< Joshua 24 >
1 And Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, and he called those greater by birth, and the leaders and judges and teachers. And they stood in the sight of the Lord.
Yosua yɔ Israelviwo katã, woƒe ƒomewo ƒe ametsitsiwo, tatɔwo kple ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo siaa ƒo ƒu ɖe Sekem le Mawu ŋkume.
2 And he spoke to the people in this way: “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Your fathers lived, in the beginning, across the river: Terah, the father of Abraham, and Nahor. And they served strange gods.
Yosua gblɔ na wo be, “Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu la be, ‘Mia tɔgbuiwo, Tera, Abraham kple Nahor fofo wonɔ Frat tɔsisi la ƒe ɣedzeƒe, eye wosubɔ mawu bubuwo.
3 Then I brought your father Abraham from the parts of Mesopotamia, and I led him into the land of Canaan. And I multiplied his offspring,
Ke mekplɔ Abraham, mia tɔgbui, tso anyigba ma dzi, na wòtso tɔsisi la, eye mekplɔe va Kanaanyigba dzi. Mena eƒe dzidzimeviwo sɔ gbɔ to via Isak dzi.
4 and I gave to him Isaac. And to him, I gave again Jacob and Esau. And I gave mount Seir to Esau as a possession. Yet truly, Jacob and his sons descended into Egypt.
Isak ƒe vi siwo menae la woe nye, Yakob kple Esau. Metsɔ anyigba si ƒo xlã Seir to la na Esau, ke Yakob kple viawo yi Egipte.
5 And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I struck Egypt with many signs and portents.
“‘Meɖo Mose kple Aron ɖa be woahe dɔvɔ̃ dziŋɔwo va Egipte dzi, eye mekplɔ nye ameawo dzoe abe ablɔɖemewo ene.
6 And I led you and your fathers away from Egypt, and you arrived at the sea. And the Egyptians pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen, as far as the Red Sea.
Ke esi woɖo Ƒu Dzĩ la nu la, Egiptetɔwo kplɔ wo ɖo kple tasiaɖamwo kple sɔwo,
7 Then the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord. And he stationed a darkness between you and the Egyptians, and he led the sea over them, and he covered them. Your eyes saw all that I did in Egypt, and you lived in the wilderness for a long time.
ale Israelviwo do ɣli yɔm, eye mena viviti do ɖe woawo kple Egiptetɔwo dome. Mena atsiaƒu la ŋe dze Egiptetɔwo dzi, eye wonyrɔ ɖe tsi la me, miawo ŋutɔ miekpɔ nu si mewɔ. Le esia megbe la, Israelviwo nɔ gbegbe la ƒe geɖe.
8 And I led you into the land of the Amorite, who was living beyond the Jordan. And when they fought against you, I delivered them into your hands, and you possessed their land, and you put them to death.
“‘Mlɔeba la, mekplɔ mi va Amoritɔwo ƒe anyigba dzi le Yɔdan tɔsisi la ƒe akpa kemɛ. Afi ma tɔwo wɔ aʋa kpli mi, ke metsrɔ̃ wo, eye metsɔ woƒe anyigba la na mi.
9 Then Balak, the son of Zippor, the king of Moab, rose up and fought against Israel. And he sent and called for Balaam, the son of Beor, so that he might curse you.
Emegbe la, Fia Balak ho aʋa ɖe Israel ŋu, eye wòbia tso Balaam, Beor ƒe vi, si be wòaƒo fi ade mi,
10 And I was not willing to listen to him, but on the contrary, I blessed you through him, and I freed you from his hand.
ke nyemeɖo toe o, ke boŋ mena wòyra mi boŋ. Ale meɖe Israel tso eƒe asi me.
11 And you crossed over the Jordan, and you arrived at Jericho. And the men of that city fought against you: the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Girgashite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. And I delivered them into your hands.
“‘Mietso Yɔdan tɔsisi la, eye mieva Yeriko, afi ma tɔwo wɔ aʋa kpli mi abe ale si Amoritɔwo, Perizitɔwo, Kanaantɔwo, Hititɔwo, Girgasitɔwo, Hivitɔwo kple Yebusitɔwo siaa wɔ ene. Wowɔ aʋa kpli mi ɖeka ɖeka, gake metsrɔ̃ wo katã.
