1 “Hwilila iwe kudzimu ngono ndowolebeleka,
shango ngayihwe matama e nlomo wangu.
2 Kudiya kwangu ngakune se vula,
ndebeleko yangu iwe se khawa,
se vula inona mu bushwa gutjibutshwa,
ne masusu mu mazhani.
3 Ngoti ndowoleba zina la Yahwe.
Gudzo ulipe Ndzimu.
4 “Iye i Shongwe, nshingo uwe wakapelela,
ngoti zila dzidze dzose dzakatambunuka.
Ndzimu we kugagwabgwe usina jinyo,
wakatambunuka wakalulwama.
5 Bakanshingila mbipo,
abatji bana babe ngekwe mbipo yabo,
ba tjizekugwana tjakaleleka.
6 Ndiyo zila yaunolipa Yahwe ndiyo iyeyi?
Imwi bathu bezwilengwe?
Apa ate baliyibo Tate benyu, Mbumbi wenyu,
ibo bakamubumba kene?
7 Kumbulani mazhuba a ntolo,
alakana makole e zwizekugwana zwinjinji,
bhuzwa tate babo ngono banowokulakidza,
bakulu babo, ngono banowokubudza.
8 Kwakati Upezhugwizhugwi epa njudzi thaka yadzo,
paakabe ethubukanya bakololo be balume,
wakatjeka migathu ye bathu,
kuyendidzana ne mbalo ye bakololo be Ndzimu.
9 Ngoti gobe la Yahwe bathu babo,
Jakubo iye thaka yabo.
10 “Bakan'wana mu tjilambanyika,
mu tjilambanyika tjakathukudzika,
ngono bakambakilila, bakan'tjengeta,
bakan'tjengeta se shanga ye zhisho labo.
11 Se dzu lizunguza shaka lalo,
liyengelela pezhugwi kwe majindana alo,
litambunudza mapapilo alo, liabhata,
liasenga na pezhugwi kwe mapapilo alo,
12 Yahwe boga ndibo bakabatungamila,
ngono kwakabe kusina ndzimu wakabe unabo.
13 Bakabathama kuti batathile ku magalo apezhugwi e shango,
ngono bakaja zwakadwa mu minda,
bakabathama kuti bang'we butji mu shongwe
ne mafuta abo adwe mu shongwe.
14 Mashwe anodwa mu ng'ombe, ne nkaka kudwa mu ngubi,
ne mafuta e pkhwizana ne nyundo,
ng'ombe dze Bhashani ne mbudzi,
ne koroni mbuya kupindisa,
ne ntubgwi we zhambi wamunong'wa uli nkumbi.
15 “Koga Jeshuruni kakola, kathulana,
wakola, wabe nkodu wamonyoka.
Ngono wakafupatila Ndzimu iwo wakanthama,
ebe edadila Shongwe ye jidzo lile.
16 Bakabadzonga kuti babe ne fupa ku midzimu mimwe,
bakabagwadzisa moyo nge zwiyito zwinoshimika.
17 Bakadusila zwibhayilo madimoni asi midzimu,
ku midzimu yabasakatongo ziba,
ku midzimu mitshwa yakanginilila ngwenu,
bobatategulu benyu yabasakatongoziba.
18 Makadusa Shongwe yakamubumba mu mikumbulo yenyu,
mukakangang'wa Ndzimu wakamutshibama.
19 “Yahwe bakakubona ikoku ngono bakabalasha,
ngekwe kutanga kwe bakololo ne bakololokadzi babo.
20 Ngono bakabe beti, ‘Ndowobasumbikila buso gwangu,
ndowobona kuti bhelelo labo ndilipi,
ngoti ba tjizekugwana tjakakombama,
bana basina kugalikamoyo.
21 Bakandidzonga kuti ndibe ne fupa ngekwe tjisi ndzimu,
banditanga nge midzimu yabo ye zwifano.
Nami ndowodzonga fupa la ibabo basi bathu,
ndowobatanga ne itjaba tje tjilengwe.
22 Ngoti moto wabhatidziwa nge kugwadzamoyo kwangu,
ngono unopisa unginilila kusi kwe shango,
ube uja shango ne zwizwalo zwayo,
ube ubhatidza moto mu thiwa dze matombo.’
23 “Ngono ndowobutitika mbipo pezhugwi kwabo,
ndowoshingisa misebe yangu mubali.
24 Banowondesiwa nge bhamba,
bakajiwa nge kupisa kukulu,
ne bugwele gunolilita,
kakale ndowotumila meno e zwibandana kubali,
ne bushungu gwe zwithu zwinokambayila mu hwuluba.
25 Pakazhuka thumo lowothama bafigwa,
ngono mu ng'umba kowobepo kutja,
kulobesiwa batjetjana ne phandala,
shabana dzinomwa ne sholotjena.”
26 Ndingabe ndakati, “Ndowobapaladzila kule,
ndowothama kukumbugwa kwabo kupele pakati kwe bathu,
27 ha ndakabe ndisatja kudadigwa nge zwita,
ngoti zodwa zwihwila ntome,
ngoti zwingadwa zwiti, ‘Takunda, Yahwe abazothama kose ikoku.’
