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.
Joshua summoned all the tribes of Israel to Shechem. Then he called the elders, leaders, judges, and officials and they came and stood before the Tabernacle of 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.
Joshua said to all the people, “The Lord, the God of Israel, says this: ‘Long, long ago your forefathers, including Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River, and they 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.
I brought your father Abraham from beyond the Euphrates and led him through all the land of Canaan and gave him many 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.
I gave to Isaac Jacob and Esau. I gave to Esau the hill country of Seir to own, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.
5 Nilimtuma Musa na Haruni, na niliwapiga Wamisri kwa mapigo. Baada ya hapo, niliwatoa ninyi.
I sent Moses and Aaron, and I brought plagues on the people of Egypt, and 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.
Yes, I brought your forefathers out, but when you arrived at the Red Sea the Egyptians were chasing after your forefathers with chariots and horsemen.
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.
Your forefathers called out to the Lord for help, and he placed darkness between you and the Egyptians. Then he brought the sea back over them and they drowned. You saw what I did with your own eyes in Egypt. Then you lived for many years in the wilderness.
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.
After that I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived on the other side of the Jordan. They fought against you but I handed them over to you to defeat and you took over their land. 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.
When Balak, son of Zippor, the king of Moab, wanted to fight against Israel, he sent for Balaam, son of Beor, to come and curse you.
10 Lakini sikumsikiliza Balaamu. Kwa hakika, aliwabarikia ninyi. Basi, niliwaokoa na mkono wake.
But I wasn't willing to listen to Balaam, so instead he blessed you repeatedly, and saved you from Balak.
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.
You crossed the Jordan and arrived at Jericho where the men of Jericho fought against you. So did the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
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.
But I handed them over to you to defeat. And I sent the hornet before you to drive out the two kings of the Amorites. You did not win using your swords or your bows!
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'.
I gave you a land you didn't work for and towns you didn't build. Now you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves you didn't 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.
So respect the Lord and worship him, sincerely and faithfully. Get rid of the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and worship 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 you don't want to worship the Lord, choose today who you want to worship! Is it going to be the gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the Euphrates? Or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you're now living? But as for me and my family, we will worship the Lord!”
16 Watu walijibu na kusema, “Hatutaweza kumwacha Yahweh na kuitumikia miungu mingine,
The people responded, “We are never going to give up on the Lord and worship 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 forefathers out of slavery in Egypt. He was the one who did great miracles before our very eyes. He looked after us on the way as we traveled through the lands of many nations.
18 Na Yahweh aliwaondoa mbele yetu watu wote, na Waamori walioishi katika nchi hii. Hivyo, tutamwabudu Yahweh pia, kwa kuwa ni Mungu wetu”
The Lord drove out before us the Amorites and all the other nations who were living in the land. So we will worship the Lord, for 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.
Joshua told the people, “Remember that the Lord is a holy and jealous God. You won't be able to worship him, and he won't forgive your rebellion and sins
20 Kama mtamwacha Yahweh na kuabudu miungu ya kigeni, basi atageuka na kuwaharibu. Atawaangamizeni baada ya kuwa amewatendea mema.”
if you give up on him and worship foreign gods. He will turn against you and destroy you despite all the good he has done for you.”
21 Lakini watu walimwambia Yoshua, “Hapana, tutamwabudu Yahweh.”
“Don't say that!” the people replied. “We will worship 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 cautioned the people, “You have made yourselves witnesses against yourselves by saying that you have chosen to worship the Lord.” “Yes, we are witnesses,” the people replied.
23 “Sasa wekeni mbali miungu ya kigeni iliyoko kwenu, na geuzeni moyo wenu umwelekee Yahweh, Mungu wa Israeli.”
“Then get rid of those foreign gods you have and promise to be loyal only to the Lord, the God of Israel,” Joshua told them.
24 Watu wakamwambia Yoshua, “Tutamwabudu Yahweh Mungu wetu. Tutaisikiliza sauti yake.
The people said to Joshua, “We will worship the Lord our God and we will obey him.”
25 Yoshua alifanya agano na watu siku hiyo. Aliziweka maagizo na sheria huko Shekemu.
So Joshua made a solemn agreement between the people and the Lord that day in Shechem, obligating them to follow all the Lord's laws and instructions.
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 this in the Book of the Law of God, and he set up a large stone under the oak tree near the Lord's sanctuary.
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.”
Joshua said to the people, “Look at this stone. It stands here as a witness against us for it has heard everything the Lord has told us, and it will be a witness against you if you ever deny what you have promised your God.”
28 Basi Yoshua aliwaacha watu waende zao, kila mmoja alienda kwenye urithi wake.
Then Joshua dismissed the people, sending them to their allotted lands.
29 Baada ya mambo haya, Yoshua mwana wa Nuni, mtumishi wa Yahweh, alikufa akiwa na miaka 110.
Later, after all this, Joshua, son of Nun, servant of the Lord, died at the age of one hundred and ten.
30 Walimzika katika mpaka wa urithi wake mwenyewe huko Timnathi Sera, ambayo iko kwenye nchi ya milima ya Efraimu, upande wa Mlima Gaashi.
They buried him in Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash, the land he had been allocated.
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.
The Israelites continued to worship the Lord throughout Joshua's life, and throughout the lifetimes of the elders who outlived him, those who had seen all 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.
The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought with them from Egypt, they buried in Shechem in the piece of ground Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for one hundred pieces of silver. This land was inherited by Joseph's sons.
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.
And Eleazar, son of Aaron, died and they buried him at Gibeah, in the hill country of Ephraim, land which had been given to his son Phinehas.
