Yoshua 22
1 Ndipo Yoshua akawaita Wareubeni, Wagadi na nusu ya kabila la Manase,
In the same time, Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the one half tribe of Manasseh.
2 naye akawaambia, “Mmeshafanya yale yote Mose mtumishi wa Bwana aliyowaamuru, nanyi mmenitii kwa kila jambo nililowaamuru.
And he said to them: “You have done all that Moses, the servant of the Lord, instructed you. You have also obeyed me in all things.
3 Kwa muda mrefu sasa, hadi siku hii ya leo, hamkuwaacha ndugu zenu, bali ninyi mmetimiza ile kazi Bwana Mungu wenu aliyowapa.
Neither have you forsaken your brothers during this long time, even to the present day, keeping the orders of the Lord your God.
4 Sasa kwa kuwa Bwana Mungu wenu amewapa ndugu zenu pumziko kama alivyoahidi, rudini nyumbani mwenu katika nchi ile ambayo Mose mtumishi wa Bwana aliwapa ngʼambo ya Yordani.
Therefore, since the Lord your God has given your brothers peace and quiet, just as he promised: return, and go into your tents and into the land of your possession, which Moses, the servant of the Lord, delivered to you beyond the Jordan.
5 Lakini mwe waangalifu sana kushika amri na sheria zile Mose mtumishi wa Bwana alizowapa: yaani kumpenda Bwana Mungu wenu na kuenenda katika njia zake zote, kutii amri zake, kushikamana naye kwa uthabiti na kumtumikia kwa moyo wenu wote na roho yenu yote.”
And may you continue to observe attentively, and to work to fulfill, the commandment and the law that Moses, the servant of the Lord, instructed to you, so that you may love the Lord your God, and walk in all his ways, and keep all his commandments, and cling to him, and serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
6 Ndipo Yoshua akawabariki na kuwaaga waende zao, nao wakaenda nyumbani mwao.
And Joshua blessed them, and he sent them away. And they returned to their tents.
7 (Kwa nusu ya kabila la Manase Mose alikuwa amewapa eneo katika Bashani na ile nusu nyingine ya hilo kabila Yoshua aliwapa eneo upande wa magharibi ya Yordani pamoja na ndugu zao). Yoshua alipowaaga waende zao nyumbani, aliwabariki,
Now to the one half tribe of Manasseh, Moses had given a possession in Bashan. And therefore, to the one half that was left over, Joshua gave a lot among the remainder of their brothers across the Jordan, in the western region. And when he had blessed them and dismissed them to their tents,
8 akisema, “Rudini nyumbani mwenu na utajiri wenu mwingi, yaani makundi makubwa ya mifugo, mkiwa na fedha, dhahabu, shaba na chuma, pia wingi wa nguo, nanyi mkagawane na ndugu zenu hizo nyara zilizotoka kwa adui zenu.”
he said to them: “Return to your settlements with much substance and wealth, with silver and gold, brass and iron, and a multitude of garments. Divide the spoils of your enemies with your brothers.”
9 Kwa hiyo Wareubeni, Wagadi na hiyo nusu ya kabila la Manase wakawaacha Waisraeli huko Shilo katika nchi ya Kanaani ili kurudi Gileadi, nchi yao wenyewe waliyoipata sawasawa na agizo la Bwana kupitia Mose.
And the sons of Reuben, and the sons of Gad, and the one half tribe of Manasseh returned, and they went away from the sons of Israel at Shiloh, which is situated in Canaan, so that they might enter into Gilead, the land of their possession, which they had obtained according to the order of the Lord, by the hand of Moses.
10 Walipofika Gelilothi karibu na Yordani, katika nchi ya Kanaani, Wareubeni, Wagadi na nusu ya kabila la Manase wakajenga madhabahu ya fahari kubwa huko kando ya Yordani.
And when they had arrived at the hills of the Jordan in the land of Canaan, they built an altar of immense magnitude beside the Jordan.
11 Waisraeli wengine waliposikia kwamba Wareubeni, Wagadi na ile nusu ya kabila la Manase walikuwa wamejenga madhabahu kwenye mpaka wa Kanaani huko Gelilothi karibu na Yordani kwenye upande wa Israeli,
And when the sons of Israel had heard of it, and certain messengers had reported to them that the sons of Reuben, and of Gad, and of the one half tribe of Manasseh had built an altar in the land of Canaan, upon the hills of the Jordan, facing the sons of Israel,
12 kusanyiko lote la Israeli wakakusanyika huko Shilo ili wakapigane vita dhidi yao.
they all assembled at Shiloh, so that they might go up and battle against them.
