Not Because of Israel’s Righteousness
1Hear, Israel: You are now about to cross the Jordan to go in and dispossess nations greater and stronger than you, with large cities that have walls up to the sky. 2The people are strong and tall—Anakites! You know about them and have heard it said: “Who can stand up against the Anakites?” 3But be assured today that the Lord your God is the one who goes across ahead of you like a devouring fire. He will destroy them; he will subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate them quickly, as the Lord has promised you.
4After the Lord your God has driven them out before you, do not say to yourself, “The Lord has brought me here to take possession of this land because of my righteousness.” No, it is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is going to drive them out before you. 5It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the Lord your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 6Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.
The Golden Calf
7Remember this and never forget how you aroused the anger of the Lord your God in the wilderness. From the day you left Egypt until you arrived here, you have been rebellious against the Lord. 8At Horeb you aroused the Lord’s wrath so that he was angry enough to destroy you. 9When I went up on the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant that the Lord had made with you, I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights; I ate no bread and drank no water. 10The Lord gave me two stone tablets inscribed by the finger of God. On them were all the commandments the Lord proclaimed to you on the mountain out of the fire, on the day of the assembly.
11At the end of the forty days and forty nights, the Lord gave me the two stone tablets, the tablets of the covenant. 12Then the Lord told me, “Go down from here at once, because your people whom you brought out of Egypt have become corrupt. They have turned away quickly from what I commanded them and have made an idol for themselves.”
13And the Lord said to me, “I have seen this people, and they are a stiff-necked people indeed! 14Let me alone, so that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven. And I will make you into a nation stronger and more numerous than they.”
15So I turned and went down from the mountain while it was ablaze with fire. And the two tablets of the covenant were in my hands. 16When I looked, I saw that you had sinned against the Lord your God; you had made for yourselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. You had turned aside quickly from the way that the Lord had commanded you. 17So I took the two tablets and threw them out of my hands, breaking them to pieces before your eyes.
18Then once again I fell prostrate before the Lord for forty days and forty nights; I ate no bread and drank no water, because of all the sin you had committed, doing what was evil in the Lord’s sight and so arousing his anger. 19I feared the anger and wrath of the Lord, for he was angry enough with you to destroy you. But again the Lord listened to me. 20And the Lord was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him, but at that time I prayed for Aaron too. 21Also I took that sinful thing of yours, the calf you had made, and burned it in the fire. Then I crushed it and ground it to powder as fine as dust and threw the dust into a stream that flowed down the mountain.
22You also made the Lord angry at Taberah, at Massah and at Kibroth Hattaavah.
23And when the Lord sent you out from Kadesh Barnea, he said, “Go up and take possession of the land I have given you.” But you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God. You did not trust him or obey him. 24You have been rebellious against the Lord ever since I have known you.
25I lay prostrate before the Lord those forty days and forty nights because the Lord had said he would destroy you. 26I prayed to the Lord and said, “Sovereign Lord, do not destroy your people, your own inheritance that you redeemed by your great power and brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 27Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Overlook the stubbornness of this people, their wickedness and their sin. 28Otherwise, the country from which you brought us will say, ‘Because the Lord was not able to take them into the land he had promised them, and because he hated them, he brought them out to put them to death in the wilderness.’ 29But they are your people, your inheritance that you brought out by your great power and your outstretched arm.”
Si Kwa Sababu Ya Haki Ya Waisraeli
(Kutoka 32:1-35)
19:1 Hes 35:10; Kum 1:28; 4:38; 11:23, 31; Hes 13:28; Mwa 11:4Sikiliza, ee Israeli. Sasa mnakaribia kuvuka Yordani mwingie na kuwafukuza mataifa makubwa na yenye nguvu kuliko ninyi pamoja na miji mikubwa yenye kuta zilizofika juu angani. 29:2 Hes 13:22; Yos 11:12Watu ni wenye nguvu na warefu, ni wana wa Waanaki! Mnafahamu habari zao na mmesikia inavyosemekana: “Ni nani awezaye kusimama dhidi ya Waanaki?” 39:3 Kum 7:23-24; 31:3; Yos 3:11; Kut 15:7; 19:18; 23:31; Ebr 12:29; Mik 2:13; Ufu 19:11-15; Isa 30:27; 33:14; Nah 1:5, 6; 2The 1:8; Kut 23:31Kuweni na hakika leo kwamba Bwana Mungu wenu ndiye atakayetangulia kuvuka mbele yenu kama moto uteketezao. Atawaangamiza; atawatiisha mbele yenu. Nanyi mtawafukuza na kuwaangamiza mara moja, kama Bwana alivyowaahidi.
