< Torati 4 >
1 Sasa, Israeli, sikiliza sheria na amri ambayo niko karibu kukufundisha, kuzifanya, ili kwamba uweze kuishi na kuingia ndani na kumiliki nchi ambayo Yahwe, Mungu wa baba zako, anakupa.
“Now, you Israeli people, obey all the rules and regulations [DOU] that I will teach you. If you do that, you will remain alive and you will enter and occupy/capture the land that Yahweh, the God whom your ancestors [worshiped], is giving to you.
2 Hautaongeza maneno ambayo nakuamuru, wala hautayapunguza, ili kwamba uweze kushika amri ya Yahwe Mungu wako ambazo naenda kukuamuru.
Do not add anything to what I command you, and do not take anything away from what I tell you. Obey all the commands of Yahweh our God that I am giving to you.
3 Macho yako yamekwisha ona nini Yahwe alifanya kwa sababu ya Baal Peor, kwa kuwa watu wote waliomfuata Baali Peor, Yahwe Mungu wenu amekwisha kuwaangamiza kutoka miongoni mwenu.
“You have seen what Yahweh did at Baal-Peor [Mountain]. He got rid of all the people who worshiped [the god] Baal there,
4 Lakini walioambatana na Yahwe Mungu wenu wako hai leo, kila moja wenu.
but you who faithfully [continued to worship] Yahweh our God are still alive today.
5 Tazama, nimewafundisha sheria na amri, kama Yahwe Mungu wangu alivyoniamuru mimi, ila kwamba mfanye hivyo katikati mwa nchi ambayo mnaiendea ili kusudi muimiliki.
“Note that I have taught you all the rules and regulations, just like Yahweh our God told me to do. He wants you to obey them [when you are living] in the land that you are about to enter and occupy.
6 Kwa hiyo washikilieni na kuwafanya, kwa kuwa hii ni hekima yenu na uelewa wenu mbele ya macho ya watu watakaosikia amri hizi zote na kusema, “Hakika taifa hili kubwa lina watu wa hekima na uelewa.'
Obey them faithfully because, [if you do that], you will show the people of other nations that you are very wise. When they hear about all these laws, they will say, ‘The people of this great nation [of Israel] are certainly very wise [DOU]!’
7 Kuna taifa gani jingine la vile liko hapo lina mungu karibu nao, kama Yahwe Mungu wetu tunapomwita wakati wowote?
Even if other nations are great, there is none [RHQ] of them that has a god who is as near to them as Yahweh our God is to us! Whenever we call out to him [to help us, he answers/helps us]
8 Kuna taifa kubwa gani jingine liko hapo ambalo lina sheria na amri ili kwamba haki pamoja na sheria ambayo ninaweka mbele yenu leo?
And there is no [RHQ] other nation, even if it is a great nation, that has laws that are as just/fair as the laws that I am telling to you today.
9 Zingatia peke na kuwa makini kujilinda, ili usisahau mambo ambayo macho yako yameona, ili kwamba yasiuwache moyo wako kwa siku zote za maisha yako. Badala yake, yafanye yajulikane kwa watoto wako na wana watoto wako.
“But be very careful! [DOU, IDM] Do not forget what you [SYN] have seen [God do]. Remember those things as long as you are alive. Tell them to your children and your grandchildren.
10 Kuhusu siku ile uliyosimama mbele ya Yahwe Mungu wako katika Horeb, wakati Yahwe alisema nami, 'Nikusanyie watu, na nitawafanya wasikia maneno yangu, ili kwamba waweze kujifunza kuniogopa mimi siku zote ambazo wanazoishi duniani, na kwamba waweze kuwafundisha watoto wao.
Tell them about the day that your ancestors stood in the presence of Yahweh our God at Sinai [Mountain], when he said to me, ‘Gather the people together, in order that they can hear what I say. I want them to learn to have an awesome respect for me as long as they are alive, and I want them to teach their children to do that also.’
11 Mlikuja karibu na kusimama katika wayo wa mlima. Mlima uliwaka moto kwenye moyo wa mbinguni, pamoja na giza, mawingu na giza jembamba.
[Tell them that] your ancestors came near the bottom of the mountain, while the mountain burned with a fire that went up to the sky, and the mountain was covered with dark clouds and black [smoke].
12 Yahwe alizungumza katikati ya moto, ulisikia suati pamoja na maneno yake, lakini hakuona umbo, ila ulisikia sauti peke.
Then Yahweh spoke to your ancestors out of the middle of the fire. Your ancestors heard him speak, but they did not see him. They only heard his voice.
