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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?”
2 The Lord answered, “Judah shall go up, for I have given the land into his hand.”
3 Judah said to his brother Simeon, “Come up with me into the territory allotted to me, so we may fight against the Canaanites. Then I will also go with you into the territory allotted to you.” So Simeon went with him.
4 When Judah attacked, the Lord delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek. 5 They found Adoni-bezek in Bezek and fought against him, and they defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites. 6 Adoni-bezek fled, but they pursued him and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes.
7 Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to pick up scraps from under my table. Now God has repaid me for what I have done.” They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.
8 Then the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire.
9 After that, the men of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who were living in the hill country, in the Negev, and in the Judean foothills. 10 Then Judah advanced against the Canaanites who lived at Hebron (Hebron was formerly named Kiriath-arba), and they defeated Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.
11 From there they advanced against the people of Debir (Debir was formerly named Kiriath-sepher). 12 Caleb said, “Whoever attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give my daughter Achsah to him as his wife.” 13 Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother captured it; so Caleb gave him his daughter Achsah as wife.
14 When she arrived, she persuaded Othniel to ask her father for a field. When she had got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What do you want me to do for you?”
15 She answered him, “Give me a blessing. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me Gulloth-mayim also.” So Caleb gave her both Upper Gulloth and Lower Gulloth.
16 The descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up from the City of Palms with the men of Judah into the Wilderness of Judah, which was in the Negev of Arad. They went to live among the people.
17 Judah went with his brother Simeon, and they attacked the Canaanites living in Zephath, and they totally destroyed it. So they named the city Hormah. 18 Judah also captured Gaza and its territory, Ashkelon and its territory, and Ekron and its territory.
19 The Lord was with Judah, and they took possession of the hill country, but they could not drive out the people who were living on the plains, because they had iron chariots. 20 Judah gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had promised. Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak from there. 21 The Benjaminites, however, did not drive out the Jebusites who were living in Jerusalem. So the Jebusites have lived with the Benjaminites in Jerusalem to this day.
22 The house of Joseph also attacked Bethel, and the Lord was with them. 23 They sent men to spy out Bethel (the city was formerly named Luz). 24 When the spies saw a man coming out of the city, they said to him, “Please show us the way to get into the city, and we will see that you are treated kindly.” 25 So he showed them the way into the city, and when they had put the city to the sword, they let the man and his family go free. 26 Then the man went to the land of the Hittites, where he built a city and named it Luz, and that has been its name to this day.
27 But Manasseh did not drive out the people of Beth-shean, or Taanach and its villages, or Dor and its villages, or Ibleam and its villages, or Megiddo and its villages, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that land. 28 When Israel became stronger, they subjected the Canaanites to forced labour but never drove them out completely.
29 Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites who were living in Gezer, so the Canaanites have lived among them in Gezer.
30 Neither did Zebulun drive out the people of Kitron or the people of Nahalol. The Canaanites lived among them, but they were subjected to forced labour.
31 Nor did Asher drive out the people of Acco, or the people of Sidon, or Ahlab, or Achzib, or Helbah, or Aphik, or Rehob. 32 So the Asherites lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land, because they failed to drive them out.
33 Nor Naphtali did drive out the people of Beth-shemesh or the people of Beth-anath. They lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land. However, the people of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath were subjected to forced labour for them.
34 The Amorites pressed the Danites back into the hill country, and would not allow them to break out into the plain 35 And the Amorites were determined to hold out living in Har-heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim, but when the hand of the house of Joseph became stronger, the Amorites were subjected to forced labour. 36 The territory of the Amorites extended from the ascent of Akrabbim, that is, from Sela and upward.