Judges 2
World English Bible
2 Yahweh’s angel came up from Gilgal to Bochim. He said, “I brought you out of Egypt, and have brought you to the land which I swore to give your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you. 2 You shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land. You shall break down their altars.’ But you have not listened to my voice. Why have you done this? 3 Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.’”
4 When Yahweh’s angel spoke these words to all the children of Israel, the people lifted up their voice and wept. 5 They called the name of that place Bochim,[a] and they sacrificed there to Yahweh. 6 Now when Joshua had sent the people away, the children of Israel each went to his inheritance to possess the land. 7 The people served Yahweh all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of Yahweh that he had worked for Israel. 8 Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Yahweh, died, being one hundred ten years old. 9 They buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath Heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash. 10 After all that generation were gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who didn’t know Yahweh, nor the work which he had done for Israel. 11 The children of Israel did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and served the Baals. 12 They abandoned Yahweh, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them; and they provoked Yahweh to anger. 13 They abandoned Yahweh, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth. 14 Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies. 15 Wherever they went out, Yahweh’s hand was against them for evil, as Yahweh had spoken, and as Yahweh had sworn to them; and they were very distressed. 16 Yahweh raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them. 17 Yet they didn’t listen to their judges; for they prostituted themselves to other gods, and bowed themselves down to them. They quickly turned away from the way in which their fathers walked, obeying Yahweh’s commandments. They didn’t do so. 18 When Yahweh raised up judges for them, then Yahweh was with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for it grieved Yahweh because of their groaning by reason of those who oppressed them and troubled them. 19 But when the judge was dead, they turned back, and dealt more corruptly than their fathers in following other gods to serve them and to bow down to them. They didn’t cease what they were doing, or give up their stubborn ways. 20 Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel; and he said, “Because this nation transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not listened to my voice, 21 I also will no longer drive out any of the nations that Joshua left when he died from before them; 22 that by them I may test Israel, to see if they will keep Yahweh’s way to walk therein, as their fathers kept it, or not.” 23 So Yahweh left those nations, without driving them out hastily. He didn’t deliver them into Joshua’s hand.
Footnotes
- 2:5 “Bochim” means “weepers”.
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
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