1 A fter the death of Joshua, the children of Israel asked of Yahweh, saying, “Who should go up for us first against the Canaanites, to fight against them?”

After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?

2 Y ahweh said, “Judah shall go up. Behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.”

And the Lord said, Judah shall go up; behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.

3 J udah 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.

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

4 J udah went up, and Yahweh delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand. They struck ten thousand men in Bezek.

Then Judah went up and the Lord delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand, and they smote 10, 000 of them in Bezek.

5 T hey found Adoni-Bezek in Bezek, and they fought against him. They struck the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

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

6 B ut Adoni-Bezek fled. They pursued him, caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his big toes.

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

7 A doni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings, having their thumbs and their big toes cut off, scavenged under my table. As I have done, so God has done to me.” They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

Adoni-bezek said, Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off had to gather their food under my table. As I have done, so God has repaid me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.

8 T he children of Judah fought against Jerusalem, took it, struck it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.

And the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire.

9 A fter 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.

Afterward the men of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who dwelt in the hill country, in the South (the Negeb), and in the lowland.

10 J udah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron. (The name of Hebron before that was Kiriath Arba.) They struck Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.

And Judah went against the Canaanites who dwelt in Hebron. The name of Hebron before was Kiriath-arba. And they defeated Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai.

11 F rom there he went against the inhabitants of Debir. (The name of Debir before that was Kiriath Sepher.)

From there went against the inhabitants of Debir. The name of Debir before was Kiriath-sepher.

12 C aleb said, “I will give Achsah my daughter as wife to the man who strikes Kiriath Sepher, and takes it.”

And Caleb said, Whoever attacks Kiriath-sepher and takes it, to him will I give Achsah, my daughter, as wife.

13 O thniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it, so he gave him Achsah his daughter as his wife.

And Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; and he gave him Achsah, his daughter, as wife.

14 W hen she came, she got him to ask her father for a field. She dismounted from off of her donkey; and Caleb said to her, “What would you like?”

And when she came to, she got his consent to ask her father for a field. And she alighted off her donkey, and Caleb said to her, What do you want?

15 S he 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.

And she said to him, Give me a present; since you have set me in the land of the South (the Negeb), give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

16 T he 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.

And the descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up with the Judahites from the City of Palms (Jericho) into the Wilderness of Judah, which lies in the South (the Negeb) near Arad; and they went and dwelt with the people.

17 J udah 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.

And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath and utterly destroyed it. So the city was called Hormah.

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

Also Judah took Gaza, Askelon, and Ekron—each with its territory.

19 Y ahweh 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.

The Lord was with Judah, and drove out the inhabitants of the hill country, but he could not drive out those inhabiting the valley basin because they had chariots of iron.

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

Hebron was given to Caleb as Moses said, and he expelled from there the three sons of Anak.

21 T he children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem, but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

But the Benjamites did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; the Jebusites dwell with the Benjamites in Jerusalem to this day.

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

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

23 T he house of Joseph sent to spy out Bethel. (The name of the city before that was Luz.)

And the house of Joseph was sent to spy out Bethel. The name of the city formerly had been Luz.

24 T he 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.”

And the spies saw a man coming out of the city and they said to him, Show us, we pray you, the way into the city and we will show you mercy.

25 H e 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.

When he showed them the entrance to the city, they smote the city with the sword, but they let the man and all his family go.

26 T he man went into the land of the Hittites, built a city, and called its name Luz, which is its name to this day.

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

27 M anasseh did not 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.

Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its villages, or of Taanach or Dor or Ibleam or Megiddo and their villages, but the Canaanites remained in that land.

28 W hen Israel had grown strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, and did not utterly drive them out.

When Israel became strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor but did not utterly drive them out.

29 E phraim didn’t drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, but the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them.

Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer, but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.

30 Z ebulun didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites lived among them, and became subject to forced labor.

Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron or of Nahalol, but the Canaanites dwelt among them and were put to forced labor.

31 A sher 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;

Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Acco or of Sidon or of Ahlab or of Achzib or of Helbah or of Aphik or of Rehob;

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

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

33 N aphtali didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh, nor the inhabitants of Beth Anath; but he lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh and of Beth Anath became subject to forced labor.

Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh or of Beth-anath, but dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; but the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became subject to forced labor for them.

34 T he Amorites forced the children of Dan into the hill country, for they would not allow them to come down to the valley;

The Amorites forced the Danites back into the hill country, for they would not allow them to come down into the plain;

35 b ut 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 labor.

The Amorites remained fixed in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim; yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became subject to forced labor.

36 T he border of the Amorites was from the ascent of Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward.

And the border of the Amorites was from the ascent of Akrabbim, from the rock Sela and onward.