Old/New Testament

Tribes Possess the Land

1 Now it came to pass after the death of Joshua that Bnei-Yisrael inquired of Adonai saying, “Who will be the first to go up for us against the Canaanites to attack them?” ² Adonai said, “Judah will go up. Behold, I have given the land into his hand.”

³ Judah then said to his brother Simeon, “Come up with me to my allotted territory, so that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I also will go with you into your allotted territory.” So Simeon went with him. ⁴ When Judah went up, Adonai delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hands; they struck down 10,000 of them at Bezek. ⁵ They found Adoni-bezek in Bezek, engaged him in battle, and defeated the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

⁶ Though Adoni-bezek fled, they pursued him, caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his big toes. ⁷ So Adoni-bezek said, “70 kings, having their thumbs and big toes cut off, used to pick up scraps under my table. As I have done, so God has repaid me.” They brought him to Jerusalem and he died there.

⁸ Then the children of Judah attacked Jerusalem, captured it, struck it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire. ⁹ Afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites that dwelt in the hill country, in the Negev and in the lowland.

¹⁰ Judah then marched against the Canaanites who dwelt in Hebron (the former name of Hebron was Kiriath-arba), and they defeated Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai. ¹¹ From there Judah marched against the inhabitants of Debir (the former name of Debir was Kiriath-sepher). ¹² Caleb said, “Whoever attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, to him will I give my daughter Achsah for a wife.” ¹³ So Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger kinsman, captured it. So Caleb gave him his daughter Achsah as a wife. ¹⁴ Now it came about when she came to him, she had persuaded Othniel to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What do you need?”

¹⁵ Give me a blessing,” she said. “For you have given me land in the Negev; you should also give me springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the Upper Springs and the Lower Springs.

¹⁶ The children of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up with the children of Judah from the City of Palms to the wilderness of Judah, which is in the Negev of Arad. They went and settled with the people.

¹⁷ Then Judah went with his brother Simeon, and they defeated the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath. They utterly destroyed it, and thus the name of the city was called Hormah. ¹⁸ Also Judah captured Gaza with its territory, Ashkelon with its territory and Ekron with its territory. ¹⁹ Adonai was with Judah, and he possessed the hill country, but he could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley because they had iron chariots. ²⁰ Then they gave Hebron to Caleb, as Moses had promised, so he drove out from there the three sons of Anak.

²¹ But the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem, so the Jebusites continued to live with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

²² Also the house of Joseph marched against Bethel, and Adonai was with them. ²³ The house of Joseph sent men to spy out Bethel (the former name of the city was Luz). ²⁴ Now the scouts saw a man coming out from the city and they said to him, “Please show us the entrance into the city and we will deal kindly with you.” ²⁵ So he showed them the entrance into the city, and they struck the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man go free with all his family. ²⁶ So the man went into the land of the Hittites, built a city, and named it Luz, which is its name to this day.

²⁷ Manasseh, however, did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages. So the Canaanites resolved to dwell in that land. ²⁸ When Israel became strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not drive them out.

²⁹ Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites who were living in Gezer, so the Canaanites settled in Gezer among them. ³⁰ Nor did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, or the inhabitants of Nahalol, so the Canaanites settled among them, but became subject to forced labor.

³¹ Nor did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Acco or the inhabitants of Zidon, Achlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik or Rehob; ³² so the Asherites lived among the Canaanites who were dwelling in the land, because they did not drive them out.

³³ Nor did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, or the inhabitants of Beth-anath, but lived among the Canaanites dwelling in the land, though the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and Beth-anath became forced labor for them.

³⁴ But the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the hill country, for they would not let them come down to the valley. ³⁵ Also the Amorites persisted in dwelling in Mount Heres, in Aijalon and in Shaalbim, but when the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, they became forced labor for them. ³⁶ So the territory of the Amorites ran from the Ascent of Akrabbim^[a] from the Rock and upward.

After Joshua, Israel Abandons Adonai

2 Now the angel of Adonai came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and He said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and took you into the land which I swore to your fathers. I also said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you. ² Now as for you, you must make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land. You must break down their altars.’ But you have not listened to My voice. What is this you have done? ³ Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out from before you, but they will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.’” ⁴ Now when the angel of Adonai spoke these words to all Bnei-Yisrael, the people lifted up their voice and wept. ⁵ So they called the name of that place Bochim^[b], and they sacrificed there to Adonai.

