1. Joshua died. After that, the people of Israel spoke to the Lord. They asked him, "Who will go up first and fight for us against the people of Canaan?"
2. The Lord answered, "The tribe of Judah will go. I have handed the land over to them."
3. Then the men of Judah spoke to their fellow Israelites, the men of Simeon. They said, "Come up with us. Come into the territory Joshua gave us. Help us fight against the people of Canaan. Then we'll go with you into your territory." So the men of Simeon went with them.
4. When the men of Judah attacked, the Lord helped them. He handed the Canaanites and Perizzites over to them. They struck down 10,000 men at Bezek.
5. Judah found Adoni-Bezek there. They fought against him. They struck down the Canaanites and Perizzites.
6. But Adoni-Bezek ran away. Judah chased him and caught him. Then they cut off his thumbs and big toes.
7. Adoni-Bezek said, "I cut off the thumbs and big toes of 70 kings. I made them pick up scraps under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them." The men of Judah brought Adoni-Bezek to Jerusalem. That's where he died.
8. The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem and took it. They set the city on fire. They killed its people with their swords.
9. After that, the men of Judah went down to fight against the people of Canaan who were living in the central hill country. They also fought against those who were living in the Negev Desert and the western hills.