Judges - Chapter 2

2:1 The angel of Mar-Yah came up from Gilgal to Bochim. He said, "I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you to the land which I swore to your fathers; and I said, 'I will never break my covenant with you: 2:2 and 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? 2:3 Therefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be in your sides, and their deities shall be a snare to you."

2:4 It happened, when the angel of Mar-Yah spoke these words to all the B'nai Yisrael, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept. 2:5 They called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there to Mar-Yah. 2:6 Now when Yehoshua had sent the people away, the B'nai Yisrael went every man to his inheritance to possess the land. 2:7 The people served Mar-Yah all the days of Yehoshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Yehoshua, who had seen all the great work of Mar-Yah that he had worked for Yisrael. 2:8 Yehoshua the son of Nun, the servant of Mar-Yah, died.* 2:9 They buried him in the royal valley.* 2:10 Also all that generation were gathered to their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, who did not know Mar-Yah, nor yet the work which he had worked for Yisrael.

2:11 The B'nai Yisrael began to do that which was evil in the sight of Mar-Yah, and served the Baals; 2:12 and they forsook Mar-Yah, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed deities, of the deities of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them: and they brought upon their children the wrath of Mar-Yah. 2:13 They forsook Mar-Yah, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth.

2:14 The anger of Mar-Yah was kindled against Yisrael, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers who despoiled them; and he sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies. 2:15 Wherever they went out, the hand of Mar-Yah was against them for evil, as Mar-Yah had spoken, and as Mar-Yah had sworn to them: and they were very distressed. 2:16 Mar-Yah raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who despoiled them. 2:17 Yet they did not listen to their judges; for they played the prostitute after various deities, and bowed themselves down to them: they turned aside quickly out of the way in which their fathers walked, obeying the commandments of Mar-Yah. They did not do so. 2:18 When Mar-Yah raised them up judges, then Mar-Yah was with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it grieved Mar-Yah because of their groaning by reason of those who oppressed them and troubled them. 2:19 But it happened, when the judge was dead, that they turned back, and dealt more corruptly than their fathers, in following various deities to serve them, and to bow down to them; they did not cease from their doings, nor from their stubborn way. 2:20 The anger of Mar-Yah was kindled against Yisrael; and he said, "Because this nation have transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not listened to my voice; 2:21 I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations that Yehoshua left when he died; 2:22 that by them I may prove Yisrael, whether they will keep the way of Mar-Yah to walk therein, as their fathers kept it, or not." 2:23 So Mar-Yah left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Yehoshua.