< Joshua 24 >
1 Joshua kpọkọtara ebo Izrel niile na Shekem. Ọ kpọrọ ndị okenye Izrel na ndịisi ha na ndị ikpe ha na ndị nlekọta ha. Ha niile bịara chee onwe ha nʼihu Chineke.
Joshua summoned all the tribes of Israel to Shechem. Then he called the elders, leaders, judges, and officials and they came and stood before the Tabernacle of God.
2 Mgbe ahụ, Joshua gwara ndị Izrel niile sị, “Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị, Chineke nke Izrel kwuru, ‘Nna nna unu ochie ha, nke bụ Tera, nna Ebraham, na Nahọ, bikwara nʼakụkụ ọwụwa anyanwụ nke ofe osimiri Yufretis, ebe ha nọ fee chi ndị ọzọ ofufe.
Joshua said to all the people, “The Lord, the God of Israel, says this: ‘Long, long ago your forefathers, including Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River, and they worshiped other gods.
3 Ma mụ onwe m kpọpụtara nna nna unu Ebraham site nʼala ahụ dị nʼofe osimiri dubata ya nʼala Kenan, nye ya ọtụtụ ụmụ ụmụ, site na nwa ya bụ Aịzik.
I brought your father Abraham from beyond the Euphrates and led him through all the land of Canaan and gave him many descendants. I gave him Isaac.
4 Ụmụ m nyere Aịzik bụ Jekọb na Ịsọ. Ịsọ ka m nyere ala ugwu ugwu Sia, ka o nweta ma Jekọb na ezinaụlọ ya gara nʼala Ijipt.
I gave to Isaac Jacob and Esau. I gave to Esau the hill country of Seir to own, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.
5 “‘Emesịa, ezigara m Mosis na Erọn, ma wetara ndị Ijipt ihe otiti ọjọọ niile dị iche iche site nʼihe m mere nʼebe ahụ. Nʼikpeazụ, akpọpụtara m ndị m site nʼala Ijipt.
I sent Moses and Aaron, and I brought plagues on the people of Egypt, and I brought you out.
6 Ma mgbe unu rutere nʼOsimiri Uhie, ndị agha Ijipt gbapụtara chịrị ụgbọ agha ha na ndị agha na-agba ịnyịnya ha chụwa unu ọsọ.
Yes, I brought your forefathers out, but when you arrived at the Red Sea the Egyptians were chasing after your forefathers with chariots and horsemen.
7 Mgbe ndị Izrel hụrụ ha, ha tiri mkpu kpọkuo Onyenwe anyị. O tinyere oke ọchịchịrị nʼetiti unu na ndị Ijipt. O mere ka oke osimiri kpuchie ha, mee ka ha mikpuo nʼosimiri ahụ. Unu niile hụkwara ihe m mere ndị Ijipt. Emesịa, unu bikwara nʼọzara ọtụtụ afọ.
Your forefathers called out to the Lord for help, and he placed darkness between you and the Egyptians. Then he brought the sea back over them and they drowned. You saw what I did with your own eyes in Egypt. Then you lived for many years in the wilderness.
8 “‘Ma emesịa, emere m ka unu bata nʼime ala ndị Amọrait, ndị bi nʼakụkụ ọwụwa anyanwụ osimiri Jọdan. Ha lụsoro unu ọgụ, ma eweere m ha nyefee unu nʼaka. E bibiri m ha nʼihu unu, ma unu nwetara ala ha.
After that I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived on the other side of the Jordan. They fought against you but I handed them over to you to defeat and you took over their land. I destroyed them before you.
9 Mgbe Balak nwa Zipoa, eze Moab, jikeere ibuso Izrel agha, o zigaara Belam, nwa Beoa ozi ka ọ bịa bụọ unu ọnụ.
When Balak, son of Zippor, the king of Moab, wanted to fight against Israel, he sent for Balaam, son of Beor, to come and curse you.
10 Ma egeghị m Belam ntị. Kama emere m ya ka ọ gọzie unu. Anapụtara m unu site nʼaka ya.
But I wasn't willing to listen to Balaam, so instead he blessed you repeatedly, and saved you from Balak.
11 “‘Emesịa, unu gafere osimiri Jọdan bịaruo Jeriko. Ndị ikom Jeriko busoro unu agha, otu a kwa ka ndị Amọrait, na ndị Periz, na ndị Kenan, na ndị Het, na ndị Gigash, na ndị Hiv, na ndị Jebus. Ma eweere m ha niile nyefee unu nʼaka.
