1After the death of Joshua, Jos 1:1; 24:29-31 the Israelites inquired of the Lord, Jdg 20:23,27; 1Sm 10:22; 23:2,4; 28:6 “Who will be the first to fight for us against the Canaanites? ”

2The Lord answered, “Judah Gn 29:35; 49:8-12 is to go. Jdg 20:18 I have handed the land over to him.” Gn 35:12; Ex 6:8

3Judah said to his brother Simeon, “Come with me to my territory, and let us fight against the Canaanites. I will also go with you to your territory.” So Simeon went with him.

4When Judah attacked, the Lord handed the Canaanites and Perizzites Gn 13:7; Dt 7:1; Jos 3:10; Ezr 9:1 over to them. They struck down 10,000 men in Bezek. 1Sm 11:8

5They found Adoni-bezek in Bezek, fought against him, and struck down the Canaanites and Perizzites.

6When Adoni-bezek fled, they pursued him, seized him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes. 2Sm 4:12

7Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to pick up scraps Lit toes are gathering under my table. God has repaid me for what I have done.” They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

8The men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire.

9Afterward, the men of Judah marched down to fight against the Canaanites who were living in the hill country, the Negev, and the Judean foothills. Or the Shephelah

10Judah also marched against the Canaanites who were living in Hebron Gn 13:18; 23:2 (Hebron was formerly named Kiriath-arba Gn 23:2; 35:27; Jos 14:15). They struck down Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. Nm 13:22; Jos 15:13-14

11From there they marched against the residents of Debir Jos 10:38-39; 11:21; 15:7; 21:15; 1Ch 6:58 (Debir was formerly named Kiriath-sepher).

12Caleb Nm 13:6,13; 14:6,24,30,38; 26:65; 32:12 said, “Whoever strikes down and captures Kiriath-sepher, I will give my daughter Achsah 1Ch 2:49 to him as a wife.”

13So Othniel Jdg 3:9,11; 1Ch 4:13 son of Kenaz, Caleb’s youngest brother, captured it, and Caleb gave his daughter Achsah to him as his wife.

14When she arrived, she persuaded Othniel LXX reads arrived, he pressured her to ask her father for a field. As she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, LXX reads . . . field. She grumbled while on the donkey, and she cried out from the donkey, “Into the southland you sent me out,” and Caleb said “What do you want? ”

15She answered him, “Give me a blessing. Since you have given me land in the Negev, Gn 12:9; 13:1,3; Nm 13:17,22,29; 2Sm 24:7; Ps 126:4 give me springs of water also.” So Caleb gave her both the upper and lower springs. LXX reads give me redemption of water, and Caleb gave her according to her heart the redemption of the upper and the redemption of the lower Jos 15:15-19

16The descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, Ex 2:18; 3:1; 4:18; 18:1-12; Nm 10:29 had gone up with the men of Judah from the City of Palms = Jericho; Dt 34:3; Jdg 3:13; 2Ch 28:15 Dt 34:3; Jdg 3:13; 2Ch 28:15 to the Wilderness of Judah, which was in the Negev of Arad. Nm 21:1; 33:40; Jos 12:14 They went to live among the people.

17Judah went with his brother Simeon, struck the Canaanites who were living in Zephath, and completely destroyed the town. So they named the town Hormah. Nm 21:3; Dt 1:44

18Judah captured Gaza and its territory, Ashkelon and its territory, and Ekron and its territory. LXX reads Judah did not inherit Gaza and its borders nor Ashkelon and its borders nor Ekron and its borders nor Azotus and its surrounding lands

19The Lord was with Gn 39:2,21; Jos 6:27; Jdg 2:18; 1Sm 18:12 Judah and enabled them to take possession of the hill country, but they could not drive out Jos 15:63 the people who were living in the valley because those people had iron chariots. LXX reads hill country, for they were not able to drive out the residents of the valley because Rechab separated it Jos 17:16,18; Jdg 4:3,13

20Judah gave Hebron to Caleb, just as Moses had promised. Dt 1:36; Jos 14:9 Then Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak Nm 13:22 who lived there. LXX reads And he inherited from there the three cities of the sons of Anak.

21At the same time the Benjaminites did not drive out the Jebusites who were living in Jerusalem. The Jebusites have lived among the Benjaminites in Jerusalem to this day. Jos 15:63

22The house of Joseph also attacked Bethel, and the Lord was with Gn 39:2,21; Jos 6:27; Jdg 2:18; 1Sm 18:12 them.

23They sent spies to Bethel (the town was formerly named Luz Gn 28:19; 35:6; 48:3).

24The spies saw a man coming out of the town and said to him, “Please show us how to get into town, and we will treat you well.” Jos 2:12,14; 2Sm 9:1,3,7

25When he showed them the way into the town, they put the town to the sword but released the man and his entire family.

26Then the man went to the land of the Hittites, built a town, and named it Luz. That is its name to this day.

27At that time Manasseh failed to take possession of Beth-shean LXX reads Beth-shean, which is a Scythian city Jos 17:11,16; 1Sm 31:10,12; 2Sm 21:12 and its villages, LXX reads its villages or the fields around it or Taanach Jos 21:25; Jdg 5:19 and its villages, or the residents of Dor Jos 11:2; 12:23; 17:11; 1Kg 4:11 and its villages, or the residents of Ibleam LXX reads Balaam Jos 17:11; 2Kg 9:27 and its villages, or the residents of Megiddo Jdg 5:19; 1Kg 9:15; 2Kg 23:29-30 and its villages; the Canaanites refused to leave LXX reads Canaanites began to live in this land. Jdg 1:35; Hs 5:11

28When Israel became stronger, they made the Canaanites serve as forced labor but never drove them out completely. Jos 17:12-13

29At that time Ephraim failed to drive out the Canaanites who were living in Gezer, so the Canaanites have lived among them in Gezer. LXX reads Gezer, and became forced labor Jos 16:10

30Zebulun failed to drive out the residents of Kitron or the residents of Nahalol, Jos 19:15; 21:35 so the Canaanites lived among them and served as forced labor.

31Asher failed to drive out the residents of Acco LXX reads Acco, and they became for him forced labor and the residents of Dor or of Sidon, or Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob.

32The Asherites lived among the Canaanites who were living in the land, because they failed to drive them out.

33Naphtali did not drive out the residents of Beth-shemesh or the residents of Beth-anath. They lived among the Canaanites who were living in the land, but the residents of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath served as their forced labor.

34The Amorites Ex 3:8; Nm 13:29; 21:31; Jos 2:10 forced the Danites into the hill country and did not allow them to go down into the valley.

35The Amorites refused to leave Or Amorites determined to live in Har-heres, Aijalon, Jos 10:12; 1Sm 14:31; 1Ch 8:13; 2Ch 28:18 and Shaalbim. When the house of Joseph got the upper hand, Lit When the hand of the house of Joseph was heavy the Amorites LXX reads Joseph became strong on the Amorites, they were made to serve as forced labor.

36The territory of the Amorites extended from the Ascent of Akrabbim, Nm 34:4; Jos 15:3 that is from Sela 2Kg 14:7; Is 16:1 upward.