Siosiua 24
1 Pea naʻe tānaki fakataha ʻe Siosiua ʻae ngaahi faʻahinga ʻo ʻIsileli ki Sikemi, ʻo ne fekau ke haʻu ʻae kau mātuʻa ʻo ʻIsileli, mo honau ngaahi ʻeiki, pea ko honau kau fakamaau, mo honau kau matāpule; pea naʻa nau fakahā ʻakinautolu ʻi he ʻao ʻoe ʻOtua.
[Many years later], Joshua summoned representatives of all the tribes of Israel. He gathered together the elders, the leaders, the judges, and the other officials at Shechem [city]. He told them to listen to what God wanted to tell them.
2 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Siosiua ki he kakai kotoa pē, “ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli, ‘Naʻe nofo hoʻomou ngaahi tamai ʻi muʻa ʻi he kauvai ʻe taha ʻoe vai lahi, ʻio, ʻa Tela, ko e tamai ʻa ʻEpalahame mo e tamai ʻa Nehoa: pea naʻa nau tauhi ʻae ngaahi ʻotua kehe.
Joshua said to all of them, “This is what Yahweh, the God we Israeli people worship, is saying: ‘Long ago, your ancestors, including Abraham’s father Terah and Abraham’s younger brother Nahor, lived on the east side of the Euphrates River.
3 Pea naʻaku ʻomi hoʻomou tamai ko ʻEpalahame mei he potu ʻe taha ʻoe vai lahi, ʻo tataki ia ʻi he fonua ko Kēnani, pea u fakatokolahi hono hako, ʻo foaki kiate ia ʻa ʻAisake.
But I took your ancestor Abraham from that land east of the Euphrates River, and I led him as he lived in various places in this land of Canaan, and I enabled him to have many descendants. First, I enabled him to have a son, Isaac.
4 Pea naʻe foaki kia ʻAisake ʻa Sēkope mo ʻIsoa: peau foaki kia ʻIsoa ʻae moʻunga ko Seia, ke ne maʻu ia; ka ko Sēkope mo ʻene fānau naʻa nau ʻalu hifo ki ʻIsipite.
When Isaac grew up, I enabled him to have twin sons, Jacob and Esau. I enabled Esau to live in the hilly area in Seir region, but many years later Jacob and his sons and their families went down to live in Egypt.
5 Pea naʻaku fekau ʻa Mōsese mo ʻElone foki, peau fakamamahiʻi ʻa ʻIsipite, ʻo fakatatau mo ia ʻaia naʻaku fai ʻiate kinautolu: pea hili ia naʻaku fakahaofi ʻakimoutolu.
“[Many years later], I sent Moses and his older brother Aaron to help your people, and I caused [the people of] Egypt to suffer very much because of what I did there. Then I enabled your ancestors to leave Egypt.
6 Pea naʻaku ʻomi hoʻomou ngaahi tamai mei ʻIsipite: pea naʻa mou haʻu ki he tahi: pea naʻe tuli hoʻomou ngaahi tamai ʻe he kakai ʻIsipite ʻaki ʻae ngaahi saliote mo e kau tangata heka hoosi ʻo aʻu ki he Tahi Kulokula.
When I brought your ancestors out of Egypt, they came to the Red Sea. The Egyptian army pursued them, some riding in chariots and others on horses, and they also arrived at the Red Sea.
7 Pea ʻi heʻenau tangi kia Sihova, naʻa ne ʻai ʻae poʻuli ʻi homou vahaʻa mo e kakai ʻIsipite, pea naʻa ne ʻomi ʻae tahi kiate kinautolu ʻo lōmaki ʻaki ʻakinautolu; pea naʻe mamata ʻe homou mata ki he meʻa naʻaku fai ʻi ʻIsipite: pea ne mou nofo ʻi he toafa ʻo fuoloa.
Then [your ancestors] pleaded with me to help them. So he caused (darkness/a very dark cloud) to come between your ancestors and the Egyptian army, so that the Egyptian army could not see your ancestors. I separated the water in the Red Sea so that your ancestors could cross it, but when the Egyptian army tried to cross in the same way to pursue them, I caused the water to come back and cover them, and the Egyptian soldiers all drowned, as your ancestors watched and were amazed [IDM]. But after that, you lived in the desert for many years.
8 Pea ne u ʻomi ʻakimoutolu ki he fonua ʻoe kau ʻAmoli, ʻaia naʻe nofo ʻi he kauvai ʻe taha ʻo Sioatani; pea naʻa nau tauʻi ʻakimoutolu: pea ne u tuku ʻakinautolu ki homou nima, koeʻuhi ke mou maʻu honau fonua, pea ne u fakaʻauha ʻakinautolu mei homou ʻao.
