Judges 1:1-18

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.