28 “Ngoti ibo ba ludzi gusina ikumbuludzo,
ngono akuna kuhwisisa mu bali.
29 Ha bakabe bakatjenjela, bangabe behwisisa ikoku,
banobe bebona bhelelo labo!
30 Kothamikala tjini kuti ng'ompela atate bali tjiwulu,
ne kuthama kuti bali zwiwulu zwili gumi batizhe,
kuzhe kwe kuti Shongwe yabo yabatengesa,
ngono Yahwe babazwilandula?
31 Ngoti shongwe yabo ayitonga Shongwe yedu
koga zwita zwedu zopedzisa sa ikoku.
32 Ngoti nzhambi wabo unodwa mu nzhambi we Sodoma
ne mu minda ye Gomora.
Zhambi dzabo dzizhele bushungu,
mitjelo yayo inobaba.
33 Nkumbi wabo we zhambi bushungu gwe nyoka,
ne bushungu gwakabipa gwe zwipakupaku.
34 “Apa ikoku akuzobigwa pandili,
akuzozhaliligwa mu matula angu kene?
35 Kubgwilizila nge kwangu, ne mbuzilo,
mu tjibaka makumbo abo paanosodzoloka,
ngoti zhuba le kuwigwa nge mbatsha lasendela,
ngono ndashiko yabo inozha nge lubilo.
36 Yahwe banowopembedza bathu babo
bakabe ne ngoni ku balanda babo,
ha bebona kuti simba labo lapela,
ngono kusina wasala, nsungwa kene wakasununguka.
37 Ipapo banowoti, ‘Midzimu yabo ingayi,
shongwe yabakatizhila muili,
38 midzimu yakaja mafuta e zwibhayilo zwabo,
ing'wa nkumbi we tjibhayilo tjabo tje tjing'o?
Ngaimilike imubhatshe,
ngayibe mbakililo yenyu!
39 “ ‘Bonani ngwenu kuti imi, imi nge kwangu, ndimi iye,
ngono akuna ndzimu kuzhe kwangu,
ndobulaya abuya atjidza,
ndokubadza abuya apodza,
ngono akuna ungasunungula tjimu tjiazha tjangu.
40 Ngoti ndomilidzila tjiazha tjangu kudzimu,
ndibe ndituna nditi, se nditjila kusingapele,
41 ha ndikuswa bukanu gwangu gunopenyelela,
ngono tjiazha tjangu sumikilisa,
ndowobgwilizila zwita zwangu,
ndibe ndibuzila ibabo banondibenga.
42 Ndowothama kuti misebe yangu ilaladzisiwe nge malopa,
ngono bukanu gwangu gowoja nyama
ne malopa ebabulawa ne batapiwa,
kudwa mu misholo ina mavudzi malefu ye zwita.’
43 “Lumbidzani bathu babo, imwi njudzi,
ngoti banobgwilizilila malopa e balanda bawo,
ngono banobgwilizila zwita zwabo,
ngono bakathamila shango ye bathu babo kugadzana.”
44 Mushe kazha ana Joshuwa nkololo wa Nuni ngono kabala matama wose e lumbo igogu bathu bakahwilila. 45 Ngono kukati Mushe asinopedza kuleba matama wose iyawa ku Baiziraela bose, 46 kabadwa kati, “Longani mu moyo matama wose iyawa andinomupa mu zhuba lino, muadiye bana benyu, kuyita kuti babe ne njele kushinga matama wose e nlayo iwoyu. 47 Ngoti ate ali mazakhwa ku muli, koga butjilo gwenyu, ngoti ndiwo mowotjila tjibaka tjilefu mu shango yamunotjuluka Jorodani kunoyithama yenyu.”
Mushe unofila ku Dombo le Nebo
48 Ngono Yahwe bakadwa Mushe mu zhuba ilelo bakati, 49 “Tatha dombo ileli le Abarimu, Dombo le Nebo limu shango ye Moabu kulingisana ne Jerikho ngono ubone shango ye Kanana iyo yandinopa bathu be Iziraela kuyi thuwa, 50 ngono ufile pezhugwi kwe dombo ileli lawunotatha utobele bakanyi kwenyu, sa Aroni nkulu uwo wakafila mu Dombo le Hori ngono katobela bathu bakanyi kwabo, 51 ngoti wakakong'wa kulakidza kugalamoyo mu ndili pakati kwe bathu be Iziraela pa vula dze Meribatikadeshi mu tjilambanyika tje Zini, ngoti awuzonditeta sendakayengemala pakati kwe bathu be Iziraela. 52 Ndizo unowobona shango mbeli kuko, koga awutoyingina shango yandinopa bathu be Iziraela.”
1 Earth and Sky,
listen to what I say!
2 Israel, I will teach you.
My words will be like gentle rain
on tender young plants,
or like dew on the grass.
3 Join with me in praising
the wonderful name
of the Lord our God.
4 The Lord is a mighty rock,
and he never does wrong.
God can always be trusted
to bring justice.
