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.

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

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 Na Isaka nikampa Yakobo na Esau. Nilimpa Esau nchi ya milima ya Seiri ili aimiliki, lakini Yakobo na watoto wake walishuka kwenda 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 Nilimtuma Musa na Haruni, na niliwapiga Wamisri kwa mapigo. Baada ya hapo, niliwatoa ninyi.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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

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

But I would not hearken to Balaam; therefore he blessed you still: so I delivered you out of 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.

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 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.

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 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'.

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 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 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 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.”

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 Watu walijibu na kusema, “Hatutaweza kumwacha Yahweh 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 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, 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 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 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 Lakini Yoshua akawaambia watu, “Hamwezi kumtumikia Yahweh, kwa kuwa ni Mungu mtakatifu; ni Mungu mwenye wivu; hatawasamehe makosa 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 Kama mtamwacha Yahweh na kuabudu miungu ya kigeni, basi atageuka na kuwaharibu. Atawaangamizeni baada ya kuwa amewatendea mema.”

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 walimwambia Yoshua, “Hapana, tutamwabudu Yahweh.”

And the people said to Joshua, No; but 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.”

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

Now therefore put away ([said he] ) the strange gods which [are] among you, and incline your heart to the LORD God of Israel.

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

And the people said to Joshua, The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.

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

So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.

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.

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, “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, 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 aliwaacha watu waende zao, kila mmoja alienda kwenye urithi wake.

So Joshua let the people depart, every man to his inheritance.

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

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 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 border of his inheritance in Timnath-serah, which [is] in mount Ephraim, on the north side of the hill of 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.

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 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 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 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 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.