< Judges 2 >

1 And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant 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 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done 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 Wherefore 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 unto 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 And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
When the angel of Yahweh spoke these words to all the people of Israel, the people shouted and wept.
5 And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the LORD.
They called that place Bokim. There they offered sacrifices to Yahweh.
6 And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the 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 And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did 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 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, [being] an hundred and ten years old.
Joshua son of Nun the servant of Yahweh, died at the age of 110 years old.
9 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.
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 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which 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 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:
The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh and they served the Baals.
12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that [were] round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.
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 And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
they broke away from Yahweh and worshiped Baal and the Ashtoreths.
14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.
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 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
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 Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.
Then Yahweh raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who were stealing their possessions.
17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; [but] they did not so.
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 And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.
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 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, [that] they returned, and corrupted [themselves] more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.
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 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;
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 I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which 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 That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers did keep [it], or not.
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 Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.
That is why Yahweh left those nations and did not drive them out quickly and give them into the hand of Joshua.

< Judges 2 >