Joshua 24
1 Bangʼe Joshua nochoko dhout Israel duto kama iluongo ni Shekem. Noluongo jodongo, jotelo, jongʼad bura kod jotelo mamoko mag Israel mi gidhi e nyim Nyasaye.
[Many years later], Joshua summoned representatives of all the tribes of Israel. He gathered together the elders, the leaders, the judges, and the other officials at Shechem [city]. He told them to listen to what God wanted to tell them.
2 Joshua nowachone ji duto niya, “Ma e gima Jehova Nyasaye, ma Nyasach Israel wacho, Chon gi lala kwereu, motingʼo nyaka Tera ma wuon Ibrahim kod Nahor, nodak but Aora Yufrate kendo negilamo nyiseche manono.
Joshua said to all of them, “This is what Yahweh, the God we Israeli people worship, is saying: ‘Long ago, your ancestors, including Abraham’s father Terah and Abraham’s younger brother Nahor, lived on the east side of the Euphrates River.
3 Makmana nagolo wuonu Ibrahim oa e pinyno machiegni gi Aora Yufrate mi atelone e piny Kanaan duto kendo amiye nyikwayo mathoth. Ne amiye Isaka,
But I took your ancestor Abraham from that land east of the Euphrates River, and I led him as he lived in various places in this land of Canaan, and I enabled him to have many descendants. First, I enabled him to have a son, Isaac.
4 to Isaka namiyo Jakobo kod Esau. Ne awalo piny Seir manie got ne Esau, to Jakobo gi nyithinde nodhi Misri.
When Isaac grew up, I enabled him to have twin sons, Jacob and Esau. I enabled Esau to live in the hilly area in Seir region, but many years later Jacob and his sons and their families went down to live in Egypt.
5 “‘Bangʼe ne aoro Musa gi Harun, kendo ne agoyo jo-Misri gi tuoche kanyo, bangʼe agolou oko.
“[Many years later], I sent Moses and his older brother Aaron to help your people, and I caused [the people of] Egypt to suffer very much because of what I did there. Then I enabled your ancestors to leave Egypt.
6 Kane agolo wuoneu Misri, ne uchopo e nam, kendo jo-Misri nolawou gi geche kod jogo mariambo farese nyaka e Nam Makwar.
When I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, they came to the Red Sea. The Egyptian army pursued them, some riding in chariots and others on horses, and they also arrived at the Red Sea.
7 To ne giywakne Jehova Nyasaye mondo okonygi, omiyo ne oketo mudho e kindu gi jo-Misri; mi nam oimogi. Ne uneno gima ne atimone jo-Misri. Bangʼ mano nudak e thim kuom ndalo marabora.
Then [your ancestors] pleaded with me to help them. So he caused (darkness/a very dark cloud) to come between your ancestors and the Egyptian army, so that the Egyptian army could not see your ancestors. I separated the water in the Red Sea so that your ancestors could cross it, but when the Egyptian army tried to cross in the same way to pursue them, I caused the water to come back and cover them, and the Egyptian soldiers all drowned, as your ancestors watched and were amazed [IDM]. But after that, you lived in the desert for many years.
8 “‘Ne akelou nyaka e piny jo-Amor manodak yo wuok chiengʼ mar aora Jordan. Negikedo kodu, to naketogi e lwetu. Ne atiekogi chuth e nyimu, mi ukawo pinygi.
“Then I brought your [ancestors] to the area where the groups who were descendants of Amor lived, east of the Jordan River. They fought against you, but I enabled you to defeat them [IDM]. I [enabled you to] destroy them so that you could live in their land [IDM].
9 Kane Balak wuod Zipor, ma ruodh Moab, ne ikore mondo oked gi Israel, nooro Balaam wuod Beor mondo okwongʼu.
Then, Zippor’s son Balak, the King of Moab, (decided that his army would fight against/opposed) the Israelis. He summoned Beor’s son Balaam and asked him to curse you.
10 To ne ok anyal chiko ita ne Balaam, omiyo nogwedhou mogundho, mi nagolou oko e lwete.
But I would not do what Balaam asked, so he (blessed/said that I would do great things for) you four times, and I did not enable the army of Moab to defeat you [IDM].
11 “‘Bangʼe ne ungʼado aora Jordan mi ubiro Jeriko. Joma odak Jeriko, kaka jo-Amor, jo-Perizi, jo-Kanaan, jo-Hiti, jo-Girgash, jo-Hivi, gi jo-Jebus nokedo kodu, to ne achiwogi duto e lwetu.
