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.
The angel of Yahweh went up from Gilgal to Bokim, and said, “I brought you up from Egypt, and have brought you to the land I swore to give to your fathers. 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?
You must make no covenant with those who live in this land. You must tear down their altars.' But you have not listened to my voice. What is this that you have done?
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.’”
So now I say, 'I will not drive the Canaanites out before you, but they will become thorns in your sides, and their gods will become a trap for you.'”
4 After the angel of the Lord had explained this to all the Israelites, the people wept out loud.
When the angel of Yahweh spoke these words to all the people of Israel, the people shouted and wept.
5 That's why they named the place Bokim, and they presented sacrifices there to the Lord.
They called that place Bokim. There they offered sacrifices to Yahweh.
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 on their way, the people of Israel each went to the place assigned, to take ownership of their 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.
The people served Yahweh during the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him, those who had seen all of Yahweh's great deeds he had done for Israel.
8 Joshua, son of Nun, servant of the Lord, died at the age of one hundred and ten.
Joshua son of Nun the servant of Yahweh, died at the age of 110 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.
They buried him within the border of the land he was assigned in Timnath Heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
10 Once that generation had passed away, the generation that followed did not know the Lord, or what he had done for Israel.
All that generation was also gathered to their fathers. Another generation grew up after them who did not know Yahweh or what he had done for Israel.
11 The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord's sight, and they worshiped the Baals.
The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh and they served the Baals.
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.
They broke away from Yahweh, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, the very gods of the peoples who were around them, and they bowed down to them. They provoked Yahweh to anger because
13 They deserted the Lord and worshiped Baal and Ashtaroth idols.
they broke away from Yahweh and worshiped Baal and the Ashtoreths.
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.
The anger of Yahweh burned against Israel, and he gave them to the raiders who stole their possessions from them. He sold them as slaves who were held by the strength of their enemies around them, so they could no longer defend themselves against 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 Israel went out to fight, Yahweh's hand was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them and they were in terrible distress.
16 Then the Lord provided them with judges, who saved them from their invaders.
Then Yahweh raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who were stealing their possessions.
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.
Yet they would not listen to their judges. They were unfaithful to Yahweh and gave themselves like prostitutes to other gods and worshiped them. They soon turned aside from the way their fathers had lived—those who had obeyed the commandments of Yahweh—but they themselves 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.
When Yahweh raised up judges for them, Yahweh helped the judges and rescued them from the hand of their enemies all the days the judge lived. Yahweh had pity on them as they groaned because of those who oppressed them and afflicted 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 when the judge died, they would turn away and do things that were even more corrupt than their fathers had done. They would go after other gods to serve them and worship them. They refused to give up any of their evil practices or their stubborn ways.
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,
The anger of Yahweh burned against Israel; he said, “Because this nation has broken the terms of my covenant that I had set in place for their fathers—because they have not listened to my voice—
21 from now on I won't drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died.
I will not, from now on, drive out from before them any 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.”
I will do this so that I may test Israel, whether or not they will keep the way of Yahweh and walk in it, as their fathers kept it.”
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.
That is why Yahweh left those nations and did not drive them out quickly and give them into the hand of Joshua.
