Joshua 24
International Children’s Bible
24 Then all the tribes of Israel met together at Shechem. Joshua called them all together there. Then he called the elders, heads of families, judges and officers of Israel. These men stood before God.
2 Then Joshua spoke to all the people. He said, “Here’s what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to you: ‘A long time ago your ancestors lived on the other side of the Euphrates River. I am talking about men like Terah, the father of Abraham and Nahor. They worshiped other gods. 3 But I, the Lord, took your ancestor Abraham out of the land on the other side of the river. I led him through the land of Canaan. And I gave him many children. I gave him his son Isaac. 4 And I gave Isaac two sons named Jacob and Esau. I gave the land around the mountains of Edom to Esau. But Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt. 5 Then I sent Moses and Aaron to Egypt. I caused many terrible things to happen to the Egyptians. Then I brought you people out. 6 When I brought your fathers out of Egypt, they came to the Red Sea. And the Egyptians chased them. There were chariots and men on horses. 7 So the people asked me, the Lord, for help. And I caused great trouble to come to the Egyptians. I caused the sea to cover them. You yourselves saw what I did to the army of Egypt. After that, you lived in the desert for a long time.
8 “‘Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites. This was east of the Jordan River. They fought against you, but I gave you the power to defeat them. I destroyed them before you. Then you took control of that land. 9 But the king of Moab, Balak son of Zippor, prepared to fight against the Israelites. The king sent for Balaam son of Beor to curse you. 10 But I, the Lord, refused to listen to Balaam. So he asked for good things to happen to you! He blessed you many times. I saved you and brought you out of his power.
11 “‘Then you traveled across the Jordan River and came to Jericho. The people in the city of Jericho fought against you. Also, the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites fought against you. But I allowed you to defeat them all. 12 While your army traveled forward, I sent hornets ahead of them. These hornets made the people leave before you came. So you took the land without using your swords and bows. 13 It was I, the Lord, who gave you that land. I gave you land where you did not have to work. I gave you cities that you did not have to build. And now you live in that land and in those cities. You eat from vineyards and olive trees. But you did not have to plant them.’”
14 Then Joshua spoke to the people. He said, “Now you have heard the Lord’s words. So you must respect the Lord and serve him fully and sincerely. Throw away the false gods that your people worshiped. That happened on the other side of the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Now you must serve the Lord. 15 But maybe you don’t want to serve the Lord. You must choose for yourselves today. You must decide whom you will serve. You may serve the gods that your people worshiped when they lived on the other side of the Euphrates River. Or you may serve the gods of the Amorites who lived in this land. As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
16 Then the people answered, “No! We will never stop following the Lord. We will never serve other gods! 17 We know it was the Lord our God who brought our people out of Egypt. We were slaves in that land. But the Lord did great things for us there. He brought us out. He protected us while we traveled through other lands. 18 Then he helped us defeat the people living in these lands. He helped us defeat the Amorites who lived here. So we will continue to serve the Lord because he is our God.”
19 Then Joshua said, “You will not be able to serve the Lord well enough. He is a holy God. And he is a jealous God. If you turn against him and sin, he will not forgive you. 20 If you leave the Lord and serve other gods, he will cause great trouble to come to you. The Lord has been good to you. But if you turn against him, he will destroy you.”
21 But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord.”
22 Then Joshua said, “Look around at yourselves and the people with you here. Do you all know and agree that you have chosen to serve the Lord? Are you all witnesses to this?”
The people answered, “Yes, it’s true! We all see that we have chosen to serve the Lord.”
23 Then Joshua said, “Now throw away the false gods that you have among you. Love the Lord, the God of Israel, with all your heart.”
24 Then the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God. We will obey him.”
25 On that day Joshua made an agreement for the people. He made the agreement a law for them to follow. This happened at Shechem. 26 Joshua wrote these things in the Book of the Teachings of God. Then he found a large stone. He put the stone under the oak tree near the Lord’s Holy Tent.
27 Then Joshua said to all the people, “See this stone! It will help you remember what we did today. It was here when the Lord was speaking to us today. It will help you remember what happened. It will stop you from turning against your God.”
Joshua Dies
28 Then Joshua told the people to go back to their homes. And everyone went back to his own land.
29 After that, Joshua son of Nun died. He was 110 years old. 30 And they buried him in his own land at Timnath Serah. This was in the mountains of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.
31 The Israelites had served the Lord during the time Joshua was living. And after he died, they continued to serve the Lord. They continued to serve him while their elders were still alive. These were the leaders who had seen what the Lord had done for the Israelites.
Joseph Comes Home
32 When the Israelites left Egypt, they carried the bones of Joseph with them. They buried them at Shechem, in the land Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor. (Hamor was the father of Shechem.) Jacob had bought the land for 100 pieces of silver. This land belonged to Joseph’s children.
33 And Eleazar son of Aaron died. He was buried at Gibeah in the mountains of Ephraim. Gibeah had been given to Eleazar’s son Phinehas.
Yoswa 24
Endagaano Enkadde nʼEndagaano Empya
Obubaka bwa Yoswa Obusembayo
24 (A)Awo Yoswa n’akuŋŋaanya ebika byonna ebya Isirayiri e Sekemu, n’ayita abakadde ba Isirayiri n’abakulembeze, abalamuzi era n’abakungu ba Isirayiri ne bajja babeere mu maaso ga Mukama. 2 (B)Yoswa n’agamba abantu bonna nti, “Bw’ati bw’ayogera Mukama Katonda wa Isirayiri nti, ‘Edda ennyo bajjajjammwe nga mulimu ne Teera kitaawe wa Ibulayimu baabeeranga emitala w’omugga Fulaati, gye basinzizanga bakatonda abalala. 3 (C)Ne ndyoka nziggya jjajjammwe Ibulayimu emitala w’omugga, ne mmukulembera okumuyisa mu nsi ye Kanani, ne mmuwa Isaaka, ne mwongerako ezzadde. 4 (D)Isaaka ne mmuwa Yakobo ne Esawu. Esawu ne mmuwa ensi ey’ensozi eya Seyiri. Naye Yakobo n’abaana be ne mbatwala e Misiri.
5 (E)“ ‘Natuma Musa ne Alooni, ne mbonyaabonya Abamisiri n’ebibonoobono bye nabakola, oluvannyuma abaana ba Yakobo ne mbaggyayo. 6 (F)Bwe naggya bajjajjammwe e Misiri mwatuuka ku Nnyanja Emyufu. Abamisiri abaali mu magaali, n’abeebagadde embalaasi ne bawondera bajjajjammwe okutuuka ku Nnyanja Emyufu. 7 (G)Naye bajjajjammwe bwe baakaabirira Mukama Katonda abayambe, nateeka ekizikiza wakati wammwe n’Abamisiri; Abamisiri n’abayiwako ennyanja n’ebabuutikira. Amaaso gammwe ne galaba kye nakola Abamisiri; ne mutambulira mu ddungu okumala ebbanga ddene.
8 (H)“ ‘Nabaleeta mu nsi ey’Abamoli, abaali emitala wa Yoludaani, ne babalwanyisa, ne mbagabula mu mukono gwammwe. Ne nzikiriza Abamoli okubamalawo mu maaso gammwe ensi yaabwe ne ngigabira mmwe. 9 (I)Balaki mutabani wa Zipoli, kabaka wa Mowaabu, bwe yasituka okulwanyisa Isirayiri, n’atumya Balamu mutabani wa Byoli abakolimire; 10 (J)naye Balamu saamuwuliriza, n’abawa buwi mukisa emirundi n’emirundi. Bwe ntyo ne mbanunula mu mukono gwe.
11 (K)“ ‘Ne musomoka omugga Yoludaani ne mutuuka e Yeriko. Abantu b’omu Yeriko awamu n’Abamoli, n’Abaperezi, n’Abakanani, n’Abakiiti, n’Abagirusi, n’Abakiivi, n’Abayebusi ne babalwanyisa naye ne mbagabula mu mukono gwammwe. 12 (L)Ne ntuma ennumba ezabakulembera ezagoba abalabe bammwe mu maaso gammwe, nga mwe muli bakabaka ababiri Abamoli; si mmwe mwakikola n’ekitala kyammwe wadde obusaale. 13 (M)Ne mbawa ensi gye mutaakolerera, ebibuga bye mutaazimba mwe mutudde kaakano, mulya ebibala by’emizabbibu n’emizeeyituuni bye mutaasimba.’
14 (N)“Noolwekyo kaakano mutye Mukama Katonda era mumuweereze mu bwesimbu era mu mazima, muggyeewo bakatonda babajjajjammwe be baawererezanga emitala w’omugga ne mu Misiri, muweereze Mukama Katonda. 15 (O)Naye bwe muba temwagala kuweereza Mukama, mulondeewo leero gwe munaaweerezanga; oba bakatonda babajjajjammwe abaali emitala w’omugga be baaweerezanga, oba bakatonda ab’Abamoli, bannannyini nsi mwe muli. Naye nze n’ennyumba yange, ffe tunaaweerezanga Mukama Katonda.”
