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Judges 2:11-19
New Living Translation

11 The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight and served the images of Baal. 12 They abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They went after other gods, worshiping the gods of the people around them. And they angered the Lord. 13 They abandoned the Lord to serve Baal and the images of Ashtoreth. 14 This made the Lord burn with anger against Israel, so he handed them over to raiders who stole their possessions. He turned them over to their enemies all around, and they were no longer able to resist them. 15 Every time Israel went out to battle, the Lord fought against them, causing them to be defeated, just as he had warned. And the people were in great distress.

The Lord Rescues His People

16 Then the Lord raised up judges to rescue the Israelites from their attackers. 17 Yet Israel did not listen to the judges but prostituted themselves by worshiping other gods. How quickly they turned away from the path of their ancestors, who had walked in obedience to the Lord’s commands.

18 Whenever the Lord raised up a judge over Israel, he was with that judge and rescued the people from their enemies throughout the judge’s lifetime. For the Lord took pity on his people, who were burdened by oppression and suffering. 19 But when the judge died, the people returned to their corrupt ways, behaving worse than those who had lived before them. They went after other gods, serving and worshiping them. And they refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.

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Judges 2:11-19
New English Translation

A Monotonous Cycle

11 The Israelites did evil before[a] the Lord by worshiping[b] the Baals. 12 They abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors[c] who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods—the gods of the nations who lived around them. They worshiped[d] them and made the Lord angry. 13 They abandoned the Lord and worshiped Baal and the Ashtoreths.[e]

14 The Lord was furious with Israel[f] and handed them over to robbers who plundered them.[g] He turned them over to[h] their enemies who lived around them. They could no longer withstand their enemies’ attacks.[i] 15 Whenever they went out to fight,[j] the Lord did them harm,[k] just as he had warned and solemnly vowed he would do.[l] They suffered greatly.[m]

16 The Lord raised up leaders[n] who delivered them from these robbers.[o] 17 But they did not obey[p] their leaders. Instead they prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped[q] them. They quickly turned aside from the path[r] their ancestors[s] had walked. Their ancestors had obeyed the Lord’s commands, but they did not.[t] 18 When the Lord raised up leaders for them, the Lord was with each leader and delivered the people[u] from their enemies while the leader remained alive. The Lord felt sorry for them[v] when they cried out in agony because of what their harsh oppressors did to them.[w] 19 When a leader died, the next generation[x] would again[y] act more wickedly than the previous one.[z] They would follow after other gods, worshiping them[aa] and bowing down to them. They did not give up[ab] their practices or their stubborn ways.

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Footnotes

  1. Judges 2:11 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
  2. Judges 2:11 tn Or “serving”; or “following.”
  3. Judges 2:12 tn Or “fathers.”
  4. Judges 2:12 tn Or “bowed before” (the same expression occurs in the following verse).
  5. Judges 2:13 sn The Ashtoreths were local manifestations of the goddess Astarte.
  6. Judges 2:14 tn Or “The Lord’s anger burned [or “raged”] against Israel.”
  7. Judges 2:14 tn Heb “robbers who robbed them.” (The verb שָׁסָה [shasah] appears twice in the verse.)sn The expression robbers who plundered them is a derogatory reference to the enemy nations, as the next line indicates.
  8. Judges 2:14 tn Heb “sold them into the hand of.”
  9. Judges 2:14 tn The word “attacks” is supplied in the translation both for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
  10. Judges 2:15 tn The expression “to fight” is interpretive.
  11. Judges 2:15 tn Heb “the Lord’s hand was against them for harm.”
  12. Judges 2:15 tn Heb “just as he had said and just as he had sworn to them.”
  13. Judges 2:15 tn Or “they experienced great distress.”
  14. Judges 2:16 tn Or more traditionally, “judges” (also in vv. 17, 18 [3x], 19). Since these figures carried out more than a judicial function, also serving as rulers and (in several instances) as military commanders, the translation uses the term “leaders.”
  15. Judges 2:16 tn Heb “and they delivered them from the hand of the ones robbing them.”
  16. Judges 2:17 tn Or “did not listen to.”
  17. Judges 2:17 tn Or “bowed before.”
  18. Judges 2:17 tn Or “way [of life].”
  19. Judges 2:17 tn Or “fathers.”
  20. Judges 2:17 tn Heb “…walked, obeying the Lord’s commands. They did not do this.”
  21. Judges 2:18 tn Heb “them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  22. Judges 2:18 tn The phrase “for them” is supplied in the translation for clarity.
  23. Judges 2:18 tn Heb “the ones oppressing them and afflicting them.” The synonyms “oppressing” and “afflicting” are joined together in the translation as “harsh oppressors” to emphasize the cruel character of their enemies.
  24. Judges 2:19 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the next generation) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  25. Judges 2:19 tn The verb שׁוּב (shuv, “to return; to turn”) is sometimes translated “turn back” here, but it is probably used in an adverbial sense, indicating that the main action (“act wickedly”) is being repeated.
  26. Judges 2:19 tn Heb “their fathers.”sn The statement the next generation would again act more wickedly than the previous one must refer to the successive sinful generations after Joshua, not Joshua’s godly generation (cf. vv. 7, 17).
  27. Judges 2:19 tn Or “serving [them]”; or “following [them].”
  28. Judges 2:19 tn Or “drop.”
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


New English Translation (NET)

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