Judges 1 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

After Joshua died, the people of Israel asked Yahweh, "Who should go up first to fight the Canaanites for us?"

Yahweh said, "Judah will go up. Look — I'm handing the land over to them."

Judah said to their brothers in the tribe of Simeon, "Come up with us into the territory we've been assigned, and let's fight the Canaanites together. Then we'll go with you into your territory too." So Simeon went with them.

So Judah went up, and Yahweh handed the Canaanites and the Perizzites over to them. They struck down ten thousand men at Bezek.

They found Adoni-Bezek at Bezek and fought against him, striking down the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

Adoni-Bezek fled, but they chased him down, captured him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes.

Adoni-Bezek said, "Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to pick up scraps under my table. God has paid me back for what I did." They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem and captured it. They struck it with the sword and set the city on fire.

After that, the men of Judah went down to fight the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev, and the western foothills.

Judah marched against the Canaanites living in Hebron (which used to be called Kiriath-Arba) and defeated Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.

From there, they marched against the people living in Debir (which used to be called Kiriath-Sepher).

Caleb said, "Whoever attacks Kiriath-Sepher and captures it — I'll give him my daughter Achsah as his wife."

Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, captured it. So Caleb gave him his daughter Achsah as his wife.

When she arrived, she urged Othniel to ask her father for a field. She got off her donkey, and Caleb asked her, "What do you want?"

She said to him, "Give me a gift. Since you've settled me in the dry Negev land, give me springs of water too." So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

The descendants of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, went up from the City of Palms with the men of Judah into the Judean wilderness south of Arad, and they settled among the people there.

Then Judah went with their brothers in Simeon, and they struck down the Canaanites living in Zephath. They completely destroyed the city and named it Hormah.

Judah also captured Gaza and its territory, Ashkelon and its territory, and Ekron and its territory.

Yahweh was with Judah, and they took possession of the hill country. But they couldn't drive out the people living in the valley because they had iron chariots.

They gave Hebron to Caleb, just as Moses had promised, and he drove out the three sons of Anak from there.

But the men of Benjamin didn't drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem, so the Jebusites have lived alongside the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and Yahweh was with them.

The house of Joseph sent scouts to Bethel (which used to be called Luz).

The scouts spotted a man coming out of the city and said to him, "Show us how to get into the city, and we'll treat you well."

So he showed them how to get in, and they struck the city with the sword — but they let the man and his whole family go free.

The man went to the land of the Hittites and built a city, and he named it Luz. That's still its name today.

But Manasseh didn't drive out the people of Beth-Shean, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, or Megiddo and their surrounding towns. The Canaanites were determined to stay in that land.

When Israel grew stronger, they forced the Canaanites into labor gangs — but they never completely drove them out.

Ephraim didn't drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer either, so the Canaanites continued living among them in Gezer.

Zebulun didn't drive out the people living in Kitron or Nahalol, so the Canaanites lived among them — but Zebulun forced them into labor gangs.

Asher didn't drive out the people living in Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob.

So the people of Asher lived among the Canaanites who were already in the land, because they never drove them out.

Naphtali didn't drive out the people living in Beth-Shemesh or Beth-Anath. So they lived among the Canaanites already in the land, though the people of Beth-Shemesh and Beth-Anath were forced into labor gangs.

The Amorites pushed the people of Dan back into the hill country and wouldn't let them come down into the valley.

The Amorites were determined to hold Mount Heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim. But when the house of Joseph grew stronger, they forced them into labor gangs too.

The border of the Amorites ran from the Ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela and upward.