11 Then the Israelites did evilg in the eyes of the Lordh and served the Baals.i 12 They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various godsj of the peoples around them.k They arousedl the Lord’s angerm 13 because they forsookn him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.o 14 In his angerp against Israel the Lord gave them into the handsq of raiders who plunderedr them. He sold thems into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist.t 15 Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against themu to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.v

16 Then the Lord raised up judges,c w who savedx them out of the hands of these raiders. 17 Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostitutedy themselves to other godsz and worshiped them.a They quickly turnedb from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands.c 18 Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and savedd them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relentede because of their groaningf under those who oppressed and afflictedg them. 19 But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupth than those of their ancestors,i following other gods and serving and worshiping them.j They refused to give up their evil practices and stubbornk ways.