⁶ Now when Joshua had sent the people away, Bnei-Yisrael went every man to his inheritance to possess the land. ⁷ Then the people worshipped Adonai all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of Adonai that He had done for Israel. ⁸ Then Joshua son of Nun, the servant of Adonai, died at the age of 110 years, ⁹ and they buried him in the territory of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim north of Mount Gaash.

¹⁰ But when all that generation were gathered to their fathers, there arose another generation after them that did not experience Adonai or the work that He had done for Israel. ¹¹ Then Bnei-Yisrael did what was evil in Adonai’s eyes, and worshipped the Baalim. ¹² They abandoned Adonai, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods from among the gods of the peoples around them, and bowed down to them. So they provoked the anger of Adonai. ¹³ So they forsook Adonai and worshipped Baal and the Ashtaroth. ¹⁴ So the anger of Adonai burned against Israel, and He gave them over to the hands of plunderers who plundered them, and He sold them over into the hand of their enemies around them, so that they could no longer stand up before their enemies. ¹⁵ Whenever they went out, the hand of Adonai was against them for evil, as Adonai had spoken and as Adonai had sworn to them. So they were severely distressed.

Rise of Judges

¹⁶ Then Adonai raised up judges who delivered them from the hand of those who plundered them. ¹⁷ Yet they listened not to their judges, for they prostituted themselves after other gods and bowed down to them. They quickly turned aside from the way in which their fathers walked in obeying the commandments of Adonai; they did not do so. ¹⁸ Whenever Adonai raised judges up for them, Adonai was with the judge and delivered them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For Adonai was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed and crushed them. ¹⁹ But when the judge died, they would keep turning back and acted more corruptly than their fathers, in following other gods, worshipping them, and bowing down to them. They abandoned none of their practices and stubborn ways.

²⁰ So the anger of Adonai burned against Israel, and He declared, “Since this nation has transgressed My covenant that I commanded their fathers and has not listened to My voice, ²¹ I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died, ²² in order to test Israel by them, whether or not they will keep the way of Adonai to walk in it as their fathers did.” ²³ So Adonai left those nations, without driving them out quickly. Thus so He had not given them into the hand of Joshua.

3 Now these are the nations that Adonai left, to test all Israel who had not experienced any of the wars of Canaan. ² It was only in order that the generations of Bnei-Yisrael might learn from war, which they had not experienced before. ³ These nations included the five Philistine lords, and all the Canaanites, Zidonians and the Hivites living in the hill country of Lebanon from Mount Baal-hermon to the entrance of Hamath. ⁴ They were for testing Israel, to know whether they would obey the mitzvot of Adonai, which He had commanded their fathers by Moses’ hand.

⁵ But Bnei-Yisrael settled among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, ⁶ and took their daughters for themselves as wives, gave their own daughters to their sons, and worshipped their gods. ⁷ Bnei-Yisrael did what was evil in Adonai’s eyes, forgot Adonai their God and worshipped the Baalim and the Asherahs. ⁸ So Adonai’s anger burned against Israel, and He sold them over into the hand of King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram-naharaim, and Bnei-Yisrael served Cushan-rishathaim for eight years.

Othniel, Ehud and Shamgar

⁹ When Bnei-Yisrael cried out to Adonai, Adonai raised up a deliverer for Bnei-Yisrael to deliver them—Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger kinsman. ¹⁰ The Spirit of Adonai came upon him as he judged Israel. When he went out to war, Adonai gave King Cushan-rishathaim of Aram into his hand so that he had the upper hand over Cushan-rishathaim. ¹¹ Then the land had peace 40 years.

When Othniel son of Kenaz died, ¹² Bnei-Yisrael again did what was evil in Adonai’s eyes. So Adonai strengthened King Eglon of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in Adonai’s eyes. ¹³ So he gathered to himself the people of Ammon and Amalek, then went and defeated Israel and took possession of the City of Palms. ¹⁴ Bnei-Yisrael became subject to King Eglon of Moab for 18 years.

