< Torati 4 >
1 Sikia sasa, ee Israeli, amri na sheria nitakazokufundisha wewe. Zifuate ili upate kuishi na uingie kuimiliki nchi ambayo Bwana, Mungu wa baba zako anawapa.
“Now, you Israeli people, obey all the rules and regulations [DOU] that I will teach you. If you do that, you will remain alive and you will enter and occupy/capture the land that Yahweh, the God whom your ancestors [worshiped], is giving to you.
2 Usiongeze wala usipunguze chochote ninachowaamuru ninyi, ila myashike maagizo ya Bwana Mungu wenu ambayo nawapa.
Do not add anything to what I command you, and do not take anything away from what I tell you. Obey all the commands of Yahweh our God that I am giving to you.
3 Mliona kwa macho yenu wenyewe kile Bwana alichokifanya kule Baal-Peori. Bwana Mungu wenu aliwaangamiza kutoka miongoni mwenu kila mmoja aliyemfuata Baali wa Peori,
“You have seen what Yahweh did at Baal-Peor [Mountain]. He got rid of all the people who worshiped [the god] Baal there,
4 lakini ninyi nyote mlioshikamana na Bwana kwa uthabiti, Mungu wenu, mko hai mpaka leo.
but you who faithfully [continued to worship] Yahweh our God are still alive today.
5 Tazama, nimewafundisha amri na sheria kama Bwana Mungu wangu alivyoniamuru mimi, ili mzifuate katika nchi mnayoiingia kuimiliki.
“Note that I have taught you all the rules and regulations, just like Yahweh our God told me to do. He wants you to obey them [when you are living] in the land that you are about to enter and occupy.
6 Zishikeni kwa uangalifu, kwa kuwa hii itaonyesha hekima na ufahamu wenu kwa mataifa, ambayo yatasikia kuhusu amri zote hizi, nao watasema, “Hakika taifa hili kubwa ni watu wenye hekima na ufahamu.”
Obey them faithfully because, [if you do that], you will show the people of other nations that you are very wise. When they hear about all these laws, they will say, ‘The people of this great nation [of Israel] are certainly very wise [DOU]!’
7 Ni taifa gani jingine lililo kubwa kiasi cha kuwa na miungu yao iliyo karibu nao kama Bwana Mungu wetu alivyo karibu nasi wakati wowote tunapomwomba?
Even if other nations are great, there is none [RHQ] of them that has a god who is as near to them as Yahweh our God is to us! Whenever we call out to him [to help us, he answers/helps us]
8 Nalo ni taifa gani jingine lililo kubwa hivi lenye kuwa na amri na sheria za haki kama hizi ninazoweka mbele yenu leo?
And there is no [RHQ] other nation, even if it is a great nation, that has laws that are as just/fair as the laws that I am telling to you today.
9 Mwe waangalifu, na makini ili msije mkasahau mambo ambayo mliyaona kwa macho yenu, wala kuyaacha yaondoke moyoni mwenu siku zote za uhai wenu. Mwafundishe hayo watoto wenu na watoto wao baada yao.
“But be very careful! [DOU, IDM] Do not forget what you [SYN] have seen [God do]. Remember those things as long as you are alive. Tell them to your children and your grandchildren.
10 Kumbuka siku uliyosimama mbele za Bwana Mungu wako kule Horebu, wakati aliponiambia, “Wakutanishe watu mbele yangu wasikie maneno yangu ili kwamba waweze kujifunza kuniheshimu kwa muda wote watakaoishi katika nchi, nao waweze kuwafundisha watoto wao maneno hayo.”
Tell them about the day that your ancestors stood in the presence of Yahweh our God at Sinai [Mountain], when he said to me, ‘Gather the people together, in order that they can hear what I say. I want them to learn to have an awesome respect for me as long as they are alive, and I want them to teach their children to do that also.’
11 Mlisogea karibu na mkasimama chini ya mlima wakati ulipowaka moto mpaka mbinguni juu, pamoja na mawingu meusi na giza nene.
[Tell them that] your ancestors came near the bottom of the mountain, while the mountain burned with a fire that went up to the sky, and the mountain was covered with dark clouds and black [smoke].
12 Ndipo Bwana alipozungumza nanyi kutoka moto. Mkasikia sauti ya maneno lakini hamkuona umbo, kulikuwa na sauti tu.
Then Yahweh spoke to your ancestors out of the middle of the fire. Your ancestors heard him speak, but they did not see him. They only heard his voice.
