah gave Hebron to Caleb, who drove out the descendants of the three sons of Anak.

21 But the children of Beniamin did not cast out the Iebusites, that inhabited Ierusalem: therefore the Iebusites dwell with the children of Beniamin in Ierusalem vnto this day.

The Benjamites, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the Benjamites.

22 They also that were of the house of Ioseph, went vp to Beth-el, and the Lord was with them,

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

23 And the house of Ioseph caused to viewe Beth-el (and the name of the citie beforetime was Luz)

They sent spies to Bethel (formerly known as Luz),

24 And the spies sawe a man come out of the citie, and they saide vnto him, Shewe vs, we praie thee, the way into the citie, and we will shewe thee mercie.

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.”

25 And when hee had shewed them the waie into the citie, they smote the citie with the edge of the sworde, but they let the man and all his housholde depart.

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.

26 Then the man went into the lande of the Hittites, and built a citie, and called the name thereof Luz, which is the name thereof vnto this daie.

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

27 Neither did Manasseh destroie Bethshean with her townes, nor Taanach with her townes, nor the inhabitantes of Dor with her townes, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam with her townes, neither the inhabitants of Megiddo with her townes: but the Canaanites dwelled still in that lande.

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.

28 Neuerthelesse when Israel was strong, they put the Canaanites to tribute, and expelled them not wholly.

When Israel became stronger, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor, but they never drove them out completely.

29 Likewise Ephraim expelled not the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer, but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.

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

30 Neither did Zebulun expell the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol, but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributaries.

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

31 Neither did Asher cast out the inhabitants of Accho, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob,

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

32 But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites the inhabitantes of the lande: for they did not driue them out.

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

33 Neither did Naphtali driue out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, nor the inhabitants of Beth-anath, but dwelt among the Canaanites the inhabitants of the lande: neuerthelesse the inhabitantes of Beth-shemesh, and of Beth-anath became tributaries vnto them.

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.

34 And the Amorites droue the children of Dan into the mountaine: so that they suffered them not to come downe to the valley.

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

35 And the Ammonites dwelt still in mount Heres in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim, and when the hand of Iosephs familie preuailed, they became tributaries:

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.

36 And the coast of the Amorites was from Maaleh-akrabbim, euen from Selah and vpward.

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