New Advent
 Home   Encyclopedia   Summa   Fathers   Bible   Library 
 A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z 
Home > Bible > Judges > Chapter 2
< BACK | NEXT >

Judges Chapter 2

An angel reproves Israel. They weep for their sins. After the death of Joshua, they often fall, and repenting are delivered from their afflictions, but still fall worse and worse.

English (Douay-Rheims)

1 And an angel of the Lord went up from Galgal to the place of weepers, and said: I made you go out of Egypt, and have brought you into the land for which I swore to your fathers: and I promised that I would not make void my covenant with you for ever: An angel... Taking the shape of a man. 2 On condition that you should not make a league with the inhabitants of this land, but should throw down their altars: and you would not hear my voice: why have you done this? 3 Wherefore I would not destroy them from before your face; that you may have enemies, and their gods may be your ruin. 4 And when the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the children of Israel: they lifted up their voice, and wept. 5 And the name of that place was called, The place of weepers, or of tears: and there they offered sacrifices to the Lord.

6 And Joshua sent away the people, and the children of Israel went every one to his own possession to hold it: And Josue, etc... This is here inserted out of Joshua 24, by way of recapitulation of what had happened before, and by way of an introduction to that which follows. 7 And they served the Lord all his days, and the days of the ancients, that lived a long time after him, and who knew all the works of the Lord, which he had done for Israel. 8 And Joshua, the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being a hundred and ten years old; 9 And they buried him in the borders of his possession in Thamnathsare, in Mount Ephraim, on the north side of Mount Gaas. 10 And all that generation was gathered to their fathers: and there arose others that knew not the Lord and the works which he had done for Israel.

11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they served Baalim, 12 And they left the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt: and they followed strange gods, and the gods of the people that dwelt round about them, and they adored them: and they provoked the Lord to anger, They followed strange gods... What is here said of the children of Israel, as to their falling so often into idolatry, is to be understood of a great part of them; but not so universally, as if the true worship of God was ever quite abolished among them: for the succession of the true church and religion was kept up all this time by the priests and Levites, at least in the house of God in Silo. 13 Forsaking him, and serving Baal and Astaroth 14 And the Lord being angry against Israel, delivered them into the hands of plunderers: who took them and sold them to their enemies, that dwelt round about: neither could they stand against their enemies: 15 But whithersoever they meant to go, the hand of the Lord was upon them, as he had said, and as he had sworn to them: and they were greatly distressed.

16 And the Lord raised up judges, to deliver them from the hands of those that oppressed them: but they would not hearken to them, 17 Committing fornication with strange gods, and adoring them. They quickly forsook the way, in which their fathers had walked: and hearing the commandments of the Lord, they did all things contrary. 18 And when the Lord raised them up judges, in their days, he was moved to mercy, and heard the groanings of the afflicted, and delivered them from the slaughter of the oppressors. 19 But after the judge was dead, they returned, and did much worse things than their fathers had done, following strange gods, serving them, and adoring them. They left not their own inventions, and the stubborn way, by which they were accustomed to walk. 20 And the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he said: Behold this nation hath made void my covenant, which I had made with their fathers, and hath despised to hearken to my voice: 21 I also will not destroy the nations which Joshua left when he died: 22 That through them I may try Israel, whether they will keep the way of the Lord, and walk in it, as their fathers kept it, or not. 23 The Lord therefore left all these nations, and would not quickly destroy them, neither did he deliver them into the hands of Joshua.

Latin (Clementine Vulgate)

1 Ascenditque angelus Domini de Galgalis ad Locum flentium, et ait: Eduxi vos de Ægypto, et introduxi in terram, pro qua juravi patribus vestris: et pollicitus sum ut non facerem irritum pactum meum vobiscum in sempiternum, 2 ita dumtaxat ut non feriretis fœdus cum habitatoribus terræ hujus, sed aras eorum subverteretis: et noluistis audire vocem meam: cur hoc fecistis? 3 Quam ob rem nolui delere eos a facie vestra: ut habeatis hostes, et dii eorum sint vobis in ruinam. 4 Cumque loqueretur angelus Domini hæc verba ad omnes filios Israël, elevaverunt ipsi vocem suam, et fleverunt. 5 Et vocatum est nomen loci illius, Locus flentium, sive lacrimarum: immolaveruntque ibi hostias Domini.

6 Dimisit ergo Josue populum, et abierunt filii Israël unusquisque in possessionem suam, ut obtinerent eam: 7 servieruntque Domino cunctis diebus ejus, et seniorum, qui longo post eum vixerunt tempore, et noverant omnia opera Domini quæ fecerat cum Israël. 8 Mortuus est autem Josue filius Nun, famulus Domini, centum et decem annorum, 9 et sepelierunt eum in finibus possessionis suæ in Thamnathsare in monte Ephraim, a septentrionali plaga montis Gaas. 10 Omnisque illa generatio congregata est ad patres suos: et surrexerunt alii, qui non noverant Dominum, et opera quæ fecerat cum Israël.

11 Feceruntque filii Israël malum in conspectu Domini, et servierunt Baalim. 12 Ac dimiserunt Dominum Deum patrum suorum, qui eduxerat eos de terra Ægypti, et secuti sunt deos alienos, deosque populorum, qui habitabant in circuitu eorum, et adoraverunt eos: et ad iracundiam concitaverunt Dominum, 13 dimittentes eum, et servientes Baal et Astaroth. 14 Iratusque Dominus contra Israël, tradidit eos in manus diripientium: qui ceperunt eos, et vendiderunt hostibus qui habitabant per gyrum: nec potuerunt resistere adversariis suis, 15 sed quocumque pergere voluissent, manus Domini super eos erat, sicut locutus est, et juravit eis, et vehementer afflicti sunt.

16 Suscitavitque Dominus judices, qui liberarent eos de vastantium manibus: sed nec eos audire voluerunt, 17 fornicantes cum diis alienis, et adorantes eos. Cito deseruerunt viam, per quam ingressi fuerant patres eorum: et audientes mandata Domini, omnia fecere contraria. 18 Cumque Dominus judices suscitaret, in diebus eorum flectebatur misericordia, et audiebat afflictorum gemitus, et liberabat eos de cæde vastantium. 19 Postquam autem mortuus esset judex, revertebantur, et multo faciebant pejora quam fecerant patres eorum, sequentes deos alienos, servientes eis, et adorantes illos. Non dimiserunt adinventiones suas, et viam durissimam per quam ambulare consueverunt. 20 Iratusque est furor Domini in Israël, et ait: Quia irritum fecit gens ista pactum meum, quod pepigeram cum patribus eorum, et vocem meam audire contempsit: 21 et ego non delebo gentes, quas dimisit Josue, et mortuus est: 22 ut in ipsis experiar Israël, utrum custodiant viam Domini, et ambulent in ea, sicut custodierunt patres eorum, an non. 23 Dimisit ergo Dominus omnes nationes has, et cito subvertere noluit, nec tradidit in manus Josue.

Copyright © 2008 by Kevin Knight. Dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

CONTACT US