17. Some Canaanites lived in the city of Zephath. The men of Judah and men from the tribe of Simeon attacked them and completely destroyed the city. So they named the city Hormah.
18. The men of Judah also captured the cities of Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron and all the small towns around them.
19. The Lord was on the side of the men of Judah when they fought. They took the land in the hill country, but they failed to take the land in the valleys, because the people living there had iron chariots.
20. Moses had promised to give the land near Hebron to Caleb, so that land was given to Caleb’s family. The men of Caleb forced the three sons of Anak to leave that place.
21. The tribe of Benjamin could not force the Jebusites to leave Jerusalem. So even today, the Jebusites live with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem.
22. The descendants of Joseph went to fight against the city of Bethel, and the Lord was with them.
23. They sent some spies to the city of Bethel (which was then called Luz).