Joshua 24
1 यहोशूले इस्राएलका सबै कुल समूहहहरूलाई शकेममा एकसाथ भेला हुन बोलाए। तब उनले बूढा-प्रधानहरू कुलनायकहरू, अनि इस्राएलका अधिकारीहरू, अनि न्यायकर्त्ताहरू र शासकहरूलाई पनि बोलाए। यी मानिसहरू परमेश्वर समक्ष उभिए।
2 यहोशूले समस्त मानिसहरूलाई भने। तिनले भने, “म तिमीहरूलाई यो भनिरहेछु जो परमप्रभु इस्राएलका परमेश्वरले तिमीहरूलाई यसो भन्नु हुन्छःधेरै समय अघि, तिमीहरूका पिता-पुर्खाहरू यूफ्रेटिस नदीको पारी पट्टि बस्थे। म अब्राहाम अनि नाहोरका पिता तेरह जस्ता मानिसहरूको विषयमा कुरा गरिरहेछु। त्यस समयमा, ती मानिसहरूले अन्य देवताहरूको पूजा गदर्थे।
3 तर, म परमप्रभुले तिमीहरूका पिता-पुर्खा अब्राहामलाई भूमि बाहिर महानदीको अर्को तर्फ लगें। मैले उसलाई कनानको भूमि भएर लगे र उसलाई धेरै-धेरै सन्तानहरू दिएँ। मैले अब्राहामलाई उसको छोराको नाउँ इसहाक दिएँ।
4 अनि मैले इसहाकलाई याकूब अनि एसाव नाउँका दुइ छोराहरू प्रदान गरें। एसावलाई मैले सेइर पर्वत वरिपरिका भूमि दिएँ। याकूब अनि उसका छोराहरू त्यहाँ बसेनन्। तिनीहरू मिश्रको भूमिमा बस्न गए।
5 तब, मैले मोशा र हारूनलाई मिश्रमा पठाएँ। तिनीहरूले मेरा मानिसहरूलाई मिश्रदेश बाहिर ल्याएको म चाहन्थें। मैले मिश्रका मानिसहरू माथि अनेक भयानक घटनाहरू घटाएँ। त्यसपछि मैले तिमीहरूका मानिसहरूलाई मिश्र बाहिर निकालेर ल्याएँ।
6 यसरी नै मैले तिमीहरूका अगुवाहरूलाई मिश्रबाहिर ल्याएँ। तिनीहरू लाल समुद्रमा आए अनि मिश्रका मानिसहरूले तिनीहरूलाई खेदिरहेका थिए। त्यहाँ रथ अनि घोड सवारहरू थिए।
7 यसकारण मानिसहरूले म परमप्रभुलाई सहायताको निम्ति याचना गरें। अनि तिमीहरू र मिश्रका मानिसहरू बीचमा मैले अन्धकार स्थापित गरें। म परमप्रभुले तिनीहरूलाई समुद्र छोप्न बनाएँ। मैले मिश्रका सेनालाई जे गरें त्यो त तिमीहरू आफैंले देख्यौ।त्यसपछि, तिमीहरू लामो समयसम्म मरूभूमिमा बस्यौ।
8 तब मैले तिमीहरूलाई एमोरी मानिसहरूको देशमा ल्याएँ। यो यर्दन नदीको पूर्वतर्फ थियो। ती मानिसहरू तिमीहरूको विरूद्ध लडे, तर मैले तिनीहरूलाई परास्त गर्न तिमीहरूलाई दिए। ती मानिसहरूलाई नष्ट गर्ने मैले शक्ति तिमीहरूलाई प्रदान गरें। तब तिमीहरूले त्यो भूमिलाई अधिकारमा लियौ।
9 तब मोआबको राजा, सिप्पोरका छोरा बालाकले इस्राएलका मानिसहरू विरूद्ध लड्न तयार भए। ती राजाले बओरका छोरा बालामलाई बोलाई पठाए। उसले बालामलाई तिमीहरूलाई श्रापदिन लगाए।
10 तर म, परमप्रभुले बालामको कुरा सुन्न अस्वीकार गरें। यसर्थ बालामले तिमीहरूलाई अनेक पल्ट आशीर्वाद दिए। मैले तिमीहरूलाई बँचाएँ अनि विपत्तबाट निकालें।
11 त्यसपछि तिमीहरू यर्दन नदी पारी यरीहो शहर तर्फ गयौ। यरीहोका मानिसहरू तिमीहरू विरूद्ध लडे। एमोरी, परिज्जी, कनानी, हित्ती, गिर्गाशी, हव्वी अनि यबूसी मानिसहरू पनि तिमीहरू विरूद्ध लडे। तर मैले तिनीहरू सबैलाई तिमीहरूलाई परास्त गर्न दिएँ।
12 जब तिमीहरूका सेनाहरू अघि बढदै थिए मैले तिनीहरूको अघि बच्छ्यूँहरूलाई पठाईदिए। ती बच्छ्यूँहरूले दुईजना राजाहरूलाई छोडन बाध्य गरयो। यसरी तिमीहरूले आफ्ना तरवार अनि धनुको प्रयोग नगरी नै त्यो भूमि लियौ।
13 मैले त्यो भूमि तिमीहरूलाई दिएँ। जुन भूमिका निम्ति तिमीहरूले काम गरेनौ मैले त्यो भूमि तिमीहरूलाई दिएँ। तिमीहरूले ती शहरहरू निर्माण गरेनौ-ती मैले तिमीहरूलाई दिएँ। तिमीहरूसित दाखबारी अनि भद्राक्षेका बृक्षका बगौंचाहरू छन्, तर ती बगौंचाहरूमा तिमीहरूले विरूवा लाउनु परेन।”
