The covenant renewed at Shechem
1Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel, and they presented themselves before God.
2Joshua 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, lived beyond the River Euphrates and worshipped other gods. 3But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout Canaan and gave him many descendants. I gave him Isaac, 4and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I assigned the hill country of Seir to Esau, but Jacob and his family went down to Egypt.
5‘ “Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out. 6When I brought your people out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen24:6 Or charioteers as far as the Red Sea.24:6 Or the Sea of Reeds 7But they cried to the Lord for help, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them. You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.
8‘ “I brought you to the land of the Amorites 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. 9When Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, prepared to fight against Israel, he sent for Balaam son of Beor to put a curse on you. 10But I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you out of his hand.
11‘ “Then you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The citizens of Jericho fought against you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites, but I gave them into your hands. 12I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove them out before you – also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow. 13So I gave you a land 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.”
14‘Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshipped beyond the River Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15But 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, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.’
16Then the people answered, ‘Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods! 17It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we travelled. 18And 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.’
19Joshua said to the people, ‘You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. 20If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.’
21But the people said to Joshua, ‘No! We will serve the Lord.’
22Then Joshua said, ‘You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord.’
‘Yes, we are witnesses,’ they replied.
23‘Now then,’ said Joshua, ‘throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.’
24And the people said to Joshua, ‘We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.’
25On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws. 26And 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 near the holy place of the Lord.
27‘See!’ he said to all the people. ‘This stone will be a witness 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 to your God.’
28Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to their own inheritance.
Buried in the promised land
29After these things, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. 30And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Serah24:30 Also known as Timnath Heres (see Judges 2:9) in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
31Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel.
32And Joseph’s bones, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the tract of land that Jacob bought for a hundred pieces of silver24:32 Hebrew hundred kesitahs; a kesitah was a unit of money of unknown weight and value. from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. This became the inheritance of Joseph’s descendants.
33And Eleazar son of Aaron died and was buried at Gibeah, which had been allotted to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim.
Kwerũhia Kĩrĩkanĩro kũu Shekemu
124:1 Kĩam 49:2; 1Sam 12:17; Josh 23:2Ningĩ Joshua agĩcookanĩrĩria mĩhĩrĩga yothe ya Isiraeli kũu Shekemu. Agĩĩta athuuri, na atongoria, na atuithania a maciira, na anene a Isiraeli, nao magĩthiĩ makĩrũgama mbere ya Ngai.
224:2 Kĩam 11:32Nake Joshua akĩĩra andũ othe atĩrĩ, “Jehova Ngai wa Isiraeli ekuuga atĩrĩ: ‘Tene mũno maithe manyu, nĩo Tera ithe wa Iburahĩmu na Nahoru, maatũũraga mũrĩmo ũrĩa ũngĩ wa Rũũĩ rwa Farati na makahooyaga ngai ingĩ. 324:3 Kĩam 12:1No nĩndarutire ithe wanyu Iburahĩmu, oime bũrũri ũcio ũrĩ mũrĩmo wa rũũĩ rũu rwa Farati, ngĩmũtongoria kũu Kaanani guothe, na ngĩmũhe njiaro nyingĩ. Nĩndamũheire Isaaka, 424:4 Kĩam 25:26; Ndar 24:18nake Isaaka ngĩmũhe Jakubu na Esaũ. Nĩndagaĩire Esaũ bũrũri ũrĩa ũrĩ irĩma wa Seiru, no Jakubu na ariũ ake magĩikũrũka magĩthiĩ Misiri.
524:5 Thaam 3:10“ ‘Ningĩ ngĩcooka ngĩtũma Musa na Harũni, na ngĩhũũra andũ a Misiri na maũndũ marĩa mothe ndeekire kũu, ngĩcooka ngĩmaruta kuo. 6Rĩrĩa ndaarutire maithe manyu kũu bũrũri wa Misiri, nĩmwakinyire iria-inĩ, nao andũ a Misiri makĩmarũmĩrĩra na ngaari cia ita, na andũ mahaicĩte mbarathi o nginya Iria Itune. 7Nao andũ a Isiraeli magĩkaĩra Jehova amateithie, nake agĩĩkĩra nduma gatagatĩ kanyu na andũ a Misiri; ningĩ agĩtũma iria rĩmakorere, akĩmathika narĩo. Nĩmweyoneire na maitho manyu ũrĩa ndeekire andũ a Misiri. Ningĩ mũgĩcooka mũgĩtũũra werũ-inĩ matukũ maingĩ.
