Yosua 24

1 Yosua yɔ Israelviwo katã, woƒe ƒomewo ƒe ametsitsiwo, tatɔwo kple ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo siaa ƒo ƒu ɖe Sekem le Mawu ŋkume.

Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges, and officers of Israel, and they presented themselves before God.

2 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.

And Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your fathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates and worshiped other gods.

3 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.

But I took your father Abraham from beyond the Euphrates and led him through all the land of Canaan, and I multiplied his descendants. I gave him Isaac,

4 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.

and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I gave Esau Mount Seir to possess, but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt.

5 “‘Meɖo Mose kple Aron ɖa be woahe dɔvɔ̃ dziŋɔwo va Egipte dzi, eye mekplɔ nye ameawo dzoe abe ablɔɖemewo ene.

Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and afterward I brought you out.

6 Ke esi woɖo Ƒu Dzĩ la nu la, Egiptetɔwo kplɔ wo ɖo kple tasiaɖamwo kple sɔwo,

When I brought your fathers out of Egypt and you reached the Red Sea, the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea.

7 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.

So your fathers cried out to the LORD, and He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, over whom He brought the sea and engulfed them. Your very eyes saw what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.

8 “‘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.

Later, I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived beyond the Jordan. They fought against you, but I delivered them into your hand, that you should possess their land when I destroyed them before you.

9 Emegbe la, Fia Balak ho aʋa ɖe Israel ŋu, eye wòbia tso Balaam, Beor ƒe vi, si be wòaƒo fi ade mi,

Then Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, set out to fight against Israel. He sent for Balaam son of Beor to curse you,

10 ke nyemeɖo toe o, ke boŋ mena wòyra mi boŋ. Ale meɖe Israel tso eƒe asi me.

but I would not listen to Balaam. So he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you from his hand.

11 “‘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.

After this, you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The people of Jericho fought against you, as did the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I delivered them into your hand.

12 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!

I sent the hornet ahead of you, and it drove out the two Amorite kings before you, but not by your own sword or bow.

13 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.’

So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities that you did not build, and now you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’

14 “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.

Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; cast aside the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.

15 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!”

But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”

16 Ameawo ɖo eŋu be, “Míagblẽ Yehowa ɖi gbeɖe asubɔ mawu bubuwo o,

The people replied, “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods!

17 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.

For the LORD our God brought us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and performed these great signs before our eyes. He also protected us throughout our journey and among all the nations through which we traveled.

18 Yehowae nya Amoritɔwo kple dukɔ bubu siwo nɔ anyigba sia dzi. Ɛ̃, míetia Yehowa, elabena eya ɖeka koe nye Mawu.”

And the LORD drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites who lived in the land. We too will serve the LORD, because He is our God!”

19 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.

But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God; He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your rebellion or your sins.

20 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.”

If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, He will turn and bring disaster on you and consume you, even after He has been good to you.”

21 Ameawo ɖo eŋu be, “Gbeɖe, Yehowa ko miasubɔ.”

“No!” replied the people. “We will serve the LORD!”

22 Yosua yi edzi be, “Miawo ŋutɔ miese nu si miegblɔ. Mielɔ̃ be yewoasubɔ Yehowaa?” Woɖo eŋu be, “Ɛ̃, míenye ɖasefowo.”

Then Joshua told them, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD.” “We are witnesses!” they said.

23 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.”

“Now, therefore,” he said, “get rid of the foreign gods among you and incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.”

24 Ameawo ɖo eŋu na Yosua be, “Ɛ̃, míasubɔ, eye míaɖo to, Yehowa míaƒe Mawu ko!”

So the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God and obey His voice.”

25 Ale Yosua bla nu kple wo gbe ma gbe le Sekem, eye wòtsɔ wo de nubabla mavɔ me kple Mawu.

On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he established for them a statute and ordinance.

26 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.

Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was near the sanctuary of the LORD.

27 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.”

And Joshua said to all the people, “You see this stone. It will be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words the LORD has spoken to us, and it will be a witness against you if you ever deny your God.”

28 Yosua ɖe asi le ameawo ŋu, eye ame sia ame yi eƒe anyigba dzi.

Then Joshua sent the people away, each to his own inheritance.

29 Le ɣeyiɣi kpui aɖe megbe ko la, Nun vi Yosua ku. Exɔ ƒe alafa ɖeka kple ewo.

Some time later, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110.

30 Woɖii ɖe eya ŋutɔ ƒe anyigba dzi le Timnat Sera, le Efraim ƒe tonyigba la dzi, le Gaas toawo ƒe anyiehe lɔƒo.

And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

31 Israel subɔ Yehowa le Yosua kple ametsitsi bubu siwo kpɔ nu wɔnuku siwo Yehowa wɔ na Israel teƒe la le woƒe agbenɔɣiwo.

Israel had served the LORD throughout the days of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced all the works that the LORD had done for Israel.

32 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.

And the bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought up out of Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the plot of land that Jacob had purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver. So it became an inheritance for Joseph’s descendants.

33 Eleazar, Aron ƒe vi hã ku, eye woɖii ɖe Efraim ƒe tonyigba dzi le Gibea, du si wotsɔ na via Finehas la me.

Eleazar son of Aaron also died, and they buried him at Gibeah, which had been given to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim.