Yoshua 24

1 Ndipo Yoshua akaita pamoja makabila yote ya Israeli huko Shekemu. Akawaita wazee, viongozi, waamuzi na maafisa wa Israeli, nao wakaja mbele za Mungu.

Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges, and officers of Israel, and they presented themselves before God.

2 Yoshua akawaambia watu wote, “Hili ndilo Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, asemalo: ‘Hapo zamani baba zenu, pamoja na Tera baba yake Abrahamu na Nahori, waliishi ngʼambo ya Mto nao waliiabudu miungu mingine.

And Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your fathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates and worshiped other gods.

3 Lakini nilimwondoa baba yenu Abrahamu kutoka nchi hiyo ngʼambo ya Mto, nami nikamwongoza katika nchi yote ya Kanaani, nikampa wazao wengi. Nikampa Isaki,

But I took your father Abraham from beyond the Euphrates and led him through all the land of Canaan, and I multiplied his descendants. I gave him Isaac,

4 naye Isaki nikampa Yakobo na Esau. Esau nikampa nchi ya vilima ya Seiri, lakini Yakobo pamoja na wanawe wakashuka Misri.

and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I gave Esau Mount Seir to possess, but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt.

5 “‘Kisha nikawatuma Mose na Aroni, nami nikawapiga Wamisri kwa kile nilichokitenda huko, tena nikawatoa ninyi huko.

Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and afterward I brought you out.

6 Nilipowatoa baba zenu Misri, mlifika kwenye bahari, nao Wamisri wakawafuatia baba zenu kwa magari na wapanda farasi mpaka kwenye Bahari ya Shamu.

When I brought your fathers out of Egypt and you reached the Red Sea, the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea.

7 Lakini wakamlilia Bwana wakitaka msaada, naye akaweka giza kati yenu na Wamisri, akaileta bahari juu yao ikawafunika. Ninyi mliona kwa macho yenu wenyewe kile nilichowatendea Wamisri. Kisha mliishi jangwani kwa muda mrefu.

So your fathers cried out to the LORD, and He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, over whom He brought the sea and engulfed them. Your very eyes saw what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.

8 “‘Nikawaleta katika nchi ya Waamori ambao waliishi mashariki mwa Yordani. Wakapigana nanyi, lakini nikawatia mikononi mwenu. Nikawaangamiza mbele yenu nanyi mkaimiliki nchi yao.

Later, I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived beyond the Jordan. They fought against you, but I delivered them into your hand, that you should possess their land when I destroyed them before you.

9 Wakati Balaki mwana wa Sipori, mfalme wa Moabu, alipojiandaa kupigana dhidi ya Israeli, alimwita Balaamu mwana wa Beori apate kuwalaani.

Then Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, set out to fight against Israel. He sent for Balaam son of Beor to curse you,

10 Lakini sikumkubali Balaamu, kwa hiyo aliwabariki tena na tena, nami niliwaokoa toka mkononi mwake.

but I would not listen to Balaam. So he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you from his hand.

11 “‘Ndipo mlipovuka Yordani mkafika Yeriko. Raiya wa Yeriko wakapigana nanyi, kama walivyofanya Waamori, Waperizi, Wakanaani, Wahiti, Wagirgashi, Wahivi na Wayebusi, lakini niliwatia mikononi mwenu.

After this, you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The people of Jericho fought against you, as did the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I delivered them into your hand.

12 Nikatuma manyigu mbele yenu, ambao pia waliwafukuza mbele yenu, hao wafalme wawili wa Waamori. Siyo upanga au upinde wenu wenyewe vilivyowapatia ushindi.

I sent the hornet ahead of you, and it drove out the two Amorite kings before you, but not by your own sword or bow.

13 Hivyo nikawapa ninyi nchi ambayo hamkuitaabikia na miji ambayo hamkuijenga na mnaishi ndani yake na kula toka kwa mashamba ya mizabibu na mizeituni msiyoipanda.’

So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities that you did not build, and now you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’

14 “Sasa basi mcheni Bwana na kumtumikia kwa uaminifu wote. Itupeni mbali miungu ambayo baba zenu waliiabudu huko ngʼambo ya Mto Frati na huko Misri, nanyi mtumikieni Bwana.

Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; cast aside the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.

15 Lakini msipoona vyema kumtumikia Bwana, chagueni hivi leo mtakayemtumikia, kama ni miungu ile ambayo baba zenu waliitumikia ngʼambo Frati, au miungu ya Waamori, ambao mnakaa katika nchi yao. Lakini mimi na nyumba yangu, tutamtumikia Bwana.”

But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”

16 Ndipo hao watu wakajibu, “Hili jambo liwe mbali nasi la kumsahau Bwana na kuitumikia miungu mingine!

The people replied, “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods!

