The Book of Judges

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 2 -

And an Angel of the Lord came vp from Gilgal to Bochim, and sayd, I made you to go vp out of Egypt, and haue brought you vnto the land which I had sworne vnto your fathers, and sayd, I wil neuer breake my couenant with you.

Ye also shall make no couenant with the inhabitants of this land, but shall breake downe their altars: but ye haue not obeyed my voyce. Why haue ye done this?

Wherefore, I sayd also, I wil not cast them out before you, but they shalbe as thornes vnto your sides, and their gods shalbe your destruction.

And when the Angel of the Lord spake these wordes vnto all the children of Israel, the people lift vp their voyce, and wept.

Therefore they called the name of that place, Bochim, and offered sacrifices there vnto the Lord.

Joshua’s Death and Burial

(Joshua 24:29–33)

Now when Ioshua had sent the people away, the children of Israel went euery man into his inheritance, to possesse the land.

And the people had serued the Lord al the dayes of Ioshua, and all the dayes of the Elders that outliued Ioshua, which had seene all the great works of the Lord that he did for Israel.

But Ioshua the sonne of Nun the seruant of the Lord dyed, when he was an hundreth and ten yeeres olde:

And they buryed him in the coastes of his inheritance, in Timnath-heres in mount Ephraim, on the Northside of mount Gaash.

Israel’s Unfaithfulness

(Isaiah 43:22–28; Jeremiah 2:23–37)

And so all that generation was gathered vnto their fathers, and another generation arose after them, which neither knewe the Lord, nor yet the works, which he had done for Israel.

Then the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the Lord, and serued Baalim,

And forsooke ye Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the lande of Egypt, and followed other gods, euen the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed vnto them, and prouoked the Lord to anger.

So they forsooke the Lord, and serued Baal, and Ashtaroth.

And the wrath of the Lord was hote against Israel, and he deliuered them into the hands of spoylers, that spoyled them, and he sold them into the handes of their enemies rounde about them, so that they could no longer stande before their enemies.

Whithersoeuer they went out, the hand of the Lord was sore against them, as ye Lord had sayd, and as the Lord had sworne vnto them: so he punished them sore.

Judges Raised Up

Notwithstanding, the Lord raysed vp Iudges, which deliuered them out of the hands of their oppressours.

But yet they would not obey their Iudges: for they went a whoring after other gods, and worshipped them, and turned quickly out of the way, wherein their fathers walked, obeying the commandements of the Lord: they did not so.

And when the Lord had raysed them vp Iudges, the Lord was with the Iudge, and deliuered them out of the hande of their enemies all the dayes of the Iudge (for the Lord had compassion on their gronings, because of them that oppressed them and tormented them)

Yet when the Iudge was dead, they returned, and did worse then their fathers, in following other gods to serue them and worshippe them: they ceased not from their owne inuentions, nor from their rebellious way.

Wherfore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sayd, Because this people hath transgressed my couenant, which I commaded their fathers, and hath not obeyed my voyce,

Therefore will I no more cast out before them any of the nations, which Ioshua left when he dyed,

That through them I may proue Israel, whether they wil keepe the way of the Lord, to walke therein, as their fathers kept it, or not.

So the Lord left those nations, and droue them not out immediatly, neither deliuered them into the hand of Ioshua.

The LORD’s angel came up from Gilgal to Bochim. He said, “I brought you out of Egypt, and have brought you to the land which I swore to give your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you.

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?

Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.’”

When the LORD’s angel spoke these words to all the children of Israel, the people lifted up their voice and wept.

They called the name of that place Bochim,(a) and they sacrificed there to the LORD.

Joshua’s Death and Burial

(Joshua 24:29–33)

Now when Joshua had sent the people away, the children of Israel each went to his inheritance to possess the land.

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 work of the LORD that he had worked for Israel.

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

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.

Israel’s Unfaithfulness

(Isaiah 43:22–28; Jeremiah 2:23–37)

After all that generation were gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who didn’t know the LORD, nor the work which he had done for Israel.

The children of Israel did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, and served the Baals.

They abandoned the LORD, 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 around them, and bowed themselves down to them; and they provoked the LORD to anger.

They abandoned the LORD, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth.

The LORD’s anger burned against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies.

Wherever they went out, the LORD’s hand was against them for evil, as the LORD had spoken, and as the LORD had sworn to them; and they were very distressed.

Judges Raised Up

The LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them.

Yet they didn’t listen to their judges; for they prostituted themselves to other gods, and bowed themselves down to them. They quickly turned away from the way in which their fathers walked, obeying the LORD’s commandments. They didn’t do so.

When the LORD raised up judges for them, then the LORD was with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for it grieved the LORD because of their groaning by reason of those who oppressed them and troubled them.

But when the judge was dead, 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 what they were doing, or give up their stubborn ways.

The LORD’s anger burned against Israel; and he said, “Because this nation transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not listened to my voice,

I also will no longer drive out any of the nations that Joshua left when he died from before them;

that by them I may test Israel, to see if they will keep the LORD’s way to walk therein, as their fathers kept it, or not.”

So the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily. He didn’t deliver them into Joshua’s hand.

Footnotes

(a)2:5 “Bochim” means “weepers”.