A reading from the Book of Judges.

After the death of Joshua, the people of Israel inquired of the Lord.

Who shall go up first for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?

The Lord said, Judah shall go up.

Behold, I have given the land into his hand.

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.

Then Judah went up, and the Lord gave the Canaanites and the Parasites into their hand,

and they defeated 10,000 of them at Bezik. They found Adonai Bezik at Bezik, and fought against him,

and defeated the Canaanites and the Parasites. Adonai Bezik fled, but they pursued him, and caught

him and cut off his thumbs and his big toes. And Adonai Bezik said,

"'Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to pick up scraps under my

table, as I have done so God has repaid me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.

And the men of Judah fought against Jerusalem and captured it, and struck it with the edge

of the sword and set the city on fire, and afterward the men of Judah went down to fight against

the Canaanites, who lived in the hill country, in the Negeb, and in the lowland, and Judah

went against the Canaanites who lived in Hebron. Now the name of Hebron was formerly Curieth

Arba, and they defeated Shishai and Ahiman and Talmi.

From there they went against the inhabitants of Deber. The name of Deber was formerly Kiryath Seifur,

and Caleb said, He who attacks Kiryth Sefer, and captures it. I will give him Axa, my daughter,

for a wife. And Othnil, the son of Kinaz, Caleb's younger brother, captured it. I will give him Axa, my daughter for a wife. And Othniel, the son of Kynas,

...