Judges 1

1 And it cometh to pass, after the death of Joshua, that the sons of Israel ask at Jehovah, saying, 'Who doth go up for us unto the Canaanite, at the commencement, to fight against it?'

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

2 And Jehovah saith, 'Judah doth go up; lo, I have given the land into his hand.'

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

3 And Judah saith to Simeon his brother, 'Go up with me into my lot, and we fight against the Canaanite — and I have gone, even I, with thee into thy lot;' and Simeon goeth 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 goeth up, and Jehovah giveth the Canaanite and the Perizzite into their hand, and they smite them in Bezek — ten thousand men;

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

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

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

6 And Adoni-Bezek fleeth, and they pursue after him, and seize 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 and Adoni-Bezek saith, 'Seventy kings — their thumbs and their great toes cut off — have been gathering under my table; as I have done so hath God repaid to me;' and they bring him in to Jerusalem, and he dieth 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 fight against Jerusalem, and capture it, and smite it by the mouth of the sword, and the city they have sent into 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 have the sons of Judah gone down to fight against the Canaanite, inhabiting the hill-country, and the south, and the low country;

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 goeth unto the Canaanite who is dwelling in Hebron (and the name of Hebron formerly [is] Kirjath-Arba), and they smite 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 goeth thence unto the inhabitants of Debir (and the name of Debir formerly [is] Kirjath-Sepher),

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

12 and Caleb saith, 'He who smiteth Kirjath-Sepher — and hath captured it — then I have given to him Achsah my daughter for a wife.'

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

13 And Othniel son of Kenaz, younger brother of Caleb, doth capture it, and he giveth to him Achsah his daughter for a 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 cometh to pass in her coming in, that she persuadeth him to ask from her father the field, and she lighteth from off the ass, and Caleb saith to her, 'What — to 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 saith to him, 'Give to me a blessing; when the south land thou hast given me — then thou hast given to me springs of water; and Caleb giveth to her the upper springs and the lower springs.

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 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.

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 And Judah goeth with Simeon his brother, and they smite the Canaanite inhabiting Zephath, and devote it; and [one] calleth the name of the city 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 captureth Gaza and its border, and Askelon and its border, and Ekron and its border;

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

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

Yahweh 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 And they give to Caleb Hebron, as Moses hath spoken, and he dispossesseth 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 And the Jebusite, inhabiting Jerusalem, the sons of Benjamin have not dispossessed; and the Jebusite dwelleth with the sons of Benjamin, in Jerusalem, till 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 And the house of Joseph go up — even they — to Beth-El, and Jehovah [is] with them;

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

23 and the house of Joseph cause [men] to spy about Beth-El (and the name of the city formerly is Luz),

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

24 and the watchers see a man coming out from the city, and say to him, 'Shew us, we pray thee, the entrance of the city, and we have done with thee kindness.'

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 sheweth them the entrance of the city, and they smite the city by the mouth of the sword, and the man and all his family they have sent away;

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 goeth to the land of the Hittites, and buildeth a city, and calleth its name Luz — it [is] its name 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 And Manasseh hath 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;

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 and it cometh to pass, when Israel hath been strong, that he setteth the Canaanite to tribute, and hath not utterly dispossessed it.

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

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

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

30 Zebulun hath not dispossessed the inhabitants of Kitron, and the inhabitants of Nahalol, and the Canaanite dwelleth in its midst, and they become tributary.

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

31 Asher hath not dispossessed the inhabitants of Accho, and the inhabitants of Zidon, and Ahlab, and Achzib, and Helbah, and Aphik, and 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 and the Asherite dwelleth in the midst of the Canaanite, the inhabitants of the land, for it hath not dispossessed them.

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

33 Naphtali hath not dispossessed the inhabitants of Beth-Shemesh, and the inhabitants of Beth-Anath, and he dwelleth in the midst of the Canaanite, the inhabitants of the land; and the inhabitants of Beth-Shemesh and of Beth-Anath have become tributary to them.

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

34 And the Amorites press the sons of Dan to the mountain, for they have not suffered them to go down to the valley;

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 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 become tributary;

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 labor.

36 and the border of the Amorite [is] from the ascent of Akrabbim, from the rock and upward.

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