The Book of Judges

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 2 -

And an Angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to the Place of Weeping, and he said: “I led you away from Egypt, and I led you into the land, about which I swore to your fathers. And I promised that I would not nullify my covenant with you, even forever:(a)

but only if you would not form a pact with the inhabitants of this land. Instead, you should overturn their altars. Yet you were not willing to listen to my voice. Why have you done this?

For this reason, I am not willing to destroy them before your face, so that you may have enemies, and so that their gods may be your ruin.”

And when the Angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, they lifted up their voice, and they wept.

And the name of that place was called, the Place of Weeping, or the Place of Tears. And they immolated victims to the Lord in that place.

Joshua’s Death and Burial

(Joshua 24:29–33)

Then Joshua dismissed the people, and the sons of Israel went away, each one to his own possession, so that they might obtain it.(b)

And they served the Lord, during all his days, and during all the days of the elders, who lived for a long time after him, and who knew all the works of the Lord, which he had done for Israel.

Then Joshua, the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being one hundred and ten years old.

And they buried him in the parts of his possession at Timnath-Serah, on Mount Ephraim, before the northern side of Mount Gaash.

Israel’s Unfaithfulness

(Isaiah 43:22–28; Jeremiah 2:23–37)

And that entire generation was gathered to their fathers. And there rose up others, who had not known the Lord and the works that he had done for Israel.

And the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they served the Baals.

And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had led them away from the land of Egypt. And they followed foreign gods and the gods of the peoples who were living around them, and they adored them. And they provoked the Lord to wrath,(c)

forsaking him, and serving Baal and Ashtaroth.

And the Lord, having become angry against Israel, delivered them into the hands of plunderers, who seized them and sold them to the enemies that were living on all sides. Neither were they able to withstand their adversaries.

Instead, wherever they wanted to go, the hand of the Lord was upon them, just as he said and just as he swore to them. And they were greatly afflicted.

Judges Raised Up

And the Lord raised up judges, who would free them from the hands of their oppressors. But they were not willing to listen to them.

Fornicating with foreign gods and adoring them, they quickly deserted the way along which their fathers had advanced. And having heard the commandments of the Lord, they did all things to the contrary.

And while the Lord was raising up the judges, in their days, he was moved to mercy, and he listened to the groaning of the afflicted, and he freed them from the slaughter of their oppressors.

But after a judge had died, they turned back, and they were doing much worse things than their fathers had done, following strange gods, serving them, and adoring them. They did not abandon their pursuits and their very stubborn way, by which they were accustomed to walk.

And the fury of the Lord was enraged against Israel, and he said: “For this people has made void my covenant, which I had formed with their fathers, and they have despised listening to my voice.

And so, I will not destroy the nations that Joshua left behind when he died,

so that, by them, I may test Israel, as to whether or not they will keep the way of the Lord, and walk in it, just as their fathers kept it.”

Therefore, the Lord left all these nations, and he was not willing to quickly overthrow them, nor did he deliver them into the hands of Joshua.

Footnotes

(a)2:1 An angel:Taking the shape of a man.(Challoner)

(b)2:6 And Joshua, etc:This is here inserted out of Jos. 24, by way of recapitulation of what had happened before, and by way of an introduction to that which follows.(Challoner)

(c)2:12 They followed strange gods:What is here said of the children of Israel, as to their falling so often into idolatry, is to be understood of a great part of them; but not so universally, as if the true worship of God was ever quite abolished among them: for the succession of the true church and religion was kept up all this time by the priests and Levites, at least in the house of God in Silo.(Challoner)

The LORD’s angel came up from Gilgal to Bochim. He said, “I brought you out of Egypt, and have brought you to the land which I swore to give your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you.

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?

Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.’”

When the LORD’s angel spoke these words to all the children of Israel, the people lifted up their voice and wept.

They called the name of that place Bochim,(a) and they sacrificed there to the LORD.

Joshua’s Death and Burial

(Joshua 24:29–33)

Now when Joshua had sent the people away, the children of Israel each went to his inheritance to possess the land.

The people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of the LORD that he had worked for Israel.

Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being one hundred ten years old.

They buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath Heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash.

Israel’s Unfaithfulness

(Isaiah 43:22–28; Jeremiah 2:23–37)

After all that generation were gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who didn’t know the LORD, nor the work which he had done for Israel.

The children of Israel did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight, and served the Baals.

They abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them; and they provoked the LORD to anger.

They abandoned the LORD, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth.

The LORD’s anger burned against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies.

Wherever they went out, the LORD’s hand was against them for evil, as the LORD had spoken, and as the LORD had sworn to them; and they were very distressed.

Judges Raised Up

The LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them.

Yet they didn’t listen to their judges; for they prostituted themselves to other gods, and bowed themselves down to them. They quickly turned away from the way in which their fathers walked, obeying the LORD’s commandments. They didn’t do so.

When the LORD raised up judges for them, then the LORD was with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for it grieved the LORD because of their groaning by reason of those who oppressed them and troubled them.

But when the judge was dead, they turned back, and dealt more corruptly than their fathers in following other gods to serve them and to bow down to them. They didn’t cease what they were doing, or give up their stubborn ways.

The LORD’s anger burned against Israel; and he said, “Because this nation transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not listened to my voice,

I also will no longer drive out any of the nations that Joshua left when he died from before them;

that by them I may test Israel, to see if they will keep the LORD’s way to walk therein, as their fathers kept it, or not.”

So the LORD left those nations, without driving them out hastily. He didn’t deliver them into Joshua’s hand.

Footnotes

(a)2:5 “Bochim” means “weepers”.