Herrens ängel i Bokim

Herrens ängel kom från Gilgal upp till Bokim och sade: "Jag förde er upp ur Egypten och lät er komma in i det land som jag med ed hade lovat ge åt era fäder och jag sade: Jag skall aldrig bryta mitt förbund med er. Och ni skall inte sluta förbund med detta lands inbyggare. Ni skall bryta ner deras altaren. Men ni har inte lyssnat till min röst. Vad har ni gjort! Därför säger jag, att jag inte skall driva dem bort från er, utan de skall tränga er i sidorna, och deras gudar skall bli en snara för er." När Herrens ängel hade sagt detta till alla Israels barn, brast de ut i gråt. De kallade platsen Bokim.[a] Och där offrade de åt Herren.

Avfallet efter Josuas död

När Josua sände i väg folket, gick Israels barn var och en till sin arvedel för att ta landet i besittning. Folket tjänade Herren så länge Josua levde och så länge de äldste levde, de som var kvar efter Josua och som hade sett alla de stora gärningar som Herren hade gjort för Israel. Och Herrens tjänare Josua, Nuns son, dog när han var etthundratio år gammal. Man begravde honom på det område han hade tagit i besittning, i Timnat-Heres i Efraims bergsbygd, norr om berget Gaas. 10 När också hela det släktet hade samlats till sina fäder, växte ett annat släkte upp efter dem, ett som inte kände Herren eller de gärningar som han hade gjort för Israel.

11 Och Israels barn gjorde det som var ont i Herrens ögon och tjänade baalerna. 12 De övergav Herren, sina fäders Gud, som hade fört dem ut ur Egyptens land, och följde andra gudar, gudarna hos de folk som bodde omkring dem. Dem tillbad de och väckte därmed Herrens vrede.

13 Så övergav de Herren och tjänade Baal och astarterna.[b] 14 Då upptändes Herrens vrede mot Israel, och han gav dem i händerna på rövare, som plundrade dem. Han sålde dem till deras fiender runt omkring, och de kunde inte längre stå emot sina fiender. 15 Överallt där de drog fram var Herrens hand emot dem till deras ofärd, så som Herren hade sagt och så som Herren hade svurit. Och de kom i stor nöd.

16 Då lät Herren domare uppstå, som frälste dem ur deras plundrares hand. 17 Men de lyssnade inte heller på sina domare utan höll sig trolöst till andra gudar och tillbad dem. De vek snabbt av från den väg som deras fäder hade vandrat i lydnad för Herrens bud och gjorde inte som de. 18 När Herren lät domare uppstå bland dem, var han med domaren och frälste dem ur deras fienders hand så länge domaren levde. Ty när de jämrade sig över sina förtryckare och plågare, förbarmade sig Herren. 19 Men när domaren dog vände de om och gjorde det som var fördärvligt, ännu mer än deras fäder. De följde andra gudar och tjänade och tillbad dem. De avstod inte från sina gärningar och sin hårdnackade hållning.

20 Därför upptändes Herrens vrede mot Israel, och han sade: "Eftersom detta folk har överträtt det förbund som jag fastställde för deras fäder och inte har velat lyssna till min röst, 21 skall inte heller jag längre driva bort för dem ett enda av de folk som Josua lämnade efter sig när han dog. 22 Ty med dem skall jag sätta Israel på prov och se om de vill hålla sig till Herrens väg och vandra på den, så som deras fäder gjorde, eller om de inte vill det." 23 Alltså lät Herren dessa folk bli kvar. Han fördrev dem inte genast, och han gav dem inte i Josuas hand.

Footnotes

  1. Domarboken 2:5 Bokim betyder "de gråtande".
  2. Domarboken 2:13 Baal och astarterna Baal ("herre") var den främste av de kananeiska gudarna. Astarte var den kvinnliga fruktbarhets- och modergudinnan.

Or l'Angelo dell'Eterno salì da Ghilgal a Bokim e disse: «Io vi ho fatto salire dall'Egitto e vi ho condotto nel paese che avevo giurato di dare ai vostri padri. Avevo anche detto: "Io non romperò mai il mio patto con voi.

Ma voi non farete alcuna alleanza con gli abitanti di questo paese e demolirete i loro altari". Voi però non avete ubbidito alla mia voce. Perché avete fatto questo?

Così ora dico: lo non li scaccerò davanti a voi; ma essi saranno come spine nei vostri fianchi, e i loro dèi saranno per voi un laccio».

Appena l'Angelo dell'Eterno ebbe detto queste parole a tutti i figli d'Israele, il popolo alzò la voce e pianse.

Perciò chiamarono quel luogo Bokim e vi offrirono sacrifici all'Eterno.

Or Giosuè congedò il popolo, e i figli d'Israele se ne andarono ciascuno alla sua eredità per prendere possesso del paese.

Il popolo servì l'Eterno durante tutta la vita di Giosuè e durante tutta la vita degli anziani che sopravvissero a Giosuè, e che avevano visto tutte le grandi opere che l'Eterno aveva compiuto per Israele.

Poi Giosuè, figlio di Nun, servo dell'Eterno morì in età di centodieci anni,

e fu sepolto nel territorio della sua eredità a Timnath-Heres nella regione montuosa di Efraim, a nord della montagna di Gaash.

