1
Haya ndiyo maneno Musa aliyowaambia Israeli wote ng'ambo ya Yordani barani, katika Araba lililoelekea Sufu, kati ya Parani, na Tofeli, na Labani, na Hazerothi, na Dizahabu.
These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel in the wilderness east of the Jordan—in the Arabah opposite Suph—between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab.
2
Ni mwendo wa siku kumi na moja kutoka Horebu kwa njia ya mlima wa Seiri mpaka Kadesh-barnea.
It is an eleven-day journey from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea by way of Mount Seir.
3
Ikawa mwaka wa arobaini, mwezi wa kumi na moja, siku ya kwanza ya mwezi, Musa akawaambia wana wa Israeli kama yote aliyopewa na Bwana ya kuwaamuru;
In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses proclaimed to the Israelites all that the LORD had commanded him concerning them.
4
alipokwisha kumpiga Sihoni mfalme wa Waamori, aliyekuwa akikaa Heshboni, na Ogu mfalme wa Bashani, aliyekuwa akikaa Ashtarothi iliyo katika Edrei;
This was after he had defeated Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived in Heshbon, and then at Edrei had defeated Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth.
5
ni ng'ambo ya Yordani katika nchi ya Moabu, alipoanza Musa kufunua torati hii, akisema,
On the east side of the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses began to explain this law, saying:
6
Bwana, Mungu wetu, alituambia huko Horebu, akasema, Mlivyokaa katika mlima huu vyatosha;
The LORD our God said to us at Horeb: “You have stayed at this mountain long enough.
7
geukeni mshike safari yenu mwende nchi ya milima ya Waamori, na mahali pote palipo karibu ya hapo, katika hiyo Araba, na nchi ya vilima-vilima, na huko Shefela, na Negebu, na pwani-pwani, nchi ya Wakanaani, na Lebanoni, mpaka mto huo mkubwa, mto wa Frati.
Resume your journey and go to the hill country of the Amorites; go to all the neighboring peoples in the Arabah, in the hill country, in the foothills, in the Negev, and along the seacoast to the land of the Canaanites and to Lebanon, as far as the great River Euphrates.
8
Angalieni, nimewawekea nchi mbele yenu, ingieni mkaimiliki nchi Bwana aliyowaapia baba zenu, Ibrahimu, na Isaka, na Yakobo, kwamba atawapa na uzao wao baada yao.
See, I have placed the land before you. Enter and possess the land that the LORD swore He would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to their descendants after them.”
9
Nami wakati ule niliwaambia, nikasema, Siwezi mimi mwenyewe kuwachukua peke yangu.
At that time I said to you, “I cannot carry the burden for you alone.
10
Bwana, Mungu wenu, amewafanya kuwa wengi, nanyi, angalieni, mmekuwa leo mfano wa nyota za mbinguni kwa wingi.
The LORD your God has multiplied you, so that today you are as numerous as the stars in the sky.
11
Bwana, Mungu wa baba zenu, na awafanye kuwa wengi mara elfu kuliko mlivyo, na kuwabarikia, kama alivyowaahidi.
May the LORD, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand times over and bless you as He has promised.
12
Nitachukuaje peke yangu mimi mwenyewe udhia wenu, na mzigo wenu, na mateto yenu?
But how can I bear your troubles, burdens, and disputes all by myself?
13
Jitwalieni watu wenye akili na fahamu, watu wanaojulikana, kwa kadiri ya kabila zenu, nami nitawafanya wawe vichwa juu yenu.
Choose for yourselves wise, understanding, and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will appoint them as your leaders.”
14
Nanyi mkanijibu, mkaniambia, Jambo ulilonena ni jema la kufanya.
And you answered me and said, “What you propose to do is good.”
15
Basi nikatwaa vichwa vya kabila zenu wenye akili, waliojulikana, nikawafanya wawe vichwa juu yenu, maakida ya elfu elfu, na maakida ya mia mia, na maakida ya hamsini hamsini, na maakida ya kumi kumi, na wenye amri, kwa kadiri ya kabila zenu.
So I took the leaders of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them as leaders over you—as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens, and as officers for your tribes.
