The Angel of the Lord at Bochim
1 The angel of the Lord went from Gilgal to Bochim and said to the Israelites, “I took you out of Egypt and brought you to the land that I promised to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you. 2 You must not make any covenant with the people who live in this land. You must tear down their altars.’ But you have not done what I told you. You have done just the opposite! 3 So I tell you now that I will not drive these people out as you advance. They will be your enemies, and you will be trapped by the worship of their gods.” 4 When the angel had said this, all the people of Israel began to cry, 5 and that is why the place is called Bochim. There they offered sacrifices to the Lord.
The Death of Joshua
6 Joshua sent the people of Israel on their way, and each man went to take possession of his own share of the land. 7 As long as Joshua lived, the people of Israel served the Lord, and even after his death they continued to do so as long as the leaders were alive who had seen for themselves all the great things that the Lord had done for Israel. 8 The Lord's servant Joshua son of Nun died at the age of a hundred and ten. 9 He was buried in his own part of the land at Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim north of Mount Gaash. 10 That whole generation also died, and the next generation forgot the Lord and what he had done for Israel.
Israel Stops Worshiping the Lord
11 Then the people of Israel sinned against the Lord and began to serve the Baals. 12 They stopped worshiping the Lord, the God of their ancestors, the God who had brought them out of Egypt, and they began to worship other gods, the gods of the peoples around them. They bowed down to them and made the Lord angry. 13 They stopped worshiping the Lord and served the Baals and the Astartes. 14 And so the Lord became furious with Israel and let raiders attack and rob them. He let the enemies all around overpower them, and the Israelites could no longer protect themselves. 15 Every time they would go into battle, the Lord was against them, just as he had said he would be. They were in great distress.
16 Then the Lord gave the Israelites leaders who saved them from the raiders. 17 But the Israelites paid no attention to their leaders. Israel was unfaithful to the Lord and worshiped other gods. Their fathers had obeyed the Lord's commands, but this new generation soon stopped doing so. 18 Whenever the Lord gave Israel a leader, the Lord would help that leader and would save the people from their enemies as long as that leader lived. The Lord would have mercy on them because they groaned under their suffering and oppression. 19 But when the leader died, the people would return to the old ways and behave worse than the previous generation. They would serve and worship other gods, and stubbornly continue their own evil ways. 20 Then the Lord would become furious with Israel and say, “This nation has broken the covenant that I commanded their ancestors to keep. Because they have not obeyed me, 21 I will no longer drive out any of the nations that were still in the land when Joshua died. 22 I will use them to find out whether or not these Israelites will follow my ways, as their ancestors did.” 23 So the Lord allowed these nations to remain in the land; he did not give Joshua victory over them, nor did he drive them out soon after Joshua's death.
Israēla nepaklausība
1 Kunga eņģelis nāca augšup no Gilgālas uz Bohīmu un sacīja: “Es jūs izvedu no Ēģiptes un ievedu zemē, kuru zvērēdams esmu solījis jūsu tēviem, sacīdams: es nelauzīšu savu derību ar jums nemūžam, 2 bet jūs neslēdziet derību ar šīs zemes iedzīvotājiem! Viņu altāri jums jānojauc! – Tomēr jūs neesat klausījuši manu balsi! Kādēļ jūs tā darījāt?! 3 Tad arī es sacīju: es nedzīšu viņus projām no jums. Tie būs jums līdzās, un viņu dievi kļūs jums par slazdiem.” 4 Kad Kunga eņģelis bija runājis šos vārdus uz visiem Israēla dēliem, ļaudis sāka raudāt, 5 un šī vieta tika nosaukta: Bohīma . Tur viņi kāva upurus Kungam.
Jozuas nāve
(Joz 24:29–31)
6 Tad Jozua atlaida tautu, un Israēla dēli devās ikviens uz savu mantojuma daļu, lai iegūtu īpašumā šo zemi. 7 Tauta kalpoja Kungam visu Jozuas dzīves laiku un visu to vecajo dzīves laiku, kuri pārdzīvoja Jozuu un bija redzējuši visus Kunga lielos darbus, ko viņš darīja Israēlam. 8 Kunga kalps Jozua, Nūna dēls, nomira simts desmit gadu vecs 9 un tika apbedīts savā mantotajā novadā Timnat-Heresā , Efraima kalnos uz ziemeļiem no Gaašas kalna. 10 Arī visa šī paaudze tika piepulcināta tēviem, un pēc viņiem cēlās cita paaudze, kas nepazina Kungu, nedz arī tos darbus, ko viņš bija darījis Israēlam.
Israēla neuzticība
11 Tad Israēla dēli darīja to, kas ļauns Kunga acīs, – vergoja baāliem. 12 Viņi atmeta Kungu, savu tēvu Dievu, kas tos bija izvedis no Ēģiptes zemes, un dzinās pēc citiem dieviem – apkārtējo tautu dieviem – un zemojās tiem, tā sadusmodami Kungu. 13 Viņi atmeta Kungu, vergodami vergoja Baalam un aštartēm. 14 Tad Kunga dusmas iedegās pret Israēlu, un viņš tos nodeva laupītājiem, kuri tos aplaupīja, un viņš tos pārdeva apkārtējiem ienaidniekiem, ka tie vairs nevarēja pastāvēt savu ienaidnieku priekšā. 15 Visur, kur tie devās, Kunga roka bija pret viņiem uz ļaunu, kā Kungs bija sacījis un kā Kungs bija tiem zvērējis, un tie bija lielos spaidos. 16 Tad Kungs lika celties soģiem, kas tos izglāba no laupītāju rokām. 17 Bet arī savus soģus viņi neklausīja, jo nodevās maucībai ar citiem dieviem, zemojās tiem un jo drīz novērsās no ceļa, ko bija staigājuši viņu tēvi, kuri klausīja Kunga baušļus, – bet viņi tā nedarīja. 18 Kad Kungs lika viņu vidū celties soģiem, tad Kungs bija ar šo soģi, un viņš tos izpestīja no ienaidnieku rokas visas šī soģa dienas, jo Kungs iežēlojās par viņu vaidiem apspiedēju un nomācēju priekšā. 19 Bet, tiklīdz soģis nomira, viņi griezās atpakaļ un atkal bija izvirtušāki par saviem tēviem, dzinās pakaļ citiem dieviem, lai tiem vergotu un tiem zemotos. Viņi neatmeta neko no saviem darbiem un savas stūrgalvības. 20 Tad Kunga dusmas iedegās pret Israēlu, un viņš teica: “Tāpēc ka šie ļaudis ir aizgājuši no manas derības, ko es pavēlēju viņu tēviem, un nav klausījuši manu balsi, 21 arī es nevienu no tām tautām, ko Jozua nomirdams ir atstājis, vairs nedzīšu prom no viņiem, 22 lai tā pārbaudītu Israēlu – vai tie ievēros Kunga ceļu, staigādami pa to, kā to darījuši viņu tēvi, vai ne.” 23 Tā Kungs atstāja šīs tautas un neizdzina tās tūlīt, un neatdeva tās Jozuas rokā.