Judges 1

The Continuing Conquest of Canaan

1 Now after the a death of Joshua it came to pass that the children of Israel b asked the LORD, saying, "Who shall be first to go up for us against the c Canaanites to fight against them?" 2 And the LORD said, d "Judah shall go up. Indeed I have delivered the land into his hand." 3 So Judah said to e Simeon his brother, "Come up with me to my allotted territory, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and f I will likewise go with you to your allotted territory." And Simeon went with him. 4 Then Judah went up, and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand; and they killed ten thousand men at g Bezek. 5 And they found AdoniBe'zek in Bezek, and fought against him; and they defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites. 6 Then AdoniBe'zek fled, and they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and big toes. 7 And AdoniBe'zek said, "Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to gather scraps under my table; h as I have done, so God has repaid me." Then they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.

8 Now i the children of Judah fought against Jerusalem and took it; they struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire. 9 j And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who dwelt in the mountains, in the 1 South, and in the lowland. 10 Then Judah 2 went against the Canaanites who dwelt in k Hebron. (Now the name of Hebron was formerly l Kirjath Arba.) And they killed Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.

11 m From there they went against the inhabitants of Debir. (The name of Debir was formerly Kirjath Sepher.) 12 n Then Caleb said, "Whoever attacks Kirjath Sepher and takes it, to him I will give my daughter Achsah as wife." 13 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, o Caleb's younger brother, took it; so he gave him his daughter Achsah as wife. 14 p Now it happened, when she came to him, that 3 she urged him to ask her father for a field. And she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, "What do you wish?" 15 So she said to him, q "Give me a blessing; since you have given me land in the South, give me also springs of water." And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

16 r Now the children of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, went up s from the City of Palms with the children of Judah into the Wilderness of Judah, which lies in the South near t Arad; u and they went and dwelt among the people. 17 v And Judah went with his brother Simeon, and they attacked the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. So the name of the city was called w Hormah. 18 Also Judah took x Gaza with its territory, Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory. 19 So the LORD was with Judah. And they drove out the mountaineers, but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the lowland, because they had y chariots of iron. 20 z And they gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had said. Then he 4 expelled from there the a three sons of Anak. 21 b But the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; so the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

22 And the 5 house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, c and the LORD was with them. 23 So the 6 house of Joseph d sent men to spy out Bethel. (The name of the city was formerly e Luz.) 24 And when the spies saw a man coming out of the city, they said to him, "Please show us the entrance to the city, and f we will show you mercy." 25 So he showed them the entrance to the city, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword; but they let the man and all his family go. 26 And the man went to the land of the Hittites, built a city, and called its name Luz, which is its name to this day.

Failure to Complete the Conquest

27 g However, Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shean and its villages, or h Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of i Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages; for the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land. 28 And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites 7 under tribute, but did not completely drive them out.

29 j Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; so the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.

30 Nor did k Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron or the inhabitants of Nahalol; so the Canaanites dwelt among them, and 8 were put under tribute.

31 l Nor did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Acco or the inhabitants of Sidon, or of Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob. 32 So the Asherites m dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out.

33 n Nor did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh or the inhabitants of Beth Anath; but they dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were put under tribute to them.

34 And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountains, for they would not allow them to come down to the valley; 35 and the Amorites were determined to dwell in Mount Heres, o in Aijalon, and in 9 Shaalbim; yet when the strength of the house of Joseph became greater, they 10 were put under tribute. 36 Now the boundary of the Amorites was p from the Ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela, and upward.

