1 耶和华的使者从吉甲上到波金来， 说： "我曾经把你们从埃及领上来， 带你们到我向你们列祖起誓应许的地方； 我曾说过： ‘我永不废弃我与你们所立的约； 2 你们不可与这地的居民立约， 要拆毁他们的祭坛。’你们竟没有听从我的话； 你们作的是什么呢？ 3 因此我又说： ‘我必不把他们从你们面前赶走， 他们要作你们的敌人， 他们的神要作你们的网罗。’" 4 耶和华的使者对以色列众人说这些话的时候， 众人就放声大哭。 5 于是给那地方起名叫波金； 他们在那里向耶和华献祭。 6 约书亚遣散了众人， 以色列人就各归自己承受的地业， 要占有那地。 7 约书亚在世的时候， 以及他去世以后， 那些见过耶和华为以色列人所行的大事的众长老还在的日子， 众人都事奉耶和华。 8 耶和华的仆人， 嫩的儿子约书亚， 在一百一十岁的时候就死了。 9 以色列人把他埋葬在他地业的境内， 就是以法莲山地， 在迦实山北面的亭拿．希烈。 10 那一代的人都归到他们的列祖那里以后， 有另一代的人兴起来了； 他们不认识耶和华， 也不知道耶和华为以色列人所行的事。 11 以色列人行了耶和华看为恶的事， 去事奉众巴力； 12 他们离弃了领他们出埃及的耶和华、他们列祖的 神， 去跟从别的神， 就是他们周围各族的神， 敬拜他们， 惹耶和华发怒。 13 他们离弃了耶和华， 去事奉巴力和亚斯他录。 14 耶和华的怒气向以色列人发作， 就把他们交在抢掠的人手中， 他们就抢掠他们； 他又把他们完全交在他们四围的仇敌手中， 以致他们在仇敌面前再不能站立得住。 15 他们无论去哪里， 耶和华的手总是加害他们， 好像耶和华说过的， 又像耶和华对他们起誓过的； 他们就非常困苦。 16 耶和华兴起了士师， 士师就拯救他们脱离抢掠他们的人的手。 17 但他们连士师也不听从， 竟与别的神行了奸淫， 敬拜他们； 他们迅速偏离了他们列祖所行、听从耶和华命令的道路， 他们没有照样行。 18 耶和华为他们兴起士师的时候， 耶和华就与那士师同在； 那士师在世的日子， 耶和华总是拯救他们脱离仇敌的手； 因为他们在压迫和苦害他们的人底下发出哀声， 耶和华就怜悯他们。 19 可是士师死了以后， 他们就转而行恶， 比他们的列祖更厉害， 去随从别的神， 事奉和敬拜他们， 总不放弃他们的恶行和顽梗的行径。 20 于是耶和华的怒气向以色列人发作， 说： "因为这国的人违背我吩咐他们列祖的约， 不听从我的话， 21 因此， 约书亚死后仍剩下来的列国， 我也不再从他们面前赶走， 22 为要借着他们试验以色列人， 看他们肯不肯谨守遵行耶和华的道路， 像他们的列祖一样谨守。" 23 这样， 耶和华留下这些国的民， 不迅速把他们赶走， 也不把他们交在约书亚手里。

1 And a messenger of Jehovah goeth up from Gilgal unto Bochim,2 and saith, `I cause you to come up out of Egypt, and bring you in unto the land which I have sworn to your fathers, and say, I do not break My covenant with you to the age; and ye -- ye make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land -- their altars ye break down; and ye have not hearkened to My voice -- what [is] this ye have done?3 And I also have said, I do not cast them out from your presence, and they have been to you for adversaries, and their gods are to you for a snare.`4 And it cometh to pass, when the messenger of Jehovah speaketh these words unto all the sons of Israel, that the people lift up their voice and weep,5 and they call the name of that place Bochim, and sacrifice there to Jehovah.6 And Joshua sendeth the people away, and the sons of Israel go, each to his inheritance, to possess the land;7 and the people serve Jehovah all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who prolonged days after Joshua, who saw all the great work of Jehovah which He did to Israel.8 And Joshua son of Nun, servant of Jehovah, dieth, a son of a hundred and ten years,9 and they bury him in the border of his inheritance, in Timnath-Heres, in the hill-country of Ephraim, on the north of mount Gaash;10 and also all that generation have been gathered unto their fathers, and another generation riseth after them who have not known Jehovah, and even the work which He hath done to Israel.11 And the sons of Israel do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, and serve the Baalim,12 and forsake Jehovah, God of their fathers, who bringeth them out from the land of Egypt, and go after other gods (of the gods of the peoples who [are] round about them), and bow themselves to them, and provoke Jehovah,13 yea, they forsake Jehovah, and do service to Baal and to Ashtaroth.14 And the anger of Jehovah burneth against Israel, and He giveth them into the hand of spoilers, and they spoil them, and He selleth them into the hand of their enemies round about, and they have not been able any more to stand before their enemies;15 in every [place] where they have gone out, the hand of Jehovah hath been against them for evil, as Jehovah hath spoken, and as Jehovah hath sworn to them, and they are distressed -- greatly.16 And Jehovah raiseth up judges, and they save them from the hand of their spoilers;17 and also unto their judges they have not hearkened, but have gone a-whoring after other gods, and bow themselves to them; they have turned aside [with] haste out of the way [in] which their fathers walked to obey the commands of Jehovah -- they have not done so.18 And when Jehovah raised up to them judges -- then was Jehovah with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for it repenteth Jehovah, because of their groaning from the presence of their oppressors, and of those thrusting them away.19 And it hath come to pass, at the death of the judge -- they turn back and have done corruptly above their fathers, to go after other gods, to serve them, and to bow themselves to them; they have not fallen from their doings, and from their stiff way.20 And the anger of Jehovah doth burn against Israel, and He saith, `Because that this nation have transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened to My voice --21 I also continue not to dispossess any from before them of the nations which Joshua hath left when he dieth,22 in order to try Israel by them, whether they are keeping the way of Jehovah, to go in it, as their fathers kept [it] or not.`23 And Jehovah leaveth these nations, so as not to dispossess them hastily, and did not give them into the hand of Joshua.