[1] The angel of Yahweh came up from Gilgal to Bochim. He said, I made you
to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you to the land which I swore 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
break down their altars. But you have not listened to my voice: why have
you done this? [3] Therefore I also said, I will not drive them out from
before you; but they shall be [as thorns] in your sides, and their gods
shall be a snare to you. [4] It happened, when the angel of Yahweh spoke
these words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their
voice, and wept. [5] They called the name of that place Bochim: and they
sacrificed there to Yahweh. [6] Now when Joshua had sent the people away,
the children of Israel went every man to his inheritance to possess the
land. [7] The people served Yahweh all the days of Joshua, and all the days
of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of
Yahweh that he had worked for Israel. [8] Joshua the son of Nun, the
servant of Yahweh, died, being one hundred ten years old. [9] They buried
him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill- country
of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash. [10] Also all that
generation were gathered to their fathers: and there arose another
generation after them, who didn`t know Yahweh, nor yet the work which he
had worked for Israel. [11] The children of Israel did that which was evil
in the sight of Yahweh, and served the Baals; [12] and they forsook Yahweh,
the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and
followed other gods, of the gods of the peoples who were round about them,
and bowed themselves down to them: and they provoked Yahweh to anger. [13]
They forsook Yahweh, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth. [14] The anger of
Yahweh was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of
spoilers who despoiled them; and he sold them into the hands of their
enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their
enemies. [15] Wherever they went out, the hand of Yahweh was against them
for evil, as Yahweh had spoken, and as Yahweh had sworn to them: and they
were sore distressed. [16] Yahweh raised up judges, who saved them out of
the hand of those who despoiled them. [17] Yet they didn`t listen to their
judges; for they played the prostitute after other gods, and bowed
themselves down to them: they turned aside quickly out of the way in which
their fathers walked, obeying the commandments of Yahweh; [but] they didn`t
do so. [18] When Yahweh raised them up judges, then Yahweh was with the
judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the
judge: for it repented Yahweh because of their groaning by reason of those
who oppressed them and vexed them. [19] But it happened, when the judge was
dead, that they turned back, and dealt more corruptly than their fathers,
in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down to them; they didn`t
cease from their doings, nor from their stubborn way. [20] The anger of
Yahweh was kindled against Israel; and he said, Because this nation have
transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not
listened to my voice; [21] I also will not henceforth drive out any from
before them of the nations that Joshua left when he died; [22] that by them
I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of Yahweh to walk
therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not. [23] So Yahweh left those
nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into
the hand of Joshua.
