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Liber Iudicum, 1

1. Post mortem Iosue consulue runt filii Israel Dominum dicen tes: “Quis nostrum primus ascendet ad Chananaeum ad pugnandum contra eum?”.

1. After the death of Joshua the people of Israel inquired of the LORD,of "Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites, to fight against them?"

2. Dixitque Dominus: “Iudas ascendet: ecce tradidi terram in manus eius”.

2. The LORD said, "Judah shall go up; behold, I have given the land into his hand."

3. Et ait Iudas Simeoni fratri suo: “Ascende mecum in sorte mea, et pugnemus contra Chananaeum, et ego pergam tecum in sorte tua”. Et abiit cum eo Simeon.

3. And Judah said to Simeon his brother, "Come up with me into the territory allotted to me, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with you into the territory allotted to you." So Simeon went with him.

4. Ascenditque Iudas, et tradidit Dominus Chananaeum ac Pherezaeum in manus eorum, et percusserunt in Bezec decem milia virorum.

4. Then Judah went up and the LORD gave the Canaanites and the Per'izzites into their hand; and they defeated ten thousand of them at Bezek.

5. Inveneruntque Adonibezec in Bezec et pugnaverunt contra eum ac percusserunt Chananaeum et Pherezaeum.

5. They came upon Ado'ni-be'zek at Bezek, and fought against him, and defeated the Canaanites and the Per'izzites.

6. Fugit autem Adonibezec, quem persecuti comprehenderunt, caesis pollicibus manuum eius ac pedum.

6. Ado'ni-be'zek fled; but they pursued him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.

7. Dixitque Adonibezec: “Septuaginta reges, amputatis manuum ac pedum pollicibus, colligebant sub mensa mea ciborum reliquias. Sicut feci, ita reddidit mihi Deus”. Adduxeruntque eum in Ierusalem, et ibi mortuus est.

7. And Ado'ni-be'zek said, "Seventy kings with their thumbs and their great toes cut off used to pick up scraps under my table; as I have done, so God has requited me." And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

8. Oppugnantes ergo filii Iudae Ierusalem ceperunt eam; et percusserunt in ore gladii tradentes incendio civitatem.

8. And the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and set the city on fire.

9. Et postea descendentes pugnaverunt contra Chananaeum, qui habitabat in montanis et in Nageb et in Sephela.

9. And afterward the men of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who dwelt in the hill country, in the Negeb, and in the lowland.

10. Pergensque Iuda contra Chananaeum, qui habitabat in Hebron, cui nomen fuit antiquitus Cariatharbe, percussit Sesai et Ahiman et Tholmai.

10. And Judah went against the Canaanites who dwelt in Hebron (now the name of Hebron was formerly Kir'iath-ar'ba); and they defeated She'shai and Ahi'man and Talmai.

11. Atque inde profectus abiit ad habitatores Dabir, cuius nomen vetus erat Cariathsepher (id est civitas Litterarum).

11. From there they went against the inhabitants of Debir. The name of Debir was formerly Kir'iath-se'pher.

12. Dixitque Chaleb: “Qui percusserit Cariathsepher et ceperit eam, dabo ei Axam filiam meam uxorem”.

12. And Caleb said, "He who attacks Kir'iath-se'pher and takes it, I will give him Achsah my daughter as wife."

13. Cumque cepisset eam Othoniel filius Cenez frater Chaleb minor, dedit ei Axam filiam suam coniugem.

13. And Oth'ni-el the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it; and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife.

14. Quae cum veniret, incitavit eum, ut peteret a patre suo agrum. Demisit ergo se de asino, et dixit ei Chaleb: “Quid habes?”.

14. When she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field; and she alighted from her ass, and Caleb said to her, "What do you wish?"

15. At illa respondit: “Da mihi benedictionem; quia terram arentem dedisti mihi, da et irriguam aquis”. Dedit ergo ei Chaleb irriguum superius et irriguum inferius.

15. She said to him, "Give me a present; since you have set me in the land of the Negeb, give me also springs of water." And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

16. Filii autem Hobab Cinaei cognati Moysi ascenderunt de civitate Palmarum cum filiis Iudae in desertum Iudae, quod est ad meridiem Arad, et habitaverunt cum Amalecitis.

16. And the descendants of the Ken'ite, Moses' father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah from the city of palms into the wilderness of Judah, which lies in the Negeb near Arad; and they went and settled with the people.

