The Angel of the Lord Warns Israel at Bokim
1The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim. There he said to the Israelites, “I brought you up out of Egypt. I led you into this land. It is the land I promised to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. At that time I said, ‘I will never break the covenant I made with you. 2So you must not make a covenant with the people of this land. Instead, you must tear down their altars.’ But you have disobeyed me. Why did you do it? 3I have said something else. I said, ‘I will not drive out those people to make room for you. They and their gods will become traps for you.’ ”
4The angel of the Lord spoke these things to all the Israelites. Then the people wept out loud. 5So that place was called Bokim. The people offered sacrifices there to the Lord.
The People Disobey the Lord and Lose Their Battles
6Joshua sent the Israelites away. Then they went to take over the land. All of them went to their own shares of land. 7The people served the Lord as long as Joshua lived. They also served him as long as the elders lived. Those were the elders who lived longer than Joshua did. They had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.
8Joshua, the servant of the Lord, died. He was the son of Nun. He was 110 years old when he died. 9His people buried him on his own property at Timnath Heres. It’s north of Mount Gaash in the hill country of Ephraim.
10All the people of Joshua’s time joined the members of their families who had already died. Then those who were born after them grew up. They didn’t know the Lord and what he had done for Israel. 11The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They served gods that were named Baal. 12They deserted the Lord, the God of their people. He had brought them out of Egypt. But now the Israelites served other gods and worshiped them. They served the gods of the nations that were around them. They made the Lord angry 13because they deserted him. They served Baal. They also served female gods that were named Ashtoreth. 14The Lord became angry with the Israelites. So he handed them over to robbers. The robbers stole everything from them. The Lord handed the Israelites over to their enemies all around them. Israel wasn’t able to fight against them anymore and win. 15When the Israelites went out to fight, the Lord’s power was against them. He let their enemies win the battle over them. The Lord had warned them that it would happen. And now they were suffering terribly.
16Then the Lord gave them leaders. The leaders saved them from the power of those robbers. 17But the people wouldn’t listen to their leaders. They weren’t faithful to the Lord. They served other gods and worshiped them. They didn’t obey the Lord’s commands as their people before them had done. They quickly turned away from the path their people had taken. 18When the Lord gave them a leader, he was with that leader. The Lord saved the people from the power of their enemies. He did it as long as the leader lived. The Lord felt very sorry for the people. They groaned because of what their enemies did to them. Their enemies treated them badly. 19But when the leader died, the people returned to their evil ways. The things they did were even more sinful than the things their people before them had done. They served other gods and worshiped them. They refused to give up their evil practices. They wouldn’t change their stubborn ways.
20So the Lord became very angry with the Israelites. He said, “This nation has broken my covenant. I made it with their people of long ago. But this nation has not listened to me. 21Joshua left some nations in the land when he died. I will no longer drive out those nations to make room for Israel. 22I will use those nations to test Israel. I will see whether Israel will live the way I, the Lord, want them to. I will see whether they will be like their people of long ago. I will see whether they will follow my path.” 23The Lord had let those nations remain in the land. He didn’t drive them out right away. He didn’t hand them over to Joshua.
12:1 a Bal 6:11 b nny 5 c Kuv 20:2 d Lub 17:8 e Lv 26:42-44; Ma 7:9Awo Malayika wa Mukama n’ava e Bokimu n’ajja e Girugaali, n’agamba nti, “Nabaggya mu nsi y’e Misiri ne mbaleeta mu nsi gye nalayira okuwa bajjajjammwe; ne ŋŋamba nti, ‘Endagaano yange gye nalagaana nammwe sirigimenya emirembe gyonna; 22:2 a Kuv 23:32; 34:12; Ma 7:2 b Kuv 34:13nammwe temukolanga ndagaano n’abantu ab’omu nsi eyo: museseggulanga ebyoto byabwe.’ Naye mmwe temugondedde kiragiro kyange: Kiki ekibakozesezza bwe mutyo? 32:3 a Yos 23:13 b Kbl 33:55 c Ma 7:16; Bal 3:6; Zab 106:36Kaakano kyenva ŋŋamba nti, ‘Siibafubutule mu maaso gammwe, naye banaaba balabe bammwe ne bakatonda baabwe banaaba nkonge gye muli.’ ”
4Malayika wa Mukama bwe yamala okugamba Abayisirayiri bonna ebigambo bino ne balyoka batema emiranga. 5Ekifo ekyo ne bakituuma erinnya Bokimu; ne baweera eyo Ssaddaaka eri Mukama.
