Yosua 22
1 Afei, Yosua frɛɛ Ruben ne Gad mmusuakuw ne Manase abusuakuw fa no nyinaa.
Joshua then summoned the leaders of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh.
2 Ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Moayɛ sɛnea Mose, Awurade somfo hyɛɛ mo sɛ monyɛ no na moadi ɔhyɛ asɛm biara a mehyɛ maa mo no so.
He said to them, “You have done everything that Moses, who served Yahweh [well], told you to do. You have also done what I told you to do.
3 Ɛwɔ mu sɛ dwumadi no agye bere tenten bi de, nanso moampa mmusuakuw a aka no akyi. Moatɔ mo bo ase adi mmara a Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn hyɛ maa mo no so de abesi nnɛ.
For a long time you have helped the other tribes [to defeat their enemies]. You have obeyed everything that Yahweh your God commanded you to do.
4 Na mprempren Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn ama mmusuakuw a aka no ahomegye sɛnea ɔhyɛɛ wɔn bɔ no. Enti monkɔ mo nkyi wɔ asase a Mose, Awurade somfo no de maa mo wɔ Asubɔnten Yordan apuei fam no so.
He promised to give peace to us Israelis, and he has done what he promised. So now you may go back to your homes, to the land that Moses gave to you, on the east side of the Jordan [River].
5 Monhwɛ yiye na munni mmara a Mose hyɛ maa mo no so. Monnɔ Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn. Monnantew nʼakwan nyinaa so, munni nʼahyɛde so, munni no nokware na momfa mo koma nyinaa ne mo kra nyinaa nsom no.”
Moses also commanded you to love Yahweh your God and to obey his commands, and to continue to worship him and serve him by everything that you think and everything that you do.”
6 Na Yosua hyiraa wɔn, gyaa wɔn kwan ma wɔkɔɔ fie.
Then Joshua blessed them and said goodbye to them, and they [prepared to] leave and return to their homes [on the east side of the Jordan River].
7 Mose de Basan asase a ɛwɔ Yordan apuei fam no maa Manase abusuakuw fa no. Abusuakuw no fa a aka no nso, wɔde asase no fa a ɛda Yordan atɔe fam no maa wɔn. Yosua regya wɔn kwan no, ohyiraa wɔn,
Moses had given the Bashan region to half the tribe of Manasseh, and land on the west side of the Jordan [River] to the other half of the tribe. Before they left, he [asked God to] bless them.
8 kae se, “Agyapade bebrebe a moanya afi mo atamfo nkyɛn no, mo ne mo abusuafo a wɔwɔ fie no nkyɛ. Anantwi dodow ne nguan bebrebe no, mo dwetɛ ne sikakɔkɔɔ, mo kɔbere mfrafrae, dade ne adurade no nyinaa, mo ne wɔn nkyɛ.”
He said, “Go back to your homes and to all the things that you have taken from your enemies—the many animals and silver and gold and [things made of] bronze and iron, and many beautiful clothes. But you should share some of those things with other people of your tribe.”
9 Enti Rubenfo, Gadfo ne Manase abusuakuw fa no gyaw Israelfo nkae no hɔ wɔ Silo a ɛwɔ Kanaan asase so. Wofitii wɔn akwantu ase sɛ wɔresan akɔ wɔn ankasa asase a ɛwɔ Gilead, asase a na ɛyɛ wɔn dea dedaw a Awurade hyɛɛ Mose ma ɔde maa wɔn no so.
So the people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh left the other Israelis at Shiloh in Canaan land, to return to their homes in the Gilead region. That was the area that belonged to them. It had been allotted to them by Moses as Yahweh had commanded.
10 Wɔda so wɔ Kanaan no, ansa na wobetwa Asubɔnten Yordan no, Rubenfo, Gadfo ne Manase abusuakuw fa no sii afɔremuka kɛse bi wɔ Asubɔnten Yordan nkyɛn, wɔ faako a wɔfrɛ hɔ Gelilot no.
The people from those three tribes arrived near the western side of the Jordan River, at a town called Geliloth. There they built a large altar. [Then they crossed the Jordan River to the Gilead region].
11 Israelfo a wɔaka no tee sɛ wɔasi afɔremuka wɔ Gelilot wɔ Asubɔnten Yordan atɔe fam, wɔ Kanaan asase so no,
But the other Israelis who were still at Shiloh heard about the altar that those men had built.
12 wɔn nyinaa boaa wɔn ho ano wɔ Silo, siesiee wɔn ho sɛ wɔrekɔko atia wɔn nuanom.
They became very angry with the men of those tribes, so they decided to fight them.
13 Nea edi kan no, wotuu nnipa a ɔsɔfo Eleasar babarima Pinehas tua wɔn ano kɔɔ Gilead. Wotwaa asubɔnten no sɛ wɔne Rubenfo, Gadfo ne Manase abusuakuw fa no rekɔkasa.