17. Abiit autem Iudas cum Simeone fratre suo et percusserunt simul Chananaeum, qui habitabat in Sephath, et percusserunt urbem anathemate. Vocatumque est nomen eius Horma (id est Anathema).

17. And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they defeated the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. So the name of the city was called Hormah.

18. Cepitque Iudas Gazam cum finibus suis et Ascalonem atque Accaron cum terminis suis.

18. Judah also took Gaza with its territory, and Ash'kelon with its territory, and Ekron with its territory.

19. Fuitque Dominus cum Iuda, et montana possedit; nec potuit expellere habitatores vallis, quia falcatis curribus abundabant.

19. And the LORD was with Judah, and he took possession of the hill country, but he could not drive out the inhabitants of the plain, because they had chariots of iron.

20. Dederuntque Chaleb Hebron, sicut dixerat Moyses, qui expulit ex ea tres filios Enac.

20. And Hebron was given to Caleb, as Moses had said; and he drove out from it the three sons of Anak.

21. Iebusaeum autem habitatorem Ierusalem non expulerunt filii Beniamin, habitavitque Iebusaeus cum filiis Beniamin in Ierusalem usque in praesentem diem.

21. But the people of Benjamin did not drive out the Jeb'usites who dwelt in Jerusalem; so the Jeb'usites have dwelt with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day.

22. Domus quoque Ioseph ascendit Bethel, fuitque Dominus cum eis.

22. The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel; and the LORD was with them.

23. Nam, cum explorarent urbem, quae prius Luza vocabatur,

23. And the house of Joseph sent to spy out Bethel. (Now the name of the city was formerly Luz.)

24. viderunt custodes hominem egredientem de civitate dixeruntque ad eum: “Ostende nobis introitum civitatis, et faciemus tecum misericordiam”.

24. And the spies saw a man coming out of the city, and they said to him, "Pray, show us the way into the city, and we will deal kindly with you."

25. Qui cum ostendisset eis, percusserunt urbem in ore gladii; hominem autem illum et omnem cognationem eius dimiserunt.

25. And he showed them the way into the city; and they smote the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man and all his family go.

26. Qui dimissus abiit in terram Hetthim et aedificavit ibi civitatem vocavitque eam Luzam, quae ita appellatur usque in praesentem diem.

26. And the man went to the land of the Hittites and built a city, and called its name Luz; that is its name to this day.

27. Manasses quoque non occupavit Bethsan et Thanach cum viculis suis nec expulit habitatores Dor et Ieblaam et Mageddo cum viculis suis; mansitque Chananaeus in terra hac.

27. Manas'seh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-she'an and its villages, or Ta'a-nach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megid'do and its villages; but the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land.

28. Postquam autem confortatus est Israel, fecit eos tributarios et expellere noluit.

28. When Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.

29. Ephraim etiam non expulit Chananaeum, qui habitabat in Gazer, sed habitavit Chananaeus in medio eius in Gazer.

29. And E'phraim did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.

30. Zabulon non expulit habitatores Cetron et Naalol, sed habitavit Chananaeus in medio eius factusque est ei tributarius.

30. Zeb'ulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, or the inhabitants of Na'halol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became subject to forced labor.

31. Aser quoque non expulit habitatores Achcho et Sidonis, Ahalab et Achazib et Helba et Aphec et Rohob;

31. Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or the inhabitants of Sidon, or of Ahlab, or of Achzib, or of Helbah, or of Aphik, or of Rehob;

32. habitavitque Aser in medio Chananaei habitatoris illius terrae, quia non expulit eum.

32. but the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out.

33. Nephthali non expulit habitatores Bethsames et Bethanath et habitavit inter Chananaeum habitatorem terrae, fueruntque ei Bethsamitae et Bethanitae tributarii.

33. Naph'tali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-she'mesh, or the inhabitants of Beth-anath, but dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth-she'mesh and of Beth-anath became subject to forced labor for them.

34. Artavitque Amorraeus filios Dan in montem nec dedit eis locum, ut ad planiora descenderent.

34. The Amorites pressed the Danites back into the hill country, for they did not allow them to come down to the plain;

35. Habitavitque Amorraeus in Hathares, in Aialon et Salebim; et aggravata est manus domus Ioseph, factusque est ei tributarius.

