Joshua 24

Then 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.

ثُمَّ جَمَعَ يَشُوعُ كُلَّ أَسْبَاطِ إِسْرَائِيلَ فِي شَكِيمَ، وَدَعَا شُيُوخَهُمْ وَرُؤَسَاءَهُمْ وَقُضَاتَهُمْ وَعُرَفَاءَهُمْ فَمَثَلُوا فِي حَضْرَةِ الرَّبِّ.

Joshua 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 Euphrates River and worshiped other gods.

وَقَالَ يَشُوعُ لِجَمِيعِ الشَّعْبِ: «هَذَا مَا يَقُولُهُ الرَّبُّ إِلَهُ إِسْرَائِيلَ: لَقَدْ أَقَامَ أَجْدَادُكُمْ، وَمِنْ جُمْلَتِهِمْ تَارَحُ أَبُو إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَأَبُو نَاحُورَ مُنْذُ الْقِدَمِ فِي شَرْقِيِّ نَهْرِ الْفُرَاتِ حَيْثُ عَبَدُوا آلِهَةً أُخْرَى،

But 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,

فَأَخَذْتُ أَبَاكُمْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مِنْ شَرْقِيِّ النَّهْرِ وَقُدْتُهُ عَبْرَ أَرْضِ كَنْعَانَ وَكَثَّرْتُ نَسْلَهُ، وَرَزَقْتُهُ بِإِسْحَاقَ،

and 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.

وَأَنْعَمْتُ عَلَى إِسْحَاقَ بِيَعْقُوبَ وَعِيسُو، فَوَهَبْتُ عِيسُو جَبَلَ سِعِيرَ مِيرَاثاً. وَأَمَّا يَعْقُوبُ وَأَبْنَاؤُهُ فَقَدِ انْحَدَرُوا إِلَى مِصْرَ.

“‘Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out.

ثُمَّ أَرْسَلْتُ مُوسَى وَهرُونَ، وَأَنْزَلْتُ بِمِصْرَ الْبَلايَا بِسَبَبِ مَا صَنَعْتُهُ بِها، ثُمَّ أَخْرَجْتُكُمْ مِنْهَا.

When I brought your people out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen^[a] as far as the Red Sea.^[b]

وَحَرَّرْتُ آبَاءَكُمْ مِنْ عُبُودِيَّةِ مِصْرَ. وَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا الْبَحْرَ الأَحْمَرَ وَلَحِقَ بِهِمِ الْمِصْرِيُّونَ بِمَرْكَبَاتٍ وَفُرْسَانٍ،

But 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.

اسْتَغَاثُوا بِي فَأَقَمْتُ حَاجِزاً مِنْ ظَلامٍ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ الْمِصْرِيِّينَ، وَرَدَدْتُ الْبَحْرَ فَأَطْبَقَ عَلَيْهِمْ فَغَرِقُوا. وَشَهِدُوا بِأُمِّ أَعْيُنِهِمْ مَا صَنَعْتُهُ فِي مِصْرَ. وَأَقَامُوا فِي الصَّحْرَاءِ حِقْبَةً طَوِيلَةً.

“‘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.

ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُ بِكُمْ إِلَى أَرْضِ الأَمُورِيِّينَ الْمُقِيمِينَ شَرْقِيَّ نَهْرِ الأُرْدُنِّ فَحَارَبُوكُمْ، غَيْرَ أَنِّي أَسْلَمْتُهُمْ إِلَيْكُمْ، فَامْتَلَكْتُمْ أَرْضَهُمْ، وَأَبَدْتُهُمْ مِنْ أَمَامِكُمْ.

When 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.

وَهَبَّ بَالاقُ بْنُ صِفُّورَ مَلِكُ مُوآبَ لِمُحَارَبَتِكُمْ، وَاسْتَدْعَى إِلَيْهِ بَلْعَامَ بْنَ بَعُورَ لِكَيْ يَلْعَنَكُمْ.

But I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you out of his hand.

فَلَمْ أُرِدْ أَنْ أَسْتَجِيبَ لِبَلْعَامَ، فَبَارَكَكُمْ بَرَكَةً بَعْدَ بَرَكَةٍ، وَأَنْقَذْتُكُمْ مِنْ يَدِهِ.

“‘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.

