Judges 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?

After Joshua's passing, the children of Israel, filled with uncertainty and fear, turned to the LORD. They pleaded, "Who among us should first confront the Canaanites in battle?"

And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.

With a voice full of promise, the LORD declared, "Let Judah rise! See, I have gifted him the land."

And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot. So Simeon went with him.

Judah turned to his brother Simeon, his voice filled with determination, "Join me, brother, in my land. Let's stand together against the Canaanites. And I promise, I'll stand with you in your land too." Simeon, moved by his brother's plea, agreed to stand with him.

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.

Judah ascended, empowered by the LORD. God handed over the Canaanites and Perizzites to them. In Bezek, they triumphed, killing ten thousand men.

And they found Adonibezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

They discovered Adonibezek in Bezek. A fierce battle ensued, and they overcame him, killing the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.

Adonibezek tried to escape, but they chased him down. They captured him and cut off his thumbs and big toes.

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.

Adonibezek confessed, "Seventy kings, maimed and humiliated, collected scraps beneath my table. As I treated them, so God has judged me." They took him to Jerusalem, where he met his end.

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.

The children of Judah, filled with fury, battled Jerusalem. They conquered it, their swords cutting through the city's heart, and set it ablaze.

And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites, that dwelt in the mountain, and in the south, and in the valley.

Following this, the children of Judah, filled with courage and determination, descended to battle the Canaanites, who resided in the mountains, the south, and the valleys.

And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron: (now the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba:) and they slew Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.

With determination, Judah confronted the Canaanites living in what was once known as Kirjatharba, now Hebron, and they killed Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.

And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjathsepher:

From there, he bravely advanced against the people of Debir, a place once known as Kirjathsepher.

And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjathsepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.

Caleb passionately declared, "Whoever conquers the city of Kirjathsepher, I will reward him with my daughter Achsah's hand in marriage."

And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.

Othniel, Kenaz's son and Caleb's younger sibling, courageously claimed it. In return, he was gifted with Achsah, Caleb's daughter, as his beloved wife.

And it came to pass, when she came to him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted from off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wilt thou?

When she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field. She dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb asked her, 'What do you want?'

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.

She pleaded with him, "Bless me, for you've gifted me with southern lands. Please, also grant me springs of water." Touched, Caleb gifted her with both the upper and lower springs.

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.

The Kenite descendants, related to Moses through marriage, left the city of palms. Alongside the people of Judah, they journeyed into the wild southern lands near Arad. There, they settled among the locals.

And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah.

Judah, hand in hand with his brother Simeon, killed the Canaanites living in Zephath and utterly destroyed the city, and it was then known as Hormah.

Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon with the coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof.

Judah, filled with determination, successfully claimed Gaza and its surrounding lands, as well as Askelon and Ekron with their respective territories.

And the LORD was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.

God stood by Judah's side, helping him to conquer the mountain people. However, the valley dwellers, with their iron chariots, proved too strong to be defeated.

And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said: and he expelled thence the three sons of Anak.

As Moses had promised, they gifted Caleb with Hebron. There, he bravely drove out the three sons of Anak.

And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.

The Benjamin tribe did not expel the Jebusites from Jerusalem. Instead, they found themselves living side by side with them in the city, a situation that continues to this day.

And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel: and the LORD was with them.

Joseph's family bravely went up against Bethel, and the LORD was with them.

And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel. (Now the name of the city before was Luz.)

The family of Joseph set out to explore Bethel, a city once known as Luz.

And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him, Shew us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will shew thee mercy.

The scouts spotted a man leaving the city. They pleaded with him, "Please, show us the city's entrance, and we promise to be kind to you."

And when he shewed 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.

When he revealed the city's gateway to them, they fiercely attacked it, their swords slashing through the city. Yet, they spared the man and his family, showing mercy amidst the chaos.

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.

The man journeyed to Hittite territory, where he poured his heart into creating a city. He named it Luz, a name that still echoes today.

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.

Manasseh failed to expel the people of Bethshean, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, and Megiddo, and their towns. The Canaanites were determined to stay in that land.

And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out.

When Israel grew powerful, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but didn't completely expel them.

Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.

Ephraim failed to expel the Canaanites living in Gezer; instead, they cohabited with them.

Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributaries.

Zebulun failed to expel the people of Kitron and Nahalol. Instead, the Canaanites lived among them and were put to forced labor.

Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob:

Asher failed to expel the people of Accho, Zidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, and Rehob.

But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: for they did not drive them out.

Despite living amidst the Canaanites, the Asherites failed to expel them from their land.

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.

Naphtali didn't expel the people of Bethshemesh or Bethanath. Instead, he lived among the Canaanites, the locals of the land. However, the people of Bethshemesh and Bethanath were put to forced labor for them.

And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain: for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley:

The Amorites, with their might, pushed the children of Dan up into the mountains, refusing to let them descend into the valley.

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.

The Amorites were determined to stay in the mountains of Heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim, but the family of Joseph overcame them. They grew so powerful that they put the Amorites to forced labor.

And the coast of the Amorites was from the going up to Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward.

The territory of the Amorites stretched from the ascent of Akrabbim, starting from the rocky terrain, and extended upwards.