13 Alitangaza kwenu agano lake ambalo aliwaamuru ninyi kulifanya, amri kumi. Aliziandika kwenye vibao viwili vya mawe.
And he declared to them his agreement. That agreement contained the Ten Commandments that he wants you to obey. He wrote those on two stone tablets.
14 Yahwe aliniamuru mimi kwa wakati huo kuwafundisha sheria na amri, ili kwamba muweze kuzifanya katika nchi mnaoivuka kwenda kuimiliki.
Yahweh commanded me to teach all the rules and regulations to you, in order that you would obey them in the land that you are about to enter and occupy.”
15 Basi iweni waangalifu ninyi wenyewe - kwa kuwa mliona hakuna namna ya umbo siku hiyo ambapo Yahweh alizungumza nanyi huko Horeb kutoka katikati mwa moto,
“On the day that Yahweh spoke to your ancestors at Sinai [Mountain], he was invisible. So, be careful
16 ili kwamba usiharibike na kuchonga umbo katika sura ya kiumbe chochote, umbo la mwanaume au mtu wa kike,
that you do not sin by making for yourselves any idol [of something that can be seen!] not make an idol that resembles any person, either a man or a woman,
17 au sura ya mnyama aliye katika nchi, au sura ya ndege yoyote wa mabawa arukae katika anga, au
or that resembles any animal or any bird
18 sura ya kitu chochote kitambaacho katika ardhi, au sura ya samaki yoyote katika maji chini ya ardhi.
or any (reptile/creature that scurries across the ground) or any fish in the deep ocean.
19 Hautainua macho yako juu mbinguni na kutazama jua, mwezi, au nyota - jeshi lote la mbinguni- ukusogezwa na kuviabudu na kuvisujudia- vile vyote ambavyo Yahwe Mungu wenu amewapa hisa watu wote walio chini ya anga lote.
And be careful to not look up toward the sky and be tempted to worship anything that you see there—the sun or the moon or the stars. Yahweh our God has given those to [be a blessing to] all people everywhere, [but you must not worship them].
20 Lakini Yahwe amewatoa ninyi na kuwaleta nje ya tanuru la chuma, nje ya Misri, kuwa kwake watu wa urithi wake, kama mlivyo leo.
Yahweh has brought your ancestors out of Egypt, where [they were suffering as though] they were in a blazing furnace, in order that they would be people who belong to him, which is what you are today.
21 Yahwe alinikasirikia mimi kwa sababu yenu; aliapa kwamba nisiende ng'ambo ya Yordani, na kwamba nisiende kwenye nchi nzuri, nchi ambayo Yahwe Mungu wenu anawapa ninyi kama urithi.
“But Yahweh was angry with me because of [what] your ancestors [made me do]. He vowed that I would not cross the Jordan [River] to enter the good/fertile land that he is giving to you.
22 Badala yake, ninapaswa kufa katika nchi hii, sipaswi kwenda ng'ambo ya Yordani, lakini mtaenda ng'ambo na kuimiliki nchi nzuri
He said that I must die here in this land and never cross the Jordan [River]. But you will go across it, and you will occupy that land.
23 Zingatia ninyi wenyewe, ili kwamba msisahau agano la Yahwe Mungu wenu, alilolifanya pamoja nanyi, na kujichongea mfano wa sanamu katika uombo la kitu chochote ambacho Yahwe Mungu wenu amewakataza kufanya.
Be sure that you do not forget the agreement that Yahweh our God made with you. He commanded you to not make any kind of idol, because he has forbidden that.
24 Kwa kuwa Yahwe Mungu wenu ni moto ulao, Mungu wa wivu.
[You must not do that] because Yahweh your God will destroy [anyone who worships idols, ] like [MET] a fire completely destroys things. He [wants people to worship only him, he] (cannot accept/will punish) people who worship anyone or anything else.
25 Wakati mnapozaa watoto na wana watoto, na wakati mtakapo kuwa katika nchi kwa muda mrefu, na kama mtaharibikiwa ninyi na kuchonga umbo la umbo lolote, na kufanya uovu machoni pa Yahwe Mungu wenu, kumchoche katika hasira-
“When you have been in the land [of Canaan] for a long time and you have children and grandchildren, do not sin by making an idol that represents anything at all, because Yahweh says that is evil, and if you do that, you will cause him to become angry with you [and punish you].
