Ekyamateeka Olwokubiri 1

1 Bino bye bigambo Musa bye yategeeza Abayisirayiri bonna nga bali ku ludda olw’ebuvanjuba w’omugga Yoludaani mu ddungu, mu Alaba okwolekera Sufu, wakati wa Palani ne Toferi, ne Labani, ne Kazerosi ne Dizakabu.

In this book is written what Moses/I said to the Israeli people. He/I told them these things when they/we were in the desert, on the east side of the Jordan [River]. They/We had set up our tents near [a place named] Suph, between Paran [town on the one side of the river] and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab [towns on the other side of the river].

2 Waliwo olugendo lwa nnaku kkumi na lumu okuva e Kolebu okutuuka e Kadesubanea, ng’okutte ekkubo eriyitira ku Lusozi Seyiri.

To walk from Sinai [Mountain] to the Kadesh-Barnea [oasis], people usually travel for only eleven days, going by way of the hilly area named Edom.

3 Awo ku lunaku olw’olubereberye olw’omwezi ogw’ekkumi n’ogumu, mu mwaka ogw’amakumi ana, Musa n’ategeeza abaana ba Isirayiri ebyo byonna Mukama bye yamulagira okubabuulira.

Forty years after (the Israelis/we) left Egypt, in the middle of January, Moses/I told the Israeli people everything that Yahweh had commanded him/me to tell them.

4 Mu kiseera ekyo Musa yali amaze okuwangula Sikoni kabaka w’Abamoli eyabeeranga mu Kesuboni, ne Ogi kabaka w’e Basani eyabeeranga mu Asutaloosi ne mu Ederei.

This was after they/we had defeated Sihon, the king of the Amor people-group, who lived in Heshbon [city], and Og, the king of the Bashan [region] who lived in Ashtaroth and Edrei [towns].

5 Ku ludda lw’eyo olw’ebuvanjuba olw’omugga Yoludaani, mu nsi ya Mowaabu, Musa n’atandika okulangirira amateeka gano ng’ayogera nti:

Moses/I told them these things while the people were in the Moab region, on the east side of the Jordan [River]. He/I (explained to them/enabled them to understand) God’s laws. This is what he/I said to them:

6 “Mukama Katonda waffe yatugamba nga tuli ku Kolebu nti, ‘Ebbanga lye mumaze ku lusozi luno limala;

“Yahweh our God said to us when we were at Sinai [Mountain], ‘You have stayed for a very long time at [the bottom of] this mountain.

7 kale musitule mukyuke, mutambule nga mwolekera ensi ey’ensozi ey’Abamoli, ne mu baliraanwa baabwe yonna mu Alaba, mu nsozi, ne mu bisenyi, ne mu Negebu, ne ku lubalama lw’ennyanja, ne mu nsi ya Bakanani n’ey’Abalebanooni, okutuukira ddala ku mugga omunene, Omugga Fulaati.

So now continue traveling. Go to the hilly area where the Amor people-group lives and to the nearby areas—to the Jordan [River] Valley, to the hilly region, to the western (foothills/hills at the bottom of the mountains), to the desert area to the south, to the [Mediterranean] Seacoast, to all of Canaan land, to the Lebanon [Mountains], and [northeast] to the great Euphrates River.

8 Mulabe, ensi eyo ngibawadde. Muyingire mwetwalire ensi eyo Mukama Katonda gye yeerayirira okugiwa bajjajjammwe: Ibulayimu, ne Isaaka, ne Yakobo; okugibawa bo n’ezzadde lyabwe eririddawo.’

Note that I will give that land to you. I, Yahweh, promised to your ancestors Abraham and Isaac and Jacob that I would give it to them and to their descendants. So now go and occupy it.’”

9 “Mu biro ebyo nabagamba nti, ‘Sisobola kubalabirira nzekka bw’omu.

Moses/I also said to the people, “When [we were still at Sinai Mountain], I told your ancestors ‘It is a very big burden/responsibility for me to govern all of you. So I cannot do it by myself.

10 Mukama Katonda wammwe abongedde nnyo obungi, ne muwera nnyo; era, laba, kaakano muli ng’emmunyeenye ez’oku ggulu mu bungi bwammwe.

Yahweh our God has caused us Israelis to now become as numerous as the stars in the sky.

11 Nsaba Mukama Katonda wa bajjajjammwe abongereko obungi emirundi lukumi okusinga nga bwe muli leero, era abawenga omukisa nga bwe yabasuubiza.

And I hope/desire that Yahweh, the God whom our ancestors [worshiped], will cause us to become 1,000 times as numerous as we are now and that he will bless us just like he promised to do.

12 Kale, nze obw’omu nzekka nnaasobola ntya okwetikka omugugu gwammwe ogwo oguzitowa bwe gutyo, n’okubamalirawo ennyombo zammwe?

But I certainly cannot [RHQ] (solve/deal with) all of your complaints/problems.

13 Kale nno, mwerondemu, mu buli kika kyammwe, ab’amagezi, abategeevu era abalina obumanyirivu nga bassibwamu ekitiibwa, nange nnaabakuza ne mbafuula abakulembeze bammwe.’

So choose some men from your tribes who are wise and who have good sense and who are respected. Then I will appoint them to be your leaders.’

14 Nammwe mwanziramu nti, ‘Ekintu ky’otuteeserezza ffe okukola kirungi tukisiima.’

Your ancestors replied, ‘What you have suggested is good for us to do.’

15 “Bwe ntyo ne nzirira abakulu b’ebika byammwe, nga basajja ba magezi, abalina obumanyirivu, era abassibwamu ekitiibwa, ne mbalonda okubeeranga abakulembeze bammwe; okubanga abafuzi b’enkumi, n’abalala ab’ebikumi, n’abalala ab’amakumi ataano, n’abalala ab’ekkumi, mu bika byammwe byonna.

So I took the wise and respected men [that your ancestors chose] from your tribes, and I appointed them to be your leaders. I appointed some to (rule/have authority) over 1,000 people, some to have authority over 100 people, some to have authority over 50 people, and some to have authority over ten people. I also appointed other officers from throughout your tribes.

16 Mu biro ebyo ne nkuutira abaabalamulanga nti, ‘Muwulirizenga ensonga ezinaabaleeterwanga abooluganda, era musalengawo mu bwenkanya wakati w’owooluganda ne munne, era ne wakati we ne munnaggwanga gw’abeera naye.

I instructed/told your leaders, ‘Listen to the disputes that occur among your people. Judge each dispute, including disputes between close relatives and quarrels between your people and people from other countries who live among you.

17 Musalenga emisango awatali kyekubiira; abagagga n’abaavu nga mubawuliriza kyenkanyi. Endabika y’omuntu tebatiisanga, kubanga Katonda y’asala emisango gyonna. Bwe wabangawo omusango gwonna omukakanyavu muguleetanga gye ndi, nze nnaaguwuliranga.’

You must (be impartial/not favor one person more than another); you must treat poor people and important people equally. You must not worry about what anyone will think [about how you decide matters], because you will decide matters as God [wants you to]. If any quarrel/dispute is very difficult and you are unable to decide it, bring it to me, and I will decide.’

18 Mu biro ebyo ne mbakuutira ebintu byonna bye musaanira okukolanga.”

At that time I also told you other things that you should do.”

19 Awo ne tusitula okuva e Kolebu, ne tuyita mu ddungu eddene ery’entiisa mwenna lye mwalaba, ne tukwata ekkubo eryatutwala mu nsi ey’ensozi ey’Abamoli, nga Mukama Katonda waffe bwe yatulagira; ne tulyoka tutuuka e Kadesubanea.

“Then, just like Yahweh our God commanded us, we left Sinai [Mountain] and went through that huge desert that was very (dangerous/difficult to travel through), on the road to the hilly area where the Amor people-group live. We arrived at Kadesh-Barnea.

20 Ne mbagamba nti, “Mutuuse mu nsi ey’ensozi ey’Abamoli, Mukama Katonda waffe gy’atuwadde.

I said to your ancestors, ‘We have now come to the hilly area where the Amor people-group live. This is part of the area that Yahweh our God, the one whom our ancestors [worshiped], is giving to us.

21 Laba, Mukama Katonda wo akuwadde ensi. Kale, yambuka ogyetwalire nga Mukama Katonda wa bajjajjaabo bwe yakugamba. Totya, so toggwaamu maanyi.”

Note that Yahweh our God is giving this land to us. So go and occupy it as he commanded. Do not be (at all/even a little bit) afraid.’

