| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the LORD, “Which tribe should go first to attack the Canaanites?” | 1After the death of Joshua, the Israelites inquired of the LORD, “Who will be the first to go up and fight for us against the Canaanites?” |
| 2The LORD answered, “Judah, for I have given them victory over the land.” | 2“Judah shall go up,” answered the LORD. “Indeed, I have delivered the land into their hands.” |
| 3The men of Judah said to their relatives from the tribe of Simeon, “Join with us to fight against the Canaanites living in the territory allotted to us. Then we will help you conquer your territory.” So the men of Simeon went with Judah. | 3Then the men of Judah said to their brothers the Simeonites, “Come up with us to our allotted territory, and let us fight against the Canaanites. And we likewise will go with you to your territory.” So the Simeonites went with them. |
| 4When the men of Judah attacked, the LORD gave them victory over the Canaanites and Perizzites, and they killed 10,000 enemy warriors at the town of Bezek. | 4When Judah attacked, the LORD delivered the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek. |
| 5While at Bezek they encountered King Adoni-bezek and fought against him, and the Canaanites and Perizzites were defeated. | 5And there they found Adoni-bezek and fought against him, striking down the Canaanites and Perizzites. |
| 6Adoni-bezek escaped, but the Israelites soon captured him and cut off his thumbs and big toes. | 6As Adoni-bezek fled, they pursued him, seized him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes. |
| 7Adoni-bezek said, “I once had seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off, eating scraps from under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them.” They took him to Jerusalem, and he died there. | 7Then Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have gathered the scraps under my table. As I have done to them, so God has repaid me.” And they brought him to Jerusalem, where he died. |
| 8The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem and captured it, killing all its people and setting the city on fire. | 8Then the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire. |
| 9Then they went down to fight the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev, and the western foothills. | 9Afterward, the men of Judah marched down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country, in the Negev, and in the foothills. |
| 10Judah marched against the Canaanites in Hebron (formerly called Kiriath-arba), defeating the forces of Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. | 10Judah also marched against the Canaanites who were living in Hebron (formerly known as Kiriath-arba), and they struck down Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. |
| 11From there they went to fight against the people living in the town of Debir (formerly called Kiriath-sepher). | 11From there they marched against the inhabitants of Debir (formerly known as Kiriath-sepher). |
| 12Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the one who attacks and captures Kiriath-sepher.” | 12And Caleb said, “To the man who strikes down Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage.” |
| 13Othniel, the son of Caleb’s younger brother, Kenaz, was the one who conquered it, so Acsah became Othniel’s wife. | 13So Othniel son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz captured the city, and Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him in marriage. |
| 14When Acsah married Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. As she got down off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What’s the matter?” | 14One day Acsah came to Othniel and urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What do you desire?” |
| 15She said, “Let me have another gift. You have already given me land in the Negev; now please give me springs of water, too.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs. | 15“Give me a blessing,” she answered. “Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me springs of water as well.” So Caleb gave her both the upper and lower springs. |
| 16When the tribe of Judah left Jericho—the city of palms—the Kenites, who were descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, traveled with them into the wilderness of Judah. They settled among the people there, near the town of Arad in the Negev. | 16Now the descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, the Kenite, went up with the men of Judah from the City of Palms to the Wilderness of Judah in the Negev near Arad. They went to live among the people. |
| 17Then Judah joined with Simeon to fight against the Canaanites living in Zephath, and they completely destroyed the town. So the town was named Hormah. | 17Then the men of Judah went with their brothers the Simeonites, attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, and devoted the city to destruction. So it was called Hormah. |
| 18In addition, Judah captured the towns of Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron, along with their surrounding territories. Israel Fails to Conquer the Land | 18And Judah also captured Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron—each with its territory. |
| 19The LORD was with the people of Judah, and they took possession of the hill country. But they failed to drive out the people living in the plains, who had iron chariots. | 19The LORD was with Judah, and they took possession of the hill country; but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the plains because they had chariots of iron. |
| 20The town of Hebron was given to Caleb as Moses had promised. And Caleb drove out the people living there, who were descendants of the three sons of Anak. | 20Just as Moses had promised, Judah gave Hebron to Caleb, who drove out the descendants of the three sons of Anak. |
| 21The tribe of Benjamin, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live in Jerusalem among the people of Benjamin. | 21The Benjamites, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the Benjamites. |
| 22The descendants of Joseph attacked the town of Bethel, and the LORD was with them. | 22The house of Joseph also attacked Bethel, and the LORD was with them. |
| 23They sent men to scout out Bethel (formerly known as Luz). | 23They sent spies to Bethel (formerly known as Luz), |
| 24They confronted a man coming out of the town and said to him, “Show us a way into the town, and we will have mercy on you.” | 24and when the spies saw a man coming out of the city, they said to him, “Please show us how to get into the city, and we will treat you kindly.” |
| 25So he showed them a way in, and they killed everyone in the town except that man and his family. | 25So the man showed them the entrance to the city, and they put the city to the sword but released that man and all his family. |
| 26Later the man moved to the land of the Hittites, where he built a town. He named it Luz, which is its name to this day. | 26And the man went to the land of the Hittites, built a city, and called it Luz, which is its name to this day. |
| 27The tribe of Manasseh failed to drive out the people living in Beth-shan, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo, and all their surrounding settlements, because the Canaanites were determined to stay in that region. | 27At that time Manasseh failed to drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo, and their villages; for the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land. |
| 28When the Israelites grew stronger, they forced the Canaanites to work as slaves, but they never did drive them completely out of the land. | 28When Israel became stronger, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor, but they never drove them out completely. |
| 29The tribe of Ephraim failed to drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, so the Canaanites continued to live there among them. | 29Ephraim also failed to drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer; so the Canaanites continued to dwell among them in Gezer. |
| 30The tribe of Zebulun failed to drive out the residents of Kitron and Nahalol, so the Canaanites continued to live among them. But the Canaanites were forced to work as slaves for the people of Zebulun. | 30Zebulun failed to drive out the inhabitants of Kitron and Nahalol; so the Canaanites lived among them and served as forced laborers. |
| 31The tribe of Asher failed to drive out the residents of Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Aphik, and Rehob. | 31Asher failed to drive out the inhabitants of Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, and Rehob. |
| 32Instead, the people of Asher moved in among the Canaanites, who controlled the land, for they failed to drive them out. | 32So the Asherites lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, because they did not drive them out. |
| 33Likewise, the tribe of Naphtali failed to drive out the residents of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath. Instead, they moved in among the Canaanites, who controlled the land. Nevertheless, the people of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath were forced to work as slaves for the people of Naphtali. | 33Naphtali failed to drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath. So the Naphtalites also lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, but the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath served them as forced laborers. |
| 34As for the tribe of Dan, the Amorites forced them back into the hill country and would not let them come down into the plains. | 34The Amorites forced the Danites into the hill country and did not allow them to come down into the plain. |
| 35The Amorites were determined to stay in Mount Heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim, but when the descendants of Joseph became stronger, they forced the Amorites to work as slaves. | 35And the Amorites were determined to dwell in Mount Heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim. But when the house of Joseph grew in strength, they pressed the Amorites into forced labor. |
| 36The boundary of the Amorites ran from Scorpion Pass to Sela and continued upward from there. | 36And the border of the Amorites extended from the Ascent of Akrabbim to Sela and beyond. |
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