1:1 After Joshua died, the Israelites asked 1 the Lord, “Who should lead the invasion against the Canaanites and launch the attack?” 2 1:2 The Lord said, “The men of Judah should take the lead. 3 Be sure of this! I am handing the land over to them.” 4 1:3 The men of Judah said to their relatives, the men of Simeon, 5 “Invade our allotted land with us and help us attack the Canaanites. 6 Then we 7 will go with you into your allotted land.” So the men of Simeon went with them.
1:4 The men of Judah attacked, 8 and the Lord handed the Canaanites and Perizzites over to them. They killed ten thousand men at Bezek. 1:5 They met 9 Adoni-Bezek at Bezek and fought him. They defeated the Canaanites and Perizzites. 1:6 When Adoni-Bezek ran away, they chased him and captured him. Then they cut off his thumbs and big toes. 1:7 Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings, with thumbs and big toes cut off, used to lick up 10 food scraps 11 under my table. God has repaid me for what I did to them.” 12 They brought him to Jerusalem, 13 where he died. 1:8 The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem and captured it. They put the sword to it and set the city on fire.
1:9 Later the men of Judah went down to attack the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev, and the lowlands. 14 1:10 The men of Judah attacked the Canaanites living in Hebron. (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba.) They killed Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.