1. The Lord left some nations in the land. He left them there in order to put the people of Israel to the test. He did it for all those who hadn't lived through any of the wars in Canaan.
2. He wanted to teach the men in Israel who had never been in battle before. He wanted them to learn how to fight.
3. So he left the five rulers of the Philistines. He left the people of Canaan and the people of Sidon. He left the Hivites who were living in the Lebanon mountains. They lived in the area that was between Mount Baal Hermon and Lebo Hamath.
4. The Lord left those nations where they were in order to put Israel to the test. He wanted to see whether they would obey his commands. He had given those commands through Moses to their people of long ago.
5. So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.
6. They got married to the daughters of those people. They gave their own daughters to the sons of those people. And they served the gods of those people.
7. The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God. They served the gods that were named after Baal. They also served the goddesses that were named after Asherah.
8. So the Lord's anger burned against Israel. He gave them over to the power of Cushan-Rishathaim. He was the king of Aram Naharaim. For eight years Israel was under his rule.
9. They cried out to the Lord. Then he gave them a man to save them. His name was Othniel, the son of Kenaz. He was Caleb's younger brother.
10. The Spirit of the Lord came on Othniel. So he became Israel's leader. He went to war. The Lord handed Cushan-Rishathaim, the king of Aram, over to him. Othniel overpowered him.
11. So the land was at peace for 40 years. Then Othniel, the son of Kenaz, died.