“Then I brought your [ancestors] to the area where the groups who were descendants of Amor lived, east of the Jordan River. They fought against you, but I enabled you to defeat them [IDM]. I [enabled you to] destroy them so that you could live in their land [IDM].
9 Pea naʻe tuʻu hake ʻa Pelaki ko e foha ʻo Sipoa, ko e tuʻi ʻo Moape, ʻo ne tauʻi ʻa ʻIsileli, ʻo ne fekau ke ui ʻa Pelami ko e foha ʻo Peoli ke haʻu ʻo fakamalaʻiaʻi ʻakimoutolu:
Then, Zippor’s son Balak, the King of Moab, (decided that his army would fight against/opposed) the Israelis. He summoned Beor’s son Balaam and asked him to curse you.
10 Ka naʻe ʻikai te u tokanga kia Pelami ko ia naʻa ne tāpuakiʻi pe ʻakimoutolu pea ne u fakamoʻui ʻakimoutolu mei hono nima,
But I would not do what Balaam asked, so he (blessed/said that I would do great things for) you four times, and I did not enable the army of Moab to defeat you [IDM].
11 Pea ne mou ʻalu atu ki he kauvai ʻe taha ʻo Sioatani, ʻo hoko ki Seliko: pea naʻe tauʻi ʻakimoutolu ʻe he kau tangata ʻo Seliko; ko e kau ʻAmoli, mo e kau Pelesi, mo e kau Kēnani, mo e kau Heti, mo e kau Keakasa, mo e kau Hevi, mo e kau Sepusi; pea naʻaku tukuange ʻakinautolu ki homou nima.
“Then you all crossed the Jordan River and came to Jericho. The people of Jericho prepared to fight against you, [and the armies of] the descendants of Amor, Periz, Canaan, Heth, Girgash, Hiv, and Jebus [all prepared to do the same thing] but I enabled you to defeat [IDM] them all.
12 Pea naʻaku fekau ʻae fanga langomū ke muʻomuʻa ʻiate kimoutolu, ʻaia naʻe kapusi ʻakinautolu mei homou ʻao, ʻio, ʻae tuʻi ʻe ua ʻoe kau ʻAmoli; ka naʻe ʻikai fai ia ʻaki hoʻo heletā pē ko hoʻo kaufana ʻaʻau.
I am the one who caused them to panic as you advanced and enabled you to defeat them, as I had enabled you to do earlier to the two kings of the groups who were descendants of Amor. You did not defeat them by using your own bows and arrows and swords; [it was I who defeated them].
13 Pea kuo u foaki kiate kimoutolu ʻae fonua ʻaia naʻe ʻikai te mou ngāue ke maʻu, mo e ngaahi kolo naʻe ʻikai te mou langa, pea ʻoku mou nofo ʻi ai; ko e ngaahi ngoue vaine, mo e ngaahi ngoue ʻolive ʻaia naʻe ʻikai te mou tō ʻoku mou kai mei ai.’
So I gave you a land that you had not tilled/planted, and I gave you cities that you did not build. [Now] you live in those [cities] and you eat the grapes from the grapevines that you did not plant, and you eat olives from trees that you did not plant.’”
14 “Pea ko eni, mou manavahē kia Sihova, pea tauhi ia ʻi he angatonu mo e moʻoni; pea tukuange ʻiate kimoutolu ʻae ngaahi ʻotua naʻe tauhi ʻe hoʻomou ngaahi tamai ʻi he kauvai ʻe taha ʻoe vai lahi, pea mo ʻIsipite: pea mou tauhi ʻa Sihova.
[Then Joshua said to the people], “[Because of all that] Yahweh [has done for you], revere him, and serve/worship him very faithfully. Throw away the idols that your ancestors worshiped on the east/other side of the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve only Yahweh.
15 Pea kapau ʻoku matamata kovi kiate kimoutolu ke tauhi ʻa Sihova, mou fili he ʻaho ni ʻaia te mou tauhi; pe ko e ngaahi ʻotua ʻaia naʻe tauhi ʻe hoʻomou ngaahi tamai, ʻaia naʻe ʻi he kauvai ʻe taha ʻoe vai lahi, pe ki he ngaahi ʻotua ʻoe kau ʻAmoli, ʻae fonua ʻonautolu ʻoku mou nofo ai: ka ko au mo hoku fale te mau tauhi ʻa Sihova.
But if you do not want to serve/worship Yahweh, you should decide today what [gods] you will serve/worship. You should decide whether you will serve/worship the gods that your ancestors who lived on the other/east side of the Euphrates River served, or whether you will serve/worship the gods that the descendants of Amor, who previously lived in the land where you are now living, [serve/worship]. But as for me and my family [MTY], we will serve/worship Yahweh!”
16 Pea naʻe lea ʻae kakai ʻo pehē, “Ke taʻofi ʻe he ʻOtua ke ʻoua ʻaupito naʻa mau liʻaki ʻa Sihova, ke tauhi ʻae ngaahi ʻotua kehe;
The Israeli people answered, “We will never quit [serving/worshiping] Yahweh! We would never [think of] [IDM] serving/worshiping other gods!
17 He ko Sihova ko hotau ʻOtua, ko ia ia kuo ne ʻomi ʻakitautolu mo ʻetau ngaahi tamai mei he fonua ko ʻIsipite, mei he fale fakapōpula, pea ko ia naʻa ne fai ʻae ngaahi meʻa fakaʻilonga lahi ʻi hotau ʻao, ʻo ne fakamoʻui ʻakitautolu ʻi he hala kotoa pē ʻaia naʻa tau ʻalu ai, pea ʻi he lotolotonga ʻoe kakai kotoa pē ʻaia naʻa tau ʻalu ai:
It was our God, Yahweh, who brought our parents and grandparents up out of Egypt. [He rescued them] from that land where they were slaves. As he rescued them, they saw him perform great miracles. He protected them all the time when they were traveling. He protected them from all the people-groups through whose territory they traveled.
18 Pea naʻe kapusi ʻe Sihova mei hotau ʻao ʻae kakai kotoa pē, ʻio, ʻae kau ʻAmoli ʻaia naʻe nofo ʻi he fonua: ko ia foki te mau tauhi ʻa Sihova; he ko homau ʻOtua ia.”
As our forefathers advanced, Yahweh expelled the descendants of Amor and the other people-groups who lived in this land. Yahweh is our God, so [we are saying that] we also will serve/worship him.”
19 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Siosiua ki he kakai, “ʻOku ʻikai te mou faʻa tauhi ʻa Sihova; he ko e ʻOtua māʻoniʻoni ia; ko e ʻOtua fuaʻa ia; ʻe ʻikai te ne fakamolemole hoʻomou ngaahi talangataʻa mo hoʻomou ngaahi angahala.
Joshua replied to the people, “[I think that] you are not able to serve/worship Yahweh, because he is a holy God. He will not forgive your sinning and rebelling [against him]. He demands that you serve/worship only him [IDM].
20 Kapau ʻoku mou liʻaki ʻa Sihova, pea tauhi ʻae ngaahi ʻotua kehe, te ne foki mai ʻo tautea ʻakimoutolu, ʻo fakaʻauha ʻakimoutolu, hili ʻa ʻene fai lelei kiate kimoutolu.”
He has been good to you [in the past], but if you turn away from him and serve/worship foreign/other gods, he will turn [against you] and he will cause you to experience disasters. He will punish [IDM] you severely!”
21 Pea naʻa nau tala kia Siosiua, “ʻE ʻikai; ka te mau tauhi ʻa Sihova.”
But the people replied to Joshua, “No, [we will not turn away from worshiping/serving Yahweh] We will serve/worship Yahweh!”
22 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Siosiua ki he kakai, “Ko e kau fakamoʻoni ʻakimoutolu kiate kimoutolu kuo mou fili ʻa Sihova moʻomoutolu ke tauhi ia.” Pea naʻa nau pehē, “Ko e kau fakamoʻoni ʻakimautolu.”
Then Joshua said, “You yourselves are saying that you have decided to serve/worship Yahweh.” They replied, “Yes, we are saying that.”
23 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe ia, “Pea ko eni, tukuange ʻae ngaahi ʻotua kehe ʻoku ʻiate kimoutolu, pea mou fakatokangaʻi homou loto kia Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli.”
Then Joshua said, “Since [you have decided] that, you must throw away all the other gods/idols that you have among you. You must also promise that you will wholeheartedly give yourselves to Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [serve/worship].”
24 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he kakai kia Siosiua, “Te mau tauhi ʻa Sihova ko homau ʻOtua, pea te mau fai talangofua ki hono leʻo.”
The people replied, “We will serve/worship Yahweh, our God, and obey him.”
