Judges 2

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 The Angel of Yahweh went up from Gilgal to Bethel and said, 'I have brought you out of Egypt and ledyou into this country, which I promised on oath to your ancestors. I said, "I shal never break my covenant withyou.	1 An angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, "It was I who brought you up from Egypt and led you into the land which I promised on oath to your fathers. I said that I would never break my covenant with you,
2 You for your part must make no covenant with the inhabitants of this country; you wil destroy theiraltars." But you have not listened to my voice. What is the reason for this?	2 but that you were not to make a pact with the inhabitants of this land, and you were to pull down their altars. Yet you have not obeyed me. What did you mean by this?
3 Very wel , I now say this, "I am not going to drive these nations out before you. They will become youroppressors, and their gods wil be a snare for you."	3 For now I tell you, I will not clear them out of your way; they shall oppose you and their gods shall become a snare for you."
4 When the angel of Yahweh had spoken these words to al the Israelites, the people began to wail at thetop of their voices.	4 When the angel of the LORD had made these threats to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud;
5 And they called the place Bochim, and offered sacrifices to Yahweh there.	5 and so that place came to be called Bochim. They offered sacrifice there to the LORD.
6 Joshua having dismissed the people, the Israelites then went away, each one to his own heritage, tooccupy the country.	6 When Joshua dismissed the people, each Israelite went to take possession of his own hereditary land.
7 The people served Yahweh throughout the lifetime of Joshua and throughout the lifetime of those elderswho outlived Joshua and had known al the great deeds which Yahweh had done for the sake of Israel.	7 The people served the LORD during the entire lifetime of Joshua, and of those elders who outlived Joshua and who had seen all the great work which the LORD had done for Israel.
8 Joshua son of Nun, servant of Yahweh, was a hundred and ten years old when he died.	8 Joshua, son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, was a hundred and ten years old when he died;
9 He was buried on the estate which he had received as his heritage at Timnath-Heres in the highlands ofEphraim, north of Mount Gaash.	9 and they buried him within the borders of his heritage at Timnath-heres in the mountain region of Ephraim north of Mount Gaash.
10 And when that whole generation had been gathered to its ancestors, another generation fol owed itwhich knew neither Yahweh nor the deeds which he had done for the sake of Israel.	10 But once the rest of that generation were gathered to their fathers, and a later generation arose that did not know the LORD, or what he had done for Israel,
11 The Israelites then did what is evil in Yahweh's eyes and served the Baals.	11 the Israelites offended the LORD by serving the Baals.
12 They deserted Yahweh, God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt, and they followedother gods, from those of the surrounding peoples. They bowed down to these; they provoked Yahweh;	12 Abandoning the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had led them out of the land of Egypt, they followed the other gods of the various nations around them, and by their worship of these gods provoked the LORD.
13 they deserted Yahweh to serve Baal and Astartes.	13 Because they had thus abandoned him and served Baal and the Ashtaroth,
14 Then Yahweh's anger grew hot against Israel. He handed them over to pil agers who plundered them;he delivered them to the enemies surrounding them, and they were no longer able to resist their enemies.	14 the anger of the LORD flared up against Israel, and he delivered them over to plunderers who despoiled them. He allowed them to fall into the power of their enemies round about whom they were no longer able to withstand.
15 Whenever they mounted an expedition, Yahweh's hand was there to foil them, as Yahweh had toldthem and as Yahweh had sworn to them, so that they were in dire distress.	15 Whatever they undertook, the LORD turned into disaster for them, as in his warning he had sworn he would do, till they were in great distress.
16 Yahweh then appointed them judges, who rescued them from the hands of their plunderers.	16 Even when the LORD raised up judges to deliver them from the power of their despoilers,
17 But even to their judges they refused to listen. They prostituted themselves to other gods and boweddown before these. Very quickly they left the path which their ancestors had trodden in obedience to the ordersof Yahweh; they did not fol ow their example.	17 they did not listen to their judges, but abandoned themselves to the worship of other gods. They were quick to stray from the way their fathers had taken, and did not follow their example of obedience to the commandments of the LORD.
18 When Yahweh appointed judges for them, Yahweh was with the judge and rescued them from thehands of their enemies as long as the judge lived, since Yahweh relented at their groans under their persecutorsand oppressors.	18 Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, he would be with the judge and save them from the power of their enemies as long as the judge lived; it was thus the LORD took pity on their distressful cries of affliction under their oppressors.
19 But once the judge was dead, they relapsed into even worse corruption than their ancestors. Theyfol owed other gods; they served them and bowed before them and would not give up the practices and stubbornways of their ancestors at al .	19 But when the judge died, they would relapse and do worse than their fathers, following other gods in service and worship, relinquishing none of their evil practices or stubborn conduct.
20 Yahweh's anger then blazed out against Israel, and he said, 'Since this people has broken thecovenant which I laid down for their ancestors, since they have not listened to my voice,	20 In his anger toward Israel the LORD said, "Inasmuch as this nation has violated my covenant which I enjoined on their fathers, and has disobeyed me,
21 in future I shal not drive before them any one of those nations which Joshua left when he died,	21 I for my part will not clear away for them any more of the nations which Joshua left when he died."
22 in order, by means of them, to put Israel to the test, to see whether or not they would tread the paths ofYahweh as once their ancestors had trodden them.'	22 Through these nations the Israelites were to be made to prove whether or not they would keep to the way of the LORD and continue in it as their fathers had done;
23 Hence, Yahweh allowed these nations to remain; he did not hurry to drive them out, and did not deliverthem into the hands of Joshua.	23 therefore the LORD allowed them to remain instead of expelling them immediately, or delivering them into the power of Israel.