3. "For a long time Israel didn't worship the true God. They didn't have a priest who taught them. So they didn't know God's law.
4. But when they were in trouble, they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel. When they did, they found him.
5. "In those days it wasn't safe to travel around. The people who lived in all of the areas of the land were having a lot of trouble.
6. One nation was crushing another. One city was crushing another. That's because God was causing them to suffer terribly.
7. "But be strong. Don't give up. God will reward you for your work."