17. Yet they listened not to their judges, for they prostituted themselves after other gods and bowed down to them. They quickly turned aside from the way in which their fathers walked in obeying the commandments of Adonai; they did not do so.
18. Whenever Adonai raised judges up for them, Adonai was with the judge and delivered them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For Adonai was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed and crushed them.
19. But when the judge died, they would keep turning back and acted more corruptly than their fathers, in following other gods, worshipping them, and bowing down to them. They abandoned none of their practices and stubborn ways.
20. So the anger of Adonai burned against Israel, and He declared, “Since this nation has transgressed My covenant that I commanded their fathers and has not listened to My voice,
21. I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died,
22. in order to test Israel by them, whether or not they will keep the way of Adonai to walk in it as their fathers did.”
23. So Adonai left those nations, without driving them out quickly. Thus so He had not given them into the hand of Joshua.