The Father Sends Judah Up First
1 1 After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked our Father, "Who will go up first for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?"
2 Our Father said, "Judah will go up. I have given the land into his hands."
3 Then Judah said to his brother Simeon, "Come up with me into the territory allotted to me, and let us fight against the Canaanites; and I in turn will go with you into the territory allotted to you." So Simeon went with him. 4 So Judah went up, and our Father gave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek. 5 At Bezek they found Adoni-bezek and fought against him, and they struck down the Canaanites and the Perizzites. 6 Adoni-bezek fled, but they pursued him, caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes. 7 Then Adoni-bezek said, "Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to gather scraps under my table. As I have done, so God has repaid me." They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.
The Cities Fall Before Judah
8 The men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it; they struck it with the sword and set the city on fire. 9 Afterward the men of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country, in the Negev, and in the western foothills. 10 Judah marched against the Canaanites living in Hebron (the name of Hebron was formerly Kiriath-arba), and they struck down Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.
11 From there they marched against the inhabitants of Debir (the name of Debir was formerly Kiriath-sepher). 12 And Caleb said, "Whoever attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give him my daughter Achsah as his wife." 13 Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, captured it, so Caleb gave him his daughter Achsah as his wife.
14 When she came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. As she got down from her donkey, Caleb said to her, "What do you want?"
15 She said to him, "Give me a blessing. Since you have given me the land of the Negev, give me also springs of water." So Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs. 16 The descendants of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah from the city of palms into the wilderness of Judah, which lies in the Negev near Arad; and they went and settled among the people. 1 1 v16 The city of palms is Jericho, in the Jordan valley. 17 Then Judah went with his brother Simeon, and they struck down the Canaanites living in Zephath and devoted it to destruction. So the city was named Hormah. 2 2 v17 Hormah means "destruction" — the new name records that the city was completely devoted to destruction. 18 Judah also captured Gaza with its territory, Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory. 19 Our Father was with Judah, and he took possession of the hill country, but he could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain because they had iron chariots. 20 Hebron was given to Caleb, as Moses had promised, and he drove out from it the three sons of Anak. 21 But the Benjaminites did not drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem, so the Jebusites have lived among the Benjaminites in Jerusalem to this day.
22 The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and our Father was with them. 23 The house of Joseph sent men to scout out Bethel (the name of the city was formerly Luz). 24 The spies saw a man coming out of the city, and they said to him, "Please show us the way into the city, and we will deal kindly with you." 25 So he showed them the way into the city, and they struck the city with the sword, but they let the man and all his family go. 26 The man went to the land of the Hittites, built a city, and named it Luz, which is its name to this day.
The Tribes Fail to Drive Them Out
27 Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its surrounding villages, or Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, and Megiddo with their villages; so the Canaanites were determined to go on living in that land. 28 When Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not drive them out completely. 29 Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, so the Canaanites went on living among them in Gezer. 30 Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron or the inhabitants of Nahalol, so the Canaanites lived among them but were put to forced labor. 31 Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco or Sidon, or those of Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, and Rehob; 32 so the Asherites lived among the Canaanites who inhabited the land, because they did not drive them out. 33 Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh or Beth-anath, so they lived among the Canaanites who inhabited the land; but the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath were put to forced labor for them. 34 The Amorites pressed the Danites back into the hill country, for they would not let them come down to the plain. 35 The Amorites were determined to go on living in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim, but the hand of the house of Joseph pressed down on them, and they were put to forced labor. 36 The border of the Amorites ran from the ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela on upward.