Judges 1

1After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked Yahweh, “Who will go up for us first against the Canaanites to fight them?”

2Yahweh said, “Judah is to go up. I have given the land into his hand.”

3Judah said to his brother Simeon, “Come up with me into the territory allotted to me, and let us fight the Canaanites. Then I will also go with you into the territory allotted to you.” So Simeon went with him.

4Judah went up, and Yahweh gave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek.

5At Bezek they found Adoni-bezek and fought against him, and they struck down the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

6Adoni-bezek fled, but they chased him, caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his big toes.

7Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to pick up scraps under my table. As I have done, so God has paid me back.” They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

8The people of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it. They put it to the sword and set the city on fire.

9Afterward the people of Judah went down to fight the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, the Negev, and the lowlands.

10Judah marched against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron (Hebron was formerly called Kiriath-arba), and they struck down Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.

11From there they marched against the people who lived in Debir (Debir was formerly called Kiriath-sepher).

12Caleb said, “Whoever attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give him my daughter Achsah as his wife.”

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

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

15She said to him, “Give me a blessing. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me springs of water as well.” So Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

16The descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah from the City of Palms to the wilderness of Judah, which is in the Negev near Arad. They went and settled among the people.

17Judah went with his brother Simeon, and they struck down the Canaanites who lived in Zephath. They devoted the city to destruction, so it was named Hormah.

18Judah also captured Gaza with its territory, Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory.

19Yahweh was with Judah, and they took possession of the hill country, but they could not drive out those who lived in the valley, because they had chariots of iron.

20They gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had said, and he drove out from there the three sons of Anak.

21But the Benjaminites did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem, so the Jebusites have lived with the Benjaminites in Jerusalem to this day.

22The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and Yahweh was with them.

23The house of Joseph sent men to spy out Bethel (the city was formerly called Luz).

24The spies saw a man coming out of the city, and they said to him, “Please show us how to get into the city, and we will treat you kindly.”

25So he showed them how to get into the city, and they put the city to the sword, but they let the man and his whole family go.

26The man went to the land of the Hittites and built a city. He named it Luz, and that is its name to this day.

27But Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth-shean and its villages, or of Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages, for the Canaanites were determined to stay in that land.

28When Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they never drove them out completely.

29Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites lived among them in Gezer.

30Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron or the inhabitants of Nahalol, so the Canaanites lived among them and were put to forced labor.

31Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco or the inhabitants of Sidon, or of Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob.

32So the people of Asher lived among the Canaanites who inhabited the land, because they did not drive them out.

33Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh or the inhabitants of Beth-anath, so they lived among the Canaanites who inhabited the land. But the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath became forced laborers for them.

34The Amorites pressed the Danites back into the hill country and did not let them come down into the valley.

35The Amorites were determined to stay in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim, but when the house of Joseph gained the upper hand, they were put to forced labor.

36The border of the Amorites ran from the Ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela and upward.