Joshua 22
1 Ningĩ Joshua agĩĩta andũ a Mũhĩrĩga wa Rubeni, na wa Gadi. na nuthu ya mũhĩrĩga wa Manase,
Joshua then summoned the leaders of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh.
2 akĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Nĩmwĩkĩte maũndũ marĩa mothe Musa ndungata ya Jehova aamwathire, na nĩmũnjathĩkĩire maũndũ-inĩ mothe marĩa ndĩmwathĩte.
He said to them, “You have done everything that Moses, who served Yahweh [well], told you to do. You have also done what I told you to do.
3 Matukũ macio mothe mathirĩte o nginya ũmũthĩ-rĩ, mũtirĩ mwatiganĩria ariũ a thoguo, no nĩmũrutĩte wĩra ũrĩa Jehova Ngai wanyu aamũheire.
For a long time you have helped the other tribes [to defeat their enemies]. You have obeyed everything that Yahweh your God commanded you to do.
4 Na rĩrĩ, kuona atĩ Jehova nĩaheete ariũ a thoguo ũhurũko o ta ũrĩa eeranĩire-rĩ, cookai mũthiĩ mĩciĩ kwanyu bũrũri-inĩ ũrĩa Musa ndungata ya Jehova aamũheire mũrĩmo ũũrĩa ũngĩ wa Rũũĩ rwa Jorodani.
He promised to give peace to us Israelis, and he has done what he promised. So now you may go back to your homes, to the land that Moses gave to you, on the east side of the Jordan [River].
5 No rĩrĩ, menyerera mũno mũtikanaage kũhingia maathani na watho ũrĩa Musa ndungata ya Jehova aamũheire; akĩmwĩra mwendage Jehova Ngai wanyu, na mũrũmagie njĩra ciake ciothe, na mwathĩkagĩre maathani make, na mũtũũre mwĩgwatanĩtie nake, na mũmũtungatagĩre na ngoro cianyu ciothe na mĩoyo yanyu yothe.”
Moses also commanded you to love Yahweh your God and to obey his commands, and to continue to worship him and serve him by everything that you think and everything that you do.”
6 Nake Joshua akĩmarathima, akĩmeera mathiĩ, nao magĩthiĩ, makĩinũka kwao mĩciĩ.
Then Joshua blessed them and said goodbye to them, and they [prepared to] leave and return to their homes [on the east side of the Jordan River].
7 (Musa nĩaheete nuthu ĩmwe ya mũhĩrĩga wa Manase gĩthaka kũu Bashani, nayo nuthu ĩyo ĩngĩ ya mũhĩrĩga ũcio Joshua akĩmĩhe gĩthaka mwena wa ithũĩro wa Rũũĩ rwa Jorodani hamwe na ariũ a ithe wao.) Rĩrĩa Joshua aameerire mainũke-rĩ, nĩamarathimire,
Moses had given the Bashan region to half the tribe of Manasseh, and land on the west side of the Jordan [River] to the other half of the tribe. Before they left, he [asked God to] bless them.
8 akĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Cookai mĩciĩ kwanyu hamwe na ũtonga wanyu mũnene, wa mahiũ maingĩ, na betha, na thahabu, na icango, na igera, na nguo nyingĩ mũno cia kwĩhumba, na mũthiĩ mũgayane indo icio mũtahĩte kuuma kũrĩ thũ cianyu na ariũ a ithe wanyu.”
He said, “Go back to your homes and to all the things that you have taken from your enemies—the many animals and silver and gold and [things made of] bronze and iron, and many beautiful clothes. But you should share some of those things with other people of your tribe.”
9 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio mũhĩrĩga wa Rubeni, na wa Gadi, na nuthu ya Manase magĩtiga andũ a Isiraeli Shilo kũu Kaanani nĩguo macooke Gileadi, bũrũri wao kĩũmbe, ũrĩa meegwatĩire naguo o ta ũrĩa Jehova aathĩte Musa.
So the people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh left the other Israelis at Shiloh in Canaan land, to return to their homes in the Gilead region. That was the area that belonged to them. It had been allotted to them by Moses as Yahweh had commanded.
