Joshua 24
1 [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.
Tsono Yoswa anasonkhanitsa mafuko onse a Israeli ku Sekemu. Iye anayitanitsa akuluakulu, atsogoleri, oweruza, ndi akuluakulu a boma la Israeli, ndipo iwo anafika pamaso pa Mulungu.
2 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.
Yoswa anati kwa anthu onse, “Yehova Mulungu wa Israeli akuti, ‘Kalekale makolo anu, kuphatikiza Tera, abambo a Abrahamu ndi Nahori ankakhala kutsidya kwa Mtsinje ndipo ankapembedza milungu ina.
3 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.
Koma ine ndinatenga kholo lanu Abrahamu kumuchotsa ku dziko la kutsidya kwa mtsinje wa Yufurate ndipo ndinamutsogolera kupita ku dziko la Kanaani. Ndinamupatsa zidzukulu zambiri. Ndinamupatsa Isake,
4 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.
ndipo Isake ndinamupatsa Yakobo ndi Esau. Ndinapereka dziko la mapiri la Seiri kwa Esau, koma Yakobo ndi ana ake anapita ku Igupto.
5 “[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.
“‘Kenaka ndinatuma Mose ndi Aaroni, ndipo ine ndinazunza Aigupto. Pambuyo pake ndinakutulutsani.
6 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.
Nditatulutsa makolo anu ku Igupto ndinafika nawo ku Nyanja Yofiira. Aigupto anawathamangira ndi magaleta ndi okwera pa akavalo mpaka ku Nyanja Yofiira.
7 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.
Tsono makolo anuwo anapemphera kwa Ine kuti ndiwathandize, ndipo ndinayika mtambo wakuda pakati pawo ndi Aiguptowo, ndipo Nyanja inamiza Aigupto aja. Inu munaona ndi maso anu zimene ndinachita kwa Aiguptowo ndipo inu munakhala mʼchipululu nthawi yayitali.
8 “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].
“‘Pambuyo pake Ine ndinabwera nanu ku dziko la Aamori amene amakhala kummawa kwa Yorodani. Iwo anamenyana nanu koma ndinawapereka mʼdzanja lanu. Ndinawawononga pamaso panu, ndipo inu munalanda dziko lawo.
9 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.
Balaki mwana wa Zipori, mfumu ya Mowabu, analimbana ndi Israeli. Iye anayitanitsa Balaamu mwana wa Beori kuti akutemberereni.
10 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].
Koma ine sindinamvere Balaamu, kotero iye anakudalitsani mowirikiza ndipo ndinakulanditsani mʼdzanja lake.
11 “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.
“‘Ndipo inu munawoloka Yorodani ndi kufika ku Yeriko. Anthu a ku Yeriko analimbana nanu pamodzi ndi Aamori, Aperezi, Akanaani, Ahiti, Agirigasi, Ahivi ndi Ayebusi. Koma Ine ndinawapereka mʼdzanja lanu.
12 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].
Ine ndinatumiza mavu amene anapirikitsa mafumu awiri Aamori aja pamaso panu. Inu simunachite izi ndi lupanga ndi uta wanu.
13 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.’”
Motero ndinakupatsani dziko limene simunalivutikire ndiponso mizinda imene simunamange. Inu mukukhala mʼmenemo ndi kumadya zipatso za mʼmunda wamphesa ndi kuthyola zipatso mʼmitengo ya olivi zimene simunadzale.’
14 [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.
“Ndipo tsopano wopani Yehova ndi kumutumikira Iye mokhulupirika ndi moona. Chotsani milungu imene makolo anu ankapembedza kutsidya kwa mtsinje wa Yufurate ndi ku Igupto ndipo tumikirani Yehova.
15 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!”
Koma ngati kutumikira Yehova kukuyipirani, sankhani lero amene mudzamutumikire, kapena milungu imene makolo anu ankayitumikira kutsidya kwa mtsinje wa Yufurate, kapena milungu ya Aamori, amene mukukhala mʼdziko lawo. Koma ine ndi banja langa, tidzatumikira Yehova.”
16 The Israeli people answered, “We will never quit [serving/worshiping] Yahweh! We would never [think of] [IDM] serving/worshiping other gods!
Ndipo anthu anayankha, “Sizingatheke kuti timusiye Yehova ndi kutumikira milungu ina!
17 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.
Yehova Mulungu wathu ndiye amene anatitulutsa ife ndi makolo athu mu ukapolo, mʼdziko la Igupto. Tinaona ndi maso athu zizindikiro zozizwitsa zimene anachita. Iye anatiteteza pa ulendo wathu wonse ndi pakati pa mitundu yonse imene tinkakumana nayo.
18 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.”
Ife tikufika Iye anapirikitsa anthu onse pamodzi ndi Aamori amene ankakhala mʼdzikoli. Ifenso tidzatumikira Yehova chifukwa Iye ndiye Mulungu.”
19 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].
Koma Yoswa anati kwa anthuwo, “Inutu simungathe kutumikira Yehova. Iye ndi Mulungu woyera, salola kupikisana naye. Sadzakukhululukirani ngati mumuwukira ndi kumuchimwira.
20 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!”
Ngati inu musiya Yehova ndi kutumikira milungu yachilendo, adzakufulatirani. Iye adzakulangani ndi kukuwonongani ngakhale kuti poyamba anakuchitirani zabwino.”
21 But the people replied to Joshua, “No, [we will not turn away from worshiping/serving Yahweh] We will serve/worship Yahweh!”
Koma anthuwo anati kwa Yoswa, “Ayi! Ife tidzatumikira Yehova.”
22 Then Joshua said, “You yourselves are saying that you have decided to serve/worship Yahweh.” They replied, “Yes, we are saying that.”
Kenaka Yoswa anati, “Inu mukudzichitira nokha umboni kuti mwasankha kutumikira Yehova.” Iwo anayankha kuti, “Inde ife ndife mboni.”
23 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].”
Yoswa anati, “Tsono chotsani milungu yachilendo imene ili pakati panu ndipo perekani mitima yanu kwa Yehova Mulungu wa Israeli.”
24 The people replied, “We will serve/worship Yahweh, our God, and obey him.”
Ndipo anthuwo anati kwa Yoswa, “Ife tidzatumikira Yehova Mulungu wathu ndi kumvera Iye.”
25 That day, Joshua established an agreement between the people and Yahweh. He wrote for them all the laws that they were required to obey.
Choncho pa tsiku limenelo Yoswa anachita pangano mʼmalo mwa anthuwo, ndipo pa Sekemu pomwepo iye anapereka malamulo ndi malangizo kwa anthu aja.
26 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.
Ndipo Yoswa analemba zinthu izi mʼbuku la malamulo a Mulungu. Kenaka iye anatenga mwala waukulu nawuyimika pansi pa mtengo wa thundu pa malo wopatulika a Yehova.
27 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!”
Yoswa anati kwa anthu onse, “Tamvani! Mwala uwu udzakhala mboni yotitsutsa. Mwalawu wamva mawu onse amene Yehova wayankhula kwa ife. Udzakhala mboni yotitsutsa ngati mukhala osakhulupirika kwa Mulungu wanu.”
28 Then Joshua sent the people away, and all of them returned to their own areas/homes.
Kenaka Yoswa analola anthu kuti apite, aliyense ku dera lake.
29 Some time after that, Nun’s son Joshua, the faithful servant of Yahweh, died. He was 110 years old when he died.
Zitatha zinthu izi, Yoswa mwana wa Nuni, mtumiki wa Yehova, anamwalira ali ndi zaka 110,
30 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.
ndipo anamuyika mʼmanda mʼdziko lake, ku Timnati-Sera dziko lamapiri la ku Efereimu, kumpoto kwa phiri la Gaasi.
31 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.
Israeli anatumikira Yehova pa nthawi yonse imene Yoswa anali ndi moyo ndiponso pa nthawi ya akuluakulu amene anali moyo Yoswa atamwalira, anthu amene ankadziwa zonse zimene Yehova anachitira Israeli.
32 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.
Ndipo mafupa a Yosefe amene Aisraeli anawatulutsa ku Igupto anawayika mʼmanda a ku Sekemu pa malo amene Yakobo anagula ndi ndalama zasiliva 100 kwa ana a Hamori, abambo a Sekemu. Malo awa anakhala cholowa cha adzukulu a Yosefe.
33 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.
Ndipo Eliezara mwana wa Aaroni anamwalira ndipo anayikidwa mʼmanda ku Gibeya, malo amene anapatsidwa kwa Finehasi mwana wake, mʼdziko lamapiri la Efereimu.
