Judges 2
International Standard Version
Israel is Rebuked
2 Some time later, the angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim and announced to Israel,[a] “I brought you up from Egypt and led you into the land that I promised to your ancestors. I had told them,[b] ‘I’ll never breach my covenant with you. 2 As for you, you must not make any treaties[c] with the inhabitants of this land. Instead, tear down their altars.’ But you haven’t obeyed me. What have you done? 3 Therefore I’m now saying,[d] ‘I won’t expel them before you. Instead, they’ll remain at your side, and their gods will ensnare you.’”
4 Because the angel of the Lord said these things to all of the Israelis, the people wept out loud, 5 which is why they named the place Bochim.[e] And there they sacrificed to the Lord. 6 After Joshua had dismissed the people, the Israelis returned to their respective inheritances to take possession of the land.
The Death of Joshua(A)
7 The people served the Lord during the entire lifetime of Joshua as well as the lifetimes of all the elders who outlived Joshua and who had observed all the great deeds that the Lord had done for Israel. 8 But then Nun’s son Joshua, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110 years. 9 They buried him in Timnath-heres, within the boundaries of his inheritance in the mountainous region[f] of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 10 After that whole generation had died,[g] another generation grew up after them that was not acquainted with the Lord or with what he had done for Israel.
The Rise of the Judges
11 So the Israelis practiced what the Lord considered to be evil by worshiping Canaanite deities.[h] 12 They abandoned the Lord 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 surrounded them. They bowed down in worship of them, and by doing so angered the Lord. 13 As a result, they abandoned the Lord by serving both Baal[i] and Ashtaroth.[j] 14 So in his burning anger against Israel, the Lord gave them into the domination of marauders who plundered them. The enemies who surrounded the Israelis[k] controlled them, and they were no longer able to withstand their adversaries. 15 Wherever they went, the Lord worked[l] against them to bring misfortune, just as the Lord had warned, and just as the Lord had promised them. As a result, they suffered greatly.
16 Then the Lord raised up leaders,[m] who delivered Israel[n] from domination by their marauders. 17 But they didn’t listen to their leaders, because they were committing spiritual immorality by following other gods and worshiping them. They quickly turned away from the road on which their ancestors had walked in obedience to the commands of the Lord. They didn’t follow their example. 18 As a result, whenever the Lord raised up leaders for them, the Lord remained present with their leader, delivering Israel[o] from the control of their enemies during the lifetime of that leader. The Lord[p] was moved with compassion by their groaning that had been caused by those who were oppressing and persecuting them. 19 However, after the leader had died, they would relapse to a condition more corrupt than their ancestors, following other gods, serving them, and worshiping them. They would not abandon their activities or their obstinate lifestyles.
20 In his burning anger against Israel, the Lord said, “Because the people have transgressed my covenant that I commanded their ancestors to keep, and because they haven’t obeyed me, 21 I’m also going to stop expelling any of the nations that remained after Joshua died. 22 That way, I’ll use them to demonstrate whether or not Israel will keep the Lord’s lifestyle by walking on that road like their ancestors did.” 23 So the Lord caused those nations to remain and did not expel them quickly. He did not give them into Joshua’s control.
Footnotes
- Judges 2:1 The Heb. lacks to Israel
- Judges 2:1 The Heb. lacks to them
- Judges 2:2 Or covenants
- Judges 2:3 Lit. I also said
- Judges 2:5 MT Bochim means weeping
- Judges 2:9 Or the hill country
- Judges 2:10 Lit. had been gathered to their fathers
- Judges 2:11 Lit. worshiping the Baals
- Judges 2:13 I.e. the supreme male deity of the Canaanites
- Judges 2:13 I.e. various female deities of the Canaanites
- Judges 2:14 Lit. them
- Judges 2:15 Lit. the hand of the Lord was
- Judges 2:16 Or judges; and so throughout the chapter
- Judges 2:16 Lit. them
- Judges 2:18 Lit. them
- Judges 2:18 Lit. For he
Judges 2
The Message
2 1-2 God’s angel went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, “I brought you out of Egypt; I led you to the land that I promised to your fathers; and I said, I’ll never break my covenant with you—never! And you’re never to make a covenant with the people who live in this land. Tear down their altars! But you haven’t obeyed me! What’s this that you’re doing?
3 “So now I’m telling you that I won’t drive them out before you. They’ll trip you up and their gods will become a trap.”
4-5 When God’s angel had spoken these words to all the People of Israel, they cried out—oh! how they wept! They named the place Bokim (Weepers). And there they sacrificed to God.
