Yoshua 23
1 Na baada ya siku nyingi, kipindi ambacho Yahweh alikuwa ameipa Israeli pumziko kutoka maadui zao waliowazunguka,
Yahweh enabled the Israelis to live peacefully [for many years] with the people-groups that were around them.
2 Joshua alikuwa mzee sana. Yoshua aliwaita Waisraeli wote, na wazee wao, na viongozi, na waamuzi, na kwa maafisa, na kisha akawaambia, “Mimi nimezeeka sana.
Joshua was now very old. [One day] he summoned the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the leaders of the clans, the judges, and [other] officials. He said to them, “I am now very old.
3 Mmeshaona kila kitu ambacho Yahweh Mungu wenu ameshafanya kwa mataifa haya yote kwa ajili yenu, kwa kuwa ni Yahweh Mungu wenu ambaye amewapigania ninyi.
You people have seen what Yahweh our God has done to help you defeat the people-groups [that lived in this land]. Yahweh our God has fought for you.
4 Tazama! Nimeshawakabidhi kwenu mataifa yaliyosalia ili kuyateka kwa ajili ya kupata urithi ya makabila yenu, sambasamba na mataifa yote ambayo tayari nimeshayaangamiza, tangu Yordani hadi Bahari kuu katika upande wa magharibi.
But do not forget that he has given to you all this land, from the Jordan [River in the east] to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, all this land that I have allotted to you.
5 Yahweh Mungu wenu atayaondoa. Atayafukuzia mbali kutoka kwenu. Ataiteka nchi yao, nanyi mtaimiliki nchi yao, kama vile Yahweh Mungu wenu alivyowaahidi ninyi.
Yahweh our God will compel the people who are still living there to leave. He will push them out as you advance. Then the land will be yours, as Yahweh has promised you.
6 Hivyo, iweni jasiri, ili kwamba mtunze na kuyafanya yale yote yaliyoandikwa katika kitabu cha sheria ya Musa, msikengeuke upande wa kulia wala upande wa kushoto,
“Be sure that you obey all the laws that are in the book that Moses wrote. Do not disobey any part of it [IDM].
7 basi msichanganyikane na mataifa haya ambayo yamesalia miongoni mwenu, wala msiyataje majina ya miungu yao, wala msiape kwayo, wala msiiabudu, wala msiipigie magoti.
Do not associate with the people who live among us [who are not Israelis and who worship other gods]. Do not mention the names of their gods, and do not use the names of their gods when you promise to do something. Do not serve their gods or worship them.
8 Badala yake, mnatakiwa kumshika sana Yahweh Mungu wenu kama vile mlivyofanya siku hii ya leo.
You must continue to do what Yahweh our God wants us to do, as you have been doing.
9 Kwa kuwa Yahweh ameyafukuzia mbali mbele yenu mataifa makubwa yenye nguvu. Hakuna hata mmoja aliyeweza kusimama mbele yenu hata siku hii ya leo.
“Yahweh has forced [many] very powerful people-groups to leave as you advanced. No people-group has been able to defeat you.
10 Mtu yeyote mmoja wa kwenu atawafanya watu elfu wakimbie mbali, kwa kuwa Yahweh Mungu wenu, ndiye anayepigania ninyi, kama vile alivyowaahidi.
Each of you will be able to cause 1,000 of them to run away, because Yahweh your God will fight for you, just like he promised to do.
11 Zingatieni kwa uangalifu ili mmpende Yahweh Mungu wenu.
So be sure that you continue to love Yahweh our God.
12 Lakini kama mkiegeuka na kushikamana na watu walioalia wa mataifa haya waliobaki miongoni mwenu, au kuoana nao, au kama mkishirikiana pamoja nao, na wao pamoja nanyi,
“If you turn away from doing what Yahweh desires and you associate with the people who are not Israelis, and if you marry them,
13 jueni kwa hakika kwamba Yahweh Mungu wenu hatayafukuzia mbali mataifa haya yatoke kati yenu. Badala yake, watakuwa kitanzi na mtego kwenu, viboko migongoni mwenu na miiba machoni mwenu, mpaka pale mtakapoangamia katika nchi hii nzuri ambayo Yahweh Mungu wenu amewapeni ninyi.
then you can be sure that Yahweh our God will not help you to expel those people-groups from your land. They will be [like] traps [DOU, MET] [that will catch you]. They will be [like] whips [that strike] your backs, and like thorns [that will scratch] your eyes. As a result, none of you will be left in this good land that Yahweh our God is giving to you.
14 Na sasa ninaenda katika njia ya dunia yote, na mnajua kwa moyo na roho zenu zote kwamba hakuna hata neno moja ambalo halijatimia kati ya mambo yote mazuri ambayo Yahweh Mungu wenu aliyaahidi juu yenu. Vitu hivi vyote vimetokea kwa ajili yenu. Hakuna hata moja lililoshindikana.
“It is almost time for me to die, like everyone does [EUP]. You know in your hearts [DOU] that Yahweh has done for you [LIT] everything that he promised to do.
15 Lakini kama kila neno ambalo Yahweh Mungu wenu alilowaahidi limekwisha kutimia, hivyo Yahweh atawaletea juu yenu mabaya yote mpaka pale atakapokuwa amewaangamiza katika nchi hii nzuri ambayo Yahweh Mungu wenu amewapeni ninyi.
He has given to you all the good things that he promised. In the same way, the other things that he promised, [things that are not good], will also happen. He said that if you do what is evil, he will get rid of you and send you away from this good land that he has given to you.
16 Atafanya hivi kama mtalivunja agano la Yahweh Mungu wenu, ambalo aliwaagizeni kulitunza. Kama mtaenda na kuiabudu miungu mingine na kuiinamia, ndipo hasira ya Yahweh itawaka kinyume nanyi, na ninyi mtaangamia upesi katika nchi nzuri ambayo amekwisha kuwapeni ninyi.”
That will happen if you do not obey the commands that Yahweh our God told you to obey. If you serve other gods and worship them, Yahweh will become very angry with you. Very quickly [he will expel you from] this good land that he has given to you, [and] none of you will be left here.”
