Joshua 24
1 Ipapo Joshua akaunganidza marudzi ose aIsraeri paShekemu. Akadana vakuru vavaIsraeri, vatungamiri, vatongi, navatariri vavo vakazviisa pamberi paMwari.
[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 Joshua akati kuvanhu vose, “Zvanzi naJehovha Mwari waIsraeri: ‘Kare madzitateguru enyu pamwe chete naTera, baba vaAbhurahama naNahori, vaigara mhiri kwoRwizi vachishumira vamwe vamwari.
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 Asi ndakatora baba wenyu Abhurahama kubva kunyika iri mhiri kweRwizi ndikamufambisa munyika yose yeKenani ndikamupa vana vazhinji. Ndakamupa Isaka,
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 uye kuna Isaka ndakapa Jakobho naEsau. Ndakapa Esau nyika yezvikomo yeSeiri, asi Jakobho navanakomana vake vakaenda kuIjipiti.
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 “‘Ipapo ndakatuma Mozisi naAroni uye ndakatambudza vaIjipita nezvandakaita ikoko, uye ndakakubudisai.
“[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 Pandakabudisa madzibaba enyu muIjipiti, vakasvika pagungwa, vaIjipita vakavatevera vaine ngoro navatasvi vamabhiza kusvikira paGungwa Dzvuku.
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 Asi ivo vakachema kuna Jehovha, akaisa rima pakati penyu navaIjipita; akauyisa gungwa pamusoro pavo rikavafukidza. Makaona nameso enyu chaiwo zvandakaita kuvaIjipita. Ipapo makagara murenje kwenguva refu.
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 “‘Ndakauya nemi kunyika yavaAmori vaigara kumabvazuva kweJorodhani. Vakakurwisai asi ndakavaisa mumaoko enyu. Ndakavaparadza pamberi penyu, imi mukatora nyika yavo.
“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 Zvino Bharaki mwanakomana waZipori mambo weMoabhu, akati agadzirira kundorwa naIsraeri, akatuma nhume kundodana Bharamu mwanakomana waBheori kuti akutukei.
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 Asi ini ndakaramba kunzwa Bharamu, naizvozvo akaramba achingokuropafadzai, ini ndikakurwirai paruoko rwake.
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 “‘Ipapo makayambuka Jorodhani, mukasvika paJeriko. Vanhu veJeriko vakarwa nemi, sezvakaitawo vaAmori, vaPerizi, vaKenani, vaHiti, vaGirigashi, vaHivhi navaJebhusi, asi ndakavaisa mumaoko enyu.
“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 Ndakatuma mago pamberi penyu, iwo akavadzinga pamberi penyu, uyewo namadzimambo maviri avaAmori. Hamuna kuzviita nomunondo wenyu kana nouta hwenyu.
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 Saka ndakakupai nyika yamusina kushandira namaguta amusina kuvaka; uye mugere maari uye munodya zvinobva muminda yemizambiringa nemiorivhi yamusina kusima.’
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 “Zvino ityai Jehovha uye mumushumire nokutendeka kwose. Rasai vamwari vainamatwa namadzitateguru enyu mhiri kworwizi nokuIjipiti, uye mushumire Jehovha.
[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 Asi kana kushumira Jehovha kusingakufadzei, zvino zvisarudzirei nhasi wamuchashumira, vamwari vaishumirwa namadzitateguru enyu mhiri kwoRwizi kana vamwari vavaAmori, munyika mamugere. Asi kana ndirini neimba yangu tichashumira Jehovha.”
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 Ipapo vanhu vakapindura vachiti, “Ngazvive kure nesu kuti tisiye Jehovha kuti tishumire vamwe vamwari!
The Israeli people answered, “We will never quit [serving/worshiping] Yahweh! We would never [think of] [IDM] serving/worshiping other gods!
17 Jehovha Mwari wedu pachake, ndiye akatibudisa isu namadzibaba edu kubva muIjipiti, nyika youranda, uye akaita zviratidzo zvikuru zvatakaona. Akatidzivirira parwendo rwedu rwose rwatakafamba pakati pendudzi dzose dzatakapfuura nokwadziri.
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 Uye Jehovha akadzinga pamberi pedu ndudzi dzose pamwe chete navaAmori vakanga vagere munyika ino. Nesuwo tichashumira Jehovha, nokuti ndiye Mwari wedu.”
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 akapindura vanhu achiti, “Hamungagoni kushumira Jehovha. NdiMwari mutsvene; ndiMwari ane godo. Haangakukanganwirei kumumukira kwenyu nezvivi zvenyu.
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 Kana mukarasa Jehovha, mukashumira vamwari vavatorwa, iye achakupindukirai agouyisa njodzi pamusoro penyu agokuparadzai.”
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 Asi vanhu vakati kuna Joshua, “Kwete! Isu tichashumira Jehovha.”
But the people replied to Joshua, “No, [we will not turn away from worshiping/serving Yahweh] We will serve/worship Yahweh!”
22 Ipapo Joshua akati, “Ndimi zvapupu zvezvamaita kuti masarudza kushumira Jehovha.” Ivo vakapindura vachiti: “Hongu, tiri zvapupu.”
Then Joshua said, “You yourselves are saying that you have decided to serve/worship Yahweh.” They replied, “Yes, we are saying that.”
23 Joshua akati, “Naizvozvo rasai vamwari vavatorwa vari pakati penyu murerekere mwoyo yenyu kuna Jehovha Mwari waIsraeri.”
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 Vanhu vakati kuna Joshua, “Tichashumira Jehovha Mwari wedu, uye tichamuteerera.”
The people replied, “We will serve/worship Yahweh, our God, and obey him.”
25 Pazuva iro Joshua akaitira vanhu sungano, akavadzikira mitemo nemirayiro ipapo paShekemu.
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 akanyora mashoko aya mubhuku romurayiro waMwari. Ipapo akatora ibwe guru akariisa pasi pomuouki, pedyo nenzvimbo tsvene yaJehovha.
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 Akati kuvanhu vose, “Tarirai! Ibwe iri richava chapupu pamusoro pedu. Ranzwa mashoko ose ataurwa naJehovha kwatiri. Richava chapupu pamusoro penyu kana musina kutendeka kuna Mwari wenyu.”
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 Ipapo Joshua akaendesa vanhu, mumwe nomumwe kunhaka yake.
Then Joshua sent the people away, and all of them returned to their own areas/homes.
29 Mushure mezvinhu izvi Joshua mwanakomana waNuni, muranda waJehovha, akafa ava namakore zana negumi.
Some time after that, Nun’s son Joshua, the faithful servant of Yahweh, died. He was 110 years old when he died.
30 Uye vakamuviga munyika yenhaka yake, paTimunati Sera, munyika yamakomo yaEfuremu, nechokumusoro kweGomo reGaashi.
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 VaIsraeri vakashumira Jehovha nguva dzose dzoupenyu hwaJoshua, uye napamazuva ose avakuru vakasara vari vapenyu Joshua afa, avo vakaona zvinhu zvose zvakanga zvaitirwa Israeri naJehovha.
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 Mapfupa aJosefa, ayo akanga auyiwa nawo navana vaIsraeri kubva kuIjipiti, akavigwa paShekemu, munzvimbo yakanga yatengwa naJakobho kuvanakomana vaHamori, baba vaShekemu, nezana remari yesirivha. Iyi yakava nhaka yezvizvarwa zvaJosefa.
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 Uye Ereazari mwanakomana waAroni akafa, akavigwa paGibhea munzvimbo yakanga yapiwa mwanakomana wake Finehasi, munyika yamakomo yaEfuremu.
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.