16
Nikawaagiza wakati ule waamuzi wenu, nikawaambia, Sikizeni ninyi maneno kati ya ndugu zenu, mkaamue kwa haki kati ya mtu na nduguye, na mgeni aliye pamoja naye.
At that time I charged your judges: “Hear the disputes between your brothers, and judge fairly between a man and his brother or a foreign resident.
17
Msitazame nafsi za watu katika hukumu; mwasikize wadogo na wakubwa sawasawa; msiche uso wa mtu awaye yote; kwa kuwa hukumu ni ya Mungu; na lile neno liwashindalo mniletee mimi, nami nitalisikiza.
Show no partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. And bring to me any case too difficult for you, and I will hear it.”
18
Nikawaamuru wakati huo mambo yote yaliyowapasa ninyi kuyafanya.
And at that time I commanded you all the things you were to do.
19
Tukasafiri kutoka Horebu, tukapita katikati ya jangwa lile kubwa la kutisha mliloliona, njia ile ya kuiendea nchi ya vilima vya Waamori, kama Bwana, Mungu wetu, alivyotuamuru, tukafika Kadesh-barnea.
And just as the LORD our God had commanded us, we set out from Horeb and went toward the hill country of the Amorites, through all the vast and terrifying wilderness you have seen. When we reached Kadesh-barnea,
20
Nami nikawaambia, Mmefika nchi ya vilima ya Waamori, anayotupa sisi Bwana, Mungu wetu.
I said: “You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the LORD our God is giving us.
21
Tazama, Bwana, Mungu wako, ameiweka nchi mbele yako; haya panda, itamalaki, kama Bwana, Mungu wa baba zako, alivyokuambia; usiogope wala usifadhaike.
See, the LORD your God has placed the land before you. Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has told you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”
22
Nanyi mkanikaribia kila mmoja wenu, mkasema, Na tupeleke watu mbele yetu, ili watupelelezee nchi na kutuletea habari za njia itupasayo kuipandia, na za miji tutakayoifikia.
Then all of you approached me and said, “Let us send men ahead of us to search out the land and bring us word of what route to follow and which cities to enter.”
23
Neno hili likanipendeza sana; nikatwaa watu kumi na wawili, mtu mmoja wa kila kabila.
The plan seemed good to me, so I selected twelve men from among you, one from each tribe.
24
Nao wakageuka, wakapanda mlimani wakafika bonde la Eshkoli, wakalipeleleza.
They left and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshcol and spied out the land.
25
Wakatwaa baadhi ya matunda ya nchi ile mikononi mwao, wakatuletea huku chini, wakatuletea habari tena, wakasema, Nchi hii anayotupa Bwana, Mungu wetu, ni nchi njema.
They took some of the fruit of the land in their hands, carried it down to us, and brought us word: “It is a good land that the LORD our God is giving us.”
26
Lakini hamkukubali kukwea huko, mlihalifu neno la Bwana, Mungu wenu;
But you were unwilling to go up; you rebelled against the command of the LORD your God.
27
mkanung'unika hemani mwenu, mkasema, Ni kwa sababu Bwana ametuchukia, ndipo akatutoa katika nchi ya Misri, apate kututia katika mikono ya Waamori, ili kutuangamiza.
You grumbled in your tents and said, “Because the LORD hates us, He has brought us out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to be annihilated.
28
Twakwea kwenda wapi? Ndugu zetu wameiyeyusha mioyo yetu, wakituambia, Wale watu ni wengi, ni warefu kuliko sisi; miji nayo ni mikubwa, imejengewa kuta hata mbinguni; na zaidi ya hayo huko tumewaona Waanaki.
Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying: ‘The people are larger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the heavens. We even saw the descendants of the Anakim there.’”
29
Ndipo nikawaambieni, Msifanye hofu, wala msiwache.
So I said to you: “Do not be terrified or afraid of them!
30
Bwana, Mungu wenu, anayetangulia mbele yenu, ndiye atakayewapigania, kwa mfano wa yote aliyowafanyia huko Misri mbele ya macho yenu;
The LORD your God, who goes before you, will fight for you, just as you saw Him do for you in Egypt
31
na huko jangwani, ulipoona alivyokuchukua Bwana, Mungu wako, kama mtu amchukuavyo mwanawe, njia yote mliyoiendea, hata mkafikilia mahali hapa.
and in the wilderness, where the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way by which you traveled until you reached this place.”