ثُمَّ اجْتَزْتُمْ نَهْرَ الأُرْدُنِّ وَحَاصَرْتُمْ أَرِيحَا، فَتَصَدَّى لَكُمْ أَصْحَابُهَا الأَمُورِيُّونَ وَالْفِرِزِّيُّونَ وَالْكَنْعَانِيُّونَ وَالْحِثِّيُّونَ وَالْجِرْجَاشِيُّونَ وَالْحِوِّيُّونَ وَالْيَبُوسِيُّونَ، فَأَسْلَمْتُهُمْ إِلَيْكُمْ.

I 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.

وَأَرْسَلْتُ أَمَامَكُمْ أَسْرَابَ الزَّنَابِيرِ وَطَرَدْتُ مَلِكَيِ الأَمُورِيِّينَ مِنْ وَجْهِكُمْ، فَلَمْ تَكُنْ سُيُوفُكُمْ وَلا سِهَامُكُمْ هِيَ الَّتِي نَصَرَتْكُمْ.

So 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.’

وَوَهَبْتُكُمْ أَرْضاً لَمْ تَتْعَبُوا فِيهَا وَمُدُناً لَمْ تَبْنُوهَا فَأَقَمْتُمْ فِيهَا، وَكُرُوماً وَزَيْتُوناً لَمْ تَغْرِسُوهَا وَأَكَلْتُمْ مِنْهَا.

“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.

والآنَ اتَّقُوا الرَّبَّ وَاعْبُدُوهُ بِكُلِّ أَمَانَةٍ، وَانْزِعُوا الأَوْثَانَ الَّتِي عَبَدَهَا آبَاؤُكُمْ فِي شَرْقِيِّ نَهْرِ الْفُرَاتِ وَفِي مِصْرَ وَاعْبُدُوا الرَّبَّ.

But 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.”

وَإِنْ سَاءَكُمْ أَنْ تَعْبُدُوا الرَّبَّ، فَاخْتَارُوا لأَنْفُسِكُمُ الْيَوْمَ مَنْ تَعْبُدُونَ سَوَاءَ مِنَ الآلِهَةِ الَّتِي عَبَدَهَا آبَاؤُكُمُ الَّذِينَ اسْتَوْطَنُوا شَرْقِيَّ نَهْرِ الْفُرَاتِ أَمْ آلِهَةِ الأَمُورِيِّينَ الَّذِينَ أَنْتُمْ مُقِيمُونَ فِي أَرْضِهِمْ. أَمَّا أَنَا وَبَيْتِي فَنَعْبُدُ الرَّبَّ».

Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods!

فَأَجَابَ الشَّعْبُ: «حَاشَا لَنَا أَنْ نَنْبِذَ الرَّبَّ لِنَعْبُدَ آلِهَةً أُخْرَى،

It 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 traveled.

لأَنَّ الرَّبَّ إِلَهَنَا هُوَ الَّذِي أَخْرَجَنَا وَأَخْرَجَ آبَاءَنَا مِنْ دِيَارِ مِصْرَ مِنْ تَحْتِ نِيرِ الْعُبُودِيَّةِ، وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَجْرَى عَلَى مَشْهَدٍ مِنَّا تِلْكَ الآيَاتِ الْعَظِيمَةَ، وَرَعَانَا فِي كُلِّ الطَّرِيقِ الَّتِي سِرْنَا فِيهَا، وَفِي وَسَطِ جَمِيعِ الشُّعُوبِ الَّذِينَ مَرَرْنَا بِهِمْ،

And 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.”

وَطَرَدَ الرَّبُّ مِنْ وَجْهِنَا جَمِيعَ الشُّعوُبِ، وَمِنْ جُمْلَتِهِمِ الأَمُورِيُّونَ الْمُقِيمُونَ فِي الأَرْضِ. فَنَحْنُ أَيْضاً نَعْبُدُ الرَّبَّ لأَنَّهُ هُوَ إِلَهُنَا».

Joshua 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.

فَقَالَ لَهُمْ يَشُوعُ: «لَنْ تَقْدِرُوا أَنْ تَعْبُدُوا الرَّبَّ حَقَّ الْعِبَادَةِ لأَنَّهُ إِلَهٌ قُدُّوسٌ وَغَيُورٌ وَلَنْ يَغْفِرَ لَكُمْ خَطَايَاكُمْ وَذُنُوبَكُمْ.

If 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.”

وَإذَا نَبَذْتُمُ الرَّبَّ وَعَبَدْتُمُ الأَوْثَانَ فَإِنَّهُ يَنْقَلِبُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَيَفْجَعُكُمْ وَيُفْنِيكُمْ بَعْدَ أَنْ أَحْسَنَ إِلَيْكُمْ».

