Judges 2

The Messenger at Bochim

1The messenger 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 swore to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you. 2And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not listened to my voice. What is this you have done? 3So now I say: I will not drive them out before you, but they will become adversaries to you, and their gods will become a snare to you.” 4When the messenger of the LORD spoke these words to all the children of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept. 5They called the name of that place Bochim, and they sacrificed there to the LORD.

The Generation After Joshua

6When Joshua dismissed the people, the children of Israel went each to their inheritance to take possession of the land. 7The 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. 8Joshua son of Nun, servant of the LORD, died at the age of one hundred ten years. 9They buried him within the border of his inheritance at Timnath-Heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 10And all that generation also was gathered to their ancestors. Another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel.

Israel Serves the Baals

11The children of Israel did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. 12They 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 around them, bowed down to them, and provoked the LORD to anger. 13They abandoned the LORD and served Baal and the Ashtaroth. 14The anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he gave them into the hand of plunderers who plundered them. He sold them into the hand of their enemies around them, and they could no longer stand before their enemies. 15Wherever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for harm, just as the LORD had spoken and just as the LORD had sworn to them. And they were in great distress.

The LORD Raises Up Judges

16Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them from the hand of those who plundered them. 17Yet they did not listen even to their judges, but prostituted themselves after other gods and bowed down to them. They quickly turned aside from the way in which their ancestors had walked, obeying the commandments of the LORD; they did not do so. 18Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge and saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge, for the LORD was moved by their groaning because of those who oppressed and crushed them. 19But when the judge died, they turned back and acted more corruptly than their ancestors, following other gods, serving them, and bowing down to them. They did not cease from their practices or from their stubborn way.

The Nations Remain

20So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he said, “Because this nation has transgressed my covenant that I commanded their ancestors and has not listened to my voice, 21I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died, 22in order to test Israel by them, whether they will keep the way of the LORD and walk in it as their ancestors kept it, or not.” 23So the LORD left those nations, not driving them out quickly, and he did not give them into the hand of Joshua.