1. After Joshua’s death the Israelites asked the Lord, “Who will go first to fight the Canaanites for us?”
2. The Lord answered, “Judah’s troops will go first. I am about to hand the Canaanites over to you.”
3. The tribe of Judah said to the tribe of Simeon, “Come with us into the territory given to us when we drew lots, and together we will fight the people of Canaan. Then we’ll go with you into your territory.” So the tribe of Simeon went along with Judah.
4. Judah’s troops went into battle, and the Lord handed the Canaanites and Perizzites over to them. They defeated 10,000 men at Bezek.
5. At Bezek they also caught up with Adoni Bezek. They fought him and defeated the Canaanites and Perizzites.
6. Adoni Bezek fled. Judah’s troops chased him, caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes.
7. Adoni Bezek said, “Seventy kings who had their thumbs and big toes cut off used to pick up food under my table. God has paid me back for what I did to them.” Judah’s troops brought Adoni Bezek to Jerusalem, where he died.
8. The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem and captured it. They killed everyone there and set the city on fire.
9. After that, the men of Judah went to fight the Canaanites who lived in the mountains, the Negev, and the foothills.