The Tanakh · JPS 1917 Translation

Judges 1

Jewish Publication Society 1917 · Nevi'im — the Prophets

Judges chapter 1 — part of the Nevi'im — the Prophets in the Jewish Bible. In the classic JPS 1917 translation it opens: “AND IT came to pass after the death of Joshua, that the children of Israel asked HaShem, saying: 'Who shall go up for us first against…” — the complete text of all 36 verses is below, free to read online.

1AND IT came to pass after the death of Joshua, that the children of Israel asked HaShem, saying: 'Who shall go up for us first against the Canaanites, to fight against them?'

2And HaShem said: 'Judah shall go up; behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.'

3And 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.

4And Judah went up; and HaShem delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand; and they smote of them in Bezek ten thousand men.

5And they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek; and they fought against him, and they smote the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

6But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.

7And 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 G-d hath requited me.' And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

8And the children of Judah fought Jerusalem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.

9And 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.

10And 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.

11And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir--now the name of Debir beforetime was Kiriath-sepher.

12And Caleb said: 'He that smiteth Kiriath-sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.'

13And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it; and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife.

14And 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?'

15And 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.

16And 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.

17And 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.

18Also Judah took Gaza with the border thereof, and Ashkelon with the border thereof, and Ekron with the border thereof.

19And HaShem 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.

20And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses had spoken; and he drove out thence the three sons of Anak.

21And 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.

22And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Beth-el; and HaShem was with them.

23And the house of Joseph sent to spy out Beth-el--now the name of the city beforetime was Luz.

24And 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.'

25And 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.

26And 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.

27And 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.

28And 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.

29And Ephraim drove not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.

30Zebulun drove not out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the: inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributary.

31Asher 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;

32but the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out.

33Naphtali 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.

34And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the hill-country; for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley.

35But 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.

36And the border of the Amorites was from the ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela, and upward.

36 verses · JPS 1917 (public domain)

‹ Joshua 24 Judges 2 ›

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