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.
And Josue gathered together all the tribes of Israel in Sichem, and called for the ancients, and the princes, and the judges, and the masters: and they stood in the sight of the Lord:
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 he spoke thus to the people: Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: Your fathers dwelt of old on the other side of the river, Thare the father of Abraham, and Nachor: and they served strange 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,
And I took your father Abraham from the borders of Mesopotamia: and brought him into the land of Chanaan: and I multiplied his seed,
4 naye Isaki nikampa Yakobo na Esau. Esau nikampa nchi ya vilima ya Seiri, lakini Yakobo pamoja na wanawe wakashuka Misri.
And gave him Isaac: and to him again I gave Jacob and Esau. And I gave to Esau mount Seir for his possession: but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.
5 “‘Kisha nikawatuma Mose na Aroni, nami nikawapiga Wamisri kwa kile nilichokitenda huko, tena nikawatoa ninyi huko.
And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I struck Egypt with many signs and wonders.
6 Nilipowatoa baba zenu Misri, mlifika kwenye bahari, nao Wamisri wakawafuatia baba zenu kwa magari na wapanda farasi mpaka kwenye Bahari ya Shamu.
And I brought you and your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea: and the Egyptians pursued your fathers 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.
And the children of Israel cried to the Lord: and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them. Your eyes saw all that I did in Egypt, and you dwelt in the wilderness 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.
And I brought you into the land of the Amorrhite, who dwelt beyond the Jordan. And when they fought against you, I delivered them into your hands, and you possessed their land, and slew them.
9 Wakati Balaki mwana wa Sipori, mfalme wa Moabu, alipojiandaa kupigana dhidi ya Israeli, alimwita Balaamu mwana wa Beori apate kuwalaani.
And Balac son of Sephor king of Moab arose and fought against Israel. And he sent and called for Balaam son of Beor, to curse you:
10 Lakini sikumkubali Balaamu, kwa hiyo aliwabariki tena na tena, nami niliwaokoa toka mkononi mwake.
And I would not hear him, but on the contrary I blessed you by him, and I delivered you out of 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.
And you passed over the Jordan, and you came to Jericho. And the men of that city fought against you, the Amorrhite, and the Pherezite, and the Chanaanite, and the Hethite, and the Gergesite, and the Hevite, and the Jebusite: and I delivered them into your hands.
12 Nikatuma manyigu mbele yenu, ambao pia waliwafukuza mbele yenu, hao wafalme wawili wa Waamori. Siyo upanga au upinde wenu wenyewe vilivyowapatia ushindi.
And I sent before you hornets: and I drove them out from their places, the two kings of the Amorrhites, not with thy sword nor with thy 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.’
And I gave you a land, in which you had not laboured, and cities to dwell in which you built not, vineyards and oliveyards, which you planted not.
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 with a perfect and most sincere heart: and put away the gods which your fathers served in Mesopotamia 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 seem evil to you to serve the Lord, you have your choice: choose this day that which pleaseth you, whom you would rather serve, whether the gods which your fathers served in Mesopotamia, or the gods of the Amorrhites, in whose land you dwell: but 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!
And the people answered, and said: God forbid we should leave the Lord, and serve strange 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.
The Lord our God he brought us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage: and did very great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way by which we journeyed, and among all the people through whom we passed.
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 he hath cast out all the nations, the Amorrhite the inhabitant of the land into which we are come. Therefore we will serve the Lord, for 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.
And Josue said to the people: You will not be able to serve the Lord: for he is a holy God, and mighty and jealous, and will not forgive your wickedness and sins.
20 Ikiwa mkimwacha Bwana na kuitumikia miungu migeni, atageuka na kuwaleteeni maafa na kuwaangamiza, baada ya kuwa mwema kwenu.”
If you leave the Lord, and serve strange gods, he will turn, and will afflict you, and will destroy you after all the good he hath done you.
21 Lakini watu wakamwambia Yoshua, “Sivyo! Sisi tutamtumikia Bwana.”
And the people said to Josue: No, it shall not be so as thou sayest, but we will serve the Lord.
22 Ndipo Yoshua akawaambia, “Ninyi mmekuwa mashahidi juu yenu wenyewe kuwa mmechagua kumtumikia Bwana.” Nao wakajibu, “Ndiyo, tu mashahidi.”
And Josue said to the people: You are witnesses, that you yourselves have chosen you the Lord to serve him. And they answered: We are witnesses.
23 Yoshua akawaambia, “Sasa basi, itupeni mbali hiyo miungu migeni iliyo katikati yenu, nanyi mtoleeni Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, mioyo yenu.”
Now therefore, said he, put away strange gods from 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.”
And the people said to Josue: We will serve the Lord our God, and we will be obedient to his commandments.
25 Siku ile Yoshua akafanya agano kwa ajili ya watu na hapo Shekemu ndipo alipowaandikia amri na sheria.
Josue therefore on that day made a covenant, and set before the people commandments and judgments in Sichem.
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.
And he wrote all these things in the volume of the law of the Lord: and he took a great stone, and set it under the oak that was in 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 he said to all the people: Behold this stone shall be a testimony unto you, that it hath heard all the words of the Lord, which he hath spoken to you: lest perhaps hereafter you will deny it, and lie to the Lord your God.
28 Basi Yoshua akawatuma watu kila mmoja aende katika urithi wake mwenyewe.
And he sent the people away every one to their own possession.
29 Baada ya mambo haya, Yoshua mwana wa Nuni, mtumishi wa Bwana akafa akiwa na umri wa miaka mia moja na kumi.
And after these things Josue the son of Null the servant of the Lord died, being a hundred and ten years old:
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 border of his possession in Thamnathsare, which is situate in mount Ephraim, on the north side of mount Gaas.
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.
And Israel served the Lord all the days of Josue, and of the ancients that lived a long time after Josue, and that had known all the works of the Lord which he had done in 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 children of Israel had taken out of Egypt, they buried in Sichem, in that part of the field which Jacob had bought of the sons of Hemor the father of Sichem, for a hundred young ewes, and it was in the possession of the sons of Joseph.
33 Naye Eleazari mwana wa Aroni akafariki akazikwa huko Gibea, mlima aliokuwa amepewa mtoto wake Finehasi, kwenye nchi ya vilima ya Efraimu.
Eleazar also the son of Aaron died: and they buried him in Gabaath that belongeth to Phinees his son, which was given him in mount Ephraim.
