Read the Bible

Pattern of Sin and Judgment

¹ The angel of the Lord^(C1) went up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, “I brought you out of Egypt and led you into the land^(C2) I had promised to your fathers.^(C3) I also said: I will never break my covenant with you. ² You are not to make a covenant^(C1) with the inhabitants of this land. You are to tear down their altars.^(C2) But you have not obeyed me. What is this you have done? ³ Therefore, I now say: I will not drive out these people before you.^(C1) They will be thorns^(F1)(F2) in your sides,^(C2) and their gods will be a trap for you.”^{(C3) 4} When the angel of the Lord had spoken these words to all the Israelites, the people wept loudly. ⁵ So they named that place Bochim^(F1) and offered sacrifices there to the Lord.

Joshua’s Death

⁶ Previously, when Joshua had sent the people away, the Israelites had gone to take possession of the land, each to his own inheritance.^{(C1) 7} The people worshiped the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and during the lifetimes of the elders who outlived^(F1) Joshua. They had seen all the Lord’s great works^(C1) he had done for Israel.

⁸ Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110. ⁹ They buried him in the territory of his inheritance, in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim,^(C1) north of Mount Gaash. ¹⁰ That whole generation was also gathered to their ancestors. After them another generation rose up who did not know the Lord^(C1) or the works he had done for Israel.

¹¹ The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord’s sight.^(C1) They worshiped the Baals^{(C2) 12} and abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed other gods from the surrounding peoples^(C1) and bowed down to them. They angered the Lord,^{(C2) 13} for they abandoned him and worshiped Baal and the Ashtoreths.^(C1)

¹⁴ The Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and he handed them over to marauders who raided them. He sold^(C1) them to^(F1) the enemies around them, and they could no longer resist their enemies. ¹⁵ Whenever the Israelites went out, the Lord^(F1) was against them^(C1) and brought disaster on them, just as he had promised and sworn to them.^(C2) So they suffered greatly.

¹⁶ The Lord raised up^(C1) judges, who saved them from the power of their marauders, ¹⁷ but they did not listen to their judges. Instead, they prostituted^(C1) themselves with other gods, bowing down to them. They quickly turned from the way^(C2) of their fathers, who had walked in obedience to the Lord’s commands. They did not do as their fathers did. ¹⁸ Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for the Israelites, the Lord was with^(C1) him and saved the people from the power of their enemies while the judge was still alive.^(F1) The Lord was moved to pity whenever they groaned because of those who were oppressing and afflicting them. ¹⁹ Whenever the judge died, the Israelites would act even more corruptly^(C1) than their fathers, following other gods to serve them and bow in worship to them. They did not turn from their evil practices or their obstinate^(C2) ways.

²⁰ The Lord’s anger burned against Israel, and he declared, “Because this nation has violated my covenant^(C1) that I made with their fathers^(C2) and disobeyed me, ²¹ I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left^(C1) when he died.^{(C2) 22} I did this to test Israel and to see whether or not they would keep the Lord’s way^(C1) by walking in it, as their fathers had.”^{(C2) 23} The Lord left these nations and did not drive them out immediately. He did not hand them over to Joshua.