Judges 2:11–3:6
11 The ⌊Israelites⌋n did evil in the eyes of Yahweh, and ⌊they served⌋o the Baals. 12 They abandoned Yahweh the God of their ancestors,p who brought them out from the land of Egypt. They ⌊followed⌋q other gods from the gods of the people who were around them; and they bowed down to them, and they provoked the anger of Yahweh. 13 They abandoned Yahweh, and they served Baal and the Ashtaroth. 14 So ⌊the anger of Yahweh was kindled⌋r against Israel, and he gave them into the hand of plunderers; and they plundered them, and he sold them into the hand of their enemies from all sides. They were unable to withstand their enemies any longer. 15 ⌊Whenever⌋s they went out, the hand of Yahweh was against them to harm them, just as Yahweh warned, and just as Yahweh had sworn to them. And ⌊they were very distressed⌋.t
16 Then Yahweh raised up leaders,u and they delivered them from the hand of their plunderers. 17 But they did not listen to their leaders,v but lusted after other gods and bowed down to them. They turned away quickly from the way that their ancestorsw went, who had obeyed the commandment of Yahweh; they did not do as their ancestors. 18 And when Yahweh raised leadersx for them, Yahweh was with the leader,y and he delivered them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the leader,z for Yahweh was moved by their groaning because of their persecutors and oppressors. 19 But when the leadera died they relapsed and acted corruptly, more than their ancestors,b following other gods, serving them,c and bowing down to them. They would not give up their deeds or their stubborn ways. 20 ⌊So the anger of Yahweh burned⌋d against Israel, and he said, “Because this people transgressed my covenant that I commanded their ancestors,e and have not obeyed my voice, 21 I will not again drive out anyone from before them from the nations that Joshua left when he died, 22 in order to test Israel whether or not they would observe the way of Yahweh, to walk in it just as their ancestorsf did.” 23 So Yahweh left those nations; he did not drive them out at once, and he did not give them into the hand of Joshua.
Some Nations Remain in the Land
3 These are the nations that Yahweh left, to test Israel by them (that is, to test all those who ⌊had not experienced⌋a any of the wars of Canaan, 2 in order that the generations of Israel would know war, to teach those ⌊who had not experienced it⌋b before): 3 the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites,c the Sidonians,d and the Hivitese living on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon up to Lebo-Hamath. 4 They were left for testing Israel, to know whether they would keep the commands of Yahweh that he commanded their ancestorsf through the hand of Moses. 5 And the ⌊Israelites⌋g lived in the midst of the Canaanites,h the Hittites,i the Amorites,j the Perizzites,k the Hivites,l and the Jebusites.m 6 And they took their daughters as wives for themselves, and they gave their daughters to their sons, and they served their gods.n