You crossed the Jordan and arrived at Jericho where the men of Jericho fought against you. So did the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
12 E zigara m ebu nʼihu unu nke chụpụrụ ha nʼihu unu, bụ eze abụọ ndị Amọrait. Ọ bụghị mma agha na ụta unu ka unu ji mee nke a.
But I handed them over to you to defeat. And I sent the hornet before you to drive out the two kings of the Amorites. You did not win using your swords or your bows!
13 Ya mere enyere m unu ala ahụ, nke unu na-adọgbughị onwe unu nʼihi ya, nyekwa unu ọtụtụ obodo nke unu na-ewughị, bụ ala ndị a unu bi nʼime ya ugbu a. Enyere m unu ubi vaịnị na ubi oliv nke unu na-akụghị, nke unu na-eri mkpụrụ ha.’
I gave you a land you didn't work for and towns you didn't build. Now you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves you didn't plant.’
14 “Ya mere ugbu a, tụọnụ egwu Onyenwe anyị, feekwanụ ya ofufe nʼụzọ ikwesi ntụkwasị obi na nʼeziokwu. Wezuganụ chi ndị ahụ niile nna nna unu ha fere ofufe nʼofe osimiri Yufretis ahụ, na nʼIjipt. Feenụ naanị Onyenwe anyị ofufe.
So respect the Lord and worship him, sincerely and faithfully. Get rid of the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and worship the Lord.
15 Ọ bụrụkwanụ na ọ masịghị unu ife Onyenwe anyị, họpụtaranụ onwe unu taa onye unu ga-efe. Ma ọ bụ chi ndị ahụ nna nna unu ha fere nʼofe ọzọ nke osimiri, maọbụ chi ndị Amọrait, ndị unu bi nʼala ha. Ma nʼebe mụ onwe m na ezinaụlọ m nọ, anyị ga-efe Onyenwe anyị.”
But if you don't want to worship the Lord, choose today who you want to worship! Is it going to be the gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the Euphrates? Or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you're now living? But as for me and my family, we will worship the Lord!”
16 Ndị Izrel niile zara sị ya, “O nweghị ihe ga-eme ka anyị hapụ Onyenwe anyị fee chi ndị ọzọ!
The people responded, “We are never going to give up on the Lord and worship other gods!
17 Ọ bụ Onyenwe anyị Chineke anyị, ya onwe ya si nʼala Ijipt, ebe anyị bụ ndị ohu, kpọpụta anyị na nna anyị ha. Ọ rụrụ ọrụ ịrịbama ndị ahụ niile dị oke egwu nʼihu anyị. O chebere anyị nʼije anyị niile nʼetiti mba ndị ahụ niile anyị si nʼala ha gafee.
For the Lord our God brought us and our forefathers out of slavery in Egypt. He was the one who did great miracles before our very eyes. He looked after us on the way as we traveled through the lands of many nations.
18 Ọ bụ Onyenwe anyị chụpụrụ ndị Amọrị na ọtụtụ mba ndị ọzọ bi nʼala a. E, anyị onwe anyị ga-efe Onyenwe anyị, nʼihi na ọ bụ Chineke anyị.”
The Lord drove out before us the Amorites and all the other nations who were living in the land. So we will worship the Lord, for he is our God!”
19 Joshua zaghachiri ndị Izrel sị, “Unu apụghị ife Onyenwe anyị ofufe; nʼihi na ọ bụ Chineke dị nsọ, bụrụkwa Chineke ekworo. Ọ gaghị agbaghara unu nnupu isi unu na mmehie unu niile.
Joshua told the people, “Remember that the Lord is a holy and jealous God. You won't be able to worship him, and he won't forgive your rebellion and sins
20 Ọ bụrụ na unu agbakụta Onyenwe anyị azụ, fee chi ala ọzọ ofufe, ọ ga-echigharị laa unu nʼiyi, nʼagbanyeghị na ọ nọnyerela unu ụbọchị ndị a niile.”
if you give up on him and worship foreign gods. He will turn against you and destroy you despite all the good he has done for you.”
21 Ma ndị Izrel sịrị Joshua, “Mba, kama Onyenwe anyị ka anyị ga-efe ofufe.”
“Don't say that!” the people replied. “We will worship the Lord!”
