The Book of Judges

1 And it came to pass after the death of Joshua, that the children of Israel asked the Lord, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites at the 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 lot, and we will 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 smote [of] them in Bezek ten thousand men. 5 And they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek; and they fought against him, and they smote the Canaanites and the Perizzites. 6 But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes. 7 And Adoni-bezek said, Seventy kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered food under my table: as I have done, so hath God requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there. 8 And the children of Judah fought against Jerusalem, and captured it, and they smote it with the edge of the sword, and the city they set on fire. 9 And afterward did the children of Judah go down to fight against the Canaanites, that dwelt in the mountain, and in the south, and in the lowlands. 10 And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron; [now the name of Hebron was formerly Kiryath-arba';] and they smote Sheshai, and Achiman, and Talmai. 11 And he went from there against the inhabitants of Debir; and the name of Debir was formerly Kiryath-sepher: 12 And Caleb said, He that will smite Kiryath-sepher, and capture it, to him will I give 'Achsah my daughter for wife. 13 And 'Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, captured it: and he gave him 'Achsah his daughter for wife. 14 And it came to pass, when she came to him, that she persuaded him to ask of her father a field: and she alighted from off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What aileth thee? 15 And she said unto him, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a dry 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, the father-in-law of Moses, went up out of the city of palm-trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which is at the south of 'Arad; and they went and dwelt with the people. 17 And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they smote the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and devoted it. And the name of the city was called Chormah. 18 And Judah captured Gazzah with its territory, and Ashkelon with its territory, and 'Ekron with its territory. 19 And the Lord was with Judah; and he took possession 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 had spoken; and he drove out thence the three sons of 'Anak. 21 And the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem, the children of Benjamin did not drive out; but the Jebusites dwelt with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem until this day. 22 And the house of Joseph, these also, went up against Beth-el; and the Lord was with them. 23 And the house of Joseph sent to spy out Beth-el: now the name of the city formerly was Luz. 24 And the watchers saw a man coming 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 kindness. 25 And he showed them the entrance into the city, and they smote the city with the edge of the sword; but the man and all his family they let go free. 26 And the man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city, and called its name Luz: this is its name unto this day. 27 Neither did Menasseh drive out [the inhabitants of] Beth-shean and its towns, nor Ta'anach and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Yible'am and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns; but the Canaanites succeeded to remain in this land. 28 And it came to pass, when Israel became strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute; but they did not drive them out entirely. 29 Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; and the Canaanites dwelt in the midst of them at Gezer. 30 Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; and the Canaanites dwelt in the midst of them, and became tributary. 31 Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of 'Akko, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Achlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Chelbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rechob; 32 And the Asherites dwelt in the midst of 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, nor the inhabitants of Beth-'anath; and he dwelt in the midst of the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became tributary unto them. 34 And the Emorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain; for they would not suffer them to come down into the valley; 35 And the Emorites succeeded to remain on mount Cheres, in Ayalon, and in Sha'albim; but when the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, they became tributary. 36 And the territory of the Emorites was from the ascent of 'Akrabbim, from the Rock upward.