1The angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bokim. There he said to the Israelites, ‘I brought you up out of Egypt. I led you into this land. It is the land I promised to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. At that time I said, “I will never break the covenant I made with you.2So you must not make a covenant with the people of this land. Instead, you must tear down their altars.” But you have disobeyed me. Why did you do it?3I have said something else. I said, “I will not drive out those people to make room for you. They and their gods will become traps for you.” ’4The angel of the LORD spoke these things to all the Israelites. Then the people wept out loud.5So that place was called Bokim. The people offered sacrifices there to the LORD.
The people disobey the Lordand lose their battles
6Joshua sent the Israelites away. Then they went to take over the land. All of them went to their own shares of land.7The people served the LORD as long as Joshua lived. They also served him as long as the elders lived. Those were the elders who lived longer than Joshua did. They had seen all the great things the LORD had done for Israel.8Joshua, the servant of the LORD, died. He was the son of Nun. He was 110 years old when he died.9His people buried him on his own property at Timnath Heres. It’s north of Mount Gaash in the hill country of Ephraim.10All the people of Joshua’s time joined the members of their families who had already died. Then those who were born after them grew up. They didn’t know the LORD and what he had done for Israel.11The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. They served gods that were named Baal.12They deserted the LORD, the God of their people. He had brought them out of Egypt. But now the Israelites served other gods and worshipped them. They served the gods of the nations that were around them. They made the LORD angry13because they deserted him. They served Baal. They also served female gods that were named Ashtoreth.14The LORD became angry with the Israelites. So he handed them over to robbers. The robbers stole everything from them. The LORD handed the Israelites over to their enemies all around them. Israel wasn’t able to fight against them anymore and win.15When the Israelites went out to fight, the LORD’s power was against them. He let their enemies win the battle over them. The LORD had warned them that it would happen. And now they were suffering terribly.16Then the LORD gave them leaders. The leaders saved them from the power of those robbers.17But the people wouldn’t listen to their leaders. They weren’t faithful to the LORD. They served other gods and worshipped them. They didn’t obey the LORD’s commands as their people before them had done. They quickly turned away from the path their people had taken.18When the LORD gave them a leader, he was with that leader. The LORD saved the people from the power of their enemies. He did it as long as the leader lived. The LORD felt very sorry for the people. They groaned because of what their enemies did to them. Their enemies treated them badly.19But when the leader died, the people returned to their evil ways. The things they did were even more sinful than the things their people before them had done. They served other gods and worshipped them. They refused to give up their evil practices. They wouldn’t change their stubborn ways.20So the LORD became very angry with the Israelites. He said, ‘This nation has broken my covenant. I made it with their people of long ago. But this nation has not listened to me.21Joshua left some nations in the land when he died. I will no longer drive out those nations to make room for Israel.22I will use those nations to test Israel. I will see whether Israel will live the way I, the LORD, want them to. I will see whether they will be like their people of long ago. I will see whether they will follow my path.’23The LORD had let those nations remain in the land. He didn’t drive them out right away. He didn’t hand them over to Joshua.
1En dag kom Herrens ängel upp från Gilgal till Bokim och talade till Israels folk: "Jag förde er ut ur Egypten och in i det land som jag lovat era förfäder, och jag sa att jag aldrig skulle bryta mitt förbund med er,2om ni å er sida inte ingick några fredsfördrag med folken som bodde i landet. Jag uppmanade er att riva ner deras avgudaaltaren, men varför har ni varit olydiga?3Jag ska inte längre hjälpa er att driva bort folken som bor här i landet. I stället ska de göra livet surt för er, och deras gudar ska bli en ständig frestelse för er."4När ängeln slutat tala började folket att gråta högt.5Därför fick platsen heta Bokim, som betyder 'Platsen där folket grät'. Där offrade de till Herren.
Josua dör
6När Josua upplöste trupperna i Israel, hade de olika stammarna begett sig till sina respektive områden för att ta dem i besittning.7-9Gudsmannen Josua dog vid 110 års ålder och begravdes på sitt eget landområde i Timnat-Heres i Efraims berglandskap, norr om berget Gaas. Folket hade varit troget mot Herren under hela Josuas livstid och förblev det så länge de gamla männen i den generationen levde. Det var dessa män som hade sett alla de märkliga ting Herren hade gjort för Israel.
Folket börjar tillbe avgudar
10Efter dem växte det upp en generation som varken kände Herren, eller visste vad han gjort för Israel.11De gjorde mycket som Herren uttryckligen hade förbjudit, bland annat att tillbe Baal, kananeernas gud.12-14De vände sig bort från Herren, den Gud som deras förfäder hade älskat och tillbett och som hade fört dem ut ur Egypten, och började i stället att tillbe grannfolkens avgudar. Därför flammade Herrens vrede upp mot hela Israel. Han överlämnade dem till deras fiender, därför att de hade övergett honom för Baal och Astarterna.15När Israel drog ut i strid mot sina fiender stängde Herren vägen för dem. Han hade tidigare varnat Israel och sagt att han inte skulle hjälpa dem om de övergav honom.16Men han utsåg domare bland folket, som skulle rädda dem från deras fiender.17Men folket brydde sig inte heller om att lyssna till domarna utan fortsatte att bryta mot Herrens bud och att tillbe avgudar. De avfärdade mycket snart sina fäders tro och vägrade att följa Herren.18Varje domare räddade under sin livstid Israels folk från dess fiender, för Herren tyckte synd om dem när de jämrade sig över det förtryck de fick utstå. Därför hjälpte han dem så länge domaren levde,19men så snart domaren var död slutade de upp att göra det som var rätt och handlade värre än deras förfäder hade gjort. De började på nytt tillbe hedningarnas gudar och tog efter de hedniska grannfolkens seder.20Då blossade Herrens vrede upp mot Israel igen, och han förklarade: "Eftersom detta folk har brutit det förbund jag upprättade med deras förfäder,21ska inte heller jag längre driva bort de fiender som fortfarande var obesegrade när Josua dog.22I stället ska jag använda dessa nationer för att pröva mitt folk och se om det vill lyda mig, som deras förfäder gjorde."23Herren lät alltså den tidigare befolkningen bo kvar i landet.