CHAPTER 2
Now the Angel
of the LORD
went up
from
Gilgal
to
Bochim
and said,
“I brought you up
out of Egypt
and led
you into
the land
I had promised
to your fathers,
and I said,
‘I will never
break
My covenant
with you,
and you
are not
to make
a covenant
with the people
of this
land,
but you shall tear down
their altars.’
Yet you have not
obeyed Me.
What
is this
you have done?
So now
I tell you
that I will not
drive out these people
before you;
they will be thorns
in your
sides,
and their gods
will be
a snare
to you.”
When the Angel
of the LORD
had spoken
these
words
to
all
the Israelites,
the people
lifted up
their voices
and wept.
After Joshua
had dismissed
the people,
the Israelites
went out
to take possession of
the land,
each
to his own inheritance.
And the people
served
the LORD
all
the days
of Joshua
and
of the elders
who
outlived
him
and
had seen
all
the great
works
the LORD
had done
for Israel.
They buried
him in the land
of his inheritance,
at Timnath-heres
in the hill country
of Ephraim,
north
of Mount
Gaash.
After
that
whole
generation
had also
been gathered
to
their fathers,
another
generation
rose up,
who
did not
know
the LORD
or
the works
He had done
for Israel.
Thus they forsook
the LORD,
the God
of their fathers,
who had brought them
out of the land
of Egypt,
and they followed
after
various
gods
of the people
all around them.
They bowed down
to them
and provoked
the LORD to anger,
Then the anger
of the LORD
burned
against Israel,
and He handed them over to
raiders
who plundered
them.
He sold them
into the hands
of their enemies
all around,
whom they were
no
longer
able to resist.
Wherever
Israel marched out,
the hand
of the LORD
was
against them
to bring calamity,
just as
He
had sworn
to them.
So they were greatly distressed.
Israel, however,
did not
listen
to
their judges.
Instead,
they prostituted
themselves with
other
gods
and bowed down
to them.
They quickly
turned
from
the way
of their fathers,
who had walked
in obedience
to the LORD’s
commandments;
they did not
do as their fathers had done.
Whenever
the LORD
raised up
a judge
for the Israelites,
He
was
with
that judge
and delivered them
from the hands
of their enemies
while the judge
was still alive;
for the LORD
was moved to pity
by their groaning
under those
who oppressed
and afflicted them.
But when
the judge
died,
the Israelites became even more corrupt
than their fathers,
going
after
other
gods
to serve them
and bow down
to them.
They would not
turn
from their evil practices
and stubborn
ways.
So the anger
of the LORD
burned
against Israel,
and He said,
“Because
this
nation
has transgressed
the covenant
I laid down
for their fathers
and has not
heeded
My voice,
In this way
I will test
whether
Israel
will keep
the way
of the LORD
by walking in it
as
their fathers did.”
That is why the LORD
had left those
nations
in place
and had not
driven them out
immediately
by delivering them
into the hand
of Joshua.