< 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 Joshua gathers all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and calls for [the] elderly of Israel, and for his heads, and for his judges, and for his authorities, and they station 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 says to all the people, “Thus said YHWH, God of Israel: Beyond the River your fathers have dwelt of old—Terah father of Abraham and father of Nachor—and they serve 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,
and I take your father Abraham from beyond the River, and cause him to go through all the land of Canaan, and multiply his seed, and give Isaac to him.
4 naye Isaki nikampa Yakobo na Esau. Esau nikampa nchi ya vilima ya Seiri, lakini Yakobo pamoja na wanawe wakashuka Misri.
And I give Jacob and Esau to Isaac; and I give Mount Seir to Esau, to possess it; and Jacob and his sons have gone down to Egypt.
5 “‘Kisha nikawatuma Mose na Aroni, nami nikawapiga Wamisri kwa kile nilichokitenda huko, tena nikawatoa ninyi huko.
And I send Moses and Aaron, and plague Egypt, as I have done in its midst, and afterward I have 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.
And I bring out your fathers from Egypt, and you go to the sea, and the Egyptians pursue after your fathers, with chariot and with horsemen, to 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 they cry to YHWH, and He sets thick darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brings the sea over him, and covers them, and your eyes see that which I have done in Egypt; and you dwell in a wilderness [for] many days.
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 bring you into the land of the Amorite who is dwelling beyond the Jordan, and they fight with you, and I give them into your hand, and you possess their land, and I destroy them out of your presence.
9 Wakati Balaki mwana wa Sipori, mfalme wa Moabu, alipojiandaa kupigana dhidi ya Israeli, alimwita Balaamu mwana wa Beori apate kuwalaani.
And Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, rises and fights against Israel, and sends and calls for Balaam son of Beor, to revile you,
10 Lakini sikumkubali Balaamu, kwa hiyo aliwabariki tena na tena, nami niliwaokoa toka mkononi mwake.
and I have not been willing to listen to Balaam, and he greatly blesses you, and I deliver 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 pass over the Jordan, and come to Jericho, and the possessors of Jericho fight against you—the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Girgashite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite—and I give 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.
And I send the hornet before you, and it casts them out from your presence—two kings of the Amorite—not by your sword, nor by your 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 give a land to you for which you have not labored, and cities which you have not built, and you dwell in them; you are eating of vineyards and olive-yards which you have not planted.
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.
And now, fear YHWH, and serve Him, in perfection and in truth, and turn aside the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve YHWH;
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.”
and if [it is] wrong in your eyes to serve YHWH—choose for yourselves today whom you serve—whether the gods whom your fathers served, which [are] beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorite in whose land you are dwelling; but me and my house—we serve YHWH.”
16 Ndipo hao watu wakajibu, “Hili jambo liwe mbali nasi la kumsahau Bwana na kuitumikia miungu mingine!
And the people answer and say, “Far be it from us to forsake YHWH, 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 our God YHWH [is] He who is bringing us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, out of a house of servants, and who has done these great signs before our eyes, and keeps us in all the way in which we have gone, and among all the peoples through whose midst 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 YHWH casts out the whole of the peoples, even the Amorite inhabiting the land, from our presence; we also serve YHWH, 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 Joshua says to the people, “You are not able to serve YHWH, for He [is] a most holy God; He [is] a zealous God; He does not bear with your transgression and with your sins.
20 Ikiwa mkimwacha Bwana na kuitumikia miungu migeni, atageuka na kuwaleteeni maafa na kuwaangamiza, baada ya kuwa mwema kwenu.”
When you forsake YHWH, and have served gods of a stranger, then He has turned back and done harm to you, and consumed you, after that He has done good to you.”
21 Lakini watu wakamwambia Yoshua, “Sivyo! Sisi tutamtumikia Bwana.”
And the people say to Joshua, “No, but we serve YHWH!”
22 Ndipo Yoshua akawaambia, “Ninyi mmekuwa mashahidi juu yenu wenyewe kuwa mmechagua kumtumikia Bwana.” Nao wakajibu, “Ndiyo, tu mashahidi.”
And Joshua says to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves, that you have chosen YHWH for yourselves, to serve Him,” and they say, “Witnesses!”
23 Yoshua akawaambia, “Sasa basi, itupeni mbali hiyo miungu migeni iliyo katikati yenu, nanyi mtoleeni Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, mioyo yenu.”
“And now, turn aside the gods of the stranger which [are] in your midst, and incline your heart to YHWH, God of Israel.”
24 Nao watu wakamwambia Yoshua, “Tutamtumikia Bwana Mungu wetu na kumtii yeye.”
And the people say to Joshua, “We serve our God YHWH, and we listen to His voice.”
25 Siku ile Yoshua akafanya agano kwa ajili ya watu na hapo Shekemu ndipo alipowaandikia amri na sheria.
And Joshua makes a covenant with the people on that day, and lays a statute and an ordinance on it, in Shechem.
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 Joshua writes these words in the Scroll of the Law of God, and takes a great stone, and raises it up there under the oak which [is] in the sanctuary of YHWH.
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 says to all the people, “Behold, this stone is for a witness against us, for it has heard all the sayings of YHWH which He has spoken with us, and it has been for a witness against you, lest you lie against your God.”
28 Basi Yoshua akawatuma watu kila mmoja aende katika urithi wake mwenyewe.
And Joshua sends the people away, each to his inheritance.
29 Baada ya mambo haya, Yoshua mwana wa Nuni, mtumishi wa Bwana akafa akiwa na umri wa miaka mia moja na kumi.
And it comes to pass, after these things, that Joshua son of Nun, servant of YHWH, dies, a son of one hundred and ten years,
30 Nao wakamzika katika nchi ya urithi wake, huko Timnath-Sera katika nchi ya vilima ya Efraimu, kaskazini ya Mlima wa Gaashi.
and they bury him in the border of his inheritance, in Timnath-Serah, which [is] in the hill-country of Ephraim, on the north of the hill of 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.
And Israel serves YHWH all [the] days of Joshua, and all [the] days of the elderly who prolonged days after Joshua, and who knew all the work of YHWH which He did to 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 sons of Israel brought up out of Egypt, they buried in Shechem, in the portion of the field which Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor father of Shechem, with one hundred kesitah; and they are for an inheritance to 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.
And Eleazar son of Aaron died, and they bury him in a hill of his son Phinehas, which was given to him in the hill-country of Ephraim.

< Yoshua 24 >