1The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, ‘I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land that I swore to give to your ancestors. I said, “I will never break my covenant with you,2and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.” Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this?3And I have also said, “I will not drive them out before you; they will become traps for you, and their gods will become snares to you.” ’4When the angel of the Lord had spoken these things to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud,5and they called that place Bokim.[1] There they offered sacrifices to the Lord.
Disobedience and defeat
6After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of the land, each to their own inheritance.7The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.8Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten.9And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres[2] in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. (Jos 19:50)10After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.11Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals.12They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshipped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the Lord’s anger13because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.14In his anger against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist.15Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.16Then the Lord raised up judges,[3] who saved them out of the hands of these raiders.17Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshipped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands.18Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them.19But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods and serving and worshipping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.20Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and said, ‘Because this nation has violated the covenant I ordained for their ancestors and has not listened to me,21I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died.22I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did.’23The Lord had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua.
Judges 2
English Standard Version
Israel’s Disobedience
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.