1 And the angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, I brought you up out of Egypt and caused you to enter into the land which I swore unto your fathers, and I said, I will never break my covenant with you
2 as long as ye make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; to the contrary, ye shall throw down their altars, but ye have not heard my voice; why have ye done this?
3 Therefore, I also said, I will not drive them out from before you, but they shall be [as thorns] in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.
4 And when the angel of the LORD spoke these words unto all the sons of Israel the people lifted up their voice, and wept.
5 And they called the name of that place Bochim, and they sacrificed there unto the LORD.
6 For Joshua had let the people go, and the sons of Israel had each gone unto his inheritance to possess the land.
7 And the people had served the LORD all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua who had seen all the great works of the LORD that he had done with Israel.
8 And Joshua, the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, [being] one hundred and ten years old.
9 And they buried him within the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres in the mount of Ephraim on the north side of the mount of Gaash.
10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers, and there arose another generation after them which did not know the LORD nor the work which he had done to Israel.
11 And the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baalim.
12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the peoples that [were] round about them, and bowed themselves unto them and provoked the LORD to anger.
13 And they forsook the LORD and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies.
15 Wherever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said and as the LORD had sworn unto them; and thus they were greatly distressed.
16 Nevertheless, the LORD raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.
17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they fornicated after other gods and bowed themselves unto them; they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers had walked hearing the commandments of the LORD; [but they] did not do so.
18 And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of that judge; for the LORD repented because of their groanings by reason of those that oppressed them and afflicted them.
19 But when the judge was dead, [then] they would return, and corrupt [themselves] more than their fathers in following other gods to serve them and to bow down unto them; they did not diminish from their own doings nor from their stubborn way.
20 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he said, Because these people transgress my covenant which I commanded their fathers and do not hearken unto my voice;
21 neither will I drive out any longer from before them any of these Gentiles which Joshua left when he died,
22 that through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD by walking therein as their fathers kept [it], or not.
23 Therefore, the LORD left those Gentiles, without driving them out hastily; neither did he deliver them into the hand of Joshua.: