1
Yoshua akawakusanya kabila zote za Israeli huko Shekemu, akawaita wazee wa Israeli, na wakuu wao, na waamuzi wao, na maakida wao nao wakahudhuria mbele za Mungu.
Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges, and officers of Israel, and they presented themselves before God.
2
Yoshua akawaambia watu wote, Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, asema hivi, Baba zenu hapo zamani walikaa ng'ambo ya Mto, maana Tera, baba yake Ibrahimu, naye ni baba yake Nahori; wakaitumikia miungu mingine.
And Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your fathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates and worshiped other gods.
3
Nami nikamtwaa Ibrahimu baba yenu toka ng'ambo ya Mto, nikamwongoza katika nchi yote ya Kanaani; nikaongeza uzao wake, nikampa Isaka.
But I took your father Abraham from beyond the Euphrates and led him through all the land of Canaan, and I multiplied his descendants. I gave him Isaac,
4
Kisha nikampa huyo Isaka, Yakobo na Esau; nami nikampa Esau mlima Seiri aumiliki; Yakobo na watoto wake wakashuka Misri.
and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I gave Esau Mount Seir to possess, but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt.
5
Kisha nikawatuma Musa na Haruni nikaipiga nchi ya Misri, kwa hayo yote niliyoyatenda kati yake; hatimaye nikawatoa ninyi.
Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and afterward I brought you out.
6
Nikawatoa baba zenu watoke Misri; nanyi mkaifikilia bahari; Wamisri wakawafuatia baba zenu kwa magari na wapanda farasi mpaka bahari ya Shamu.
When I brought your fathers out of Egypt and you reached the Red Sea, the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea.
7
Nao walipomlilia Bwana, akaweka giza kati ya ninyi na Wamisri, akaileta bahari juu yao, akawafunikiza; nayo macho yenu yaliyaona mambo niliyoyatenda huko Misri; kisha mkakaa jangwani siku nyingi.
So your fathers cried out to the LORD, and He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, over whom He brought the sea and engulfed them. Your very eyes saw what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.
8
Kisha nikawaleta na kuwaingiza katika nchi ya Waamori waliokaa ng'ambo ya pili ya Yordani; nao wakapigana nanyi; nikawatia mikononi mwenu, mkaimiliki nchi yao; nami nikawaangamiza mbele yenu.
Later, I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived beyond the Jordan. They fought against you, but I delivered them into your hand, that you should possess their land when I destroyed them before you.
9
Ndipo Balaki, mwana wa Sipori, mfalme wa Moabu, akainuka, akapigana na Israeli; tena akatuma watu akamwita Balaamu, mwana wa Beori, aje awalaani;
Then Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, set out to fight against Israel. He sent for Balaam son of Beor to curse you,
10
lakini sikukubali kumsikiliza Balaamu; kwa hiyo akafuliza kuwabarikia ninyi; basi nikawatoa katika mkono wake.
but I would not listen to Balaam. So he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you from his hand.
11
Nanyi mliuvuka Yordani, mkafika Yeriko; nao watu wa Yeriko wakapigana nanyi, Mwamori, na Mperizi, na Mkanaani, na Mhiti, na Mgirgashi, na Mhivi, na Myebusi; nami nikawatia mikononi mwenu.
After this, you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The people of Jericho fought against you, as did the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I delivered them into your hand.
12
Nikatuma mavu mbele yenu, waliowafukuza mbele yenu hao wafalme wawili wa Waamori, si kwa upanga wako, wala kwa upinde wako.
I sent the hornet ahead of you, and it drove out the two Amorite kings before you, but not by your own sword or bow.
13
Nami nimewapa ninyi nchi msiyoitendea kazi, na miji msiyoijenga, nanyi mmekaa humo; mnakula matunda ya mashamba ya mizabibu na mizeituni msiyoipanda.
So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities that you did not build, and now you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’
14
Basi sasa mcheni Bwana, mkamtumikie kwa unyofu wa moyo na kwa kweli; na kuiweka mbali miungu ambayo baba zenu waliitumikia ng'ambo ya Mto, na huko Misri; mkamtumikie yeye Bwana.
Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; cast aside the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve the LORD.
15
Nanyi kama mkiona ni vibaya kumtumikia Bwana, chagueni hivi leo mtakayemtumikia; kwamba ni miungu ile ambayo baba zenu waliitumikia ng'ambo ya Mto, au kwamba ni miungu ya wale Waamori ambao mnakaa katika nchi yao; lakini mimi na nyumba yangu tutamtumikia Bwana.
But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”
16
Hao watu wakajibu wakasema, Hasha! Tusimwache Bwana, ili kuitumikia miungu mingine;
The people replied, “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods!