The Israelis sent Phinehas, who was the son of Eleazar the Supreme Priest, to [talk with] the people of those three tribes.
14 Nnipa a wotuu wɔn no yɛ mpanyimfo du a obiara gyina hɔ ma Israel mmusuakuw du no mu baako, na ɔsan yɛ ɔkannifo ma Israel mmusua no mu baako.
They also sent one leader from each of the ten tribes that were still at Shiloh. Each of them was a leader of his clan.
15 Na woduu Gilead asase so no, wɔka kyerɛɛ Rubenfo, Gadfo ne Manase abusuakuw fa no se,
Those leaders went to the Gilead region to talk to the people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh. They said,
16 “Awurade asafokuw nyinaa pɛ sɛ wohu nea enti a moredi Israel Nyankopɔn no huammɔ. Adɛn nti na mutumi dan mo ho fi Awurade ho, kosi afɔremuka de tia no?
“All the other Israelis are asking, ‘Why have you rebelled against the God whom we Israelis [worship] by building an altar for yourselves?
17 Bɔne a yɛyɛɛ wɔ Peor no nnɔɔso mmaa yɛn ana? Ɔyaredɔm a ɛbɛtɔɔ Awurade asafokuw no nyinaa so akyi no mpo, yennwiraa yɛn ho mfii ho.
Have you forgotten what happened at Peor, [when some Israelis sinned by worshiping the god that the Moab people-group worship]? Many Israelis became very sick and died because of that sin, and we are still suffering because of their sin.
18 Nanso nnɛ yi, moretwe mo ho afi Awurade ho, sɛ morenni nʼakyi. “Sɛ mosɔre tia Awurade nnɛ a, ɔkyena ne bo befuw yɛn nyinaa.
Are you now turning away from obeying Yahweh and refusing to do what he wants? If you do not stop rebelling against Yahweh today, he will be angry with all of us Israelis tomorrow.’
19 Sɛ mususuw sɛ efi aka mo asase enti afɔremuka ho hia mo a, ɛno de, mommɛka yɛn ho wɔ asuogya ha wɔ faako a Awurade ne yɛn te wɔ nʼAsɔrefi na yɛne mo bɛkyɛ yɛn asase mu. Na monnsɔre ntia Awurade na mommfa afɔremuka foforo a moasi ama mo ho so ntwe yɛn nkɔ atuatew mu. Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn nokware afɔremuka yɛ baako pɛ.
“If [you think that Yahweh considers] that your land here is not suitable for worshiping him, come back to our land where Yahweh’s Sacred Tent is. We can share our land with you. But do not rebel against Yahweh and against us by building another altar for Yahweh our God.
20 Bere a Akan a ofi Serah abusua mu nam korɔn a ɔbɔɔ wɔ nneɛma a wɔayi asi hɔ ama Awurade, nam so yɛɛ bɔne no, Onyankopɔn antwe Israel manfo nyinaa aso? Ɛnyɛ ɔno nko ara na esiane bɔne no nti owui.”
Do you remember what happened when Zerah’s son Achan refused to obey [Yahweh’s command to destroy everything in Jericho]? That one man disobeyed God’s command, but many [HYP] other Israelis were punished. Achan died because of his sin, but other Israelis also died.”
21 Rubenfo, Gadfo ne Manase abusuakuw fa no buaa mpanyimfo no se,
The [leaders of the] tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh replied,
22 “Awurade nko ara ne Onyankopɔn! Awurade nko ara ne Onyankopɔn! Yɛansi afɔremuka no sɛ yɛde retia Awurade. Sɛ saa na yɛayɛ a, nnɛ, momfa yɛn ho nkyɛ yɛn. Nanso Awurade nim na Israel nyinaa nso nhu sɛ,
“Yahweh, the Almighty God, knows [why we did that], and we want you to know, too. If we have done something wrong [against Yahweh], you may kill us.
23 yensii afɔremuka mmaa yɛn ho sɛ yɛrefi Awurade nkyɛn. Na yɛremmɔ ɔhyew afɔre ne aduan afɔre anaa asomdwoe afɔre wɔ so nso. Sɛ eyi nti na yesii afɔremuka no a, Awurade no ankasa ntwe yɛn aso.
If we have disobeyed one of Yahweh’s laws, we request that he should punish us. We did not build that new altar to completely burn animals as sacrifices to Yahweh, or to offer on it sacrifices of grain or sacrifices to maintain fellowship with God.
24 “Yɛasi saa afɔremuka yi, efisɛ yesuro sɛ daakye bi mo asefo bebisa yɛn asefo sɛ, ‘Tumi bɛn na mowɔ sɛ mobɛsom Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn?
“This is the reason that we built that altar: We were afraid/worried that some day your descendants would say that our descendants are not true Israelis. We were afraid that then they would say, ‘You are not allowed to worship Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship].