  1. Cross References
    Joshua 24:29
    Now it came to pass after these things that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being one hundred and ten years old.
  2. Cross References
    Numbers 27:21
    "He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the LORD for him by the judgment of the Urim. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him - all the congregation."
    Judges 20:18
    Then the children of Israel arose and went up to the house of God to inquire of God. They said, "Which of us shall go up first to battle against the children of Benjamin?" The LORD said, "Judah first!
  3. Cross References
    Joshua 17:12
    Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities, but the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land.
    Joshua 17:13
    And it happened, when the children of Israel grew strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.
  4. Cross References
    Genesis 49:8
    Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father's children shall bow down before you.
    Genesis 49:9
    Judah is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?
    Revelation 5:5
    But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.
  5. Cross References
    Joshua 19:1
    The second lot came out for Simeon, for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families. And their inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Judah.
  6. Cross References
    Judges 1:17
    And Judah went with his brother Simeon, and they attacked the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. So the name of the city was called Hormah.
  7. Cross References
    1 Samuel 11:8
    When he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.
  8. Cross References
    Leviticus 24:19
    If a man causes disfigurement of his neighbor, as he has done, so shall it be done to him -
    1 Samuel 15:33
    But Samuel said, "As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women." And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.
    James 2:13
    For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
  9. Cross References
    Joshua 15:63
    As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.
    Judges 1:21
    But the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; so the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.
  10. Cross References
    Joshua 10:36
    So Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, to Hebron; and they fought against it.
    Joshua 11:21
    And at that time Joshua came and cut off the Anakim from the mountains: from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel; Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities.
    Joshua 15:13
    Now to Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a share among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, namely, Kirjath Arba, which is Hebron ( Arba was the father of Anak).
  11. Cross References
    Joshua 15:13 - 19
    Now to Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a share among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, namely, Kirjath Arba, which is Hebron ( Arba was the father of Anak).
  12. Cross References
    Joshua 14:15
    And the name of Hebron formerly was Kirjath Arba ( Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim). Then the land had rest from war.
  13. Cross References
    Joshua 15:15
    Then he went up from there to the inhabitants of Debir (formerly the name of Debir was Kirjath Sepher).
  14. Cross References
    Joshua 15:16
    And Caleb said, "He who attacks Kirjath Sepher and takes it, to him I will give Achsah my daughter as wife.
    Joshua 15:17
    So Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it; and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife.
  15. Cross References
    Judges 3:9
    When the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the children of Israel, who delivered them: Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.
  16. Cross References
    Joshua 15:18
    Now it was so, when she came to him, that she persuaded him to ask her father for a field. So she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, "What do you wish?
    Joshua 15:19
    She answered, "Give me a blessing; since you have given me land in the South, give me also springs of water." So he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.
  17. Cross References
    Genesis 33:11
    Please, take my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough." So he urged him, and he took it.
  18. Cross References
    Numbers 10:29 - 32
    Now Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, "We are setting out for the place of which the LORD said, 'I will give it to you.' Come with us, and we will treat you well; for the LORD has promised good things to Israel.
    Judges 4:11
    Now Heber the Kenite, of the children of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, had separated himself from the Kenites and pitched his tent near the terebinth tree at Zaanaim, which is beside Kedesh.
    Judges 4:17
    However, Sisera had fled away on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between Jabin king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
    1 Samuel 15:6
    Then Saul said to the Kenites, "Go, depart, get down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt." So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.
    1 Chronicles 2:55
    And the families of the scribes who dwelt at Jabez were the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and the Suchathites. These were the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab.
  19. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 34:3
    The South, and the plain of the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar.
    Judges 3:13
    Then he gathered to himself the people of Ammon and Amalek, went and defeated Israel, and took possession of the City of Palms.
  20. Cross References
    Joshua 12:14
    The king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one.
  21. Cross References
    1 Samuel 15:6
