2
1 The
LORD’s angel came
up from Gilgal
to Bochim. He said,
“I brought you
out of Egypt,
and have brought
you to the land
which I swore
to give
your fathers. I said, ‘I
will never break
my covenant with
you.
2 You
shall make no
covenant with the
inhabitants of
this land. You
shall break down
their altars.’ But
you have not
listened to my
voice. Why have
you done this?
3 Therefore
I also said, ‘I
will not drive
them out from
before you; but
they shall be
in your sides,
and their gods
will be a
snare to you.’ ”
4 When
the LORD’s angel
spoke these words
to all the
children of Israel,
the people lifted
up their voice
and wept.
5 They
called the name
of that place
Bochim,
and they
sacrificed there
to the LORD.
6 Now
when Joshua had
sent the people
away, the children
of Israel each
went to his
inheritance to
possess the land.
7 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 of
the LORD that
he had worked
for Israel.
8 Joshua
the son of
Nun, the servant
of the LORD,
died, being one
hundred ten years
old.
9 They buried
him in the
border of his
inheritance in Timnath Heres,
in the hill
country of Ephraim,
on the north
of the mountain
of Gaash.
10 After
all that
generation were
gathered to
their fathers, another
generation arose
after them
who didn’t know
the LORD, nor
the work which
he had done
for Israel.
11 The
children of Israel
did that which
was evil in
the LORD’s sight,
and served the
Baals.
12 They
abandoned the LORD,
the God of
their fathers, who
brought them out
of the land of
Egypt, and
followed other gods, of
the gods of the
peoples who were
around them, and
bowed themselves
down to them;
and they provoked
the LORD to
anger.
13 They
abandoned the LORD,
and served Baal
and the Ashtaroth.
14 The
LORD’s anger
burned against
Israel, and he
delivered them
into the hands
of raiders who
plundered them. He
sold them into
the hands of
their enemies all
around, so that
they could no
longer stand
before their
enemies.
15 Wherever
they went out,
the LORD’s hand
was against them
for evil, as
the LORD had
spoken, and as
the LORD had
sworn to them;
and they were
very distressed.
16 The
LORD raised up
judges, who saved
them out of
the hand of
those who
plundered them.
17 Yet
they didn’t listen
to their judges;
for they
prostituted themselves
to other gods, and
bowed themselves
down to them.
They quickly
turned away from
the way in
which their fathers
walked, obeying
the LORD’s
commandments. They didn’t
do so.
18 When
the LORD raised
up judges for
them, then the
LORD was with
the judge, and
saved them out
of the hand
of their enemies
all the days
of the judge;
for it grieved the
LORD because of
their groaning by
reason of those
who oppressed them
and troubled them.
19 But
when the judge
was dead, they
turned back,
and dealt more
corruptly than
their fathers in
following other gods to
serve them and
to bow down
to them.
They didn’t cease
what they were
doing, or give
up their stubborn
ways.
20 The
LORD’s anger
burned against
Israel; and he
said, “Because
this nation
transgressed my
covenant which I
commanded their fathers,
and has not
listened to my
voice,
21 I
also will no
longer drive out
any of the
nations that
Joshua left when
he died from
before them;
22 that
by them I
may test Israel,
to see if they
will keep the
LORD’s way to
walk therein, as
their fathers kept
it, or not.”
23 So
the LORD left
those nations,
without driving
them out hastily.
He didn’t deliver
them into Joshua’s
hand.