Judges 2

It looks like the events of the previous chapter may indeed have occurred before Joshua's death, as that is repeated here in Judges 2. After those in his generation died out those who followed did indeed turn away from God and His commandments - just as I has suspected might happen, given the stern warnings in the preceding books. The cycle that will be repeated throughout the rest of this section of Scripture is described here: a generation disobeys, is attacked or enslaved by those around them, and then cries out to the Lord who sends a leader to rescue them. When the leader dies, it is 'rinse and repeat'.

This sounds a lot like the cycle in my own life, though on a much smaller scale :/