Judges 2

1An angel of GOD came up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, “I brought you up from Egypt and I took you into the land that I had promised on oath to your fathers. And I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you.

2And you, for your part, must make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you must tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed Me—look what you have done!

3Therefore, I have resolved not to drive them out before you; they shall become your oppressors, and their gods shall be a snare to you.”

4As the angel of GOD spoke these words to all the Israelites, the people broke into weeping.

5So they named that place Bochim, and they offered sacrifices there to GOD.

6When Joshua dismissed the people, the Israelites went to their allotted territories and took possession of the land.

7The people served GOD during the lifetime of Joshua and the lifetime of the older people who lived on after Joshua and who had witnessed all the marvelous deeds that GOD had wrought for Israel.

8Joshua son of Nun, the servant of GOD, died at the age of one hundred and ten years,

9and was buried on his own property, at Timnath-heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

10And all that generation were likewise gathered to their ancestors.Another generation arose after them, which had not experienced GOD’s deliverance or the deeds that had been wrought for Israel.

11And the Israelites did what was offensive to GOD. They worshiped the Baalim

12and forsook the ETERNAL, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods, from among the gods of the peoples around them, and bowed down to them; they provoked GOD.

13They forsook GOD and worshiped Baal and the Ashtaroth.

14Having become incensed at Israel, GOD then handed them over to foes who plundered them, surrendering them to their enemies on all sides; they could no longer hold their own against their enemies.

15In all their campaigns, GOD’s hand was against them to their undoing—as GOD had declared and as GOD had sworn to them—and they were in great distress.

16Then GOD raised up chieftains who delivered them from those who plundered them.

17But they did not heed their chieftains either; they went astray after other gods and bowed down to them. They were quick to turn aside from the way their ancestors had followed in obedience to GOD’s commandments; they did not do right.

18When GOD raised up chieftains for them, GOD would be with that chieftain—and would save them from their enemies during that chieftain’s lifetime; for GOD would be moved to pity by their moanings because of those who oppressed and crushed them.

19But when the chieftain died, they would again act basely, even more than the preceding generation—following other gods, worshiping them, and bowing down to them; they omitted none of their practices and stubborn ways.

20Then GOD, having become incensed against Israel, said, “Since that nation has transgressed the covenant that I enjoined upon their ancestors and has not obeyed Me,

21I for My part will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died.”

22For it was in order to test Israel by them—[to see] whether they would faithfully walk in GOD’s ways, as their ancestors had done—

23that GOD had left those nations, instead of driving them out at once, and had not delivered them into the hands of Joshua.