19 When the judge died, the people turned back and acted more wickedly than their fathers, pursuing other gods to serve and worship them. They would not give up their practices and obstinate ways.
20 The anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and He said, “Because this nation has violated My covenant that I commanded their fathers and has not heeded My voice,
21 I will no longer drive out from before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died,
22 so that through them I may test Israel and see whether or not they will keep the ways of the Lord, to walk in them as their fathers did.”
23 So the Lord left those nations, not hurrying to drive them out; and He did not deliver them into the hand of Joshua.