| NET Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1The LORD's angelic messenger went up from Gilgal to Bokim. He said, "I brought you up from Egypt and led you into the land I had solemnly promised to give to your ancestors. I said, 'I will never break my agreement with you, | 1Some time later, the angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim and announced to Israel, "I brought you up from Egypt and led you into the land that I promised to your ancestors. I had told them, 'I'll never breach my covenant with you. |
| 2but you must not make an agreement with the people who live in this land. You should tear down the altars where they worship.' But you have disobeyed me. Why would you do such a thing? | 2As for you, you must not make any treaties with the inhabitants of this land. Instead, tear down their altars.' But you haven't obeyed me. What have you done? |
| 3At that time I also warned you, 'If you disobey, I will not drive out the Canaanites before you. They will ensnare you and their gods will lure you away.'" | 3Therefore I'm now saying, 'I won't expel them before you. Instead, they'll remain at your side, and their gods will ensnare you.'" |
| 4When the LORD's messenger finished speaking these words to all the Israelites, the people wept loudly. | 4Because the angel of the LORD said these things to all of the Israelis, the people wept out loud, |
| 5They named that place Bokim and offered sacrifices to the LORD there. | 5which is why they named the place Bochim. And there they sacrificed to the LORD. |
| 6When Joshua dismissed the people, the Israelites went to their allotted portions of territory, intending to take possession of the land. | 6After Joshua had dismissed the people, the Israelis returned to their respective inheritances to take possession of the land. |
| 7The people worshiped the LORD throughout Joshua's lifetime and as long as the elderly men who outlived him remained alive. These men had witnessed all the great things the LORD had done for Israel. | 7The people served the LORD during the entire lifetime of Joshua as well as the lifetimes of all the elders who outlived Joshua and who had observed all the great deeds that the LORD had done for Israel. |
| 8Joshua son of Nun, the LORD's servant, died at the age of one hundred ten. | 8But then Nun's son Joshua, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110 years. |
| 9The people buried him in his allotted land in Timnath Heres in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. | 9They buried him in Timnath-heres, within the boundaries of his inheritance in the mountainous region of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. |
| 10That entire generation passed away; a new generation grew up that had not personally experienced the LORD's presence or seen what he had done for Israel. | 10After that whole generation had died, another generation grew up after them that was not acquainted with the LORD or with what he had done for Israel. |
| 11The Israelites did evil before the LORD by worshiping the Baals. | 11So the Israelis practiced what the LORD considered to be evil by worshiping Canaanite deities. |
| 12They abandoned the LORD God of their ancestors who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods--the gods of the nations who lived around them. They worshiped them and made the LORD angry. | 12They abandoned the LORD God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods from among the gods of the peoples who surrounded them. They bowed down in worship of them, and by doing so angered the LORD. |
| 13They abandoned the LORD and worshiped Baal and the Ashtars. | 13As a result, they abandoned the LORD by serving both Baal and Ashtaroth. |
| 14The LORD was furious with Israel and handed them over to robbers who plundered them. He turned them over to their enemies who lived around them. They could not withstand their enemies' attacks. | 14So in his burning anger against Israel, the LORD gave them into the domination of marauders who plundered them. The enemies who surrounded the Israelis controlled them, and they were no longer able to withstand their adversaries. |
| 15Whenever they went out to fight, the LORD did them harm, just as he had warned and solemnly vowed he would do. They suffered greatly. | 15Wherever they went, the LORD worked against them to bring misfortune, just as the LORD had warned, and just as the LORD had promised them. As a result, they suffered greatly. |
| 16The LORD raised up leaders who delivered them from these robbers. | 16Then the LORD raised up leaders, who delivered Israel from domination by their marauders. |
| 17But they did not obey their leaders. Instead they prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned aside from the path their ancestors had walked. Their ancestors had obeyed the LORD's commands, but they did not. | 17But they didn't listen to their leaders, because they were committing spiritual immorality by following other gods and worshiping them. They quickly turned away from the road on which their ancestors had walked in obedience to the commands of the LORD. They didn't follow their example. |
| 18When the LORD raised up leaders for them, the LORD was with each leader and delivered the people from their enemies while the leader remained alive. The LORD felt sorry for them when they cried out in agony because of what their harsh oppressors did to them. | 18As a result, whenever the LORD raised up leaders for them, the LORD remained present with their leader, delivering Israel from the control of their enemies during the lifetime of that leader. The LORD was moved with compassion by their groaning that had been caused by those who were oppressing and persecuting them. |
| 19When a leader died, the next generation would again act more wickedly than the previous one. They would follow after other gods, worshiping them and bowing down to them. They did not give up their practices or their stubborn ways. | 19However, after the leader had died, they would relapse to a condition more corrupt than their ancestors, following other gods, serving them, and worshiping them. They would not abandon their activities or their obstinate lifestyles. |
| 20The LORD was furious with Israel. He said, "This nation has violated the terms of the agreement I made with their ancestors by disobeying me. | 20In his burning anger against Israel, the LORD said, "Because the people have transgressed my covenant that I commanded their ancestors to keep, and because they haven't obeyed me, |
| 21So I will no longer remove before them any of the nations that Joshua left unconquered when he died. | 21I'm also going to stop expelling any of the nations that remained after Joshua died. |
| 22Joshua left those nations to test Israel. I wanted to see whether or not the people would carefully walk in the path marked out by the LORD, as their ancestors were careful to do." | 22That way, I'll use them to demonstrate whether or not Israel will keep the LORD's lifestyle by walking on that road like their ancestors did." |
| 23This is why the LORD permitted these nations to remain and did not conquer them immediately; he did not hand them over to Joshua. | 23So the LORD caused those nations to remain and did not expel them quickly. He did not give them into Joshua's control. |
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