Folkets frafald efter Josvas død
1Herrens engel drog op fra Gilgal og kom til israelitterne med følgende budskab: „Jeg førte jer fra Egypten til det land, jeg lovede jeres forfædre, og jeg forsikrede jer, at jeg aldrig ville bryde min pagt med jer. 2I måtte til gengæld ikke slutte fred med landets indbyggere, men derimod sørge for at ødelægge deres afgudsaltre. Hvorfor har I nu været ulydige og ikke overholdt jeres del af pagten? 3Fordi I har gjort det, vil jeg ikke længere drive de folk ud, som bor i jeres land. De vil være en torn i øjet på jer, og de vil lokke jer til at dyrke deres guder.”
4Da englen havde talt, brast israelitterne i gråd, 5og derfor kaldte man det sted for Bokim.2,5 Bokim betyder „de grædende”. Derefter bragte de ofre til Herren.
6Efter at Josva havde opløst den forenede hær, var stammerne rejst hver til sit område for at bosætte sig. 7I hele Josvas levetid havde folket adlydt Herren, og det fortsatte de med, så længe den generation var i live, der havde oplevet alle de undere, Herren havde gjort for Israel. 8Josva, Guds tjener, døde i en alder af 110 år 9og blev begravet på sin arvelod i Timnat-Heres i Efraims højland nord for Ga’ashbjerget.
10Efterhånden som hele den generation uddøde, blev den afløst af en ny generation, som hverken kendte Herren eller huskede de undere, han havde gjort for Israel, 11og de gjorde, hvad der var ondt i Herrens øjne og dyrkede afguderne. 12-13De vendte sig fra Herren, den Gud, som deres forfædre havde tilbedt, og som havde ført dem ud af Egypten, og dyrkede i stedet Ba’al og de andre afguder, som nabofolkene dyrkede. 14Derfor blussede Herrens vrede op imod Israel, så han udleverede dem til deres fjender, der kom fra alle sider og hærgede og plyndrede deres land. 15Når Israels folk gik til kamp imod deres fjender, hjalp Herren fjenderne med at besejre dem—nøjagtig sådan som han havde lovet. På den måde kom folket i stor nød. 16Så greb Herren ind og gav dem ledere—de såkaldte dommere—der skulle redde dem fra deres fjender.
17Men folket ville heller ikke adlyde deres befriere. De fortsatte med at være troløse imod Herren og med at tilbede andre guder. De fulgte således ikke deres forfædres levevis, for de adlød ikke længere Herrens bud. 18Alligevel var det sådan, at når Herren gav folket en befrier, så var han med den befrier, så længe han levede, og reddede folket fra deres fjender, for Herren havde medynk med sit forpinte folk, som jamrede, når de blev undertrykt af fjenderne. 19Men når befrieren så døde, genoptog folket deres onde levevis og gjorde værre ting end deres forfædre. De dyrkede igen fremmede guder, tilbad dem og bøjede sig for dem, og de nægtede at ændre deres onde adfærd og stædige holdning.
20Så blussede Herrens vrede igen op imod Israel, og han erklærede: „Fordi mit folk har brudt den pagt, jeg oprettede med deres forfædre og ignoreret mine befalinger, 21vil jeg ikke længere hjælpe dem med at fordrive de folkeslag, Josva ikke nåede at besejre, før han døde. 22I stedet vil jeg bruge fjenderne til at sætte dem på prøve og se, om de vil vende sig til mig og adlyde mig, sådan som deres forfædre gjorde.”
23Det var grunden til, at Herren lod de forskellige folkeslag blive boende og ikke udryddede dem med det samme ved at give Josva sejr over dem.
1And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.2.1 angel: or, messenger 2And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this? 3Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you. 4And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept. 5And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the LORD.2.5 Bochim: that is, Weepers
6¶ And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land. 7And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel.2.7 outlived: Heb. prolonged days after 8And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old. 9And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.2.9 Timnath-heres: also called, Timnath-serah 10And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.
11¶ And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: 12And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger. 13And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.
14¶ And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could 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 as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
16¶ Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.2.16 delivered: Heb. saved 17And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they 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 the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them. 19And it came to pass, when 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.2.19 corrupted…: or, were corrupt2.19 ceased…: Heb. let nothing fall of their
20¶ And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice; 21I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died: 22That through them I may prove 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.2.23 left: or, suffered
