The Angel of the Lord at Bokim
1The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land I swore to give to your ancestors. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, 2and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.’ Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this? 3And I have also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; they will become traps for you, and their gods will become snares to you.’ ”
4When the angel of the Lord had spoken these things to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud, 5and they called that place Bokim.2:5 Bokim means weepers. There they offered sacrifices to the Lord.
Disobedience and Defeat
6After Joshua had dismissed the Israelites, they went to take possession of the land, each to their own inheritance. 7The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.
8Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. 9And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Heres2:9 Also known as Timnath Serah (see Joshua 19:50 and 24:30) in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
10After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. 11Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. 12They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the Lord’s anger 13because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. 14In his anger against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist. 15Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.
16Then the Lord raised up judges,2:16 Or leaders; similarly in verses 17-19 who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. 17Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands. 18Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them. 19But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.
20Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and said, “Because this nation has violated the covenant I ordained for their ancestors and has not listened to me, 21I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. 22I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did.” 23The Lord had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua.
Malaika Wa Bwana Huko Bokimu
12:1 Mwa 16:7; Kum 11:30; Kut 20:2; Amu 6:8; Law 26:42-44; Kum 7:9Malaika wa Bwana akakwea kutoka Gilgali hadi Bokimu, naye akasema, “Niliwapandisha kutoka Misri na kuwaingiza katika nchi niliyoapa kuwapa baba zenu. Nikasema, ‘Kamwe sitalivunja Agano langu nanyi. 22:2 Kut 23:32; 34:12; Kum 7:2; Kut 23:24; 34:13; Kum 7:5; 2Nya 14:3; Yer 7:28Nanyi msifanye agano na watu wa nchi hii, bali mtazibomoa madhabahu yao.’ Lakini ninyi hamkunitii mimi. Kwa nini mmefanya jambo hili? 32:3 Yos 23:13; Hes 33:55; Kut 10:7; Za 106:36Sasa basi ninawaambia kuwa sitawafukuza watoke katikati yenu ila watakuwa miiba kwenu, nao miungu yao itakuwa tanzi kwenu.”
42:4 Mwa 27:38; Hes 25:6; 2Fal 17:13Malaika wa Bwana alipomaliza kusema mambo haya kwa Waisraeli wote, watu wakalia kwa sauti kuu. 5Wakapaita mahali pale Bokimu. Nao wakamtolea Bwana sadaka.
Kifo Cha Yoshua
6Baada ya Yoshua kuwapa watu ruhusa waende zao, Waisraeli wakaenda kwenye urithi wao wenyewe ili kumiliki nchi yao. 7Watu wakamtumikia Bwana siku zote za maisha ya Yoshua, na za hao wazee walioishi baada ya Yoshua kufa, waliokuwa wameona mambo makuu ambayo Bwana alikuwa ametenda kwa ajili ya Israeli.
8Yoshua mwana wa Nuni, mtumishi wa Bwana, akafa akiwa na umri wa miaka 110. 92:9 Yos 19:50Wakamzika katika nchi ya urithi wake, huko Timnath-Heresi2:9 Unajulikana pia kama Timnath-Sera, ona Yos 19:50; 24:30. katika nchi ya vilima ya Efraimu, kaskazini ya Mlima Gaashi.