32
Lakini katika jambo hili hamkumwamini Bwana, Mungu wenu,
But in spite of all this, you did not trust the LORD your God,
33
aliyewatangulia njiani, usiku kwa moto, kuwaonyesha njia mtakayoiendea, na mchana kwa hilo wingu, ili apate kuwatafutia mahali pa kusimamisha hema zenu.
who went before you on the journey, in the fire by night and in the cloud by day, to seek out a place for you to camp and to show you the road to travel.
34
Bwana akaisikia sauti ya maneno yenu, akaghadhibika, akaapa, akasema,
When the LORD heard your words, He grew angry and swore an oath, saying,
35
Hakika yangu hapana mmoja miongoni mwa watu hawa wa kizazi hiki kibaya atakayeiona nchi hiyo nzuri, niliyowaapia baba zenu kuwapa,
“Not one of the men of this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your fathers,
36
isipokuwa Kalebu mwana wa Yefune, huyo ataiona; nami nitampa yeye na watoto wake nchi hiyo aliyoikanyaga; kwa kuwa amemfuata Bwana kwa kila neno.
except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land on which he has set foot, because he followed the LORD wholeheartedly.”
37
Na Bwana alinikasirikia mimi kwa ajili yenu, akasema, Wala wewe hutaingia humo;
The LORD was also angry with me on your account, and He said, “Not even you shall enter the land.
38
Yoshua mwana wa Nuni asimamaye mbele yako ndiye atakayeingia; mtie moyo; kwa kuwa yeye atawarithisha Israeli.
Joshua son of Nun, who stands before you, will enter it. Encourage him, for he will enable Israel to inherit the land.
39
Tena, wadogo wenu, mliosema watakuwa mateka, na wana wenu, wasiokuwa leo na maarifa ya mabaya wala mema, ndio watakaoingia, nao ndio nitakaowapa, nao wataimiliki.
And the little ones you said would become captives—your children who on that day did not know good from evil—will enter the land that I will give them, and they will possess it.
40
Na ninyi basi geukeni, mshike safari yenu, mwende jangwani kwa njia ya Bahari ya Shamu.
But you are to turn back and head for the wilderness along the route to the Red Sea.”
41
Ndipo mkanijibu, mkaniambia, Sisi tumefanya dhambi juu ya Bwana, tutakwea kupigana kwa mfano wa yote tuliyoamriwa na Bwana. Mkajifunga kila mtu silaha zake za vita, mkafanya wepesi kukwea mlimani.
“We have sinned against the LORD,” you replied. “We will go up and fight, as the LORD our God has commanded us.” Then each of you put on his weapons of war, thinking it easy to go up into the hill country.
42
Bwana akaniambia, Uwaambie, Msiende, wala msipigane; kwani mimi si kati yenu; msije mkapigwa mbele ya adui zenu.
But the LORD said to me, “Tell them not to go up and fight, for I am not with you to keep you from defeat by your enemies.”
43
Basi niliwaambia, msinisikize, bali mliasi amri ya Bwana, mkajikinai, na kukwea mlimani.
So I spoke to you, but you would not listen. You rebelled against the command of the LORD and presumptuously went up into the hill country.
44
Na Waamori waliokuwa wakikaa katika mlima huo, waliwatokea juu yenu, wakawafukuza, kama wafukuzwao na nyuki, wakawapomoshea Seiri mpaka Horma.
Then the Amorites who lived in the hills came out against you and chased you like a swarm of bees. They routed you from Seir all the way to Hormah.
45
Mkarudi mkalia mbele za Bwana; Bwana asiisikize sauti yenu, wala hakuelekeza masikio yake kwenu.
And you returned and wept before the LORD, but He would not listen to your voice or give ear to you.
46
Ndipo mkakaa Kadeshi siku nyingi, kwa kadiri ya hizo siku mlizokaa.
For this reason you stayed in Kadesh for a long time—a very long time.