The men of Judah went with their brothers the men of Simeon and defeated the Canaanites living in Zephath. They wiped out Zephath. So people now call the city Hormah.

The Lord was with the men of Judah. They conquered the hill country, but they could not conquer the people living in the coastal plain, because they had chariots with iron-rimmed wheels.

These were the nations the Lord permitted to remain so he could use them to test Israel – he wanted to test all those who had not experienced battle against the Canaanites.

They were left to test Israel, so the Lord would know if his people would obey the commands he gave their ancestors through Moses.

The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. They forgot the Lord their God and worshiped the Baals and the Asherahs.

Eglon formed alliances with the Ammonites and Amalekites. He came and defeated Israel, and they seized the City of Date Palm Trees.

Gideon said, “Since you will not help, after the Lord hands Zebah and Zalmunna over to me, I will thresh your skin with desert thorns and briers.”

They met Adoni-Bezek at Bezek and fought him. They defeated the Canaanites and Perizzites.

When Joshua dismissed the people, the Israelites went to their allotted portions of territory, intending to take possession of the land.

The Israelites did evil before the Lord by worshiping the Baals.

They took the Canaanites’ daughters as wives and gave their daughters to the Canaanites; they worshiped their gods as well.

After Ehud brought the tribute payment, he dismissed the people who had carried it.

God repaid Abimelech for the evil he did to his father by murdering his seventy half-brothers.

They threw away the foreign gods they owned and worshiped the Lord. Finally the Lord grew tired of seeing Israel suffer so much.

After him Elon the Zebulunite led Israel for ten years.

They abandoned the Lord and worshiped Baal and the Ashtars.

Caleb said, “To the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher I will give my daughter Acsah as a wife.”

Caleb received Hebron, just as Moses had promised. He drove out the three Anakites.

He showed them a secret entrance into the city, and they put the city to the sword. But they let the man and his extended family leave safely.

When the Lord’s messenger finished speaking these words to all the Israelites, the people wept loudly.