Again and again, the Scriptures speak of God’s people doing evil in God’s eyes. In telling us the early history of Israel, the Book of Judges repeats, like a responsorial refrain, these words seven times: “The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord (Jd 2; 11; cf. also 3:7.12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1).