22 Awo mwenna ne mujja gye ndi, ne muŋŋamba nti, “Kirungi tutume abantu basooke okutuukako eyo gye tulaga, bakebere ensi bagyetegereze nga bw’eri; balyoke bakomewo batutegeeze ekkubo lye tusaanira okukwata, n’ebibuga bye tunaggukako.”

But all of your ancestors came to me and said, ‘Before we go, we should [first] send some men there to explore the land, in order that they can return and tell us which will be the best road to go there and what kind of towns are there.’

23 Ekirowoozo ekyo kyandabikira nga kirungi, ne nkisiima; ne nnonda mu mmwe abasajja kkumi na babiri; nga mu buli kika muvaamu omusajja omu omu.

I thought that it would be good to do that, so I chose twelve men, one man from each tribe.

24 Baasitula ne bambuka mu nsi eyo ey’ensozi, ne batuuka mu kiwonvu Esukoli, ne bakiketta.

They went up into the hilly area as far as Eshcol Valley, and they explored all that area.

25 Ne banoga ku bibala eby’omu nsi omwo ne babituleetera; ne batutegeeza bwe bati nti, “Ensi Mukama Katonda waffe gy’atuwadde nnungi nnyo.

They picked some of the fruit that they found there and brought it to us. They reported that the land that Yahweh our God was giving to us is very good/fertile.”

26 “Naye ate ne mutayambuka, ne mujeemera ekiragiro kya Mukama Katonda wammwe.

“But your ancestors refused to go [and conquer that land]. They rebelled against what Yahweh our God had commanded them to do, and they would not go into that land.

27 Ne mwemulugunyiriza mu weema zammwe nga mugamba nti, ‘Olwokubanga Mukama tatwagala, yatukyawa, kyeyava atuggya mu nsi y’e Misiri alyoke atuweeyo mu mukono gw’Abamoli batuzikirize.

Your ancestors [stayed] in their tents and complained saying ‘Yahweh hates us. So he has brought us here from Egypt just to allow the Amor people-group to destroy us.

28 Wa eyo gye tunaayambuka? Ebigambo bya baganda baffe abaagenda okuketta biyongobezza emitima gyaffe, bwe bagambye nti, Abantu abali eri banene, era bawanvu okutusinga ffe; ebibuga byayo binene nnyo, n’ebigo byabyo biwanvu bituukira ddala waggulu mu bire. Ate ne batabani ba Anaki nabo twabalabayo.’”

(Why should we go there?/We do not want to go there.) [RHQ] The men whom we sent there have caused us to become very discouraged/afraid. They have told us that the people there are much stronger and taller than we are and that there are extremely high [HYP] walls around their towns. Also they reported that they saw [giants there that are] descendants of Anak.’

29 Naye ne mbaddamu nti, “Temutekemuka mitima, so temubatya.

Then I said to your ancestors, ‘Do not be afraid (at all/even a little bit) [DOU] of those people!

30 Mukama Katonda wammwe bulijjo abakulembera, ye yennyini agenda kubalwaniriranga, nga bwe yabalwanirira mu Misiri nga mulabira ddala n’amaaso gammwe.

Yahweh our God will go ahead of you, and he will fight for you, just like you saw him do for you in Egypt

31 Era ne mu ddungu walabira ddala nga Mukama Katonda wo bwe yakusitula, nga kitaawe w’omwana bw’asitula mutabani we, n’akuyisa mu lugendo lwonna n’okukutuusa n’akutuusa mu kifo kino.”

and in the desert. You saw how he brought you safely here, like a man would carry his son. [SIM]’

32 Newaakubadde ng’ebyo byonna byali bwe bityo, Mukama Katonda wammwe temwamwesiga,

[I reminded them that] he always went ahead of them while they traveled [in the desert]. He directed them by [a pillar of] fire during the night and a [pillar of] cloud during the day. He showed them places to set up their tents. But in spite of what I said, your ancestors would not trust Yahweh our God.

33 songa ye, yabakulemberanga mu lugendo lwammwe lwonna, n’empagi ey’omuliro ekiro, n’ekire mu budde obw’emisana, n’okubalaganga ekifo we munaasiisiranga.