13 Aliwatangazia Agano lake na Amri Kumi, ambazo aliwaamuru mzifuate, kisha akaziandika juu ya vibao viwili vya mawe.
And he declared to them his agreement. That agreement contained the Ten Commandments that he wants you to obey. He wrote those on two stone tablets.
14 Naye Bwana alinielekeza wakati huo kuwafundisha ninyi sheria na amri ambazo mnapaswa kuzifuata katika nchi ambayo mnavuka Yordani kuimiliki.
Yahweh commanded me to teach all the rules and regulations to you, in order that you would obey them in the land that you are about to enter and occupy.”
15 Hamkuona umbo la aina yoyote siku ambayo Bwana alizungumza nanyi kule Horebu kutoka kwenye moto. Kwa hiyo mjihadhari kwa uangalifu sana,
“On the day that Yahweh spoke to your ancestors at Sinai [Mountain], he was invisible. So, be careful
16 ili msije mkajichafua na kujitengenezea sanamu au kinyago chenye umbo lolote kama la mwanaume au mwanamke,
that you do not sin by making for yourselves any idol [of something that can be seen!] not make an idol that resembles any person, either a man or a woman,
17 au kama mnyama aliye juu ya nchi au ndege yeyote arukaye angani,
or that resembles any animal or any bird
18 au kama kiumbe kitambaacho juu ya ardhi au samaki yeyote aliye ndani ya maji.
or any (reptile/creature that scurries across the ground) or any fish in the deep ocean.
19 Na utazamapo juu angani na ukaliona jua, mwezi na nyota na vyote vinavyoipamba mbingu, usije ukashawishiwa kuviinamia na kuviabudu vile ambavyo Bwana Mungu wenu alivyogawia mataifa yote chini ya mbingu.
And be careful to not look up toward the sky and be tempted to worship anything that you see there—the sun or the moon or the stars. Yahweh our God has given those to [be a blessing to] all people everywhere, [but you must not worship them].
20 Lakini kwenu ninyi, Bwana amewatoa kutoka kwenye tanuru ya kuyeyushia chuma, katika Misri kuwa watu wa urithi wake kama mlivyo sasa.
Yahweh has brought your ancestors out of Egypt, where [they were suffering as though] they were in a blazing furnace, in order that they would be people who belong to him, which is what you are today.
21 Bwana alinikasirikia kwa sababu yenu na akaapa kwamba sitavuka Yordani kuingia katika nchi nzuri Bwana Mungu wenu anayowapa kuwa urithi wenu.
“But Yahweh was angry with me because of [what] your ancestors [made me do]. He vowed that I would not cross the Jordan [River] to enter the good/fertile land that he is giving to you.
22 Nitakufa katika nchi hii; sitavuka Yordani, lakini ninyi ni karibu mvuke mkaimiliki ile nchi nzuri.
He said that I must die here in this land and never cross the Jordan [River]. But you will go across it, and you will occupy that land.
23 Jihadharini msilisahau Agano la Bwana Mungu wenu lile alilofanya nanyi; msijitengenezee sanamu katika umbo la kitu chochote ambacho Bwana Mungu wenu amewakataza.
Be sure that you do not forget the agreement that Yahweh our God made with you. He commanded you to not make any kind of idol, because he has forbidden that.
24 Kwa kuwa Bwana Mungu wenu ni moto ulao, Mungu mwenye wivu.
[You must not do that] because Yahweh your God will destroy [anyone who worships idols, ] like [MET] a fire completely destroys things. He [wants people to worship only him, he] (cannot accept/will punish) people who worship anyone or anything else.
25 Baada ya kuwa na watoto na wajukuu na kuishi katika nchi hiyo siku nyingi, tena kama mkijichafua na kutengeneza sanamu ya aina yoyote, mkifanya maovu machoni pa Bwana Mungu wenu na kumfanya awe na hasira,
“When you have been in the land [of Canaan] for a long time and you have children and grandchildren, do not sin by making an idol that represents anything at all, because Yahweh says that is evil, and if you do that, you will cause him to become angry with you [and punish you].
26 ninaziita mbingu na nchi kama mashahidi dhidi yenu siku hii kwamba mtaangamia mara moja kutoka nchi ile ambayo mnavuka Yordani kuimiliki. Hamtaishi kule kwa muda mrefu bali kwa hakika mtaangamizwa.
