1Certo dia, o anjo do SENHOR chegou a Boquim, vindo de Gilgal, e fez este anúncio ao povo de Israel: “Tirei-vos do Egito, trouxe-vos para esta terra que prometi aos vossos antepassados e garanti-vos que nunca quebraria a aliança que fiz convosco na condição de, da vossa parte,2não fazerem qualquer espécie de tratado com os povos que vivem aqui; disse-vos que deveriam destruir os altares destas gentes. Porque não obedeceram?3Agora, visto que quebraram a aliança feita comigo, esta deixou de ter efeito, e já não prometo destruir as nações que vivem nesta terra; pelo contrário, elas serão como espinhos na carne; os seus deuses tornar-se-ão uma armadilha fatal para vocês.”4O povo começou a lamentar-se e a chorar, quando o anjo do SENHOR acabou de falar.5Por isso, o nome daquele lugar ficou a chamar-se Boquim (eles choram). Então ofereceram sacrifícios ao SENHOR.
Josué morre
6Quando Josué finalmente licenciou os exércitos de Israel, cada tribo foi para os seus novos territórios e tomaram posse das terras que lhes tinham sido doadas.7O povo permaneceu fiel ao SENHOR durante o tempo de vida de Josué, e também enquanto viveram aqueles anciãos da sua geração que tinham visto os poderosos milagres feitos pelo SENHOR a favor de Israel.8Josué, o homem de Deus, morreu com a idade de 110 anos;9foi enterrado no limite da sua propriedade em Timenate-Heres, nas colinas de Efraim, a norte do monte Gaás.
Desobediência e derrota
10Contudo, essa geração acabou por morrer; veio depois outra que ignorou o SENHOR e tudo o que tinha feito por Israel.11O povo de Israel fez o que era mau aos olhos do SENHOR, incluindo a adoração aos ídolos de Baal.12Abandonaram o SENHOR, o Deus dos seus antepassados, que os tinha arrancado do Egito e puseram-se a prestar adoração aos ídolos das nações vizinhas. Por isso, a ira do SENHOR acendeu-se contra Israel.13Os israelitas afastaram-se do SENHOR e puseram-se a adorar a Baal e os ídolos astarotes.14Isto fez com que o SENHOR ardesse de ira contra Israel. Então entregou-os nas mãos de salteadores que roubaram as suas propriedades. Entregou-os nas mãos dos seus inimigos ao seu redor e eles já não foram capazes de lhes resistir.15Assim, sempre que a nação de Israel saía, o SENHOR dificultava-lhes a ação. Tinha-os avisado disso mesmo; tinha-lhes até prometido que o faria. Mas quando o povo se encontrava em grande aperto,16o SENHOR fazia levantarem-se juízes para os livrar dos inimigos.17Mesmo assim, Israel não quis ouvir esses juízes, pondo-se a adorar outros deuses. Bem depressa se desviaram da verdadeira fé dos seus pais, pois recusaram obedecer aos mandamentos do SENHOR.18Cada juiz salvava o povo de Israel dos seus inimigos, enquanto vivia, porque o SENHOR se apiedava com o clamor do povo sob o peso da opressão; e assim os ajudava enquanto o juiz vivia.19Mas quando este morria, deixavam de viver com justiça e faziam ainda pior do que os seus pais. Dirigiam novamente preces aos ídolos pagãos, lançando-se ao chão em atitudes de humilde adoração. Voltavam obstinadamente aos hábitos malvados das nações que se situavam à sua volta.20Então a ira do SENHOR tornava a acender-se contra Israel e declarava: “Visto que este povo violou a aliança que fiz com os seus antecessores e não me obedeceu,21nunca mais expulsarei as nações que Josué deixou por conquistar quando morreu.22Pelo contrário, usarei estas nações para testar o meu povo, para me certificar se obedecem ao SENHOR como fizeram os seus pais.”23Foi assim que o SENHOR não expulsou os povos que não tinha entregado nas mãos de Josué, antes permitiu que lá permanecessem.
1Now the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, (Gn 17:7; Ex 6:4; Dt 31:16; Jz 2:5)2and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? (Dt 7:2; Dt 12:3)3So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” (Nm 33:55; Js 23:13; Jz 2:21)4As soon as the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the people of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept.5And they called the name of that place Bochim.[1] And they sacrificed there to the Lord.
The Death of Joshua
6When Joshua dismissed the people, the people of Israel went each to his inheritance to take possession of the land.7And 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 that the Lord had done for Israel. (Js 24:29)8And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110 years.9And they buried him within the boundaries of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash. (Js 19:50; Js 24:33)10And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.
Israel’s Unfaithfulness
11And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. (Jz 3:7; Jz 4:1; Jz 6:1; Jz 10:6; Jz 13:1)12And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger. (Ex 20:5; Dt 6:14; Dt 31:16; Dt 31:29; Jz 2:17; Jz 2:19)13They abandoned the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. (Jz 3:7; Jz 10:6; 1 Sm 7:4; Sl 106:36)14So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. (Lv 26:37; Dt 32:30; Js 7:12; Jz 2:20; Jz 3:8; Jz 4:2; 1 Sm 12:9; 2 Rs 17:20)15Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them for harm, as the Lord had warned, and as the Lord had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress. (Lv 26:14; Dt 28:15)
The Lord Raises Up Judges
16Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them. (Jz 3:9; Jz 3:15; Jz 3:31; Jz 10:1; Jz 10:12; Jz 12:2; Jz 13:5; 1 Sm 12:11; Ne 9:27; At 13:20)17Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord, and they did not do so. (Ex 34:15; Dt 9:12; Jz 8:33)18Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them. (Gn 6:6; Ex 2:24; Ex 6:5; Nm 23:19; Dt 32:36; Js 1:5; Sl 106:45; Jr 18:8; Jr 26:3)19But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways. (Jz 3:12; Jz 4:1; Jz 6:1; Jz 8:33)20So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he said, “Because this people have transgressed my covenant that I commanded their fathers and have not obeyed my voice, (Dt 17:2; Js 23:16; Jz 2:14)21I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died, (Js 23:13; Jz 2:3)22in order to test Israel by them, whether they will take care to walk in the way of the Lord as their fathers did, or not.” (Ex 15:25; Dt 8:2; Dt 8:16; Dt 13:3; Jz 3:1; Jz 3:4)23So the Lord left those nations, not driving them out quickly, and he did not give them into the hand of Joshua.