Judges 1

• 1. After Joshua died, the Israelites asked the LORD, "Which tribe should attack the Canaanites first?"
• 2. The LORD answered, "Judah, for I have given them victory over the land."
• 3. The leaders of Judah said to their relatives from the tribe of Simeon, "Join with us to fight against the Canaanites living in the territory allotted to us. Then we will help you conquer your territory." So the men of Simeon went with Judah.
• 4. When the men of Judah attacked, the LORD gave them victory over the Canaanites and Perizzites, and they killed ten thousand enemy warriors at the town of Bezek.
• 5. While at Bezek they encountered King Adoni-bezek and fought against him, and the Canaanites and Perizzites were defeated.
• 6. Adoni-bezek escaped, but the Israelites soon captured him and cut off his thumbs and big toes.
• 7. Adoni-bezek said, "I once had seventy kings with thumbs and big toes cut off, eating scraps from under my table. Now God has paid me back for what I did to them." They took him to Jerusalem, and he died there.
• 8. The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem and captured it, killing all its people and setting the city on fire.
• 9. Then they turned south to fight the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev, and the western foothills.
• 10. Judah marched against the Canaanites in Hebron (formerly called Kiriath-arba), defeating the forces of Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.
• 11. From there they marched against the people living in the town of Debir (formerly called Kiriath-sepher).
• 12. Then Caleb said, "I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the one who attacks and captures Kiriath-sepher."
• 13. Othniel, the son of Caleb's younger brother Kenaz, was the one who conquered it, so Acsah became Othniel's wife.
• 14. When Acsah married Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for an additional field. As she got down off her donkey, Caleb asked her, "What is it? What can I do for you?"
• 15. She said, "Give me a further blessing. You have been kind enough to give me land in the Negev; please give me springs as well." So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.
• 16. When the tribe of Judah left Jericho, the Kenites, who were descendants of Moses' father-in-law, traveled with them into the wilderness of Judah. They settled among the people there, near the town of Arad in the Negev.
• 17. Then Judah joined with Simeon to fight against the Canaanites living in Zephath, and they completely destroyed the town. So the town was named Hormah.
• 18. In addition, Judah captured the cities of Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron, along with their surrounding territories.
• 19. The LORD was with the people of Judah, and they took possession of the hill country. But they failed to drive out the people living in the plains because the people there had iron chariots.
• 20. The city of Hebron was given to Caleb as Moses had promised. And Caleb drove out the people living there, who were descendants of the three sons of Anak.
• 21. The tribe of Benjamin, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live in Jerusalem among the people of Benjamin.
• 22. The descendants of Joseph attacked the town of Bethel, and the LORD was with them.
• 23. They sent spies to Bethel (formerly known as Luz),
• 24. who confronted a man coming out of the city. They said to him, "Show us a way into the city, and we will have mercy on you."
• 25. So he showed them a way in, and they killed everyone in the city except for this man and his family.
• 26. Later the man moved to the land of the Hittites, where he built a city. He named the city Luz, and it is known by that name to this day.
• 27. The tribe of Manasseh failed to drive out the people living in Beth-shan, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo, and their surrounding villages, because the Canaanites were determined to stay in that region.
• 28. When the Israelites grew stronger, they forced the Canaanites to work as slaves, but they never did drive them out of the land.
• 29. The tribe of Ephraim also failed to drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, and so the Canaanites continued to live there among them.
• 30. The tribe of Zebulun also failed to drive out the Canaanites living in Kitron and Nahalol, who continued to live among them. But they forced them to work as slaves.
• 31. The tribe of Asher also failed to drive out the residents of Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Aphik, and Rehob.
• 32. In fact, because they did not drive them out, the Canaanites dominated the land where the people of Asher lived.
• 33. The tribe of Naphtali also failed to drive out the residents of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath. Instead, the Canaanites dominated the land where they lived. Nevertheless, the people of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath were sometimes forced to work as slaves for the people of Naphtali.
• 34. As for the tribe of Dan, the Amorites forced them into the hill country and would not let them come down into the plains.
• 35. The Amorites were determined to stay in Mount Heres, Aijalon, and Shaalbim, but when the descendants of Joseph became stronger, they forced the Amorites to work as slaves.
• 36. The boundary of the Amorites ran from Scorpion Pass to Sela and continued upward from there.

