Judges 1

Judah Goes Up First

1After the death of Joshua, the children of Israel asked the LORD, “Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?” 2The LORD said, “Judah shall go up. Look, I have given the land into his hand.” 3Then Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me into my allotted land, and let us fight against the Canaanites. Then I also will go with you into your allotted land.” So Simeon went with him. 4Judah went up, and the LORD gave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand, and they struck down ten thousand of them at Bezek. 5They found Adoni-Bezek at Bezek and fought against him, and they struck down the Canaanites and the Perizzites. 6Adoni-Bezek fled, but they pursued him and seized him, and they cut off his thumbs and his big toes. 7Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off gathered scraps under my table. As I have done, so God has repaid me.” They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

Jerusalem and Hebron

8The children of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it. They struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire. 9Afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, the Negev, and the foothills. 10Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron—Hebron was formerly named Kiriath-Arba—and they struck Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. 11From there they went against the inhabitants of Debir. The name of Debir was formerly Kiriath-Sepher. 12Caleb said, “Whoever strikes Kiriath-Sepher and captures it, I will give Achsah my daughter to him as wife.” 13Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, captured it, and Caleb gave him Achsah his daughter as wife. 14When she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field. She got down from her donkey, and Caleb said to 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 also.” So Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

Judah and Simeon

16The descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up with the children of Judah from the City of Palms into the wilderness of Judah, which is in the Negev near Arad. They went and lived with the people. 17Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they struck the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath and devoted it to destruction. The name of the city was called Hormah. 18Judah captured Gaza with its territory, Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory. 19The LORD was with Judah, and Judah took possession of the hill country, but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain because they had iron chariots. 20Hebron was given to Caleb, as Moses had said, and he drove out from there the three sons of Anak. 21But the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem. So the Jebusites have lived with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

The House of Joseph Takes Bethel

22The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the LORD was with them. 23The house of Joseph sent men to spy out Bethel. The name of the city was formerly Luz. 24The spies saw a man coming out of the city and said to him, “Please show us the entrance to the city, and we will show you steadfast love.” 25He showed them the entrance to the city. They struck the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man and all his family go. 26The man went to the land of the Hittites and built a city, and he called its name Luz. That is its name to this day.

Israel Does Not Drive Them Out

27Manasseh 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. The Canaanites persisted in living in that land. 28When Israel became strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not drive 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. The Canaanites lived among them and became forced labor. 31Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco or the inhabitants of Sidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob. 32So the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of 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, but lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Yet the inhabitants of Beth-Shemesh and Beth-Anath became forced labor for them. 34The Amorites pressed the children of Dan into the hill country and did not allow them to come down into the plain. 35The Amorites persisted in living in Mount Heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim, but the hand of the house of Joseph became heavy upon them, and they became forced labor. 36The border of the Amorites was from the ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela and upward.