The Book of Judges

⭑ Douay-Rheims :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

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- Chapter 1 -

(Joshua 13:1–7)

After the death of Josue the children of Israel consulted the Lord, saying: Who shall go up before us against the Chanaanite, and shall be the leader of the war?

And the Lord said: Juda shall go up: behold I have delivered the land into his hands.

And Juda said to Simeon his brother: Come up with me into my lot, and fight against the Chanaanite, that I also may go along with thee into thy lot. And Simeon went with him.

And Juda went up, and the Lord delivered the Chanaanite, and the Pherezite into their hands: and they slew of them in Bezec ten thousand men.

And they found Adonibezec in Bezec, and fought against him, and they defeated the Chanaanite, and the Pherezite.

And Adonibezec fled: and they pursued after him and took him, and cut off his fingers and toes.

And Adonibezec said: Seventy kings having their fingers and toes cut off, gathered up the leavings of the meat under my table: as I have done, so hath God requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

The Capture of Jerusalem and Hebron

(Joshua 15:13–19)

And the children of Juda besieging Jerusalem, took it, and put it to the sword, and set the whole city on fire.

And afterwards they went down and fought against the Chanaanite, who dwelt in the mountains, and in the south, and in the plains.

And Juda going forward against the Chanaanite, that dwelt in Hebron (the name whereof was in former times Cariath-Arbe) slew Sesai, and Ahiman, and Tholmai:

And departing from thence he went to the inhabitants of Dabir, the ancient name of which was Cariath-Sepher, that is, the city of letters.

And Caleb said: He that shall take Cariath-Sepher, and lay it waste, to him will I give my daughter Axa to wife.

And Othoniel the son of Cenez, the younger brother of Caleb, having taken it, he gave him Axa his daughter to wife.

And as she was going on her way her husband admonished her to ask a field of her father. And as she sighed sitting on her ass, Caleb said to her: What aileth thee?

But she answered: Give me a blessing, for thou hast given me a dry land: give me also a watery land. So Caleb gave her the upper and the nether watery ground.

And the children of the Cinite, the kinsman of Moses, went up from the city of palms, with the children of Juda into the wilderness of his lot, which is at the south side of Arad, and they dwelt with him.

And Juda went with Simeon his brother, and they together defeated the Chanaanites that dwelt in Sephaath, and slew them. And the name of the city was called Horma, that is, Anathema.

And Juda took Gaza with its confines, and Ascalon and Accaron with their confines.

And the Lord was with Juda, and he possessed the hill country: but was not able to destroy the inhabitants of the valley, because they had many chariots armed with scythes.

And they gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had said, who destroyed out of it the three sons of Enac.

But the sons of Benjamin did not destroy the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem: and the Jebusite hath dwelt with the sons of Benjamin in Jerusalem until this present day.

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

For when they were besieging the city, which before was called Luza,

They saw a man coming out of the city, and they said to him: Shew us the entrance into the city, and we will shew thee mercy.

And when he had shewn them, they smote the city with the edge of the sword: but that man and all his kindred they let go:

Who being sent away, went into the land of Hethim, and built there a city, and called it Luza: which is so called until this day.

The Failure to Complete the Conquest

Manasses also did not destroy Bethsan, and Thanac with their villages, nor the inhabitants of Dor, and Jeblaam, and Mageddo with their villages. And the Chanaanite began to dwell with them.

But after Israel was grown strong he made them tributaries, and would not destroy them.

Ephraim also did not slay the Chanaanite that dwelt in Gazer, but dwelt with him.

Zabulon destroyed not the inhabitants of Cetron, and Naalol: but the Chanaanite dwelt among them, and became their tributaries.

Aser also destroyed not the inhabitants of Accho, and of Sidon, of Ahalab, and of Achazib, and of Helba, and of Aphec, and of Rohob:

And he dwelt in the midst of the Chanaanites the inhabitants of that land, and did not slay them.

Nephtali also destroyed not the inhabitants of Bethsames, and of Bethanath: and he dwelt in the midst of the Chanaanites the inhabitants of the land, and the Bethsamites and Bethanites were tributaries to him.

And the Amorrhite straitened the children of Dan in the mountain, and gave them not place to go down to the plain:

And he dwelt in the mountain Hares, that is, of potsherds, in Aialon and Salebim. And the hand of the house of Joseph was heavy upon him, and he became tributary to him.

And the border of the Amorrhite was from the ascent of the scorpion, the rock, and the higher places.

(Joshua 13:1–7)

After the death of Joshua, the children of Israel asked of the LORD,(a) saying, “Who should go up for us first against the Canaanites, to fight against them?”

The LORD said, “Judah shall go up. Behold,(b) I have delivered the land into his hand.”

Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with you into your lot.” So Simeon went with him.

Judah went up, and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand. They struck ten thousand men in Bezek.

They found Adoni-Bezek in Bezek, and they fought against him. They struck the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

But Adoni-Bezek fled. They pursued him, caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his big toes.

Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings, having their thumbs and their big toes cut off, scavenged under my table. As I have done, so God

(c)

has done to me.” They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

The Capture of Jerusalem and Hebron

(Joshua 15:13–19)

The children of Judah fought against Jerusalem, took it, struck it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.

After that, the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, and in the South, and in the lowland.

Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron. (The name of Hebron before that was Kiriath Arba.) They struck Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.

From there he went against the inhabitants of Debir. (The name of Debir before that was Kiriath Sepher.)

Caleb said, “I will give Achsah my daughter as wife to the man who strikes Kiriath Sepher, and takes it.”

Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it, so he gave him Achsah his daughter as his wife.

When she came, she got him to ask her father for a field. She got off her donkey; and Caleb said to her, “What would you like?”

She said to him, “Give me a blessing; because you have set me in the land of the South, give me also springs of water.” Then Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

The children of the Kenite, Moses’ brother-in-law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which is in the south of Arad; and they went and lived with the people.

Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they struck the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. The name of the city was called Hormah.

Also Judah took Gaza with its border, and Ashkelon with its border, and Ekron with its border.

The LORD was with Judah, and drove out the inhabitants of the hill country; for he could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.

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

The children of Benjamin didn’t drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem, but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

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

The house of Joseph sent to spy out Bethel. (The name of the city before that was Luz.)

The watchers saw a man come out of the city, and they said to him, “Please show us the entrance into the city, and we will deal kindly with you.”

He showed them the entrance into the city, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword; but they let the man and all his family go.

The man went into the land of the Hittites, built a city, and called its name Luz, which is its name to this day.

The Failure to Complete the Conquest

Manasseh didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shean and its towns, nor Taanach and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.

When Israel had grown strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, and didn’t utterly drive them out.

Ephraim didn’t drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, but the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them.

Zebulun didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites lived among them, and became subject to forced labor.

Asher didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Acco, nor the inhabitants of Sidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob;

but the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, for they didn’t drive them out.

Naphtali didn’t drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh, nor the inhabitants of Beth Anath; but he lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh and of Beth Anath became subject to forced labor.

The Amorites forced the children of Dan into the hill country, for they would not allow them to come down to the valley;

but the Amorites would dwell in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim. Yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became subject to forced labor.

The border of the Amorites was from the ascent of Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward.

Footnotes

(a)1:1 When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name.

(b)1:2 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.