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Kukonzanso Pangano ku Sekemu

24 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.

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. 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, ndipo Isake ndinamupatsa Yakobo ndi Esau. Ndinapereka dziko la mapiri la Seiri kwa Esau, koma Yakobo ndi ana ake anapita ku Igupto.

“ ‘Kenaka ndinatuma Mose ndi Aaroni, ndipo ine ndinazunza Aigupto. Pambuyo pake ndinakutulutsani. Nditatulutsa makolo anu ku Igupto ndinafika nawo ku Nyanja Yofiira. Aigupto anawathamangira ndi magaleta ndi okwera pa akavalo mpaka ku Nyanja Yofiira. 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.

“ ‘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. Balaki mwana wa Zipori, mfumu ya Mowabu, analimbana ndi Israeli. Iye anayitanitsa Balaamu mwana wa Beori kuti akutemberereni. 10 Koma ine sindinamvere Balaamu, kotero iye anakudalitsani mowirikiza ndipo ndinakulanditsani mʼdzanja lake.

11 “ ‘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 Ine ndinatumiza mavu amene anapirikitsa mafumu awiri Aamori aja pamaso panu. Inu simunachite izi ndi lupanga ndi uta wanu. 13 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 “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 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 Ndipo anthu anayankha, “Sizingatheke kuti timusiye Yehova ndi kutumikira milungu ina! 17 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 Ife tikufika Iye anapirikitsa anthu onse pamodzi ndi Aamori amene ankakhala mʼdzikoli. Ifenso tidzatumikira Yehova chifukwa Iye ndiye Mulungu.”

19 Koma Yoswa anati kwa anthuwo, “Inutu simungathe kutumikira Yehova. Iye ndi Mulungu woyera, salola kupikisana naye. Sadzakukhululukirani ngati mumuwukira ndi kumuchimwira. 20 Ngati inu musiya Yehova ndi kutumikira milungu yachilendo, adzakufulatirani. Iye adzakulangani ndi kukuwonongani ngakhale kuti poyamba anakuchitirani zabwino.”

21 Koma anthuwo anati kwa Yoswa, “Ayi! Ife tidzatumikira Yehova.”

22 Kenaka Yoswa anati, “Inu mukudzichitira nokha umboni kuti mwasankha kutumikira Yehova.”

Iwo anayankha kuti, “Inde ife ndife mboni.”

23 Yoswa anati, “Tsono chotsani milungu yachilendo imene ili pakati panu ndipo perekani mitima yanu kwa Yehova Mulungu wa Israeli.”

24 Ndipo anthuwo anati kwa Yoswa, “Ife tidzatumikira Yehova Mulungu wathu ndi kumvera Iye.”

25 Choncho pa tsiku limenelo Yoswa anachita pangano mʼmalo mwa anthuwo, ndipo pa Sekemu pomwepo iye anapereka malamulo ndi malangizo kwa anthu aja. 26 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 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.”

Kumwalira kwa Yoswa ndi Eliezara

28 Kenaka Yoswa analola anthu kuti apite, aliyense ku dera lake.

29 Zitatha zinthu izi, Yoswa mwana wa Nuni, mtumiki wa Yehova, anamwalira ali ndi zaka 110, 30 ndipo anamuyika mʼmanda mʼdziko lake, ku Timnati-Sera dziko lamapiri la ku Efereimu, kumpoto kwa phiri la Gaasi.

31 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 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 Ndipo Eliezara mwana wa Aaroni anamwalira ndipo anayikidwa mʼmanda ku Gibeya, malo amene anapatsidwa kwa Finehasi mwana wake, mʼdziko lamapiri la Efereimu.

The Covenant Renewed at Shechem

24 Then Joshua assembled(A) all the tribes of Israel at Shechem.(B) He summoned(C) the elders,(D) leaders, judges and officials of Israel,(E) and they presented themselves before God.

Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor,(F) lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods.(G) But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout Canaan(H) and gave him many descendants.(I) I gave him Isaac,(J) and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau.(K) I assigned the hill country of Seir(L) to Esau, but Jacob and his family went down to Egypt.(M)

“‘Then I sent Moses and Aaron,(N) and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out.(O) When I brought your people out of Egypt, you came to the sea,(P) and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen[a](Q) as far as the Red Sea.[b](R) But they cried(S) to the Lord for help, and he put darkness(T) between you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them.(U) You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians.(V) Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.(W)

“‘I brought you to the land of the Amorites(X) who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands. I destroyed them from before you, and you took possession of their land.(Y) When Balak son of Zippor,(Z) the king of Moab, prepared to fight against Israel, he sent for Balaam son of Beor(AA) to put a curse on you.(AB) 10 But I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you(AC) again and again, and I delivered you out of his hand.

11 “‘Then you crossed the Jordan(AD) and came to Jericho.(AE) The citizens of Jericho fought against you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites,(AF) Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites,(AG) but I gave them into your hands.(AH) 12 I sent the hornet(AI) ahead of you, which drove them out(AJ) before you—also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow.(AK) 13 So I gave you a land(AL) on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’(AM)

14 “Now fear the Lord(AN) and serve him with all faithfulness.(AO) Throw away the gods(AP) your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt,(AQ) and serve the Lord. 15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites,(AR) in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household,(AS) we will serve the Lord.”(AT)

16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake(AU) the Lord to serve other gods! 17 It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery,(AV) and performed those great signs(AW) before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. 18 And the Lord drove out(AX) before us all the nations,(AY) including the Amorites, who lived in the land.(AZ) We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.(BA)

19 Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God;(BB) he is a jealous God.(BC) He will not forgive(BD) your rebellion(BE) and your sins. 20 If you forsake the Lord(BF) and serve foreign gods, he will turn(BG) and bring disaster(BH) on you and make an end of you,(BI) after he has been good to you.”

21 But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord.”

22 Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses(BJ) against yourselves that you have chosen(BK) to serve the Lord.”

“Yes, we are witnesses,(BL)” they replied.

23 “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods(BM) that are among you and yield your hearts(BN) to the Lord, the God of Israel.”

24 And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.”(BO)

25 On that day Joshua made a covenant(BP) for the people, and there at Shechem(BQ) he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws.(BR) 26 And Joshua recorded(BS) these things in the Book of the Law of God.(BT) Then he took a large stone(BU) and set it up there under the oak(BV) near the holy place of the Lord.

27 “See!” he said to all the people. “This stone(BW) will be a witness(BX) against us. It has heard all the words the Lord has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue(BY) to your God.”(BZ)

28 Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to their own inheritance.(CA)

Buried in the Promised Land(CB)

29 After these things, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died(CC) at the age of a hundred and ten.(CD) 30 And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Serah[c](CE) in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.(CF)

31 Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders(CG) who outlived him and who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel.

32 And Joseph’s bones,(CH) which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt,(CI) were buried at Shechem in the tract of land(CJ) that Jacob bought for a hundred pieces of silver[d] from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. This became the inheritance of Joseph’s descendants.

33 And Eleazar son of Aaron(CK) died and was buried at Gibeah,(CL) which had been allotted to his son Phinehas(CM) in the hill country(CN) of Ephraim.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 24:6 Or charioteers
  2. Joshua 24:6 Or the Sea of Reeds
  3. Joshua 24:30 Also known as Timnath Heres (see Judges 2:9)
  4. Joshua 24:32 Hebrew hundred kesitahs; a kesitah was a unit of money of unknown weight and value.