17But still they would not give ear to their judges, but went after other gods and gave them worship; quickly turning from the way in which their fathers had gone, keeping the orders of the Lord; but they did not do so.
18And whenever the Lord gave them judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and was their saviour from the hands of their haters all the days of the judge; for the Lord was moved by their cries of grief because of those who were cruel to them.
19But whenever the judge was dead, they went back and did more evil than their fathers, going after other gods, to be their servants and their worshippers; giving up nothing of their sins and their hard-hearted ways.
20And the wrath of the Lord was burning against Israel, and he said, Because this nation has not been true to my agreement which I made with their fathers, and has not given ear to my voice;
21From now on I will not go on driving out from before them any of the nations which at the death of Joshua were still living in this land;
22In order to put Israel to the test, and see if they will keep the way of the Lord, walking in it as their fathers did, or not.
23So the Lord let those nations go on living in the land, not driving them out quickly, and did not give them up into the hands of Joshua.
