Judges 2:16-23 ▼

16 And YHWH raises up judges, and they save them from the hand of their spoilers;

17 and they have also not listened to their judges, but have gone whoring after other gods, and bow themselves to them; they have turned aside [with] haste out of the way [in] which their fathers walked to obey the commands of YHWH—they have not done so.

18 And when YHWH raised up judges for them—then YHWH was with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all [the] days of the judge; for YHWH sighs, because of their groaning from the presence of their oppressors, and of those thrusting them away.

19 And it has come to pass, when the judge dies—they turn back and have done corruptly above their fathers, to go after other gods, to serve them, and to bow themselves to them; they have not fallen from their doings, and from their stiff way.

20 And the anger of YHWH burns against Israel, and He says, “Because that this nation has transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not listened to My voice—

21 I also do not continue to dispossess any from before them of the nations which Joshua has left when he dies,

22 in order to try Israel by them, whether they are keeping the way of YHWH, to go in it, as their fathers kept [it], or not.”

23 And YHWH leaves these nations, so as not to dispossess them quickly, and did not give them into the hand of Joshua.