< Joshua 24 >
1 And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.
約書亞將以色列的眾支派聚集在示劍,召了以色列的長老、族長、審判官,並官長來,他們就站在上帝面前。
2 And Joshua said unto all the people: 'Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: Your fathers dwelt of old time beyond the River, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor; and they served other gods.
約書亞對眾民說:「耶和華-以色列的上帝如此說:『古時你們的列祖,就是亞伯拉罕和拿鶴的父親他拉,住在大河那邊事奉別神,
3 And I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.
我將你們的祖宗亞伯拉罕從大河那邊帶來,領他走遍迦南全地,又使他的子孫眾多,把以撒賜給他;
4 And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau; and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; and Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.
又把雅各和以掃賜給以撒,將西珥山賜給以掃為業;後來雅各和他的子孫下到埃及去了。
5 And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did in the midst thereof; and afterward I brought you out.
我差遣摩西、亞倫,並照我在埃及中所行的降災與埃及,然後把你們領出來。
6 And I brought your fathers out of Egypt; and ye came unto the sea; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and with horsemen unto the Red Sea.
我領你們列祖出埃及,他們就到了紅海;埃及人帶領車輛馬兵追趕你們列祖到紅海。
7 And when they cried out unto the LORD, He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes saw what I did in Egypt; and ye dwelt in the wilderness many days.
你們列祖哀求耶和華,他就使你們和埃及人中間黑暗了,又使海水淹沒埃及人。我在埃及所行的事,你們親眼見過。你們在曠野也住了許多年日。
8 And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, that dwelt beyond the Jordan; and they fought with you; and I gave them into your hand, and ye possessed their land; and I destroyed them from before you.
我領你們到約旦河東亞摩利人所住之地。他們與你們爭戰,我將他們交在你們手中,你們便得了他們的地為業;我也在你們面前將他們滅絕。
9 Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel; and he sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you.
那時,摩押王西撥的兒子巴勒起來攻擊以色列人,打發人召了比珥的兒子巴蘭來咒詛你們。
10 But I would not hearken unto Balaam; therefore he even blessed you; so I delivered you out of his hand.
我不肯聽巴蘭的話,所以他倒為你們連連祝福。這樣,我便救你們脫離巴勒的手。
11 And ye went over the Jordan, and came unto Jericho; and the men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Girgashite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; and I delivered them into your hand.
你們過了約旦河,到了耶利哥;耶利哥人、亞摩利人、比利洗人、迦南人、赫人、革迦撒人、希未人、耶布斯人都與你們爭戰;我把他們交在你們手裏。
12 And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.
我打發黃蜂飛在你們前面,將亞摩利人的二王從你們面前攆出,並不是用你的刀,也不是用你的弓。
13 And I gave you a land whereon thou hadst not laboured, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell therein; of vineyards and olive-yards which ye planted not do ye eat.
我賜給你們地土,非你們所修治的;我賜給你們城邑,非你們所建造的。你們就住在其中,又得吃非你們所栽種的葡萄園、橄欖園的果子。』
14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.
「現在你們要敬畏耶和華,誠心實意地事奉他,將你們列祖在大河那邊和在埃及所事奉的神除掉,去事奉耶和華。
15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.'
若是你們以事奉耶和華為不好,今日就可以選擇所要事奉的:是你們列祖在大河那邊所事奉的神呢?是你們所住這地的亞摩利人的神呢?至於我和我家,我們必定事奉耶和華。」
16 And the people answered and said: 'Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;
百姓回答說:「我們斷不敢離棄耶和華去事奉別神;
17 for the LORD our God, He it is that brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and that did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the peoples through the midst of whom we passed;
因耶和華-我們的上帝曾將我們和我們列祖從埃及地的為奴之家領出來,在我們眼前行了那些大神蹟,在我們所行的道上,所經過的諸國,都保護了我們。
18 and the LORD drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites that dwelt in the land; therefore we also will serve the LORD; for He is our God.'
耶和華又把住此地的亞摩利人都從我們面前趕出去。所以,我們必事奉耶和華,因為他是我們的上帝。」
19 And Joshua said unto the people: 'Ye cannot serve the LORD; for He is a holy God; He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgression nor your sins.
約書亞對百姓說:「你們不能事奉耶和華;因為他是聖潔的上帝,是忌邪的上帝,必不赦免你們的過犯罪惡。
20 If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then He will turn and do you evil, and consume you, after that He hath done you good.'
你們若離棄耶和華去事奉外邦神,耶和華在降福之後,必轉而降禍與你們,把你們滅絕。」
21 And the people said unto Joshua: 'Nay; but we will serve the LORD.'
百姓回答約書亞說:「不然,我們定要事奉耶和華。」
22 And Joshua said unto the people: 'Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve Him. — And they said: 'We are witnesses.' —
約書亞對百姓說:「你們選定耶和華,要事奉他,你們自己作見證吧!」他們說:「我們願意作見證。」
23 Now therefore put away the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD, the God of Israel.'
約書亞說:「你們現在要除掉你們中間的外邦神,專心歸向耶和華-以色列的上帝。」
24 And the people said unto Joshua: 'The LORD our God will we serve, and unto His voice will we hearken.'
百姓回答約書亞說:「我們必事奉耶和華-我們的上帝,聽從他的話。」
25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.
當日,約書亞就與百姓立約,在示劍為他們立定律例典章。
26 And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a great stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the LORD.
約書亞將這些話都寫在上帝的律法書上,又將一塊大石頭立在橡樹下耶和華的聖所旁邊。
27 And Joshua said unto all the people: 'Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us; for it hath heard all the words of the LORD which He spoke unto us; it shall be therefore a witness against you, lest ye deny your God.'
約書亞對百姓說:「看哪,這石頭可以向我們作見證;因為是聽見了耶和華所吩咐我們的一切話,倘或你們背棄你們的上帝,這石頭就可以向你們作見證。」
28 So Joshua sent the people away, every man unto his inheritance.
於是約書亞打發百姓各歸自己的地業去了。
29 And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being a hundred and ten years old.
這些事以後,耶和華的僕人嫩的兒子約書亞,正一百一十歲,就死了。
30 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-serah, which is in the hill-country of Ephraim, on the north of the mountain of Gaash.
以色列人將他葬在他地業的境內,就是在以法蓮山地的亭拿‧西拉,在迦實山的北邊。
31 And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, and had known all the work of the LORD, that He had wrought for Israel.
約書亞在世和約書亞死後,那些知道耶和華為以色列人所行諸事的長老還在的時候,以色列人事奉耶和華。
32 And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in the parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money; and they became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.
以色列人從埃及所帶來約瑟的骸骨,葬埋在示劍,就是在雅各從前用一百塊銀子向示劍的父親、哈抹的子孫所買的那塊地裏;這就作了約瑟子孫的產業。
33 And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him in the Hill of Phinehas his son, which was given him in mount Ephraim.
亞倫的兒子以利亞撒也死了,就把他葬在他兒子非尼哈所得以法蓮山地的小山上。