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.
Ang Anghel ng Panginoon sa Bokim
1Pumunta ang anghel ng Panginoon sa Bokim mula sa Gilgal. At sinabi niya sa mga Israelita, ito ang ipinapasabi ng Panginoon: “Inilabas ko kayo sa Egipto at dinala dito sa lupain na ipinangako ko sa inyong mga ninuno. Sinabi ko noon na hindi ko sisirain ang kasunduan ko sa inyo. 2Sinabi ko rin na huwag kayong gagawa ng kasunduan sa mga tao sa lupaing ito kundi gibain nʼyo ang mga altar nila. Pero ano ang ginawa ninyo? Hindi nʼyo ako sinunod! 3Kaya ngayon, hindi ko sila itataboy sa lupain ninyo. Magiging parang tinik sila sa daraanan ninyo at ang mga dios nila ay magiging parang bitag sa inyo.”
4Nang marinig ito ng mga Israelita, humagulgol sila. 5Kaya tinawag nilang Bokim2:5 Bokim: Ang ibig sabihin, mga umiiyak. ang lugar na iyon. At doon sila naghandog sa Panginoon.
6Nang pinauwi na ni Josue ang mga Israelita, umalis sila upang angkinin ang lupain na nakalaan para sa kanila. 7At naglingkod sila sa Panginoon habang nabubuhay si Josue. At kahit namatay na siya, patuloy pa rin silang naglingkod sa Panginoon habang nabubuhay ang mga tagapamahala ng Israel na nakakita ng lahat ng kahanga-hangang ginawa ng Panginoon para sa Israel. 8Ang lingkod ng Panginoon na si Josue na anak ni Nun ay namatay sa edad na 110. 9Inilibing siya sa kanyang lupain doon sa Timnat Heres, sa kabundukan ng Efraim, sa hilaga ng Bundok ng Gaas.
Huminto ang mga Israelita sa Paglilingkod sa Panginoon
10Nang mamatay ang mga tao sa henerasyong iyon, ang sumunod na salinlahi ay hindi nakikilala ang Panginoon, maging ang mga ginawa niya para sa Israel. 11Gumawa ng kasamaan ang mga Israelita sa paningin ng Panginoon at naglingkod sa mga imahen ni Baal. 12Itinakwil nila ang Panginoon, ang Dios ng kanilang mga ninuno, na siyang naglabas sa kanila sa Egipto. Sinunod nila at sinamba ang ibaʼt ibang dios ng mga tao sa paligid nila. Nagalit ang Panginoon, 13dahil itinakwil siya ng mga ito at naglingkod kay Baal at kay Ashtoret. 14Dahil sa galit ng Panginoon sa Israel, pinabayaan niyang lusubin sila ng mga tulisan para samsamin ang kanilang mga ari-arian. Pinabayaan din sila ng Panginoon na matalo ng mga kaaway nila sa paligid at hindi na nila makayanang ipagtanggol ang kanilang sarili. 15Kapag nakikipaglaban sila, pinapatalo sila ng Panginoon, tulad ng sinabi niya. Kaya labis silang nahirapan.
16Ngayon, binigyan ng Panginoon ang Israel ng mga pinuno2:16 pinuno: Sa ibang mga salin, hukom. Pero hindi sila mga hukom (judges) lang, kundi sila ay mga pinakapinuno sa buong Israel dahil wala pang mga hari noon. na magliligtas sa kanila mula sa mga tulisan. 17Pero hindi nila pinansin ang kanilang mga pinuno. Sa halip, tumalikod sila sa Panginoon at sumamba sa ibang mga dios. Hindi sila katulad ng kanilang mga ninuno. Napakadali nilang tumalikod sa mga utos ng Dios na sinunod noon ng mga ninuno nila. 18Ang lahat na pinunong ibinigay ng Panginoon sa kanila ay tinulungan niya. At habang buhay ang pinuno nila, inililigtas sila ng Panginoon sa kanilang mga kaaway. Sapagkat naaawa siya sa kanila dahil sa mga pagtitiis nila sa mga nanggigipit at nagpapahirap sa kanila. 19Pero kapag namatay na ang pinuno, bumabalik na naman sila sa masasama nilang gawa. Muli silang naglilingkod at sumasamba sa ibang mga dios mas masahol pa sa pagkakasala ng kanilang mga ninuno. Ayaw nilang talikuran ang masasamang gawain nila at ang katigasan ng kanilang mga ulo.
20Kaya lalo pang nagalit ang Panginoon sa kanila. Sinabi ng Panginoon, “Dahil nilabag ng bansang ito ang kasunduan ko sa kanilang mga ninuno, at hindi nila ako sinunod, 21hindi ko itataboy ang natirang mga bansa na hindi nasakop ni bago siya namatay. 22Gagamitin ko ang mga bansang ito para subukin ang mga Israelita kung talagang tutuparin nila ang aking mga utos katulad ng kanilang mga ninuno.” 23Ito ang dahilan kung bakit hindi agad itinaboy ng Panginoon ang natirang mga bansa at hindi niya pinahintulutang matalo ito ni Josue.
