Yoshua 23
1 Baada ya muda mrefu kupita, naye Bwana akawa amewapa Israeli pumziko mbele ya adui zao wote waliowazunguka, Yoshua, wakati huo akiwa mzee na umri ukiwa umeendelea sana,
Yahweh enabled the Israelis to live peacefully [for many years] with the people-groups that were around them.
2 akawaita Israeli wote, wazee wao, viongozi, waamuzi na maafisa Yoshua akawaambia: “Mimi ni mzee na umri wangu umeendelea sana.
Joshua was now very old. [One day] he summoned the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the leaders of the clans, the judges, and [other] officials. He said to them, “I am now very old.
3 Ninyi wenyewe mmeona kila kitu Bwana Mungu wenu, alichowatendea mataifa haya yote kwa ajili yenu. Ilikuwa ni Bwana Mungu wenu aliyewapigania.
You people have seen what Yahweh our God has done to help you defeat the people-groups [that lived in this land]. Yahweh our God has fought for you.
4 Kumbukeni jinsi nilivyowagawia kama urithi kwa makabila yenu yote nchi ya mataifa yaliyobaki, yaani mataifa niliyowashinda, kati ya Mto Yordani na Bahari kuu upande wa magharibi.
But do not forget that he has given to you all this land, from the Jordan [River in the east] to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, all this land that I have allotted to you.
5 Bwana Mungu wenu mwenyewe atawaondoa watoke mbele yenu. Atawafukuza mbele yenu, nanyi mtamiliki nchi yao, kama vile Bwana Mungu wenu alivyowaahidi.
Yahweh our God will compel the people who are still living there to leave. He will push them out as you advance. Then the land will be yours, as Yahweh has promised you.
6 “Kuweni hodari sana, kuweni waangalifu kutii yote yaliyoandikwa katika kitabu cha Sheria ya Mose, pasipo kugeuka upande wa kuume au kushoto.
“Be sure that you obey all the laws that are in the book that Moses wrote. Do not disobey any part of it [IDM].
7 Msishirikiane na mataifa yaliyobakia katikati yenu, wala msiombe kwa majina ya miungu yao au kuapa kwayo. Msiitumikie wala kuisujudia.
Do not associate with the people who live among us [who are not Israelis and who worship other gods]. Do not mention the names of their gods, and do not use the names of their gods when you promise to do something. Do not serve their gods or worship them.
8 Bali mtashikamana kwa uthabiti na Bwana, Mungu wenu, kama vile ambavyo mmefanya mpaka sasa.
You must continue to do what Yahweh our God wants us to do, as you have been doing.
9 “Bwana amewafukuza mbele yenu mataifa makubwa na yenye nguvu, mpaka siku ya leo hakuna yeyote aliyeweza kusimama mbele yenu.
“Yahweh has forced [many] very powerful people-groups to leave as you advanced. No people-group has been able to defeat you.
10 Mtu mmoja miongoni mwenu anafukuza watu elfu, kwa kuwa Bwana Mungu wenu anawapigania, kama alivyoahidi.
Each of you will be able to cause 1,000 of them to run away, because Yahweh your God will fight for you, just like he promised to do.
11 Kwa hiyo kuweni waangalifu sana kumpenda Bwana Mungu wenu.
So be sure that you continue to love Yahweh our God.
12 “Lakini ikiwa mtageuka na kushikamana na mabaki ya mataifa haya yaliyosalia katikati yenu na kama mtaoana na kushirikiana nao,
“If you turn away from doing what Yahweh desires and you associate with the people who are not Israelis, and if you marry them,
13 basi mwe na hakika kuwa Bwana Mungu wenu hatawafukuza tena mataifa hayo mbele yenu. Badala yake, watakuwa tanzi na mitego kwenu, mijeledi migongoni mwenu, na miiba machoni mwenu, mpaka mwangamie kutoka nchi hii nzuri, ambayo Bwana Mungu wenu amewapa.
then you can be sure that Yahweh our God will not help you to expel those people-groups from your land. They will be [like] traps [DOU, MET] [that will catch you]. They will be [like] whips [that strike] your backs, and like thorns [that will scratch] your eyes. As a result, none of you will be left in this good land that Yahweh our God is giving to you.
14 “Sasa mimi ninakaribia kwenda katika njia ya watu wote wa dunia. Mnajua kwa mioyo yenu na roho zenu kwamba hakuna ahadi zozote njema Bwana Mungu wenu alizowaahidia, ambazo hazikutimia. Kila ahadi imetimizwa, hakuna hata moja ambayo haikutimia.
“It is almost time for me to die, like everyone does [EUP]. You know in your hearts [DOU] that Yahweh has done for you [LIT] everything that he promised to do.
15 Lakini kama vile kila ahadi njema ya Bwana Mungu wenu imekuwa kweli, vivyo hivyo Bwana ataleta maovu yote kama alivyo onya, mpaka awe amewaangamiza kutoka nchi hii nzuri aliyowapa.
He has given to you all the good things that he promised. In the same way, the other things that he promised, [things that are not good], will also happen. He said that if you do what is evil, he will get rid of you and send you away from this good land that he has given to you.
16 Kama mkilivunja agano la Bwana Mungu wenu, ambalo aliwaamuru ninyi, mkaenda na kuitumikia miungu mingine na kuisujudia, hasira ya Bwana itawaka dhidi yenu, nanyi mtaangamia kutoka nchi nzuri aliyowapa ninyi.”
That will happen if you do not obey the commands that Yahweh our God told you to obey. If you serve other gods and worship them, Yahweh will become very angry with you. Very quickly [he will expel you from] this good land that he has given to you, [and] none of you will be left here.”
