1. After the death of Joshua the Israelites consulted the Lord, asking, “Who shall be first among us to attack the Canaanites and to do battle with them?”
2. The Lord answered: Judah shall attack: I have delivered the land into his power.
3. Judah then said to his brother Simeon, “Come up with me into the territory allotted to me, and let us do battle with the Canaanites. I will likewise go with you into the territory allotted to you.” So Simeon went with him.
4. When Judah attacked, the Lord delivered the Canaanites and Perizzites into their power, and they struck down ten thousand of them in Bezek.
5. They came upon Adonibezek in Bezek and fought against him. When they struck down the Canaanites and Perizzites,
6. Adonibezek fled. They pursued him, and when they caught him, they cut off his thumbs and big toes.
7. “Seventy kings,” said Adonibezek, “used to pick up scraps under my table with their thumbs and big toes cut off. As I have done, so has God repaid me.” He was brought to Jerusalem, and he died there.
8. The Judahites fought against Jerusalem, captured it, and put it to the sword, setting the city itself on fire.
9. Afterward the Judahites went down to fight against the Canaanites who lived in the mountain region, in the Negeb, and in the foothills.
10. Judah also marched against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron, which was formerly called Kiriath-arba, and defeated Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.
11. They marched from there against the inhabitants of Debir, which was formerly called Kiriath-sepher.