Judges 2
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Israel’s Disobedience
2 Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I had promised to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you.(A) 2 For your part, do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my command. See what you have done!(B) 3 So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become adversaries[a] to you, and their gods shall be a snare to you.”(C) 4 When the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the Israelites, the people lifted up their voices and wept. 5 So they named that place Bochim,[b] and there they sacrificed to the Lord.
Death of Joshua
6 When Joshua dismissed the people, the Israelites all went to their own inheritances to take possession of the land.(D) 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 that the Lord had done for Israel. 8 Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of one hundred ten years. 9 So they buried him within the bounds of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 10 Moreover, that whole generation was gathered to their ancestors, and another generation grew up after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.(E)
Israel’s Unfaithfulness
11 Then the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals,(F) 12 and they abandoned the Lord, 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 who were all around them and bowed down to them, and they provoked the Lord to anger.(G) 13 They abandoned the Lord and served Baal and the Astartes.(H) 14 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers who plundered them, and he sold them into the power of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies.(I) 15 Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them to bring misfortune, as the Lord had warned them and sworn to them, and they were in great distress.
16 Then the Lord raised up judges who delivered them out of the power of those who plundered them.(J) 17 Yet they did not listen even to their judges, for they lusted after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their ancestors had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord; they did not follow their example.(K) 18 Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge, and he delivered them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge, for the Lord would be moved to pity by their groaning because of those who persecuted and oppressed them. 19 But whenever the judge died, they would relapse and behave worse than their ancestors, following other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They would not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways.(L) 20 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he said, “Because this nation has transgressed my covenant that I commanded their ancestors and have not obeyed my voice,(M) 21 I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died.”(N) 22 In order to test Israel, whether or not they would take care to walk in the way of the Lord as their ancestors did,(O) 23 the Lord had left those nations, not driving them out at once, and had not handed them over to Joshua.
Judges 2
Lexham English Bible
Israel Disobeys Yahweh
2 And the angel of Yahweh went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, “I brought you up from Egypt, and I brought you to the land that I had promised to your ancestors.[a] I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you. 2 And as for you, do not make a covenant[b] with the inhabitants of this land; break down their altars.’ But you did not listen to my voice. Why would you do such a thing?[c] 3 Now I say, I will not drive them out from before you; they will become as thorns[d] for you, and their gods will be a trap for you.” 4 And as the angel of Yahweh spoke these words to all the Israelites,[e] the people wept bitterly.[f] 5 And they called the name of this place Bokim,[g] and there they sacrificed to Yahweh.
Joshua Dies
6 And Joshua sent the people away, and the Israelites[h] went each to their[i] own inheritance to take possession of the land. 7 And the people served Yahweh all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who saw all the great work Yahweh had done for Israel. 8 And Joshua son of Nun, servant of Yahweh, died at the age of one hundred and ten years.[j] 9 They buried him within the border of his inheritance in Timnah-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim north of Mount Gaash. 10 Moreover, that entire generation was gathered to their[k] ancestors,[l] and another generation grew up after them who did not know Yahweh or the work he had done for Israel.[m]
Israel Worships the Baals
11 The Israelites[n] did evil in the eyes of Yahweh, and they served[o] the Baals. 12 They abandoned Yahweh the God of their ancestors,[p] who brought them out from the land of Egypt. They followed[q] other gods from the gods of the people who were around them; and they bowed down to them, and they provoked the anger of Yahweh. 13 They abandoned Yahweh, and they served Baal and the Ashtaroth. 14 So the anger of Yahweh was kindled[r] against Israel, and he gave them into the hand of plunderers; and they plundered them, and he sold them into the hand of their enemies from all sides. They were unable to withstand their enemies any longer. 15 Whenever[s] they went out, the hand of Yahweh was against them to harm them, just as Yahweh warned, and just as Yahweh had sworn to them. And they were very distressed.[t]
16 Then Yahweh raised up leaders,[u] and they delivered them from the hand of their plunderers. 17 But they did not listen to their leaders,[v] but lusted after other gods and bowed down to them. They turned away quickly from the way that their ancestors[w] went, who had obeyed the commandment of Yahweh; they did not do as their ancestors. 18 And when Yahweh raised leaders[x] for them, Yahweh was with the leader,[y] and he delivered them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the leader,[z] for Yahweh was moved by their groaning because of their persecutors and oppressors. 19 But when the leader[aa] died they relapsed and acted corruptly, more than their ancestors,[ab] following other gods, serving them,[ac] and bowing down to them. They would not give up their deeds or their stubborn ways. 20 So the anger of Yahweh burned[ad] against Israel, and he said, “Because this people transgressed my covenant that I commanded their ancestors,[ae] and have not obeyed my voice, 21 I will not again drive out anyone from before them from the nations that Joshua left when he died, 22 in order to test Israel whether or not they would observe the way of Yahweh, to walk in it just as their ancestors[af] did.” 23 So Yahweh left those nations; he did not drive them out at once, and he did not give them into the hand of Joshua.
Footnotes
- Judges 2:1 Or “fathers”
- Judges 2:2 Literally “cut a covenant”
- Judges 2:2 Literally “What is this thing you have done?”
- Judges 2:3 Or “become snares;” some ancient manuscripts read “be adversaries”
- Judges 2:4 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Judges 2:4 Literally “lifted up their voices and they wept”
- Judges 2:5 “Bokim” means “weepers”
- Judges 2:6 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Judges 2:6 Hebrew “his”
- Judges 2:8 Literally “a son of one hundred and ten years”
- Judges 2:10 Hebrew “his”
- Judges 2:10 Or “fathers”
- Judges 2:10 Judges 2:6–10 is repeated in Joshua 24:28–31
- Judges 2:11 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Judges 2:11 Or “they worshiped”
- Judges 2:12 Or “fathers”
- Judges 2:12 Literally “went after”
- Judges 2:14 Literally “The nose of Yahweh became hot”
- Judges 2:15 Literally “At all that”
- Judges 2:15 Literally “it was very cramped for them”
- Judges 2:16 Or “judges”
- Judges 2:17 Or “judges”
- Judges 2:17 Or “fathers”
- Judges 2:18 Or “judges”
- Judges 2:18 Or “judge”
- Judges 2:18 Or “judge”
- Judges 2:19 Or “judge”
- Judges 2:19 Or “fathers”
- Judges 2:19 Or “worshiping them”
- Judges 2:20 Literally “So the nose of Yahweh became hot”
- Judges 2:20 Or “fathers”
- Judges 2:22 Or “fathers”
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