Yoshua 24

1 Kisha Yoshua aliyakusanya pamoja makabila yote ya Israeli huko Shekemu na aliwaita wazee wa Israeli, viongozi, waamuzi na maafisa wao, nao wakajihudhurisha mbele za Mungu.

Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges, and officers of Israel, and they presented themselves before God.

2 Yoshua akawaambia watu wote, “Hiki ndicho Yahweh, Mungu wa Israeli anachokisema, 'Mababu zenu kwa miaka mingi iliyopita waliishi ng'ambo ya mto Frati - Tera, baba wa Ibrahimu na baba wa Nahori - nao waliabudu miungu mingine.

And Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your fathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates and worshiped other gods.

3 Lakini nilimchukua baba yenu kutoka ng'ambo ya Frati na nikamwongoza mpaka katika nchi ya Kanaani, na nilimpa watoto wengi kupitia kwa Isaka mwanaye.

But I took your father Abraham from beyond the Euphrates and led him through all the land of Canaan, and I multiplied his descendants. I gave him Isaac,

4 Na Isaka nikampa Yakobo na Esau. Nilimpa Esau nchi ya milima ya Seiri ili aimiliki, lakini Yakobo na watoto wake walishuka kwenda Misri.

and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I gave Esau Mount Seir to possess, but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt.

5 Nilimtuma Musa na Haruni, na niliwapiga Wamisri kwa mapigo. Baada ya hapo, niliwatoa ninyi.

Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and afterward I brought you out.

6 Niliwatoa baba zenu nje ya nchi ya Misri, nanyi mkafika hata katika bahari. Wamisri waliwafuata kwa magari na wapanda farasi hata katika bahari ya matete.

When I brought your fathers out of Egypt and you reached the Red Sea, the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea.

7 Na baba zenu walipomwita Yahweh, aliweka giza kati yenu na Wamisri. Aliileta bahari ije juu yao na kuwafunika. Mliona yale niliyoyakifanya huko Misri. Kisha mliishi jangwaani kwa muda mrefu.

So your fathers cried out to the LORD, and He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, over whom He brought the sea and engulfed them. Your very eyes saw what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.

8 Niliwaleta katika nchi wa Waamori, ambao waliishi katika upande mwingine mwa Yordani. Walipigana nanyi, nami niliwatia katika mkono wenu. Mliimiliki nchi yao, nami niliwaangamiza mbele yenu.

Later, I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived beyond the Jordan. They fought against you, but I delivered them into your hand, that you should possess their land when I destroyed them before you.

9 Kisha Balaki mwana wa Zipori, mfalme wa Moabu, aliinuka na kuishambulia Israeli. Alimwita na kumtuma Baalamu mwana wa Beori, ili kuwalaani ninyi.

Then Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, set out to fight against Israel. He sent for Balaam son of Beor to curse you,

10 Lakini sikumsikiliza Balaamu. Kwa hakika, aliwabarikia ninyi. Basi, niliwaokoa na mkono wake.

but I would not listen to Balaam. So he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you from his hand.

11 Mlivuka Yordani na mkafika Yeriko. Viongozi wa Yeriko waliinuka wapigane nanyi, pamoja na Waamori, Waperizi, Wakanaani, Wahiti, Wagirgashi, Wahivi na Wayebusi. Niliwapa ninyi ushindi dhidi yao na niliwaweka chini ya mamlaka yenu.

After this, you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The people of Jericho fought against you, as did the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I delivered them into your hand.

12 Nilituma manyingu mbele yenu, ambayo yaliwafukuzia mbali na wafalme wawili wa Waamori watoke mbele yenu. Haikutokea kwa sababu ya upanga wenu wala kwa upinde wenu.

I sent the hornet ahead of you, and it drove out the two Amorite kings before you, but not by your own sword or bow.

13 Niliwapeni ninyi nchi ambayo hamkuifanyia kazi na miji ambayo hamkuijenga, na sasa mnaishi ndani yake. Mnakula matunda ya mizabibu na na mashamba ya mizeituni ambayo hamkuyapanda'.

So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities that you did not build, and now you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’

14 Basi sasa mcheni Yahweh na kumwabudu yeye kwa uadilifu na uaminifu wote; jitengeni na miungu ambayo baba zenu waliiabudu ng'ambo ya Frati na katika Misri, na mkamwabudu Yahweh.

Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; cast aside the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.

15 Na kama inaonekana kuwa ni vibaya machoni penu kumwabudu Yahweh, chagueni ninyi katika siku hii ya leo ni nani mtakayemtumikia, kama ni miungu ambayo baba zenu waliiabudu ng'ambo ya Frati, au miungu ya Waamori, ambao ninyi mnakaa ndani ya nchi yao. Lakini kwangu mimi na nyumba yangu, tutumwabudu Yahweh.”

But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”

16 Watu walijibu na kusema, “Hatutaweza kumwacha Yahweh na kuitumikia miungu mingine,

The people replied, “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods!

