Judges 1

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

3 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 When Judah attacked, the LORD delivered the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

24 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 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 the man went to the land of the Hittites, built a city, and called it Luz, which is its name to this day.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1 ¶ Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them?

2 And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.

3 And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot. So Simeon went with him.

4 And Judah went up; and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand: and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men.

5 And they found Adonibezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

6 But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.

7 And Adonibezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered [their meat] under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.

8 Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.

9 ¶ And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites, that dwelt in the mountain, and in the south, and in the valley.

10 And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron: (now the name of Hebron before [was] Kirjatharba:) and they slew Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.

11 And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before [was] Kirjathsepher:

12 And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjathsepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.

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

14 And it came to pass, when she came [to him], that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted from off [her] ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wilt thou?

15 And she said unto him, Give me a blessing: for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs.

16 And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father in law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which [lieth] in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.

17 And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah.

18 Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon with the coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof.

19 And the LORD was with Judah; and he drave out [the inhabitants of] the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.

20 And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said: and he expelled thence the three sons of Anak.

21 ¶ And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.

22 And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel: and the LORD [was] with them.

23 And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel. (Now the name of the city before [was] Luz.)

24 And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him, Shew us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will shew thee mercy.

25 And when he shewed them the entrance into the city, they smote the city with the edge of the sword; but they let go the man and all his family.

26 And the man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city, and called the name thereof Luz: which [is] the name thereof unto this day.

27 Neither did Manasseh drive out [the inhabitants of] Bethshean and her towns, nor Taanach and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns: but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.

28 And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out.

29 Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.

30 Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributaries.

31 Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob:

32 But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: for they did not drive them out.

33 Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Bethshemesh, nor the inhabitants of Bethanath; but he dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: nevertheless the inhabitants of Bethshemesh and of Bethanath became tributaries unto them.

34 And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain: for they would not suffer 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 tributaries.

36 And the coast of the Amorites [was] from the going up to Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward.

1 After the death of Joshua the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying: Who shall make war among us against the Canaanites?

2 And the LORD said, Judah shall lead him. Behold, I have given the land into his hand.

3 And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Go up with me in my lot, and let us fight against the Canaanites, and I will go with thee again in thy lot. So Simeon went with him.

4 And it came to pass, when Judah was gone up, that the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand, and smote Beshek ten thousand men.

5 And they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek, and fought against him, and smote the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

6 But Adoni-besek fled, and they pursued after him: and when they had laid hold on him, they cut off his thumbs on his hands and on his feet.

7 And Adoni-bezek said, Seventy kings with the thumbs of their hands and feet hewed up under my table. As I have done, so hath God recompensed me: And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.

8 But the children of Judah fought against Jerusalem, and took her, and smote her with the edge of the sword, and burned the city.

9 And the children of Judah came down to fight against the Canaanites, which dwelt in the mountains, and in the south country, and in the valley.

10 And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron, (for Hebron was called Kiriatharba in the days of old,) and smote Shesai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.

11 And he departed thence against the inhabitants of Debir. And the name of Debir was Kiriath- sepher in the days of old.

12 And Caleb said, Whosoever shall smite Kiriath-shepher, and win him, to him will I give my daughter Achsah to wife.

13 And Athniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's youngest brother, took her. And he gave him his daughter Achsah to wife.

14 And it came to pass, when she was come in, that she was told to demand a field of her father: and she fell down from off her ass. And Caleb said unto her, What is the matter with thee?

15 And she said, Give me a blessing: for thou hast given me a south land, give me also a watery one. So he gave her a watery one above and below.

16 And the sons 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 south of the city of Arad: and they went and dwelt among the people.

17 And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and smote the Canaanites that were in Zephath, and utterly destroyed them; and they called the name of the city Horma.

18 And Judah took Gaza with her possession, and Asklon with her possession, and Ekron with her possession.

19 And the LORD was with Judah, to take the mountains: for he could not take the inhabitants in the bottom, because they had chariots of iron.

20 And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses had said: and he drove out of it the three sons of Enak.

21 But the children of Benjamin drove not out the Jebusites that dwelt at Jerusalem: but the Jebusites dwelt with the children of Benjamin at Jerusalem unto this day.

22 Likewise also the children of Joseph went up to Bethel: and the LORD was with them.

23 And the house of Joseph spied out Bethel, which before was called Lus.

24 And the watchmen saw a man going out of the city, and said unto him, Show us where we enter into the city, and we will do mercy unto thee.

25 And when he shewed them the way of the city, they smote the city with the edge of the sword; but the man and all his family they let go.

26 And the same man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city, and called it Luz; which is called so to this day.

27 And Manasseh drove not out Bethshean with her daughters, nor Taenah with her daughters, nor the inhabitants of Dor with their daughters, nor the inhabitants of Jebleam with their daughters, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo with their daughters: and the Canaanites began to dwell in the same land.

28 And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that he made the Canaanites to pay interest, and did not drive them out.

29 Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gaser; but the Canaanites dwelt among them in Gaser.

30 Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron and Nahalal, but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and they were tine.

31 And Asher drove not out the inhabitants of Acre, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahelab, nor of Achsib, nor of Helba, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob,

32 But the Asserites dwelt among the Canaanites that dwelt in the land: for they drove them not out.

33 Naphtali drove not out the inhabitants of Bethshemesh, nor of Bethanath, but dwelt among the Canaanites that dwelt in the land. But they that dwelt at Bethshemesh, and at Bethanath, became interestable.

34 And the Amorites pressed the children of Dan into the mountains, and suffered them not to come down into the valley.

35 And the Amorites began to dwell in mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Saalbim. But the hand of the house of Joseph was heavy upon them, and they became ashamed.

36 And the border of the Amorites was from the going up to Akrabbim, and from the rock, and from the high place.