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.
[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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“[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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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].
9 Mgbe Balak nwa Zipoa, eze Moab, jikeere ibuso Izrel agha, o zigaara Belam, nwa Beoa ozi ka ọ bịa bụọ unu ọnụ.
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.
10 Ma egeghị m Belam ntị. Kama emere m ya ka ọ gọzie unu. Anapụtara m unu site nʼaka ya.
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].
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.
“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.
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.
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].
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.’
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.’”
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.
[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.
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 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!”
16 Ndị Izrel niile zara sị ya, “O nweghị ihe ga-eme ka anyị hapụ Onyenwe anyị fee chi ndị ọzọ!
The Israeli people answered, “We will never quit [serving/worshiping] Yahweh! We would never [think of] [IDM] serving/worshiping 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.
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.
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.”
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.”
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 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].
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.”
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!”
21 Ma ndị Izrel sịrị Joshua, “Mba, kama Onyenwe anyị ka anyị ga-efe ofufe.”
But the people replied to Joshua, “No, [we will not turn away from worshiping/serving Yahweh] We will serve/worship Yahweh!”
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 said, “You yourselves are saying that you have decided to serve/worship Yahweh.” They replied, “Yes, we are saying that.”
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 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].”
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 replied, “We will serve/worship Yahweh, our God, and obey him.”
25 Ya mere, Joshua na ndị Izrel gbara ndụ nʼụbọchị ahụ na Shekem. O nyere ha iwu na ụkpụrụ ha ga-edebe.
That day, Joshua established an agreement between the people and Yahweh. He wrote for them all the laws that they were required to obey.
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.
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.
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.”
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!”
28 Emesịa, Joshua zilara onye ọbụla, ka ha laa nʼihe nketa nke aka ha.
Then Joshua sent the people away, and all of them returned to their own areas/homes.
29 Ọ dịghị anya, mgbe ihe ndị a gasịrị, Joshua nwa Nun, odibo Onyenwe anyị nwụrụ, mgbe ọ gbara narị afọ na iri.
Some time after that, Nun’s son Joshua, the faithful servant of Yahweh, died. He was 110 years old when he died.
30 E liri ya nʼoke ala nke ihe nketa ya, na Timnat Sera, nʼime ala ugwu ugwu Ifrem, nʼakụkụ ugwu dị nʼala Gaash.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
33 Elieza nwa Erọn, nwụkwara. E liri ya nʼala ugwu ugwu ndị Ifrem, na Gibea, obodo e nyere nwa ya bụ Finehaz.
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.
