Judges 1

¹ After Joshua don die, people of Israel pray to God say, “Which of our tribes suppose be the first to go attack the Canaanites?”

² God answer say, “Na the tribe of Judah go fit go first. I dey give them control of the land.”

³ The people of Judah tell the people of Simeon say, “Make una go with us to the territory wey God assign to us, and we go fight the Canaanites together. Then we go fit go with una to the territory wey God assign to una.” Naso the tribes Simeon

⁴ And Judah go the battle together. God give them victory over Canaanites and Perizzites, and dem defeat 10,000 men for Berek.

⁵ Dem find Adonibezek for there and dem fight against him.

⁶ He run away, but dem chase am, catch am, and dem cut off him thumbs and him big toes.

⁷ Adonibezek talk say, “Seventy kings wey dem don cut off their thumbs and their big toes don pick dirty under my table. God don do wetin I don do to them to me now.” Dem take him to Jerusalem, where he die.

⁸ The men of Judah attack Jerusalem and dem capture am. Dem kill the people and dem burn the city.

⁹ After this dem go fight Canaanites wey dey live for the hill country, for the foothills, and for the dry country to the south.

¹⁰ Dem fight the Canaanites wey dey live for the cities of Hebron, wey dem dey call Kiriath Arba before. Dem defeat the family of Sheshai, Ahima, and Talmai for there.

¹¹ Na from there the men of Judah fight the city of Debir, wey dem dey call Kiriath Sepher that time.

¹² One of them, wey dem dey call Caleb, talk say, “I go marry my daughter Achsah give the man wey succeed to capture Kiriath Sepher.”

¹³ Othniel, wey be the son to Caleb younger brother Kenaz, con capture the city, naso Caleb carry him daughter Achsah give him make he marry.

¹⁴ Othniel beg her on the wedding day say make she ask her father for field. She come down from the donkey, and Caleb ask her wetin she want.

¹⁵ She answer say, “Na some pools of water I want. The land wey you don give me dey for the dry country.” Naso Caleb give her upper and lower springs.

¹⁶ The Kenite, wey be the descendants of Moses father-in-law, dey go with the people of Judah from Jericho, wey be city of palm trees, enter the barren country south of Arab for Judah. Dem settle for there among the Amalekites.

¹⁷ The people of Judah con go with the people of Simeon, and dem defeat the Canaanites wey dey live for the city of Zephath together. Dem put curse on top the city, dem destroy am, and dem name am Hormah.

¹⁸ God help people of Judah, and dem take charge of the hill country. But dem no capture Gaza, Ashkelon, or Ekron, with the territories wey surround them.

¹⁹ These people wey dey live along the coast get iron chariots, and so the people of Judah no fit chase them out.

²⁰ As Moses don command, dem give Hebron to Caleb, wey chase out three families wey come from Anak from the city.

²¹ But the people of the tribe of Benjamin no drive Jebusites wey dey live for Jerusalem out, and the Jebusites don continue to dey live for there with the people of Benjamin ever since.

²² The tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh go attack the city of Bethel, wey dem dey call Luz that time. God con help them.

²³ Dem send spies go the city,

²⁴ wey see a man wey dey leave and tell him say, “Show us how we go enter the city, and we no go hurt you.”

²⁵ Naso he show them, and the people of Ephraim and Manasseh kill everyone wey dey the city, except this man and him family.

²⁶ He con later go the land of Hittites, build city for there, and he name am Luz, wey still be hin name.

²⁷ The tribe of Manasseh no drive out people wey dey live for the cities of Beth Shan, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, Megiddo, and the town wey dey nearby; the Canaanites continue to dey live for there.

²⁸ When the Israelites con become stronger, dem force the Canaanites to work for them, but still dem no chase all of them.

²⁹ The tribe of Ephraim no drive out the Canaanites wey dey live for the city of Gezer, and so the Canaanites continue to dey live for there with them.

³⁰ The tribe of Zebulun no drive out the people wey dey live for the cities of Kitron and Nahala, and so the Canaanites continue to dey live for there with them and dem force them to work for them.

³¹ The tribe of Asher no drive out the people wey dey live for the cities of Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphek, and Rehob.

³² The people of Asher don live with the local Canaanites, since dem no drive them out.

³³ The tribe of Naphtali no drive out the people wey dey live for cities of Beth Shemesh and Bethanath. The people of Naphtali dey live with the local Canaanites, but dem force them to work for them.

³⁴ The Amorites con force the people of tribe of Dan go to the hill country and dem no allow them come down to the plain.

³⁵ The Amorites continue to dey live for Aijalon, Shaalbim, and Mount Heres, but dem dey under the rules of Ephraim and Manasseh tribe and dem force them to work for them.

³⁶ The Amorite border begin from Scorpion Pass take reach Sela and continue dey go up from there.