The Israelite’s Attempts to Claim Their Inheritance |
Judges 1:1-36 The Book of Judges [in Smaller Chunks] |
Now, after the death of Joshua, it [happened,] that the children [people] of Israel asked the Lord, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites 1st, to fight against them? The Lord said, [the tribe of] Judah shall go up [1st.] |
The Lord said, I have delivered the land into his hand. Judah said to [the tribe] of Simeon, [his brethren,] Come [join us in our land, so] we may fight against the Canaanites. [We] will [also] go with you into your [land] [& fight with you.] |
So, Simeon went out with him. Judah went up & the Lord delivered the Canaanites & Perizzites into their [hands.] They [struck down] 10,000 men in Bezek. |
They fought against Adoni-Bezek in Bezek & [struck down] the Canaanites & Perizzites, but Adoni-Bezek fled. And they pursued after him & caught him & cut off his thumbs & [big] toes. |
Adoni-Bezek said, 70 kings [with] their thumbs & [big] toes cut off, gathered their [food] under my table. The [Lord] God [has done] to me, as I have done & [repaid] me. They brought him to Jerusalem & he died there. |
The children [people] of Judah had fought against Jerusalem & had taken it with the edge of the sword & set the city on fire. Afterward, the [people] of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites, [who lived] in the [mountains,] in the south & in the valley. |
Judah went against the Canaanites, [who lived] in Hebron. (Now the name of Hebron, [was previously] Kirjath Arba.) And they [struck down:] Shishak, Ahriman & Tallmai. And from [there,] he went against the [residents] of Debir. Before, [Debir’s] name was Kirjath Sepher. |
Caleb said, I will give my daughter, Achsah, to [marry] the [man who kills & conquers] Kirjath Sepher. And Othniel, [Kenaz’] son, Caleb’s younger brother, [captured the city] & [Caleb] gave Achsah, his daughter, [to be Othniel’s] wife. It [happened,] when she came to [Othniel,] she [wanted him to ask] her father [for] a field. |
She [jumped] off her [donkey] & Caleb [asked] her, What [do you want?] She said, Give me a blessing. You have given me [southern desert] land. Aso, give me springs of water & Caleb gave her the upper & the [lower] springs. |
The children [people] of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up with the [people] of Judah, out of the City of the Palm trees, into the wilderness of Judah, which lies south of Arad & they [lived] among the people. |
Judah went with Simeon, his [brethren] & the [struck down] the Canaanites, [who] inhabited Zephath, the city was called Hormah & [totally] destroyed it. Judah also took Gaza, Askelon [a.k.a. Ashkelon,] Ekron & [each of] their coasts. |
The Lord was with Judah & He drove out the inhabitants of the mountains, but couldn’t drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had iron chariots. They gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses said & he [cast out] the 3 sons of Anak. |
The [people] of Benjamin [hadn’t driven] out the Jebusites, [who] inhabited Jerusalem, but the Jebusites [live] with the [people] of Benjamin to this day. The Lord was with the house of Joseph as they also went up against Beth El. |
The [family] of Joseph [were] sent to [spy out] Beth El. (Now, the city [was previously named] Luz.) The spies saw a man come out of the city & they said to him, We pray [that] you show us the entrance into the city & we will show you mercy. |
When he showed them the entrance of the city, they struck the city with the edge of the sword; but they let the man & his family go. [He] went into the land of the Hittites & built a city & called [its] name, Luz, which is [its] name to this day. |
Manasseh [didn’t] drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shean, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo & [all their] towns & inhabitants, but the Canaamnites would dwell in that land. |
It [happened,] when Israel was strong, they put the Canaanites to [forced labor] & [didn’t totally] drive them out. Neither did Ephraim drive the Canaanites out of Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them. |
Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of: Kittron & Nahalol, but the Canaanites [live] among them & became [forced laborers.] Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of: Accho, Zidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik & Rehob. |
But the Asherites [lived] among the Cannanites, the inhabitants of the land, [because] they didn’t drive them out. Neither did Naptali drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh & Beth Anath. |
But [Naphtali lives] among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. [However] the inhabitants of Beth Shemesth & Beth Anath [became forced laborers] for them. |
The Amorites forced the [people] of Dan into the mountains & wouldn’t [allow] them to come down to the valley. But the Amorites would dwell in Mount Heres in Aijalon, in Shaalbim. |
[Still] the house of Joseph [became stronger,] so that the [Amorites] became [forced laborers.] The coast of the Amorites was from [Ascent] of Akrabbim [a.k.a. Scorpion Pass,] from the rock, [Has-Selah on which Petra is built] & upward. |