10 Rĩrĩa maakinyire Gelilothu gũkuhĩ na Rũũĩ rwa Jorodani kũu bũrũri wa Kaanani-rĩ, mũhĩrĩga wa Rubeni, na wa Gadi, na nuthu ya mũhĩrĩga wa Manase nĩmakire kĩgongona kĩnene biũ o kũu hũgũrũrũ-inĩ cia Rũũĩ rwa Jorodani.
The people from those three tribes arrived near the western side of the Jordan River, at a town called Geliloth. There they built a large altar. [Then they crossed the Jordan River to the Gilead region].
11 Na rĩrĩa andũ a Isiraeli maaiguire atĩ nĩmakĩte kĩgongona kĩu mũhaka-inĩ wa Kaanani kũu Gelilothu gũkuhĩ na Rũũĩ rwa Jorodani mwena wa andũ a Isiraeli-rĩ,
But the other Israelis who were still at Shiloh heard about the altar that those men had built.
12 kĩungano gĩothe gĩa Isiraeli gĩkĩũngana Shilo nĩguo gĩkarũe nao.
They became very angry with the men of those tribes, so they decided to fight them.
13 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio andũ a Isiraeli magĩtũma Finehasi mũrũ wa Eleazaru ũrĩa mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai athiĩ bũrũri wa Gileadi; athiĩ kũrĩ mũhĩrĩga wa Rubeni, na wa Gadi na nuthu ya Manase.
The Israelis sent Phinehas, who was the son of Eleazar the Supreme Priest, to [talk with] the people of those three tribes.
14 O hamwe nake, magĩtũma atongoria ikũmi o mũtongoria ũmwe akarũgamĩrĩra mũhĩrĩga o mũndũ ũmwe wa Isiraeli, o ũmwe wao nĩwe warĩ mũnene wa nyũmba ya ithe thĩinĩ wa mbarĩ cia andũ a Isiraeli.
They also sent one leader from each of the ten tribes that were still at Shiloh. Each of them was a leader of his clan.
15 Rĩrĩa maathiire Gileadi, magĩthiĩ kũrĩ mũhĩrĩga wa Rubeni, na Gadi, na nuthu ya Manase, makĩmeera atĩrĩ,
Those leaders went to the Gilead region to talk to the people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh. They said,
16 “Kĩũngano gĩothe kĩa Jehova gĩkũmũũria atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩ kĩĩ gĩtũmĩte mwage kwĩhokeka harĩ Ngai wa Isiraeli? Mwahota atĩa kũhutatĩra Jehova mũkeyakĩra kĩgongona nĩguo mũũkĩrĩre Jehova mũmũremere?
“All the other Israelis are asking, ‘Why have you rebelled against the God whom we Israelis [worship] by building an altar for yourselves?
17 Mehia marĩa meekĩirwo Peori matitũiganĩte? Nginya ũmũthĩ ũyũ tũtirĩ twetheria mehia macio, o na gũtuĩka mũthiro nĩwokire igũrũ rĩa kĩrĩndĩ kĩa Jehova!
Have you forgotten what happened at Peor, [when some Israelis sinned by worshiping the god that the Moab people-group worship]? Many Israelis became very sick and died because of that sin, and we are still suffering because of their sin.
18 Rĩu na inyuĩ nĩ Jehova mũrahutatĩra? “‘Mũngĩremera Jehova ũmũthĩ, rũciũ nake nĩakarakarĩra kĩrĩndĩ gĩothe gĩa Isiraeli.
Are you now turning away from obeying Yahweh and refusing to do what he wants? If you do not stop rebelling against Yahweh today, he will be angry with all of us Israelis tomorrow.’
19 Angĩkorwo bũrũri ũrĩa mwĩgwatĩire nĩmũthaahu-rĩ, ringai mũũke bũrũri wa Jehova, kũrĩa hema ya Jehova ĩrĩ, mũgayane bũrũri na ithuĩ. No rĩrĩ, mũtikaremere Jehova kana mũtũremere na ũndũ wa kwĩyakĩra kĩgongona kĩanyu inyuĩ ene, o tiga kĩgongona kĩrĩa kĩrĩ kĩa Jehova Ngai witũ.
