Judges 1

1 And it comes to pass after the death of Joshua, that the sons of Israel ask of YHWH, saying, “Who goes up for us to the Canaanite, at the commencement, to fight against it?”

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 first against the Canaanites, to fight against them?'

2 And YHWH says, “Judah goes up; behold, I have given the land into his hand.”

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

3 And Judah says to his brother Simeon, “Go up with me into my lot, and we fight against the Canaanite—and I have gone, even I, with you into your lot”; and Simeon goes with him.

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 And Judah goes up, and YHWH gives the Canaanite and the Perizzite into their hand, and they strike them in Bezek—ten thousand men;

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 they find Adoni-Bezek in Bezek, and fight against him, and strike the Canaanite and the Perizzite.

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

6 And Adoni-Bezek flees, and they pursue after him, and seize him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes,

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

7 and Adoni-Bezek says, “Seventy kings—their thumbs and their great toes cut off—have been gathering under my table; as I have done so God has repaid to me”; and they bring him to Jerusalem, and he dies there.

And Adoni-bezek said: 'Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered food under my table; as I have done, so God hath requited me.' And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

8 And the sons of Judah fight against Jerusalem, and capture it, and strike it by the mouth of the sword, and they have sent the city into 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 and afterward the sons of Judah have gone down to fight against the Canaanite inhabiting the hill-country, and the south, and the low country;

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 and Judah goes to the Canaanite who is dwelling in Hebron (and the name of Hebron [was] formerly Kirjath-Arba), and they strike Sheshai, and 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 And he goes there to the inhabitants of Debir (and the name of Debir [was] formerly Kirjath-Sepher),

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

12 and Caleb says, “He who strikes Kirjath-Sepher and has captured it—then I have given my daughter Achsah to him for a wife.”

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

13 And Othniel son of Kenaz, younger brother of Caleb, captures it, and he gives his daughter Achsah to him for a wife.

And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it; and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.

14 And it comes to pass in her coming in, that she persuades him to ask from her father the field, and she comes down off the donkey, and Caleb says to her, “What do you [want]?”

And it came to pass, when she came unto him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field; and she alighted from off her ass; and Caleb said unto her: 'What wouldest thou?'

15 And she says to him, “Give a blessing to me; when you have given me the south land—then you have given springs of water to me”; and Caleb gives the upper springs and the lower springs to her.

And she said unto him: 'Give me a blessing; for that thou hast set me in the Southland, give me therefore springs of water.' And Caleb gave her the Upper Springs and the Nether Springs.

16 And the sons of the Kenite, father-in-law of Moses, have gone up out of the city of palms with the sons of Judah [to] the wilderness of Judah, which [is] in the south of Arad, and they go and dwell with the people.

And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father-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 And Judah goes with his brother Simeon, and they strike the Canaanite inhabiting Zephath, and devote it; and [one] calls the name of the city 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 captures Gaza and its border, and Askelon and its border, and Ekron and its border;

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

19 and YHWH is with Judah, and he occupies the hill-country, but not to dispossess the inhabitants of the valley, for they have chariots of iron.

And the LORD was with Judah; and he drove 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 And they give Hebron to Caleb, as Moses has spoken, and he dispossesses the three sons of Anak there.

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

21 And the sons of Benjamin have not dispossessed the Jebusite inhabiting Jerusalem; and the Jebusite dwells with the sons of Benjamin, in Jerusalem, until this day.

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 And the house of Joseph goes up—even they—to Beth-El, and YHWH [is] with them;

And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Beth-el; and the LORD was with them.

23 and the house of Joseph causes [men] to spy out Beth-El (and the name of the city [was] formerly Luz),

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

24 and the watchers see a man coming out from the city, and say to him, “Please show us the entrance of the city, and we have done kindness with you.”

And the watchers saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him: 'Show us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will deal kindly with thee.'

25 And he shows them the entrance of the city, and they strike the city by the mouth of the sword, and they have sent the man and all his family away;

And he showed 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 goes to the land of the Hittites, and builds a city, and calls its name Luz—it [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 And Manasseh has not occupied Beth-Shean and its towns, and Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, and the inhabitants of Iblaim and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns, and the Canaanite is desirous to dwell in that land;

And Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its towns, nor of Taanach and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns; but the Canaanites were resolved to dwell in that land.

28 and it comes to pass, when Israel has been strong, that he sets the Canaanite to forced labor, and has not utterly dispossessed it.

And it came to pass, when Israel was waxen strong, that they put the Canaanites to task-work, but did in no wise drive them out.

29 And Ephraim has not dispossessed the Canaanite who is dwelling in Gezer, and the Canaanite dwells in its midst, in Gezer.

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

30 Zebulun has not dispossessed the inhabitants of Kitron, and the inhabitants of Nahalol, and the Canaanite dwells in its midst, and they become forced labor.

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

31 Asher has not dispossessed the inhabitants of Accho, and the inhabitants of Sidon, and Ahlab, and Achzib, and Helbah, and Aphik, and Rehob;

Asher drove 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 and the Asherite dwells in the midst of the Canaanite, the inhabitants of the land, for it has not dispossessed them.

but the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out.

33 Naphtali has not dispossessed the inhabitants of Beth-Shemesh, and the inhabitants of Beth-Anath, and he dwells in the midst of the Canaanite, the inhabitants of the land; and the inhabitants of Beth-Shemesh and of Beth-Anath were for forced labor for them.

Naphtali drove 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 And the Amorites press the sons of Dan to the mountain, for they have not permitted them to go down to the valley;

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 Amorite is desirous to dwell in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim, and the hand of the house of Joseph is heavy, and they are for forced labor;

But the Amorites were resolved to dwell in Harheres, 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 Amorite [is] from the ascent of Akrabbim, from the rock and upward.

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