The Tribes of Judah and Simeon Fight the Canaanites
1 After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, “Which of our tribes should attack the Canaanites first?”
2 “Judah!” the Lord answered. “I'll help them take the land.”
3 The people of Judah went to their relatives, the Simeon tribe, and said, “Canaanites live in the land God gave us. Help us fight them, and we will help you.”
Troops from Simeon came to help Judah. 4-5 Together they attacked an army of 10,000 Canaanites and Perizzites at Bezek, and the Lord helped Judah defeat them. During the battle, Judah's army found out where the king of Bezek was, and they attacked there. 6 The king tried to escape, but soldiers from Judah caught him. They cut off his thumbs and big toes, 7 and he said, “I've cut off the thumbs and big toes of 70 kings and made those kings crawl around under my table for scraps of food. Now God is paying me back.”
The army of Judah took the king of Bezek along with them to Jerusalem, where he died. 8 They attacked Jerusalem, captured it, killed everyone who lived there, and then burned it to the ground.
9 Judah's army fought the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, the Southern Desert, and the foothills to the west. 10 After that, they attacked the Canaanites who lived at Hebron, defeating the three clans called Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. At that time, Hebron was called Kiriath-Arba.
11 From Hebron, Judah's army went to attack Debir, which at that time was called Kiriath-Sepher. 12 Caleb told his troops, “The man who captures Kiriath-Sepher can marry my daughter Achsah.”
13 Caleb's nephew Othniel captured Kiriath-Sepher, so Caleb let him marry Achsah. Othniel was the son of Caleb's younger brother Kenaz. 14 Right after the wedding, Achsah started telling Othniel that he ought to ask her father for a field. She went to see her father, and while she was getting down from her donkey, Caleb asked, “What's bothering you?”
15 She answered, “I need your help. The land you gave me is in the Southern Desert, so please give me some spring-fed ponds for a water supply.”
Caleb gave her a couple of small ponds named Higher Pond and Lower Pond.
16 The people who belonged to the Kenite clan were the descendants of the father-in-law of Moses. They left Jericho with the people of Judah and settled near Arad in the Southern Desert of Judah not far from the Amalekites.
17 Judah's army helped Simeon's army attack the Canaanites who lived at Zephath. They completely destroyed the town and renamed it Hormah.
18-19 The Lord helped the army of Judah capture Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron, and the land near those towns. They also took the hill country. But the people who lived in the valleys had iron chariots, so Judah was not able to make them leave or to take their land.
20 The tribe of Judah gave the town of Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had told them to do. Caleb defeated the three Anakim clans and took over the town.
The Benjamin Tribe Does Not Capture Jerusalem
21 The Jebusites were living in Jerusalem, and the Benjamin tribe did not defeat them or capture the town. That's why Jebusites still live in Jerusalem along with the people of Benjamin.
The Ephraim and Manasseh Tribes Capture Bethel
22-23 The Ephraim and Manasseh tribes were getting ready to attack Bethel, which at that time was called Luz. And the Lord helped them when they sent spies to find out as much as they could about Bethel. 24 While the spies were watching the town, a man came out, and they told him, “If you show us how our army can get into the town, we will make sure that you aren't harmed.” 25 The man showed them, and the two Israelite tribes attacked Bethel, killing everyone except the man and his family. The two tribes made the man and his family leave, 26 so they went to the land of the Hittites, where he built a town. He named the town Luz, and that is still its name.
Israel Does Not Get Rid of All the Canaanites
27-28 Canaanites lived in the towns of Beth-Shan, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo, and all the villages nearby. The Canaanites were determined to stay, and the Manasseh tribe never did get rid of them. But later on, when the Israelites grew more powerful, they made slaves of the Canaanites.
29 The Ephraim tribe did not get rid of the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites lived there with Israelites all around them.
30 The Zebulun tribe did not get rid of the Canaanites who lived in Kitron and Nahalol, and the Canaanites stayed there with Israelites around them. But the people of Zebulun did force the Canaanites into slave labor.
31-32 The Asher tribe did not get rid of the Canaanites who lived in Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, and Rehob, and the Asher tribe lived with Canaanites all around them.
33 The Naphtali tribe did not get rid of the Canaanites who lived in Beth-Shemesh and Beth-Anath, but they did force the Canaanites into slave labor. The Naphtali tribe lived with Canaanites around them.
34 The Amorites were strong enough to keep the tribe of Dan from settling in the valleys, so Dan had to stay in the hill country.
