Common English Bible CEB
English Standard Version ESV
1 After Joshua's death, the Israelites asked the LORD, "Who should go up first to fight for us against the Canaanites?"
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After the death of Joshua, the people of Israel inquired of the Lord, “Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them? ”
2 The LORD said, "The tribe of Judah will go up. I've handed over the land to them."
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The Lord said, “Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand. ”
3 So the tribe of Judah said to the tribe of Simeon, their brothers, "Come up with us into our territory, and let's fight against the Canaanites. Then we'll go with you into your territory too." So Simeon went with them.
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And Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me into the territory allotted to me, that we may fight against the Canaanites. And I likewise will go with you into the territory allotted to you. ” So Simeon went with him.
4 When Judah went up, the LORD handed them the Canaanites and Perizzites. They defeated ten thousand men at Bezek.
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Then Judah went up and the Lord gave the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand, and they defeated 10,000 of them at Bezek.
5 There they found Adoni-bezek at Bezek, fought against him, and defeated the Canaanites and Perizzites.
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They found Adoni-bezek at Bezek and fought against him and defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
6 Adoni-bezek fled, but they chased after him, captured him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes.
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Adoni-bezek fled, but they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and his big toes.
7 He said, "Seventy kings with severed thumbs and big toes used to pick up scraps under my table, so God has paid me back exactly for what I did." They brought him to Jerusalem, where he died.
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And Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to pick up scraps under my table. As I have done, so God has repaid me. ” And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.
8 The people of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it. They killed its people with their swords and set the city on fire.
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And the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it and struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire.
9 Afterward, the people of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the highlands, the southern plain, and the western foothills.
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And afterward the men of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, in the Negeb, and in the lowland.
10 Judah moved against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron, known before as Kiriath-arba, and they defeated Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.
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And Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron (now the name of Hebron was formerly Kiriath-arba), and they defeated Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai.
11 From there they moved against those who lived in Debir, known before as Kiriath-sepher.
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From there they went against the inhabitants of Debir. The name of Debir was formerly Kiriath-sepher.
12 Caleb said, "I'll give my daughter Achsah as a wife to the one who defeats and captures Kiriath-sepher."
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And Caleb said, “He who attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give him Achsah my daughter for a wife. ”
13 Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, captured it; so Caleb gave him his daughter Achsah as a wife.
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And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, captured it. And he gave him Achsah his daughter for a wife.
14 When she arrived, she convinced Othniel to ask her father for a certain piece of land. As she got down from her donkey, Caleb said to her, "What do you want?"
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When she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field. And she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you want? ”
15 Achsah said to Caleb, "Give me a gift. Since you've given me land in the southern plain, give me springs of water." So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.
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She said to him, “Give me a blessing. Since you have set me in the land of the Negeb, give me also springs of water. ” And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.
16 The descendants of Moses' father-in-law the Kenite went up with the people of Judah from Palm City into the Judean desert, which was in the southern plain near Arad. They went and lived with the Amalekites.
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And the descendants of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah from the city of palms into the wilderness of Judah, which lies in the Negeb near Arad, and they went and settled with the people.
17 Then the Judahites went with the Simeonites, their brothers, and they defeated the Canaanites who lived in Zephath, and they completely destroyed it. So the city was called Hormah.
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And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they defeated the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath and devoted it to destruction. So the name of the city was called Hormah.
18 Judah also captured Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron, and all their territories.
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Judah also captured Gaza with its territory, and Ashkelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory.
19 Thus the LORD was with the tribe of Judah, and they took possession of the highlands. However, they didn't drive out those who lived in the plain because they had iron chariots.
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And the Lord was with Judah, and he took possession of the hill country, but he could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain because they had chariots of iron.
20 They gave Hebron to Caleb, just as Moses had commanded, and they drove out from there the three sons of Anak.
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And Hebron was given to Caleb, as Moses had said. And he drove out from it the three sons of Anak.
21 But the people of Benjamin didn't drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem. So the Jebusites still live with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem today.
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But the people of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem, so the Jebusites have lived with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.
22 In the same way, Joseph's household went up against Bethel, and the LORD was with them.
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The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the Lord was with them.
23 When they sent men to spy on Bethel, previously named Luz,
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And the house of Joseph scouted out Bethel. ( Now the name of the city was formerly Luz. )
24 the spies saw a man coming out of the city, and they said to him, "Show us the way into the city, and we'll be loyal to you in return."
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And the spies saw a man coming out of the city, and they said to him, “Please show us the way into the city, and we will deal kindly with you. ”
25 So he showed them the way into the city. They killed the city's people with their swords, but they let that man and all his relatives go.
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And he showed them the way into the city. And they struck the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man and all his family go.
26 The man went to the land of the Hittites and built a city. He named it Luz, which is still its name today.
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And the man went to the land of the Hittites and built a city and called its name Luz. That is its name to this day.
27 The tribe of Manasseh didn't drive out the people in Beth-shean, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo, or any of their villages. The Canaanites were determined to live in that land.
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Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages, for the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land.
28 When Israel became stronger they forced the Canaanites to work for them, but they didn't completely drive them out.
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When Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not drive them out completely.
29 The tribe of Ephraim didn't drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, so the Canaanites kept on living there with them.
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And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them.
30 The tribe of Zebulun didn't drive out the people living in Kitron or Nahalol. These Canaanites lived with them but were forced to work for them.
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Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, or the inhabitants of Nahalol, so the Canaanites lived among them, but became subject to forced labor.
31 The tribe of Asher didn't drive out the people living in Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob.
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Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or the inhabitants of Sidon or of Ahlab or of Achzib or of Helbah or of Aphik or of Rehob,
32 The people of Asher settled among the Canaanites in the land because they couldn't drive them out.
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so the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, for they did not drive them out.
33 The tribe of Naphtali didn't drive out the people living in Beth-shemesh or Beth-anath but settled among the Canaanites in the land. The people living in Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath were forced to work for them.
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Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, or the inhabitants of Beth-anath, so they lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became subject to forced labor for them.
34 The Amorites pushed the people of Dan back into the highlands because they wouldn't allow them to come down to the plain.
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The Amorites pressed the people of Dan back into the hill country, for they did not allow them to come down to the plain.
35 The Amorites were determined to live in Har-heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim, but Joseph's household became strong, and the Amorites were forced to work for them.
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The Amorites persisted in dwelling in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim, but the hand of the house of Joseph rested heavily on them, and they became subject to forced labor.
36 The border of the Amorites ran from the Akrabbim pass, from Sela, and upward.
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And the border of the Amorites ran from the ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela and upward.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025