Judges 2
1 The angel of the Lord went from Gilgal to Bokim and told the people, “I led you out of the land of Egypt and brought you to this land that I promised to your forefathers, and I said I would never break the agreement I made with you.
And the agent of Jehovah came up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, I made you go up out of Egypt, and have brought you to the land which I swore to your fathers. And I said, I will never break my covenant with you.
2 I also told you not to make any agreements with the people living in the land and to tear down their altars. But you refused to obey what I said. Why did you do this?
And ye shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land. Ye shall break down their altars. But ye have not hearkened to my voice. Why have ye done this?
3 I also warned you, ‘I will not drive them out before you, and they will be snares for you, and their gods will be traps for you.’”
Therefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you, but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.
4 After the angel of the Lord had explained this to all the Israelites, the people wept out loud.
And it came to pass, when the agent of Jehovah spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
5 That's why they named the place Bokim, and they presented sacrifices there to the Lord.
And they called the name of that place Bochim, and they sacrificed there to Jehovah.
6 After Joshua had dismissed the people, the Israelites went to take possession of the land, each to their allotted land.
Now when Joshua had sent the people away, the sons of Israel went every man to his inheritance to possess the land.
7 The people continued to worship the Lord throughout Joshua's life, and throughout the lifetimes of the elders who outlived him, those who had seen all the wonderful things that the Lord had done for Israel.
And the people served Jehovah all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of Jehovah that he had wrought for Israel.
8 Joshua, son of Nun, servant of the Lord, died at the age of one hundred and ten.
And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Jehovah, died, being a hundred and ten years old.
9 They buried him in Timnath-heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash, the land he had been allocated.
And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill-country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash.
10 Once that generation had passed away, the generation that followed did not know the Lord, or what he had done for Israel.
And also all that generation were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them that did not know Jehovah, nor yet the work which he had wrought for Israel.
11 The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord's sight, and they worshiped the Baals.
And the sons of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and served the Baalim.
12 They deserted the Lord, the God of their forefathers, who had led them out of Egypt. They followed other gods, bowing down in worship to the gods of the peoples around them, making the Lord angry.
And they forsook Jehovah, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the peoples that were round about them, and bowed themselves down to them. And they provoked Jehovah to anger.
13 They deserted the Lord and worshiped Baal and Ashtaroth idols.
And they forsook Jehovah, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth.
14 Because the Lord was angry with Israel he handed them over to invaders who plundered them. He sold them to their enemies all around—enemies they could no longer resist.
And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that despoiled them. And he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
15 Whenever Israel went into battle, the Lord fought against them and defeated them, just as he had warned them and as he had vowed he would do. They were in a great deal of trouble.
Wherever they went out, the hand of Jehovah was against them for evil, as Jehovah had spoken, and as Jehovah had sworn to them. And they were exceedingly distressed.
16 Then the Lord provided them with judges, who saved them from their invaders.
And Jehovah raised up judges who saved them out of the hand of those who despoiled them.
17 But even so, they refused to listen to their judges, and prostituted themselves by following other gods, bowing down in worship to them. They quickly abandoned the way their forefathers had followed, and they did not obey the Lord's commandments as their forefathers had.
And yet they did not hearken to their judges, for they played the harlot after other gods, and bowed themselves down to them. They turned aside quickly out of the way in which their fathers walked, obeying the commandments of Jehovah. They did not do so.
18 When the Lord provided Israel with judges over Israel, he was with each judge and saved the people from their enemies during that judge's lifetime, because the Lord felt sorry for his people, who groaned under their oppressors and persecutors.
And when Jehovah raised up judges for them, then Jehovah was with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For Jehovah regretted because of their groaning because of those who oppressed them and vexed them.
19 But when the judge died, the people relapsed, and did worse things even than their forefathers, following other gods and worshiping them. They refused to give up what they were doing and held to their stubborn ways.
But it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they turned back, and dealt more corruptly than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down to them. They did not cease from their doings, nor from their stubborn way.
20 As a result the Lord became angry with Israel and he told them, “Because this nation has broken the agreement I ordered their forefathers to obey, and has not paid attention to what I said,
And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he said, Because this nation has transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not hearkened to my voice,
21 from now on I won't drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died.
I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations that Joshua left when he died,
22 This is in order to use them to test Israel to see if they will keep the way of the Lord and follow it as their forefathers did.”
that by them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of Jehovah to walk in it, as their fathers kept it, or not.
23 This is the reason why the Lord allowed those nations to remain, and didn't immediately drive them out by handing them over to Joshua.
So Jehovah left those nations, without driving them out quickly. Neither did he deliver them into the hand of Joshua.