    Then Saul said to the Kenites, "Go, depart, get down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt." So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.
  22. Cross References
    Judges 1:3
    So Judah said to Simeon his brother, "Come up with me to my allotted territory, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I will likewise go with you to your allotted territory." And Simeon went with him.
  23. Cross References
    Numbers 21:3
    And the LORD listened to the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites, and they utterly destroyed them and their cities. So the name of that place was called Hormah.
    Joshua 19:4
    Eltolad, Bethul, Hormah.
  24. Cross References
    Joshua 11:22
    None of the Anakim were left in the land of the children of Israel; they remained only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod.
  25. Cross References
    Joshua 17:16
    But the children of Joseph said, "The mountain country is not enough for us; and all the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are of Beth Shean and its towns and those who are of the Valley of Jezreel.
    Joshua 17:18
    "but the mountain country shall be yours. Although it is wooded, you shall cut it down, and its farthest extent shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots and are strong."
    Judges 4:3
    And the children of Israel cried out to the LORD; for Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and for twenty years he had harshly oppressed the children of Israel.
    Judges 4:13
    So Sisera gathered together all his chariots, nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth Hagoyim to the River Kishon.
  26. Cross References
    Numbers 14:24
    But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it.
    Joshua 14:9
    "So Moses swore on that day, saying, 'Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children's forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.'
    Joshua 14:14
    Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.
  27. Cross References
    Joshua 15:14
    Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak from there: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.
    Judges 1:10
    Then Judah went against the Canaanites who dwelt in Hebron. (Now the name of Hebron was formerly Kirjath Arba.) And they killed Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.
  28. Cross References
    Joshua 15:63
    As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.
    Judges 1:8
    Now the children of Judah fought against Jerusalem and took it; they struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire.
  29. Cross References
    Judges 1:19
    So the LORD was with Judah. And they drove out the mountaineers, but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the lowland, because they had chariots of iron.
  30. Cross References
    Joshua 2:1
    Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, "Go, view the land, especially Jericho." So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there.
    Joshua 7:2
    Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, "Go up and spy out the country." So the men went up and spied out Ai.
  31. Cross References
    Genesis 28:19
    And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously.
  32. Cross References
    Joshua 2:12
    Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the LORD, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father's house, and give me a true token.
    Joshua 2:14
    So the men answered her, "Our lives for yours, if none of you tell this business of ours. And it shall be, when the LORD has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.
  33. Cross References
    Joshua 17:11 - 13
    And in Issachar and in Asher, Manasseh had Beth Shean and its towns, Ibleam and its towns, the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, the inhabitants of En Dor and its towns, the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns - three hilly regions.
  34. Cross References
    Joshua 21:25
    And from the half-tribe of Manasseh, Tanach with its common-land and Gath Rimmon with its common-land: two cities.
  35. Cross References
    Joshua 17:11
    And in Issachar and in Asher, Manasseh had Beth Shean and its towns, Ibleam and its towns, the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, the inhabitants of En Dor and its towns, the inhabitants of Taanach and its towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns - three hilly regions.
  36. Cross References
    Joshua 16:10
    And they did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day and have become forced laborers.
    1 Kings 9:16
    (Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up and taken Gezer and burned it with fire, had killed the Canaanites who dwelt in the city, and had given it as a dowry to his daughter, Solomon's wife.)
  37. Cross References
    Joshua 19:10 - 16
    The third lot came out for the children of Zebulun according to their families, and the border of their inheritance was as far as Sarid.
  38. Cross References
    Joshua 19:24 - 31
    The fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families.
  39. Cross References
    Psalms 106:34
    They did not destroy the peoples, Concerning whom the LORD had commanded them.
    Psalms 106:35
    But they mingled with the Gentiles And learned their works.
  40. Cross References
    Joshua 19:32 - 39
    The sixth lot came out to the children of Naphtali, for the children of Naphtali according to their families.
  41. Cross References
    Joshua 19:42
    Shaalabbin, Aijalon, Jethlah.
  42. Cross References
    Numbers 34:4
    Your border shall turn from the southern side of the Ascent of Akrabbim, continue to Zin, and be on the south of Kadesh Barnea; then it shall go on to Hazar Addar, and continue to Azmon.
    Joshua 15:3
    Then it went out to the southern side of the Ascent of Akrabbim, passed along to Zin, ascended on the south side of Kadesh Barnea, passed along to Hezron, went up to Adar, and went around to Karkaa.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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