Judges 2:11–23

¹¹And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim: ¹²and they ^lforsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed ^mother gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and ⁿbowed themselves unto them, and ^oprovoked the Lord to anger. ¹³And they forsook the Lord, and ^pserved Baal and Ashtaroth. ¹⁴And ^qthe anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he ^rdelivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and ^she sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they ^tcould not any longer stand before their enemies. ¹⁵Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had said, and ^uas the Lord had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed. ¹⁶Nevertheless ^xthe Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. ¹⁷And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they ^ywent a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: ^zthey turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the Lord; but they did not so. ¹⁸And when the Lord raised them up judges, then ^athe Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for ^bit repented the Lord because of their ^cgroanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them. ¹⁹And it came to pass, ^dwhen the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way. ²⁰And ^ethe anger of the Lord was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath ^ftransgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice; ^21gI also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died: ²²that ^hthrough them I may ⁱprove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not. ²³Therefore the Lord left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.

III.