Judges 1

1 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?

After the death of Joshua, the children of Israel asked of the LORD, saying, “Who should go up for us first against the Canaanites, to fight against them?”

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

The LORD said, “Judah shall go up. Behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.”

3 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.

Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with you into your lot.” So Simeon went with him.

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

Judah went up, and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand. They struck ten thousand men in Bezek.

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

They found Adoni-Bezek in Bezek, and they fought against him. They struck the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

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

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

7 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.

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

8 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.

The children of Judah fought against Jerusalem, took it, struck it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.

9 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.

After that, the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, and in the South, and in the lowland.

10 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.

Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron. (The name of Hebron before that was Kiriath Arba.) They struck Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.

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

From there he went against the inhabitants of Debir. (The name of Debir before that was Kiriath Sepher.)

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

Caleb said, “I will give Achsah my daughter as wife to the man who strikes Kiriath Sepher, and takes it.”

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

Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it, so he gave him Achsah his daughter as his wife.

14 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?

When she came, she got him to ask her father for a field. She got off her donkey; and Caleb said to her, “What would you like?”

15 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.

She said to him, “Give me a blessing; because you have set me in the land of the South, give me also springs of water.” Then Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

16 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.

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 lived with the people.

17 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.

Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they struck the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. The name of the city was called Hormah.

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

Also Judah took Gaza with its border, and Ashkelon with its border, and Ekron with its border.

19 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.

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

They gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had said, and he drove the three sons of Anak out of there.

21 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.

The children of Benjamin didn’t drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem, but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

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

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

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

The house of Joseph sent to spy out Bethel. (The name of the city before that was Luz.)

24 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.

The watchers saw a man come out of the city, and they said to him, “Please show us the entrance into the city, and we will deal kindly with you.”

25 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.

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

26 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.

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

27 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;

Manasseh didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shean and its towns, nor 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 would dwell in that land.

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

When Israel had grown strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labour, and didn’t utterly drive them out.

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

Ephraim didn’t drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, but the Canaanites lived in Gezer amongst them.

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

Zebulun didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites lived amongst them, and became subject to forced labour.

31 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;

Asher didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Acco, nor the inhabitants of Sidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob;

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

but the Asherites lived amongst the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, for they didn’t drive them out.

33 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.

Naphtali didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh, nor the inhabitants of Beth Anath; but he lived amongst the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh and of Beth Anath became subject to forced labour.

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

The Amorites forced the children of Dan into the hill country, for they would not allow them to come down to the valley;

35 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.

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 subject to forced labour.

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

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