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:
Seorang malaikat utusan TUHAN pergi dari Gilgal ke Bokim untuk menegur bangsa Israel. Dia menyampaikan pesan TUHAN yang berkata, “Aku sudah membawa kalian keluar dari Mesir menuju ke negeri yang Aku janjikan dengan bersumpah kepada nenek moyang kalian. Aku juga sudah berkata, ‘Aku tidak akan pernah mengingkari perjanjian-Ku dengan kalian.’
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?
Dan Aku telah menyuruh, ‘Kalian tidak boleh mengikat perjanjian dengan penduduk negeri ini, dan kalian harus menghancurkan mezbah-mezbah dewa mereka.’ Tetapi kalian sama sekali tidak taat kepada-Ku!
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.”
Karena itu Aku tidak akan lagi mengusir bangsa-bangsa Kanaan dari hadapan kalian. Mereka akan membuatmu menderita, dan kalian akan terjerat dalam penyembahan dewa mereka.”
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.
Mendengar perkataan malaikat itu, umat Israel meratap dengan nyaring.
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.
Selanjutnya tempat itu dinamai Bokim, artinya ‘tempat tangisan’. Mereka pun mempersembahkan kurban kepada TUHAN di sana.
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.
Dulu, sesudah bangsa Israel berhasil menguasai negeri Kanaan, Yosua membubarkan mereka supaya setiap suku pergi untuk menduduki tanah warisan yang sudah diberikan kepada mereka masing-masing.
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.
Bangsa Israel setia menyembah TUHAN semasa hidup Yosua dan para tua-tua yang hidup lebih lama daripadanya, yaitu generasi yang sudah menyaksikan seluruh perbuatan ajaib TUHAN bagi Israel.
8 Then Joshua, the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being one hundred and ten years old.
Yosua, hamba TUHAN itu, meninggal pada umur 110 tahun
9 And they buried him in the parts of his possession at Timnath-Serah, on Mount Ephraim, before the northern side of Mount Gaash.
dan dikuburkan di tanah warisannya di Timnat Heres, di wilayah perbukitan Efraim, sebelah utara gunung Gaas.
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.
Sesudah semua orang dari generasi itu meninggal, generasi berikutnya tidak mengenal TUHAN maupun perbuatan-perbuatan-Nya yang hebat bagi bangsa Israel.
11 And the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they served the Baals.
Mereka berbuat jahat di mata TUHAN dan menyembah berbagai macam patung Baal.
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,
Mereka meninggalkan TUHAN, Allah leluhur mereka, yang sudah membawa nenek moyang Israel keluar dari Mesir. Mereka malah bersujud menyembah dewa-dewa dari bangsa-bangsa di sekeliling mereka. Hal itu membuat TUHAN marah.
13 forsaking him, and serving Baal and Ashtaroth.
Mereka meninggalkan TUHAN dan menyembah dewa-dewa Baal dan dewi Astoret.
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.
Maka murka TUHAN berkobar atas bangsa Israel. Dia membiarkan musuh-musuh merampas harta mereka. Dia juga membuat Israel kalah ketika diserang oleh bangsa-bangsa musuh di sekeliling mereka, sehingga Israel tidak lagi sanggup menghadapi lawannya.
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.
Sebagaimana sudah diperingatkan TUHAN dengan bersumpah, setiap kali Israel maju berperang, TUHAN membuat mereka kalah. Bangsa Israel pun sangat menderita.
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.
Lalu TUHAN mengangkat pembela-pembela untuk menyelamatkan bangsa Israel dari musuh-musuh yang menjarah mereka.
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.
Akan tetapi, umat Israel tidak mendengarkan hakim-hakim itu. Sebaliknya, mereka bersujud menyembah dewa-dewa. Mereka mengkhianati TUHAN seperti seorang istri yang mengkhianati suaminya dengan pergi melacur. Begitu cepatnya mereka menyimpang dari jalan hidup nenek moyang mereka yang taat kepada perintah TUHAN. Generasi ini sudah menyimpang.
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.
Setiap kali TUHAN mengangkat seorang hakim untuk bangsa Israel, TUHAN menyertai hakim itu seumur hidupnya dan menyelamatkan Israel dari musuh. TUHAN bertindak karena kasihan mendengar umat-Nya merintih akibat penindasan musuh.
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.
Tetapi sesudah hakim itu meninggal, umat Israel kembali berbuat jahat, bahkan lebih jahat daripada generasi sebelumnya. Mereka menyembah dan mengabdi kepada dewa-dewa. Bangsa itu memang keras kepala dan tidak mau meninggalkan perbuatan-perbuatan mereka yang jahat.
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.
Maka murka TUHAN berkobar atas bangsa Israel. Kata-Nya, “Bangsa ini sudah melanggar perjanjian yang Aku perintahkan kepada nenek moyang mereka dan tidak menaati perkataan-Ku,
21 And so, I will not destroy the nations that Joshua left behind when he died,
maka Aku tidak akan lagi mengusir bangsa apa pun yang masih tinggal di negeri itu setelah Yosua meninggal.
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.”
Aku akan membiarkan bangsa-bangsa itu tetap di sana untuk menguji bangsa Israel, apakah mereka akan kembali hidup menurut jalan-Ku seperti generasi sebelumnya, atau tidak.”
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.
Itulah alasan TUHAN tidak menyerahkan bangsa-bangsa itu ke tangan bangsa Israel pada zaman Yosua. Dia membiarkan musuh-musuh tetap di negeri itu dan tidak segera mengusir mereka.
