Joshua 24

1 [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.

Na Yosua frɛɛ Israelfoɔ nyinaa, wɔn mpanimfoɔ, ntuanofoɔ, atemmufoɔ ne adwumayɛfoɔ kɔɔ Sekem. Na wɔn nyinaa baa Onyankopɔn anim.

2 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.

Yosua ka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Sɛdeɛ Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn seɛ nie: Mo tete agyanom, Tera a ɔyɛ Abraham agya ne Nahor tenaa Asubɔnten Eufrate agya nohoa na wɔsomm anyame foforɔ.

3 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.

Nanso, mefaa mo agya Abraham firii asase a ɛda Eufrate agya hɔ de no baa Kanaan asase so. Mefaa ne ba Isak so maa nʼasefoɔ dɔɔso.

4 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.

Mede Yakob ne Esau maa Isak. Mede Seir bepɔman no maa Esau, ɛnna Yakob ne ne mma siane kɔɔ Misraim.

5 “[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.

“Na mesomaa Mose ne Aaron, na mede ɔyaredɔm a ɛyɛ hu baa Misraimfoɔ no so na akyire yi, meyii mo firii hɔ ma monyaa ahofadie.

6 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.

Ɛberɛ a mo agyanom duruu Ɛpo Kɔkɔɔ ho no, Misraimfoɔ no de wɔn nteaseɛnam ne wɔn apɔnkɔkafoɔ taa wɔn.

7 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.

Mosu frɛɛ Awurade no, mede esum bɛtoo mo ne Misraimfoɔ no ntam, memaa Ɛpo no bu faa wɔn so kataa wɔn so. Mo ankasa mode mo ani hunuu deɛ meyɛeɛ. Afei motenaa ɛserɛ so mfeɛ bebree.

8 “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].

“Mede mo baa Amorifoɔ asase so wɔ Yordan apueeɛ fam. Wɔne mo koeɛ, nanso memaa modii wɔn so nkonim na mofaa wɔn asase.

9 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.

Na Moabhene Sipor babarima Balak hyɛɛ aseɛ ko tiaa Israel. Ɔka kyerɛɛ Beor babarima Balaam sɛ ɔnnome mo.

10 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].

Nanso, mantie no, na mmom mema ɔhyiraa mo, na megyee mo firii Balak nsam.

11 “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.

“Na motwaa Asubɔnten Yordan baa Yeriko no, Yeriko mmarima ko tiaa mo. Na nkurɔfoɔ pii nso ko tiaa mo a Amorifoɔ, Perisifoɔ, Kanaanfoɔ, Hetifoɔ, Girgasifoɔ, Hewifoɔ ne Yebusifoɔ ka ho. Nanso, mema modii wɔn so nkonim.

12 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].

Afei, mesomaa nnowa dii mo anim ma wɔkɔpamoo Amorifoɔ ahemfo baanu no. Ɛnyɛ mo akofena anaa mo agyan na ɛma modii nkonim.

13 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.’”

Memaa mo asase a ɛnyɛ mo na modii ho dwuma, maa mo nkuropɔn a ɛnyɛ mo na mokyekyereeɛ, nkuropɔn a mote mu seesei no. Memaa mo bobe nturo ne ngo dua mfuo sɛ mobɛnya aduane, a mpo ɛnyɛ mo na moduaeɛ.

14 [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.

“Enti, monni Awurade ni, na momfa mo akoma nyinaa nsom no. Monto ahoni a mo agyanom somee no wɔ ɛberɛ a na wɔte Asubɔnten Eufrate agya ne Misraim no nyinaa ngu korakora. Monsom Awurade nko ara.

15 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!”

Sɛ nso mompɛ sɛ mosom Awurade a, ɛnnɛ yi ara, monkyerɛ deɛ mobɛsom no. Anyame a mo agyanom somm wɔn wɔ ɛberɛ a na wɔwɔ Eufrate agya no na mopɛ? Anaa Amorifoɔ a mote wɔn asase so seesei no anyame? Na me ne me fie deɛ, yɛbɛsom Awurade.”

16 The Israeli people answered, “We will never quit [serving/worshiping] Yahweh! We would never [think of] [IDM] serving/worshiping other gods!

Na ɔman no buaa sɛ, “Yɛrempa Awurade akyi nkɔsom anyame foforɔ.

17 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.

Ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade, yɛn Onyankopɔn na ɔgyee yɛn ne yɛn agyanom firii nkoasom mu wɔ Misraim. Ɔyɛɛ anwanwadeɛ akɛseɛ wɔ yɛn anim. Na yɛfaa ɛserɛ so wɔ yɛn atamfoɔ mu no, ɔbɔɔ yɛn ho ban.