824:8 Ndar 21:31“ ‘Ningĩ ngĩmũtwara bũrũri wa Aamori arĩa maatũũraga mwena wa irathĩro wa Rũũĩ rwa Jorodani. Nao makĩrũa na inyuĩ na niĩ ngĩmaneana moko-inĩ manyu. Nĩndamaanangire mamweherere, na inyuĩ mũkĩĩgwatĩra bũrũri wao ũgĩtuĩka wanyu. 924:9 Ndar 22:2Na rĩrĩa Balaki mũrũ wa Ziporu mũthamaki wa Moabi eeharagĩria kũrũa na Isiraeli-rĩ, nĩatũmanĩire Balamu mũrũ wa Beori nĩguo oke amũrume. 10No niĩ ndingĩathikĩrĩirie Balamu; nĩ ũndũ ũcio agĩkĩrĩrĩria kũmũrathima maita maingĩ, na niĩ ngĩmũhonokia kuuma moko-inĩ make.
1124:11 Thaam 14:29; Josh 6:1“ ‘Ningĩ mũkĩringa Rũũĩ rwa Jorodani na mũgĩkinya Jeriko. Nao andũ a Jeriko makĩrũa na inyuĩ, o ta ũrĩa Aamori, na Aperizi, na Akaanani, na Ahiti, na Agirigashi, na Ahivi, na Ajebusi o nao nĩmarũire na inyuĩ, no niĩ ngĩmaneana moko-inĩ manyu. 1224:12 Thaam 23:28; Thab 44:3, 6-7Ngĩcooka ngĩrekia magi marĩ mboora mathiĩ mbere yanyu, marĩa maamaingatire mamweherere, o hamwe na athamaki arĩa eerĩ a Aamori. Ti inyuĩ mwamaingatire na rũhiũ rwanyu rwa njora kana na ũta wanyu. 1324:13 Thaam 6:8; Gũcook 6:10-11Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩmũhe bũrũri mũtaanogeire na matũũra mũtaakĩte; na nĩkuo mũtũũraga, mũkĩrĩĩaga maciaro ma mĩgũnda ya mĩthabibũ na mĩtamaiyũ ĩrĩa mũtaahaandire.’
1424:14 Gũcook 10:12; Ezek 23:3“Na rĩrĩ, mwĩtigĩrei Jehova na mũmũtungatagĩre mũtarĩ na ũhinga, na mũrĩ ehokeku kũna. Eheriai ngai iria maithe manyu ma tene maahooyaga kũu mũrĩmo wa Rũũĩ rwa Farati, o na kũu bũrũri wa Misiri, na mũtungatagĩre o Jehova. 1524:15 Ruth 1:15; Kĩam 35:2No rĩrĩ, mũngĩona ũhoro ũcio wa gũtungatagĩra Jehova ta ũtamwagĩrĩire-rĩ, thuurai ũmũthĩ ũrĩa mũrĩtungatagĩra, mũmenye kana nĩ ngai iria maithe manyu maatungatagĩra kũu mũrĩmo wa rũũĩ, kana nĩ ngai cia Aamori arĩa ene bũrũri ũyũ mũtũũraga. No ha ũhoro wakwa mwene na nyũmba yakwa-rĩ, tũrĩtungatagĩra Jehova.”
16Nao andũ acio magĩcookia makiuga atĩrĩ, “Kũroaga gũtuĩka ũguo, atĩ tũtiganĩrie Jehova atĩ nĩguo tũtungatĩre ngai ingĩ! 1724:17 Atiir 6:8; Thaam 10:1Nĩgũkorwo nĩ Jehova Ngai witũ we mwene watũrutire bũrũri wa Misiri hamwe na maithe maitũ, tũkiuma bũrũri ũcio wa ũkombo, na akĩringa ciama icio nene ũguo na tũgĩciona na maitho maitũ. Nĩaatũgitĩrire rũgendo-inĩ rwitũ ruothe kũrĩa twagereire, o na tũrĩ gatagatĩ ka ndũrĩrĩ ciothe kũrĩa twatuĩkanĩirie. 18Nake Jehova nĩaingatire ndũrĩrĩ icio ciothe ciehere mbere iitũ, o hamwe na Aamori arĩa maatũũraga bũrũri-inĩ ũcio. Tondũ ũcio o na ithuĩ tũrĩtungatagĩra Jehova, nĩ ũndũ nĩwe Ngai witũ.”
