1Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, (Ge 17:7; Ex 6:4; De 31:16; Jud 2:5)2and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? (De 7:2; De 12:3)3So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” (Nu 33:55; Jos 23:13; Jud 2:21)4As soon as the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the people of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept.5And they called the name of that place Bochim.[1] And they sacrificed there to the Lord.
The Death of Joshua
6When Joshua dismissed the people, the people of Israel went each to his inheritance to take possession of the land.7And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the Lord had done for Israel. (Jos 24:29)8And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110 years.9And they buried him within the boundaries of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash. (Jos 19:50; Jos 24:33)10And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.
Israel’s Unfaithfulness
11And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. (Jud 3:7; Jud 4:1; Jud 6:1; Jud 10:6; Jud 13:1)12And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger. (Ex 20:5; De 6:14; De 31:16; De 31:29; Jud 2:17; Jud 2:19)13They abandoned the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. (Jud 3:7; Jud 10:6; 1Sa 7:4; Ps 106:36)14So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. (Le 26:37; De 32:30; Jos 7:12; Jud 2:20; Jud 3:8; Jud 4:2; 1Sa 12:9; 2Ki 17:20)15Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them for harm, as the Lord had warned, and as the Lord had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress. (Le 26:14; De 28:15)
The Lord Raises Up Judges
16Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them. (Jud 3:9; Jud 3:15; Jud 3:31; Jud 10:1; Jud 10:12; Jud 12:2; Jud 13:5; 1Sa 12:11; Ne 9:27; Ac 13:20)17Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord, and they did not do so. (Ex 34:15; De 9:12; Jud 8:33)18Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them. (Ge 6:6; Ex 2:24; Ex 6:5; Nu 23:19; De 32:36; Jos 1:5; Ps 106:45; Jer 18:8; Jer 26:3)19But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways. (Jud 3:12; Jud 4:1; Jud 6:1; Jud 8:33)20So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he said, “Because this people have transgressed my covenant that I commanded their fathers and have not obeyed my voice, (De 17:2; Jos 23:16; Jud 2:14)21I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died, (Jos 23:13; Jud 2:3)22in order to test Israel by them, whether they will take care to walk in the way of the Lord as their fathers did, or not.” (Ex 15:25; De 8:2; De 8:16; De 13:3; Jud 3:1; Jud 3:4)23So the Lord left those nations, not driving them out quickly, and he did not give them into the hand of Joshua.
Judges 2
King James Version
1And 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.2And 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?3Wherefore 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.4And 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.5And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the LORD.6And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land.7And 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.8And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old.9And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.10And 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.11And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:12And 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.13And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.14And 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.15Whithersoever 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.16Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.17And 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.18And 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.19And 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.20And 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;21I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died:22That 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.23Therefore the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.