CHAPTER 1
After
the death
of Joshua,
the Israelites
inquired
of the LORD,
“Who
will be the first
to go up
and fight
for us
against
the Canaanites?”
Then the men of Judah
said
to their brothers
the Simeonites,
“Come up
with us
to our allotted territory,
and let us fight
against the Canaanites.
And we
likewise
will go
with you
to your territory.”
So the Simeonites
went
with them.
When Judah
attacked,
the LORD
delivered
the Canaanites
and Perizzites
into their hands,
and they struck down
ten
thousand
men
at Bezek.
And there
they found
Adoni-bezek
and fought
against him,
striking down
the Canaanites
and Perizzites.
Then Adoni-bezek
said,
“Seventy
kings
with their thumbs
and big toes
cut off
have gathered the scraps
under
my table.
As
I have done,
so
God
has repaid
me.”
And they brought him
to Jerusalem,
where he died.
Then the men
of Judah
fought
against Jerusalem
and captured it.
They put
the city to the sword
and set
it
on fire.
Afterward,
the men
of Judah
marched down
to fight
against the Canaanites
living
in the hill country,
in the Negev,
and in the foothills.
Judah
also marched
against
the Canaanites
who were living
in Hebron
(
formerly
known as
Kiriath-arba),
and they struck down
Sheshai,
Ahiman,
and Talmai.
And Caleb
said,
“To the man
who strikes down
Kiriath-sepher
and captures it,
I will give
my daughter
Acsah
in marriage.”
So Othniel
son
of Kenaz,
Caleb’s
younger
brother,
captured it,
and Caleb gave
his daughter
Acsah
to him
in marriage.
One day
Acsah came to Othniel
and urged him
to ask
her father
for a field.
When she got off
her donkey,
Caleb
asked her,
“What
do you desire?”
“Give
me a blessing,”
she answered.
“Since
you have given me
land
in the Negev,
give
me
springs
of water as well.”
So Caleb
gave
her both the upper
and lower
springs.
Now the descendants
of Moses’
father-in-law,
the Kenite,
went up
with
the men
of Judah
from the City
of Palms
to the Wilderness
of Judah
in the Negev
near Arad.
They went
to live
among
the people.
Then the men of Judah
went
with
their brothers
the Simeonites,
struck
the Canaanites
who were living
in Zephath,
and completely destroyed
the city.
So it was called
Hormah.
The LORD
was
with
Judah,
and they took possession
of the hill country;
but
they could not
drive out
the inhabitants
of the plains,
because
they had
chariots
of iron.
Just as
Moses
had promised,
Judah gave
Hebron
to Caleb,
who drove out
the descendants of the three
sons
of Anak.
The Benjamites,
however,
failed to
drive out
the Jebusites
living
in Jerusalem.
And to
this
day
the Jebusites
dwell
among
the Benjamites
in Jerusalem.
and when the spies
saw
a man
coming out
of
the city,
they said
to him,
“Please
show
us how to get into
the city,
and we will treat
you
kindly.”
So the man showed them
the entrance
to the city,
and they put
the city
to the sword
but released
that man
and all
his family.
And the man
went
to the land
of the Hittites,
built
a city,
and called it
Luz,
which
is its name
to
this
day.
At that time Manasseh
failed
to drive out the inhabitants
of Beth-shean,
Taanach,
Dor,
Ibleam,
and
Megiddo,
or any of their villages;
for the Canaanites
were determined
to dwell
in this
land.
When
Israel
became stronger,
they pressed
the Canaanites
into forced labor,
but they never
drove them out
completely.
Ephraim
also failed
to drive out
the Canaanites
living
in Gezer;
so the Canaanites
continued to dwell
among them
in Gezer.
Zebulun
failed
to drive out
the inhabitants
of Kitron
and
Nahalol;
so the Canaanites
lived
among them
and served
as forced laborers.
Asher
failed
to drive out
the inhabitants
of Acco,
Sidon,
Ahlab,
Achzib,
Helbah,
Aphik,
and
Rehob.
So the Asherites
lived
among
the Canaanite
inhabitants
of the land,
because
they did not
drive them out.
Naphtali
failed
to drive out
the inhabitants
of Beth-shemesh
and
Beth-anath.
So the Naphtalites also lived
among
the Canaanite
inhabitants
of the land,
but the inhabitants
of Beth-shemesh
and Beth-anath
served
them
as forced laborers.
The Amorites
forced
the Danites
into the hill country
and
did not
allow
them to come down
into the plain.
And the Amorites
were determined
to dwell
in Mount
Heres,
Aijalon,
and Shaalbim.
But when the house
of Joseph
grew
in strength,
they pressed the Amorites
into forced labor.