12 And I sent wasps before you. And I drove them from their places, the two kings of the Amorites, but not by your sword, and not by your bow.
Meɖo nudzodzoe teamewo ɖe mia ŋgɔ be woanya Amoritɔwo ƒe fia eveawo kple woƒe amewo. Menye miaƒe yiwo alo aŋutrɔwoe he dziɖuɖu vɛ na mi o!
13 And I gave you a land, in which you did not labor, and cities, which you did not build, so that you might live in them, and vineyards and olive groves, which you did not plant.’
Metsɔ anyigba si ŋu mieku kutri le o kple du siwo mietso o, du siwo me miele fifia la na mi. Metsɔ waingblewo kple amitiwo na mi hena miaƒe nuɖuɖu togbɔ be menye miawoe de woƒe agblewo o hã.’
14 Now therefore, fear the Lord, and serve him with a perfect and very sincere heart. And take away the gods that your fathers served in Mesopotamia and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.
“Eya ta mivɔ̃ Yehowa, eye miasubɔe kple dzi blibo le nyateƒe me. Miɖe asi le mawu siwo mia tɔgbuiwo subɔ esime wonɔ Frat tɔsisi la godo kple Egipte la ŋu. Misubɔ Yehowa ɖeɖe ko.
15 But if it seems evil to you that you would serve the Lord, a choice is given to you. Choose today what pleases you, and whom you ought to serve above all else, either the gods that your fathers served in Mesopotamia, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Ke ne Yehowa subɔsubɔ medze mia ŋu o la, ekema mitia ame si miasubɔ la egbea! Ɖe miasubɔ mia tɔgbuiwo ƒe mawu siwo wosubɔ le Frat tɔsisi la godo loo alo Amoritɔwo ƒe mawuwo le anyigba sia dzia? Ke nye kple nye aƒe ya, míasubɔ Yehowa!”
16 And the people responded, and they said: “Far be it from us that we would forsake the Lord, and serve foreign gods.
Ameawo ɖo eŋu be, “Míagblẽ Yehowa ɖi gbeɖe asubɔ mawu bubuwo o,
17 The Lord our God himself led us and our fathers away from the land of Egypt, from the house of servitude. And he accomplished immense signs in our sight, and he preserved us along the entire way by which we journeyed, and among all the people through whom we passed.
elabena Yehowa, míaƒe Mawu la ɖe mía fofowo tso kluvinyenye me le Egiptenyigba dzi. Eyae nye Mawu si wɔ nukunu gãwo le Israelviwo ŋkume esi míezɔ mɔ to gbedzi, eye wòɖe mí tso míaƒe futɔwo ƒe asi me esi míeto woƒe anyigbawo dzi.
18 And he cast out all the nations, the Amorite, the inhabitant of the land that we entered. And so, we will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”
Yehowae nya Amoritɔwo kple dukɔ bubu siwo nɔ anyigba sia dzi. Ɛ̃, míetia Yehowa, elabena eya ɖeka koe nye Mawu.”
19 And Joshua said to the people: “You will not be able to serve the Lord. For he is a holy and powerful God, and he is jealous, and he will not ignore your wickedness and sins.
Yosua ɖo eŋu na ameawo be, “Miate ŋu asubɔ Yehowa o, elabena Mawu le kɔkɔe, eye wòʋãa ŋu, matsɔ miaƒe aglãdzedze kple nu vɔ̃wo ake mi o.
20 If you leave behind the Lord, and you serve foreign gods, he will turn himself, and he will afflict you, and he will overthrow you, after all the good that he has offered to you.”
Ne miegblẽ Yehowa ɖi, eye miesubɔ mawu bubuwo la, atso ɖe mia ŋu, eye wòatsrɔ̃ mi togbɔ be ekpɔ mia dzi ɣeyiɣi didi sia hã.”
