Judges 2:16-23

New American Standard Bible

^16 (A)Then the Lord raised up judges ^[a]who saved them from the hands of those who plundered them. ¹⁷ Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they ^[b]committed infidelity with other gods and bowed down to them. They turned aside quickly from the way ^(B)in which their fathers had walked in obeying the commandments of the Lord; they did not do the same as their fathers. ¹⁸ And when the Lord raised up judges for them, ^(C)the Lord was with the judge and saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord was ^(D)moved to pity by their groaning because of those who tormented and oppressed them. ¹⁹ But it came about, when the judge died, that they would turn back and act more corruptly than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them and bow down to them; they did not abandon their practices or their obstinate ways. ^20 (E)So the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He said, “Because this nation has violated My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not listened to My voice, ^21 (F)I in turn will no longer drive out from them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, ²² in order to ^(G)test Israel by them, whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk in it as their fathers ^[c]did, or not.” ²³ So the Lord allowed those nations to remain, not driving them out quickly; and He did not hand them over to Joshua.