14 तब यहोशूले मानिसहरूलाई भने, “तिमीहरूले परमप्रभुका बचनहरू सुन्यौ, यसर्थ तिमीहरूले परमप्रभुको सम्मान गर्नु पर्छ अनि साँचो भागमा उहाँको सेवा गर्नु पर्छ। ती अपवित्र देवताहरूलाई फ्याँकि देऊ, जुन तिमीहरूका पिता-पुर्खाहरूले मिश्रमा र यूफ्रेटिस नदीको पारिपट्टि पूज्ने गर्थे। अब तिनीहरूले परमप्रभुलाई मात्र आराधना गर्नु पर्छ।
15 “तर हुन सक्छ, तिमीहरू परमप्रभुको सेवा गर्न चाहँदैनौ। कसलाई सेवा गर्छौ त्यो तिमीहरूले निर्णय लिनु पर्छ। के तिमीहरू, तिमीहरूका अगुवाहरूले यूफ्रेटिस नदीको पारिपट्टि बस्दा पूजेका झूटा देवताहरूको सेवा गर्छौ? अथवा, यो भूमिमा बस्ने एमोरी मानिसहरूका देवताको सेवा गर्छौ? तिमीहरू आफैंले चुन्नु पर्छ। तर म अनि मेरो घरनाले भने परमप्रभुकै सेवा गर्ने छौं।”
16 तब मानिसहरूले उत्तर दिए, “हामीहरू परमप्रभुको अनुशरण गर्न कहिल्यै पनि छाडने छैनौं। हामी अन्य देवताहरूको सेवा कहिले पनि गर्ने छैनौं।
17 हामी जान्दछौं कि परमप्रभु नै परमेश्वर हुनुहुन्थ्यो, जसले हाम्रा मानिसहरूलाई मिश्रबाट बाहिर निकाल्नु भयो। त्यस देशमा हामी दास थियौं। तर परमप्रभुले हाम्रा निम्ति त्यहाँ महान् काम गर्नु भयो। उहाँले हामीलाई त्यो देशबाट बाहिर ल्याउनु भयो, अनि अन्य भूमिहरूबाट यात्रा गर्दा हामीलाई सुरक्षा प्रदान गर्नु भयो।
18 परमप्रभुले हामीलाई यी भूमिहरूमा बस्ने मानिसहरूलाई परास्त गर्नमा सहयोग प्रदान गर्नु भयो। परमप्रभुले हामीलाई जो एमोरी मानिसहरू यो देशमा बस्थे त्यहाँ अहिले हामी छौ, यो परास्त गर्नमा हामीलाई सहायता गर्नुभयो। यसर्थ हामी परमप्रभुको सेवा गरिरहनेछौं। किनभने उहाँ नै हाम्रो परमेश्वर हुनुहुन्छ।”
19 तब यहोशूले भने, “त्यो सत्य हो। परमप्रभुको सेवा गर्दैजान तिमीहरू सक्तैनौ। परमप्रभु परमेश्वर पवित्र हुनुहुन्छ। अनि आफ्ना मानिसहरूले अन्य देवताहरूको पूजा गरेको परमेश्वरले घृणा गर्नुहुन्छ। यदि तिमीहरू त्यसरी उहाँको विरूद्ध भयौ भने परमेश्वरले तिमीहरूलाई क्षमा गर्नु हुने छैन।
20 तर तिमीहरूले परमप्रभुलाई त्यागनेछौ अनि अन्य देवताहरूको सेवा गर्ने छौ। परमप्रभुले तिमीहरू माथि भयानक घटनाहरू घटाउनु हुनेछ। परमप्रभुले तिमीहरूलाई नष्ट गर्नु हुनेछ। परमप्रभु परमेश्वर तिमीहरू प्रति भलो हुनुहुन्छ। तर यदि तिमीहरू उहाँको विरूद्ध भयौ भने उहाँले तिमीहरूलाई नष्ट गर्नु हुनेछ।”
21 तब मानिसहरूले यहोशूलाई भने, “अहँ! हामी परमप्रभुको सेवा गर्नेछौं।”
22 तब यहोशूले भने, “तिमीहरू आफैंलाई अनि तिमीहरूसित भएका मानिसहरूलाई हेर। के, तिमीहरू सब जान्दछौ अनि सहमत हुन्छौ? के तिमीहरूलाई परमेश्वरको सेवा गर्नका निम्ति चुनिएको छौ? तिमीहरू सबै यसका साक्षी छौ?”मानिसहरूले उत्तर दिए, “हो, यो सत्य हो! हामी सबैले देख्न सक्छौं कि हामीहरू परमप्रभुको सेवा गर्नका निम्ति चुनिएका छौं।”
23 तब यहोशूले भने, “त्यसो हो भनी तिमीहरूसित भएका झूटा देवताहरूलाई फ्याँकि देऊ र परमप्रभु इस्राएलका परमेशवरलाई तिमीहरूको सम्पूर्ण हृदयले प्रेम गर।”
24 तब मानिसहरूले यहोशूलाई भने, “परमप्रभु हाम्रा परमेशवरको सेवा गर्नेछौं। हामी उहाँको आज्ञा पालन गर्नेछौं।”
25 यसर्थ त्यसदिन यहोशूले मानिसहरूका निम्ति एक करार गरे। यहोशूले त्यो करार शकेम नाउँको शहरमा गरे। त्यहाँ तिनीहरूले अनुसरण गर्नु पर्ने नियम बन्यो।
26 यहोशूले यी कुराहरू परमेशवरको व्यवस्थाको पुस्तकमा लेखे। तब यहोशूले एउटा विशाल ढुङ्गा भेट्टाए। यो ढुङ्गा त्यो करारको प्रमाण थियो। उनले त्यो ढुङ्गालाई परमप्रभुको पवित्र पालको नजीकै भएको फलाँटको रूख मुनि राखे।
27 त्यसपछि यहोशूले सबै मानिसहरूलाई भने, “यो ढुङ्गाले तिमीहरूलाई आज मैले भनेका कुराहरूको सम्झना गराउनमा सहायता गर्नेछ। जब परमप्रभु आज हामीसित बात गरिरहनु भएको बेला यो ढुङ्गा यहाँ थियो। यसर्थ यो ढुङ्गाले आज के भयो त्यही कुरा तिमीहरूलाई सम्झना गर्न सहायता गर्नेछ। यो ढुङ्गा तिमीहरूको विरूद्ध एउटा साक्षी बन्नेछ। यसले तिमीहरूलाई परमप्रभु तिमीहरूका परमेशवरको विरूद्धमा जान देखि रोक्नेछ।”
