Judges 2
Christian Standard Bible
Pattern of Sin and Judgment
2 The angel of the Lord(A) went up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, “I brought you out of Egypt and led you into the land(B) I had promised to your ancestors.(C) I also said: I will never break my covenant with you. 2 You are not to make a covenant(D) with the inhabitants of this land. You are to tear down their altars.(E) But you have not obeyed me. What have you done? 3 Therefore, I now say: I will not drive out these people before you.(F) They will be thorns[a] in your sides,(G) and their gods will be a trap for you.”(H) 4 When the angel of the Lord had spoken these words to all the Israelites, the people wept loudly. 5 So they named that place Bochim[b] and offered sacrifices there to the Lord.
Joshua’s Death
6 Previously, when Joshua had sent the people away, the Israelites had gone to take possession of the land, each to his own inheritance.(I) 7 The people worshiped the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and during the lifetimes of the elders who outlived Joshua. They had seen all the Lord’s great works(J) he had done for Israel.
8 Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110. 9 They buried him in the territory of his inheritance, in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim,(K) north of Mount Gaash. 10 That whole generation was also gathered to their ancestors. After them another generation rose up who did not know the Lord(L) or the works he had done for Israel.
11 The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord’s sight.(M) They worshiped the Baals(N) 12 and abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed other gods from the surrounding peoples(O) and bowed down to them. They angered the Lord,(P) 13 for they abandoned him and worshiped Baal and the Ashtoreths.(Q)
14 The Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and he handed them over to marauders who raided them. He sold(R) them to the enemies around them, and they could no longer resist their enemies. 15 Whenever the Israelites went out, the Lord was against them(S) and brought disaster on them, just as he had promised and sworn to them.(T) So they suffered greatly.
16 The Lord raised up(U) judges, who saved them from the power of their marauders, 17 but they did not listen to their judges. Instead, they prostituted(V) themselves with other gods, bowing down to them. They quickly turned from the way(W) of their ancestors, who had walked in obedience to the Lord’s commands. They did not do as their ancestors did. 18 Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for the Israelites, the Lord was with(X) him and saved the people from the power of their enemies while the judge was still alive. The Lord was moved to pity whenever they groaned because of those who were oppressing and afflicting them. 19 Whenever the judge died, the Israelites would act even more corruptly(Y) than their ancestors, following other gods to serve them and bow in worship to them. They did not turn from their evil practices or their obstinate(Z) ways.
20 The Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and he declared, “Because this nation has violated my covenant(AA) that I made with their ancestors(AB) and disobeyed me, 21 I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left(AC) when he died.(AD) 22 I did this to test Israel and to see whether or not they would keep the Lord’s way(AE) by walking in it, as their ancestors had.”(AF) 23 The Lord left these nations and did not drive them out immediately. He did not hand them over to Joshua.
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.
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.