Judges 1:1-13 ▼

1 It happened after the death of Joshua, the children of Israel asked of the LORD, saying, |Who should go up first to fight for us against the Canaanites?|

2 The LORD said, |Judah should go up. Look, I have delivered the land into his hand.|

3 Judah said to Simeon his brother, |Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with you into your lot.| So Simeon went with him.

4 Judah went up; and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand: and they struck of them in Bezek ten thousand men.

5 They found Adoni-Bezek in Bezek; and they fought against him, and they struck 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 Adoni-Bezek said, |Seventy kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, scavenged under my table: as I have done, so God has requited me.| They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

8 The people of Judah fought against Jerusalem, and took it, and struck it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.

9 Afterward the people of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, and in the Negev, and in the lowland.

10 And Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron, and Hebron came out in opposition (now the name of Hebron before was Kiriath Arba), and they struck Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.

11 From there he went against the inhabitants of Debir. (Now the name of Debir before was Kiriath Sepher.)

12 Caleb said, |He who strikes Kiriath Sepher, and takes it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter as wife.|

13 Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife.