Apuei Fam Mmusuakuw No San Ba Fie
1Afei, Yosua frɛɛ Ruben ne Gad mmusuakuw ne Manase abusuakuw fa no nyinaa. 2Ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Moayɛ sɛnea Mose, Awurade somfo hyɛɛ mo sɛ monyɛ no na moadi ɔhyɛ asɛm biara a mehyɛ maa mo no so. 3Ɛwɔ 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. 4Na 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. 5Monhwɛ 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.”
6Na Yosua hyiraa wɔn, gyaa wɔn kwan ma wɔkɔɔ fie. 7Mose 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, 8kae 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.”
9Enti 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.
10Wɔda 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. 11Israelfo a wɔaka no tee sɛ wɔasi afɔremuka wɔ Gelilot wɔ Asubɔnten Yordan atɔe fam, wɔ Kanaan asase so no, 12wɔn nyinaa boaa wɔn ho ano wɔ Silo, siesiee wɔn ho sɛ wɔrekɔko atia wɔn nuanom.
13Nea 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. 14Nnipa 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.
15Na woduu Gilead asase so no, wɔka kyerɛɛ Rubenfo, Gadfo ne Manase abusuakuw fa no se, 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? 17Bɔne 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. 18Nanso nnɛ yi, moretwe mo ho afi Awurade ho, sɛ morenni nʼakyi.
“Sɛ mosɔre tia Awurade nnɛ a, ɔkyena ne bo befuw yɛn nyinaa. 19Sɛ 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. 20Bere 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.”
21Rubenfo, Gadfo ne Manase abusuakuw fa no buaa mpanyimfo no se, 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, 23yensii 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.
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? 25Awurade 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.
26“Ɛno nti yɛyɛɛ yɛn adwene sɛ yebesi afɔremuka, na ɛnyɛ sɛ yɛbɛbɔ ɔhyew afɔre wɔ so, 27na 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.’
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.’
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.”
30Ɔsɔfo Pinehas ne mpanyimfo du no tee nsɛm yi fii Ruben ne Gad mmusuakuw ne Manase abusuakuw fa hɔ no, wɔn bo tɔɔ wɔn yam. 31Ɔsɔfo 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.”
32Afei, 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. 33Na Israelfo no nyinaa bo tɔɔ wɔn yam, woyii Onyankopɔn ayɛ na wɔanka ɔko a wɔbɛko atia Ruben ne Gad ho asɛm bio.
34Na Rubenfo ne Gadfo too afɔremuka no din sɛ “Ɔdanseni,” ɔyɛ ɔdanseni wɔ yɛne wɔn ntam sɛ Awurade yɛ yɛn nso Nyankopɔn.
The Eastern Tribes Return Home
1Joshua sent for the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh. 2He said to them, “You have done everything that Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded. You have also obeyed everything I commanded. 3For a long time now you haven’t deserted the other Israelites. Instead, you have done what the Lord your God sent you to do. You have obeyed him right up to this day. 4Now the Lord your God has given the other tribes peace and rest. That’s what he promised to do. So return to your homes. They are in the land that Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave you. It’s on the east side of the Jordan River. 5Be very careful to obey the law that Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave you. He commanded you to love the Lord your God. He told you to live exactly as the Lord wants you to. He told you to obey the Lord’s commands. He told you to remain faithful to the Lord. And he told you to serve the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul.”
6Joshua gave the eastern tribes his blessing. Then he sent them home. So they went. 7Moses had given land in Bashan to half of the tribe of Manasseh. Joshua had given land to the other half of the tribe. He had given it to them along with the other tribes on the west side of the Jordan River. When Joshua sent them home, he blessed them. 8He said, “Return to your homes. Take your great wealth with you. Return with your large herds of livestock. Take your silver, gold, bronze and iron with you. Return with all the extra clothes you acquired. Divide up the things you have taken from your enemies. Share them with your people.”
9So the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh went home. They left the other Israelites at Shiloh in Canaan. They returned to Gilead. That was their own land. They had acquired it according to the Lord’s command through Moses.
10The tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh came to Geliloth. It was near the Jordan River in the land of Canaan. They built a large altar there by the Jordan. 11The rest of the Israelites heard that the eastern tribes had built the altar. They heard that it had been built on the border of Canaan at Geliloth. It was near the Jordan River on the west side. 12So the whole community of Israel gathered together at Shiloh. They decided to go to war against the eastern tribes.
13The Israelites sent Phinehas the priest to the land of Gilead. Phinehas was the son of Eleazar. They sent him to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh. 14They sent ten of their leaders with him. There was one from each of the tribes of Israel. Each man was the leader of a family group among the larger family groups of Israel.
15Those leaders went to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh. Those tribes were in the land of Gilead. The leaders said to them, 16“We’re speaking for the Lord’s whole community. How could you disobey the God of Israel like this? How could you turn away from the Lord? How could you disobey him by building an altar for yourselves? 17Don’t you remember how we sinned at Peor? The Lord struck us with a plague because of what we did. Up to this day we’re still suffering because of that sin. 18Are you turning away from the Lord now?
“Suppose you disobey the Lord today. If you do, he’ll be angry with the whole community of Israel tomorrow. 19If your own land is ‘unclean,’ come over to the Lord’s land. It’s where his holy tent stands. Share our land with us. But don’t disobey the Lord. Don’t turn against us by building an altar for yourselves. Don’t build any altar other than the altar of the Lord our God. 20Remember what happened to Achan, the son of Zerah. Achan wasn’t faithful to the Lord. He took the things that had been set apart to the Lord in a special way to be destroyed. Didn’t the whole community of Israel experience the Lord’s anger? Achan wasn’t the only one who died because of his sin.”
21Then the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh replied. They answered the leaders of the family groups of Israel. 22They said, “The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows! And we want Israel to know! Have we opposed the Lord? Have we refused to obey him? If we have, don’t spare us today. 23Have we built our own altar so we can turn away from the Lord? Have we built it to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings on it? Have we built it to sacrifice friendship offerings on it? If we have, may the Lord himself hold us accountable.
24“No! We built it because we were afraid. Someday your children might speak to our children. We were afraid they might say, ‘What do you have to do with the Lord? What do you have to do with the God of Israel? 25The Lord has made the Jordan River a border between us and you. You people of Reuben! You people of Gad! You don’t have anything to do with the Lord.’ If your children say that, they might cause our children to stop worshiping the Lord.
26“That’s why we said to ourselves, ‘Let’s get ready and build an altar. But let’s not build it to offer burnt offerings or sacrifices on it.’ 27So just the opposite is true. The altar will be a witness between us and you. It will be a witness between our children and yours after us. It will also be a witness that we will worship the Lord at his sacred tent. We’ll worship him there with our burnt offerings, sacrifices and friendship offerings. Then in days to come your children won’t be able to say to ours, ‘You don’t have anything to do with the Lord.’
28“So we said to ourselves, ‘Suppose they say that to us sometime. Or suppose they say it to our children after us. Then we’ll answer, “Look at this altar. It’s exactly like the Lord’s altar. Our people built it. They didn’t build it to offer burnt offerings and sacrifices on it. Instead, they built it to be a witness between us and you.” ’
29“We would never refuse to obey the Lord. We would never turn away from him now. We wouldn’t build an altar to offer burnt offerings, grain offerings and sacrifices on it. We wouldn’t use any altar other than the altar of the Lord our God. That altar stands in front of his holy tent.”
30Phinehas the priest heard what the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh had to say. The leaders of the family groups of the community of Israel heard it too. All of them were pleased with what they heard. 31Phinehas the priest spoke to the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh. Phinehas was the son of Eleazar. He said, “Today we know that the Lord is with us. That’s because you have been faithful to him in this matter. Now you have saved the Israelites from the Lord’s anger against them.”
32Then Phinehas the priest, the son of Eleazar, returned to Canaan. So did the leaders. All of them went back from their meeting with the tribes of Reuben and Gad in Gilead. They brought a report back to the Israelites. 33The people were glad to hear the report. They praised God. They didn’t talk anymore about going to war against the eastern tribes. And they didn’t talk anymore about destroying the country where the tribes of Reuben and Gad lived.
34The tribes of Reuben and Gad gave the altar a name. They called it A Witness Between Us that the Lord is God.