17
kwa maana Bwana, Mungu wetu, yeye ndiye aliyetupandisha sisi na baba zetu kutoka nchi ya Misri; kutoka nyumba ya utumwa; naye ndiye aliyezifanya ishara zile kubwa mbele ya macho yetu, na kutulinda katika njia ile yote tuliyoiendea, na kati ya watu wa mataifa yote tuliopita katikati yao.
For the LORD our God brought us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and performed these great signs before our eyes. He also protected us throughout our journey and among all the nations through which we traveled.
18
Bwana ndiye aliyewafukuza watu wa mataifa yote watoke mbele yetu, naam, Waamori waliokaa katika nchi hii; basi, kwa sababu hiyo sisi nasi tutamtumikia Bwana, maana yeye ndiye Mungu wetu.
And the LORD drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites who lived in the land. We too will serve the LORD, because He is our God!”
19
Yoshua akawaambia watu, Hamwezi kumtumikia Bwana; kwa kuwa yeye ni Mungu mtakatifu; yeye ni Mungu mwenye wivu; hatawasamehe makosa yenu, wala dhambi zenu.
But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God; He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your rebellion or your sins.
20
Kama mkimwacha Bwana na kuitumikia miungu migeni, ndipo atageuka na kuwatenda mabaya na kuwaangamiza, baada ya kuwatendea mema.
If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, He will turn and bring disaster on you and consume you, even after He has been good to you.”
21
Lakini hao watu wakamwambia Yoshua, La! Lakini tutamtumikia Bwana.
“No!” replied the people. “We will serve the LORD!”
22
Yoshua akawaambia watu, Ninyi mmekuwa mashahidi juu ya nafsi zenu, ya kuwa mmemchagua Bwana, ili kumtumikia yeye. Wakasema, Sisi tu mashahidi.
Then Joshua told them, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD.” “We are witnesses!” they said.
23
Akasema, Basi sasa, iondoeni miungu migeni iliyo kati yenu, mkaielekeze mioyo yenu kwa Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli.
“Now, therefore,” he said, “get rid of the foreign gods among you and incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.”
24
Ndipo hao watu wakamwambia Yoshua, Bwana, Mungu wetu, ndiye tutakayemtumikia; na sauti yake ndiyo tutakayoitii.
So the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God and obey His voice.”
25
Basi Yoshua akafanya agano na wale watu siku ile, akawapa amri na agizo huko Shekemu.
On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he established for them a statute and ordinance.
26
Yoshua akayaandika maneno haya katika kitabu cha torati ya Mungu; kisha akatwaa jiwe kubwa, akalisimamisha huko, chini ya ule mwaloni uliokuwa karibu na patakatifu pa Bwana.
Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was near the sanctuary of the LORD.
27
Yoshua akawaambia watu wote, Tazama, jiwe hili litakuwa shahidi juu yetu; kwa maana limesikia maneno yote ya Bwana aliyotuambia, basi litakuwa shahidi juu yenu, msije mkamkana Mungu wenu.
And Joshua said to all the people, “You see this stone. It will be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words the LORD has spoken to us, and it will be a witness against you if you ever deny your God.”
28
Basi Yoshua akawaruhusu watu, wakaenda zao, kila mtu kwenye urithi wake.
Then Joshua sent the people away, each to his own inheritance.
29
Ikawa, baada ya hayo, Yoshua, mwana wa Nuni, mtumishi wa Bwana, akafa, mwenye umri wa miaka mia na kumi.
Some time later, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110.
30
Wakamzika katika mpaka wa urithi wake, huko Timnath-sera; ulio katika nchi ya vilima ya Efraimu, upande wa kaskazini wa mlima wa Gaashi.
And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath-serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
31
Nao Israeli wakamtumikia Bwana siku zote za Yoshua, na siku zote za hao wazee walioishi baada ya kufa kwake Yoshua, hao walioijua kazi yote ya Bwana, aliyowatendea Israeli.
Israel had served the LORD throughout the days of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced all the works that the LORD had done for Israel.
32
Na hiyo mifupa ya Yusufu, ambayo wana wa Israeli walikuwa wameileta kutoka Misri, wakaizika huko Shekemu katika ile sehemu ya nchi, Yakobo aliyoinunua kwa wana wa Hamori, babaye Shekemu, kwa vipande mia vya fedha; nayo ikawa ni urithi wa wana wa Yusufu.
And the bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought up out of Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the plot of land that Jacob had purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver. So it became an inheritance for Joseph’s descendants.
33
Huyo Eleazari mwana wa Haruni naye akafa; wakamzika katika kilima cha Finehasi mwanawe, ambacho alipewa yeye katika nchi ya vilima ya Efraimu.
Eleazar son of Aaron also died, and they buried him at Gibeah, which had been given to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim.