Judges 1

The tribes of Judah and Simeon fight the Canaanites.


After Joshua died, the Israelites needed to fight the Canaanites. The Israelites asked God who would fight for them.
[1] Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them?
 

God said that the tribe of Judah should fight the Canaanites. God will give the Canaanites' land to the tribe of Judah.
[2] And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.
 

The people in the tribe of Judah asked the people in the tribe of Simeon to help them. If Simeon will help Judah, then later Judah will help Simeon. The tribe of Simeon helped the tribe of Judah.
[3] And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot. So Simeon went with him.


The tribe of Judah had a war with the people called the Canaanites and the Perizzites. God helped them and they won the war.   They killed 10,000 men at the place called Bezek.
[4] And Judah went up; and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand: and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men.


The king of the Canannites and Perizzites was Adoni-bezek. The Israelites chased him and caught him.  Then they cut off his thumbs and his big toes.
[5] And they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek: and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
[6] But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.


Adoni-bezek said that he did the same thing to 70 other kings in the past. He cut off their thumbs and their big toes. Then they had to pick up tiny pieces of food under his table.  Now God did the same to him.  They took Adoni-bezek to the city of Jerusalem, and he died there.
[7] And Adoni-bezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.


The tribe of Judah had a war against the people in the city of Jerusalem. They won the war. They killed the people and burned the city.
[8] Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.


Then the tribe of Judah went south. They fought with the Canaanites who lived in the mountain, the valley, and the desert.
[9] And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites, that dwelt in the mountain, and in the south, and in the valley.
 

Then the tribe of Judah fought with the Canaanites who lived in the city of Hebron. Hebron was named Kirjath-arba in the past. Judah killed the groups of people called Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.  
[10] And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron: (now the name of Hebron before was Kirjath-arba:) and they slew Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.


Then Judah fought with the people in the place called Debir (in the past, Debir was called Kirjath-sepher).
[11] And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjath-sepher:


Caleb said that the man who defeated the place called Kirjath-sepher could marry his daughter, Achsah.
[12] And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjath-sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.


Kenaz's son, Othniel, defeated Kirjath-sepher. Then he married Achsah.
[13] And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.


After they were married, Achsah encouraged Othniel to ask Caleb for a field of land.  Achsah went to see Caleb. While she was getting off her donkey, her father asked her what she wanted.
[14] And it came to pass, when she came to him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted from off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wilt thou?


Achsah told Caleb that she needed his help. The land he gave her was dry. She wanted some more land that had springs of water on it. Caleb gave her land that had 2 springs.
[15] And she said unto him, Give me a blessing: for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs.


The Kenite people were descendants of Moses' father-in-law. The Kenite people left the city of Jericho and went with the tribe of Judah. They all went into the desert area named Arad. They lived there.
[16] And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father in law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which lieth in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.


The tribes of Judah and Simeon fought with the Canaanites who lived in Zephath. They killed the Canaanites. They renamed the city Hormah.
[17] And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah.


The tribe of Judah got the cities of Gaza, Askelon, and Ekron. They got the cities and the land around the cities.
[18] Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon with the coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof.
 

God helped the tribe of Judah. They forced the people who lived in the mountains to leave. But the people who lived in the valley had iron chariots. The tribe of Judah could not make them leave.
[19] And the LORD was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.


The other Israelites gave the city of Hebron to Caleb. Then Caleb fought the descendants of Anak (the very large people). Caleb made all of the descendants of Anak leave.
[20] And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said: and he expelled thence the three sons of Anak.


The Jebusites were a group of people who lived in the city of Jerusalem. This was in the tribe of Benjamin's land. But the tribe of Benjamin did not force the Jebusites to leave.  When this book of the Bible was written, the Jebusites continued to live in Jerusalem.
[21] And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.


The tribe of Joseph fought with the people in the city of Bethel. God helped them. The old name of Bethel was Luz. Some of the men of the tribe of Joseph went to look around the area.
[22] And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel: and the LORD was with them.
[23] And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel. (Now the name of the city before was Luz.)
 

The men who were looking around saw a man come out of the city. They talked to him.  They ask him how to get into the city. They promised that they would not kill him if he told them.
[24] And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him, Shew us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will shew thee mercy.


The man showed them how to get into the city. Then they used swords and killed the people in the city. But they let the man and his family go.  The man went to the land where the Hittite people lived. He built a new city. He named his new city Luz (the same name as his old city).
[25] And when he shewed them the entrance into the city, they smote the city with the edge of the sword; but they let go the man and all his family.
[26] And the man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city, and called the name thereof Luz: which is the name thereof unto this day.
 

Some of the tribes do not force all of the Canaanites to leave.


The tribe of Manasseh did not force all of the other people to leave its land. There were Canaanites who continued to live in the areas of Beth-shean, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, and Megiddo.
[27] Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and her towns, nor Taanach and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns: but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.


Later, Israel was very strong.  But the tribe of Manasseh did not force the Canaanites to leave. Instead, they forced the Canaanites to be slaves.
[28] And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out.


The tribe of Ephraim did not force all of the Canaanites to leave. Canaanites continued to live in the area of Gezer with the Israelites.
[29] Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.


The tribe of Zebulun did not force all of the Canaanites to leave their land.  Canaanites continued to live in the areas of Kitron and Nahalol. The Canaanites became the slaves of the Israelites.
[30] Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributaries.


The tribe of Asher did not force all of the Canaanites to leave their land.  Canaanites continued to live in the areas of Accho, Zidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, and Rehob.  The Canaanites lived with the tribe of Asher.
[31] Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Accho, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob:
[32] But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: for they did not drive them out.


