^1:11From there they attacked the people of Debir.¹⁵ (Debir used to be called Kiriath Sepher.) ^1:12Caleb said, “To the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher I will give my daughter Acsah as a wife.” ^1:13When Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother,¹⁶ captured it, Caleb¹⁷ gave him his daughter Acsah as a wife.

^1:14One time Acsah¹⁸ came and charmed her father¹⁹ so she could ask him for some land. When she got down from her donkey, Caleb said to her, “What would you like?” ^1:15She answered, “Please give me a special present.²⁰ Since you have given me land in the Negev, now give me springs of water.” So Caleb gave her both the upper and lower springs.²¹

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Footnotes

15 Heb “they went from there against the inhabitants of Debir.” The reads the verb as “they went up,” which suggests that the Hebrew text translated by the read וַיַּעַל (vayya’al) rather than the ’s וַיֵּלֶךְ (vayyelekh). It is possible that this is the text to be preferred in v. 11. Cf. Josh 15:15.
16 “Caleb’s younger brother” may refer to Othniel or to Kenaz (in which case Othniel was Caleb’s nephew; so ).
17 Heb “he”; the referent (Caleb) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
18 Heb “she”; the referent (Acsah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
19 Heb “him.” The pronoun could refer to Othniel, in which case one would translate, “she incited him [Othniel] to ask her father for a field.” This is problematic, however, for Acsah, not Othniel, makes the request in v. 15. The has “he [Othniel] urged her to ask her father for a field.” This appears to be an attempt to reconcile the apparent inconsistency and probably does not reflect the original text. If Caleb is understood as the referent of the pronoun, the problem disappears. For a fuller discussion of the issue, see P. G. Mosca, “Who Seduced Whom? A Note on Joshua 15:18//Judges 1:14,” 46 (1984): 18–22. The translation takes Caleb to be the referent, specified as “her father.”
20 Elsewhere the Hebrew word בְרָכָה (vérakhah) is often translated “blessing,” but here it refers to a gift (as in Gen 33:11; 1 Sam 25:27; 30:26; and 2 Kgs 5:15).
21 Some translations regard the expressions “springs of water” (גֻּלֹּת מָיִם, gullot mayim) and “springs” (גֻּלֹּת) as place names here (cf. ).

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

From there they went against the inhabitants of Debir. The name of Debir was formerly Kiriath-sepher. And Caleb said, “He who attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give him Achsah my daughter as wife.” And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, captured it. And he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife. When she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field. And she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Give me a blessing. Since you have given me the land of the Negeb, give me also springs of water.” And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

From there they advanced against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher).

And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage.

One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?”

She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

From there they marched against the residents of Debir (Debir was formerly named Kiriath-sepher).

Caleb said, “Whoever attacks and captures Kiriath-sepher, I will give my daughter Achsah to him as a wife.” So Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s youngest brother, captured it, and Caleb gave his daughter Achsah to him as his wife.

When she arrived, she persuaded Othniel to ask her father for a field. As she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What do you want?” She answered him, “Give me a blessing. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me springs also.” So Caleb gave her both the upper and lower springs.

NLTNew Living Translation

From there they went to fight against the people living in the town of Debir (formerly called Kiriath-sepher). Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the one who attacks and captures Kiriath-sepher.” Othniel, the son of Caleb’s younger brother, Kenaz, was the one who conquered it, so Acsah became Othniel’s wife.

When Acsah married Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. As she got down off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What’s the matter?”

She said, “Let me have another gift. You have already given me land in the Negev; now please give me springs of water, too.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And from there they went to the inhabitants of Debir (the former name of Debir was Kiriath Sepher). And Caleb said, “Whoever attacks Kiriath Sepher and captures it, I will give to him Acsah my daughter as a wife.” Othniel son of Kenaz, the younger brother of Caleb, captured it, and he gave to him Acsah his daughter as a wife. When she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field. As she dismounted from the donkey, Caleb said to her, “What do you want?” And she said to him, “Give me a gift; you have given me the land of the Negev, and give me also a spring of water.” And Caleb gave to her the upper and lower spring.

KJV 1900King James Version

And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir: and the name of Debir before was Kirjath-sepher: And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjath-sepher, and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife. And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife. And it came to pass, when she came to him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted from off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What wilt thou? And she said unto him, Give me a blessing: for thou hast given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs.

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