Judges 2
1 Now the angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land that I had promised to your fathers, and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you,
And a messenger of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, And he said, I caused you to go up out of Egypt, and I brought you unto the land which I had sworn unto your fathers; and I said, I will not break my covenant with you for ever.
2 and you are not to make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall tear down their altars.’ Yet you have not obeyed My voice. What is this you have done?
But ye for your part shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; their altars shall ye throw down; but ye have not obeyed my voice: what is this ye have done?
3 So now I tell you that I will not drive out these people before you; they will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.”
And I also have said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be evil neighbors to you, and their gods shall become a snare unto you.
4 When the angel of the LORD had spoken these words to all the Israelites, the people lifted up their voices and wept.
And it came to pass, when the messenger of the Lord spoke these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
5 So they called that place Bochim and offered sacrifices there to the LORD.
And they called the name of that place, Bochim; and they sacrificed there unto the Lord.
6 After Joshua had dismissed the people, the Israelites went out to take possession of the land, each to his own inheritance.
And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to take possession of the land.
7 And the people served the LORD throughout the days of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him, who had seen all the great works that the LORD had done for Israel.
And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that lived many days after Joshua, who had seen all the great deeds of the Lord, which he had done for Israel.
8 And Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110.
Then died Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, being one hundred and ten years old.
9 They buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath-heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
And they buried him on the border of his inheritance in Timnath-cheres, in the mountain of Ephraim, on the north side of mount Ga'ash.
10 After that whole generation had also been gathered to their fathers, another generation rose up who did not know the LORD or the works that He had done for Israel.
And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers; and there arose another generation after them, who knew not the Lord, and likewise not the deeds which he had done for Israel.
11 And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals.
And the children of Israel did the evil in the eyes of the Lord, and served the Be'alim:
12 Thus they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed after various gods of the peoples around them. They bowed down to them and provoked the LORD to anger,
And they forsook the Lord the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they went after other gods, of the gods of the nations that were round about them, and they bowed themselves unto them, and incensed the Lord.
13 for they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.
And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and 'Ashtaroth.
14 Then the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He delivered them into the hands of those who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist.
And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hand of spoilers who spoiled them, and he sold them into the hand of their enemies round about, and they were not able any longer to stand before their enemies.
15 Wherever Israel marched out, the hand of the LORD was against them to bring calamity, just as He had sworn to them. So they were greatly distressed.
Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had spoken, and as the Lord had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
16 Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them from the hands of those who plundered them.
And the Lord raised up judges, and they delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.
17 Israel, however, did not listen to their judges. Instead, they prostituted themselves with other gods and bowed down to them. They quickly turned from the way of their fathers, who had walked in obedience to the LORD’s commandments; they did not do as their fathers had done.
But also unto their judges they did not hearken; but they went astray after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers had walked in, to obey the commandments of the Lord; they did not so.
18 Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for the Israelites, He was with that judge and saved them from the hands of their enemies while the judge was still alive; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning under those who oppressed them and afflicted them.
And when the Lord raised them up judges, then was the Lord with the judge, and he delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord bethought himself because of their groaning by reason of those that oppressed them and ill-treated them.
19 But when the judge died, the Israelites became even more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods to serve them and bow down to them. They would not give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.
And it came to pass, when the judge died, that they returned, and became more corrupt than their fathers, in going after other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them: they omitted nothing from their doings, and from their stubborn way.
20 So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He said, “Because this nation has transgressed the covenant I laid down for their fathers and has not heeded My voice,
And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel; and he said, For the cause that this people have transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice:
21 I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died.
So will I also for my part not drive out henceforth any man from before them out of the nations which Joshua left when he died;
22 In this way I will test whether Israel will keep the way of the LORD by walking in it as their fathers did.”
In order to prove through them the Israelites, whether they will keep the way of the Lord, to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.
23 That is why the LORD had left those nations in place and had not driven them out immediately by delivering them into the hand of Joshua.
And thus did the Lord leave these nations, so as not to drive them out speedily; and he delivered them not into the hand of Joshua.
