Joshua 24
1 And Joshua gathered all the tribe of Israel to Selo, and convoked their elders, and their officers, and their judges, and set them before God.
Ndipo Yoshua akaita pamoja makabila yote ya Israeli huko Shekemu. Akawaita wazee, viongozi, waamuzi na maafisa wa Israeli, nao wakaja mbele za Mungu.
2 And Joshua said to all the people, Thus says the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers at first sojourned beyond the river, [even] Thara, the father of Abraam and the father of Nachor; and they served other gods.
Yoshua akawaambia watu wote, “Hili ndilo Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, asemalo: ‘Hapo zamani baba zenu, pamoja na Tera baba yake Abrahamu na Nahori, waliishi ngʼambo ya Mto nao waliiabudu miungu mingine.
3 And I took your father Abraam from the other side of the river, and I guided him through all the land, and I multiplied his seed;
Lakini nilimwondoa baba yenu Abrahamu kutoka nchi hiyo ngʼambo ya Mto, nami nikamwongoza katika nchi yote ya Kanaani, nikampa wazao wengi. Nikampa Isaki,
4 and I gave to him Isaac, and to Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave to Esau mount Seir for him to inherit: and Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt, and became there a great and populous and mighty nation: and the Egyptians afflicted them.
naye Isaki nikampa Yakobo na Esau. Esau nikampa nchi ya vilima ya Seiri, lakini Yakobo pamoja na wanawe wakashuka Misri.
5 And I smote Egypt with the wonders that I wrought among them.
“‘Kisha nikawatuma Mose na Aroni, nami nikawapiga Wamisri kwa kile nilichokitenda huko, tena nikawatoa ninyi huko.
6 And afterwards [God] brought out our fathers from Egypt, and ye entered into the Red Sea; and the Egyptians pursued after our fathers with chariots and horses into the Red Sea.
Nilipowatoa baba zenu Misri, mlifika kwenye bahari, nao Wamisri wakawafuatia baba zenu kwa magari na wapanda farasi mpaka kwenye Bahari ya Shamu.
7 And we cried aloud to the Lord; and he put a cloud and darkness between us and the Egyptians, and he brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes have seen all that the Lord did in the land of Egypt; and ye were in the wilderness many days.
Lakini wakamlilia Bwana wakitaka msaada, naye akaweka giza kati yenu na Wamisri, akaileta bahari juu yao ikawafunika. Ninyi mliona kwa macho yenu wenyewe kile nilichowatendea Wamisri. Kisha mliishi jangwani kwa muda mrefu.
8 And he brought us into the land of the Amorites that dwelt beyond Jordan, and the Lord delivered them into our hands; and ye inherited their land, and utterly destroyed them from before you.
“‘Nikawaleta katika nchi ya Waamori ambao waliishi mashariki mwa Yordani. Wakapigana nanyi, lakini nikawatia mikononi mwenu. Nikawaangamiza mbele yenu nanyi mkaimiliki nchi yao.
9 And Balac, king of Moab, son of Sepphor, rose up, and made war against Israel, and sent and called Balaam to curse us.
Wakati Balaki mwana wa Sipori, mfalme wa Moabu, alipojiandaa kupigana dhidi ya Israeli, alimwita Balaamu mwana wa Beori apate kuwalaani.
10 But the Lord thy God would not destroy thee; and he greatly blessed us, and rescued us out of their hands, and delivered them [to us].
Lakini sikumkubali Balaamu, kwa hiyo aliwabariki tena na tena, nami niliwaokoa toka mkononi mwake.
11 And ye crossed over Jordan, and came to Jericho; and the inhabitants of Jericho fought against us, the Amorite, and the Chananite, and the Pherezite, and the Evite, and the Jebusite, and the Chettite, and the Gergesite, and the Lord delivered them into our hands.
