1 T he angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you out of Egypt and led you into the land I promised your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break My agreement with you.

Now the Angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And He said, I brought you up from Egypt and have brought you to the land which I swore to give to your fathers, and I said, I will never break My covenant with you;

2 D o not make any agreement with the people of this land. Tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed Me. What is this you have done?

And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; but you shall break down their altars. But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this?

3 S o now I say, ‘I will not drive them away from you. They will be like thorns in your sides. Their gods will be a trap to you.’”

So now I say, 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 W hen the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the people of Israel, the people cried in a loud voice.

When the Angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the Israelites, the people lifted up their voice and wept.

5 S o they called that place Bochim. And there they gave gifts in worship to the Lord. The Death of Joshua

They named that place Bochim, and they sacrificed there to the Lord.

6 W hen Joshua sent the people of Israel away, each one went home to his own land.

And when Joshua had let the people go, the Israelites went every man to his inheritance to possess the land.

7 T he people served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the leaders who lived longer than Joshua and who had seen all the great works the Lord had done for Israel.

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 of the Lord which He did for Israel.

8 J oshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died when he was 110 years old.

And Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being 110 years old.

9 T hey buried him within his land in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

And they buried him within the boundary of his inheritance in Timnath-heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

10 A ll the people of that day died. The children who came after them did not know the Lord. They did not know about the things He had done for Israel. Israel Is No Longer Faithful to the Lord

And also all that generation were gathered to their fathers, and there arose another generation after them who did not know (recognize, understand) the Lord, or even the work which He had done for Israel.

11 T hen the people of Israel sinned in the eyes of the Lord. They served the Baals, the gods of the Canaanites.

And the people of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals.

12 T hey turned away from the Lord, the God of their fathers, Who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods of the nations around them, and worshiped them. So they made the Lord angry.

And they forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, Who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods of the peoples round about them and bowed down to them, and provoked the Lord to anger.

13 T hey turned away from the Lord and served Baal and the Ashtaroth.

And they forsook the Lord and served Baal and the Ashtaroth.

14 T he Lord was angry with Israel. He gave them into the hands of angry men who robbed them. He sold them into the hands of those around them who hated them. The people of Israel could no longer stand in front of those who hated them.

So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and He gave them into the power of plunderers who robbed them; and He sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could no longer stand before their foes.

15 T he Lord punished them everywhere they went. The Lord did what He had told them and promised them He would do. The people were very troubled.

Whenever they went out, 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 bitterly distressed.

16 T hen the Lord gave them special men to judge between what was right or wrong. These men saved them from those who robbed them.

But the Lord raised up judges, who delivered them out of the hands of those who robbed them.

17 B ut the people did not listen to those chosen to judge. The people were not faithful to the Lord and they worshiped other gods. They were quick to turn aside from the way their fathers had walked in obeying the Laws of the Lord. They did not do as their fathers had done.

And yet they did not listen to their judges, for they played the harlot after other gods and bowed down to them. They turned quickly out of the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord, and they did not so.

18 W hen the Lord gave them special men to judge them, the Lord was with the judge. And He saved them from those who hated them. For the Lord showed them pity because of their pain when others made it hard for them and hurt them.

When the Lord raised them up judges, then He was with the judge and delivered them out of the hands of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the Lord was moved to relent because of their groanings by reason of those who oppressed and vexed them.

19 B ut when the judge died, they would turn again and act worse than their fathers. They would follow other gods and serve them and worship them. They would not give up their sinful acts or their strong wills.

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 practices or their stubborn way.

20 S o the anger of the Lord was against Israel. He said, “This nation has sinned against My agreement I made with their fathers. They have not listened to My voice.

So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel; and He said, Because this people have transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers and have not listened to My voice,

21 I will stop driving away from them any of the nations Joshua left when he died.

I from now on will also not drive out from before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died,

22 I will use them to test Israel. I will see if Israel will keep the way of the Lord to walk in it like their fathers did, or not.”

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

23 S o the Lord let those nations stay. He was not quick to drive them out. And He did not give them into the power of Joshua.

So the Lord left those nations, without driving them out at once, nor had He delivered them into Joshua’s power.