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Israel’s Disobedience

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) 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) 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) When the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the Israelites, the people lifted up their voices and wept. So they named that place Bochim,[b] and there they sacrificed to the Lord.

Death of Joshua

When Joshua dismissed the people, the Israelites all went to their own inheritances to take possession of the land.(D) 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. Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of one hundred ten years. 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.

Footnotes

  1. 2.3 Gk OL Vg: Heb sides
  2. 2.5 That is, weepers

The Angel of the Lord at Bokim

The angel of the Lord(A) went up from Gilgal(B) to Bokim(C) and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt(D) and led you into the land I swore to give to your ancestors.(E) I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you,(F) and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land,(G) but you shall break down their altars.(H)’ Yet you have disobeyed(I) me. Why have you done this? And I have also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you;(J) they will become traps(K) for you, and their gods will become snares(L) to you.’”

When the angel of the Lord had spoken these things to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud,(M) and they called that place Bokim.[a](N) There they offered sacrifices to the Lord.

Disobedience and Defeat(O)

After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of the land, each to their own inheritance. The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.(P)

Joshua son of Nun,(Q) the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres[b](R) in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.(S) 11 Then the Israelites did evil(T) in the eyes of the Lord(U) and served the Baals.(V) 12 They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods(W) of the peoples around them.(X) They aroused(Y) the Lord’s anger(Z) 13 because they forsook(AA) him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.(AB) 14 In his anger(AC) against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands(AD) of raiders who plundered(AE) them. He sold them(AF) into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist.(AG) 15 Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them(AH) to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.(AI)

16 Then the Lord raised up judges,[c](AJ) who saved(AK) them out of the hands of these raiders. 17 Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted(AL) themselves to other gods(AM) and worshiped them.(AN) They quickly turned(AO) from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands.(AP) 18 Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved(AQ) them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented(AR) because of their groaning(AS) under those who oppressed and afflicted(AT) them. 19 But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt(AU) than those of their ancestors,(AV) following other gods and serving and worshiping them.(AW) They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn(AX) ways.

20 Therefore the Lord was very angry(AY) with Israel and said, “Because this nation has violated the covenant(AZ) I ordained for their ancestors and has not listened to me, 21 I will no longer drive out(BA) before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. 22 I will use them to test(BB) Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did.” 23 The Lord had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua.(BC)

Footnotes

  1. Judges 2:5 Bokim means weepers.
  2. Judges 2:9 Also known as Timnath Serah (see Joshua 19:50 and 24:30)
  3. Judges 2:16 Or leaders; similarly in verses 17-19