49:4 Kum 8:17; 18:9-14; 2Fal 16:3; 17:8; 21:2; Ezr 9:11; Kut 23:24; Law 18:21-24, 30; Eze 36:32; Rum 11:6; 1Kor 4:4; Mwa 15:16Baada ya Bwana Mungu wenu kuwafukuza mbele yenu, msiseme mioyoni mwenu, “Bwana ametuleta hapa kuimiliki nchi hii kwa sababu ya haki yetu.” La, ni kwa sababu ya uovu wa mataifa haya ndiyo Bwana anawafukuza mbele yenu. 59:5 Efe 2:9; Kum 18:9; 4:38; 11:22; Law 18:25; Mwa 12:7; 13:15; 26:4; Eze 36:32; Tit 3:5; 2Tim 1:9; Lk 1:54; Mdo 13:32, 33; Rum 15:8Si kwa sababu ya haki yenu wala uadilifu wenu kwamba mtaimiliki nchi yao; lakini kwa sababu ya uovu wa mataifa haya, Bwana Mungu wenu atawafukuza mbele yenu, ili kutimiza lile alilowaapia baba zenu Abrahamu, Isaki na Yakobo. 69:6 Kut 32:9; Mdo 7:51Basi mjue, si kwa sababu ya haki yenu Bwana Mungu wenu anawapa nchi hii nzuri kuimiliki, kwa kuwa ninyi ni taifa lenye shingo ngumu.
Ndama Ya Dhahabu
79:7 Hes 11:33; Kut 23:21; 14:11Kumbukeni hili, kamwe msisahau jinsi mlivyomkasirisha Bwana Mungu wenu kwa hasira huko jangwani. Tangu siku mlipotoka Misri mpaka mlipofika hapa, mmekuwa waasi dhidi ya Bwana. 89:8 Hes 16:46; 1Sam 28:18; Ay 20:28; Za 2:12; 7:11; 69:24; 110:5; 106:19; Isa 9:19; Eze 20:13; Kut 32:12; Ezr 9:14Kule Horebu mliamsha ghadhabu ya Bwana, kwa hiyo alikasirika vya kutosha hata akataka kuwaangamiza. 99:9 Kum 9:13; Mwa 7:4; Kut 24:12-18; 34:28; Lk 4:1Nilipopanda mlimani kupokea mbao za mawe, mbao za Agano lile Bwana alilofanya nanyi, nilikaa mlimani siku arobaini usiku na mchana, sikula mkate wala sikunywa maji. 109:10 Kut 31:18; Kum 10:4; 18:16Bwana alinipa mbao mbili za mawe zilizoandikwa kwa kidole cha Mungu. Juu ya mbao hizo kulikuwepo amri zote ambazo Bwana aliwatangazia kule mlimani kwa njia ya moto, siku ya kusanyiko.
119:11 Mwa 7:4; Kut 24:12Mwisho wa siku arobaini usiku na mchana, Bwana alinipa mbao mbili za mawe, mbao za Agano. 129:12 Kum 4:16; Amu 2:17; Kut 32:7-8Kisha Bwana akaniambia, “Shuka chini mara moja, kwa sababu watu wako ambao umewatoa katika nchi ya Misri wamepotoka. Wamegeukia mbali haraka kutoka lile nililowaagiza, wamejitengenezea sanamu ya kusubu.”
139:13 Kut 32:9; Kum 10:16; 2Fal 17:14Naye Bwana akaniambia, “Nimewaona watu hawa nao ni watu wenye shingo ngumu sana! 149:14 Kut 34:10; Hes 14:12; Yer 7:16; Kum 29:20; Za 9:5; 109:13Niache, ili nipate kuwaangamiza na kufuta jina lao kutoka chini ya mbingu. Nami nitakufanya kuwa taifa lenye nguvu zaidi na kuwa wengi kuliko wao.”