26 Nitaita nchi na mbingu kushuhudia dhidi yenu leo kwa kuwa mapema kabisa mtaangamia kutoka katika nchi ambayo mnaiendea huko ng'ambo ya Yordani kuimiliki, hamtazidisha siku zenu ndani yake, lakini mtaangamizwa kabisa.
Today I am requesting everyone who is in heaven and everyone who is on the earth [MTY] to watch what you are doing. [If you disobey what I am telling you], you will soon all die in the land that you will be crossing the Jordan [River] to occupy. You will not live very long there; Yahweh will completely get rid of many [HYP] of you.
27 Yahwe atawatawanyisha ninyi miongoni mwa watu, na mtabaki wachache ki-idadi miongoni mwa mataifa, ambapo Yahwe atawaongoza mbali.
And [the rest of you], Yahweh will force you to go and live among the people of many other nations. Only a few of you will (survive/remain alive) there.
28 Huko mtatumikia miungu mingine, kazi ya mikono ya watu, mbao na mawe, ambayo wala haioni, kusikia, wala kunusa.
When you are in those nations, you will worship gods that are made of wood and stone, gods made by humans, gods that cannot see anything or hear anything or eat anything or smell anything.
29 Lakini kuanzia hapo mtamtafuta Yahwe Mungu wenu, na mtampata, wakati mtakapomtafuta kwa moyo wenu wote na roho zenu zote.
But while you are there, if you will try to know Yahweh your God, and if you try with your entire inner being to know him, he will (answer/reveal himself to) you.
30 Wakati mnakuwa katika dhiki, na wakati haya yote yatakuwa yamekuja kwenu, katika siku za badae mtamrudia Yahwe Mungu wenu na kusikia sauti yake.
In the future, after you have been mistreated there and all those bad things happen to you, you will again worship only Yahweh and obey him.
31 Kwa kuwa Yahwe Mungu wenu ni Mungu wa rehema; hatawaangusha wala kuwaangamiza ninyi, wala kusahau agano la baba zenu ambalo aliapa kwao.
Yahweh is a God who acts mercifully. [If you continue to obey him], he will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the agreement that he solemnly made with your ancestors.”
32 Kwa ajili ya kuuliza sasa kuhusu siku zilizopita ambazo zilikuwa mbele yenu: tangu siku ile ambayo Mungu alimuumba mtu katika nchi, kutoka pande moja ya mbingu hadi nyingine, uliza kama kumekuwepo chochote kama hiki kikubwa, au chochote kama hicho imewahi kusikiwa?
“Now think about the past, about the time before you were born, about all the time since God first created people here on the earth. You could search everywhere, in heaven and on the earth. (Has anything like this ever happened that is as great as [what Yahweh did for the Israeli people]?/Certainly nothing has ever happened that is as great [as what Yahweh did for the Israeli people].) [RHQ] (Has anyone ever heard of anything like this?/Certainly no one has ever heard of anything like this.) [RHQ]
33 Ilishawahi kutokea watu kusikia sauti ya Mungu kuongea katikati ya moto, kama mlivyosikia, na kuishi?
(Has any group ever remained alive after they heard a god speak to them from the middle of a fire, like we did?/Certainly no group has ever remained alive after they heard a god speak to them from the middle of a fire, like we did.) [RHQ]
34 Au Mungu ameshawahi kujaribu kwenda na kujichukulia kwa ajili yake taifa kutoka miongoni mwa taifa, kwa majaribu, ishara na maajabu na kwa vita, na mkono wa nguvu, na mkono ulionyoshwa, na magaidi wakuu, vile vyovyote ambavyo Yahwe Mungu wenu alifanya kwa ajili yenu Misri mbele ya macho yenu?
Certainly no other god has ever tried to take a [huge] group of people from one nation [to another location], like he did for us when he brought us out of Egypt. We saw Yahweh our God use great power [MTY, DOU] when he performed many kinds of [DOU] miracles, and sent plagues, and did many other very terrifying things in Egypt for us, [and rescued us when the army of Egypt tried to fight against us].
35 Kwenu haya yalioneshwa, ili muweze kujua kuwa Yahwe ni Mungu, na kwamba hakuna mwingine zaidi yake.
“Yahweh showed all these things to you, in order that you would know that only he is truly God, and that there is no other God.
36 Toka mbinguni alifanya msikie sauti yake, ili kwamba aweze kuwaelekeza, juu ya nchi aliwafanya muone moto wake mkuu, mlisikia maneno yake toka katikati ya moto.
He allowed your ancestors to hear him speak from heaven in order that he could discipline them. Here on the earth he allowed them to see his great fire [on Sinai Mountain], and he spoke to them from the middle of the fire.