18 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.”

Ɛyɛ Awurade na ɔpamoo Amorifoɔ ne aman foforɔ a na wɔte asase yi so no. Enti yɛn nso, yɛbɛsom Awurade, ɛfiri sɛ, ɔno nko ne yɛn Onyankopɔn.”

19 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].

Na Yosua ka kyerɛɛ nnipa no sɛ, “Morentumi nsom Awurade, ɛfiri sɛ, ɔyɛ kronkron ne ninkunfoɔ Onyankopɔn. Ɔremfa mo atuateɛ ne mo bɔne nkyɛ mo.

20 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!”

Sɛ mopa Awurade akyi na mosom anyame foforɔ a, ɔbɛdane atia mo, asɛe mo a ɛmfa ho sɛ ɔne mo adi no yie.”

21 But the people replied to Joshua, “No, [we will not turn away from worshiping/serving Yahweh] We will serve/worship Yahweh!”

Nnipa no buaa Yosua sɛ, “Dabi, yɛasi yɛn adwene pi sɛ yɛbɛsom Awurade.”

22 Then Joshua said, “You yourselves are saying that you have decided to serve/worship Yahweh.” They replied, “Yes, we are saying that.”

Yosua nso kaa sɛ, “Mobɛbu saa gyinaeɛ yi ho akonta. Moaka sɛ mobɛsom Awurade.” Wɔbuaeɛ sɛ, “Aane, yɛbɛbu ho akonta.”

23 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].”

Yosua kaa sɛ, “Ɛyɛ, monsɛe ahoni a mowɔ nyinaa na momfa mo akoma nto Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn so.”

24 The people replied, “We will serve/worship Yahweh, our God, and obey him.”

Nnipa no ka kyerɛɛ Yosua sɛ, “Yɛbɛsom Awurade, yɛn Onyankopɔn. Yɛbɛyɛ ɔsetie ama ɔno nko ara.”

25 That day, Joshua established an agreement between the people and Yahweh. He wrote for them all the laws that they were required to obey.

Enti, Yosua ne nnipa no yɛɛ apam saa ɛda no wɔ Sekem, de wɔn hyɛɛ nhyehyɛeɛ a emu yɛ den na ɛbɛtena hɔ daa wɔ wɔne Awurade ntam.

26 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.

Yosua twerɛɛ yeinom nyinaa guu Onyankopɔn Mmara Nwoma no mu. Ɔfaa ɔbotan kɛseɛ bi pire kɔtoo odum dua bi a ɛbɛn Awurade ntomadan no ase sɛ nkaeɛ adeɛ.

27 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!”

Yosua ka kyerɛɛ nnipa no sɛ, “Saa ɔbotan yi ate biribiara a Awurade aka akyerɛ yɛn no. Sɛ moanni mo Onyankopɔn nokorɛ a, ɛbɛyɛ adansedeɛ atia mo.”

28 Then Joshua sent the people away, and all of them returned to their own areas/homes.

Afei, Yosua gyaa nnipa no kwan maa obiara kɔɔ nʼagyapadeɛ so.

29 Some time after that, Nun’s son Joshua, the faithful servant of Yahweh, died. He was 110 years old when he died.

Asɛm yi akyi, ankyɛre na Nun babarima Yosua, Awurade ɔsomfoɔ wuiɛ. Ɔdii mfirinhyia ɔha ne edu.

30 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.

Wɔsiee no wɔ nʼagyapadeɛ asase so wɔ Timnat-Sera a ɛwɔ Efraim bepɔ asase so, wɔ Gaas Bepɔ atifi fam.

31 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.

Na Israel somm Awurade wɔ Yosua, ne mpanimfoɔ a wɔanyinyini sene noɔ a wɔhunuu deɛ Awurade yɛ maa Israel wɔn nkwa nna nyinaa mu.

32 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.

Na Yosef nnompe a Israelfoɔ de firi Misraim baeɛ no, wɔsiee wɔ Sekem wɔ asasetam bi a Yakob tɔɔ no dwetɛ mpɔ ɔha firii Hamor mmammarima nkyɛn no so. Na saa asase yi wɔ Efraim ne Manase mmusuakuo a wɔyɛ Yosef asefoɔ asase kyɛfa a wɔde maa wɔn no so.

33 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.

Aaron babarima Eleasa nso wuiɛ. Wɔsiee no wɔ Efraim bepɔ asase no so wɔ Gibea kuro no a na wɔde ama ne babarima Pinehas no mu.