2:16 The Lord raised up leaders ¹  who delivered them from these robbers. ²  2:17 But they did not obey ³  their leaders. Instead they prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped ⁴  them. They quickly turned aside from the path ⁵  their ancestors ⁶  had walked. Their ancestors had obeyed the Lord’s commands, but they did not. ⁷  2:18 When the Lord raised up leaders for them, the Lord was with each leader and delivered the people ⁸  from their enemies while the leader remained alive. The Lord felt sorry for them ⁹  when they cried out in agony because of what their harsh oppressors did to them. ¹⁰