Joshua 8
1 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. See, I have delivered into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.
UThixo wathi kuJoshuwa, “Ungesabi, ungalahli ithemba. Thatha ibutho lonke uhambe uyehlasela i-Ayi, ngoba senginikele inkosi yase-Ayi, abantu bayo, idolobho layo lelizwe layo ezandleni zakho.
2 And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set up an ambush behind the city.”
Khonale uzakwenza owakwenza eJerikho lenkosini yakhona, kodwa lingazithathela impahla zonke eliyabe lizithumbile lezifuyo kube ngokwenu. Cathamani ngemva kwedolobho.”
3 So Joshua and the whole army set out to attack Ai. Joshua chose 30,000 mighty men of valor and sent them out at night
Ngakho uJoshuwa lebutho lonke baphuma bayahlasela i-Ayi. Wakhetha amabutho azinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amathathu ayezingcitshi ukwedlula amanye ekulweni, wasewathuma ebusuku.
4 with these orders: “Pay attention. You are to lie in ambush behind the city, not too far from it. All of you must be ready.
Wawalaya wathi, “Lalelisisani, kumele licathame ngemva kwedolobho. Lingaze laya khatshana lalo. Lonke kumele lihlale liqaphele.
5 Then I and all the troops with me will advance on the city. When they come out against us as they did the first time, we will flee from them.
Mina lalabo engizabe ngilabo sizaqhubeka siqonde edolobheni, kuthi nxa amadoda ephuma ukusihlasela njengalokho akwenza kuqala, sizawabalekela.
6 They will pursue us until we have drawn them away from the city, for they will say, ‘The Israelites are running away from us as they did before.’ So as we flee from them,
Bazaxotshana lathi size sibahugele khatshana ledolobho, ngoba bazakuthi, ‘Bayasibalekela njengalokhu abakwenza kuqala.’ Ngakho nxa sesibabalekela,
7 you are to rise from the ambush and seize the city, for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand.
lina lizavuka lapho eliyabe licathame khona beselithumba idolobho. UThixo uNkulunkulu wenu uzalinikela ezandleni zenu.
8 And when you have taken the city, set it on fire. Do as the LORD has commanded! See, I have given you orders.”
Nxa selilithumbile idolobho, lithungeleni ngomlilo. Yenzani lokho okulaywe nguThixo. Wobani leqiniso lokuthi lilandela iziqondiso zami.”
9 So Joshua sent them out, and they went to the place of ambush and lay in wait between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai. But Joshua spent that night among the people.
UJoshuwa wasebalaya ukuthi bahambe, basebesiya endaweni okwakumele bacathame kuyo phakathi kweBhetheli le-Ayi, entshonalanga ye-Ayi kodwa uJoshuwa waqeda ubusuku lobo elabantu.
10 Joshua got up early the next morning and mobilized his men, and he and the elders of Israel marched before them up to Ai.
Ekuseni ngelanga elilandelayo uJoshuwa waqoqa amabutho akhe, kwathi yena labadala bako-Israyeli bahamba phambi kwabo besiya e-Ayi.
11 Then all the troops who were with him marched up and approached the city. They arrived in front of Ai and camped to the north of it, with the valley between them and the city.
Iviyo lonke lalabo ayelabo lahamba laya edolobheni lafika lema phambi kwabo. Bamisa izihonqo enyakatho ye-Ayi, isigodi siphakathi kwabo ledolobho.
12 Now Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set up an ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.
UJoshuwa wayethethe amadoda aphosa afike kunkulungwane ezinhlanu wawacathamisa phakathi kweBhetheli le-Ayi entshonalanga yedolobho.
13 So the forces were stationed with the main camp to the north of the city and the rear guard to the west of the city. And that night Joshua went into the valley.
Benza ukuthi amabutho aye ezikhundleni zawo zonke ezaziphakathi kwezihonqo enyakatho yedolobho lendaweni yokucathamela eyayisentshonalanga yalo. Ngalobobusuku uJoshuwa waya esigodini.
14 When the king of Ai saw the Israelites, he hurried out early in the morning with the men of the city to engage them in battle at an appointed place overlooking the Arabah. But he did not know that an ambush had been set up against him behind the city.
Inkosi yase-Ayi yathi ibona lokhu yona lawo wonke amadoda akulelodolobho aphanga aphuma kusesele ekuseni ukuze ayehlangana lo-Israyeli empini kweyinye indawo ekhangelane le-Arabha. Kodwa yayingazi ukuthi kwakulamabutho ayeyicathamele ngemva kwedolobho.
15 Joshua and all Israel let themselves be beaten back before them, and they fled toward the wilderness.
UJoshuwa labantu bonke bako-Israyeli bathambela ukubuyiselwa emuva, babalekela enkangala.
16 Then all the men of Ai were summoned to pursue them, and they followed Joshua and were drawn away from the city.
Wonke amadoda e-Ayi atshelwa ukuthi abaxotshe, basebexotshana loJoshuwa badonselwa khatshana ledolobho.
17 Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel, leaving the city wide open while they pursued Israel.
Kakukho lendoda eyodwa eyasala e-Ayi kumbe eBhetheli engazanga ixotshane labako-Israyeli.
18 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Hold out your battle lance toward Ai, for into your hand I will deliver the city.” So Joshua held out his battle lance toward Ai,
UThixo wasesithi kuJoshuwa, “Phakamisa umkhonto osesandleni ukhombe e-Ayi, ngenxa yokuthi idolobho leli ngizalinikela ezandleni zakho.” Ngakho uJoshuwa wakhombela e-Ayi ngomkhonto wakhe.
19 and as soon as he did so, the men in ambush rose quickly from their position. They rushed forward, entered the city, captured it, and immediately set it on fire.
