< 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.
וַיַּ֧עַל מַלְאַךְ־יְהוָ֛ה מִן־הַגִּלְגָּ֖ל אֶל־הַבֹּכִ֑ים פ וַיֹּאמֶר֩ אַעֲלֶ֨ה אֶתְכֶ֜ם מִמִּצְרַ֗יִם וָאָבִ֤יא אֶתְכֶם֙ אֶל־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר נִשְׁבַּ֙עְתִּי֙ לַאֲבֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם וָאֹמַ֕ר לֹֽא־אָפֵ֧ר בְּרִיתִ֛י אִתְּכֶ֖ם לְעֹולָֽם׃
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?
וְאַתֶּ֗ם לֹֽא־תִכְרְת֤וּ בְרִית֙ לְיֹֽושְׁבֵי֙ הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את מִזְבְּחֹותֵיהֶ֖ם תִּתֹּצ֑וּן וְלֹֽא־שְׁמַעְתֶּ֥ם בְּקֹלִ֖י מַה־זֹּ֥את עֲשִׂיתֶֽם׃
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.’”
וְגַ֣ם אָמַ֔רְתִּי לֹֽא־אֲגָרֵ֥שׁ אֹותָ֖ם מִפְּנֵיכֶ֑ם וְהָי֤וּ לָכֶם֙ לְצִדִּ֔ים וֵאלֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ם יִהְי֥וּ לָכֶ֖ם לְמֹוקֵֽשׁ׃
4 After the angel of the Lord had explained this to all the Israelites, the people wept out loud.
וַיְהִ֗י כְּדַבֵּ֞ר מַלְאַ֤ךְ יְהוָה֙ אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה אֶֽל־כָּל־בְּנֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיִּשְׂא֥וּ הָעָ֛ם אֶת־קֹולָ֖ם וַיִּבְכּֽוּ׃
5 That's why they named the place Bokim, and they presented sacrifices there to the Lord.
וַֽיִּקְרְא֛וּ שֵֽׁם־הַמָּקֹ֥ום הַה֖וּא בֹּכִ֑ים וַיִּזְבְּחוּ־שָׁ֖ם לַֽיהוָֽה׃ פ
6 After Joshua had dismissed the people, the Israelites went to take possession of the land, each to their allotted land.
וַיְשַׁלַּ֥ח יְהֹושֻׁ֖עַ אֶת־הָעָ֑ם וַיֵּלְכ֧וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל אִ֥ישׁ לְנַחֲלָתֹ֖ו לָרֶ֥שֶׁת אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
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.
וַיַּעַבְד֤וּ הָעָם֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֣י יְהֹושֻׁ֑עַ וְכֹ֣ל ׀ יְמֵ֣י הַזְּקֵנִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֶאֱרִ֤יכוּ יָמִים֙ אַחֲרֵ֣י יְהֹושׁ֔וּעַ אֲשֶׁ֣ר רָא֗וּ אֵ֣ת כָּל־מַעֲשֵׂ֤ה יְהוָה֙ הַגָּדֹ֔ול אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָׂ֖ה לְיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
8 Joshua, son of Nun, servant of the Lord, died at the age of one hundred and ten.
וַיָּ֛מָת יְהֹושֻׁ֥עַ בִּן־נ֖וּן עֶ֣בֶד יְהוָ֑ה בֶּן־מֵאָ֥ה וָעֶ֖שֶׂר שָׁנִֽים׃
9 They buried him in Timnath-heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash, the land he had been allocated.
וַיִּקְבְּר֤וּ אֹותֹו֙ בִּגְב֣וּל נַחֲלָתֹ֔ו בְּתִמְנַת־חֶ֖רֶס בְּהַ֣ר אֶפְרָ֑יִם מִצְּפֹ֖ון לְהַר־גָּֽעַשׁ׃
10 Once that generation had passed away, the generation that followed did not know the Lord, or what he had done for Israel.
וְגַם֙ כָּל־הַדֹּ֣ור הַה֔וּא נֶאֶסְפ֖וּ אֶל־אֲבֹותָ֑יו וַיָּקָם֩ דֹּ֨ור אַחֵ֜ר אַחֲרֵיהֶ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹא־יָֽדְעוּ֙ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה וְגַם֙ אֶת־הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָׂ֖ה לְיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ ס
11 The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord's sight, and they worshiped the Baals.
וַיַּעֲשׂ֧וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל אֶת־הָרַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וַיַּעַבְד֖וּ אֶת־הַבְּעָלִֽים׃
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.
וַיַּעַזְב֞וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה ׀ אֱלֹהֵ֣י אֲבֹותָ֗ם הַמֹּוצִ֣יא אֹותָם֮ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַיִם֒ וַיֵּלְכ֞וּ אַחֲרֵ֣י ׀ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֗ים מֵאֱלֹהֵ֤י הָֽעַמִּים֙ אֲשֶׁר֙ סְבִיבֹ֣ותֵיהֶ֔ם וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ לָהֶ֑ם וַיַּכְעִ֖סוּ אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃
13 They deserted the Lord and worshiped Baal and Ashtaroth idols.
וַיַּעַזְב֖וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֑ה וַיַּעַבְד֥וּ לַבַּ֖עַל וְלָעַשְׁתָּרֹֽות׃
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.