Today I am requesting everyone who is in heaven and everyone who is on the earth [MTY] to watch what you are doing. [If you disobey what I am telling you], you will soon all die in the land that you will be crossing the Jordan [River] to occupy. You will not live very long there; Yahweh will completely get rid of many [HYP] of you.
27 Bwana atawatawanya miongoni mwa mataifa, na ni wachache wenu tu watakaosalia miongoni mwa mataifa hayo ambayo Bwana atawafukuzia.
And [the rest of you], Yahweh will force you to go and live among the people of many other nations. Only a few of you will (survive/remain alive) there.
28 Huko mtaabudu miungu ya miti na mawe iliyotengenezwa na watu, ambayo haiwezi kuona au kusikia wala kula au kunusa.
When you are in those nations, you will worship gods that are made of wood and stone, gods made by humans, gods that cannot see anything or hear anything or eat anything or smell anything.
29 Lakini kama mtamtafuta Bwana Mungu wenu, mtampata; kama mtamtafuta kwa moyo wenu wote na kwa roho yote.
But while you are there, if you will try to know Yahweh your God, and if you try with your entire inner being to know him, he will (answer/reveal himself to) you.
30 Wakati mnapokuwa katika dhiki, nayo mambo haya yote yamewatokea siku hizo, ndipo mtamrudia Bwana Mungu wenu na kumtii.
In the future, after you have been mistreated there and all those bad things happen to you, you will again worship only Yahweh and obey him.
31 Kwa maana Bwana Mungu wenu ni Mungu mwenye huruma, hatawaacha au kuwaangamiza wala kusahau Agano alilofanya na baba zenu, alilowathibitishia kwa kiapo.
Yahweh is a God who acts mercifully. [If you continue to obey him], he will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the agreement that he solemnly made with your ancestors.”
32 Sasa uliza kuhusu siku za zamani, zamani kabla ya wakati wako, tangu siku ile Mungu alipomuumba mtu juu ya nchi, uliza kutoka mwisho mmoja wa mbingu mpaka mwisho mwingine wa mbingu. Je, kumepata kutokea jambo jingine lililo kubwa kama hili, au kuna jambo jingine kama hilo limepata kusikiwa?
“Now think about the past, about the time before you were born, about all the time since God first created people here on the earth. You could search everywhere, in heaven and on the earth. (Has anything like this ever happened that is as great as [what Yahweh did for the Israeli people]?/Certainly nothing has ever happened that is as great [as what Yahweh did for the Israeli people].) [RHQ] (Has anyone ever heard of anything like this?/Certainly no one has ever heard of anything like this.) [RHQ]
33 Je, kuna watu wengine wowote waliosikia sauti ya Mungu ikizungumza kwenye moto, kama mlivyosikia, nao wakaishi?
(Has any group ever remained alive after they heard a god speak to them from the middle of a fire, like we did?/Certainly no group has ever remained alive after they heard a god speak to them from the middle of a fire, like we did.) [RHQ]
34 Je, kuna mungu yeyote amepata kujaribu mwenyewe kuchukua taifa moja kutoka taifa lingine, kwa mapigo, kwa ishara za miujiza na maajabu, kwa vita, kwa mkono wenye nguvu na mkono ulionyooshwa au kwa matendo makuu ya kutisha, kama yale ambayo Bwana Mungu wenu aliyofanya kwa ajili yenu huko Misri mbele ya macho yenu?
Certainly no other god has ever tried to take a [huge] group of people from one nation [to another location], like he did for us when he brought us out of Egypt. We saw Yahweh our God use great power [MTY, DOU] when he performed many kinds of [DOU] miracles, and sent plagues, and did many other very terrifying things in Egypt for us, [and rescued us when the army of Egypt tried to fight against us].
35 Mlionyeshwa mambo haya ili mpate kujua kuwa Bwana ndiye Mungu; hakuna mwingine ila yeye.
“Yahweh showed all these things to you, in order that you would know that only he is truly God, and that there is no other God.
36 Kutoka mbinguni amewasikizisha sauti yake ili kuwaadilisha. Hapa duniani aliwaonyesha moto wake mkubwa, nanyi mlisikia maneno yake kutoka kwenye ule moto.
He allowed your ancestors to hear him speak from heaven in order that he could discipline them. Here on the earth he allowed them to see his great fire [on Sinai Mountain], and he spoke to them from the middle of the fire.