6Awo Yoswa bwe yamala okulagira Abayisirayiri baabuke, buli omu ku bo n’agenda okugabana ekitundu kye yasuubizibwa. 7Abayisirayiri ne baweerezanga Mukama mu kiseera kyonna ekya Yoswa era ne mu kiseera kyonna eky’abakulembeze abaawangaala okusinga Yoswa era abaalaba ebikolwa eby’amaanyi Mukama bye yakolera Abayisirayiri.
8Awo omuweereza wa Mukama Yoswa mutabani wa Nuuni n’afa. We yafiira ng’aweza emyaka kikumi mu kkumi. 92:9 Yos 19:50Ne bamuziika e Timunasukeresi mu kitundu kye yagabana mu nsi ya Efulayimu ey’ensozi mu bukiika obwa kkono obw’olusozi Gaasi.
102:10 Kuv 5:2; 1Sa 2:12; 1By 28:9; Bag 4:8Awo ab’omulembe gwa Yoswa bonna bwe baafa ne baggwaawo ne waddawo omulembe gw’abataamanya Mukama yadde ebikolwa eby’amaanyi bye yakolera Abayisirayiri. 112:11 a Bal 3:12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6 b Bal 3:7; 8:33Abayisirayiri ne bakola ebibi mu maaso ga Mukama era ne basinza Babayaali. 122:12 a Zab 106:36 b Ma 31:16; Bal 10:6Ne banyiiza Mukama kubanga baagoberera era ne basinza bakatonda abalala abamawanga agaali gabeetoolodde ne beerabira Mukama Katonda wa bajjajjaabwe eyabaggya mu nsi ye Misiri. 132:13 Bal 10:6Ne bava ku Mukama ne basinza ba Baali ne Asutoleesi. 142:14 a Ma 31:17 b Zab 106:41 c Ma 32:30; Bal 3:8 d Ma 28:25Mukama n’asunguwalira nnyo Abayisirayiri: Kyeyava abawaayo mu mikono gy’abanyazi ne babanyanga era ne batasobola na kwerwanako okuva mu mikono gy’abalabe baabwe ababeetoolodde kubanga Mukama yali amaze okubawaayo. 15Buli gye baatabaalanga ne bawangulwa kubanga Mukama yabavaako olw’ekibi kyabwe nga bwe yabalayirira; ne bawotookerera nnyo.
162:16 a Bik 13:20 b Zab 106:43Mukama n’abawa abakulembeze abaabalwaniriranga ne babawonya abanyazi. 172:17 a Kuv 34:15 b nny 7Naye tebaawuliriza bakulembeze baabwe ne bagoberera era ne basinza bakatonda abalala. Tebaakola nga bajjajjaabwe abaagobereranga n’okuwuliranga ebiragiro bya Mukama. 182:18 a Ma 32:36; Yos 1:5 b Zab 106:44Buli Mukama lwe yabawanga omukulembeze yamuyambanga era n’anunulanga Abayisirayiri okuva mu mikono gy’abalabe baabwe ekiseera eky’omukulembeze oyo. Olw’okusindanga n’okweraliikirizibwa abalabe baabwe abaabajooganga, Mukama kyeyava abakwatirwa ekisa. 192:19 a Bal 3:12 b Bal 4:1; 8:33Naye omukulembeze olwafanga ne baddamu okweyisanga obubi okukira ne bajjajjaabwe, ne bagobereranga ne baweerezanga era n’okuvuunamiranga bakatonda abalala ne banywerera ku mpisa zaabwe embi olw’emputtu yaabwe.
202:20 nny 14; Yos 23:16Mukama n’asunguwalira nnyo Abayisirayiri n’agamba nti, “Olw’okuba nga abantu bano bamenye endagaano gye nalagaana ne bajjajjaabwe, so tebagondedde ddoboozi lyange, 212:21 Yos 23:13siifubutule mu maaso gaabwe wadde eggwanga n’erimu ku ago Yoswa ge yafa bawangudde. 222:22 Ma 8:2, 16; Bal 3:1, 14Wabula nzija kukozesa amawanga gano okugezesa Abayisirayiri okulaba obanga banaafaayo okunywerera mu kkubo lya Mukama nga bajjajjaabwe bwe baakola, oba nedda.” 23Bw’atyo Mukama n’aleka amawanga gali mu nsi eyo, n’atagawaayo mu mikono gya Yoswa yadde okugafubutula mu nsi eyo nga Yoswa yaakafa.