35 The Amorites on Mount Heres and in Aijalon and Shaalbim were also determined to stay. Later on, as Ephraim and Manasseh grew more powerful, they forced those Amorites into slave labor.
The Amorite-Edomite Border
36 The old Amorite-Edomite border used to go from Sela through Scorpion Pass into the hill country.
بنو إسرائيل في كنعان
1 وبَعدَ وفاةِ يشوعَ سألَ بَنو إِسرائيلَ الرّبَّ: «مَن مِنَّا يصعَدُ أوَّلا لِمُحارَبةِ الكنعانيِّينَ؟» 2 فأجابَهُمُ الرّبُّ: «بَنو يَهوذا يصعَدونَ أوَّلا لأنِّي إلى يَدِهِم أسلَمتُ الأرضَ». 3 فقالَ بَنو يَهوذا لِبَني شمعونَ إخوتِهِم: «إصعَدوا معَنا إلى الأرضِ الّتي سَلَّمَها الرّبُّ إلى أيدينا لِنُحاربَ الكنعانيِّينَ، ونحنُ نصعَدُ معكُم أيضا إلى الأرضِ الّتي سَلَّمَها الرّبُّ إلى أيديكُم». فذهبَ بَنو شِمعونَ معَهُم. 4 وحينَ صَعِدَ بَنو يَهوذا، دفَعَ الرّبُّ الكنعانيِّينَ والفِرْزِّيِّينَ إلى أيديهِم، فقَتَلوا مِنْهم في بازَقَ عشَرَةَ آلافِ رَجُلٍ. 5 وفي بازَقَ صادَفوا أدوني بازَقَ فحارَبوهُ وهزَموا الكنعانيِّينَ والفِرزِّيِّينَ، 6 فهربَ أدوني بازَقُ، فلَحِقوا بهِ وقبَضوا علَيهِ وقطَعوا أباهِمَ يَديهِ ورِجليهِ 7 فقالَ أدوني بازَقُ: «إنَّ سبعينَ مَلِكا قطَعتُ لهُم أباهمَ أيديهِم وأرجُلِهِم كانوا يَلتَقِطونَ فُتاتَ الطَّعامِ تَحتَ مائدَتي. فكما فعَلتُ عاقبني اللهُ». فأتوا بهِ إلى أورُشليمَ، فماتَ هُناكَ.
8 وهاجَمَ بَنو يَهوذا أورُشليمَ فاحتَلُّوها بِـحَدِّ السَّيفِ وأحرَقوها بالنَّارِ. 9 وبَعدَ ذلِكَ حارَبوا المُقيمينَ بالجبَلِ والجَنوبِ والسَّهلِ. 10 ثمَّ هجَموا على الكنعانيِّينَ المُقيمينَ بِـحبرونَ وكانَ اسمُها قبلا قريةَ أربَعَ وهزَموا عشائرَ شيشايَ وأخيمانَ وتَلمايَ. 11 وزحَفوا مِنْ هُناكَ على سُكَّانِ دَبـيرَ وكانَ اسمُها قَبلا قريةَ سفَرٍ. 12 فقالَ كالَبُ: «مَنْ هاجَمَ قريةَ سفَرٍ واحتَلَّها أُعطيهِ عكسةَ ابْنَتي زوجَةً». 13 فاحْتَلَّها عُثنِئيلُ بنُ قَنازَ أخو كالَبَ الأصغرُ فأعطاهُ عكسةَ ابنَتَهُ زوجَةً. 14 وبَينَما كانَت آتيةً معَهُ حَضَّها على طلَبِ حقلٍ مِنْ أبـيها، فنَزَلَت عَنِ الحِمارِ، فقالَ لها كالَبُ أبوها: «ما لَكِ؟» 15 فأجابَتهُ: «هَبْني بَركَةً. أعطَيتَني أرضا جَنوبـيةً، فأعطِني ينابـيعَ ماءٍ». فأعطاها الينابـيعَ العُليا والينابـيعَ السُّفلى.
