2:1 上主的使者从基耳加耳上到波津说：「我使你们由埃及上来，领你们进入了我向你们祖先所誓许的地方；我曾说过：我永不废弃我与你们所立的盟约，
An angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, "It was I who brought you up from Egypt and led you into the land which I promised on oath to your fathers. I said that I would never break my covenant with you, 2:2 你们也不可与这地方的居民结约，且要拆毁他们的祭坛。但你们没有听从我的声音；你们这是作的什么事﹖
but that you were not to make a pact with the inhabitants of this land, and you were to pull down their altars. Yet you have not obeyed me. What did you mean by this? 2:3 为此我现在说：我必不把他们从你们面前赶走，他们为你们将是陷阱，他们的神要成为你们的罗网。」
For now I tell you, I will not clear them out of your way; they shall oppose you and their gods shall become a snare for you." 2:4 当上主的使者对全以色列子民说这话时，百姓便放声大哭，
When the angel of the LORD had made these threats to all the Israelites, the people wept aloud; 2:5 因此给那地方起名叫波津。他们在那里给上主奉献了祭献。
and so that place came to be called Bochim. They offered sacrifice there to the LORD. 2:6 若苏厄遣散了百姓，以色列子民就各到自己应得的产业去，为占领那地方。
When Joshua dismissed the people, each Israelite went to take possession of his own hereditary land. 2:7 当若苏厄在世时，和他去世后，那些见过上主为以色列所行的大事的长老们还在的时日，百姓都事奉上主。
The people served the LORD during the entire lifetime of Joshua, and of those elders who outlived Joshua and who had seen all the great work which the LORD had done for Israel. 2:8 上主的仆人，农的儿子若苏厄一百一十岁时去了世。
Joshua, son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, was a hundred and ten years old when he died; 2:9 人们把他埋在他地业的境内，即在厄弗辣因山地，加阿士山北面的提默纳赫勒斯。
and they buried him within the borders of his heritage at Timnath-heres in the mountain region of Ephraim north of Mount Gaash. 2:10 当那一代人都归于他们的祖先以后，在他们之后，兴起了另一代，他们不认识上主，也不知道上主为以色列所行的事迹。
But once the rest of that generation were gathered to their fathers, and a later generation arose that did not know the LORD, or what he had done for Israel, 2:11 以色列子民行了上主视为恶的事，事奉了巴耳诸神。
the Israelites offended the LORD by serving the Baals. 2:12 他们离弃了上主他们祖先的天主，即领他们出离埃及地的天主，而随从了别的神，叩拜他们四周各民族的神，因此触怒了上主。
Abandoning the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had led them out of the land of Egypt, they followed the other gods of the various nations around them, and by their worship of these gods provoked the LORD. 2:13 他们背离了上主，而事奉巴耳和阿市托勒特。
Because they had thus abandoned him and served Baal and the Ashtaroth, 2:14 于是上主对以色列大发忿怒，把他们交在强盗手中，叫强盗抢掠他们；将他们卖给四周的敌人，使他们不能抵抗他们的敌人；
the anger of the LORD flared up against Israel, and he delivered them over to plunderers who despoiled them. He allowed them to fall into the power of their enemies round about whom they were no longer able to withstand. 2:15 他们无论去那里，上主的手总是加害他们，犹如上主所说的，犹如上主向他们所起的誓，使他们受极大的痛苦。
Whatever they undertook, the LORD turned into disaster for them, as in his warning he had sworn he would do, till they were in great distress. 2:16 上主虽兴起民长，拯救他们脱离强盗的手；
Even when the LORD raised up judges to deliver them from the power of their despoilers, 2:17 但他们仍不肯听从他们的民长，反而与外邦的神行淫，顶礼叩拜，迅速地离开了他们祖先所走的服从上主命令的路，没有照样行事。
they did not listen to their judges, but abandoned themselves to the worship of other gods. They were quick to stray from the way their fathers had taken, and did not follow their example of obedience to the commandments of the LORD. 2:18 当上主给他们兴起民长时，上主与民长同在，在民长一生的岁月中，救他们脱离仇敌的手，因为上主听见了他们受压迫欺凌发出的叹息，而怜悯了他们；
Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, he would be with the judge and save them from the power of their enemies as long as the judge lived; it was thus the LORD took pity on their distressful cries of affliction under their oppressors. 2:19 可是民长一去世，他们又转而行恶，行为比他们的祖先更坏，去追随外神，事奉叩拜他们，总不放弃他们祖先的恶行和顽抗的行为。
But when the judge died, they would relapse and do worse than their fathers, following other gods in service and worship, relinquishing none of their evil practices or stubborn conduct. 2:20 因此上主对以色列大发忿怒说：「因为这百姓违犯了我与他们祖先缔结的盟约，没有听从我的声音；
In his anger toward Israel the LORD said, "Inasmuch as this nation has violated my covenant which I enjoined on their fathers, and has disobeyed me, 2:21 为此，若苏厄死后所剩下的民族，我也不再由他们面前，驱逐任何一个，
I for my part will not clear away for them any more of the nations which Joshua left when he died." 2:22 为试验以色列是否谨守遵行上主的道路，有如他们的祖先所遵行的一样。」
Through these nations the Israelites were to be made to prove whether or not they would keep to the way of the LORD and continue in it as their fathers had done; 2:23 因此，上主保留了那些民族，没有迅速驱逐他们，也没有把他们交在以色列人手中。
therefore the LORD allowed them to remain instead of expelling them immediately, or delivering them into the power of Israel.