Wathi esanda kwenza lokhu, amadoda ayecathamele ukuhlasela aphakama masinyane ezindaweni ayekuzo agijimela phambili. Angena edolobheni alithumba, aphanga alithungela ngomlilo.
20 When the men of Ai turned and looked back, the smoke of the city was rising into the sky. They could not escape in any direction, and the troops who had fled to the wilderness now became the pursuers.
Amadoda e-Ayi anyemukula abona intuthu eyayisuka edolobheni iqonga emayezini kodwa aswela ukuthi azabalekela ngaphi ngoba abako-Israyeli ababebalekele enkangala basebephendukele labo ababebaxotsha.
21 When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that smoke was rising from it, they turned around and struck down the men of Ai.
Kwathi uJoshuwa labako-Israyeli bonke bebona ukuthi labo ababecatheme basebethumbe idolobho lokuthi intuthu yayiqonga emayezini ivela edolobheni, batshibilika baqalisa ukuhlasela amadoda ase-Ayi.
22 Meanwhile, those in the ambush came out of the city against them, and the men of Ai were trapped between the Israelite forces on both sides. So Israel struck them down until no survivor or fugitive remained.
Amadoda ayecatheme lawo aphuma edolobheni abahlasela, okwenza ukuthi babe phakathi laphakathi, inxa zombili zilabako-Israyeli. Abako-Israyeli babatshaya bababhuqa akwaze kwasala muntu owaphunyukayo.
23 But they took the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.
Kodwa bathatha inkosi yase-Ayi iphila basebeyiletha kuJoshuwa.
24 When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai who had pursued them into the field and wilderness, and when every last one of them had fallen by the sword, all the Israelites returned to Ai and put it to the sword as well.
Kwathi abako-Israyeli sebeqedile ukubulala wonke amadoda ase-Ayi emagcekeni enkangala lapho ababewaxotshele khona, njalo wonke esegwazwe ngenkemba, bonke abako-Israyeli babuyela e-Ayi babulala abantu bonke abakulelo dolobho.
25 A total of twelve thousand men and women fell that day—all the people of Ai.
Amadoda labesifazane abazinkulungwane ezilitshumi lambili bafa ngalelolanga, bonke kungabantu be-Ayi,
26 Joshua did not draw back the hand that held his battle lance until he had devoted to destruction all who lived in Ai.
ngoba uJoshuwa kazange ehlise isandla sakhe esiphethe umkhonto ngawo baze babhujiswa bonke abantu ababehlala e-Ayi.
27 Israel took for themselves only the cattle and plunder of that city, as the LORD had commanded Joshua.
Kodwa abako-Israyeli bathatha zonke izifuyo lempango yonke eyayithunjwe kulelodolobho njengokulaywa kukaJoshuwa nguThixo.
28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it a permanent heap of ruins, a desolation to this day.
UJoshuwa watshisa i-Ayi wayenza yaba lunxiwa oluyinqwaba, indawo engelakuhlalwa muntu kuze kube lamhlanje.
29 He hung the king of Ai on a tree until evening, and at sunset Joshua commanded that they take down the body from the tree and throw it down at the entrance of the city gate. And over it they raised a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day.
Walengisa inkosi yase-Ayi esigodweni wayitshiya kwaze kwaba ntambama. Ekutshoneni kwelanga uJoshuwa walaya ukuthi bethule isidumbu sayo basiphosele esangweni ledolobho. Babuthelela inqumbi yamatshe phezu kwaso, njalo lokhu kunjalo kuze kube lamhlanje.
30 At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal to the LORD, the God of Israel,
UJoshuwa wasesakhela uThixo, uNkulunkulu wako-Israyeli i-alithari e-Ebhali.
31 just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: “an altar of uncut stones on which no iron tool has been used.” And on it they offered burnt offerings to the LORD, and they sacrificed peace offerings.
Njengokulaya okwenziwa nguMosi inceku kaThixo kwabako-Israyeli, walakha njengokulaywa okulotshwe eNcwadini yoMthetho kaMosi i-alithari lamatshe angabazwanga, okungazanga kusetshenziswe nsimbi phezu kwawo. Kulo banikela kuThixo iminikelo yokutshiswa leminikelo yokuthula.
32 And there in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua inscribed on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written.
Lapho, phambi kwabako-Israyeli uJoshuwa waloba ematsheni umthetho kaMosi ayewubhalile.
33 All Israel, foreigners and citizens alike, with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the LORD facing the Levitical priests who carried it. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded earlier, to bless the people of Israel.
Bonke abako-Israyeli, abezizweni labayinzalo yalelolizwe, labadala babo, iziphathamandla labahluleli babemi emaceleni womabili omtshokotsho wesivumelwano sikaThixo bekhangelane lalabo ababelithwele, abaphristi, ababengabaLevi. Ingxenye yabantu yema phambi kwentaba yeGerizimu kwathi eyinye ingxenye yema phambi kwentaba ye-Ebhali, njengokulaya kukaMosi inceku kaThixo owayelaye ukuthi kubusiswe abantu bako-Israyeli.
34 Afterward, Joshua read aloud all the words of the law—the blessings and the curses—according to all that is written in the Book of the Law.
Emva kwalokho uJoshuwa wafunda wonke amazwi omthetho, izibusiso leziqalekiso, njengokulotshwa okwenziwe eNcwadini yeMithetho.
35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua failed to read before the whole assembly of Israel, including the women, the little ones, and the foreigners who lived among them.
Kakulalizwi elalaywa nguMosi elingazanga lifundwe nguJoshuwa phambi kombuthano wonke wako-Israyeli kugoqela abesifazane labantwana labezizweni ababehlala phakathi kwabo.