35. the Amorites persisted in dwelling in Har-heres, in Ai'jalon, and in Sha-al'bim, but the hand of the house of Joseph rested heavily upon them, and they became subject to forced labor.

36. Fuit autem terminus Amorraei ab ascensu Acrabbim ad Petram et superiora loca.

36. And the border of the Amorites ran from the ascent of Akrab'bim, from Sela and upward.



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Footnotes:

1:1-2 - After Joshua's death, the Israelites seek God's guidance as to who should go up against the Canaanites. This highlights the importance of consulting God in times of transition and important decisions (see also James 1:5 and Proverbs 3:5-6).

1:3-7 - The alliance between Judah and Simeon is an example of intertribal cooperation in confronting enemies. The victory over Adoni-Bezek highlights God's justice in repaying evil and the importance of solidarity among believers (see also Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 and Psalm 82:3-4).

1:8-10 - Judah's conquest of Jerusalem symbolizes Israel's ongoing struggle against idolatry and immorality. This event points to the need for holiness upon entering the promised land, reflecting God's holy character (see also Leviticus 20:26 and 1 Peter 1:15-16).

1:11-15 - The story of Othniel, who conquered Kiriath-sepher, emphasizes the role of God's Spirit in empowering leadership and victory. Caleb's commitment to his daughter Achsah illustrates the importance of promises and inheritances in family life (see also 2 Timothy 1:7 and Psalm 37:4).

1:16-21 - The mention of the tribes failing to drive out the Canaanites highlights Israel's failure to fulfill God's promises. This reluctance to remove idolatry has negative consequences for the nation, warning of the dangers of spiritual complacency (see also Deuteronomy 7:1-5 and Galatians 6:7).

Verses related to Liber Iudicum, 1:

Judges chapter 1 begins a new phase in the history of Israel. How do the people deal with the absence of a single leader? This revealing text describes the achievements and failures of the tribes in the occupation of Canaan. The chapter introduces the pattern of partial obedience that will characterize the period of the judges, highlighting the consequences of disobedience. Themes such as God's sovereignty, human responsibility and covenants are explored. Consider with us five biblical passages that illuminate the challenges presented in this crucial chapter.

Joshua 15:63: "As for the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem, the children of Judah were not able to drive them out; So the Jebusites continued to live with the children of Judah in Jerusalem until this day." - This verse from Joshua connects directly with Judges 1:21, showing the continuity of the narrative regarding the inability to completely expel the Jebusites.

Psalms 106:34-35: "They did not destroy the people, as the Lord commanded them; Before, they mingled with the nations, and learned their works." - This psalm reflects on the period of the Judges, including the events of Judges 1, where Israel failed to completely expel the Canaanites.

Hebrews 11:32: "And what else shall I say? For I would lack time if I were to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets" - Although it does not specifically mention the events of Judges 1, this verse shows the continuing importance of the book of Judges in the history of faith.

Deuteronomy 7:2: "And when the Lord thy God hath delivered them before thee, to smite them, thou shalt utterly destroy them; You will not make a covenant with them, nor will you have mercy on them." - This command in Deuteronomy is the backdrop for the actions described in Judges 1, where Israel attempts to carry out this command.

2 Corinthians 6:14: "Do not bind yourselves to an unequal yoke with the infidels; because, what society has justice with injustice? And what communion does light have with darkness?" - Although in a different context, this verse echoes the principle behind God's command for Israel not to mingle with the people of the land, as seen in Judges 1.

FAQ:

What happened to the Canaanites after the conquest of Judah?

After the conquest, the Canaanites were forced to pay tribute, but they were not completely expelled, resulting in ongoing conflict. (Judges 1:28-30)

Who were the main leaders of the tribes of Israel during the conquest?

The tribes of Judah and Simeon were significant leaders during the conquest, helping to defeat the Canaanites in several regions. (Judges 1:3, 17)

What did God promise Israel regarding the conquest of the Promised Land?

God promised to give the land of Canaan to Israel, but He required obedience and the removal of pagan peoples to secure possession of the land. (Judges 1:2)

How did the Israelites' disobedience impact the conquest of Canaan?

Their disobedience in not completely driving out the Canaanites led to continued problems, such as pagan influences and conflicts. (Judges 1:19-21)

What was Caleb's role in the conquest of Canaan?

Caleb of the tribe of Judah received Hebron as his inheritance and led the conquest of the hill country, fulfilling God's promise. (Judges 1:20)


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