25 Awurade de Asubɔnten Yordan ato yɛn nkurɔfo ne ne nkurɔfo ntam hye. Munni kyɛfa wɔ Awurade mu!’ Enti mo asefo bɛma yɛn asefo agyae Awurade som.
Yahweh caused the Jordan River to be a boundary between us and you people of the tribes of Reuben and Gad. So you are not allowed to worship Yahweh.’ We were worried that your descendants would force our descendants to stop worshiping Yahweh.
26 “Ɛno nti yɛyɛɛ yɛn adwene sɛ yebesi afɔremuka, na ɛnyɛ sɛ yɛbɛbɔ ɔhyew afɔre wɔ so,
“That is the reason that we decided to build that [new] altar. But it is not an altar for completely burning sacrifices of animals and [burning other] sacrifices.
27 na mmom sɛ nkaedum. Ɛbɛbɔ yɛn asefo ne mo asefo nkae sɛ, yɛn nso, yɛwɔ ho kwan sɛ yɛbɛsom Awurade wɔ ne kronkronbea, abɔ yɛn ɔhyew afɔre, aduan afɔre ne asomdwoe afɔre. Na daakye bi no, mo asefo rentumi nka nkyerɛ yɛn asefo no se, ‘Munni kyɛfa wɔ Awurade mu.’
We built that new altar to prove/show to you and to us and to all of our descendants that we worship Yahweh by completely burning animal sacrifices and offerings of grain and offerings to maintain fellowship with Yahweh [only at the place Yahweh chooses]. We do not want your descendants to say to our descendants, ‘You do not belong to Yahweh.’
28 “Sɛ wɔka sɛɛ a, yɛn asefo betumi aka se, ‘Monhwɛ Awurade afɔremuka sɛso a yɛn agyanom sii. Wɔansi amma ɔhyew afɔrebɔ anaa afɔrebɔ, na mmom, ɛyɛ nkae ade a ɛkyerɛ ayɔnkofa a yɛn nyinaa wɔ wɔ Awurade mu.’
“In the future, if your descendants say that, our descendants can say, ‘Look at the altar that our ancestors made! It is exactly like Yahweh’s altar [that our ancestors built], but we do not burn sacrifices on it. It only shows that we are Israelis!’
29 “Ɛmpare yɛn sɛ yɛbɛsɔre atia Awurade, anaasɛ yɛbɛtwe yɛn ho afi ne ho akosi yɛn ankasa afɔremuka ama ɔhyew afɔre, aduan afɔre anaa afɔrebɔ. Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn afɔremuka a esi nʼAhyiae Ntamadan anim no so na wodi saa dwuma no.”
We certainly do not want to rebel against Yahweh or stop doing what he desires, by building an altar for completely burning some sacrifices and burning grain offerings and making [other] sacrifices. [We know that] there is only one true altar for Yahweh our God, and it is in front of the Sacred Tent [at Shiloh].”
30 Ɔsɔfo Pinehas ne mpanyimfo du no tee nsɛm yi fii Ruben ne Gad mmusuakuw ne Manase abusuakuw fa hɔ no, wɔn bo tɔɔ wɔn yam.
When Phinehas the priest and the other [ten] leaders heard what they said, they were pleased.
31 Ɔsɔfo Eleasar babarima Pinehas buaa wɔn se, “Nnɛ yɛahu sɛ Awurade wɔ yɛn ntam, efisɛ monyɛɛ bɔne ntiaa Awurade sɛnea yesusuwii no, mmom moagye Israel nkwa afi ɔsɛe a anka Awurade de reba wɔn so no ho.”
So Phinehas said to them, “Now we know that Yahweh is with all of us Israelis, and that you were not rebelling against him [when you built that altar]. And we know that Yahweh will not punish us Israelis [because of your having done that].”
32 Afei, Pinehas, ɔsɔfo Eleasar babarima ne mpanyimfo du no fii Ruben ne Gad mmusuakuw no nkyɛn wɔ Gilead san kɔɔ Kanaan asase so kɔbɔɔ Israelfo no amanneɛ.
Then Phinehas and the Israeli leaders left the people of the tribes of Reuben and Gad in the Gilead region, and returned to Canaan. There they told the other Israelis what had happened.
33 Na Israelfo no nyinaa bo tɔɔ wɔn yam, woyii Onyankopɔn ayɛ na wɔanka ɔko a wɔbɛko atia Ruben ne Gad ho asɛm bio.
They were pleased, and they thanked God. And they did not talk any more about fighting against the people of the tribes of Reuben and Gad and destroying everything in their land.
34 Na Rubenfo ne Gadfo too afɔremuka no din sɛ “Ɔdanseni,” ɔyɛ ɔdanseni wɔ yɛne wɔn ntam sɛ Awurade yɛ yɛn nso Nyankopɔn.
The people of the tribes of Reuben and Gad named their new altar ‘A reminder to us all that Yahweh is God’.