28 तब यहोशूले मानिसहरूलाई घर जानु भने। यसर्थ हरेका मानिस आफ्ना भूमिमा फर्के।
29 त्यसपछि नूनका छोरा यहोशूको मृत्यु भयो। यहोशू 110 वर्ष उमेरका थिए।
30 यहोशूलाई तिम्नथसेरहमा उसको आफ्नै भूमिमा गाडे। यो गाश डाँडाको उत्तरमा भएको एप्रैमको पहाडी देशमा थियो।
31 इस्राएलका मानिसहरूले यहोशू जीवित रहेको समयमा परमप्रभुको सेवा गरेका थिए। अनि यहोशूको मृत्यु भएपछि पनि मानिसहरूले परमप्रभुको सेवा जारिराखे। मानिसहरूले परमप्रभुको सेवा गर्दै गए। जब तिनीहरूका अगुवाहरू जीवित थिए। यी अगुवाहरू नै थिए, जसले ती कुराहरू देखेका थिए जो परमप्रभुले इस्राएलका निम्ति गर्नु भएको थियो।
32 जब इस्राएलका मानिसहरूले मिश्रदेश छाडे, तिनीहरूले यूसुफको शरीरका हाडहरू साथमा बोकेर हिंडे। यसरी मानिसहरूले यूसुफका हाडहरूलाई शकेममा गाडिदिए। तिनीहरूले ती हाडहरू त्यो भूमिमा गाडे जो याकूबले शकेम नाउँ गरेका मानिसका पिता हमोरका छोराहरूकोबाट किनेका थिए। याकूबले त्यो भूमि शुद्ध चाँदीका एकसय सिक्कामा किनेका थिए। यो भूमि यूसुफका सन्तानको थियो।
33 हारूनका छोरा एलाजारको पनि मृत्यु भयो अनि एप्रैमको पहाडी देश गिबामा गाडे। गिबा एलाजारका छोरा पीनहासलाई दिइएको थियो।
1 And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.
2 And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.
3 And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac.
4 And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.
5 I sent Moses also and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did among them: and afterward I brought you out.
6 And I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and ye came unto the sea; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and horsemen unto the Red sea.
7 And when they cried unto the Lord, he put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them, and covered them; and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt: and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season.
8 And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, which dwelt on the other side Jordan; and they fought with you: and I gave them into your hand, that ye might possess their land; and I destroyed them from before you.
9 Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you:
10 But I would not hearken unto Balaam; therefore he blessed you still: so I delivered you out of his hand.
11 And ye went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho: and the men of Jericho fought against you, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and I delivered them into your hand.
12 And I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.
13 And I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat.
14 Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.
15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
16 And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord, to serve other gods;
17 For the Lord our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed:
18 And the Lord drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the Lord; for he is our God.
19 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the Lord: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.
20 If ye forsake the Lord, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.
21 And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the Lord.
22 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the Lord, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses.
23 Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel.
24 And the people said unto Joshua, The Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.
25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.
26 And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the Lord.
27 And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God.
28 So Joshua let the people depart, every man unto his inheritance.
29 And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old.
30 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-serah, which is in mount Ephraim, on the north side of the hill of Gaash.
31 And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and which had known all the works of the Lord, that he had done for Israel.
32 And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.
33 And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him in a hill that pertained to Phinehas his son, which was given him in mount Ephraim.
1 And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him.
3 And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:
4 He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
5 How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!
6 As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river’s side, as the trees of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters.
7 He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.
8 God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.
9 He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.
10 And Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.
11 Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the Lord hath kept thee back from honour.
12 And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying,
13 If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the Lord saith, that will I speak?
14 And now, behold, I go unto my people: come therefore, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.
15 And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:
16 He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.
18 And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.
19 Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.
20 And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever.
21 And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.
22 Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.
23 And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!
24 And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever.
25 And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place: and Balak also went his way.