OET-RV JDG Chapter 1

1 After Yehoshua’s death, the Israelis asked Yahweh, “Which tribe should go first to attack the Canaanites?” 2 “Yehudah will go first,” Yahweh answered. “Listen, I’ve already determined that they’ll conquer the land.”

3 Then the Yehudah leaders said to the tribe of Simeon, “Come with us into the region that we’ve been allocated and we can fight together against the Canaanites. Then we’ll do the same in your area.” So the warriors from the two tribes worked together. 4 When they attacked, Yahweh gave them victory over the Canaanites and the Perizzites and they killed ten thousand men at Bezek. 5 They confronted Adoni-Bezek in Bezek and fought against him (then eventually defeating the Canaanites and the Perizzites). 6 Adoni-Bezek tried to flee but they chased him and captured him, cutting off his thumbs and big toes. 7 “Seventy kings had their thumbs and big toes chopped off,” Adoni-Bezek said, “and were gathering scraps of food beneath my table. Just as I have done, so God has repaid to me.” Then they took him to Yerushalem and he died there.

8 The warriors from Yehudah attacked Yerushalem and captured the city, killing the inhabitants and setting the city on fire. 9 Then they fought against the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, in the southern wilderness, and in the western foothills. 10 They also fought the Canaanites in Kiriath-Arba (now known as Hebron) and killed Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.

11 From there they fought against Kiriath-Sepher (now known as Debir). 12 Caleb had said, “Whoever attacks Kiriath-Sepher and captures it can marry my daughter Aksah.” 13 Otniel (son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz) captured it so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him to become his wife. 14 After the wedding, she urged Otniel to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?” 15 “Give me a blessing,” she requested. “Although you’ve given me land in the southern wilderness, give me some springs of water as well.” So Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

16 The Kenites (descendants of Mosheh’s father-in-law), left the city of palm trees (Yericho) and went with Yehudah’s descendants to the southern wilderness near Arad and lived with the people there. 17 Then the warriors of Yehudah and Simeon conquered the Canaanites living at Tsefat and destroyed the city. Now it’s called Hormah (which means ‘complete destruction’). 18 They also captured Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron and all their surrounding territories. 19 Yahweh helped Yehudah and they took possession of the hill country, although they weren’t able to conquer the people living down in the plains because they had iron on their chariots. 20 They gave Hebron to Caleb just as Mosheh had directed, and he dispossessed the three sons of the Anak from there.[ref] 21 However Benyamin’s descendants didn’t drive the Yebusites living in Yerushalem out, so they have lived among the Benyamites in Yerushalem to this day.[ref]

22 Also Yosef’s descendants attacked Bethel, and Yahweh helped them. 23 They sent spies out to Bethel (previously called Luz) 24 and they saw a man coming out of the city and told him, “Please show us an entrance into the city, and we’ll be kind to you.” 25 So he showed them an entrance, and their warriors attacked and killed the inhabitants, but they let the man and his family go free. 26 The man went to the land of the Hittites and founded a city and called it Luz (which it’s still called to this day).

27 However Manashsheh’s descendants didn’t drive out those living in Beyt-Shan, Taanak, Dor, Yibleam, or Meggidon, because the Canaanites were determined to keep living there.[ref] 28 (Later, the Israelis became stronger and they forced the Canaanites to work for them as their slaves, but they didn’t drive them out.) 29 Nor did Efraim’s descendants drive the Canaanites out of Gezer, so they continued to live among them.[ref]

30 Zebulun’s descendants didn’t drive the Canaanites out of Kitron or Nahalol, so they continued to live among them and were forced to work as slaves.

31 Asher’s descendants didn’t drive out those who were living in Akko, Tsidon, Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Afek, or Rehob, 32 So the Asherites lived with the Canaanites who still lived in the region because they didn’t drive them out.

33 Naftali’s descendants didn’t drive out those who were living in Beyt-Shemesh or Beyt-Anat, so they continued to live among them and were forced to work as slaves.

34 The Amorites forced Dan’s descendants to live in the hill country, because they didn’t allow them to come down to the plains. 35 The Amorites were determined to live at Mt. Heres, in Ayyalon and Shaalbim (but when Yosef’s descendants became stronger, they forced the Amorites to work as slaves). 36 The Amorites border went from the Scorpion Pass through Sela and upward from there.