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 convened all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; 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, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, [even] Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor: and they served 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 took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and 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 I gave to Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave to Esau mount Seir, to possess it; 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.
I sent Moses also and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did among them: 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.
And I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and ye came to the sea; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and 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 when they cried to the LORD, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt: and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season.
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 Amorites, who dwelt on the other side of Jordan, and they fought with you: and I gave them into your hand, that ye might possess their land; and I destroyed them from 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 the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the 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 hearken to Balaam; therefore he blessed you still: so 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 ye went over Jordan, and came to Jericho: and the men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the 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.
And I sent the hornet before you, which drove them out from before you, [even] the two kings of the Amorites; [but] 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 have given you a land for which ye did not labor, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and olive-yards which ye planted not do ye eat.
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 in truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye 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.”
And if it seemeth evil to you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye 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, Be it far from us that we should 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, he [it is] that brought us, and our fathers, out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way in which we went, 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 the LORD drove out from before us all the people, even the Amorites who dwelt in the land: [therefore] will we also 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 Joshua said to the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he [is] a holy God; he [is] a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions, nor your sins.
20 Ikiwa mkimwacha Bwana na kuitumikia miungu migeni, atageuka na kuwaleteeni maafa na kuwaangamiza, baada ya kuwa mwema kwenu.”
If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.
21 Lakini watu wakamwambia Yoshua, “Sivyo! Sisi tutamtumikia Bwana.”
And the people said to Joshua, No; 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 Joshua said to the people, Ye [are] witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve him. And they said, [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 put away ([said he] ) the strange gods which [are] among you, and incline your heart to the LORD God of Israel.
24 Nao watu wakamwambia Yoshua, “Tutamtumikia Bwana Mungu wetu na kumtii yeye.”
And the people said to Joshua, The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.
25 Siku ile Yoshua akafanya agano kwa ajili ya watu na hapo Shekemu ndipo alipowaandikia amri na sheria.
So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance 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 wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak that [was] by 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, Behold, this stone shall be a witness to us; for it hath heard all the words of the LORD which he spoke to us, it shall be therefore a witness to you, lest ye deny your God.
28 Basi Yoshua akawatuma watu kila mmoja aende katika urithi wake mwenyewe.
So Joshua let the people depart, every man 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 came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun 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 inheritance in Timnath-serah, which [is] in mount Ephraim, on the north side 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 served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, and who had known all the works of the LORD that he 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 children of Israel brought out of Egypt, they buried in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of silver; and it became the inheritance of the children 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 the son of Aaron died; and they buried him in a hill [that pertained] to Phinehas his son, which was given him in mount Ephraim.
