Judges 1

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

And it came to pass after the death of Joshua, that the children of Israel enquired of the Lord, saying, Who shall go up for us first against the Chananites, to fight against them?

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

And the Lord said, Judas shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.

3 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.

And Judas said to his brother Symeon, Come up with me into my lot, and let us array ourselves against the Chananites, and I also will go with you into your lot: and Symeon went with him.

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

And Judas went up; and the Lord delivered the Chananite and the Pherezite into their hands, and they struck them in Bezek to [the number of] ten thousand men.

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

And they overtook Adonibezek in Bezek, and fought against him; and they struck the Chananite and the Pherezite.

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

And Adonibezek fled, and they pursued after him, and took him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.

7 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.

And Adonibezek said, Seventy kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered [their food] under my table: as I therefore have done, so God has recompensed me: and they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

8 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.

And the children of Judas fought against Jerusalem, and took it, and struck with the edge of the sword, and they burnt the city with fire.

9 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.

And afterwards the children of Judas went down to fight with the Chananite dwelling in the hill country, and the south, and the plain country.

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

And Judas went to the Chananite who lived in Chebron; and Chebron came out against him; [and the name of Chebron before was Cariatharbocsepher: ] and they struck Sessi, and Achiman, and Tholmi, children of Enac.

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

And they went up thence to the inhabitants of Dabir; but the name of Dabir was before Cariathsepher, the city of Letters.

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

And Chaleb said, Whosoever shall strike the city of Letters, and shall first take it, I will give to him Ascha my daughter to wife.

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

And Gothoniel the younger son of Kenez the brother of Chaleb took it; and Chaleb gave him his daughter Ascha to wife.

14 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?”

And it came to pass as she went in, that Gothoniel urged her to ask a field of her father; and she murmured and cried from off her ass, You have sent me forth into a south land: and Chaleb said to her, What is your request?

15 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.

And Ascha said to him, Give me, I pray you, a blessing, for you have sent me forth into a south land, and you shall give me the ransom of water: and Chaleb gave her according to her heart the ransom of the upper [springs] and the ransom of the low [springs].

16 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.

And the children of Jothor the Kenite the father-in-law of Moses went up from the city of palm-trees with the children of Judas, to the wilderness that is in the south of Juda, which is at the descent of Arad, and they lived with the people.

17 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.

And Judas went with Symeon his brother, and struck the Chananite that inhabited Sepheth, and they utterly destroyed them; and they called the name of the city Anathema.

18 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.

But Judas did not inherit Gaza nor her coasts, nor Ascalon nor her coasts, nor Accaron nor her coasts, [nor] Azotus nor the lands around it.

19 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.

And the Lord was with Judas, and he inherited the mountain; for they were not able to destroy the inhabitants of the valley, for Rechab prevented them.

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

And they gave Chebron to Chaleb, as Moses said; and thence he inherited the three cities of the children of Enac.

21 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.

But the children of Benjamin did not take the inheritance of the Jebusite who lived in Jerusalem; and the Jebusite lived with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem until this day.

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

And the sons of Joseph, they also went up to Baethel; and the Lord was with them.

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

And they encamped and surveyed Baethel: and the name of the city before was Luza.

24 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.”

And the spies looked, and behold, a man went out of the city, and they took him; and they said to him, Show us the way into the city, and we will deal mercifully with you.

25 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.

And he showed them the way into the city; and they struck the city with the edge of the sword; but they let go the man and his family.

26 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.

And the man went into the land of Chettin, and built there a city, and called the name of it Luza; this [is] its name until this day.

27 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.

And Manasse did not drive out [the inhabitants of] Baethsan, which is a city of Scythians, nor her towns, nor her suburbs; nor Thanac, nor her towns; nor the inhabitants of Dor, nor her suburbs, nor her towns; nor the inhabitant of Balac, nor her suburbs, nor her towns; nor the inhabitants of Magedo, nor her suburbs, nor her towns; nor the inhabitants of Jeblaam, nor her suburbs, nor her towns; and the Chananite began to dwell in this land.

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

And it came to pass when Israel was strong, that he made the Chananite tributary, but did not utterly drive them out.

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

And Ephraim did not drive out the Chananite that lived in Gazer; and the Chananite lived in the midst of him in Gazer, and became tributary.

30 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.

And Zabulon did not drive out the inhabitants of Kedron, nor the inhabitants of Domana: and the Chananite lived in the midst of them, and became tributary to them.

31 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.

And Aser did not drive out the inhabitants of Accho, and [that people] became tributary to him, nor the inhabitants of Dor, nor the inhabitants of Sidon, nor the inhabitants of Dalaph, nor Aschazi, nor Chebda, nor Nai, nor Ereo.

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

And Aser lived in the midst of the Chananite who inhabited the land, for he could not drive him out.

33 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.

And Nephthali did not drive out the inhabitants of Baethsamys, nor the inhabitants of Baethanach; and Nephthali lived in the midst of the Chananite who inhabited the land: but the inhabitants of Bethsamys and of Baetheneth became tributary to them.

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

And the Amorite drove out the children of Dan into the mountains, for they did not suffer them to come down into the valley.

35 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.

And the Amorite began to dwell in the mountain of shells, in which [are] bears, and foxes, in Myrsinon, and in Thalabin; and the hand of the house of Joseph was heavy upon the Amorite, and he became tributary to them.

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

And the border of the Amorite [was] from the going up of Acrabin, from the rock and upwards.