Judges 1

1 It happened after the death of Joshua, the children of Israel asked of Yahweh,t saying, “Who should go up for us first against theCanaanites, to fight against them?”

2 Yahweh said, “Judah shall go up. Behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.”
3 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 Judah went up; and Yahweh delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand: and they struck of them in Bezek ten thousand men.5 They found Adoni-Bezek in Bezek; and they fought against him, and they struck the Canaanites and the Perizzites.6 But Adoni-Bezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.7 Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, scavenged under my table: as I have done, so Godt has requited me.” They brought him to Jerusalem, and hedied there.8 The children of Judah fought against Jerusalem, and took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.9 Afterward 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 Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron (now the name of Hebron before was Kiriath Arba); and they struck Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.
11 From there he went against the inhabitants of Debir. (Now the name of Debir before was Kiriath Sepher.)12 Caleb said, “He who strikes Kiriath Sepher, and takes it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter as wife.”

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

14 It happened, when she came, that she got him to ask her father for a field: and she alighted from off her donkey; and Caleb said to her, “What would you like?”
15 She said to him, “Give me a blessing; for that 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 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 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 Also Judah took Gaza with its border, and Ashkelon with its border, and Ekron with its border.19 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 They gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had spoken: and he drove out there the three sons of Anak.

21 The children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.
22 The house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel; and Yahweh was with them.23 The house of Joseph sent to spy out Bethel. (Now the name of the city before was Luz.)24 The watchers saw a man come forth 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 He showed them the entrance into the city; and they struck the city with the edge of the sword; but they let the man go and all his family.

26 The man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city, and called its name Luz, which is its name to this day.
27 Manasseh did not 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 theCanaanites would dwell in that land.28 It happened, when Israel had grown strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, and did not utterly drive them out.29 Ephraim didn’t drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer; but the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them.30 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 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 lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out.33 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 forcedlabor.34 The Amorites forced the children of Dan into the hill country; for they would not allow them to come down to the valley;35 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 The border of the Amorites was from the ascent of Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward.

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