1. After the death of Joshua, the children of Israel asked of the Lord, saying, “Who should go up for us first against the Canaanites, to fight against them?”
2. The Lord said, “Judah shall go up. Behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.”
3. Judah said to Simeon his brother, “Come up with me into my lot, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with you into your lot.” So Simeon went with him.
4. Judah went up, and the Lord delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand. They struck ten thousand men in Bezek.
5. They found Adoni-Bezek in Bezek, and they fought against him. They struck the Canaanites and the Perizzites.
6. But Adoni-Bezek fled. They pursued him, caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his big toes.
7. Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings, having their thumbs and their big toes cut off, scavenged under my table. As I have done, so God has done to me.” They brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.
8. The children of Judah fought against Jerusalem, took it, struck it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.
9. After that, the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the hill country, and in the South, and in the lowland.
10. Judah went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron. (The name of Hebron before that was Kiriath Arba.) They struck Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.
11. From there he went against the inhabitants of Debir. (The name of Debir before that was Kiriath Sepher.)
12. Caleb said, “I will give Achsah my daughter as wife to the man who strikes Kiriath Sepher, and takes it.”