Joshua 23
1 Ma mgbe ọtụtụ oge gasịrị, site nʼoge Onyenwe anyị mere ka Izrel nwee ezumike nʼebe ndị iro gbara ha okirikiri nọ, Joshua aghọọla agadi, gbaa ọtụtụ afọ.
Yahweh enabled the Israelis to live peacefully [for many years] with the people-groups that were around them.
2 Ya mere, Joshua kpọrọ ndị Izrel niile, ndị okenye ha, ndị ndu ha, ndị odozi okwu ha na ndịisi ha, sị ha, “Emeela m agadi gbaakwa ọtụtụ afọ.
Joshua was now very old. [One day] he summoned the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the leaders of the clans, the judges, and [other] officials. He said to them, “I am now very old.
3 Unu onwe unu ejirila anya unu hụ ihe niile Onyenwe anyị Chineke unu mere mba ndị a niile, nʼihi unu. Ọ lụụrụ unu ọgụ, nyere unu aka imeri ndị iro unu.
You people have seen what Yahweh our God has done to help you defeat the people-groups [that lived in this land]. Yahweh our God has fought for you.
4 Unu hụrụ na ekekwarala m unu ala mba ahụ niile nke fọdụrụnụ ka ha bụrụ ihe nketa ebo unu, site na Jọdan, tinyekwara mba niile ndị ahụ m kpochapụrụ nʼakụkụ osimiri Mediterenịa dị na mpaghara ọdịda anyanwụ.
But do not forget that he has given to you all this land, from the Jordan [River in the east] to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, all this land that I have allotted to you.
5 Onyenwe anyị bụ Chineke unu ga-akwapụ ndị bi nʼime ha nʼihi unu. Ọ ga-achụpụ ha nʼihu unu, mee ka unu nweta ala ha, dịka Onyenwe anyị Chineke unu kwere unu nkwa.
Yahweh our God will compel the people who are still living there to leave. He will push them out as you advance. Then the land will be yours, as Yahweh has promised you.
6 “Ya mere, dịnụ ike, lezienụ anya idebezu na irube isi nʼihe niile e dere nʼAkwụkwọ Iwu Mosis. Unu esila nʼime ya wezuga onwe unu nʼụzọ ọbụla.
“Be sure that you obey all the laws that are in the book that Moses wrote. Do not disobey any part of it [IDM].
7 Lezienụ anya ka unu na mba ndị a fọdụrụ nʼala a ghara inwe mmekọ ọbụla. Unu akpọtụkwala chi ha niile aha. Unu aṅụkwala iyi nʼaha ha, maọbụ fee ha ofufe, maọbụ kpọọ isiala nye ha.
Do not associate with the people who live among us [who are not Israelis and who worship other gods]. Do not mention the names of their gods, and do not use the names of their gods when you promise to do something. Do not serve their gods or worship them.
8 Kama raparanụ nʼahụ Onyenwe anyị Chineke unu dịka unu mere ruo taa.
You must continue to do what Yahweh our God wants us to do, as you have been doing.
9 “Onyenwe anyị achụpụla mba dị ukwuu na mba siri ike site nʼebe unu nọ. O nwekwaghị otu mba nʼime ha o kwere ka ha merie unu.
“Yahweh has forced [many] very powerful people-groups to leave as you advanced. No people-group has been able to defeat you.
10 Otu nwoke nʼime unu achụọla puku ndị ikom ndị iro unu ọsọ. Nʼihi na Onyenwe anyị Chineke unu alụọlara unu ọgụ, dịka ya onwe ya kwere nkwa.
Each of you will be able to cause 1,000 of them to run away, because Yahweh your God will fight for you, just like he promised to do.
11 Nʼihi ya, lezienụ onwe unu anya nke ọma ka unu hụ Onyenwe anyị Chineke unu nʼanya.
So be sure that you continue to love Yahweh our God.
12 “Ma ọ bụrụ na unu alaghachi azụ, ma kwere ka e jikọọ unu na mba ndị a fọdụrụ nʼetiti unu. Ọ bụrụ na unu na ha ebido ịlụrịta di na nwunye, na-emekọrịta ihe ọnụ,
“If you turn away from doing what Yahweh desires and you associate with the people who are not Israelis, and if you marry them,
13 maranụ nke ọma, na Onyenwe anyị Chineke unu agaghị achụpụrụ unu mba ndị a site nʼala unu. Kama ha ga-abụrụ unu igbudu na ọnya. Ha ga-abụkwara unu apịpịa nʼakụkụ unu, na ogwu nʼanya unu, ruo mgbe unu ga-ala nʼiyi nʼezi ala a, nke Onyenwe anyị Chineke unu nyere unu.
then you can be sure that Yahweh our God will not help you to expel those people-groups from your land. They will be [like] traps [DOU, MET] [that will catch you]. They will be [like] whips [that strike] your backs, and like thorns [that will scratch] your eyes. As a result, none of you will be left in this good land that Yahweh our God is giving to you.
14 “Mgbe na-adịghị anya, mụ onwe m ga-agbaso ụzọ ahụ ndị niile bi nʼụwa na-aghaghị ịgbaso. Unu niile maara nʼime obi unu na nʼime mkpụrụobi unu na o nweghị otu nʼime nkwa ọma Onyenwe anyị Chineke unu kwere nye unu nke na-emezughị. E mezuola nkwa ndị a niile; o nweghị nke ọbụla a na-emezughị.
“It is almost time for me to die, like everyone does [EUP]. You know in your hearts [DOU] that Yahweh has done for you [LIT] everything that he promised to do.
15 Ma dịka ezi nkwa niile Onyenwe anyị Chineke unu kwere si bụrụ ihe e mezuru emezu, otu a kwa ka Onyenwe anyị ga-esi mee ka ihe ọjọọ niile ọ bara mba ya mezuo nʼisi unu, tutu ruo mgbe o mere ka unu laa nʼiyi nʼezi ala ahụ ọ na-enye unu.
He has given to you all the good things that he promised. In the same way, the other things that he promised, [things that are not good], will also happen. He said that if you do what is evil, he will get rid of you and send you away from this good land that he has given to you.
16 Ọ bụrụ na unu emebie ọgbụgba ndụ Onyenwe anyị Chineke unu, nke o nyere unu iwu idebe, tụgharịa malite ịgbaso na ife chi ndị ọzọ na ịkpọ isiala nye ha, iwe Onyenwe anyị ga-adị ọkụ megide unu, unu ga-alakwa nʼiyi ngwangwa nʼala ọma ahụ o nyere unu.”
That will happen if you do not obey the commands that Yahweh our God told you to obey. If you serve other gods and worship them, Yahweh will become very angry with you. Very quickly [he will expel you from] this good land that he has given to you, [and] none of you will be left here.”
