The Angel of the Lord at Bochim
1 The angel of the Lord went from Gilgal to Bochim and said to the Israelites, “I took you out of Egypt and brought you to the land that I promised to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you. 2 You must not make any covenant with the people who live in this land. You must tear down their altars.’ But you have not done what I told you. You have done just the opposite! 3 So I tell you now that I will not drive these people out as you advance. They will be your enemies, and you will be trapped by the worship of their gods.” 4 When the angel had said this, all the people of Israel began to cry, 5 and that is why the place is called Bochim. There they offered sacrifices to the Lord.
The Death of Joshua
6 Joshua sent the people of Israel on their way, and each man went to take possession of his own share of the land. 7 As long as Joshua lived, the people of Israel served the Lord, and even after his death they continued to do so as long as the leaders were alive who had seen for themselves all the great things that the Lord had done for Israel. 8 The Lord's servant Joshua son of Nun died at the age of a hundred and ten. 9 He was buried in his own part of the land at Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim north of Mount Gaash. 10 That whole generation also died, and the next generation forgot the Lord and what he had done for Israel.
Israel Stops Worshiping the Lord
11 Then the people of Israel sinned against the Lord and began to serve the Baals. 12 They stopped worshiping the Lord, the God of their ancestors, the God who had brought them out of Egypt, and they began to worship other gods, the gods of the peoples around them. They bowed down to them and made the Lord angry. 13 They stopped worshiping the Lord and served the Baals and the Astartes. 14 And so the Lord became furious with Israel and let raiders attack and rob them. He let the enemies all around overpower them, and the Israelites could no longer protect themselves. 15 Every time they would go into battle, the Lord was against them, just as he had said he would be. They were in great distress.
16 Then the Lord gave the Israelites leaders who saved them from the raiders. 17 But the Israelites paid no attention to their leaders. Israel was unfaithful to the Lord and worshiped other gods. Their fathers had obeyed the Lord's commands, but this new generation soon stopped doing so. 18 Whenever the Lord gave Israel a leader, the Lord would help that leader and would save the people from their enemies as long as that leader lived. The Lord would have mercy on them because they groaned under their suffering and oppression. 19 But when the leader died, the people would return to the old ways and behave worse than the previous generation. They would serve and worship other gods, and stubbornly continue their own evil ways. 20 Then the Lord would become furious with Israel and say, “This nation has broken the covenant that I commanded their ancestors to keep. Because they have not obeyed me, 21 I will no longer drive out any of the nations that were still in the land when Joshua died. 22 I will use them to find out whether or not these Israelites will follow my ways, as their ancestors did.” 23 So the Lord allowed these nations to remain in the land; he did not give Joshua victory over them, nor did he drive them out soon after Joshua's death.
1 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. 2 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? 3 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. 4 And when the Angel of the Lord spake these wordes vnto all the children of Israel, the people lift vp their voyce, and wept. 5 Therefore they called the name of that place, Bochim, and offered sacrifices there vnto the Lord. 6 Now when Ioshua had sent the people away, the children of Israel went euery man into his inheritance, to possesse the land. 7 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. 8 But Ioshua the sonne of Nun the seruant of the Lord dyed, when he was an hundreth and ten yeeres olde: 9 And they buryed him in the coastes of his inheritance, in Timnath-heres in mount Ephraim, on the Northside of mount Gaash. 10 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. 11 Then the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the Lord, and serued Baalim, 12 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. 13 So they forsooke the Lord, and serued Baal, and Ashtaroth. 14 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. 15 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. 16 Notwithstanding, the Lord raysed vp Iudges, which deliuered them out of the hands of their oppressours. 17 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. 18 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) 19 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. 20 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, 21 Therefore will I no more cast out before them any of the nations, which Ioshua left when he dyed, 22 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. 23 So the Lord left those nations, and droue them not out immediatly, neither deliuered them into the hand of Ioshua.