22 Mgbe ahụ, Joshua sịrị, “Unu bụ ndị ama megide onwe unu na unu ahọrọla ife Onyenwe anyị ofufe.” Ha zara sị, “E, anyị bụ ndị akaebe.”
Then Joshua cautioned the people, “You have made yourselves witnesses against yourselves by saying that you have chosen to worship the Lord.” “Yes, we are witnesses,” the people replied.
23 Joshua sịrị, “Ugbu a, wezuganụ chi ndị mba ọzọ niile dị nʼetiti unu. Werekwanụ obi unu nye maka irubere Onyenwe anyị Chineke Izrel isi.”
“Then get rid of those foreign gods you have and promise to be loyal only to the Lord, the God of Israel,” Joshua told them.
24 Ndị ahụ sịrị Joshua, “Anyị ga-efe Onyenwe anyị Chineke anyị ofufe. Anyị ga-egekwa ntị nʼolu ya, mee ihe o nyere nʼiwu.”
The people said to Joshua, “We will worship the Lord our God and we will obey him.”
25 Ya mere, Joshua na ndị Izrel gbara ndụ nʼụbọchị ahụ na Shekem. O nyere ha iwu na ụkpụrụ ha ga-edebe.
So Joshua made a solemn agreement between the people and the Lord that day in Shechem, obligating them to follow all the Lord's laws and instructions.
26 Joshua dere iwu ndị a ụmụ Izrel kwere na ha ga-eme nʼAkwụkwọ Iwu Chineke. Emesịa, o bupụtara otu nkume buru ibu guzo ya nʼokpuru osisi ukwu ook dị nʼakụkụ ebe nsọ Onyenwe anyị.
Joshua recorded this in the Book of the Law of God, and he set up a large stone under the oak tree near the Lord's sanctuary.
27 Joshua sịrị ndị ahụ niile, “Lee, nkume a ga-abụ ihe ama megide anyị. Nʼihi na ọ nụla okwu niile nke Onyenwe anyị gwara anyị. Ọ ga-abụkwa ihe ama megide unu, ma ọ bụrụ na unu mee ihe mmekpu megide Chineke unu.”
Joshua said to the people, “Look at this stone. It stands here as a witness against us for it has heard everything the Lord has told us, and it will be a witness against you if you ever deny what you have promised your God.”
28 Emesịa, Joshua zilara onye ọbụla, ka ha laa nʼihe nketa nke aka ha.
Then Joshua dismissed the people, sending them to their allotted lands.
29 Ọ dịghị anya, mgbe ihe ndị a gasịrị, Joshua nwa Nun, odibo Onyenwe anyị nwụrụ, mgbe ọ gbara narị afọ na iri.
Later, after all this, Joshua, son of Nun, servant of the Lord, died at the age of one hundred and ten.
30 E liri ya nʼoke ala nke ihe nketa ya, na Timnat Sera, nʼime ala ugwu ugwu Ifrem, nʼakụkụ ugwu dị nʼala Gaash.
They buried him in Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash, the land he had been allocated.
31 Ndị Izrel fere Onyenwe anyị ofufe ụbọchị niile nke ndụ Joshua, na nke ndụ ndị okenye ahụ, bụ ndị gara nʼihu bie ndụ mgbe ọ nwụsịrị, ndị maakwara ihe niile nke Onyenwe anyị rụụrụ ndị Izrel.
The Israelites continued to worship the Lord throughout Joshua's life, and throughout the lifetimes of the elders who outlived him, those who had seen all that the Lord had done for Israel.
32 Ọkpụkpụ Josef ndị Izrel chịtara mgbe ha si nʼala Ijipt pụta, ka ha liri na Shekem, nʼime ala ahụ Jekọb zụrụ narị mkpụrụ ọlaọcha nʼaka ụmụ Hamọ nna Shekem. Ala a ghọrọ nʼihe nketa ụmụ Josef.
The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought with them from Egypt, they buried in Shechem in the piece of ground Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for one hundred pieces of silver. This land was inherited by Joseph's sons.
33 Elieza nwa Erọn, nwụkwara. E liri ya nʼala ugwu ugwu ndị Ifrem, na Gibea, obodo e nyere nwa ya bụ Finehaz.
And Eleazar, son of Aaron, died and they buried him at Gibeah, in the hill country of Ephraim, land which had been given to his son Phinehas.