2:11 The Israelites did evil before 10 the Lord by worshiping 11 the Baals. 2:12 They abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors 12 who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods – the gods of the nations who lived around them. They worshiped 13 them and made the Lord angry. 2:13 They abandoned the Lord and worshiped Baal and the Ashtars. 14
2:14 The Lord was furious with Israel 15 and handed them over to robbers who plundered them. 16 He turned them over to 17 their enemies who lived around them. They could not withstand their enemies’ attacks. 18 2:15 Whenever they went out to fight, 19 the Lord did them harm, 20 just as he had warned and solemnly vowed he would do. 21 They suffered greatly. 22
2:16 The Lord raised up leaders 23 who delivered them from these robbers. 24 2:17 But they did not obey 25 their leaders. Instead they prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped 26 them. They quickly turned aside from the path 27 their ancestors 28 had walked. Their ancestors had obeyed the Lord’s commands, but they did not. 29 2:18 When the Lord raised up leaders for them, the Lord was with each leader and delivered the people 30 from their enemies while the leader remained alive. The Lord felt sorry for them 31 when they cried out in agony because of what their harsh oppressors did to them. 32 2:19 When a leader died, the next generation 33 would again 34 act more wickedly than the previous one. 35 They would follow after other gods, worshiping them 36 and bowing down to them. They did not give up 37 their practices or their stubborn ways.