34 Mukama bwe yawulira ebigambo byammwe n’asunguwala nnyo, n’alayira nti,

Yahweh heard what they said, and he became angry. He solemnly declared,

35 “Tewalibaawo n’omu ku bantu bano, ab’omulembe guno omubi, aliraba ku nsi eyo ennungi gye nalayirira okuwa bajjajjammwe,

‘Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, will enter the land. He has obeyed me completely. So I will give to him and to his descendants [some of] the land that he explored. He is the only one of all you people who will enter that land. None of these evil people will ever see that good land which I solemnly promised to give to your ancestors.’

36 okuggyako Kalebu mutabani wa Yefune. Ye agenda kugiraba, era ndimugabira, awamu n’ezzadde lye, ensi gye yalinnyako ekigere kye; kubanga yagondera Mukama n’omutima gwe gwonna.”

37 Nange Mukama yansunguwalira ku lwammwe, n’aŋŋamba nti, “Naawe toliyingira mu nsi omwo.

But because of [what] your ancestors [did], Yahweh was also angry with me. He said to me, ‘You also will not enter that land.

38 Wabula omuweereza wo Yoswa mutabani wa Nuuni ye aligiyingiramu. Mumuwagire, kubanga ye alikulembera abaana ba Isirayiri ne basikira ensi eyo.

Joshua, the son of Nun, who is your helper, will enter it. Encourage him, because he is the one who will enable you Israeli people to occupy that land.’

39 Abaana bammwe abato be mwatiisanga nti bagenda kuwambibwa batwalibwe mu busibe, abaana bammwe abo, abaali batannayawulamu kirungi na kibi, be baliyingira mu nsi eyo. Ndigibawa, ne bagyetwalira ne bagyefunira.

Then Yahweh said to all of us, ‘You said that your children would be captured by your enemies. Because they are very young, they do not yet know what is good and what is evil. But they are the ones to whom I will give that land, and they will enter it and occupy it.

40 Naye mmwe, musitule mukyuke, mukwate olugendo olw’omu ddungu nga mwolekera Ennyanja Emyufu.”

But as for you, turn around and go back into the desert, toward the (Red Sea/Gulf of Aqaba).’

41 Ne mulyoka munziramu nti, “Twonoonye eri Mukama. Tujja kwambuka tulwane nga Mukama Katonda waffe bwe yatulagira.” Awo buli musajja ne yeesiba ebyokulwanyisa bye eby’olutalo, nga mulowooza nti kyangu okwambuka mu nsi ey’ensozi.

Then your ancestors replied, ‘We have sinned; we have disobeyed Yahweh. So we will go and attack [the people who live in] that land, just like Yahweh our God commanded us to do.’ And each of their men put on his weapons, and they thought that it would be easy to invade the hilly region.

42 Mukama n’aŋŋamba nti, “Bategeeze nti, ‘Temwambuka kulwana, kubanga sijja kubeera nammwe. Abalabe bammwe bajja kubawangula.’”

But Yahweh said to me, ‘Tell them, “Do not go up there and attack those people, because I will not go with you. If you go, your enemies will defeat you.”’

43 Bwe ntyo ne mbagamba, naye ne mutawuliriza, ne mujeemera ekiragiro kya Mukama, ne mujjula amalala ne mwambuka mu nsi ey’ensozi.

So I told that to your ancestors, but they would not heed what I said. They [again] rebelled against what Yahweh commanded them to do. Their soldiers proudly/arrogantly marched up into that hilly region.

44 Awo Abamoli abaabeeranga mu nsi eyo ey’ensozi, ne bavaayo ne babalumba, ne babagoba ng’enjuki bwe zikola, ne babakubira mu Seyiri n’okubatuusiza ddala e Koluma.

Then the men of the Amor people-group who lived in that region came out [of their towns] and attacked those soldiers. They pursued your ancestors’ soldiers like [a swarm of] bees pursues people, and they pursued them [south] from the Edom area and defeated them at Hormah [city].

45 Ne mukomawo, ne mukaabira mu maaso ga Mukama, naye Mukama n’atabawuliriza era ne bye mwamukaabirira n’atabibawa.

So your ancestors went back [to Kadesh-Barnea] and cried out to request Yahweh [to help them], but he did not heed them. He did not pay any attention to them [DOU].

46 Bwe mutyo ne musigala e Kadesi, okumala ebbanga eryo lyonna lye mwabeera eyo.

So we stayed there at Kadesh-Barnea for a long time.”