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Conquest of Canaan Proceeds

(Joshua 13:1-7)

¹ After the death of Joshua, the Israelites inquired of the LORD, “Who will be the first to go up and fight for us against the Canaanites?”² The LORD answered, “Judah shall go up. Indeed, I have delivered the land into their hands.”³ Then the men of Judah said to their brothers the Simeonites, “Come up with us to our allotted territory, and let us fight against the Canaanites. And we likewise will go with you to your territory.” So the Simeonites went with them.⁴ When Judah attacked, the LORD delivered the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek.⁵ And there they found Adoni-bezek and fought against him, striking down the Canaanites and Perizzites.⁶ As Adoni-bezek fled, they pursued him, seized him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes.⁷ Then Adoni-bezek said, “Seventy kings with their thumbs and big toes cut off have gathered the scraps under my table. As I have done, so God has repaid me.” And they brought him to Jerusalem, where he died.

Jerusalem and Hebron Captured

(Joshua 15:13-19)

⁹ Afterward, the men of Judah marched down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country, in the Negev, and in the foothills^(a).¹⁰ Judah also marched against the Canaanites who were living in Hebron (formerly known as Kiriath-arba), and they struck down Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.¹¹ From there they marched against the residents of Debir (formerly known as Kiriath-sepher).¹² And Caleb said, “To the man who strikes down Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage.”¹³ So Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, captured it, and Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him in marriage.¹⁴ One day Acsah came to Othniel and urged him^(a) to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What do you desire?”¹⁵ “Give me a blessing,” she answered. “Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me springs of water as well.” So Caleb gave her both the upper and lower springs.¹⁶ Now the descendants of Moses’ father-in-law, the Kenite, went up with the men of Judah from the City of Palms^(a) to the Wilderness of Judah in the Negev near Arad. They went to live among the people.¹⁷ Then the men of Judah went with their brothers the Simeonites, struck the Canaanites who were living in Zephath, and devoted the city to destruction. So it was called Hormah^(a).¹⁸ And Judah also captured^(a) Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron—each with its territory.¹⁹ The LORD was with Judah, and they took possession of the hill country; but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the plains, because they had chariots of iron.²⁰ Just as Moses had promised, Judah gave Hebron to Caleb, who drove out the descendants of the three sons of Anak.

²¹ The Benjamites, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. And to this day the Jebusites dwell among the Benjamites in Jerusalem.²² The house of Joseph also attacked Bethel, and the LORD was with them.²³ They sent spies to Bethel (formerly known as Luz),²⁴ and when the spies saw a man coming out of the city, they said to him, “Please show us how to get into the city, and we will treat you kindly.”²⁵ So the man showed them the entrance to the city, and they put the city to the sword but released that man and all his family.²⁶ And the man went to the land of the Hittites, built a city, and called it Luz, which is its name to this day.

Failure to Complete the Conquest