* * *
6-9 After Joshua had dismissed them, the People of Israel went off to claim their allotted territories and take possession of the land. The people worshiped God throughout the lifetime of Joshua and the time of the leaders who survived him, leaders who had been in on all of God’s great work that he had done for Israel. Then Joshua son of Nun, the servant of God, died. He was 110 years old. They buried him in his allotted inheritance at Timnath Heres in the hills of Ephraim north of Mount Gaash.
10 Eventually that entire generation died and was buried. Then another generation grew up that didn’t know anything of God or the work he had done for Israel.
* * *
11-15 The People of Israel did evil in God’s sight: they served Baal-gods; they deserted God, the God of their parents who had led them out of Egypt; they took up with other gods, gods of the peoples around them. They actually worshiped them! And oh, how they angered God as they worshiped god Baal and goddess Astarte! God’s anger was hot against Israel: He handed them off to plunderers who stripped them; he sold them cheap to enemies on all sides. They were helpless before their enemies. Every time they walked out the door God was with them—but for evil, just as God had said, just as he had sworn he would do. They were in a bad way.
16-17 But then God raised up judges who saved them from their plunderers. But they wouldn’t listen to their judges; they prostituted themselves to other gods—worshiped them! They lost no time leaving the road walked by their parents, the road of obedience to God’s commands. They refused to have anything to do with it.
18-19 When God was setting up judges for them, he would be right there with the judge: He would save them from their enemies’ oppression as long as the judge was alive, for God was moved to compassion when he heard their groaning because of those who afflicted and beat them. But when the judge died, the people went right back to their old ways—but even worse than their parents!—running after other gods, serving and worshiping them. Stubborn as mules, they didn’t drop a single evil practice.
20-22 And God’s anger blazed against Israel. He said, “Because these people have thrown out my covenant that I commanded their parents and haven’t listened to me, I’m not driving out one more person from the nations that Joshua left behind when he died. I’ll use them to test Israel and see whether they stay on God’s road and walk down it as their parents did.”
23 That’s why God let those nations remain. He didn’t drive them out or let Joshua get rid of them.
Judges 2
Revised Geneva Translation
2 And the Angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, “I made you go up out of Egypt, and have brought you to the land which I had sworn to your fathers, and said, ‘I will never break My Covenant with you.
2 ‘You, also, shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land, but shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed My Voice. Why have you done this?
3 “Therefore, I also said, ‘I will not cast them out before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides. And their gods shall be your destruction.’”
4 And when the Angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the children of Israel, the people lifted up their voice and wept.
5 Therefore, they called the name of that place ‘Bochim’, and offered sacrifices to the LORD there.
6 Now, when Joshua had sent the people away, the children of Israel went, every man into his inheritance, to possess the land.
7 And the people had served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD that He did for Israel.
8 And Joshua, the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died when he was a hundred ten years old.
9 And they buried him in the territory of his inheritance, in Timnath Heres, on Mount Ephraim, on the northern side of Mount Gaash.
10 And so, all that generation was gathered to their fathers. And another generation arose after them, which neither knew the LORD nor even the works which He had done for Israel.
11 Then, the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the LORD, and served Baal,
12 and forsook the LORD God of their fathers, Who brought them out of the land of Egypt. And they followed other gods, the gods of the people that were all around them, and bowed to them, and provoked the LORD to anger.
13 So, they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtoreth.
14 And the wrath of the LORD was hot against Israel; and He delivered them into the hands of plunderers, who spoiled them. And He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around them, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies.
15 Wherever they went out, the hand of the LORD was very much against them, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn to them. So, He punished them severely.
16 Nevertheless, the LORD raised up judges, who delivered them out of the hands of their oppressors.
17 But still they would not obey their judges; for they went a whoring after other gods, and worshipped them, turning quickly out of the way in which their fathers walked (obeying the Commandments of the LORD). They did not do so.
18 And when the LORD had raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge (for the LORD had compassion of their groanings, because of those who oppressed them and tormented them).
19 Yet, when the judge was dead, they returned, and did worse than their fathers, following other gods to serve them and worship them. They did not cease from their own inventions, or from their rebellious way.
20 Therefore, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and He said, “Because this people has transgressed My Covenant which I Commanded their fathers, and has not obeyed My Voice,
21 “I will, therefore, no longer cast out any of the nations before them which Joshua left when he died,
22 “so that through them I may test Israel, to see whether they will keep the way of the LORD, to walk in it, as their fathers kept it, or not.”
23 So, the LORD left those nations, and did not immediately drive them out or deliver them into the hand of Joshua.
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