Israel's Disobedience

Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to (A)Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, (B)‘I will never break my covenant with you, (C)and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; (D)you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? So now I say, (E)I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become (F)thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” As soon as the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the people of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept. And they called the name of that place Bochim.[a] And they sacrificed there to the Lord.

The Death of Joshua

When Joshua dismissed the people, the people of Israel went each to his inheritance to take possession of the land. (G)And 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. And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110 years. And they buried him within the boundaries of (H)his inheritance in Timnath-heres, (I)in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash. 10 And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.

Israel's Unfaithfulness

11 (J)And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. 12 (K)And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. (L)They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and (M)bowed down to them. (N)And they provoked the Lord to anger. 13 They abandoned the Lord (O)and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. 14 (P)So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he (Q)gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. (R)And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, (S)so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. 15 Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them for harm, as the Lord had warned, (T)and as the Lord had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress.

The Lord Raises Up Judges

16 (U)Then the Lord raised up judges, (V)who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them. 17 Yet they did not listen to their judges, for (W)they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. (X)They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord, and they did not do so. 18 Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, (Y)the Lord was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. (Z)For the Lord was moved to pity by (AA)their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them. 19 But (AB)whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways. 20 (AC)So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he said, “Because this people (AD)have transgressed my covenant that I commanded their fathers and have not obeyed my voice, 21 (AE)I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died, 22 in order (AF)to test Israel by them, whether they will take care to walk in the way of the Lord as their fathers did, or not.” 23 So the Lord left those nations, not driving them out quickly, and he did not give them into the hand of Joshua.

Footnotes

  1. Judges 2:5 Bochim means weepers

Israel Rebuked

Now (A)the angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to (B)Bochim. And he said, “(C)I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land which I have sworn to your fathers; and I said, ‘(D)I will never break My covenant with you, and as for you, (E)you shall not make a covenant with the inhabitants of this land; (F)you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not [a]obeyed Me; what is this thing that you have done? Therefore I also said, ‘(G)I will not drive them out from you; but they will [b]become (H)like thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.’” Now when the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people raised their voices and wept. So they named that place [c]Bochim; and there they sacrificed to the Lord.

Joshua Dies

(I)When Joshua had dismissed the people, the sons of Israel went, each one to his inheritance, to take possession of the land. The people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who [d]survived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of the Lord which He had done for Israel. Then Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110. And they buried him in the territory of (J)his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 10 All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and another generation rose up after them who (K)did not know the Lord, nor even the work which He had done for Israel.

Israel Serves the Baals

11 Then the sons of Israel did (L)evil in the sight of the Lord and [e]served the (M)Baals, 12 and (N)they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed other gods from the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them; so they provoked the Lord to anger. 13 They abandoned the Lord and (O)served Baal and the Ashtaroth. 14 (P)Then the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He handed them over to plunderers, and they plundered them; and (Q)He sold them into the hands of their enemies around them, so that they could no longer stand [f]against their enemies. 15 Wherever they went, the hand of the Lord was against them for [g]evil, as the Lord had spoken and (R)just as the Lord had sworn to them, so that they were severely distressed.

16 (S)Then the Lord raised up judges [h]who saved them from the hands of those who plundered them. 17 Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they [i]committed infidelity with other gods and bowed down to them. They turned aside quickly from the way (T)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, (U)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 (V)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 (W)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 (X)I in turn will no longer drive out from them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, 22 in order to (Y)test Israel by them, whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk in it as their fathers [j]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.

Footnotes

  1. Judges 2:2 Lit listened to My voice
  2. Judges 2:3 Some ancient mss become adversaries to you and
  3. Judges 2:5 I.e., weepers
  4. Judges 2:7 Lit prolonged days after
  5. Judges 2:11 Or worshiped
  6. Judges 2:14 Lit before
  7. Judges 2:15 Or misfortune
  8. Judges 2:16 Lit and they
  9. Judges 2:17 I.e., against God
  10. Judges 2:22 Lit kept

耶和华的使者在波金

耶和华的使者从吉甲上到波金,说:“我领你们从埃及上来,带你们到我向你们列祖起誓应许之地。我曾说:‘我永不废弃我与你们的约。 你们不可与这地的居民立约,要拆毁他们的祭坛。’你们竟没有听从我的话。你们为何这样做呢! 因此我说:‘我必不将他们从你们面前赶出。他们必作你们肋下的荆棘[a],他们的神明必成为你们的圈套。’” 耶和华的使者向以色列众人说这些话的时候,百姓放声大哭。 于是他们给那地方起名叫波金[b],并在那里向耶和华献祭。

约书亚去世

约书亚解散百姓,以色列人回到自己的地业,占各自的地。 约书亚在世的日子和他死了以后,那些见过耶和华为以色列所做一切大事的长老还在世的时候,百姓都事奉耶和华。 耶和华的仆人,的儿子约书亚死了,那时他一百一十岁。 以色列人把他葬在他自己地业的境内,以法莲山区的亭拿‧希烈,在迦实山的北边。 10 那世代的人也都归到自己的列祖。后来兴起的另一世代不认识耶和华,也不知道他为以色列所做的事。

