1 N ow after the death of Joshua it came to pass that the children of Israel asked the Lord, saying, “Who shall be first to go up for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?”

After the death of Joshua, the people of Israel asked the Lord, “Who will be first to go up and fight against the Canaanites for us?”

2 A nd the Lord said, “Judah shall go up. Indeed I have delivered the land into his hand.”

The Lord said, “Judah will go up. See, I have given the land into his hand.”

3 S o Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me to my allotted territory, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I will likewise go with you to your allotted territory.” And Simeon went with him.

Then Judah said to his brother Simeon, “Come with me into the land which is given to me. Let us fight against the Canaanites together. Then I will go with you into the land which is given to you.” So Simeon went with him.

4 T hen Judah went up, and the Lord delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand; and they killed ten thousand men at Bezek.

Judah went up, and the Lord gave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hands. They killed 10, 000 men at Bezek.

5 A nd they found Adoni-Bezek in Bezek, and fought against him; and they defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

They found Adoni-bezek in Bezek and fought against him, and they won the war against the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

6 T hen Adoni-Bezek fled, and they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and big toes.

Adoni-bezek tried to run away, but they went after him and caught him. They cut off his thumbs and big toes.

7 A nd Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to gather scraps under my table; as I have done, so God has repaid me.” Then they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.

Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off had to gather their food under my table. Now God has paid me for what I have done.” So they brought him to Jerusalem and there he died.

8 N ow the children of Judah fought against Jerusalem and took it; they struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire.

Then the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and took it. They destroyed it with the sword and set the city on fire.

9 A nd afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who dwelt in the mountains, in the South, and in the lowland.

After this the men of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country, in the Negev and in the plains.

10 T hen Judah went against the Canaanites who dwelt in Hebron. (Now the name of Hebron was formerly Kirjath Arba.) And they killed Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.

Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron. (The name of Hebron was Kiriath-arba before.) They won the war against Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai.

11 F rom there they went against the inhabitants of Debir. (The name of Debir was formerly Kirjath Sepher.)

From there Judah went against the people of Debir. (The name of Debir was Kiriath-sepher before.)

12 T hen Caleb said, “Whoever attacks Kirjath Sepher and takes it, to him I will give my daughter Achsah as wife.”

Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Achsah as a wife to the one who fights against Kiriath-sepher and takes it.”

13 A nd Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; so he gave him his daughter Achsah as wife.

Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took the city. So Caleb gave him his daughter Achsah for a wife.

14 N ow it happened, when she came to him, that she urged him to ask her father for a field. And she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you wish?”

When she came to Othniel, she talked him into asking her father for a field. As she came down from her donkey, Caleb said to her, “What do you want?”

15 S o she said to him, “Give me a blessing; since you have given me land in the South, give me also springs of water.” And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

She said to him, “Give me a special gift. You have given me the land of the Negev. Give me the wells of water also.” So Caleb gave her the wells in the high land and in the valley.

16 N ow the children of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up from the City of Palms with the children of Judah into the Wilderness of Judah, which lies in the South near Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.

The children of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went with the people of Judah from Jericho to the desert of Judah south of Arad. They went and lived with the people.

17 A nd Judah went with his brother Simeon, and they attacked the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. So the name of the city was called Hormah.

Then Judah went with his brother Simeon. They killed the Canaanites living in Zephath and destroyed the whole city. The name of the city was called Hormah.

18 A lso Judah took Gaza with its territory, Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory.

Judah took Gaza with its land, Ashkelon with its land, and Ekron with its land.

19 S o the Lord was with Judah. And they drove out the mountaineers, but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the lowland, because they had chariots of iron.

The Lord was with Judah. They took the hill country for their own. They could not drive out the people living in the valley, because they had iron war-wagons.

20 A nd they gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had said. Then he expelled from there the three sons of Anak.

They gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had promised, and he drove out the three sons of Anak.

21 B ut the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; so the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

But the people of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem. So the Jebusites have lived with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

22 A nd the house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the Lord was with them.

The men of the family of Joseph went up against Bethel. And the Lord was with them.

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

Those of the family of Joseph spied out Bethel. (The name of the city was Luz before.)

24 A nd when the spies saw a man coming out of the city, they said to him, “Please show us the entrance to the city, and we will show you mercy.”

The men who were spying out Bethel saw a man coming out of the city. They said to him, “Show us the way into the city, and we will be kind to you.”

25 S o he showed them the entrance to the city, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword; but they let the man and all his family go.

So he showed them the way into the city. They destroyed the city with the sword. But they let the man and all his family go free.

26 A nd the man went to the land of the Hittites, built a city, and called its name Luz, which is its name to this day. Incomplete Conquest of the Land

The man went into the land of the Hittites. He built a city there and gave it the name of Luz. That is its name to this day. Some of the People Were Not Driven Out of the Land

27 H owever, Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shean and its villages, or 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 dwell in that land.

But the men of Manasseh did not take for their own Bethshean and its towns or Taanach and its towns. They did not drive out the people of Dor and its towns, or of Ibleam and its towns, or of Megiddo and its towns. So the Canaanites stayed in that land.

28 A nd it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites under tribute, but did not completely drive them out.

When Israel became strong, they made the Canaanites work for them. But they did not drive all of them out.

29 N or did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; so the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.

Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who were living in Gezer. So the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them.

30 N or did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron or the inhabitants of Nahalol; so the Canaanites dwelt among them, and were put under tribute.

Zebulun did not drive out the people of Kitron or the people of Nahalol. So the Canaanites lived among them and were made to work.

31 N or did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Acco or the inhabitants of Sidon, or of Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob.

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

32 S o the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out.

So the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the people of the land. For they did not drive them out.

33 N or did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh or the inhabitants of Beth Anath; but they dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were put under tribute to them.

Naphtali did not drive out the people of Beth-shemesh or the people of Beth-anath. But they lived among the Canaanites, the people of the land. The people of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath were made to work for them.

34 A nd the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountains, for they would not allow them to come down to the valley;

The Amorites drove the people of Dan into the hill country. They did not let them come down to the valley.

35 a nd the Amorites were determined to dwell in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim; yet when the strength of the house of Joseph became greater, they were put under tribute.

The Amorites would not leave Mount Heres, Aijalon or Shaalbim. But when the family of Joseph became strong, they made the Amorites work for them.

36 N ow the boundary of the Amorites was from the Ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela, and upward.

The land of the Amorites was from the hill-side of Akrabbim, up from Sela.