| Berean Study Bible | NET Bible |
| 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?” | 1After Joshua died, the Israelites asked the LORD, "Who should lead the invasion against the Canaanites and launch the attack?" |
| 2“Judah shall go up,” answered the LORD. “Indeed, I have delivered the land into their hands.” | 2The LORD said, "The men of Judah should take the lead. Be sure of this! I am handing the land over to them." |
| 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. | 3The men of Judah said to their relatives, the men of Simeon, "Invade our allotted land with us and help us attack the Canaanites. Then we will go with you into your allotted land." So the men of Simeon went with them. |
| 4When Judah attacked, the LORD delivered the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek. | 4The men of Judah attacked, and the LORD handed the Canaanites and Perizzites over to them. They killed ten thousand men at Bezek. |
| 5And there they found Adoni-bezek and fought against him, striking down the Canaanites and Perizzites. | 5They met Adoni-Bezek at Bezek and fought him. They defeated the Canaanites and Perizzites. |
| 6As Adoni-bezek fled, they pursued him, seized him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes. | 6When Adoni-Bezek ran away, they chased him and captured him. Then they cut off his thumbs and big toes. |
| 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. | 7Adoni-Bezek said, "Seventy kings, with thumbs and big toes cut off, used to lick up food scraps under my table. God has repaid me for what I did to them." They brought him to Jerusalem, where he died. |
| 8Then the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire. | 8The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem and captured it. They put the sword to it and set the city on fire. |
| 9Afterward, the men of Judah marched down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country, in the Negev, and in the foothills. | 9Later the men of Judah went down to attack the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev, and the lowlands. |
| 10Judah also marched against the Canaanites who were living in Hebron (formerly known as Kiriath-arba), and they struck down Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. | 10The men of Judah attacked the Canaanites living in Hebron. (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba.) They killed Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. |
| 11From there they marched against the inhabitants of Debir (formerly known as Kiriath-sepher). | 11From there they attacked the people of Debir. (Debir used to be called Kiriath Sepher.) |
| 12And Caleb said, “To the man who strikes down Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage.” | 12Caleb said, "To the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher I will give my daughter Acsah as a wife." |
| 13So Othniel son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz captured the city, and Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him in marriage. | 13When Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, captured it, Caleb gave him his daughter Acsah as a wife. |
| 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?” | 14One time Acsah came and charmed her father so she could ask him for some land. When she got down from her donkey, Caleb said to her, "What would you like?" |
| 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. | 15She answered, "Please give me a special present. Since you have given me land in the Negev, now give me springs of water." So Caleb gave her both the upper and lower springs. |
| 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. | 16Now the descendants of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah from the City of Date Palm Trees to Arad in the desert of Judah, located in the Negev. They went and lived with the people of Judah. |
| 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. | 17The men of Judah went with their brothers the men of Simeon and defeated the Canaanites living in Zephath. They wiped out Zephath. So people now call the city Hormah. |
| 18And Judah also captured Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron—each with its territory. | 18The men of Judah captured Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron, and the territory surrounding each of these cities. |
| 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. | 19The LORD was with the men of Judah. They conquered the hill country, but they could not conquer the people living in the coastal plain, because they had chariots with iron-rimmed wheels. |
| 20Just as Moses had promised, Judah gave Hebron to Caleb, who drove out the descendants of the three sons of Anak. | 20Caleb received Hebron, just as Moses had promised. He drove out the three Anakites. |
| 21The Benjamites, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the Benjamites. | 21The men of Benjamin, however, did not conquer the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. The Jebusites live with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this very day. |
| 22The house of Joseph also attacked Bethel, and the LORD was with them. | 22When the men of Joseph attacked Bethel, the LORD was with them. |
| 23They sent spies to Bethel (formerly known as Luz), | 23When the men of Joseph spied out Bethel (it used to be called Luz), |
| 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.” | 24the spies spotted a man leaving the city. They said to him, "If you show us a secret entrance into the city, we will reward you." |
| 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. | 25He showed them a secret entrance into the city, and they put the city to the sword. But they let the man and his extended family leave safely. |
| 26And the man went to the land of the Hittites, built a city, and called it Luz, which is its name to this day. | 26He moved to Hittite country and built a city. He named it Luz, and it has kept that name to this very day. |
| 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. | 27The men of Manasseh did not conquer Beth Shan, Taanach, or their surrounding towns. Nor did they conquer the people living in Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo or their surrounding towns. The Canaanites managed to remain in those areas. |
| 28When Israel became stronger, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor, but they never drove them out completely. | 28Whenever Israel was strong militarily, they forced the Canaanites to do hard labor, but they never totally conquered them. |
| 29Ephraim also failed to drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer; so the Canaanites continued to dwell among them in Gezer. | 29The men of Ephraim did not conquer the Canaanites living in Gezer. The Canaanites lived among them in Gezer. |
| 30Zebulun failed to drive out the inhabitants of Kitron and Nahalol; so the Canaanites lived among them and served as forced laborers. | 30The men of Zebulun did not conquer the people living in Kitron and Nahalol. The Canaanites lived among them and were forced to do hard labor. |
| 31Asher failed to drive out the inhabitants of Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, and Rehob. | 31The men of Asher did not conquer the people living in Acco or Sidon, nor did they conquer Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Aphek, or Rehob. |
| 32So the Asherites lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, because they did not drive them out. | 32The people of Asher live among the Canaanites residing in the land because they did not conquer them. |
| 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. | 33The men of Naphtali did not conquer the people living in Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath. They live among the Canaanites residing in the land. The Canaanites living in Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were forced to do hard labor for them. |
| 34The Amorites forced the Danites into the hill country and did not allow them to come down into the plain. | 34The Amorites forced the people of Dan to live in the hill country. They did not allow them to live in the coastal plain. |
| 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. | 35The Amorites managed to remain in Har Heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim. Whenever the tribe of Joseph was strong militarily, the Amorites were forced to do hard labor. |
| 36And the border of the Amorites extended from the Ascent of Akrabbim to Sela and beyond. | 36The border of Amorite territory ran from the Scorpion Ascent to Sela and on up. |
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