¹⁵ But when Bnei-Yisrael cried out to Adonai, Adonai raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud son of Gera the Benjamite—a left-handed man. Now Bnei-Yisrael sent tribute with him to King Eglon of Moab. ¹⁶ Ehud made himself a double-edged sword, a cubit in length, which he girded on his right thigh under his cloak. ¹⁷ Then he presented the tribute to King Eglon of Moab. Eglon was a very fat man. ¹⁸ Now when Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he dismissed the people who had carried the tribute, ¹⁹ but he himself turned back, at the idols that were near Gilgal, and said, “I have a secret message for you, O king.”

“Keep silence!” he replied, so all his attendants left him.

²⁰ Then Ehud approached him while he was sitting alone in a roof chamber where it was cool, and said, “I have a message from God for you,” so he arose from his throne. ²¹ Then Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and thrust it into his belly. ²² Even the handle went in after the blade and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not withdraw the sword out of his belly—and the filth came out. ²³ Then Ehud went out by the porch, shut the doors of the roof chamber on him, and locked them.

²⁴ After he had gone out, his courtiers came and looked, but behold, the doors of the roof chamber were locked. So they said, “He is only relieving himself in the cool chamber.” ²⁵ So they waited till they were embarrassed, but behold, he still did not open the doors of the roof chamber. So they took the key and opened them—and behold, their master was lying dead on the floor.

²⁶ But Ehud escaped while they were lingering, passed beyond the idols and escaped to Seirah. ²⁷ When he arrived, he blew the shofar in the hill country of Ephraim, so Bnei-Yisrael went down with him from the hill country, and he was in front of them. ²⁸ He said to them, “Follow me, for Adonai has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.” So they went down after him and seized the fords of the Jordan opposite Moab, and allowed no one to cross over. ²⁹ Then they struck down at that time about 10,000 men of Moab—all stout men of valor—not a man escaped.

³⁰ So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. Then the land had peace for 80 years.

³¹ After him came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down 600 Philistine men with an ox-goad. So he also delivered Israel.

Temptation in the Wilderness

4 Yeshua, now filled with the Ruach ha-Kodesh, returned from the Jordan. He was led by the Ruach in the wilderness ² for forty days, being tested by the devil. Now He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He was hungry.

³ The devil said to Him, “If You are Ben-Elohim, tell this stone to become bread.”

⁴ Yeshua answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’”^[a]

⁵ And leading Him up, the devil showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in an instant. ⁶ And the devil said to Him, “I’ll give to You all this authority along with its glory, because it has been handed over to me and I can give it to anyone I wish. ⁷ Therefore, if you will worship before me, all this shall be Yours.”

⁸ But answering, Yeshua told him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship Adonai your God, and Him only shall you serve.’”^[b]

⁹ Then he brought Yeshua to Jerusalem and placed Him on the highest point of the Temple. He said to Him, “If You are Ben-Elohim, throw Yourself down from here. ¹⁰ For it is written,

¹² But answering, Yeshua said to him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put Adonai your God to the test.’” ^{[e] 13} And when the devil had completed every test, he departed from Him until another occasion.

Isaiah’s Prophecy Fulfilled in Natzeret

¹⁴ Yeshua returned in the power of the Ruach to the Galilee, and news about Him went out through all the surrounding region. ¹⁵ He taught in their synagogues, and everyone was praising Him. ¹⁶ And He came to Natzeret, where He had been raised. As was His custom, He went into the synagogue on Shabbat, and He got up to read. ¹⁷ When the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him, He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

²⁰ He closed the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue were focused on Him. ²¹ Then He began to tell them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your ears.”

²² All were speaking well of Him and marveling at the gracious words coming out of His mouth. And they were saying, “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?”

²³ But He said to them, “Doubtless you will say to Me this proverb, ‘Doctor, heal yourself!’ and ‘What we have heard was done at Capernaum, do as much here also in your hometown.’”

²⁴ But He said, “Truly, I tell you, ‘No prophet is accepted in his own hometown.’ ²⁵ But with all truthfulness I say to you, that there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when heaven was closed for three and a half years and there came a great famine over all the land. ²⁶ Elijah was not sent to any of them, but only to Zarephath in the land of Sidon, to a widowed woman. ^{[h] 27} There were many with tzara’at in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them were purified apart from Naaman the Syrian.”^[i]

²⁸ Now all in the synagogue were filled with rage upon hearing these things. ²⁹ Rising up, they drove Him out of the town and brought Him as far as the edge of the mountain on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him off the cliff. ³⁰ But passing through the middle of them, He went on His way.