< Balam 2 >

1 Awo Malayika wa Mukama n’ava e Bokimu n’ajja e Girugaali, n’agamba nti, “Nabaggya mu nsi y’e Misiri ne mbaleeta mu nsi gye nalayira okuwa bajjajjammwe; ne ŋŋamba nti, ‘Endagaano yange gye nalagaana nammwe sirigimenya emirembe gyonna;
And an Angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to the Place of Weeping, and he said: “I led you away from Egypt, and I led you into the land, about which I swore to your fathers. And I promised that I would not nullify my covenant with you, even forever:
2 nammwe temukolanga ndagaano n’abantu ab’omu nsi eyo: museseggulanga ebyoto byabwe.’ Naye mmwe temugondedde kiragiro kyange: Kiki ekibakozesezza bwe mutyo?
but only if you would not form a pact with the inhabitants of this land. Instead, you should overturn their altars. Yet you were not willing to listen to my voice. Why have you done this?
3 Kaakano kyenva ŋŋamba nti, ‘Siibafubutule mu maaso gammwe, naye banaaba balabe bammwe ne bakatonda baabwe banaaba nkonge gye muli.’”
For this reason, I am not willing to destroy them before your face, so that you may have enemies, and so that their gods may be your ruin.”
4 Malayika wa Mukama bwe yamala okugamba Abayisirayiri bonna ebigambo bino ne balyoka batema emiranga.
And when the Angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, they lifted up their voice, and they wept.
5 Ekifo ekyo ne bakituuma erinnya Bokimu; ne baweera eyo Ssaddaaka eri Mukama.
And the name of that place was called, the Place of Weeping, or the Place of Tears. And they immolated victims to the Lord in that place.
6 Awo Yoswa bwe yamala okulagira Abayisirayiri baabuke, buli omu ku bo n’agenda okugabana ekitundu kye yasuubizibwa.
Then Joshua dismissed the people, and the sons of Israel went away, each one to his own possession, so that they might obtain it.
7 Abayisirayiri ne baweerezanga Mukama mu kiseera kyonna ekya Yoswa era ne mu kiseera kyonna eky’abakulembeze abaawangaala okusinga Yoswa era abaalaba ebikolwa eby’amaanyi Mukama bye yakolera Abayisirayiri.
And they served the Lord, during all his days, and during all the days of the elders, who lived for a long time after him, and who knew all the works of the Lord, which he had done for Israel.
8 Awo omuweereza wa Mukama Yoswa mutabani wa Nuuni n’afa. We yafiira ng’aweza emyaka kikumi mu kkumi.
Then Joshua, the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being one hundred and ten years old.
9 Ne bamuziika e Timunasukeresi mu kitundu kye yagabana mu nsi ya Efulayimu ey’ensozi mu bukiika obwa kkono obw’olusozi Gaasi.
And they buried him in the parts of his possession at Timnath-Serah, on Mount Ephraim, before the northern side of Mount Gaash.
10 Awo ab’omulembe gwa Yoswa bonna bwe baafa ne baggwaawo ne waddawo omulembe gw’abataamanya Mukama yadde ebikolwa eby’amaanyi bye yakolera Abayisirayiri.
And that entire generation was gathered to their fathers. And there rose up others, who had not known the Lord and the works that he had done for Israel.
11 Abayisirayiri ne bakola ebibi mu maaso ga Mukama era ne basinza Babayaali.
And the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they served the Baals.
12 Ne banyiiza Mukama kubanga baagoberera era ne basinza bakatonda abalala abamawanga agaali gabeetoolodde ne beerabira Mukama Katonda wa bajjajjaabwe eyabaggya mu nsi ye Misiri.
And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had led them away from the land of Egypt. And they followed foreign gods and the gods of the peoples who were living around them, and they adored them. And they provoked the Lord to wrath,
13 Ne bava ku Mukama ne basinza ba Baali ne Asutoleesi.
forsaking him, and serving Baal and Ashtaroth.
14 Mukama n’asunguwalira nnyo Abayisirayiri: Kyeyava abawaayo mu mikono gy’abanyazi ne babanyanga era ne batasobola na kwerwanako okuva mu mikono gy’abalabe baabwe ababeetoolodde kubanga Mukama yali amaze okubawaayo.
And the Lord, having become angry against Israel, delivered them into the hands of plunderers, who seized them and sold them to the enemies that were living on all sides. Neither were they able to withstand their adversaries.
15 Buli gye baatabaalanga ne bawangulwa kubanga Mukama yabavaako olw’ekibi kyabwe nga bwe yabalayirira; ne bawotookerera nnyo.
Instead, wherever they wanted to go, the hand of the Lord was upon them, just as he said and just as he swore to them. And they were greatly afflicted.
16 Mukama n’abawa abakulembeze abaabalwaniriranga ne babawonya abanyazi.
And the Lord raised up judges, who would free them from the hands of their oppressors. But they were not willing to listen to them.
17 Naye tebaawuliriza bakulembeze baabwe ne bagoberera era ne basinza bakatonda abalala. Tebaakola nga bajjajjaabwe abaagobereranga n’okuwuliranga ebiragiro bya Mukama.
Fornicating with foreign gods and adoring them, they quickly deserted the way along which their fathers had advanced. And having heard the commandments of the Lord, they did all things to the contrary.
18 Buli Mukama lwe yabawanga omukulembeze yamuyambanga era n’anunulanga Abayisirayiri okuva mu mikono gy’abalabe baabwe ekiseera eky’omukulembeze oyo. Olw’okusindanga n’okweraliikirizibwa abalabe baabwe abaabajooganga, Mukama kyeyava abakwatirwa ekisa.
And while the Lord was raising up the judges, in their days, he was moved to mercy, and he listened to the groaning of the afflicted, and he freed them from the slaughter of their oppressors.
19 Naye omukulembeze olwafanga ne baddamu okweyisanga obubi okukira ne bajjajjaabwe, ne bagobereranga ne baweerezanga era n’okuvuunamiranga bakatonda abalala ne banywerera ku mpisa zaabwe embi olw’emputtu yaabwe.
But after a judge had died, they turned back, and they were doing much worse things than their fathers had done, following strange gods, serving them, and adoring them. They did not abandon their pursuits and their very stubborn way, by which they were accustomed to walk.
20 Mukama n’asunguwalira nnyo Abayisirayiri n’agamba nti, “Olw’okuba nga abantu bano bamenye endagaano gye nalagaana ne bajjajjaabwe, so tebagondedde ddoboozi lyange,
And the fury of the Lord was enraged against Israel, and he said: “For this people has made void my covenant, which I had formed with their fathers, and they have despised listening to my voice.
21 siifubutule mu maaso gaabwe wadde eggwanga n’erimu ku ago Yoswa ge yafa bawangudde.
And so, I will not destroy the nations that Joshua left behind when he died,
22 Wabula nzija kukozesa amawanga gano okugezesa Abayisirayiri okulaba obanga banaafaayo okunywerera mu kkubo lya Mukama nga bajjajjaabwe bwe baakola, oba nedda.”
so that, by them, I may test Israel, as to whether or not they will keep the way of the Lord, and walk in it, just as their fathers kept it.”
23 Bw’atyo Mukama n’aleka amawanga gali mu nsi eyo, n’atagawaayo mu mikono gya Yoswa yadde okugafubutula mu nsi eyo nga Yoswa yaakafa.
Therefore, the Lord left all these nations, and he was not willing to quickly overthrow them, nor did he deliver them into the hands of Joshua.

< Balam 2 >