17 Bwana Mungu wetu mwenyewe ndiye alitutoa sisi na baba zetu akatupandisha kutoka Misri, kutoka nchi ile ya utumwa, na kutenda zile ishara kubwa mbele ya macho yetu. Ndiye aliyetulinda katika safari yetu yote na kutokana na mataifa yote ambayo tulipita katikati yao.

For the LORD our God brought us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and performed these great signs before our eyes. He also protected us throughout our journey and among all the nations through which we traveled.

18 Bwana akayafukuza mbele yetu mataifa yote pamoja na Waamori, walioishi katika nchi hii. Hivyo sisi nasi tutamtumikia Bwana kwa kuwa yeye ndiye Mungu wetu.”

And the LORD drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites who lived in the land. We too will serve the LORD, because He is our God!”

19 Yoshua akawaambia watu, “Hamwezi kumtumikia Bwana. Yeye ni Mungu Mtakatifu, ni Mungu mwenye wivu. Hatasamehe uasi wenu na dhambi zenu.

But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God; He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your rebellion or your sins.

20 Ikiwa mkimwacha Bwana na kuitumikia miungu migeni, atageuka na kuwaleteeni maafa na kuwaangamiza, baada ya kuwa mwema kwenu.”

If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, He will turn and bring disaster on you and consume you, even after He has been good to you.”

21 Lakini watu wakamwambia Yoshua, “Sivyo! Sisi tutamtumikia Bwana.”

“No!” replied the people. “We will serve the LORD!”

22 Ndipo Yoshua akawaambia, “Ninyi mmekuwa mashahidi juu yenu wenyewe kuwa mmechagua kumtumikia Bwana.” Nao wakajibu, “Ndiyo, tu mashahidi.”

Then Joshua told them, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD.” “We are witnesses!” they said.

23 Yoshua akawaambia, “Sasa basi, itupeni mbali hiyo miungu migeni iliyo katikati yenu, nanyi mtoleeni Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, mioyo yenu.”

“Now, therefore,” he said, “get rid of the foreign gods among you and incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.”

24 Nao watu wakamwambia Yoshua, “Tutamtumikia Bwana Mungu wetu na kumtii yeye.”

So the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God and obey His voice.”

25 Siku ile Yoshua akafanya agano kwa ajili ya watu na hapo Shekemu ndipo alipowaandikia amri na sheria.

On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he established for them a statute and ordinance.

26 Naye Yoshua akayaandika mambo haya katika Kitabu cha Sheria ya Mungu. Ndipo akalitwaa jiwe kubwa, akalisimamisha huko chini ya mwaloni, karibu na mahali patakatifu pa Bwana.

Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was near the sanctuary of the LORD.

27 Yoshua akawaambia watu wote, “Angalieni! Jiwe hili litakuwa shahidi juu yetu. Limesikia maneno yote Bwana aliyotuambia. Litakuwa shahidi juu yenu kama mtakuwa waongo kwa Mungu wenu.”

And Joshua said to all the people, “You see this stone. It will be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words the LORD has spoken to us, and it will be a witness against you if you ever deny your God.”

28 Basi Yoshua akawatuma watu kila mmoja aende katika urithi wake mwenyewe.

Then Joshua sent the people away, each to his own inheritance.

29 Baada ya mambo haya, Yoshua mwana wa Nuni, mtumishi wa Bwana akafa akiwa na umri wa miaka mia moja na kumi.

Some time later, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110.

30 Nao wakamzika katika nchi ya urithi wake, huko Timnath-Sera katika nchi ya vilima ya Efraimu, kaskazini ya Mlima wa Gaashi.

And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

31 Israeli wakamtumikia Bwana siku zote za maisha ya Yoshua, na za hao wazee walioishi baada ya Yoshua kufa, ambao waliona kila kitu Bwana alichowatendea Israeli.

Israel had served the LORD throughout the days of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced all the works that the LORD had done for Israel.

32 Nayo ile mifupa ya Yosefu, ambayo Waisraeli waliipandisha kutoka huko Misri, wakaizika huko Shekemu kwenye eneo, ambalo Yakobo alilinunua kwa wana wa Hamori baba yake Shekemu, kwa vipande mia vya fedha. Eneo hili likawa ni urithi wa uzao wa Yosefu.

And the bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought up out of Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the plot of land that Jacob had purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver. So it became an inheritance for Joseph’s descendants.

33 Naye Eleazari mwana wa Aroni akafariki akazikwa huko Gibea, mlima aliokuwa amepewa mtoto wake Finehasi, kwenye nchi ya vilima ya Efraimu.

Eleazar son of Aaron also died, and they buried him at Gibeah, which had been given to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim.