Judges 2

1The angel of Yahweh went up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you,

2and you must not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you must tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done?

3So I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you. They will become thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.’”

4When the angel of Yahweh had spoken these words to all the Israelites, the people raised their voices and wept.

5They named that place Bochim, and they offered sacrifices there to Yahweh.

6When Joshua had sent the people away, the Israelites went, each to his own inheritance, to take possession of the land.

7The people served Yahweh throughout the lifetime of Joshua and throughout the lifetime of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that Yahweh had done for Israel.

8Joshua son of Nun, the servant of Yahweh, died at the age of 110.

9They buried him within the borders of his inheritance at Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

10That whole generation was also gathered to their ancestors, and another generation grew up after them who did not know Yahweh or the work he had done for Israel.

11Then the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh and served the Baals.

12They abandoned Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods, from among the gods of the peoples around them, and bowed down to them, and they provoked Yahweh to anger.

13They abandoned Yahweh and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.

14So Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel, and he gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, and they could no longer stand against their enemies.

15Wherever they went out, the hand of Yahweh was against them to bring them harm, just as Yahweh had said and as Yahweh had sworn to them. They were in great distress.

16Then Yahweh raised up judges, who saved them from the hands of those who plundered them.

17Yet they would not listen even to their judges, for they prostituted themselves to other gods and bowed down to them. They quickly turned aside from the way their ancestors had walked, the way of obeying Yahweh’s commands; they did not do as their ancestors had done.

18Whenever Yahweh raised up judges for them, Yahweh was with the judge and saved them from the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived, for Yahweh was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed and crushed them.

19But whenever the judge died, they turned back and acted more corruptly than their ancestors, following other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They would not give up any of their practices or their stubborn ways.

20So Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel, and he said, “Because this nation has violated my covenant that I commanded their ancestors and has not obeyed my voice,

21I in turn will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died.

22I will use them to test Israel, to see whether they will keep the way of Yahweh and walk in it as their ancestors did, or not.”

23So Yahweh left those nations in place and did not drive them out quickly, nor did he give them into the hand of Joshua.