“‘Ndipo mlipovuka Yordani mkafika Yeriko. Raiya wa Yeriko wakapigana nanyi, kama walivyofanya Waamori, Waperizi, Wakanaani, Wahiti, Wagirgashi, Wahivi na Wayebusi, lakini niliwatia mikononi mwenu.
12 And he sent forth the hornet before you; and he drove them out from before you, [even] twelve kings of the Amorites, not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.
Nikatuma manyigu mbele yenu, ambao pia waliwafukuza mbele yenu, hao wafalme wawili wa Waamori. Siyo upanga au upinde wenu wenyewe vilivyowapatia ushindi.
13 And he gave you a land on which ye did not labour, and cities which ye did not build, and ye were settled in them; and ye eat [of] vineyards and oliveyards which ye did not plant.
Hivyo nikawapa ninyi nchi ambayo hamkuitaabikia na miji ambayo hamkuijenga na mnaishi ndani yake na kula toka kwa mashamba ya mizabibu na mizeituni msiyoipanda.’
14 And now fear the Lord, and serve him in righteousness and justice; and remove the strange gods, which our fathers served beyond the river, and in Egypt; and serve the Lord.
“Sasa basi mcheni Bwana na kumtumikia kwa uaminifu wote. Itupeni mbali miungu ambayo baba zenu waliiabudu huko ngʼambo ya Mto Frati na huko Misri, nanyi mtumikieni Bwana.
15 But if it seem not good to you to serve the Lord, choose to yourselves this day whom ye will serve, whether the gods of your fathers that were on the other side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites, among whom ye dwell upon their land: but I and my house will serve the Lord, for he is holy.
Lakini msipoona vyema kumtumikia Bwana, chagueni hivi leo mtakayemtumikia, kama ni miungu ile ambayo baba zenu waliitumikia ngʼambo Frati, au miungu ya Waamori, ambao mnakaa katika nchi yao. Lakini mimi na nyumba yangu, tutamtumikia Bwana.”
16 And the people answered and said, Far be it from us to forsake the Lord, so as to serve other gods.
Ndipo hao watu wakajibu, “Hili jambo liwe mbali nasi la kumsahau Bwana na kuitumikia miungu mingine!
17 The Lord our God, he is God; he brought up us and our fathers from Egypt, and kept us in all the way wherein we walked, and among all the nations through whom we passed.
Bwana Mungu wetu mwenyewe ndiye alitutoa sisi na baba zetu akatupandisha kutoka Misri, kutoka nchi ile ya utumwa, na kutenda zile ishara kubwa mbele ya macho yetu. Ndiye aliyetulinda katika safari yetu yote na kutokana na mataifa yote ambayo tulipita katikati yao.
18 And the Lord cast out the Amorite, and all the nations that inhabited the land from before us: yea, we will serve the Lord, for he is our God.
Bwana akayafukuza mbele yetu mataifa yote pamoja na Waamori, walioishi katika nchi hii. Hivyo sisi nasi tutamtumikia Bwana kwa kuwa yeye ndiye Mungu wetu.”
19 And Joshua said to the people, Indeed ye will not be able to serve the Lord, for God is holy; and he being jealous will not forgive your sins and your transgressions.
Yoshua akawaambia watu, “Hamwezi kumtumikia Bwana. Yeye ni Mungu Mtakatifu, ni Mungu mwenye wivu. Hatasamehe uasi wenu na dhambi zenu.
20 Whensoever ye shall forsake the Lord and serve other gods, then he shall come upon you and afflict you, and consume you, because he has done you good.
Ikiwa mkimwacha Bwana na kuitumikia miungu migeni, atageuka na kuwaleteeni maafa na kuwaangamiza, baada ya kuwa mwema kwenu.”
21 And the people said to Joshua, Nay, but we will serve the Lord.
Lakini watu wakamwambia Yoshua, “Sivyo! Sisi tutamtumikia Bwana.”
