17. Yet they didn’t listen to their judges; for they prostituted themselves to other gods, and bowed themselves down to them. They turned aside quickly out of the way in which their fathers walked, obeying Yahweh’s commandments. They didn’t do so.
18. When Yahweh raised up judges for them, then Yahweh was with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for it grieved Yahweh because of their groaning by reason of those who oppressed them and troubled them.
19. But when the judge was dead, they turned back, and dealt more corruptly than their fathers in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down to them. They didn’t cease what they were doing, or give up their stubborn ways.
20. Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel; and he said, “Because this nation transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not listened to my voice,
21. I also will no longer drive out any of the nations that Joshua left when he died from before them;
22. that by them I may test Israel, to see if they will keep the Yahweh’s way to walk therein, as their fathers kept it, or not.”
23. So Yahweh left those nations, without driving them out hastily. He didn’t deliver them into Joshua’s hand.