Chapter 1
1 After the death of Joshua , the children of Israel asked of the LORD , ", usually pronounced Yahweh). saying, " Who should go up for us first against the Canaanites , to fight against them ?"
2 The LORD said, " Judah shall go up . Behold , ", means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection. 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 the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand . They struck ten thousand men in Bezek.
5 They found Adoni-Bezek in Bezek, and they fought against him . They struck the Canaanites and the Perizzites .
6 But Adoni-Bezek fled . They pursued him , caught him , and cut off his thumbs and his big toes .
7 Adoni-Bezek said , " Seventy kings , having their thumbs and their big toes cut off , scavenged under my table . As I have done , so God " (Elohim). has done to me ." They brought him to Jerusalem , and he died there .
8 The children of Judah fought against Jerusalem , took it , struck it with the edge of the sword , and set the city on fire.
9 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 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 From there he went against the inhabitants of Debir . ( The name of Debir before that was Kiriath Sepher.)
12 Caleb said, " I will give Achsah my daughter as wife to the man who strikes Kiriath Sepher, and takes it ."
13 Othniel the son of Kenaz , Caleb ’s younger brother, took it , so he gave him Achsah his daughter as his wife.
14 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 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 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 The LORD 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 said , and he drove the three sons of Anak out of there .
21 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 The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel , and the LORD was with them .
23 The house of Joseph sent to spy out Bethel . ( The name of the city before that was Luz .)
24 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 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 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 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 When Israel had grown strong , they put the Canaanites to forced labour, and didn’t utterly drive them out .
29 Ephraim didn’t drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer , but the Canaanites lived in Gezer amongst them .
30 Zebulun didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Kitron , nor the inhabitants of Nahalol ; but the Canaanites lived amongst them , and became subject to forced labour.
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 amongst the Canaanites , the inhabitants of the land , for they didn’t drive them out .
33 Naphtali didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh, nor the inhabitants of Beth Anath; but he lived amongst the Canaanites , the inhabitants of the land . Nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh and of Beth Anath became subject to forced labour.
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 labour .
36 The border of the Amorites was from the ascent of Akrabbim , from the rock , and upward .