13 Kwa hiyo Waisraeli wengine wakamtuma Finehasi mwana wa kuhani Eleazari katika nchi ya Gileadi, kwa Wareubeni, Wagadi na hiyo nusu ya kabila la Manase.
And in the interim, they sent to them, in the land of Gilead, Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the priest,
14 Wakatuma pamoja naye watu kumi ambao ni viongozi, mmoja kwa kila kabila la Israeli, kila mmoja aliyekuwa kiongozi katika mgawanyiko wa jamaa miongoni mwa koo za Israeli.
and ten leaders with him, one from each tribe.
15 Walipofika Gileadi, kwa Wareubeni, Wagadi na nusu ya kabila la Manase, wakawaambia:
And they went to the sons of Reuben, and of Gad, and of the one half tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them:
16 “Kusanyiko lote la Bwana lasema: ‘Je, mmewezaje kuacha kumwamini Mungu wa Israeli jinsi hii? Mmewezaje kumwacha Bwana na kujijengea madhabahu dhidi yake na kumwasi?
“All the people of the Lord declare this: What is this transgression? Why have you forsaken the Lord, the God of Israel, by building a sacrilegious altar, and by withdrawing from the worship of him?
17 Je, dhambi ya Peori haikutosha? Hata ingawa kulikuja tauni juu ya kusanyiko la Bwana, mpaka leo hii hatujatakasika kutokana na dhambi hiyo!
Is it a small thing to you that you have sinned with Baal of Peor, and that the stain of that crime continues among us, even to the present day? And many of the people have fallen.
18 Je, sasa ndiyo mnamwacha Bwana? “‘Kama mkimwasi Bwana leo, kesho atalikasirikia kusanyiko lote la Israeli.
And yet you have forsaken the Lord today, and tomorrow his wrath will rage against all of Israel.
19 Kama nchi mnayomiliki imenajisika, vukeni mje katika nchi ya Bwana, mahali Maskani ya Bwana ilipo, nanyi mkajitwalie sehemu miongoni mwetu, lakini msije mkaasi dhidi ya Bwana wala dhidi yetu sisi kwa kujijengea madhabahu, zaidi ya madhabahu ya Bwana Mungu wetu.
But if you consider the land of your possession to be unclean, cross over to the land in which is the tabernacle of the Lord, and live among us. But do not withdraw from the Lord, and from our fellowship, by building an altar contrary to the altar of the Lord our God.
20 Wakati Akani mwana wa Zera alipokosa uaminifu kwa vitu vilivyowekwa wakfu, je, ghadhabu haikulipata kusanyiko lote la Israeli? Hakuwa yeye peke yake aliyekufa kwa ajili ya dhambi yake.’”
Did not Achan, the son of Zerah, go against the commandment of the Lord, and so his wrath was laid over all the people of Israel? And he was only one man. If only he had perished in his wickedness alone!”
21 Ndipo Wareubeni, Wagadi na nusu ya kabila la Manase walipowajibu viongozi wa koo za Israeli, wakisema:
And the sons of Reuben, and of Gad, and of the one half tribe of Manasseh responded to the leaders of the delegation from Israel:
22 “Yeye Mwenye Nguvu, Mungu, Bwana! Yeye Mwenye Nguvu, Mungu, Bwana! Yeye anajua! Israeli na wajue! Kama huu umekuwa ni uasi au kukosa utii kwa Bwana, msituache hai siku hii ya leo.
“The Lord, the almighty God, the Lord, the almighty God, he knows, and also Israel will understand: If we have constructed this altar with intent of transgression, let him not preserve us, but instead punish us immediately.
23 Kama tumejijengea madhabahu yetu wenyewe ili kumwacha Bwana na kutoa sadaka za kuteketezwa na sadaka za nafaka, au kutoa sadaka za amani juu yake, Bwana mwenyewe na atupatilize leo.
And if we have acted with a mind so that we might present upon it holocausts, and sacrifice, and victims of peace offerings, let him inquire and judge.
24 “Sivyo! Tulifanya hivyo kwa hofu kwamba siku zijazo wazao wenu wanaweza wakawaambia wazao wetu, ‘Mna uhusiano gani na Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli?
Instead, we have acted with this greater thought and design, that we would say: Tomorrow your sons will say to our sons: ‘What is there between you and the Lord, the God of Israel?