10 Quando tutta quella generazione fu riunita ai suoi padri, dopo di essa sorse un'altra generazione che non conosceva l'Eterno, né le opere che egli aveva compiuto per Israele.

11 I figli d'Israele fecero ciò che è male agli occhi dell'Eterno e servirono Baal;

12 abbandonarono l'Eterno, il DIO dei loro padri che li aveva fatti uscire dal paese d'Egitto, e seguirono altri dèi fra gli dèi dei popoli che li attorniavano, si prostrarono davanti a loro e provocarono ad ira l'Eterno;

13 essi abbandonarono l'Eterno e servirono Baal e le Ashtaroth.

14 E l'ira dell'Eterno si accese contro Israele e li diede nelle mani dei predoni, che li spogliarono; e li vendette nelle mani dei loro nemici all'intorno, ai quali non poterono piú tener fronte.

15 Dovunque andavano, la mano dell'Eterno era contro di loro portando calamità, come l'Eterno aveva detto, come l'Eterno aveva loro giurato; e furono grandemente angustiati.

16 Poi l'Eterno suscitava dei giudici, che li liberavano dalle mani di coloro che li spogliavano.

17 Purtroppo essi non davano ascolto neppure ai loro giudici, ma si prostituivano ad altri dèi e si prostravano davanti a loro. Abbandonarono ben presto la via seguita dai loro padri, i quali avevano ubbidito ai comandamenti dell'Eterno; essi però non fecero così.

18 Quando l'Eterno suscitava loro dei giudici l'Eterno era col giudice e li liberava dalla mano dei loro nemici durante tutta la vita del giudice; perché l'Eterno era mosso a compassione dai loro gemiti a motivo di quelli che li opprimevano e li angariavano.

19 Ma quando il giudice moriva, tornavano a corrompersi piú dei loro padri andando dietro ad altri dèi per servirli prostrarsi davanti a loro; e non desistevano affatto dalle loro opere e dalla loro condotta ostinata.

20 Perciò l'ira dell'Eterno si accese contro Israele, ed egli disse: «Poiché questa nazione ha violato il patto che avevo stabilito con i loro padri ed essi non hanno ubbidito alla mia voce,

21 anch'io non scaccerò piú davanti a loro alcuna delle nazioni che Giosuè lasciò quando mori;

22 così per mezzo loro metterò alla prova Israele per vedere se si atterranno alla via dell'Eterno e cammineranno per essa come fecero i loro padri, o no».

23 Perciò l'Eterno lasciò stare quelle nazioni senza scacciarle subito, e non le diede nelle mani di Giosuè.

The Angel of the Lord at Bokim

The angel of the Lord(A) went up from Gilgal(B) to Bokim(C) and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt(D) and led you into the land I swore to give to your ancestors.(E) I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you,(F) and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land,(G) but you shall break down their altars.(H)’ Yet you have disobeyed(I) me. Why have you done this? And I have also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you;(J) they will become traps(K) for you, and their gods will become snares(L) to you.’”

When the angel of the Lord had spoken these things to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud,(M) and they called that place Bokim.[a](N) There they offered sacrifices to the Lord.

Disobedience and Defeat(O)

After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of the land, each to their own inheritance. The 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.(P)

Joshua son of Nun,(Q) the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres[b](R) in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

10 After 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.(S) 11 Then the Israelites did evil(T) in the eyes of the Lord(U) and served the Baals.(V) 12 They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods(W) of the peoples around them.(X) They aroused(Y) the Lord’s anger(Z) 13 because they forsook(AA) him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.(AB) 14 In his anger(AC) against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands(AD) of raiders who plundered(AE) them. He sold them(AF) into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist.(AG) 15 Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them(AH) to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.(AI)

16 Then the Lord raised up judges,[c](AJ) who saved(AK) them out of the hands of these raiders. 17 Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted(AL) themselves to other gods(AM) and worshiped them.(AN) They quickly turned(AO) from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands.(AP) 18 Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved(AQ) them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented(AR) because of their groaning(AS) under those who oppressed and afflicted(AT) them. 19 But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt(AU) than those of their ancestors,(AV) following other gods and serving and worshiping them.(AW) They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn(AX) ways.

20 Therefore the Lord was very angry(AY) with Israel and said, “Because this nation has violated the covenant(AZ) I ordained for their ancestors and has not listened to me, 21 I will no longer drive out(BA) before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. 22 I will use them to test(BB) Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did.” 23 The Lord had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua.(BC)

Footnotes

  1. Judges 2:5 Bokim means weepers.
  2. Judges 2:9 Also known as Timnath Serah (see Joshua 19:50 and 24:30)
  3. Judges 2:16 Or leaders; similarly in verses 17-19

And an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.

And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?

Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.

And it came to pass, when the angel of the Lord spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the Lord.

And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land.

And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord, that he did for Israel.

And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old.

And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.

10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.

11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim:

12 And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger.

13 And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.

14 And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.

15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.

16 Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.

17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the Lord; but they did not so.

18 And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the Lord because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.

19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.

20 And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;

21 I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died:

22 That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.

23 Therefore the Lord left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.