The tribe of Naphtali did not force all of the Canaanites to leave their land.  Canaanites continued to live in the areas of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath. The Canaanites lived with the tribe of Naphtali in these areas, and they were the Israelites' slaves.
[33] Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, nor the inhabitants of Beth-anath; but he dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land: nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became tributaries unto them.


The Amorite people forced the tribe of Dan to stay in the mountains. They would not let them move into the valley area. 
[34] And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain: for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley:

Amorite people also lived on Mount Heres and in the areas of Aijalon and Shaalbim.  Later, the tribes of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) forced the Amorites to be slaves.
[35] 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 tributaries.


Akrabbim means scorpion. The area of Akrabbim had many scorpions. This was on the border between the Amorites' land and the tribe of Dan.
[36] And the coast of the Amorites was from the going up to Akrabbim, from the rock, and upward.
 

Judges 2


God is angry because the Israelites do not make all of the Canaanites leave.


God sent an angel to give a message to the Israelites. The angel went from the area of Gilgal to the area of Bochim. God's message was that He brought the Israelites out of Egypt and brought them to Canaan. God did not break his promise to Abraham and the other ancestors.
[1] And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.


In the past, the Israelites promised that they would not make peace treaties (deals) with the other people in Canaan. They promised they would destroy the other peoples' altars.  But the Israelites have not kept their promise. God asked them why.
[2] And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?


God said that He will not help the Israelites in wars anymore. The other groups of people will be their enemies. They will try to trap the Israelites so they will worship their false gods.
[3] Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.


When God's angel said the message, the Israelites cried loudly.
[4] And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

The Israelites named the place Bochim.  "Bochim" means crying.
[5] And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the LORD.

 

The Israelites worship the Canaanites' false gods, and God stops helping them in wars.


Back when Joshua was alive, the Israelites moved to each family's land. The Israelites served God. After Joshua died, there were still some Israelites alive who had seen God's miracles during Joshua's time. Even after Joshua died, these Israelites continued to serve God.  
[6] And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land.
[7] And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel.


Joshua (his father's name was Nun) died when he was 110 years old.  He was buried on his family's land at Timnath-heres. This is in the mountain area of the tribe of Ephraim's land. It is north of the mountain called Gaash.
[8] And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old.
[9] And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.

Later, all of the people who were about the same age as Joshua died, too.  Their children had never seen God's miracles themselves. They forgot about God and how God brought their parents and grandparents out of Egypt. They did not follow God's laws. They were very bad and evil.  They started worshiping the false gods of the Canaanite people. These false gods were called Baal and Ashtaroth. God was very angry with them.
[10] And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.
[11] And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:
[12] And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.
[13] And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.


God was very angry with the Israelites. He did not help them fight anymore. Other people came and robbed the Israelites. Some of the Israelites became slaves. The Israelites ran away from the other people.
[14] And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.


God didn't help the Israelites now.  He told them that He wouldn't help them in wars anymore. The Israelites were very upset.
[15] Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.

 

Then God gave Israel new leaders (judges) to help them win wars.
[16] Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.

But the Israelites did not listen to the judges. They worshiped false gods. They did not obey God's laws like their fathers did.
[17] And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so.


When the other people were oppressing the Israelites (making them slaves and treating them badly), God heard the Israelites' cries. Then God gave Israel new judges to lead them. God helped each judge win wars during all of that judge's life. But after a judge died, the Israelites started to worship false gods again. They continued to worship the false gods more and more. The Israelites were stubborn and would not stop worshiping false gods.
[18] And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.
[19] And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.


The Lord God was very angry with the Israelites. He said that the Israelites have not kept their promise. They did not listen to Him and obey His laws.
[20] And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;


God said that He will not make the other groups of people leave Canaan. God will use the other people to test the Israelites.  God will see if the Israelites obey Him or if they start to worship false gods.
[21] I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died:
[22] That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.
 

God let the other groups of people continue to live in Canaan. God did not make them leave. God did not help the Israelites destroy them in wars.
[23] Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.
 

Judges 3


God allows other groups of people to defeat the Israelites.


God left some people in Canaan. These people would be tests for the Israelites.  Also, when the Israelites fought wars with these people, the young Israelites would learn about war.
[1] Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;
[2] Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof;


These are the groups of people who were left in Canaan:
5 cities of the Philistines
All of the Canaanites
The Sidonians
The Hivites who lived in the mountains of Lebanon from Mt. Baal-hermon to the city of Hamath.
[3] Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-hermon unto the entering in of Hamath.


God would use these groups of people to test the Israelites. God would see if the Israelites obeyed His laws that Moses gave to their ancestors.
[4] And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.


The Israelites lived in Canaan with the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 
[5] And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites:

 

The Israelites did not obey God. They did bad things. Israelite men married women from these groups. Israelite women married men from these groups. The Israelites worshiped the false gods of the other groups.  They did not remember that God was their only God. The Israelites worshiped Baal. They worshiped the false gods who were worshiped with groves of trees (Ashteroth, Asherah, Athtart, Anat, and Ashtoreth)   
[6] And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
[7] And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.


God was very angry with the Israelites. He let the king of Mesopotamia defeat them. The king's name was Chushan-rishathaim.  The Israelites had to pay taxes to this king for 8 years.
[8] Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushan-rishathaim eight years.

 

God makes Othniel the judge (leader).
 

The Israelites cried and prayed to God to help them. God gave the Israelites a judge (leader).  The new leader was Othniel.  Othniel's father was Kenaz who was Caleb's younger brother.
[9] And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.


God's spirit came on Othniel. God helped Othniel to be brave and strong. Othniel led Israel. They had a war with the king of Mesopotamia named Chushan-rishathaim.  Israel won the war.
[10] And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushan-rishathaim.


After that, there was no more war for 40 years.  Then Othniel died.
[11] And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

 

Ehud kills Eglon and leads the Israelites in war.