17 kwa kuwa ni Yahweh Mungu wetu ambaye alitutoa sisi na baba zetu kutoka katika nchi ya Misri, katika nyumba ya utumwa, na ambaye alifanya hizo ishara kubwa mbele yetu, na ambaye alituhifadhi sisi katika njia zote ambazo sisi tuliziendea, na miongoni mwa mataifa yote ambayo tulipita kati kati yake,

For the LORD our God brought us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and performed these great signs before our eyes. He also protected us throughout our journey and among all the nations through which we traveled.

18 Na Yahweh aliwaondoa mbele yetu watu wote, na Waamori walioishi katika nchi hii. Hivyo, tutamwabudu Yahweh pia, kwa kuwa ni Mungu wetu”

And the LORD drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites who lived in the land. We too will serve the LORD, because He is our God!”

19 Lakini Yoshua akawaambia watu, “Hamwezi kumtumikia Yahweh, kwa kuwa ni Mungu mtakatifu; ni Mungu mwenye wivu; hatawasamehe makosa na dhambi zenu.

But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God; He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your rebellion or your sins.

20 Kama mtamwacha Yahweh na kuabudu miungu ya kigeni, basi atageuka na kuwaharibu. Atawaangamizeni baada ya kuwa amewatendea mema.”

If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, He will turn and bring disaster on you and consume you, even after He has been good to you.”

21 Lakini watu walimwambia Yoshua, “Hapana, tutamwabudu Yahweh.”

“No!” replied the people. “We will serve the LORD!”

22 Kisha Yoshua akawaambia watu, “Ninyi ni mashahidi dhidi yenu wenyewe kuwa mmemchagua Yahweh ninyi wenyewe, ili mmwabudu yeye.” Watu walijibu, “Sisi ni mashahidi.”

Then Joshua told them, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD.” “We are witnesses!” they said.

23 “Sasa wekeni mbali miungu ya kigeni iliyoko kwenu, na geuzeni moyo wenu umwelekee Yahweh, Mungu wa Israeli.”

“Now, therefore,” he said, “get rid of the foreign gods among you and incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.”

24 Watu wakamwambia Yoshua, “Tutamwabudu Yahweh Mungu wetu. Tutaisikiliza sauti yake.

So the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God and obey His voice.”

25 Yoshua alifanya agano na watu siku hiyo. Aliziweka maagizo na sheria huko Shekemu.

On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he established for them a statute and ordinance.

26 Yoshua aliyaandika maneno haya katika kitabu cha sheria za Mungu. Alichukua jiwe kubwa na kulisimamisha hapo chini ya mti wa mwaloni uliokuwa karibu na mahali pa takatifu pa Yahweh.

Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was near the sanctuary of the LORD.

27 Yoshua akawaambia watu, “Tazama, jiwe hili litakuwa ushuhuda dhidi yenu. Limeyasikia maneno yote ambayo Yahweh alitwambia. Hivyo, litakuwa ni shahidi dhidi yenu, hamtakiwi kumkana Mungu wenu.”

And Joshua said to all the people, “You see this stone. It will be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words the LORD has spoken to us, and it will be a witness against you if you ever deny your God.”

28 Basi Yoshua aliwaacha watu waende zao, kila mmoja alienda kwenye urithi wake.

Then Joshua sent the people away, each to his own inheritance.

29 Baada ya mambo haya, Yoshua mwana wa Nuni, mtumishi wa Yahweh, alikufa akiwa na miaka 110.

Some time later, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110.

30 Walimzika katika mpaka wa urithi wake mwenyewe huko Timnathi Sera, ambayo iko kwenye nchi ya milima ya Efraimu, upande wa Mlima Gaashi.

And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

31 Israeli ilimwabudu Yahweh siku zote za maisha ya Yoshua, na siku zote za wazee ambao walidumu pamoja na Yoshua, wale ambao waliona kila kitu ambacho Yahweh alikuwa ameifanyia Israeli.

Israel had served the LORD throughout the days of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced all the works that the LORD had done for Israel.

32 Mifupa ya Yusufu ambayo watu wa Israeli waliileta kutoka Misri, waliizika huko shekemu, katika sehemu ya nchi ambayo Yakobo alikuwa ameinunua kutoka kwa wana wa Hamori, baba wa Shekemu. Aliinunua kwa vipande mia moja vya fedha, na ulikuwa urithi kwa wazawa wa Yusufu.

And the bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought up out of Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the plot of land that Jacob had purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver. So it became an inheritance for Joseph’s descendants.

33 Eliazeri mwana wa Haruni alikufa pia. Walimzika huko Gibea, katika mji wa ambao alikuwa amepewa Finehasi mwanaye, na ulikuwa katika nchi ya milima ya Efraimu.

Eleazar son of Aaron also died, and they buried him at Gibeah, which had been given to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim.