Judges 2
1 And an Angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to the Place of Weeping, and he said: “I led you away from Egypt, and I led you into the land, about which I swore to your fathers. And I promised that I would not nullify my covenant with you, even forever:
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,
2 but only if you would not form a pact with the inhabitants of this land. Instead, you should overturn their altars. Yet you were not willing to listen to my voice. Why have you done this?
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?
3 For this reason, I am not willing to destroy them before your face, so that you may have enemies, and so that their gods may be your ruin.”
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.”
4 And when the Angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, they lifted up their voice, and they wept.
When the angel of the LORD had spoken these words to all the Israelites, the people lifted up their voices and wept.
5 And the name of that place was called, the Place of Weeping, or the Place of Tears. And they immolated victims to the Lord in that place.
So they called that place Bochim and offered sacrifices there to the LORD.
6 Then Joshua dismissed the people, and the sons of Israel went away, each one to his own possession, so that they might obtain it.
After Joshua had dismissed the people, the Israelites went out to take possession of the land, each to his own inheritance.
7 And they served the Lord, during all his days, and during all the days of the elders, who lived for a long time after him, and who knew all the works of the Lord, which he had done for Israel.
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.
8 Then Joshua, the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being one hundred and ten years old.
And Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110.
9 And they buried him in the parts of his possession at Timnath-Serah, on Mount Ephraim, before the northern side of Mount Gaash.
They buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath-heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
10 And that entire generation was gathered to their fathers. And there rose up others, who had not known the Lord and the works that he had done for Israel.
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.
11 And the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they served the Baals.
And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals.
12 And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had led them away from the land of Egypt. And they followed foreign gods and the gods of the peoples who were living around them, and they adored them. And they provoked the Lord to wrath,
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,
13 forsaking him, and serving Baal and Ashtaroth.
for they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.
14 And the Lord, having become angry against Israel, delivered them into the hands of plunderers, who seized them and sold them to the enemies that were living on all sides. Neither were they able to withstand their adversaries.
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.
15 Instead, wherever they wanted to go, the hand of the Lord was upon them, just as he said and just as he swore to them. And they were greatly afflicted.
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.
16 And the Lord raised up judges, who would free them from the hands of their oppressors. But they were not willing to listen to them.
Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them from the hands of those who plundered them.
17 Fornicating with foreign gods and adoring them, they quickly deserted the way along which their fathers had advanced. And having heard the commandments of the Lord, they did all things to the contrary.
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.
18 And while the Lord was raising up the judges, in their days, he was moved to mercy, and he listened to the groaning of the afflicted, and he freed them from the slaughter of their oppressors.
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.
19 But after a judge had died, they turned back, and they were doing much worse things than their fathers had done, following strange gods, serving them, and adoring them. They did not abandon their pursuits and their very stubborn way, by which they were accustomed to walk.
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.
20 And the fury of the Lord was enraged against Israel, and he said: “For this people has made void my covenant, which I had formed with their fathers, and they have despised listening to my voice.
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,
21 And so, I will not destroy the nations that Joshua left behind when he died,
I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died.
22 so that, by them, I may test Israel, as to whether or not they will keep the way of the Lord, and walk in it, just as their fathers kept it.”
In this way I will test whether Israel will keep the way of the LORD by walking in it as their fathers did.”
23 Therefore, the Lord left all these nations, and he was not willing to quickly overthrow them, nor did he deliver them into the hands of Joshua.
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.