16 Abantu ne balyoka baddamu ne bagamba nti, “Kikafuuwe ffe okuleka Mukama okuweerezanga bakatonda abalala. 17 Mukama Katonda waffe ye yatuggya ffe ne bajjajjaffe mu Misiri mu nsi ey’obuddu, n’akola ebyewuunyo eby’ekitalo nga tulaba, n’atukuuma mu kkubo lyonna ne mu mawanga gonna ge twayitamu. 18 Mukama Katonda n’agoba amawanga gonna mu maaso gaffe nga mwe muli Abamoli, abaali mu nsi. Naffe kyetunaava tuweerezanga Mukama Katonda, kubanga ye Katonda waffe.”
19 (P)Yoswa n’agamba abantu nti, “Kizibu okuweereza Mukama, kubanga Katonda mutukuvu, Katonda wa buggya, taasonyiwenga bujeemu bwammwe newaakubadde ebibi byammwe. 20 (Q)Obanga munaalekanga Mukama, ne muweerezanga bakatonda abalala, alibakyukira n’abazikiriza n’abamalawo ate nga bulijjo abadde abayisa bulungi.” 21 Abantu ne bagamba Yoswa nti, “Nedda, tunaweerezanga Mukama.” 22 (R)Yoswa n’agamba abantu nti, “Muli bajulirwa bammwe mwekka nga mulonzeewo kuweerezanga Mukama Katonda.” Ne boogera nti, “Tuli bajulirwa.”
23 (S)N’abagamba nti, “Kale muggyeewo bakatonda abalala abali wakati mu mmwe, era emitima gyammwe mugizze eri Mukama Katonda wa Isirayiri.” 24 (T)Abantu ne bagamba Yoswa nti, “Tujja kuweerezanga Mukama Katonda waffe era tujja kumugonderanga.”
25 (U)Awo Yoswa n’akola endagaano n’abantu ku lunaku olwo, n’abakolera amateeka n’ebiragiro. 26 (V)Era n’awandiika ebintu bino mu kitabo ky’amateeka ekya Katonda, n’atwala ejjinja eddene ennyo n’aliteeka wansi w’omwera ogwali mu kifo kya Mukama Katonda ekitukuvu. 27 (W)Yoswa n’agamba abantu nti, “Mulabe ejjinja lino lijja kubeeranga omujulizi gye tuli, liwulidde ebigambo byonna Mukama Katonda bya tugambye. Era lijja kubeeranga omujulizi gye muli bwe mutaabeerenga beesigwa eri Katonda wammwe.”
28 Yoswa n’asindika abantu bagende, buli omu mu mugabo gwe.
29 (X)Oluvannyuma lw’ebyo Yoswa mutabani wa Nuuni, omuweereza wa Mukama, n’afa ng’awezezza emyaka kikumi mu kkumi. 30 (Y)Ne bamuziika mu ttaka ly’obusika bwe lye yaweebwa e Timunasusera, ekiri mu nsi ey’ensozi eya Efulayimu ku luuyi olw’obukiikakkono olw’olusozi Gaasi.
31 (Z)Abayisirayiri ne baweereza Mukama ennaku zonna ez’abakadde abaasigalawo nga Yoswa amaze okufa era abaamanya emirimu gyonna Mukama Katonda gye yakolera Isirayiri.
32 (AA)N’amagumba ga Yusufu, abaana ba Isirayiri ge baggya e Misiri ne bagaziika e Sekemu, mu kifo ky’ettaka Yakobo kye yagula ebitundu bya ffeeza kikumi ku batabani ba Kamoli, kitaawe wa Sekemu ne liba omugabo gw’abaana ba Yusufu.
33 (AB)Eriyazaali mutabani wa Alooni naye n’afa, n’aziikibwa ku lusozi Gibea olwaweebwa Finekaasi mutabani we, mu nsi ey’ensozi eya Efulayimu.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
Bayibuli Entukuvu, Endagaano Enkadde nʼEndagaano Empya Copyright © 1984, 1986, 1993, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.® Tuweereddwa olukusa okuva mu Biblica, Inc.® Olukusa lwonna mu nsi yonna lusigalidde mu Biblica, Inc. Luganda Contemporary Bible Copyright © 1984, 1986, 1993, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.