17. But they wouldn’t even obey their own leaders because they were unfaithful, following other gods and worshipping them. They quickly deviated from the way of their ancestors, who had obeyed the Lord’s commands, and didn’t follow their example.
18. The Lord was moved by Israel’s groaning under those who oppressed and crushed them. So the Lord would raise up leaders for them, and the Lord would be with the leader, and he would rescue Israel from the power of their enemies as long as that leader lived.
19. But then when the leader died, they would once again act in ways that weren’t as good as their ancestors’, going after other gods, to serve them and to worship them. They wouldn’t drop their bad practices or hardheaded ways.
20. So the Lord became angry with Israel and said, "Because this nation has violated my covenant that I required of their ancestors and hasn’t obeyed me,
21. I in turn will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died."
22. As a test for Israel, to see whether they would carefully walk in the Lord’s ways just as their ancestors had done,
23. the Lord left these nations instead of driving them out immediately or handing them over to Joshua.