Judges 1

Judah Fights the Canaanites

1 After Joshua died, the Israelites asked the Lord, “Who will be first to go and fight for us against the Canaanites?”

2 The Lord said to them, “The tribe of Judah will go. I have handed the land over to them.”

3 The men of Judah said to the men of Simeon, their relatives, “Come and help us fight the Canaanites for our land. If you do, we will go and help you fight for your land.” So the men of Simeon went with them.
4 When Judah attacked, the Lord handed over the Canaanites and the Perizzites to them, and they defeated ten thousand men at the city of Bezek.5 There they found Adoni-Bezek, the ruler of the city, and fought him. The men of Judah defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites,

6 but Adoni-Bezek ran away. The men of Judah chased him, and when they caught him, they cut off his thumbs and big toes.

7 Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings whose thumbs and big toes had been cut off used to eat scraps that fell from my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them.” The men of Judah took Adoni-Bezek to Jerusalem, and he died there.

8 Then the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it. They attacked with their swords and burned the city.
9 Later, they went down to fight the Canaanites who lived in the mountains, in the dry country to the south, and in the western hills.

10 The men of Judah went to fight against the Canaanites in the city of Hebron (which used to be called Kiriath Arba). And they defeated Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.

Caleb and His Daughter

11 Then they left there and went to fight against the people living in Debir. (In the past Debir had been called Kiriath Sepher.)12 Before attacking the city, Caleb said, “I will give Acsah, my daughter, as a wife to the man who attacks and captures the city of Kiriath Sepher.”13 Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, captured the city, so Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to Othniel to be his wife.

14 When Acsah came to Othniel, she told him to ask her father for a field. When she got down from her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What do you want?”

15 Acsah answered him, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in southern Canaan, also give me springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

Fights with the Canaanites

16 The Kenite people, who were from the family of Moses’ father-in-law, left Jericho, the city of palm trees. They went with the men of Judah to the Desert of Judah to live with them there in southern Judah near the city of Arad.
17 The men of Judah and the men of Simeon, their relatives, defeated the Canaanites who lived in Zephath. They completely destroyed the city, so they called it Hormah. 

18 The men of Judah captured Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron, and the lands around them.
19 The Lord was with the men of Judah. They took the land in the mountains, but they could not force out the people living on the plain, because they had iron chariots.20 As Moses had promised, Hebron was given to Caleb, and Caleb forced out the three sons of Anak.

21 But the people of Benjamin could not make the Jebusite people leave Jerusalem. Since that time the Jebusites have lived with the Benjaminites in Jerusalem.
22 The men of Joseph went to fight against the city of Bethel, and the Lord was with them.23 They sent some spies to Bethel (which used to be called Luz).24 The spies saw a man coming out of the city and said to him, “Show us a way into the city, and we will be kind to you.”25 So the man showed them the way into the city. The men of Joseph attacked with swords the people in Bethel, but they let the man and his family go free.

26 He went to the land where the Hittites lived and built a city. He named it Luz, which it is called even today.
27 There were Canaanites living in the cities of Beth Shan, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo, and the small towns around them. The people of Manasseh did not force those people out of their towns, because the Canaanites were determined to stay there.28 Later, the Israelites grew strong and forced the Canaanites to work as slaves, but they did not make all the Canaanites leave their land.29 The people of Ephraim did not force out all of the Canaanites living in Gezer. So the Canaanites continued to live in Gezer with the people of Ephraim.

30 The people of Zebulun did not force out the Canaanites living in the cities of Kitron and Nahalol. They stayed and lived with the people of Zebulun, but Zebulun made them work as slaves.
31 The people of Asher did not force the Canaanites from the cities of Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Aphek, and Rehob.32 Since the people of Asher did not force them out, the Canaanites continued to live with them.33 The people of Naphtali did not force out the people of the cities of Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath. So they continued to live with the Canaanites in those cities, and the Canaanites worked as slaves.34 The Amorites forced the Danites back into the mountains and would not let them come down to live in the plain.35 The Amorites were determined to stay in Mount Heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim. But when the Israelites grew stronger, they made the Amorites work as slaves.36 The land of the Amorites was from Scorpion Pass to Sela and beyond.

