Judges 1
Modern English Version
Israel Fights Remaining Canaanites
1 After the death of Joshua, the children of Israel inquired of the Lord, “Who should go up against the Canaanites first, in order to wage war against them?”
2 The Lord said, “Judah shall go up. Indeed, I have given the land into their hands.”
3 Then the men of Judah said to Simeon, their brothers, “Come up with us into our allotted territory. We will wage war against the Canaanites. Likewise we will go with you into your allotted territory.” So Simeon went with them.
4 Then Judah went up, and the Lord gave the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands. They struck down ten thousand men in Bezek. 5 They found Adoni-Bezek in Bezek and fought against him. They struck down the Canaanites and Perizzites. 6 Yet Adoni-Bezek fled, and they chased after him, seized him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes.
7 Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings whose thumbs and big toes were cut off once collected scraps of food under my table. Just as I have done, so God has repaid me.” They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.
8 Then Judah waged war against Jerusalem. They captured it, struck it with the edge of the sword, and sent the city up in flames.
9 Afterwards, Judah went down to wage war against the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev, and the lowlands. 10 Judah went against the Canaanites living in Hebron (previously the name of Hebron was Kiriath Arba) and they struck down Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. 11 From there they went against the inhabitants of Debir (previously the name of Debir was Kiriath Sepher).
12 Caleb said, “He who attacks Kiriath Sepher and takes it, I will give him my daughter Aksah as wife.” 13 Othniel son of Kenaz, the younger brother of Caleb, captured it. So Caleb gave him Aksah his daughter in marriage.
14 When she came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. As she dismounted from her donkey, Caleb said to her, “What can I do for you?”
15 She answered, “Please give me a special gift. Since you have given me land in the Negev, now give me springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.
16 The descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, the Kenite, went up with the descendants of Judah from the City of Palms to the Negev near Arad. Then they went and lived with the people.
17 But Judah went with his brother Simeon and struck down the Canaanites living in Zephath and utterly destroyed it. So now they call the city Hormah. 18 Then Judah captured Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron, and the territory belonging to each of these cities.
19 The Lord was with Judah, and they took the hill country but could not drive out the inhabitants of the coastal plain, for they had iron chariots. 20 They gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had said, and he drove out the three sons of Anak. 21 However, the tribe of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem, so the Jebusites live with the tribe of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.
22 The descendants of Joseph went up against Bethel, and the Lord was with them. 23 The descendants of Joseph sent spies into Bethel (the former name of the city was Luz). 24 The spies saw a man coming out of the city and said to him, “Please show us the entrance to the city, and we will deal kindly with you.” 25 So he showed them an entrance to the city. They struck the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man and his extended family go. 26 The man went to the land of the Hittites. He built a city and named it Luz, and that is its name to this day.
27 Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shan, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo, or their daughter villages, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that land. 28 When the children of Israel became strong, they put the Canaanites to hard labor as slaves, but they did not actually drive them out. 29 Ephraim did not drive out the inhabitants of Gezer, so the Canaanites lived among them in Gezer. 30 Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron and Nahalol, so the Canaanites lived among them and became slave laborers. 31 Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Akko, Sidon, Ahlab, Akzib, Helbah, Aphek, or Rehob. 32 Asher lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, for they did not drive them out. 33 Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath, so they live among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. The Canaanites of Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath became slave laborers for them. 34 The Amorites pushed the tribe of Dan into the hill country, for they would not let them come down to the coastal plain. 35 The Amorites were determined to live in Mount Heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim, but the hand of the descendants of Joseph was heavy on them, and they became slave laborers. 36 The border of the Amorites was from the Ascent of Akrabbim to Sela and beyond.
Judges 1
21st Century King James Version
1 Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass that the children of Israel asked the Lord, saying, “Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them?”
2 And the Lord said, “Judah shall go up. Behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.”
3 And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, “Come up with me into my allotment, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot.” So Simeon went with him.
4 And Judah went up; and the Lord delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand, and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men.
5 And they found Adonibezek in Bezek; and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
6 But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.
7 And Adonibezek said, “Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table. As I have done, so God hath requited me.” And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.
8 Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it and smitten it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire.
9 And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who dwelt in the mountain and in the South and in the valley.
10 And Judah went against the Canaanites who dwelt in Hebron (now the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba), and they slew Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai.
11 And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir (and the name of Debir before was Kirjathsepher).
12 And Caleb said, “He that smiteth Kirjathsepher and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter for a wife.”
13 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; and he gave him Achsah his daughter for a wife.
14 And it came to pass, when she came to him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field; and she alighted from her ass, and Caleb said unto her, “What wilt thou?”
15 And she said unto him, “Give me a blessing, for thou hast given me a south land. Give me also springs of water.” And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs.
16 And the children of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the Wilderness of Judah, which lieth in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.
17 And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah.
18 Also Judah took Gaza with the regions thereof, and Ashkelon with the regions thereof, and Ekron with the region thereof.
19 And the Lord was with Judah; and he drove out the inhabitants of the mountain, but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley because they had chariots of iron.
20 And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said; and he expelled from thence the three sons of Anak.
21 And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem, but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.
22 And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel; and the Lord was with them.
23 And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel. (Now the name of the city before was Luz.)
24 And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him, “Show us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will show thee mercy.”
25 And when he showed them the entrance into the city, they smote the city with the edge of the sword; but they let go the man and all his family.
26 And the man went into the land of the Hittites and built a city, and called the name thereof Luz, which is the name thereof unto this day.
27 Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Bethshean and her towns, nor Taanach and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.
28 And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out.
29 Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer, but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.
30 Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron nor the inhabitants of Nahalol, but the Canaanites dwelt among them and became tributaries.
31 Neither did Asher 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;
32 but the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, for they did not drive them out.
33 Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Bethshemesh nor the inhabitants of Bethanath, but he dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless the inhabitants of Bethshemesh and of Bethanath became tributaries unto them.
34 And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain, for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley.
35 But 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 tributaries.
36 And the border of the Amorites was from the going up to Akrabbim, from the rock and upward.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
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