The Father Sends Judah up First
1 1 After Joshua's death, the Israelites asked our Father, "Who will go up first for us against the Canaanites to fight them?"
2 Our Father said, "Judah will go up. I have given the land into his hands."
3 Judah said to his brother Simeon, "Come up with me into my allotted territory, and let us fight the Canaanites; and I too will go with you into yours." So Simeon went with him. 4 So Judah went up, and our Father gave the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek. 5 At Bezek they found Adoni-bezek, fought him, and struck down the Canaanites and Perizzites. 6 Adoni-bezek fled, but they pursued him, caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes. 7 Adoni-bezek said, "Seventy kings with thumbs and big toes cut off used to gather scraps under my table. As I did, so God has repaid me." They brought him to Jerusalem, where he died.
8 Judah's men fought against Jerusalem, captured it, struck it with the sword, and burned the city. 9 Then Judah went down to fight the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev, and the western foothills. 10 Judah advanced against the Canaanites in Hebron (formerly Kiriath-arba) and 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 Caleb said, "Whoever attacks and captures Kiriath-sepher, I'll give him my daughter Achsah as wife." 13 Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, captured it, so Caleb gave him his daughter Achsah in marriage.
14 When she came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. As she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, "What do you want?"
15 She said to him, "Give me a blessing. Since you've given me the land of the Negev, give me springs of water too." So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs. 16 The Kenite's descendants, Moses' father-in-law's family, went up with Judah's people from the city of palms into Judah's wilderness in the Negev near Arad, and settled among the people. a a v16 The city of palms is Jericho, in the Jordan valley. 17 Judah went with his brother Simeon; they struck the Canaanites living in Zephath and completely destroyed it, so the city was named Hormah. b b 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, who took the hill country but could not drive out the valley's people, for they had iron chariots. 20 They gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had promised, and he drove out Anak's three sons from there. 21 But Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites in Jerusalem; so the Jebusites live with Benjamin 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 city was formerly named Luz). 24 The scouts saw a man leaving the city and told him, "Show us the way in, and we'll treat you kindly." 25 So he showed them the way in, and they struck the city with the sword, but let the man and his whole family go. 26 The man went to the Hittite land, built a city, and named it Luz—its name to this day.
27 Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth-shean, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, and Megiddo, or their villages; so the Canaanites were determined to keep living in that land. 28 When Israel grew strong, they forced the Canaanites into labor, but never drove them out completely. 29 Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, so they went on living among them there. 30 Zebulun did not drive out the people of Kitron or the people of Nahalol, so the Canaanites lived among them but became forced labor. 31 Asher did not drive out those living in Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob; 32 So the Asherites lived among the Canaanites of the land, because they did not drive them out. 33 Naphtali did not drive out the residents of Beth-shemesh or Beth-anath, so they lived among the Canaanites of the land; but those of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath became their forced labor. 34 The Amorites forced the Danites into the hill country, not letting them come down to the plain. 35 The Amorites held on to living in Mount Heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim, but the hand of the house of Joseph pressed 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.