“If [you think that Yahweh considers] that your land here is not suitable for worshiping him, come back to our land where Yahweh’s Sacred Tent is. We can share our land with you. But do not rebel against Yahweh and against us by building another altar for Yahweh our God.
20 Rĩrĩa Akani mũrũ wa Zera aagire kwĩhokeka maũndũ-inĩ makoniĩ indo iria ciamũrĩtwo cia kũniinwo-rĩ, githĩ mangʼũrĩ matiakinyĩrĩire kĩrĩndĩ gĩothe gĩa Isiraeli? Mũndũ ũcio to we wiki wakuire nĩ ũndũ wa mehia make.’”
Do you remember what happened when Zerah’s son Achan refused to obey [Yahweh’s command to destroy everything in Jericho]? That one man disobeyed God’s command, but many [HYP] other Israelis were punished. Achan died because of his sin, but other Israelis also died.”
21 Hĩndĩ ĩyo andũ a Rubeni, na a Gadi, na a nuthu ya Manase magĩcookeria anene a mbarĩ cia Isiraeli makĩmeera atĩrĩ:
The [leaders of the] tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh replied,
22 “Jehova, Ngai, Mwene-Hinya, o we Jehova! Jehova, Ngai, Mwene-Hinya, o we Jehova! Nĩwe ũũĩ! Narĩo Isiraeli nĩrĩmenye! Angĩkorwo ũndũ ũyũ nĩ wa ũremi o na kana kwaga gwathĩkĩra Jehova, mũtigatũtigie muoyo ũmũthĩ.
“Yahweh, the Almighty God, knows [why we did that], and we want you to know, too. If we have done something wrong [against Yahweh], you may kill us.
23 Angĩkorwo nĩtwakĩte kĩgongona giitũ ithuĩ ene nĩguo tũhutatĩre Jehova, na tũrutage maruta ma njino na ma mũtu, o na kana tũkarutagĩra igongona rĩa ũiguano igũrũ rĩakĩo-rĩ, Jehova aroĩyũrĩria gĩtũmi kĩa ũhoro ũcio harĩ ithuĩ.
If we have disobeyed one of Yahweh’s laws, we request that he should punish us. We did not build that new altar to completely burn animals as sacrifices to Yahweh, or to offer on it sacrifices of grain or sacrifices to maintain fellowship with God.
24 “Aca! Ithuĩ twekire ũguo nĩ ũndũ wa gwĩtigĩra atĩ mũthenya ũmwe njiaro cianyu ciahota gũkeera ciitũ atĩrĩ, ‘Inyuĩ nĩ ũhoro ũrĩkũ mũrĩ naguo na Jehova Ngai wa Isiraeli?
“This is the reason that we built that altar: We were afraid/worried that some day your descendants would say that our descendants are not true Israelis. We were afraid that then they would say, ‘You are not allowed to worship Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship].
25 Jehova nĩekĩrĩte mũhaka wa Rũũĩ rwa Jorodani ũtuĩke wa gũtũhakania ithuĩ na inyuĩ, na andũ aya a Rubeni na Gadi! Gũtirĩ ũndũ mwĩtainwo na Jehova.’ Nĩ ũndũ ũcio njiaro cianyu ciahota gũtũma ciitũ itige gũcooka gwĩtigĩra Jehova.
Yahweh caused the Jordan River to be a boundary between us and you people of the tribes of Reuben and Gad. So you are not allowed to worship Yahweh.’ We were worried that your descendants would force our descendants to stop worshiping Yahweh.
26 “Kĩu nĩkĩo gĩatũmire tuuge atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩtwĩhaarĩrie twĩakĩre kĩgongona, no ti kĩa maruta ma njino o na kana magongona mangĩ.’
“That is the reason that we decided to build that [new] altar. But it is not an altar for completely burning sacrifices of animals and [burning other] sacrifices.
27 No rĩrĩ, nĩ gĩtuĩke ũira gatagatĩ gaitũ na inyuĩ na njiarwa iria igooka, atĩ tũrĩhooyagĩra Jehova hema-inĩ yake tũrĩ na maruta maitũ ma njino, na magongona na maruta ma ũiguano. Ningĩ matukũ ma thuutha njiaro cianyu itikeera njiaro ciitũ atĩrĩ, ‘Mũtirĩ na igai harĩ Jehova.’
