Common English Bible CEB
The Message Bible MSG
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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A time came after the death of Joshua when the People of Israel asked God, "Who will take the lead in going up against the Canaanites to fight them?"
2 The LORD said, "The tribe of Judah will go up. I've handed over the land to them."
2
And God said, "Judah will go. I've given the land to him."
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.
3
The men of Judah said to those of their brother Simeon, "Go up with us to our territory and we'll fight the Canaanites. Then we'll go with you to your territory." And Simeon went with them.
4 When Judah went up, the LORD handed them the Canaanites and Perizzites. They defeated ten thousand men at Bezek.
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So Judah went up. God gave them the Canaanites and the Perizzites. They defeated them at Bezek - ten military units!
5 There they found Adoni-bezek at Bezek, fought against him, and defeated the Canaanites and Perizzites.
5
They caught up with My-Master-Bezek there and fought him. They smashed the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
6 Adoni-bezek fled, but they chased after him, captured him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes.
6
My-Master-Bezek ran, but they gave chase and caught him. They cut off his thumbs and 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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My-Master-Bezek said, "Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off used to crawl under my table, scavenging. Now God has done to me what I did to them." 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.
8
The people of Judah attacked and captured Jerusalem, subduing the city by sword and then sending it up in flames.
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.
9
After that they had gone down to fight the Canaanites who were living in the hill country, the Negev, and the foothills.
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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Judah had gone on to the Canaanites who lived in Hebron (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba) and brought Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai to their knees.
11 From there they moved against those who lived in Debir, known before as Kiriath-sepher.
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From there they had marched against the population of Debir (Debir used to be called 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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Caleb had said, "Whoever attacks Kiriath Sepher and takes it, I'll give my daughter Acsah to him as his 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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Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's brother, took it, so Caleb gave him his daughter Acsah as his 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 arrived she got him to ask for farm land from her father. As she dismounted from her donkey Caleb asked her, "What would you like?"
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, "Give me a marriage gift. You've given me desert land; Now give me pools of water!" And he gave her the upper and the lower pools.
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.
16
The people of Hobab the Kenite, Moses' relative, went up with the people of Judah from the City of Palms to the wilderness of Judah at the descent of Arad. They settled down there with the Amalekites.
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.
17
The people of Judah went with their kin the Simeonites and struck the Canaanites who lived in Zephath. They carried out the holy curse and named the city Curse-town.
18 Judah also captured Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron, and all their territories.
18
But Judah didn't manage to capture Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron with their territories.
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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God was certainly with Judah in that they took over the hill country. But they couldn't oust the people on the plain because they had iron chariots.
20 They gave Hebron to Caleb, just as Moses had commanded, and they drove out from there the three sons of Anak.
20
They gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had directed. Caleb drove out 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 couldn't get rid of the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. Benjaminites and Jebusites live side by side 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 went up to attack Bethel. God was with them.
23 When they sent men to spy on Bethel, previously named Luz,
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Joseph sent out spies to look the place over. Bethel used to be known as 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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The spies saw a man leaving the city and said to him, "Show us a way into the city and we'll treat you well."
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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The man showed them a way in. They killed everyone in the city but the man and his family.
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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The man went to Hittite country and built a city. He named it Luz; that's 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.
27
But Manasseh never managed to drive out Beth Shan, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, and Megiddo with their territories. The Canaanites dug in their heels and wouldn't budge.
28 When Israel became stronger they forced the Canaanites to work for them, but they didn't completely drive them out.
28
When Israel became stronger they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they never got rid of them.
29 The tribe of Ephraim didn't drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, so the Canaanites kept on living there with them.
29
Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer. The Canaanites stuck it out and lived there with 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.
30
Nor did Zebulun drive out the Canaanites in Kitron or Nahalol. They kept living there, but they were put to forced labor.
31 The tribe of Asher didn't drive out the people living in Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob.
31
Nor did Asher drive out the people of Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Aphek, and Rehob.
32 The people of Asher settled among the Canaanites in the land because they couldn't drive them out.
32
Asher went ahead and settled down with the Canaanites since they could not get rid of them.
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.
33
Naphtali fared no better. They couldn't drive out the people of Beth Shemesh or Beth Anath so they just moved in and lived with them. They did, though, put them to forced labor.
34 The Amorites pushed the people of Dan back into the highlands because they wouldn't allow them to come down to the plain.
34
The Amorites pushed the people of Dan up into the hills and wouldn't let them down on the plains.
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.
35
The Amorites stubbornly continued to live in Mount Heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim. But when the house of Joseph got the upper hand, they were put to forced labor.
36 The border of the Amorites ran from the Akrabbim pass, from Sela, and upward.
36
The Amorite border extended from Scorpions' Pass and Sela upward.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.