25 Ko ia naʻe fai ai ʻe Siosiua ʻae fuakava mo e kakai ʻi he ʻaho ko ia, ʻo ne fokotuʻu ʻae fekau maʻanautolu mo e tuʻutuʻuni ʻi Sikemi.
That day, Joshua established an agreement between the people and Yahweh. He wrote for them all the laws that they were required to obey.
26 Pea naʻe tohi ʻe Siosiua ʻae ngaahi lea ni ʻi he tohi ʻoe fono ʻae ʻOtua, ʻo ne ʻomi ʻae fuʻu maka lahi ʻo fokotuʻu ia ʻi he lolo oke, ʻaia naʻe ofi ki he faletapu ʻo Sihova.
He wrote all those laws on a scroll. He called it ‘The laws of God’. Then he [told some men to] set up a large stone there at Shechem, under the [large] oak tree near the place where [they worshiped] Yahweh.
27 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Siosiua ki he kakai kotoa pē, “Vakai, ko e fakamoʻoni ʻae maka ni kiate kitautolu; he kuo ne fanongo ki he lea kotoa pē ʻa Sihova ʻaia kuo ne folofolaʻaki kiate kitautolu: ko ia ʻe ʻiate kimoutolu ia ko e fakamoʻoni, telia naʻa mou fakafisingaʻi homou ʻOtua.”
He said to all the people, “Look! [It is as though] this stone has heard everything that Yahweh said to you [and that you promised Yahweh]. It will serve as a witness against you if you rebel against your God!”
28 Pea naʻe tukuange ʻe Siosiua ʻae kakai kenau ʻalu, taki taha ʻae tangata ki hono tofiʻa.
Then Joshua sent the people away, and all of them returned to their own areas/homes.
29 Pea hili ʻae ngaahi meʻa ni, pea hoko ʻo pehē, naʻe pekia ʻa Siosiua ko e foha ʻo Nuni, ko e tamaioʻeiki ʻa Sihova, ka kuo teau taʻu mo e taʻu ʻe hongofulu hono motuʻa.
Some time after that, Nun’s son Joshua, the faithful servant of Yahweh, died. He was 110 years old when he died.
30 Pea naʻa nau fai hono putu ʻi he veʻe tofiʻa ʻoʻona ʻi Timinate-Sela, ʻaia ʻoku ʻi he moʻunga ko ʻIfalemi, ʻi he potu tokelau ʻoe moʻunga ko Keasi.
The Israeli people buried his body on his own property in Timnath-Serah [town] town. It is north of Gaash Mountain in the hilly area of the tribe who were descendants of Ephraim.
31 Pea naʻe tauhi ʻe ʻIsileli ʻa Sihova ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē ʻo Siosiua, mo e ʻaho kotoa pē ʻoe kau mātuʻa naʻa nau moʻui kimui ʻia Siosiua, ʻakinautolu naʻa nau ʻilo ʻae ngaahi ngāue kotoa pē ʻa Sihova, ʻaia naʻa ne fai maʻa ʻIsileli.
The Israeli people served/worshiped Yahweh as long as Joshua was alive. After Joshua died, they continued serving/worshiping Yahweh while the elders who had experienced everything that Yahweh had done for the Israeli people were still alive.
32 Pea ko e hui ʻo Siosefa ʻaia naʻe hikitanga ʻe he fānau ʻa ʻIsileli mei ʻIsipite, naʻa nau tanu ʻi Sikemi, ʻi he konga fonua naʻe fakatau ʻe Sēkope mei he ngaahi foha ʻo Hemoa ko e tamai ʻa Sikemi ʻaki ʻae konga siliva ʻe teau: pea naʻe hoko ia ko e tofiʻa ʻoe fānau ʻa Siosefa.
Joseph’s bones, which the Israeli people had brought with them from Egypt, were also buried at Shechem. The people buried them in the piece of land that Jacob had bought long ago for 100 pieces of silver from Hamor, the father of Shechem. That piece of land was in the area that was given to the people who were descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh, Joseph’s sons.
33 Pea naʻe pekia ʻa ʻEliesa ko e foha ʻo ʻElone; pea naʻa nau fai hono putu ʻi he moʻunga naʻe ʻo Finiasi ko hono foha, ʻaia naʻe foaki kiate ia ʻi he moʻunga ko ʻIfalemi.
Eleazar, the Supreme Priest, the son of Aaron, also died. They buried his body at Gibeah, in the area that had been given to Eleazar’s son Phinehas, in the hilly area that belonged to the people who were descendants of Ephraim.