21 And the people said to Joshua, “By no means will it be as you are saying, but we will serve the Lord.”
Ameawo ɖo eŋu be, “Gbeɖe, Yehowa ko miasubɔ.”
22 And Joshua said to the people, “You yourselves are witnesses, that you have chosen the Lord so that you may serve him.” And they answered, “We are witnesses.”
Yosua yi edzi be, “Miawo ŋutɔ miese nu si miegblɔ. Mielɔ̃ be yewoasubɔ Yehowaa?” Woɖo eŋu be, “Ɛ̃, míenye ɖasefowo.”
23 “Now therefore,” he said, “take away strange gods from among yourselves, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”
Yosua gblɔ be, “Enyo, ekema miɖe asi le mawu siwo katã le mia si fifia la ŋu, eye miaɖo to Aƒetɔ, Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu la.”
24 And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God, and we will be obedient to his precepts.”
Ameawo ɖo eŋu na Yosua be, “Ɛ̃, míasubɔ, eye míaɖo to, Yehowa míaƒe Mawu ko!”
25 Therefore, on that day, Joshua struck a covenant, and he set before the people at Shechem the precepts and the judgments.
Ale Yosua bla nu kple wo gbe ma gbe le Sekem, eye wòtsɔ wo de nubabla mavɔ me kple Mawu.
26 He also wrote all these things in the volume of the law of the Lord. And he took a very great stone, and he stationed it under the oak that was in the Sanctuary of the Lord.
Yosua ŋlɔ ameawo ƒe ŋuɖoɖo ɖe Mawu ƒe Segbalẽ la me, eye wòmli kpe gã aɖe da ɖe logoti si le Yehowa ƒe Agbadɔ la gbɔ la te abe ŋkuɖodzinu ene.
27 And he said to all the people, “Lo, this stone shall be to you as a testimony, which has heard all the words of the Lord that he has spoken to you, lest perhaps, afterward, you might choose to deny it, and to lie to the Lord your God.”
Eye Yosua gblɔ na ameawo katã be, “Kpe sia se nu siwo katã Yehowa gblɔ, eya ta anye ɖasefo atsi tsitre ɖe mia ŋu ne miewɔ Yehowa, miaƒe Mawu la ƒe gbe dzi o.”
28 And he dismissed the people, each one to their own possession.
Yosua ɖe asi le ameawo ŋu, eye ame sia ame yi eƒe anyigba dzi.
29 And after these things, Joshua, the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being one hundred and ten years old.
Le ɣeyiɣi kpui aɖe megbe ko la, Nun vi Yosua ku. Exɔ ƒe alafa ɖeka kple ewo.
30 And they buried him within the borders of his possession at Timnath-Serah, which is situated on mount Ephraim, before the northern side of mount Gaash.
Woɖii ɖe eya ŋutɔ ƒe anyigba dzi le Timnat Sera, le Efraim ƒe tonyigba la dzi, le Gaas toawo ƒe anyiehe lɔƒo.
31 And Israel served the Lord during all the days of Joshua, and of the elders who lived for a long time after Joshua, and who had known all the works of the Lord that he had accomplished in Israel.
Israel subɔ Yehowa le Yosua kple ametsitsi bubu siwo kpɔ nu wɔnuku siwo Yehowa wɔ na Israel teƒe la le woƒe agbenɔɣiwo.
32 And the bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel had brought from Egypt, they buried at Shechem, in a portion of the field that Jacob had purchased from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for one hundred young female sheep, and so it was in the possession of the sons of Joseph.
Woɖi Yosef ƒe ƒu siwo Israel tsɔ vɛ tso Egiptenyigba dzi la ɖe Sekem, le anyigba si Yakob ƒle le Hamor ƒe viwo si la dzi. Teƒe sia le anyigba si woma na Yosef ƒe viwo la me.
33 Likewise, Eleazar, the son of Aaron, died. And they buried him at Gibeah, which belongs to Phinehas, his son, and which was given to him on mount Ephraim.
Eleazar, Aron ƒe vi hã ku, eye woɖii ɖe Efraim ƒe tonyigba dzi le Gibea, du si wotsɔ na via Finehas la me.