5 But you lie and cheat
and are unfaithful to him.
You have disgraced yourselves
and are no longer worthy
to be his children.
6 Israel, the Lord is your Father,
the one who created you,
but you repaid him
by being foolish.
7 Think about past generations.
Ask your parents
or any of your elders.
They will tell you
8 that God Most High
gave land to every nation.
He assigned a guardian angel
to each of them,
9 but the Lord himself
takes care of Israel.
10 Israel, the Lord discovered you
in a barren desert
filled with howling winds.
God became your fortress,
protecting you as though
you were his own eyes.
11 The Lord was like an eagle
teaching its young to fly,
always ready to swoop down
and catch them on its back.
12 Israel, the Lord led you,
and without the aid
of a foreign god,
13 he helped you
capture the land.
Your fields were rich
with grain.
Olive trees grew
in your stony soil,
and honey was found
among the rocks.
14 Your flocks and herds
produced milk and yogurt,
and you got choice meat
from your sheep and goats
that grazed in Bashan.
Your wheat was the finest,
and you drank the best wine.
15 Israel, you grew fat and rebelled
against God, your Creator
you rejected the Mighty Rock,
your only place of safety.
16 You made God jealous and angry
by worshiping disgusting idols
and foreign gods.
17 You offered sacrifices
to demons, those useless gods
that never helped you,
new gods that your ancestors
never worshiped.
18 You turned away
from God, your Creator;
you forgot the Mighty Rock,
the source of your life.
19 You were the Lord's children,
but you made him angry.
Then he rejected you 20 and said,
“You are unfaithful
and can't be trusted.
So I won't answer your prayers;
I'll just watch and see
what happens to you.
21 You worshiped worthless idols,
and made me jealous
and angry!
Now I will send a cruel
and worthless nation
to make you jealous and angry.
22 “My people, I will breathe out fire
that sends you down
to the world of the dead.
It will scorch your farmlands
and burn deep down
under the mountains.
23 I'll send disaster after disaster
to strike you like arrows.
24 You'll be struck by starvation
and deadly diseases,
by the fangs of wild animals
and poisonous snakes.
25 Young and old alike
will be killed in the streets
and terrified at home.
26 “I wanted to scatter you,
so no one would remember
that you had ever lived.
27 But I dreaded the sound
of your enemies saying,
‘We defeated Israel with no help
from the Lord.’ ”
28 People of Israel,
that's what the Lord
has said to you.
But you don't have good sense,
and you never listen
to advice.
29 If you did, you could see
where you are headed.
30 How could one enemy soldier
chase a thousand
of Israel's troops?
Or how could two of theirs
pursue ten thousand of ours?
It can only happen if the Lord
stops protecting Israel
and lets the enemy win.
31 Even our enemies know
that only our God
is a Mighty Rock.
32 Our enemies are grapevines
rooted in the fields
of Sodom and Gomorrah.
The grapes they produce
are full of bitter poison;
33 their wine is more deadly
than cobra venom.
34 But the Lord has written
a list of their sins
and locked it in his vault.
35 Soon our enemies will get
what they deserve —
suddenly they will slip,
and total disaster
will quickly follow.
36 When only a few
of the Lord's people remain,
when their strength is gone,
and some of them are slaves,
the Lord will feel sorry for them
and give them justice.
37 But first the Lord will say,
“You ran for safety to other gods—
couldn't they help you?
38 You offered them wine
and your best sacrifices.
Can't those gods help you now
or give you protection?
39 Don't you understand?
I am the only God;
there are no others.
I am the one who takes life
and gives it again.
I punished you with suffering.
But now I will heal you,
and nothing can stop me!
40 “I make this solemn promise:
Just as I live forever,
41 I will take revenge
on my hateful enemies.
I will sharpen my sword
and let it flash
like lightning.
42 My arrows will get drunk
on enemy blood;
my sword will taste the flesh
and the blood of the enemy.
It will kill prisoners,
and cut off the heads
of their leaders.”
43 Tell the heavens to celebrate
and all gods to bow down
to the Lord,
because he will take revenge
on those hateful enemies
who killed his people.
He will forgive the sins of Israel
and purify their land.
44-45 Moses spoke the words of the song so that all the Israelites could hear, and Joshua helped him. When Moses had finished, 46 he said, “Always remember this song I have taught you today. And let it be a warning that you must teach your children to obey everything written in The Book of God's Law. 47 The Law isn't empty words. It can give you a long life in the land that you are going to take.”
Moses Will See the Land
48 Later that day the Lord said to Moses:
49 Go up into the Abarim Mountain range here in Moab across the Jordan River valley from Jericho. And when you reach the top of Mount Nebo, you will be able to see the land of Canaan, which I am giving to Israel. 50 Then you will die and be buried on the mountaintop, just as your brother Aaron died and was buried on Mount Hor. 51 Both of you were unfaithful to me at Meribah Spring near Kadesh in the Zin Desert. I am God, but there in front of the Israelites, you did not treat me with the honor and respect I deserve. 52 So I will give the land to the people of Israel, but you will only get to see it from a distance.