102:10 1Nya 28:9; Kut 5:2; Gal 4:8Baada ya kizazi kile chote kukusanywa pamoja na baba zao, kikainuka kizazi kingine baada yao ambacho hakikumjua Bwana, wala matendo yale aliyokuwa ametenda kwa ajili ya Waisraeli. 112:11 1Fal 15:26; Amu 3:12; 4:1; 6:1; 3:7; 8:33; 1Fal 16:31; 22:53; 2Fal 10:18; 17:16Kwa hiyo Waisraeli wakatenda maovu machoni pa Bwana na kuwatumikia Mabaali. 122:12 Kum 32:12; Za 106:36; Kum 31:16; Amu 10:6; Hes 11:33; Kum 4:25; Za 78:5, 8; 106:40Wakamwacha Bwana, Mungu wa baba zao, aliyekuwa amewatoa katika nchi ya Misri. Wakaifuata na kuiabudu miungu mbalimbali ya mataifa yanayowazunguka. Wakamkasirisha Bwana, 132:13 1Sam 7:3; 1Fal 11:5, 33; 2Fal 23:13; Amu 3:7; 5:8; 6:25; 8:33; 10:6; 1Sam 31:10; Neh 9:26; Za 78:56; Yer 11:10kwa sababu walimwacha na kutumikia Baali na Maashtorethi. 142:14 Kum 31:17; Neh 9:27; Za 106:41; 44; 10; 89:41; Eze 34:8; Kum 32:30; Amu 3:8; Kum 28:25Hivyo hasira ya Bwana ikawaka juu ya Israeli, naye akawatia mikononi mwa wavamizi waliowateka nyara. Akawauza katika mikono ya adui zao pande zote, hivyo hawakuweza tena kuwazuia adui zao. 152:15 Rum 1:13; Ay 19:21; 5:5; 20:22; Za 32:4; Mwa 35:3; 2Sam 22:7; 2Nya 15:4; Za 18:6Popote Israeli walipotoka kwenda kupigana, mkono wa Bwana ulikuwa kinyume nao ili kuwashinda, kama vile alivyokuwa amewaapia. Nao wakawa katika taabu kubwa.
162:16 Rum 1; 1; 1Sam 4:18; 7:6, 15; 2Sam 7:11; 1Nya 17:10; Mdo 13:20; 1Sam 11:3; Za 106:43Ndipo Bwana akawainua waamuzi, ambao waliwaokoa katika mikono ya hao watu waliowashambulia. 172:17 Kut 34:15; Hes 15:39; Za 4:2; Neh 9:26; Za 106:36; Kum 9:12Lakini hawakuwasikiliza hata waamuzi wao, bali walifanya uasherati kwa kuifuata miungu mingine na kuiabudu. Waligeuka mara na kuiacha njia ambayo baba zao waliiendea, yaani, njia ya kutii amri za Bwana. 182:18 1Sam 7:3; 2Fal 13:5; Isa 19:20; 43:3, 11; 45:15, 21; 49:20; 60:16; 63:8; Hes 10:9; Kum 32:36; Kut 2:23Kila mara Bwana alipowainulia mwamuzi, Bwana alikuwa pamoja na huyo mwamuzi, naye aliwaokoa kutoka mikononi mwa adui zao kwa kipindi chote alichoishi yule mwamuzi. Kwa kuwa Bwana aliwahurumia kwa sababu ya kilio chao cha huzuni kwa ajili ya wale waliokuwa wakiwatesa na kuwataabisha. 192:19 Mwa 6:11; Kum 4:16; 32:17; Neh 9:2; Za 78:57; Yer 44:9; Amu 4:1; 8:33; Kut 32:9Lakini kila mara mwamuzi alipofariki, watu walirudia katika hali mbaya ya uovu zaidi kuliko baba zao, wakiifuata miungu mingine kuitumikia na kuiabudu. Walikataa kuacha matendo yao maovu na njia zao za ukaidi.
202:20 Kum 31:17; Yos 23:16; 7:11; 1Fal 17:15Kwa hiyo Bwana akawakasirikia sana Israeli na kusema, “Kwa kuwa taifa hili limevunja Agano lile nililofanya na baba zao na hawakunisikiliza, 212:21 Yos 23:5mimi nami sitafukuza taifa lolote ambalo Yoshua aliliacha alipofariki. 222:22 Mwa 22:1; Kut 15:25Nitayatumia ili nipate kuwapima Israeli na kuona kama wataishika njia ya Bwana na kuenenda katika hiyo kama njia baba zao walivyofanya.” 232:23 Amu 1:1Bwana alikuwa ameyaacha hayo mataifa yabaki; hakuyaondoa mara moja kwa kuyatia mikononi mwa Yoshua.