We built that new altar to prove/show to you and to us and to all of our descendants that we worship Yahweh by completely burning animal sacrifices and offerings of grain and offerings to maintain fellowship with Yahweh [only at the place Yahweh chooses]. We do not want your descendants to say to our descendants, ‘You do not belong to Yahweh.’
28 “Na ithuĩ tũkiuga atĩrĩ, ‘Mangĩgaatwĩra ũguo, o na kana meere njiaro ciitũ ũguo-rĩ, nĩtũkamacookeria, tũmeere atĩrĩ: Ta rorai muone mũhianĩre wa kĩgongona kĩa Jehova, kĩrĩa maithe maitũ maakire, gĩtiakirwo nĩ ũndũ wa maruta ma njino na magongona mangĩ, no gĩakirwo nĩguo gĩtuĩke ũira gatagatĩ gaitũ na inyuĩ.’
“In the future, if your descendants say that, our descendants can say, ‘Look at the altar that our ancestors made! It is exactly like Yahweh’s altar [that our ancestors built], but we do not burn sacrifices on it. It only shows that we are Israelis!’
29 “Kũroaga gũtuĩka ũguo, atĩ no tũremere Jehova tũmũhutatĩre ũmũthĩ na ũndũ wa gwaka kĩgongona kĩngĩ gĩa keerĩ gĩa kũrutĩra maruta ma njino, na maruta ma mũtu na magongona mangĩ, tiga o kĩgongona kĩa Jehova Ngai witũ kĩrĩa gĩakĩtwo hema-inĩ yake.”
We certainly do not want to rebel against Yahweh or stop doing what he desires, by building an altar for completely burning some sacrifices and burning grain offerings and making [other] sacrifices. [We know that] there is only one true altar for Yahweh our God, and it is in front of the Sacred Tent [at Shiloh].”
30 Rĩrĩa Finehasi, mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai hamwe na atongoria a kĩrĩndĩ, o acio atongoria a mbarĩ cia andũ a Isiraeli maaiguire ũrĩa Rubeni, na Gadi, na Manase moigire-rĩ, magĩkena.
When Phinehas the priest and the other [ten] leaders heard what they said, they were pleased.
31 Nake Finehasi mũrũ wa Eleazaru ũrĩa mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai akĩĩra Rubeni, na Gadi, na Manase atĩrĩ, “Ũmũthĩ nĩtwamenya atĩ Jehova arĩ hamwe na ithuĩ, tondũ mũtihĩtĩirie Jehova ũndũ-inĩ ũyũ. Rĩu nĩmũteithũkĩtie andũ a Isiraeli kuuma guoko-inĩ kwa Jehova.”
So Phinehas said to them, “Now we know that Yahweh is with all of us Israelis, and that you were not rebelling against him [when you built that altar]. And we know that Yahweh will not punish us Israelis [because of your having done that].”
32 Nake Finehasi mũrũ wa Eleazaru, ũrĩa mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai, hamwe na atongoria magĩcooka Kaanani thuutha wa gũcemania na andũ a Rubeni na Gadi kũu Gileadi, nao magĩcookeria andũ a Isiraeli ũhoro.
Then Phinehas and the Israeli leaders left the people of the tribes of Reuben and Gad in the Gilead region, and returned to Canaan. There they told the other Israelis what had happened.
33 Nĩmakenire nĩ kũigua ũhoro ũcio, na makĩgooca Ngai. Na matiigana gũcooka kwaria ũhoro wa kũrũa nao atĩ nĩguo maharaganie bũrũri ũrĩa andũ a Rubeni na Gadi matũũraga.
They were pleased, and they thanked God. And they did not talk any more about fighting against the people of the tribes of Reuben and Gad and destroying everything in their land.
34 Nao andũ a Rubeni na Gadi magĩĩta kĩgongona kĩu ũũ: Mũira Gatagatĩ Gaitũ atĩ Jehova nĩwe Ngai.
The people of the tribes of Reuben and Gad named their new altar ‘A reminder to us all that Yahweh is God’.