159:15 Kut 19:18; 32:15Kwa hiyo niligeuka na kuteremka kutoka mlimani kwani mlima ulikuwa ukiwaka moto. Pia vibao vile viwili vya Agano vilikuwa mikononi mwangu. 169:16 Kut 32:4, 9Nilipotazama, niliona kuwa mmefanya dhambi dhidi ya Bwana Mungu wenu; mmejifanyia sanamu ya kusubu katika umbo la ndama. Mmegeuka upesi kutoka njia ile Bwana aliyowaagiza. 179:17 Za 69:9; 119:139Kwa hiyo nilichukua vibao vile viwili nikavitupa na kuvipasua vipande vipande mbele ya macho yenu.
189:18 Kut 34:28; 32:31Ndipo tena nikasujudu mbele za Bwana kwa siku arobaini usiku na mchana. Sikula mkate wala sikunywa maji, kwa sababu ya dhambi yote mliyoifanya, mkifanya lile lililo ovu mbele za Bwana na kumkasirisha. 199:19 Kut 32:14; Ebr 12:21; Kut 34:10; Hes 11:2; 1Sam 7:9; Yer 15:1; Kum 9:26; 10:10; Za 106:23; Yak 5:15; Amo 7:1-6Niliogopa hasira na ghadhabu ya Bwana, kwa kuwa aliwakasirikia vya kutosha na kutaka kuwaangamiza. Lakini Bwana alinisikiliza tena. 20Bali yeye alimkasirikia Aroni kiasi cha kutaka kumwangamiza, nami wakati huo nilimwombea Aroni pia. 219:21 Za 18:42; Isa 2:18; 29:5; 40:15; Kut 32:20; Mk 1:7; Hos 8:11Kisha nikachukua ile sanamu ya ndama mliyoitengeneza na kuichoma kwenye moto. Nikaiponda na kuisaga ikawa unga laini kama vumbi, nikatupa lile vumbi kwenye kijito kilichotiririka toka mlimani.
229:22 Hes 1:53; 11:3; 11:34; Kut 17:7Pia mlimkasirisha Bwana huko Tabera, Masa na Kibroth-Hataava.
239:23 Kum 1:32; Hes 14:9; Za 106:24; Hes 13:3; 14:1; Za 78:22; Ebr 3:18, 19; 4:2Vilevile wakati Bwana alipowatuma kutoka Kadesh-Barnea, alisema, “Kweeni, mkaimiliki nchi ambayo nimewapa.” Lakini mliasi dhidi ya agizo la Bwana Mungu wenu. Hamkumtegemea wala kumtii. 249:24 Kum 8:17; 31:27Mmekuwa waasi dhidi ya Bwana tangu nilipowajua ninyi.
259:25 Mwa 7:4; Kut 33:17Nilianguka kifudifudi mbele za Bwana kwa zile siku arobaini usiku na mchana kwa sababu Bwana alikuwa amesema angewaangamiza ninyi. 269:26 Kut 33:13; 34:9; 6:6; 32:11; Kum 15:15; 2Sam 7:23; Za 78:35; 1Sam 7:9; Mit 15:29; Yer 15:1Nilimwomba Bwana na kusema, “Ee Bwana Mwenyezi, usiangamize watu wako, urithi wako mwenyewe ule ulioukomboa kwa uweza wako mkuu na kuwatoa katika nchi ya Misri kwa mkono wenye nguvu. 279:27 Kut 32:9Wakumbuke watumishi wako Abrahamu, Isaki na Yakobo. Usiangalie ukaidi wa watu hawa, uovu wao wala dhambi yao. 289:28 Kum 32:27; 1:27; Kut 32:12; Yos 7:9; Hes 14:16; Mwa 41:57; 1Sam 14:25; Yos 7:7-9; Za 115:1, 2; Isa 48:9-11Watu wa nchi ile uliyotutoa sisi wasije wakasema, ‘Ni kwa sababu Bwana hakuweza kuwachukua mpaka nchi aliyokuwa amewaahidia, kwa sababu aliwachukia, akawaleta ili aje kuwaua jangwani.’ 299:29 Kut 33:13; 34:9; Kum 32:9; 4:34; Neh 1:10; Yer 27:5; 32:17; 1Fal 8:51; Neh 1:10; Za 95:7Bali wao ni watu wako, urithi wako ule ulioutoa Misri kwa uweza wako mkuu na kwa mkono wako ulionyooka.”
