CHAPTER 2
1 And the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to the place of Weepers (or And the angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim), and said, I led you out of Egypt, and I brought you into the land, for which I swore to your fathers, and promised, that I
should not make void my covenant with you into without end;
2 so only that ye should not smite (a) bond of peace with the dwellers of this land, and that ye destroy their altars; and you would not hear my voice. Why did ye (do) these things? (so only that ye should not make a covenant with the people of this land, and that ye destroy their altars; but you would not listen to me. Why did ye do this?)
3 Wherefore I would not do them away from your face (or And so I shall not take them away from you), (so) that ye have them (as) enemies, and that their gods be to you into falling.
4 And when the angel of the Lord spake these words to all the sons of Israel, they raised [up] their voice, and wept; (And when the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the Israelites, they raised up their voice, and wept;)
5 and the name of the place was called, the place of Weepers, either of tears; and they offered there sacrifices to the Lord. (and so the name of that place was called Bochim, or Tears; and they made sacrifices, or offerings, there to the Lord.)
6 Then Joshua let go the people; and the sons of Israel went forth, each man into his possession, that they should get it. (Then Joshua let the people go; and the Israelites went forth, each man to get, or to take, his possession.)
7 And they served the Lord in all the days of Joshua, and of the elder men that lived after him long time, and knew all the great works of the Lord, which he had done with Israel. (And they served the Lord in all the days of Joshua, and of the elders who lived a long time after him, and who knew of all the great works of the Lord, which he had done for Israel.)
8 Forsooth Joshua, [the] son of Nun, [the] servant of the Lord, was dead of an hundred years and ten; (But then Joshua, the son of Nun, the Lord’s servant, died, when he was a hundred and ten years old;)
9 and they buried him in the ends of his possession, in Timnath of Heres, in the hill (country) of Ephraim, at the north coast of the hill Gaash (or on the north side of Mount Gaash).
10 And all that generation was gathered to their fathers; and other men of Israel rose up, that knew not the Lord, and the works which he had done with Israel. (And all that generation died; and other men rose up, who did not know the Lord, and the works which he had done for Israel.)
11 And the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they served Baalim and Ashtaroth; (And the Israelites did evil before the Lord, and they served the Baalim and the Ashtaroth;)
12 and forsook the Lord God of their fathers, that led them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed alien gods, the gods of peoples, that dwelled in the compass of them, and worshipped those gods, and they stirred the Lord to great wrath, (and deserted the Lord God of their fathers, who led them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed foreign, or other, gods, the gods of the peoples, who lived all around them, and they worshipped those gods, and they stirred the Lord to great anger,)
13 and they forsook him, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
14 And the Lord was wroth against Israel, and he betook them into the hands of ravishers, the which took them, and sold them to enemies, that dwelled by compass (or who lived all around them); and they might not against-stand their adversaries;
15 but whither ever they would go, the hand of the Lord was on them, that is, to torment them, as he spake and swore to them; and they were tormented greatly. (but wherever they went, the Lord’s hand was against them,to torment them, as he had said, and had sworn to them, that he would do; and they were greatly tormented.)
16 And the Lord raised judges, that delivered them from the hands of destroyers, (And then the Lord raised up judges, who delivered them from the hands of their destroyers,)
17 but they would not hear them, and they did fornication, that is, idolatry, with alien gods, and worshipped them. Soon they forsook the way, by which their fathers entered; and they heard the commandments of the Lord, and did all things contrary. (but they would not listen to them, and they did fornication, that is, idolatry, with foreign, or other, gods, and worshipped them. And soon they deserted the way, by which their fathers went; and they heard the commandments of the Lord, but they did all things to the contrary.)
18 And when the Lord raised up judges in their days, he was bowed by mercy, and he heard the wailings of them that were tormented, and he delivered them from the slaying of their destroyers.
19 Soothly after that the judge was dead, they turned again, and did many things greater in evil than their fathers did; and they followed alien gods, and served them, and worshipped them; they left not their own findings, and the hardest way by which they were wont to go. (But after that the judge died, they returned to their old ways, and did many things even greater in evil than what their fathers did; and they followed foreign, or other, gods, and served them, and worshipped them; they did not cease from doing whatever they wanted to do, and the stubborn, or willful, ways by which they were wont to go.)
20 And the strong vengeance of the Lord was wroth against Israel, and he said, For this people hath made void my covenant which I covenanted with their fathers, and (for they) have despised to hear my voice;
21 also I shall not do away the folks, which Joshua left, and was dead; (yea, I shall not do away the nations, which Joshua left alive, when he died;)
22 that in them I assay Israel (or so that through them I can test Israel), (to see) whether they keep the way of the Lord, and go therein, as their fathers kept it, either nay.
23 Therefore the Lord left alive all these nations, and he would not destroy them soon (or and he would not soon destroy them), neither he betook them into the hands of Joshua.