THE BOOK OF JUDGES

 

Judges Chapter 2

1 ¶ Now the angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I brought you up out of Egypt, and have brought you to the land which I promised to your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.

2 And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall throw down their altars: but you have not obeyed my voice: why have you done this?

3 So now I say, I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.

4 And when the angel of the LORD spoke these words to all the children of Israel, the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

5 And they named that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there to the LORD.

6 ¶ And when Joshua dismissed the people, the children of Israel went to take possession of the land every man to his own inheritance.

7 And 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 works that the LORD did for Israel.

8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being one hundred and ten years old.

9 And they buried him within the boundary of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north side of mount Gaash.

10 And when that entire generation was also gathered to their fathers: there arose another generation after them, that did not know the LORD, or the works which he had done for Israel.

11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:

12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves to them, and provoked the LORD to anger.

13 And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.

14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of plunderers who plundered them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could no longer stand before their foes.

15 Wherever they went, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn to them: and they were greatly distressed.

16 Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered them.

17 And yet they would not listen to their judges, but committed spiritual adultery with other gods, and bowed themselves to them: they turned quickly out of the way in which their fathers walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the LORD; for they did not.

18 And when the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for the LORD was moved to pity because of their groaning because of those who oppressed them and vexed them.

19 But when the judge was dead, they turned back, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, following and serving other gods, and bowing down to them; they did not cease from their own practices, or from their stubborn ways.

20 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and he said, Because these people have transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not listened to my voice;

21 From now on I will also not drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died:

22 That through them I may prove Israel, whether or not they will keep the way of the LORD to walk in it, as their fathers kept it.

23 So the LORD left those nations, without driving them out at once; nor had he delivered them into the hand of Joshua.