1924:19 Thaam 20:5; 23:21Nake Joshua akĩĩra andũ acio atĩrĩ, “Mũtingĩhota gũtungatĩra Jehova. Jehova nĩ Ngai Mũtheru; we nĩ Ngai ũrĩ ũiru. Ndakamũrekera ũremi wanyu o na kana mehia manyu. 2024:20 1Maũ 28:9, 20; Josh 23:15Mũngĩgaatiganĩria Jehova na mũtungatĩre ngai cia kũngĩ, nĩakamũgarũrũka na amũrehere mwanangĩko amũniine, o na amwĩkĩte maũndũ mega.”
21No andũ acio makĩĩra Joshua atĩrĩ, “Aca! Ithuĩ tũrĩtungatagĩra Jehova.”
2224:22 Jer 42:5; Thab 119:30, 173Nake Joshua akĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Inyuĩ ene mũrĩ aira a ũguo mwoiga, atĩ nĩmwathuura gũtungatagĩra Jehova.”
Nao makĩmũcookeria, makĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ĩĩ, ithuĩ tũrĩ aira.”
23Joshua akĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Rĩu-rĩ, kĩeheriei ngai cia kũngĩ iria irĩ thĩinĩ wanyu, na mũheane ngoro cianyu biũ harĩ Jehova Ngai wa Isiraeli.”
2424:24 Thaam 19:8Nao andũ acio makĩĩra Joshua atĩrĩ, “Ithuĩ tũrĩtungatagĩra Jehova Ngai witũ na tũmwathĩkagĩre.”
2524:25 Josh 17:7; Thaam 24:8Mũthenya o ro ũcio Joshua agĩthondekera andũ kĩrĩkanĩro, na akĩmandĩkĩra kĩrĩra kĩa watho wa kũrũmĩrĩrwo na mawatho, marĩ o kũu Shekemu. 2624:26 Gũcook 17:18; Kĩam 28:18Nake Joshua akĩandĩka maũndũ macio Ibuku-inĩ rĩa Watho wa Ngai. Agĩcooka akĩoya ihiga inene, akĩrĩrũgamia hau gĩtina-inĩ kĩa mũtĩ wa mũgandi hakuhĩ na handũ-harĩa-haamũre ha Jehova.
2724:27 Josh 22:27; Thim 30:9Akĩĩra andũ acio othe atĩrĩ, “Atĩrĩrĩ! Ihiga rĩĩrĩ nĩrĩo rĩgũtuĩka mũira witũ wa ũrĩa tuoiga. Nĩrĩiguĩte ciugo ciothe iria Jehova atwĩrĩte. Nĩrĩo rĩgũtuĩka mũira wanyu mũngĩkaaga kwĩhokeka harĩ Ngai wanyu.”
Gũthikwo Bũrũri-inĩ wa Kĩĩranĩro
28Nake Joshua agĩcooka akĩĩra andũ acio mathiĩ, o mũndũ acooke kũrĩa igai rĩake rĩarĩ.
29Thuutha wa maũndũ macio Joshua mũrũ wa Nuni, ndungata ya Jehova, agĩkua arĩ na ũkũrũ wa mĩaka igana na ikũmi. 3024:30 Josh 19:50; 2Sam 23:30Nao makĩmũthika kũu gĩthaka kĩa igai rĩake, o kũu Timinathu-Sera bũrũri ũrĩa ũrĩ irĩma wa Efiraimu gathigathini wa kĩrĩma kĩa Gaashu.
31Nao andũ a Isiraeli magĩtungatĩra Jehova matukũ-inĩ mothe ma Joshua na ma athuuri arĩa maatigirwo muoyo Joshua akua, o arĩa maamenyete maũndũ mothe marĩa Jehova ekĩte Nĩ ũndũ wa Isiraeli.
3224:32 Ahib 11:22; Kĩam 33:19Namo mahĩndĩ ma Jusufu, marĩa andũ a Isiraeli maarehete kuuma bũrũri wa Misiri, magĩthikwo kũu Shekemu gacigo-inĩ ga gĩthaka kĩrĩa Jakubu aagũrĩte kuuma kũrĩ ariũ a Hamoru, ithe wa Shekemu. Rĩu nĩrĩo rĩatuĩkire igai rĩa njiaro cia Jusufu.
3324:33 Josh 22:13; Thaam 6:25Nake Eleazaru mũrũ wa Harũni agĩkua na agĩthikwo kũu Gibea, kũrĩa kwagaĩirwo mũriũ Finehasi, o kũu bũrũri ũrĩa ũrĩ irĩma wa Efiraimu.
