Book of Judges Chapter 1

1. And it came to pass after the death of Joshua, that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying: 'Who shall go up for us first against the Canaanites, to fight against them?'
2. And LORD said: 'Judah shall go up; behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.'
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.
4. And Judah went up; and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand; and they smote of them in Bezek ten thousand men.
5. And they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek; and they fought against him, and they smote 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.
7. And Adoni-bezek said: 'Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered food under my table; as I have done, so God hath requited me.' And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.
8. And the children of Judah fought against Jerusalem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.
9. And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites that dwelt in the hill-country, and in the South, and in the Lowland.
10. And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron--now the name of Hebron beforetime was Kiriath-arba--and they smote Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai.
11. And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir--now the name of Debir beforetime was Kiriath-sepher.
12. And Caleb said: 'He that smiteth Kiriath-sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.'
13. And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it; and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.
14. And it came to pass, when she came unto him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field; and she alighted from off her ass; and Caleb said unto her: 'What wouldest thou?'
15. And she said unto him: 'Give me a blessing; for that thou hast set me in the Southland, give me therefore springs of water.' And Caleb gave her the Upper Springs and the Nether Springs.
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 is in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt with the people.
17. And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they smote the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah.
18. Also Judah took Gaza with the border thereof, and Ashkelon with the border thereof, and Ekron with the border thereof.
19. And the LORD was with Judah; and he 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.
20. And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses had spoken; and he drove out thence the three sons of Anak.
21. And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwelt with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem, unto this day.
22. And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Beth-el; and the LORD was with them.
23. And the house of Joseph sent to spy out Beth-el--now the name of the city beforetime was Luz.
24. And the watchers saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him: 'Show us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will deal kindly with thee.'
25. And he showed them the entrance into the city, and they smote the city with the edge of the sword; but they let the man go 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.
27. And Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its towns, nor of 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 were resolved to dwell in that land.
28. And it came to pass, when Israel was waxen strong, that they put the Canaanites to task-work, but did in no wise drive them out.
29. And Ephraim drove not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.
30. Zebulun drove not out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributary.
31. Asher drove not out the inhabitants of Acco, 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.
33. Naphtali drove not 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 tributary unto them.
34. And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the hill-country; for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley.
35. But the Amorites were resolved to dwell in Harheres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim; yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became tributary.
36. And the border of the Amorites was from the ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela, and upward.

Book of Judges Chapter 2

1. And the angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim.  And he said: '... I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I swore unto your fathers; and I said: I will never break My covenant with you;
2. and ye shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall break down their altars; but ye have not hearkened unto My voice; what is this ye have done?
3. Wherefore I also said: I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be unto you as snares, and their gods shall be a trap unto you.'
4. And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spoke these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
5. And they called the name of that place Bochim; and they sacrificed there unto the LORD.
6. Now when Joshua had sent the people away, 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 work of the LORD, that He had wrought for Israel.
8. And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being a hundred and ten years old.
9. And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill-country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash.
10. And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers; and there arose another generation after them, that knew not the LORD, nor yet the work which He had wrought for Israel.
11. And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baalim.
12. And they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the peoples that were round about them, and worshipped them; and they provoked the LORD.
13. And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth.
14. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and He delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and He gave them over into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
15. Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had spoken, and as the LORD had sworn unto them; and they were sore distressed.
16. And the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.
17. And yet they hearkened not unto their judges, for they went astray after other gods, and worshipped them; they turned aside quickly out of the way wherein their fathers walked, obeying the commandments of the LORD; they did not so.
18. And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for it repented the LORD because of their groaning by reason of them that oppressed them and crushed them.
19. But it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they turned back, and dealt more corruptly than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to worship them; they left nothing undone of their practices, nor of their stubborn way.
20. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel; and He said: 'Because this nation have transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto My voice;
21. I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations that Joshua left when he died;
22. that by 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.'
23. So the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered He them into the hand of Joshua.

Book of Judges Chapter 3

1. Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many 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 beforetime knew nothing thereof;
3. namely, the five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Zidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baal-hermon unto the entrance of Hamath.
4. And they were there, 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.
5. And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites;
6. and they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
7. And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgot the LORD their God, and served the Baalim and the Asheroth.
8. Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and He gave them over into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram-naharaim; and the children of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.
9. And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a saviour to the children of Israel, who saved them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.
10. And the spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel; and he went out to war, and the LORD delivered Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Cushan-rishathaim.
11. And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
12. And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.
13. And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek; and he went and smote Israel, and they possessed the city of palm-trees.
14. And the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
15. But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a saviour, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a man left-handed; and the children of Israel sent a present by him unto Eglon the king of Moab.
16. And Ehud made him a sword which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he girded it under his raiment upon his right thigh.
17. And he offered the present unto Eglon king of Moab--now Eglon was a very fat man.
18. And when he had made an end of offering the present, he sent away the people that bore the present.
19. But he himself turned back from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said: 'I have a secret errand unto thee, O king.' And he said: 'Keep silence.' And all that stood by him went out from him.
20. And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting by himself alone in his cool upper chamber. And Ehud said: 'I have a message from God unto thee.' And he arose out of his seat.
21. And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly.
22. And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, for he drew not the sword out of his belly; and it came out behind.
23. Then Ehud went forth into the porch, and shut the doors of the upper chamber upon him, and locked them.
24. Now when he was gone out, his servants came; and they saw, and, behold, the doors of the upper chamber were locked; and they said: 'Surely he is covering his feet in the cabinet of the cool chamber.'
25. And they tarried till they were ashamed; and, behold, he opened not the doors of the upper chamber; therefore they took the key, and opened them; and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.
26. And Ehud escaped while they lingered, having passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirah.
27. And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a horn in the hill-country of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the hill-country, and he before them.
28. And he said unto them: 'Follow after me; for the LORD hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.' And they went down after him, and took the fords of the Jordan against the Moabites, and suffered not a man to pass over.
29. And they smote of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, every lusty man, and every man of valour; and there escaped not a man.
30. So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.
31. And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who smote of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox-goad; and he also saved Israel.