以色列离弃耶和华

11 以色列人行耶和华眼中看为恶的事,去事奉诸巴力 12 他们离弃领他们出埃及地的耶和华—他们列祖的 神,去随从别神,就是四围列国的神明,向它们叩拜,惹耶和华发怒。 13 他们离弃了耶和华,去事奉巴力亚斯她录 14 耶和华的怒气向以色列发作,把他们交在抢夺他们的人手中,又把他们交给四围仇敌的手中[c],以致他们在仇敌面前再也不能站立得住。 15 他们无论往何处去,耶和华的手都以灾祸攻击他们,正如耶和华所说的,又如耶和华向他们所起的誓;他们就极其困苦。

16 耶和华兴起士师,士师就拯救他们脱离抢夺他们之人的手。 17 然而,他们却不听从士师,竟随从别神而行淫,向它们叩拜。他们列祖所行的道,所听从耶和华的命令,他们都速速偏离了,并不照样遵行。 18 耶和华为他们兴起士师,耶和华与士师同在。士师在世的一切日子,耶和华拯救他们脱离仇敌的手。耶和华因他们受欺压迫害所发出的哀声,就怜悯他们。 19 但士师一死,他们又转去行恶,比他们祖宗更坏,去随从别神,事奉叩拜它们,总不放弃他们的恶习和顽梗的行为。 20 于是耶和华的怒气向以色列发作,说:“因为这国违背我吩咐他们列祖当守的约,不听从我的话, 21 约书亚死的时候所剩下的各国,我必不再从他们面前赶出任何一个, 22 为要藉此考验以色列是否肯谨守遵行耶和华的道,像他们列祖一样地谨守。” 23 耶和华留下那些国家,不将他们速速赶出,也不把他们交在约书亚的手中。

Footnotes

  1. 2.3 “肋下的荆棘”:原文是“肋旁”;原文另译“敌人”。
  2. 2.5 “波金”意思是“哭”。
  3. 2.14 “交给…手中”:原文是“卖给…手中”;本卷书下同。

The Lord’s messenger condemns

The Lord’s messenger came up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, “I brought you up from Egypt and led you into the land that I had promised to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, and you are not to make a covenant with those who live in this land. You should break down their altars.’ But you didn’t obey me. What have you done? So now I tell you, I won’t drive them out before you, but they’ll be a problem[a] for you, and their gods will be a trap for you.” When the Lord’s messenger spoke these words to all the Israelites, they raised their voices and cried out loud. So they named that place Bochim,[b] and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord there.

Death of Joshua and his generation

When Joshua dismissed the people, the Israelites each went to settle on their own family property in order to take possession of the land. The people served the Lord throughout the rest of Joshua’s life and throughout the next generation of elders who outlived him, those who had seen all the great things that the Lord had done for Israel. Joshua, Nun’s son and the Lord’s servant, died when he was 110 years old. They buried him within the boundaries of his family property in Timnath-heres in the highlands of Ephraim north of Mount Gaash. 10 When that whole generation had passed away, another generation came after them who didn’t know the Lord or the things that he had done for Israel.

Israel’s pattern of sin and punishment

11 Then the Israelites did things that the Lord saw as evil: They served the Baals; 12 and they went away from the Lord, their ancestors’ God, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods from among the surrounding peoples, they worshipped them, and they angered the Lord. 13 They went away from the Lord and served Baal and the Astartes. 14 So the Lord became angry with Israel, and he handed them over to raiders who plundered them. He let them be defeated by their enemies around them, so that they were no longer able to stand up to them. 15 Whenever the Israelites marched out, the Lord’s power worked against them, just as the Lord had warned them. And they were very distressed.

16 Then the Lord raised up leaders[c] to rescue them from the power of these raiders. 17 But they wouldn’t even obey their own leaders because they were unfaithful, following other gods and worshipping them. They quickly deviated from the way of their ancestors, who had obeyed the Lord’s commands, and didn’t follow their example.

18 The Lord was moved by Israel’s groaning under those who oppressed and crushed them. So the Lord would raise up leaders for them, and the Lord would be with the leader, and he would rescue Israel from the power of their enemies as long as that leader lived.

19 But then when the leader died, they would once again act in ways that weren’t as good as their ancestors’, going after other gods, to serve them and to worship them. They wouldn’t drop their bad practices or hardheaded ways. 20 So the Lord became angry with Israel and said, “Because this nation has violated my covenant that I required of their ancestors and hasn’t obeyed me, 21 I in turn will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died.” 22 As a test for Israel, to see whether they would carefully walk in the Lord’s ways just as their ancestors had done, 23 the Lord left these nations instead of driving them out immediately or handing them over to Joshua.

Footnotes

  1. Judges 2:3 Heb uncertain
  2. Judges 2:5 Or weepers or weeping
  3. Judges 2:16 Or judges