The Israelites again did evil in the sight of YAHWEH, worshiping the Baals and the Ashtaroths, the gods of Aram, Sidon, Moab, and Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines. Because Israel entirely abandoned the worship of YAHWEH, YAHWEH became furious with Israel, and he handed them over to the oppression of the Philistines and the Ammonites. They crushed and oppressed all the Israelites for eighteen years. They ruled over all the Israelites living east of the Jordan in Gilead, in the land of the Amorites. The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan and fought against the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim, leaving Israel distressed.
Then the Israelites desperately cried out to YAHWEH, “We have sinned against you because we have abandoned our God and have worshiped the Baals.”
YAHWEH answered them, “Did I not rescue you in the past from the power of the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Midianites? When they swept over you and oppressed you and when you cried out in desperation to me, did I not deliver you and set you free from their power? Because you have abandoned me to serve false gods, I am no longer coming to your rescue! Go ahead and pray all you want to these new gods you have chosen. Let’s see if they will come and deliver you in your time of trouble!”
But the Israelites continued to plead with YAHWEH, “Rescue us! We know we are guilty. You can do to us whatever seems good to you, but please, come to our rescue!” So they threw away the false gods from among them and returned to worshiping YAHWEH. At last, YAHWEH felt Israel’s misery and could bear it no longer.
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