Judges 2

• 1. The angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bokim with a message for the Israelites. He told them, "I brought you out of Egypt into this land that I swore to give your ancestors, and I said I would never break my covenant with you.
• 2. For your part, you were not to make any covenants with the people living in this land; instead, you were to destroy their altars. Why, then, have you disobeyed my command?
• 3. Since you have done this, I will no longer drive out the people living in your land. They will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a constant temptation to you."
• 4. When the angel of the LORD finished speaking, the Israelites wept loudly.
• 5. So they called the place "Weeping," and they offered sacrifices to the LORD.
• 6. After Joshua sent the people away, each of the tribes left to take possession of the land allotted to them.
• 7. And the Israelites served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and the leaders who outlived him--those who had seen all the great things the LORD had done for Israel.
• 8. Then Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110.
• 9. They buried him in the land he had inherited, at Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
• 10. After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the LORD or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel.
• 11. Then the Israelites did what was evil in the LORD's sight and worshiped the images of Baal.
• 12. They abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They chased after other gods, worshiping the gods of the people around them. And they angered the LORD.
• 13. They abandoned the LORD to serve Baal and the images of Ashtoreth.
• 14. This made the LORD burn with anger against Israel, so he handed them over to marauders who stole their possessions. He sold them to their enemies all around, and they were no longer able to resist them.
• 15. Every time Israel went out to battle, the LORD fought against them, bringing them defeat, just as he promised. And the people were very distressed.
• 16. Then the LORD raised up judges to rescue the Israelites from their enemies.
• 17. Yet Israel did not listen to the judges but prostituted themselves to other gods, bowing down to them. How quickly they turned away from the path of their ancestors, who had walked in obedience to the LORD's commands.
• 18. Whenever the LORD placed a judge over Israel, he was with that judge and rescued the people from their enemies throughout the judge's lifetime. For the LORD took pity on his people, who were burdened by oppression and suffering.
• 19. But when the judge died, the people returned to their corrupt ways, behaving worse than those who had lived before them. They followed other gods, worshiping and bowing down to them. And they refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.
• 20. So the LORD burned with anger against Israel. He said, "Because these people have violated the covenant I made with their ancestors and have ignored my commands,
• 21. I will no longer drive out the nations that Joshua left unconquered when he died.
• 22. I did this to test Israel--to see whether or not they would obey the LORD as their ancestors did."
• 23. That is why the LORD did not quickly drive the nations out or allow Joshua to conquer them all.

Judges 3

• 1. The LORD left certain nations in the land to test those Israelites who had not participated in the wars of Canaan.
• 2. He did this to teach warfare to generations of Israelites who had no experience in battle.
• 3. These were the nations: the Philistines (those living under the five Philistine rulers), all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the hill country of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to Lebo-hamath.
• 4. These people were left to test the Israelites--to see whether they would obey the commands the LORD had given to their ancestors through Moses.
• 5. So Israel lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites,
• 6. and they intermarried with them. Israelite sons married their daughters, and Israelite daughters were given in marriage to their sons. And the Israelites worshiped their gods.
• 7. The Israelites did what was evil in the LORD's sight. They forgot about the LORD their God, and they worshiped the images of Baal and the Asherah poles.
• 8. Then the LORD burned with anger against Israel, and he handed them over to King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim. And the Israelites were subject to Cushan-rishathaim for eight years.
• 9. But when Israel cried out to the LORD for help, the LORD raised up a man to rescue them. His name was Othniel, the son of Caleb's younger brother, Kenaz.
• 10. The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he became Israel's judge. He went to war against King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram, and the LORD gave Othniel victory over him.
• 11. So there was peace in the land for forty years. Then Othniel son of Kenaz died.
• 12. Once again the Israelites did what was evil in the LORD's sight, so the LORD gave King Eglon of Moab control over Israel.
• 13. Together with the Ammonites and Amalekites, Eglon attacked Israel and took possession of Jericho.
• 14. And the Israelites were subject to Eglon of Moab for eighteen years.
• 15. But when Israel cried out to the LORD for help, the LORD raised up a man to rescue them. His name was Ehud son of Gera, of the tribe of Benjamin, who was left-handed. The Israelites sent Ehud to deliver their tax money to King Eglon of Moab.
• 16. So Ehud made himself a double-edged dagger that was eighteen inches long, and he strapped it to his right thigh, keeping it hidden under his clothing.
• 17. He brought the tax money to Eglon, who was very fat.
• 18. After delivering the payment, Ehud sent home those who had carried the tax money.
• 19. But when Ehud reached the stone carvings near Gilgal, he turned back. He came to Eglon and said, "I have a secret message for you." So the king commanded his servants to be silent and sent them all out of the room.
• 20. Ehud walked over to Eglon as he was sitting alone in a cool upstairs room and said, "I have a message for you from God!" As King Eglon rose from his seat,
• 21. Ehud reached with his left hand, pulled out the dagger strapped to his right thigh, and plunged it into the king's belly.
• 22. The dagger went so deep that the handle disappeared beneath the king's fat. So Ehud left the dagger in, and the king's bowels emptied.
• 23. Then Ehud closed and locked the doors and climbed down the latrine and escaped through the sewage access.
• 24. After Ehud was gone, the king's servants returned and found the doors to the upstairs room locked. They thought he might be using the latrine,
• 25. so they waited. But when the king didn't come out after a long delay, they became concerned and got a key. And when they opened the door, they found their master dead on the floor.
• 26. While the servants were waiting, Ehud escaped, passing the idols on his way to Seirah.
• 27. When he arrived in the hill country of Ephraim, Ehud sounded a call to arms. Then he led a band of Israelites down from the hills.
• 28. "Follow me," he said, "for the LORD has given you victory over Moab your enemy." So they followed him. And the Israelites took control of the shallows of the Jordan River across from Moab, preventing anyone from crossing.
• 29. They attacked the Moabites and killed about ten thousand of their strongest and bravest warriors. Not one of them escaped.
• 30. So Moab was conquered by Israel that day, and the land was at peace for eighty years.
• 31. After Ehud, Shamgar son of Anath rescued Israel. He killed six hundred Philistines with an ox goad.

New Living Translation: 73 of 324 days.