¹⁸ The people of Israel did not obey God. But God took care of them in the wilderness for 40 years. ¹⁹ He destroyed seven nations of people who lived in the land of Canaan. God gave their land to his own people so that they could live there. ²⁰ All of these things happened during about 450 years.

After this, God gave to his people leaders who were called judges. They ruled Israel until the time when God's prophet Samuel was alive.