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.
Now the angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land that I had promised 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 you are not to make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall tear down their altars.’ Yet you have not obeyed My voice. What is this 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 tell you that I will not drive out these people before you; they will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.”
4 After the angel of the Lord had explained this to all the Israelites, the people wept out loud.
When the angel of the LORD had spoken these words to all the Israelites, the people lifted up their voices and wept.
5 That's why they named the place Bokim, and they presented sacrifices there to the Lord.
So they called that place Bochim and offered sacrifices there to the LORD.
6 After Joshua had dismissed the people, the Israelites went to take possession of the land, each to their allotted land.
After Joshua had dismissed the people, the Israelites went out to take possession of the land, each to his own inheritance.
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 the LORD throughout the days of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him, who had seen all the great works that the LORD had done for Israel.
8 Joshua, son of Nun, servant of the Lord, died at the age of one hundred and ten.
And Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110.
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 in the land of his inheritance, at 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.
After that whole generation had also been gathered to their fathers, another generation rose up who did not know the LORD or the works that He had done for Israel.
11 The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord's sight, and they worshiped the Baals.
And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD and 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.
Thus they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed after various gods of the peoples around them. They bowed down to them and provoked the LORD to anger,
13 They deserted the Lord and worshiped Baal and Ashtaroth idols.
for they forsook Him and served 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.
Then the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He delivered them into the hands of those who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist.
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 marched out, the hand of the LORD was against them to bring calamity, just as He had sworn to them. So they were greatly distressed.
16 Then the Lord provided them with judges, who saved them from their invaders.
Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them from the hands of those who plundered 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.
Israel, however, did not listen to their judges. Instead, they prostituted themselves with other gods and bowed down to them. They quickly turned from the way of their fathers, who had walked in obedience to the LORD’s commandments; they did not do as their fathers had done.
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.
Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for the Israelites, He was with that judge and saved them from the hands of their enemies while the judge was still alive; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning under 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, the Israelites became even more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods to serve them and bow down to them. They would not give up their evil practices and 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,
So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He said, “Because this nation has transgressed the covenant I laid down for their fathers and has not heeded My voice,
21 from now on I won't drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died.
I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations 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.”
In this way I will test whether Israel will keep the way of the LORD by walking in it as their fathers did.”
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 the LORD had left those nations in place and had not driven them out immediately by delivering them into the hand of Joshua.
