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.

Then the Angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said: “I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore 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; you shall tear 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.’”

Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, 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.

So it was, when the Angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voices and wept.

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

Then they called the name of 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 dismissed the people, the children of Israel went each to his own inheritance to possess the land. Death of Joshua

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.

So 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 had done for Israel.

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

Now Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died when he was one hundred and ten 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 border of his inheritance at Timnath Heres, in the mountains of Ephraim, on the north side 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

When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel. Israel’s Unfaithfulness

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

Then the children 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 God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed down to them; and they provoked the Lord to anger.

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

They forsook the Lord and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.

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.

And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel. So He delivered them into the hands of plunderers who despoiled them; and He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies.

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.

Wherever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for calamity, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn to them. And they were greatly 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.

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

Yet they would not listen to their judges, but they played the harlot with other gods, and bowed down to them. They turned quickly from the way in which their fathers walked, in obeying the commandments of the Lord; they did not do 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.

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 by their groaning because of those who oppressed them and harassed 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.

And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they reverted and behaved more corruptly than their fathers, by following other gods, to serve them and bow down to them. They did not cease from their own doings nor from 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.

Then the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel; and He said, “Because this nation has transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not heeded My voice,

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

I also will no longer drive out 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.”

so that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the ways of the Lord, to walk in them as their fathers kept them, 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.

Therefore the Lord left those nations, without driving them out immediately; nor did He deliver them into the hand of Joshua.