But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the Lord.”

فَقَالَ الشَّعْبُ لِيَشُوعَ: «لا، بَلِ الرَّبَّ نَعْبُدُ».

Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord.”

“Yes, we are witnesses,” they replied.

فَقَالَ لَهُمْ يَشُوعُ: «أَنْتُمْ شُهُودٌ عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُمْ، فَقَدِ اخْتَرْتُمُ الرَّبَّ لأَنْفُسِكُمْ لِتَعْبُدُوهُ». فَأَجَابُوا: «نَحْنُ شُهُودٌ».

“Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”

فَقَالَ يَشُوعُ: «إِذَنْ انْزِعُوا الآنَ الآلِهَةَ الْغَرِيبَةَ الَّتِي مَعَكُمْ وَأَخْضِعُوا قُلُوبَكُمْ لِلرَّبِّ إِلَهِ إِسْرَائِيلَ».

And the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the Lord our God and obey him.”

فَأَجَابُوا: «الرَّبَّ إِلَهَنَا نَعْبُدُ، وَأَمْرَهُ نُطِيعُ».

On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws.

فِي ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ قَطَعَ يَشُوعُ عَهْداً لِلشَّعْبِ وَسَنَّ لَهُمْ فِي شَكِيمَ شَرَائِعَ وَأَحْكَاماً.

And 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.

وَدَوَّنَ يَشُوعُ هَذَا الْكَلامَ فِي كِتَابِ شَرِيعَةِ اللهِ، وَتَنَاوَلَ حَجَراً كَبِيراً وَنَصَبَهُ هُنَاكَ تَحْتَ الْبَلُّوطَةِ الَّتِي عِنْدَ بَيْتِ الرَّبِّ.

“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.”

ثُمَّ قَالَ لِلشَّعْبِ جَمِيعِهِ: «إِنَّ هَذَا الْحَجَرَ شَاهِدٌ عَلَيْكُمْ لِئَلّا تَجْحَدُوا إِلَهَكُمْ».

Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to their own inheritance.

Buried in the Promised Land

ثُمَّ صَرَفَ يَشُوعُ كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ إِلَى مَسْكَنِهِ.

دفن يشوع

After these things, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten.

وَمَا لَبِثَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ أَنْ مَاتَ يَشُوعُ بْنُ نُونٍ عَبْدُ الرَّبِّ، وَقَدْ بَلَغَ مِنَ الْعُمْرِ مِئَةً وَعَشْرَ سَنَوَاتٍ،

And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Serah^[c] in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash.

فَدَفَنُوهُ فِي أَرْضِ مِيرَاثِهِ فِي تِمْنَةَ سَارَحَ الَّتِي فِي جَبَلِ أَفْرَايِمَ شِمَالِيَّ جَبَلِ جَاعَشَ.

Israel 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.

وَعَبَدَ الإِسْرَائِيلِيُّونَ الرَّبَّ طَوَالَ حَيَاةِ يَشُوعَ، وَفِي أَثْنَاءِ أَيَّامِ الشُّيُوخِ الَّذِينَ عَمَّرُوا طَوِيلاً بَعْدَ يَشُوعَ، مِمَّنَ شَهِدُوا كُلَّ مُعَامَلاتِ الرَّبِّ الَّتِي أَجْرَاهَا مَعَ إِسْرَائِيلَ.

And 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 silver^[d] from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. This became the inheritance of Joseph’s descendants.

وَدَفَنَ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ عِظَامَ يُوسُفَ الَّتِي نَقَلُوهَا مَعَهُمْ مِنْ مِصْرَ فِي شَكِيمَ، فِي قِطْعَةِ الأَرْضِ الَّتِي اشْتَرَاهَا يَعْقُوبُ مِنْ بَنِي حَمُورَ أَبِي شَكِيمَ بِمِئَةِ قِطْعَةٍ مِنَ الْفِضَّةِ، الَّتِي أَصْبَحَتْ جُزْءاً مِنْ مِيرَاثِ ذُرِّيَّةِ يُوسُفَ.

And Eleazar son of Aaron died and was buried at Gibeah, which had been allotted to his son Phinehas in the hill country of Ephraim.

وَمَاتَ أَيْضاً أَلِعَازَارُ بْنُ هرُونَ فَدَفَنُوهُ فِي جِبْعَةَ فِينْحَاسَ ابْنِهِ الَّتِي أُعْطِيَتْ لَهُ فِي جَبَلِ أَفْرَايِمَ.