37 Kwa sababu aliwapenda baba zenu, alichagua wazao wao baada yao, na kuwatoa ninyi Misri kwa uwepo wake, kwa nguvu yake kubwa,
Because he loved our ancestors, he chose you Israelis who are their descendants, and by his great power he brought your ancestors out of Egypt.
38 ili kusudi awatowe kutoka mbele ya mataifa makubwa na yenye nguvu kuliko ninyi, kuwaleta ndani, kuwapa ninyi nchi yao kama urithi, hivi leo.
[As they advanced], he expelled the people of nations that were greater and more powerful than they were, in order that he could allow them to capture their land and cause it to become yours, which is [what is happening] now.
39 Tambua hivi leo, weka kwenye moyo wako, Yahwe ni Mungu juu ya mbingu na chini ya dunia, hakuna mwingine yeyote.
“So today you should (meditate on/think about) the fact that Yahweh is God, that he is/rules in heaven and also on the earth, and that there is no other god.
40 Mtazishika sheria zake na amri zake ambazo nawaamuru leo, ili kwamba iweze kuwa vizuri kwenu na watoto wenu baada yenu, na kwamba muweze kuongeza siku zenu katika nchi ambayo Yahwe Mungu wenu amewapa milele.”
Obey all the rules and regulations that I am giving to you today, in order that things will go well for you and for your descendants, and that you will live a long time in the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you, [to belong to you] forever.”
41 Kisha Musa alichagua miji mitatu mashariki mwa Yordani,
Then Moses/I set apart three cities that are on the east side of the Jordan [River].
42 ili kwamba yoyote aweze kukimbia kati ya moja yao kama imemuua mtu mwingine kwa ajili, pasipo kuwa adui hapo awali. Kwa kukimbilia kwenye moja ya miji hii, atakuwa amenusurika.
If someone accidentally killed another person, a person who had not been his enemy previously, he could escape to one of those cities. He would be safe/protected in one of those cities [because the people there would protect him].
43 Walikuwa: Bezeri katika jangwa, nchi tambarare, kwa Warubenites; Ramothi huko Gileadi, kwa Gadites; na Golani huko Bashani, kwa Manassites.
For the tribe of Reuben, Moses/I set apart Bezer [city] in the (plateau/high level) area. For the tribe of Gad, Moses/I set apart Ramoth [city] in the Gilead [area]. For the tribe of Manasseh, Moses/I set apart Golan [city] in the Bashan [region].
44 Hii ni sheria ambayo Musa aliweka mbele ya watu wa Israeli,
Moses/I gave [God’s] laws to the Israeli people.
45 hizi ni amri za agano, sheria, na amri zingine alizungumza na watu wa Israeli wakati walipotoka Misri,
They included all the rules and instructions and commands that Moses/I gave to them, after they/we had come out of Egypt,
46 pindi walikuwa Mashariki mwa Yordani, katika bonde mkabala wa Beth Peori, katika nchi ya Sihoni, mfalme wa Amorites, aliyewahi kuishi Heshbon, ambaye Musa na watu wa Israeli waliwahi kumshinda wakati walipotoka Misri.
when they/we were in the valley east of the Jordan [River]. They/We were across from Beth-Peor [town], in the land that [previously] was ruled by Sihon, the king of the Amor people-group, who lived in Heshbon [city]. Moses/I and the other Israelis had defeated his [army] when they/we came out of Egypt.
47 Walichukua nchi yake kama urithi, na nchi ya Ogi mfalme wa Bashani- hawa, wafalme wawili wa Amorites, waliokuwa ng'ambo ya pili ya Yordani kuelekea Mashariki.
They/We captured Sihon’s land and the land that Og, the king of the Bashan [region], ruled. They were the two kings who ruled the Amor people-group [in the area] east of the Jordan [River].
48 Himaya hii ilienda kutoka Aroer, katika ukingo wa bonde la Arnon, kwa mlima wa Sion (mlima Hermon),
Their land extended from Aroer [town in the south] along the Arnon [River], as far [north] as Sirion Mountain, which [most people] call Hermon Mountain.
49 na ilijumuisha tambarare zote za bonde la mto Yordani, Mashariki mwa ng'ambo ya pili ya Yordani, kuelekea bahari ya Arabah, kuelekea miteremko ya mlima Pisgah.
It also included all the area east of the Jordan [River] Valley, all the way south to the Dead Sea and east to the slopes of Pisgah [Mountain].