וַיִּֽחַר־אַ֤ף יְהוָה֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַֽיִּתְּנֵם֙ בְּיַד־שֹׁסִ֔ים וַיָּשֹׁ֖סּוּ אֹותָ֑ם וַֽיִּמְכְּרֵ֞ם בְּיַ֤ד אֹֽויְבֵיהֶם֙ מִסָּבִ֔יב וְלֹֽא־יָכְל֣וּ עֹ֔וד לַעֲמֹ֖ד לִפְנֵ֥י אֹויְבֵיהֶֽם׃
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.
בְּכֹ֣ל ׀ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יָצְא֗וּ יַד־יְהוָה֙ הָיְתָה־בָּ֣ם לְרָעָ֔ה כַּֽאֲשֶׁר֙ דִּבֶּ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה וְכַאֲשֶׁ֛ר נִשְׁבַּ֥ע יְהוָ֖ה לָהֶ֑ם וַיֵּ֥צֶר לָהֶ֖ם מְאֹֽד׃
16 Then the Lord provided them with judges, who saved them from their invaders.
וַיָּ֥קֶם יְהוָ֖ה שֹֽׁפְטִ֑ים וַיֹּ֣ושִׁיע֔וּם מִיַּ֖ד שֹׁסֵיהֶֽם׃
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.
וְגַ֤ם אֶל־שֹֽׁפְטֵיהֶם֙ לֹ֣א שָׁמֵ֔עוּ כִּ֣י זָנ֗וּ אֽ͏ַחֲרֵי֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ לָהֶ֑ם סָ֣רוּ מַהֵ֗ר מִן־הַדֶּ֜רֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֨ר הָלְכ֧וּ אֲבֹותָ֛ם לִשְׁמֹ֥עַ מִצְוֹת־יְהוָ֖ה לֹא־עָ֥שׂוּ כֵֽן׃
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.
וְכִֽי־הֵקִ֨ים יְהוָ֥ה ׀ לָהֶם֮ שֹֽׁפְטִים֒ וְהָיָ֤ה יְהוָה֙ עִם־הַשֹּׁפֵ֔ט וְהֹֽושִׁיעָם֙ מִיַּ֣ד אֹֽיְבֵיהֶ֔ם כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֣י הַשֹּׁופֵ֑ט כִּֽי־יִנָּחֵ֤ם יְהוָה֙ מִנַּֽאֲקָתָ֔ם מִפְּנֵ֥י לֹחֲצֵיהֶ֖ם וְדֹחֲקֵיהֶֽם׃
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.
וְהָיָ֣ה ׀ בְּמֹ֣ות הַשֹּׁופֵ֗ט יָשֻׁ֙בוּ֙ וְהִשְׁחִ֣יתוּ מֵֽאֲבֹותָ֔ם לָלֶ֗כֶת אַֽחֲרֵי֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים לְעָבְדָ֖ם וּלְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֹ֣ת לָהֶ֑ם לֹ֤א הִפִּ֙ילוּ֙ מִמַּ֣עַלְלֵיהֶ֔ם וּמִדַּרְכָּ֖ם הַקָּשָֽׁה׃
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,
וַיִּֽחַר־אַ֥ף יְהוָ֖ה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיֹּ֗אמֶר יַעַן֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָבְר֜וּ הַגֹּ֣וי הַזֶּ֗ה אֶת־בְּרִיתִי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוִּ֣יתִי אֶת־אֲבֹותָ֔ם וְלֹ֥א שָׁמְע֖וּ לְקֹולִֽי׃
21 from now on I won't drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died.
גַּם־אֲנִי֙ לֹ֣א אֹוסִ֔יף לְהֹורִ֥ישׁ אִ֖ישׁ מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם מִן־הַגֹּויִ֛ם אֲשֶׁר־עָזַ֥ב יְהֹושֻׁ֖עַ וַיָּמֹֽת׃
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.”
לְמַ֛עַן נַסֹּ֥ות בָּ֖ם אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל הֲשֹׁמְרִ֣ים הֵם֩ אֶת־דֶּ֨רֶךְ יְהוָ֜ה לָלֶ֣כֶת בָּ֗ם כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר שָׁמְר֥וּ אֲבֹותָ֖ם אִם־לֹֽא׃
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.
וַיַּנַּ֤ח יְהוָה֙ אֶת־הַגֹּויִ֣ם הָאֵ֔לֶּה לְבִלְתִּ֥י הֹורִישָׁ֖ם מַהֵ֑ר וְלֹ֥א נְתָנָ֖ם בְּיַד־יְהֹושֻֽׁעַ׃ פ

< Judges 2 >