25 Bwana ameifanya Yordani kuwa mpaka kati yetu na ninyi, ninyi Wareubeni na Wagadi! Hamna fungu kwa Bwana.’ Kwa hiyo wazao wenu wanaweza wakawasababisha wazao wetu wakaacha kumcha Bwana.
The Lord has stationed the river Jordan as the border between us and you, O sons of Reuben, O sons of Gad. And therefore, you have no part in the Lord.’ And by this occasion, your sons would turn away our sons from the fear of the Lord. And so we sought something better,
26 “Hii ndiyo sababu tulisema, ‘Tujiweke tayari na tujenge madhabahu, lakini si kwa ajili ya sadaka za kuteketezwa au dhabihu.’
and we said: Let us build us an altar, not for holocausts, and not to offer victims,
27 Badala yake, itakuwa ni ushahidi kati yetu na ninyi na vizazi vijavyo, kwamba tutamwabudu Bwana katika mahali patakatifu pake pamoja na sadaka zetu za kuteketezwa, dhabihu na sadaka za amani. Ndipo katika siku zijazo, wazao wenu hawataweza kuwaambia wazao wetu, ‘Ninyi hamna fungu katika Bwana.’
but as a testimony between us and you, and between our descendants and your progeny, so that we may serve the Lord, and so that it may be our right to offer holocausts, and victims, and peace offerings, and so that tomorrow your sons may not say to our sons: ‘You have no part in the Lord.’
28 “Nasi tulisema, ‘Ikiwa wakati wowote watatuambia hilo, au kuwaambia uzao wetu, tutawajibu hivi: Angalieni nakala hii ya madhabahu ya Bwana, ambayo baba zetu waliijenga, si kwa ajili ya sadaka za kuteketezwa na dhabihu, bali kama ushahidi kati yetu na ninyi.’
And if they decide to say this, they shall respond to them: ‘Behold, the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for holocausts, and not for sacrifice, but instead as a testimony between us and you.’
29 “Hili jambo la kumwasi Bwana na kumwacha siku hii ya leo kwa kujenga madhabahu kwa ajili ya sadaka za kuteketezwa, sadaka za nafaka na dhabihu, zaidi ya madhabahu ya Bwana Mungu wetu iliyo mbele ya maskani yake na liwe mbali nasi.”
May this wickedness be far from us, such that we would withdraw from the Lord, and would forsake his paths, by constructing an altar to offer holocausts, and sacrifices, and victims, contrary to the altar of the Lord our God, which was built before his tabernacle.”
30 Wakati kuhani Finehasi na viongozi wa kusanyiko na wakuu wa koo za Israeli, waliposikia hayo waliyosema Wareubeni, Wagadi na Manase, wakaridhika.
And when Phinehas, the priest, and the leaders of the delegation who were with him, had heard this, they were pleased. And they accepted very willingly the words of the sons of Reuben, and of Gad, and of the one half tribe of Manasseh.
31 Naye Finehasi mwana wa kuhani Eleazari, akawaambia Wareubeni, Wagadi na Manase, “Leo tunajua kwamba Bwana yuko pamoja nasi, kwa sababu hamkukosa uaminifu kwa Bwana katika jambo hili. Sasa mmewaokoa Waisraeli na mkono wa Bwana.”
And Phinehas, the priest, the son of Eleazar, said to them: “Now we know that the Lord is with us. For you are a stranger to this transgression. And so you have freed the sons of Israel from the hand of the Lord.”
32 Ndipo Finehasi, mwana wa kuhani Eleazari na viongozi wakarudi Kanaani kutoka kwenye kukutana kwao na Wareubeni na Wagadi huko Gileadi nao wakatoa taarifa kwa Waisraeli.
And he returned with the leaders, from the sons of Reuben and of Gad, out of the land of Gilead, into the parts of Canaan, to the sons of Israel. And he reported to them.
33 Walifurahi kusikia taarifa hiyo, na wakamhimidi Mungu. Wala hawakuzungumza tena habari za kupigana vita dhidi yao ili kuharibu nchi ambayo Wareubeni na Wagadi waliishi.
And the word pleased all who heard it. And the sons of Israel praised God, and they no longer said that they would go up against them, and fight, and destroy the land of their possession.
34 Nao Wareubeni na Wagadi wakayaita yale madhabahu Edi, yaani Shahidi: kwa kuwa itakuwa shahidi kati yetu na ninyi kwamba Bwana ndiye Mungu.
And the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad called the altar that they had built: Our testimony that the Lord himself is God.
