Yet you have forsaken me is literally “And you, you have abandoned me,” a very emotional statement from the LORD (see verse 2.12). Yet appropriately renders the Hebrew waw conjunction, since there is a contrast here between Yahweh’s willingness to help the Israelites and their rejection of him. Other possible connectors are “But” (Good News Translation, New International Version) and “However.” The pronoun for you in Hebrew is emphatic. Possible models that keep this emphasis are “But it is you who have forsaken me” (New Jerusalem Bible) and “But as for you, you have abandoned me.”

And served other gods: See verse 2.11-12.

Therefore I will deliver you no more: Yahweh threatens to withdraw his help from his people because of their unfaithfulness. There is a note of bitterness and disappointment in the LORD’s words. The Hebrew conjunction for therefore (laken) is very emphatic. Good News Translation‘s “so” seems weak. We might say “Because of this.” I will deliver you no more is literally “I will not add to delivering you.” Translators should try to find an equally strong expression here. New International Version says “I will no longer save you,” and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “No, I will not deliver you again.”

Translation models for this verse are:

• In spite of this you have abandoned me and worshiped other gods. For that reason I will not rescue you again.

• Despite what I did for you, you left me to serve other gods. Therefore I will never again save you from your enemies.

Quoted with permission from Zogbo, Lynell and Ogden, Graham S. A Handbook on Judges. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .