Joshua Becomes Israel’s Leader
1Moses, the servant of the Lord, died. After that, the Lord spoke to Joshua, the son of Nun. Joshua was Moses’ helper. The Lord said to Joshua, 2“My servant Moses is dead. Now then, I want you and all these people to get ready to go across the Jordan River. I want all of you to go into the land I am about to give to the Israelites. 3I will give all of you every place you walk on, just as I promised Moses. 4Your territory will reach from the Negev Desert all the way to Lebanon. The great Euphrates River will be to the east. The Mediterranean Sea will be to the west. Your territory will include all the Hittite country. 5Joshua, no one will be able to oppose you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will never leave you. I will never desert you. 6Be strong and brave. You will lead these people. They will take the land as their very own. It is the land I promised to give their people of long ago.
7“Be strong and very brave. Make sure you obey the whole law my servant Moses gave you. Do not turn away from it to the right or the left. Then you will have success everywhere you go. 8Never stop reading this Book of the Law. Day and night you must think about what it says. Make sure you do everything written in it. Then things will go well with you. And you will have great success. 9Here is what I am commanding you to do. Be strong and brave. Do not be afraid. Do not lose hope. I am the Lord your God. I will be with you everywhere you go.”
10So Joshua gave orders to the officers of the people. He said, 11“Go through the camp. Tell the people, ‘Get your supplies ready. Three days from now you will go across the Jordan River right here. You will go in and take over the land. The Lord your God is giving it to you as your very own.’ ”
12Joshua also spoke to the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh. He said to them, 13“Remember what Moses, the servant of the Lord, commanded you. He said, ‘The Lord your God is giving you this land. It’s a place where you can make your homes and live in peace and rest.’ 14Your wives, children and livestock can stay here east of the Jordan River. Moses gave you this land. But all your fighting men must get ready for battle. They must go across ahead of the other tribes. You must help them 15until the Lord gives them rest. In the same way, he has already given you rest. You must help them until they also have taken over their land. It’s the land the Lord your God is giving them. After that, you can come back here. Then you can live in your own land. It’s the land that Moses, the servant of the Lord, gave you east of the Jordan River. It’s toward the sunrise.”
16Then the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half of the tribe of Manasseh answered Joshua. They said, “We’ll do what you have commanded us to do. We’ll go where you send us. 17We obeyed Moses completely. And we’ll obey you just as completely. But may the Lord your God be with you, just as he was with Moses. 18Suppose people question your authority. And suppose they refuse to obey anything you command them to do. Then they will be put to death. Just be strong and brave!”
Yehova Asankha Yoswa Kukhala Mtsogoleri
1Atamwalira Mose mtumiki wa Mulungu, Yehova anati kwa Yoswa mwana wa Nuni mthandizi wa Mose: 2“Mose mtumiki wanga wamwalira. Ndipo iwe ndi anthu onsewa, tsopano konzekani kuwoloka mtsinje wa Yorodani kupita ku dziko limene ndiwapatse Aisraeli onse. 3Paliponse pamene phazi lanu liponde, ndikupatsani monga momwe ndinalonjezera Mose. 4Dziko lanu lidzayambira ku chipululu kummwera mpaka ku mapiri a Lebanoni kumpoto, kuchokeranso ku mtsinje waukulu wa Yufurate kummawa, mpaka dziko lonse la Ahiti, kukafika ku Nyanja Yayikulu ya kumadzulo. 5Palibe munthu amene adzatha kukugonjetsa masiku onse a moyo wako. Monga Ine ndinakhalira ndi Mose, chomwechonso ndidzakhala nawe. Sindidzakusiya kapena kukataya.
6“Ukhale wamphamvu ndi wolimba mtima, chifukwa iwe udzatsogolera anthu awa kukalandira dziko limene Ine ndinalonjeza makolo awo kuti ndidzawapatsa. 7Ukhale wamphamvu ndi wolimba mtima kwambiri. Usamale ndithu kuti umvere malamulo onse amene mtumiki wanga Mose anakupatsa. Usachoke pa malamulo anga ndipo kulikonse kumene udzapite udzapambana. 8Uziwerenga Buku la Malamuloli, uzilingalira zolembedwa mʼmenemo usana ndi usiku, kuti uchite zonse zimene zinalembedwamo. Ukamatero udzapeza bwino ndi kupambana. 9Paja ndinakulamula kuti ukhale wamphamvu ndi wolimba mtima. Choncho usamachite mantha kapena kutaya mtima popeza Ine Yehova Mulungu wako ndidzakhala nawe kulikonse kumene udzapite.”
10Tsono Yoswa analamula atsogoleri a Aisraeli nawawuza kuti, 11“Pitani ku misasa yonse ndipo muwuze anthu kuti, ‘Konzekani, mangani katundu wanu, popeza pakapita masiku atatu kuyambira lero mudzawoloka Yorodani kupita kukatenga dziko limene Yehova Mulungu wanu akukupatsani.’ ”
12Koma Yoswa anawuza fuko la Rubeni, fuko la Gadi ndi theka la fuko la Manase kuti, 13“Kumbukirani zimene Mose mtumiki wa Yehova anakulamulani kuti, ‘Yehova Mulungu wanu akukupatsani mpumulo, ndi dziko ili kuti likhale lanu.’ 14Tsono akazi anu, ana anu ndi ziweto zanu zitsale mʼdziko lino limene Mose anakupatsani kummawa kwa Yorodani. Koma ankhondo anu okha ndiwo awoloke atatenga zida zawo ndi kupita patsogolo pa abale anu kukawathandiza. 15Abale anuwo akadzalandira dziko limene Yehova Mulungu wanu akuwapatsa monga inu mwachitira, inu mudzabwerera kudzakhazikika mʼdziko lanu limene Mose mtumiki wa Yehova anakupatsani tsidya la kummawa kwa Yorodani.”
16Kenaka iwo anayankha Yoswa kuti, “Ife tidzachita chilichonse chimene mwatilamula, ndipo kulikonse kumene mudzatitume tidzapita. 17Monga momwe tinamvera Mose kwathunthu, chomwechonso tidzakumvera iwe. Yehova Mulungu wanu akhale nanu monga momwe anachitira ndi Mose. 18Aliyense wotsutsana ndi inu kapena wosamvera zimene mutilamula adzaphedwa. Inu mukhale wamphamvu ndi wolimba mtima!”
