Judges 2

1The angel of Yahweh came up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, "I brought you up from Egypt and led you to the land that I swore to your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you."

2And you shall not make a covenant with those dwelling in this land; you shall demolish their altars. But you have not heeded my voice: why have you done this?

3I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; they shall be at your sides, and their gods shall be a snare for you.

4As the angel of Yahweh spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people raised their voices and wept.

5They named that place Bochim and sacrificed there to Yahweh.

6Joshua dismissed the people, and the sons of Israel went, each man to his inheritance, to possess the land.

7The people served Yahweh all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of Yahweh that he did for Israel.

8Joshua son of Nun, servant of Yahweh, died at a hundred and ten years of age.

9They buried him within the boundary of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hills of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

10That entire generation was also gathered to their fathers, and another generation arose after them, one that did not know Yahweh nor the work that he had done for Israel.

11Israel's sons did evil in Yahweh's sight and served the Baals.

12They abandoned Yahweh, God of their fathers who brought them out of the land of Egypt, went after other gods from the gods of the peoples who surrounded them, bowed down to them, and angered Yahweh.

13They abandoned Yahweh and served Baal and Ashtaroth.

14Yahweh's anger burned against Israel, and he handed them over to plunderers who plundered them, and he sold them into the power of their surrounding enemies, so they could no longer withstand their enemies.

15Wherever they went out, Yahweh's hand was against them for harm, as Yahweh had spoken and as Yahweh had sworn to them, and they were greatly distressed.

16Yahweh raised up judges who saved them from the hand of their plunderers.

17Yet they did not listen to their judges either, for they went whoring after other gods and bowed down to them; they turned away quickly from the way their fathers had walked while obeying Yahweh's commandments, but they did not do so.

18Whenever Yahweh raised up judges for them, Yahweh was with the judge and rescued them from the hands of their enemies all the days of the judge, because Yahweh grieved over their groaning on account of their oppressors and tormentors.

19When the judge died, they turned back and acted more corruptly than their fathers by following other gods to serve them and bow down to them; they did not turn from their deeds or their stubborn way.

20Yahweh's anger burned against Israel, and he said, "Because this nation has transgressed my covenant, which I commanded their fathers, and has not obeyed my voice."

21I also will no longer drive anyone out from before them from the nations that Joshua left when he died.

22so that through them I might test Israel, whether they keep Yahweh's way by walking in it, as their fathers kept it, or not.

23Yahweh let these nations remain without driving them out quickly, nor did he deliver them into Joshua's hand.