Judges 2:12-19

2:12 They abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors ¹  who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods – the gods of the nations who lived around them. They worshiped ²  them and made the Lord angry. 2:13 They abandoned the Lord and worshiped Baal and the Ashtars. ³ 

2:14 The Lord was furious with Israel ⁴  and handed them over to robbers who plundered them. ⁵  He turned them over to ⁶  their enemies who lived around them. They could not withstand their enemies’ attacks. ⁷  2:15 Whenever they went out to fight, ⁸  the Lord did them harm, ⁹  just as he had warned and solemnly vowed he would do. ¹⁰  They suffered greatly. ¹¹ 

2:16 The Lord raised up leaders ¹²  who delivered them from these robbers. ¹³  2:17 But they did not obey ¹⁴  their leaders. Instead they prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped ¹⁵  them. They quickly turned aside from the path ¹⁶  their ancestors ¹⁷  had walked. Their ancestors had obeyed the Lord’s commands, but they did not. ¹⁸  2:18 When the Lord raised up leaders for them, the Lord was with each leader and delivered the people ¹⁹  from their enemies while the leader remained alive. The Lord felt sorry for them ²⁰  when they cried out in agony because of what their harsh oppressors did to them. ²¹  2:19 When a leader died, the next generation ²²  would again ²³  act more wickedly than the previous one. ²⁴  They would follow after other gods, worshiping them ²⁵  and bowing down to them. They did not give up ²⁶  their practices or their stubborn ways.

[2:12]  ¹ tn Or “fathers.”

[2:12]  ² tn Or “bowed before” (the same expression occurs in the following verse).

[2:13]  ³ tn Some English translations simply transliterate the plural Hebrew term (“Ashtaroth,” cf. NAB, NASB), pluralize the transliterated Hebrew singular form (“Ashtoreths,” cf. NIV), or use a variation of the name (“Astartes,” cf. NRSV).

[2:14]  ⁴ tn Or “The Lord’s anger burned [or “raged”] against Israel.”

[2:14]  ⁵ tn Heb “robbers who robbed them.” (The verb שָׁסָה [shasah] appears twice in the verse.)

[2:14]  ⁶ tn Heb “sold them into the hands of.”

[2:14]  ⁷ tn The word “attacks” is supplied in the translation both for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[2:15]  ⁸ tn The expression “to fight” is interpretive.

[2:15]  ⁹ tn Heb “the Lord’s hand was against them for harm.”

[2:15]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “just as he had said and just as he had sworn to them.”

[2:15]  ¹¹ tn Or “they experienced great distress.”

[2:16]  ¹² tn Or more traditionally, “judges” (also in vv. 17, 18 [3x], 19). Since these figures carried out more than a judicial function, also serving as rulers and (in several instances) as military commanders, the translation uses the term “leaders.”

[2:16]  ¹³ tn Heb “and they delivered them from the hand of the ones robbing them.”

[2:17]  ¹⁴ tn Or “did not listen to.”

[2:17]  ¹⁵ tn Or “bowed before.”

[2:17]  ¹⁶ tn Or “way [of life].”

[2:17]  ¹⁷ tn Or “fathers.”

[2:17]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “…walked, obeying the Lord’s commands. They did not do this.”

[2:18]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:18]  ²⁰ tn The phrase “for them” is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[2:18]  ²¹ tn Heb “the ones oppressing them and afflicting them.” The synonyms “oppressing” and “afflicting” are joined together in the translation as “harsh oppressors” to emphasize the cruel character of their enemies.

[2:19]  ²² tn Heb “they”; the referent (the next generation) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:19]  ²³ tn The verb שׁוּב (shuv, “to return; to turn”) is sometimes translated “turn back” here, but it is probably used in an adverbial sense, indicating that the main action (“act wickedly”) is being repeated.

[2:19]  ²⁴ tn Heb “their fathers.”

[2:19]  ²⁵ tn Or “serving [them]”; or “following [them].”

[2:19]  ²⁶ tn Or “drop.”