Judges 1

1 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?

After the death of Joshua, the people of Israel asked Yahweh, saying, “Who first will attack the Canaanites for us, to fight against them?”

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

Yahweh said, “Judah will attack. See, I have given them control of this land.”

3 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.

The men of Judah said to men of Simeon, their brothers, “Come up with us into our territory that was assigned to us that together we may fight against the Canaanites. We will likewise go with you to the territory that was assigned to you.” So the tribe of Simeon went with them.

4 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.

The men of Judah attacked, and Yahweh gave them victory over the Canaanites and the Perizzites. They killed ten thousand of them at Bezek.

5 And they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek; and they fought against him, and they smote the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

They found Adoni-Bezek at Bezek, and they fought against him and defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

6 But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.

But Adoni-Bezek fled, and they pursued him and caught him, and they cut off his thumbs and his big toes.

7 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.

Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings, who had their thumbs and their big toes cut off, gathered their food from under my table. As I have done, even so God has done to me.” They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

8 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.

The men of Judah fought against the city of Jerusalem and took it. They attacked it with the edge of the sword and they set the city on fire.

9 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.

After that, the men of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, in the Negev, and the western foothills.

10 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.

Judah advanced against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron (the name of Hebron was previously Kiriath Arba), and they defeated Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.

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

From there the men of Judah advanced against the inhabitants of Debir (the name of Debir was previously Kiriath Sepher).

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

Caleb said, “Whoever attacks Kiriath Sepher and takes it, I will give him Aksah, my daughter, to be his wife.”

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

Othniel, son of Kenaz (Caleb's younger brother) captured Debir, so Caleb gave him Aksah, his daughter, to be his wife.

14 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?

Soon Aksah came to Othniel, and she urged him to ask her father to give her a field. As she was getting off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?”

15 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.

She said to him, “Give me a blessing. Since you have given me the land of the Negev, also give me springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

16 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.

The descendants of Moses' father-in-law the Kenite went up from the City of Palms with the people of Judah, into the wilderness of Judah, which is in the Negev, to live with the people of Judah near Arad.

17 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.

The men of Judah went with the men of Simeon their brothers and they attacked the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath and they completely destroyed it. The name of the city was called Hormah.

18 And Judah captured Gazzah with its territory, and Ashkelon with its territory, and 'Ekron with its territory.

The people of Judah also captured Gaza and the land around it, Ashkelon and the land around it, and Ekron and the land around it.

19 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.

Yahweh was with the people of Judah and they took possession of the hill country, but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the plains because they had iron chariots.

20 And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses had spoken; and he drove out thence the three sons of 'Anak.

Hebron was given to Caleb (like Moses had said), and he drove out from there the three sons of Anak.

21 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.

But the people of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem. So the Jebusites have lived with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

22 And the house of Joseph, these also, went up against Beth-el; and the Lord was with them.

The house of Joseph prepared to attack Bethel, and Yahweh was with them.

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

They sent out men to spy on Bethel (the city that was formerly called Luz).

24 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.

The spies saw a man coming out of the city, and they said to him, “Show us, please, how to get into the city, and we will be kind to you.”

25 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.

He showed them a way into the city, and so they attacked the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man and all his family get away.

26 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.

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

27 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.

The people of Manasseh did not drive out the people living in the cities of Beth Shan and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or those who lived in Dor and its villages, or those who lived in Ibleam and its villages, or those who lived in Megiddo and its villages, because the Canaanites were determined to live in that land.

28 And it came to pass, when Israel became strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute; but they did not drive them out entirely.

When Israel became strong, they forced the Canaanites to serve them with hard labor, but they never drove them out completely.

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

Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites continued to live in Gezer among them.

30 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.

Zebulun did not drive out the people living in Kitron, or the people living in Nahalol, and so the Canaanites continued to live among them, but Zebulun forced the Canaanites to serve them with hard labor.

31 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;

Asher did not drive out the people living in Akko, or the people living in Sidon, or those living in Ahlab, Akzib, Helbah, Aphek, or Rehob.

32 And the Asherites dwelt in the midst of the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out.

So the tribe of Asher lived among the Canaanites (those who lived in the land), because they did not drive them out.

33 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.

The tribe of Naphtali did not drive out those who were living in Beth Shemesh, or those living in Beth Anath. So the tribe of Naphtali lived among the Canaanites (the people who were living in that land). However, the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were forced into hard labor for Naphthali.

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

The Amorites forced the tribe of Dan to live in the hill country, not allowing them to come down to the plain.

35 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.

So the Amorites lived at Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim, but the military might of the house of Joseph conquered them, and they were forced to serve them with hard labor.

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

The border of the Amorites ran from the hill of Akrabbim at Sela up into the hill country.