22 And Joshua said to the people, Ye [are] witnesses against yourselves, that ye have chosen the Lord to serve him.
Ndipo Yoshua akawaambia, “Ninyi mmekuwa mashahidi juu yenu wenyewe kuwa mmechagua kumtumikia Bwana.” Nao wakajibu, “Ndiyo, tu mashahidi.”
23 And now take away the strange gods that are among you, and set your heart right toward the Lord God of Israel.
Yoshua akawaambia, “Sasa basi, itupeni mbali hiyo miungu migeni iliyo katikati yenu, nanyi mtoleeni Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, mioyo yenu.”
24 And the people said to Joshua, We will serve the Lord, and we will hearken to his voice.
Nao watu wakamwambia Yoshua, “Tutamtumikia Bwana Mungu wetu na kumtii yeye.”
25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people on that day, and gave them a law and an ordinance in Selo before the tabernacle of the God of Israel.
Siku ile Yoshua akafanya agano kwa ajili ya watu na hapo Shekemu ndipo alipowaandikia amri na sheria.
26 And he wrote these words in the book of the laws of God: and Joshua took a great stone, and set it up under the oak before the Lord.
Naye Yoshua akayaandika mambo haya katika Kitabu cha Sheria ya Mungu. Ndipo akalitwaa jiwe kubwa, akalisimamisha huko chini ya mwaloni, karibu na mahali patakatifu pa Bwana.
27 And Joshua said to the people, Behold, this stone shall be among you for a witness, for it has heard all the words that have been spoken to it by the Lord; for he has spoken to you this day; and this [stone] shall be among you for a witness in the last days, whenever ye shall deal falsely with the Lord my God.
Yoshua akawaambia watu wote, “Angalieni! Jiwe hili litakuwa shahidi juu yetu. Limesikia maneno yote Bwana aliyotuambia. Litakuwa shahidi juu yenu kama mtakuwa waongo kwa Mungu wenu.”
28 And Joshua dismissed the people, and they went every man to his place.
Basi Yoshua akawatuma watu kila mmoja aende katika urithi wake mwenyewe.
29 And it came to pass after these things that Joshua the son of Naue the servant of the Lord died, [at the age] of a hundred and ten years.
Baada ya mambo haya, Yoshua mwana wa Nuni, mtumishi wa Bwana akafa akiwa na umri wa miaka mia moja na kumi.
30 And they buried him by the borders of his inheritance in Thamnasarach in the mount of Ephraim, northward of the mount of Galaad.
Nao wakamzika katika nchi ya urithi wake, huko Timnath-Sera katika nchi ya vilima ya Efraimu, kaskazini ya Mlima wa Gaashi.
31 And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that lived as long as Joshua, and all that knew all the works of the Lord which he wrought for Israel.
Israeli wakamtumikia Bwana siku zote za maisha ya Yoshua, na za hao wazee walioishi baada ya Yoshua kufa, ambao waliona kila kitu Bwana alichowatendea Israeli.
32 And the children of Israel brought up the bones of Joseph out of Egypt, and buried [them] in Sicima, in the portion of the land which Jacob bought of the Amorites who dwelt in Sicima for a hundred ewe-lambs; and he gave it to Joseph for a portion.
Nayo ile mifupa ya Yosefu, ambayo Waisraeli waliipandisha kutoka huko Misri, wakaizika huko Shekemu kwenye eneo, ambalo Yakobo alilinunua kwa wana wa Hamori baba yake Shekemu, kwa vipande mia vya fedha. Eneo hili likawa ni urithi wa uzao wa Yosefu.
33 And it came to pass afterwards that Eleazar the high-priest the son of Aaron died, and was buried in Gabaar of Phinees his son, which he gave him in mount Ephraim.
Naye Eleazari mwana wa Aroni akafariki akazikwa huko Gibea, mlima aliokuwa amepewa mtoto wake Finehasi, kwenye nchi ya vilima ya Efraimu.