16 وصَعِدَ القَينيُّونَ، أبناءُ حَمي موسى، مِنْ مدينةِ النَّخلِ أريحا معَ بَني يَهوذا إلى برِّيَّةِ يَهوذا الّتي في جَنوبـي عَرادَ، وهُناكَ سكَنوا معَ بَني عَماليقَ. 17 وذهبَ بَنو يَهوذا معَ بَني شِمعونَ إخوتِهِم، فهاجَموا الكنعانيِّينَ المُقيمينَ في صَفاةَ وأبادوها وسَمَّوها حُرمَةَ. 18 وافْتـتَحَ بَنو يَهوذا غَزَّةَ وأشقَلونَ وعَقرونَ والأراضيَ المُحيطةَ بِها. 19 وكانَ الرّبُّ معَ بَني يَهوذا فطَرَدوا سُكَّانَ الجبَلِ وامْتَلكوهُ. أمَّا سُكَّانُ الوادي فلم يقدِروا أنْ يَطرُدوهُم لأنَّهُ كانَت لهُم مَركباتٌ مِنْ حديدٍ. 20 وأعطَوا لِكالَبَ حبرونَ كما أوصى موسى، فطَرَدَ مِنها بَني عَناقَ الثَّلاثَةَ. 21 أمَّا اليَبوسيُّونَ المُقيمونَ في أورُشليمَ فلم يَطرُدْهُم بَنو بنيامينَ، فأقاموا معَ بَني بنيامينَ في أورُشليمَ إلى هذا اليومِ.
22 وصَعِدَ بَنو يوسفَ أيضا إلى بـيتَ إيلَ، وكانَ الرّبُّ معَهُم، 23 واسْتَطلَعوا تلكَ المدينةَ وكانَ اسمُها قَبلا لوزَ. 24 فرَأوا رَجُلا خارِجا مِنها، فقالوا لَه: «دُلَّنا على مدخلِ المدينةِ فَنُحسِنَ إليكَ». 25 فدَلَّهُم علَيهِ فهاجَموها واحتَلُّوها بِـحَدِّ السَّيفِ. وأمَّا الرَّجُلُ فأطلَقوهُ هوَ وعَشيرَتُهُ. 26 فذهبَ إلى أرضِ الحِثِّيِّينَ وبَنى مدينةً سَمَّاها لُوزَ، وهوَ اسْمُها إلى هذا اليومِ.
27 ولم يقدِر بَنو منَسَّى أنْ يَطرُدوا أهلَ بـيتَ شانَ وتَوابِــعِها، وأهلَ تَعنَكَ وتَوابِــعِها، ودورَ وتَوابِــعِها، ويِبلَعامَ وتَوابِــعِها، ومَجِدُّو وتَوابِــعِها، فعزَمَ الكنعانيُّونَ على أنْ يَستَقِرُّوا في تلكَ الأرضِ. 28 ولمَّا قويَ بَنو إِسرائيلَ فرَضوا على الكنعانيِّينَ أعمالَ السُّخرَةِ ولم يَطرُدوهُم. 29 ولم يقدِرْ بَنو أفرايِمَ أنْ يَطرُدوا الكنعانيِّينَ المُقيمينَ بِـجازَرَ. فبَقيَ الكنعانيُّونَ فيما بَينهُم في جازَرَ. 30 ولم يقدرْ بَنو زَبولونَ أنْ يَطردوا سُكَّانَ قِطرونَ ونَهلولَ، فبَقيَ الكنعانيُّونَ فيما بَينَهُم يُؤدُّونَ لهُم أعمالَ السُّخرَةِ. 31 ولم يقدِرْ بَنو أشيرَ أنْ يَطردوا أهلَ عكَّا وصيدونَ وأحلَبَ وأكزيـبَ وحَلبَةَ وأفيقَ ورَحوبَ، 32 فأقامَ بَنو أشيرَ بَينَ الكنعانيِّينَ أهلِ الأرضِ لأنَّهُم لم يَطرُدوهُم مِنها. 33 ولم يقدِرْ بَنو نَفتالي أنْ يَطردوا أهلَ بـيتَ شَمسَ وبَيتَ عَناتَ، ولِهذا أقاموا بَينَ الكنعانيِّينَ أهلِ الأرضِ، وكانَ سُكَّانُ بـيتَ شمسَ وبَيتَ عَناتَ يُؤدُّونَ لهُم أعمالَ السُّخرَةِ. 34 وحاصَرَ الأموريُّونَ بَني دانَ في الجبَلِ ولم يَدَعوهُم يَنزِلونَ إلى الوادي. 35 وعزَمَ الأموريُّونَ على الإقامةِ بِـجبَلِ حارَسَ في أيَّلونَ وفي شَعَلُبِّيمَ. واشتَدَّ ساعِدُ بَني يوسُفَ ففَرَضوا علَيهِم أعمالَ السُّخرَةِ. 36 وكانَت حُدودُ الأموريِّينَ مِنْ عقبة عَقْرَبِّيمَ حتّى شَمالِ سالَعَ.
