1 A fter 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?”

Now it came about after the death of Joshua that the sons of Israel inquired of the Lord, saying, “Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?”

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

The Lord said, “ Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand.”

3 T hen 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.

Then Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me into the territory allotted me, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I in turn will go with you into the territory allotted you.” So Simeon went with him.

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

Judah went up, and the Lord gave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hands, and they defeated ten thousand men at Bezek.

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

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

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

But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and big toes.

7 A doni-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.

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

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

Then the sons of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it and struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire.

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

Afterward the sons of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country and in the Negev and in the lowland.

10 J udah 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.

So Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron (now the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath-arba); and they struck Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai. Capture of Other Cities

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

Then from there he went against the inhabitants of Debir (now the name of Debir formerly was Kiriath-sepher).

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

And Caleb said, “The one who attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will even give him my daughter Achsah for a wife.”

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

Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, captured it; so he gave him his daughter Achsah for a wife.

14 W hen 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?”

Then it came about when she came to him, that she persuaded him to ask her father for a field. Then she alighted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you want?”

15 S he 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.

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

16 T he 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.

The descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up from the city of palms with the sons of Judah, to the wilderness of Judah which is in the south of Arad; and they went and lived with the people.

17 T hen 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.

Then Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they struck the Canaanites living in Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. So the name of the city was called Hormah.

18 J udah took Gaza with its land, Ashkelon with its land, and Ekron with its land.

And Judah took Gaza with its territory and Ashkelon with its territory and Ekron with its territory.

19 T he 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.

Now the Lord was with Judah, and they took possession of the hill country; but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley because they had iron chariots.

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

Then they gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had promised; and he drove out from there the three sons of Anak.

21 B ut 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.

But the sons of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem; so the Jebusites have lived with the sons of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

22 T he men of the family of Joseph went up against Bethel. And the Lord was with them.

Likewise the house of Joseph went up against Bethel, and the Lord was with them.

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

The house of Joseph spied out Bethel ( now the name of the city was formerly Luz).

24 T he 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.”

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

25 S o 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.

So 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 free.

26 T he 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

The man went into the land of the Hittites and built a city and named it Luz which is its name to this day. Places Not Conquered

27 B ut 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.

But Manasseh did not take possession 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; so the Canaanites persisted in living in that land.

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

It came about when Israel became strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not drive them out completely.

29 E phraim did not drive out the Canaanites who were living in Gezer. So the Canaanites lived 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 Z ebulun did not drive out the people of Kitron or the people of Nahalol. So the Canaanites lived among them and were made to work.

Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, or the inhabitants of Nahalol; so the Canaanites lived among them and became subject to forced labor.

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

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

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

So the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out.

33 N aphtali 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.

Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, or the inhabitants of Beth-anath, but lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; and the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath became forced labor for them.

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

Then the Amorites forced the sons of Dan into the hill country, for they did not allow them to come down to the valley;

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

yet the Amorites persisted in living in Mount Heres, in Aijalon and in Shaalbim; but when the power of the house of Joseph grew strong, they became forced labor.

36 T he land of the Amorites was from the hill-side of Akrabbim, up from Sela.

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