Judges 1

1 Aftir the deeth of Josue the sones of Israel counseliden the Lord, and seiden, Who schal stie bifor vs ayens Cananei, and schal be duik of the batel?

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 seide, Judas schal stie; lo! Y haue youe the lond in to hise hondis.

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

3 And Juda seide to Symeon, his brother, Stie thou with me in my lot, and fiyte thou ayens Cananei, that Y go with thee in thi lot.

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 And Symeon yede with hym; and Judas stiede. And the Lord bitook Cananey and Feresei in to `the hondis of hem, and thei killiden in Besech ten thousynde of 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 thei founden Adonybozech in Besech, and thei fouyten ayens hym, and smytiden Cananei, and Feresey.

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

6 Forsothe Adonybozech fledde, whom thei pursueden, and token, and kittiden the endis of hise hondis and feet.

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

7 And Adonybozech seide, Seuenti kyngis, whanne the endis of hondis and feet weren kit awey, gaderiden relifs of metis vndur my bord; as Y dide, so God hath yolde to me. And thei brouyten hym in to Jerusalem, and there he diede.

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 Therfor the sones of Juda fouyten ayens Jerusalem, and token it, and smytiden bi the scharpnesse of swerd, and bitoken al the cytee to brennyng.

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

9 And aftirward thei yeden doun, and fouyten ayens Cananey, that dwellide in the hilli places, and at the south, in `feeldi places.

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 Judas yede ayens Cananei, that dwellide in Ebron, whos name was bi eld tyme Cariatharbe; and Judas killide Sisay, and Achyman, and Tholmai.

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 fro thennus he yede forth, and yede to the dwelleris of Dabir, whos eld name was Cariathsepher, that is, the citee of lettris.

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

12 And Caleph seide, Y schal yyue Axa, my douyter, wijf to hym that schal smyte Cariathsepher, and schal waste it.

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

13 And whanne Othonyel, sone of Seneth, the lesse brother of Caleph, hadde take it, Caleph yaf Axa, his douyter, wijf to hym.

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

14 And hir hosebonde stiride hir, goynge in the weie, that sche schulde axe of hir fadir a feeld; and whanne sche hadde siyid, sittynge on the asse, Caleph seide to hir, What hast 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 sche answeride, Yiue thou blessyng to me, for thou hast youe a drye lond to me; yyue thou also a moyst lond with watris. And Caleph yaf to hir the moist lond aboue, and the moist lond bynethe.

“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 Forsothe the sones of Cyney, `alye of Moyses, stieden fro the citee of palmes with the sones of Juda, in to the desert of his lot, which desert is at the south of Arath; and dwelliden with hym.

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 Sotheli Judas yede with Symeon, his brother; and thei smytiden togidere Cananei, that dwellide in Sephar, and killiden hym; and the name of that citee was clepid Horma, that is, cursyng, `ether perfit distriyng, for thilke citee was distried outerly.

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 And Judas took Gaza with hise coostis, and Ascolon, and Accaron with hise termes.

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

19 And the Lord was with Judas, and he `hadde in possessioun the hilli places; and he myyte not do awey the dwelleris of the valei, for thei weren plenteuouse in `yrun charis, scharpe as sithis.

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 `the sones of Israel yauen Ebron to Caleph, as Moises hadde seid, which Caleph dide awei for it thre sones of Enach.

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

21 Forsothe the sones of Beniamyn diden not awei Jebusei, the dwellere of Jerusalem; and Jebusei dwellide with the sones of Beniamyn in Jerusalem `til in to present dai.

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

22 Also the hows of Joseph stiede in to Bethel, and the Lord was with hem.

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

23 For whanne thei bisegiden the citee, that was clepid Lusa bifore,

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

24 thei sien a man goynge out of the citee, and thei seiden to hym, Schewe thou to vs the entrynge of the cytee, and we schulen do mercy with thee.

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 whanne he hadde schewid to hem, thei smytiden the citee bi scharpnes of swerd; sotheli thei delyueriden that man and al his kynrede.

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 And he was delyuerede, and yede in to the lond of Sethym, and bildide there a citee, and clepid it Luzam; which is clepid so til in to present dai.

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 Also Manasses dide not awei Bethsan and Thanael with her townes, and the dwelleris of Endor, and Geblaam and Magedo with her townes; and Cananei bigan to dwelle with hem.

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 Sotheli after that Israel was coumfortid, he made hem tributaries, `ethir to paye tribute, and nolde do awey hem.

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

29 Sotheli Effraym killide not Cananei that dwellyde in Gaser, but dwellide with hym.

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

30 Zabulon dide not awey the dwelleris of Cethron, and of Naalon; but Cananei dwellide in the myddis of hym, and was maad tributarie to him.

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

31 Also Aser dide not awey the dwelleris of Acho, and of Sidon, of Alab, and of Azazib, and of Alba, and Aphech, and of Aloa, and of Pha, and of Roob; and he dwellide in the myddis of Cananey,

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

32 dwellere of that lond, and killide not hym.

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

33 Neptalym dide not awei the dwelleris of Bethsames, and of Bethanach; and he dwellide among Cananey, dwellere of the lond; and Bethsamytis and Bethanytis weren tributarie to hym.

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 Ammorrey helde streit the sones of Dan in the hil, and yaf not place to hem to go doun to pleynere places;

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

35 and he dwellide in the hil of Hares, `which is interpretid, Witnessyng, in Hailon, and in Salabym. And the hond of the hows of Joseph was maad heuy, and he was maad tributarie to hym.

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 terme of Ammorrei was fro the stiyng of Scorpioun, and the stoon, and hiyere places.

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