“Then you all crossed the Jordan River and came to Jericho. The people of Jericho prepared to fight against you, [and the armies of] the descendants of Amor, Periz, Canaan, Heth, Girgash, Hiv, and Jebus [all prepared to do the same thing] but I enabled you to defeat [IDM] them all.
12 Ne amiyo kibaji omakogi ma giringo e nyimu, kaachiel gi ruodhi jo-Amor ariyo. Ne ok utimo ma gi liganglau uwegi kod atungʼ.
I am the one who caused them to panic as you advanced and enabled you to defeat them, as I had enabled you to do earlier to the two kings of the groups who were descendants of Amor. You did not defeat them by using your own bows and arrows and swords; [it was I who defeated them].
13 Omiyo ne amiyou piny mane ok utiyone kod mier madongo mane ok ugero; mi udak kanyo kendo uchamo olemb mzabibu kod zeituni ma bende ne ok upidho.’
So I gave you a land that you had not tilled/planted, and I gave you cities that you did not build. [Now] you live in those [cities] and you eat the grapes from the grapevines that you did not plant, and you eat olives from trees that you did not plant.’”
14 “Omiyo koro luoruru Jehova Nyasaye kendo beduru joratiro kinde duto kutiyone. Wituru oko nyiseche manono mag kwereu mane gilamo yo Aora Yufrate kod e piny Misri, mondo uti ne Jehova Nyasaye.
[Then Joshua said to the people], “[Because of all that] Yahweh [has done for you], revere him, and serve/worship him very faithfully. Throw away the idols that your ancestors worshiped on the east/other side of the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve only Yahweh.
15 To ka dipo ni tiyone Jehova Nyasaye ok miu mor, to kawuononi yier aneuru ngʼama ubiro tiyone, kata ka en nyiseche manono mane kwereu tiyone e Aora Yufrate, kata en nyiseche manono mag jo-Amor, modak e pinygi. Makmana an gi jooda duto, wabiro tiyone Jehova Nyasaye.”
But if you do not want to serve/worship Yahweh, you should decide today what [gods] you will serve/worship. You should decide whether you will serve/worship the gods that your ancestors who lived on the other/east side of the Euphrates River served, or whether you will serve/worship the gods that the descendants of Amor, who previously lived in the land where you are now living, [serve/worship]. But as for me and my family [MTY], we will serve/worship Yahweh!”
16 Eka ji nodwoko niya, “Mad gima chal kamano kik timrenwa ka wajwangʼo Jehova Nyasaye, mondo watine nyiseche manono!
The Israeli people answered, “We will never quit [serving/worshiping] Yahweh! We would never [think of] [IDM] serving/worshiping other gods!
17 En Jehova Nyasaye ma Nyasachwa owuon mane ogolowa gi kwerewa e piny Misri, e piny mane wan wasumbini, kendo motimo ranyisi madongo-go ka waneno. Ne oritowa e wuodhwa duto kendo e kind ogendini duto mane wakalo eigi.
It was our God, Yahweh, who brought our parents and grandparents up out of Egypt. [He rescued them] from that land where they were slaves. As he rescued them, they saw him perform great miracles. He protected them all the time when they were traveling. He protected them from all the people-groups through whose territory they traveled.
18 Kendo Jehova Nyasaye ne oriembo ogendini duto e nyimwa, kaachiel gi jo-Amor, mane odak e pinyno. Wan bende wabiro tiyone Jehova Nyasaye, nikech en e Nyasachwa.”
As our forefathers advanced, Yahweh expelled the descendants of Amor and the other people-groups who lived in this land. Yahweh is our God, so [we are saying that] we also will serve/worship him.”
19 Joshua nowachone ji niya, “Ok unyal tiyone Jehova Nyasaye. En Nyasaye maler, en Nyasaye ma janyiego. Ok obi wenu kuom wich teko maru kod richo mutimo.
Joshua replied to the people, “[I think that] you are not able to serve/worship Yahweh, because he is a holy God. He will not forgive your sinning and rebelling [against him]. He demands that you serve/worship only him [IDM].
20 Ka ungʼanyo uweyo Jehova Nyasaye mi utiyo ne nyiseche manono, to obiro lokore mi okelnu thagruok kendo enotieku duto, kata obedo ni ne osedoko jakoru kamano.”
He has been good to you [in the past], but if you turn away from him and serve/worship foreign/other gods, he will turn [against you] and he will cause you to experience disasters. He will punish [IDM] you severely!”
