¹¹ Then the Israelites did evil^(A) in the eyes of the Lord^(B) and served the Baals.^{(C) 12} They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods^(D) of the peoples around them.^(E) They aroused^(F) the Lord’s anger^{(G) 13} because they forsook^(H) him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.^{(I) 14} In his anger^(J) against Israel the Lord gave them into the hands^(K) of raiders who plundered^(L) them. He sold them^(M) into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist.^{(N) 15} Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the Lord was against them^(O) to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress.^(P)

¹⁶ Then the Lord raised up judges,^[a](Q) who saved^(R) them out of the hands of these raiders. ¹⁷ Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted^(S) themselves to other gods^(T) and worshiped them.^(U) They quickly turned^(V) from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands.^{(W) 18} Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved^(X) them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented^(Y) because of their groaning^(Z) under those who oppressed and afflicted^(AA) them.