37 Kwa sababu aliwapenda baba zenu na alichagua wazao wao baada yao, aliwatoa katika nchi ya Misri kwa Uwepo wake na kwa uwezo wake mkuu,
Because he loved our ancestors, he chose you Israelis who are their descendants, and by his great power he brought your ancestors out of Egypt.
38 aliwafukuza mbele yenu mataifa makubwa na yenye nguvu kuliko ninyi na kuwaleta ninyi katika nchi yao na akawapa ninyi kuwa urithi wenu, kama ilivyo leo.
[As they advanced], he expelled the people of nations that were greater and more powerful than they were, in order that he could allow them to capture their land and cause it to become yours, which is [what is happening] now.
39 Kubalini na mweke moyoni leo kuwa Bwana ndiye Mungu mbinguni juu na duniani chini. Hakuna mwingine.
“So today you should (meditate on/think about) the fact that Yahweh is God, that he is/rules in heaven and also on the earth, and that there is no other god.
40 Mshike amri na maagizo yake ninayowapa leo, ili mpate kufanikiwa ninyi na watoto wenu baada yenu, na mpate kuishi maisha marefu katika nchi awapayo Bwana Mungu wenu siku zote.
Obey all the rules and regulations that I am giving to you today, in order that things will go well for you and for your descendants, and that you will live a long time in the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you, [to belong to you] forever.”
41 Kisha Mose akatenga miji mitatu mashariki ya Yordani,
Then Moses/I set apart three cities that are on the east side of the Jordan [River].
42 ambayo mtu yeyote aliyemuua mtu angeweza kukimbilia ikiwa amemuua jirani yake bila kukusudia na bila kuwa na chuki naye siku zilizopita. Angeweza kukimbilia katika mmojawapo ya miji hii na kuokoa maisha yake.
If someone accidentally killed another person, a person who had not been his enemy previously, he could escape to one of those cities. He would be safe/protected in one of those cities [because the people there would protect him].
43 Miji hiyo ilikuwa: Bezeri katika tambarare ya jangwa kwa ajili ya Wareubeni; Ramothi katika nchi ya Gileadi kwa ajili ya Wagadi; nao mji wa Golani katika nchi ya Bashani kwa ajili ya Wamanase.
For the tribe of Reuben, Moses/I set apart Bezer [city] in the (plateau/high level) area. For the tribe of Gad, Moses/I set apart Ramoth [city] in the Gilead [area]. For the tribe of Manasseh, Moses/I set apart Golan [city] in the Bashan [region].
44 Hii ndiyo sheria Mose aliyoweka mbele ya Waisraeli.
Moses/I gave [God’s] laws to the Israeli people.
45 Haya ndiyo masharti, amri na sheria Mose aliyowapa wana wa Israeli wakati walitoka Misri,
They included all the rules and instructions and commands that Moses/I gave to them, after they/we had come out of Egypt,
46 nao walikuwa katika bonde karibu na Beth-Peori mashariki ya Yordani, katika nchi ya Sihoni mfalme wa Waamori, ambaye alitawala Heshboni, naye alishindwa na Mose na Waisraeli walipokuja toka Misri.
when they/we were in the valley east of the Jordan [River]. They/We were across from Beth-Peor [town], in the land that [previously] was ruled by Sihon, the king of the Amor people-group, who lived in Heshbon [city]. Moses/I and the other Israelis had defeated his [army] when they/we came out of Egypt.
47 Waliimiliki nchi yake na nchi ya Ogu mfalme wa Bashani, wafalme wawili Waamori waliotawala mashariki ya Yordani.
They/We captured Sihon’s land and the land that Og, the king of the Bashan [region], ruled. They were the two kings who ruled the Amor people-group [in the area] east of the Jordan [River].
48 Nchi hii ilienea kutoka Aroeri ukingoni mwa Bonde la Arnoni mpaka Mlima Sioni (yaani Hermoni),
Their land extended from Aroer [town in the south] along the Arnon [River], as far [north] as Sirion Mountain, which [most people] call Hermon Mountain.
49 pamoja na eneo lote la Araba mashariki ya Yordani, na kuenea mpaka Bahari ya Araba kwenye miteremko ya Pisga.
It also included all the area east of the Jordan [River] Valley, all the way south to the Dead Sea and east to the slopes of Pisgah [Mountain].