21 To jo-Israel nodwoko Joshua niya, “Ooyo! Wabiro tiyone Jehova Nyasaye.”
But the people replied to Joshua, “No, [we will not turn away from worshiping/serving Yahweh] We will serve/worship Yahweh!”
22 Bangʼe Joshua nowacho niya, “Un uwegi usebedo joneno magu kuom yiero mondo uti ne Jehova Nyasaye.” Negidwoko niya, “Ee, wan joneno.”
Then Joshua said, “You yourselves are saying that you have decided to serve/worship Yahweh.” They replied, “Yes, we are saying that.”
23 Joshua nowacho niya, “Koro wituru nyiseche manono manie dieru mondo uchiw chunyu ni tiyo ne Jehova Nyasaye, ma Nyasach Israel.”
Then Joshua said, “Since [you have decided] that, you must throw away all the other gods/idols that you have among you. You must also promise that you will wholeheartedly give yourselves to Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [serve/worship].”
24 To jogo nowachone Joshua niya, “Wabiro tiyone Jehova Nyasaye ma Nyasachwa kendo wanamiye luor.”
The people replied, “We will serve/worship Yahweh, our God, and obey him.”
25 E odiechiengno Joshua noketo singruok ne jogo, kendo kane gin Shekem nomiyogi chike monego gilu.
That day, Joshua established an agreement between the people and Yahweh. He wrote for them all the laws that they were required to obey.
26 Joshua nondiko gigo duto piny e Kitabu mar Chik mar Nyasaye. Bangʼe nokawo kidi maduongʼ mi okete maber e tiend yiend ober but kama ler mar Jehova Nyasaye.
He wrote all those laws on a scroll. He called it ‘The laws of God’. Then he [told some men to] set up a large stone there at Shechem, under the [large] oak tree near the place where [they worshiped] Yahweh.
27 Nowachone jogo niya, “Neuru! Kidini biro bedo janeno kuomu. Osewinjo weche duto ma Jehova Nyasaye osewachonwa. Obiro bedo janeno kuomu ka ubedo jo-miriambo ne Nyasachu.”
He said to all the people, “Look! [It is as though] this stone has heard everything that Yahweh said to you [and that you promised Yahweh]. It will serve as a witness against you if you rebel against your God!”
28 Bangʼe Joshua nogolo ji duto mondo odhi kuondegi mane opognigi.
Then Joshua sent the people away, and all of them returned to their own areas/homes.
29 Bangʼ mago duto, Joshua wuod Nun, jatich Jehova Nyasaye, notho ka en gi higni mia achiel gapar.
Some time after that, Nun’s son Joshua, the faithful servant of Yahweh, died. He was 110 years old when he died.
30 Kendo ne giike e lope mane opogne, mantiere Timnath Sera e piny gode mag Efraim, mantiere yo nyandwat mar Gash.
The Israeli people buried his body on his own property in Timnath-Serah [town] town. It is north of Gaash Mountain in the hilly area of the tribe who were descendants of Ephraim.
31 Jo-Israel notiyone Jehova Nyasaye e ndalo duto mag ngima Joshua kod jodongo mane osedak higni moloye, kendo mane nigi lony kuom gik moko duto mane Jehova Nyasaye osetimo ni jo-Israel.
The Israeli people served/worshiped Yahweh as long as Joshua was alive. After Joshua died, they continued serving/worshiping Yahweh while the elders who had experienced everything that Yahweh had done for the Israeli people were still alive.
32 To choke Josef, mane jo-Israel nobiro godo koa Misri, noiki Shekem e pinyno mane Jakobo ongʼiewo fedha mia achiel koa kuom yawuot Hamor, ma wuon Shekem. Ma nobedo kaka pok mar nyikwa Josef.
Joseph’s bones, which the Israeli people had brought with them from Egypt, were also buried at Shechem. The people buried them in the piece of land that Jacob had bought long ago for 100 pieces of silver from Hamor, the father of Shechem. That piece of land was in the area that was given to the people who were descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh, Joseph’s sons.
33 Eliazar wuod Harun bende notho kendo noyike Gibea, kama nopogne wuode Finehas e piny gode mag Efraim.
Eleazar, the Supreme Priest, the son of Aaron, also died. They buried his body at Gibeah, in the area that had been given to Eleazar’s son Phinehas, in the hilly area that belonged to the people who were descendants of Ephraim.