Judges 1

Judah Takes the Lead

1 After Joshua died, the Israelites askedt the Lord, “Who should lead the invasion against the Canaanites and launch the attack?”t2 The Lord said, “The men of Judah should take the lead.t Be sure of this! I am handing the land over to them.”t

3 The men of Judah said to their relatives, the men of Simeon,t “Invade our allotted land with us and help us attack the Canaanites.t Then wet will go with you into your allotted land.” So the men of Simeon went with them.
4 The men of Judah attacked,t and the Lord handed the Canaanites and Perizzites over to them. They killed ten thousand men at Bezek.5 They mett Adoni-Bezek at Bezek and fought him. They defeated the Canaanites and Perizzites.6 When Adoni-Bezek ran away, they chased him and captured him. Then they cut off his thumbs and big toes.7 Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings, with thumbs and big toes cut off, used to lick upt food scrapst under my table. God has repaid me for what I did to them.”t They brought him to Jerusalem,s where he died.

8 The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem and captured it. They put the sword to it and set the city on fire.
9 Later the men of Judah went down to attack the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev, and the lowlands.t10 The men of Judah attacked the Canaanites living in Hebron. (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba.) They killed Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.11 From there they attacked the people of Debir.t (Debir used to be called Kiriath Sepher.)12 Caleb said, “To the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher I will give my daughter Acsah as a wife.”

13 When Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother,t captured it, Calebt gave him his daughter Acsah as a wife.
14 One time Acsaht came and charmed her fathert so she could ask him for some land. When she got down from her donkey, Caleb said to her, “What would you like?”

15 She answered, “Please give me a special present.t Since you have given me land in the Negev, now give me springs of water.” So Caleb gave her both the upper and lower springs.t

16 Now the descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah from the City of Date Palm Trees to Arad in the desert of Judah,s located in the Negev.t They went and lived with the people of Judah.t
17 The men of Judah went with their brothers the men of Simeont and defeated the Canaanites living in Zephath. They wiped out Zephath.t So people now call the city Hormah.s

18 The men of Judah captured Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron, and the territory surrounding each of these cities.t
19 The Lord was with the men of Judah. They conqueredt the hill country, but they could nots conquer the people living in the coastal plain, because they had chariots with iron-rimmed wheels.t20 Caleb receivedt Hebron, just as Moses had promised. He drove out the three Anakites.

21 The men of Benjamin, however, did not conquer the Jebusites living in Jerusalem.s The Jebusites live with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this very day.s

Partial Success

22 When the ment of Joseph attackedt Bethel,s the Lord was with them.23 When the men of Joseph spied out Bethel (it used to be called Luz),24 the spies spottedt a man leaving the city. They said to him, “If you show us a secret entrance into the city, we will reward you.”25 He showed them a secret entrance into the city, and they put the city to the sword. But they let the man and his extended family leave safely.

26 Het moved to Hittite country and built a city. He named it Luz, and it has kept that name to this very day.
27 The men of Manasseh did not conquer Beth Shan, Taanach, or their surrounding towns. Nor did they conquer the people living in Dor, Ibleam, Megiddos or their surrounding towns.t The Canaanites managedt to remain in those areas.t

28 Whenever Israel was strong militarily, they forced the Canaanites to do hard labor, but they never totally conquered them.

29 The men of Ephraim did not conquer the Canaanites living in Gezer. The Canaanites lived among them in Gezer.

30 The men of Zebulun did not conquer the people living in Kitron and Nahalol.t The Canaanites lived among them and were forced to do hard labor.
31 The men of Asher did not conquer the people living in Acco or Sidon,s nor did they conquer Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Aphek, or Rehob.t

32 The people of Asher live among the Canaanites residing in the land because they did not conquer them.

33 The men of Naphtali did not conquer the people living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath.t They live among the Canaanites residing in the land. The Canaanitest living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were forced to do hard labor for them.
34 The Amorites forced the people of Dan to live in the hill country. They did not allow them to live int the coastal plain.35 The Amorites managedt to remain in Har Heres,t Aijalon, and Shaalbim. Whenever the tribe of Joseph was strong militarily,t the Amorites were forced to do hard labor.

36 The border of Amorite territory ran from the Scorpion Ascentt to Sela and on up.t