Joshua 8
1 And the Lord said to Joshua, Fear not, nor be timorous: take with you all the men of war, and arise, go up to Gai; behold, I have given into your hands the king of Gai, and his land.
Ndipo Bwana akamwambia Yoshua, “Usiogope, wala usivunjike moyo. Chukua jeshi lote la vita uende pamoja nalo kuishambulia Ai. Kwa kuwa nimeshamweka mikononi mwako mfalme wa Ai, pamoja na watu wake, mji wake na nchi yake.
2 And you shall do to Gai, as you did to Jericho and its king; and you shall take to yourself the spoil of its cattle; set now for yourself an ambush for the city behind.
Utafanya Ai na mfalme wake kama ulivyofanya kwa mji wa Yeriko na mfalme wake, isipokuwa mnaweza kuchukua mateka wake na mifugo wake, kwa ajili yenu. Weka waviziaji upande wa nyuma ya mji.”
3 And Joshua and all the men of war rose to go up to Gai; and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men, and he sent them away by night.
Basi Yoshua na jeshi lote wakainuka kushambulia Ai. Akachagua watu mashujaa elfu thelathini walio bora miongoni mwa wapiganaji wake, akawapeleka wakati wa usiku
4 And he charged them, saying, Do you lie in ambush behind the city: do not go far from the city, and you shall all be ready.
akiwaagiza: “Sikilizeni kwa makini. Mtavizia nyuma ya mji. Msiende mbali sana na mji. Wote kuweni macho.
5 Land I and all with me will draw near to the city: and it shall come to pass when the inhabitants of Gai shall come forth to meet us, as before, that we will flee from before them.
Mimi na watu walio pamoja nami, tutaukabili mji, kisha itakuwa hapo watu watakapotoka nje kupigana nasi, kama walivyofanya hapo kwanza, sisi tutawakimbia.
6 And when they shall come out after us, we will draw them away from the city; and they will say, These men flee from before us, as also before.
Watatufuatilia mpaka tutakapokuwa tumewavuta mbali na mji kwa kuwa watasema, ‘Wanatukimbia, kama walivyofanya hapo awali.’ Hivyo tutakapowakimbia,
7 And you shall rise up out of the ambuscade, and go into the city.
ninyi inawapasa mwinuke mtoke huko mafichoni na kuuteka mji. Bwana Mungu wenu atautia mkononi mwenu.
8 You shall do according to this word, behold! I have commanded you.
Mtakapokuwa mmeuteka mji, uteketezeni kwa moto. Fanyeni kama vile Bwana alivyoamuru. Angalieni, nimewaagiza.”
9 And Joshua sent them, and they went to lie in ambush; and they lay between Baethel and Gai, westward of Gai.
Ndipo Yoshua akawatuma watu, nao wakaenda mahali pa kujificha, wakawa wanavizia kati ya Betheli na Ai, kuelekea upande wa magharibi wa Ai, lakini Yoshua akalala miongoni mwa watu usiku huo.
10 And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered the people; and he went up, he and the elders before the people to Gai.
Asubuhi na mapema siku iliyofuatia, Yoshua akawakutanisha watu wake, na yeye na viongozi wa Israeli wakawa mbele ya watu kwenda Ai.
11 And all the men of war went up with him, and they went forward and came over against the city eastward.
Watu wote wa vita waliokuwa pamoja naye walipanda, wakakaribia na kufika mbele ya mji. Wakapiga kambi kaskazini mwa Ai, pakiwa na bonde kati yao na huo mji.
12 And the ambuscade [was] on the west side of the city.
Yoshua alikuwa amewachukua watu wapatao elfu tano, akawaweka katika uavizi kati ya Betheli na Ai, upande wa magharibi wa mji.
Wakawaweka askari katika maeneo yao: wale wote waliokuwa kambini wakawa kaskazini ya mji na wale waliokuwa wakivizia wakawa upande wa magharibi. Usiku huo Yoshua akaenda katika lile bonde.
14 And it came to pass when the king of Gai saw [it], he hasted and went out to meet them direct to the battle, he and all the people [that were] with him: and he knew not that there was an ambuscade [formed] against him behind the city.
Mfalme wa Ai alipoona jambo hili, yeye pamoja na watu wote wa mji wakatoka kwa haraka asubuhi na mapema, ili kukutana na Israeli katika vita mahali fulani panapotazamana na Araba. Lakini hakujua kwamba kulikuwa kumewekwa waviziaji dhidi yake nyuma ya mji.
15 And Joshua and Israel saw, and retreated from before them.
Yoshua na Israeli wote wakaruhusu kurudishwa nyuma mbele yao, na kuelekea jangwani.
16 And they pursued after the children of Israel, and they themselves went to a distance from the city.
Watu wote wa Ai wakaitwa ili kuwafuatia, nao wakavutwa kumfuatia Yoshua mbali na mji.
17 There was no one left in Gai who did not pursue after Israel; and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel.
Hakuna hata mwanaume mmoja aliyebakia Ai wala Betheli ambaye hakufuatia Israeli. Wakauacha mji wazi na kuwafuatia Israeli.
18 And the Lord said to Joshua, Stretch forth your hand with the spear that is in your hand towards the city, for I have delivered it into your hands; and the liers in wait shall rise up quickly out of their place.
Ndipo Bwana akamwambia Yoshua, “Inua huo mkuki ulio mkononi mwako kuuelekeza Ai, kwa kuwa nitautia huo mji mkononi mwako.” Hivyo Yoshua akauelekeza mkuki wake Ai.
19 And Joshua stretched out his hand [and] his spear towards the city, and the ambuscade rose up quickly out of their place; and they came forth when he stretched out his hand; and they entered into the city, and took it; and they hasted and burnt the city with fire.
Mara tu alipofanya hivi, wale watu waliokuwa mavizioni wakaondoka upesi kutoka mahali pao na kukimbilia mbele. Wakaingia ndani ya mji, wakauteka na kuutia moto kwa haraka.
20 And when the inhabitants of Gai looked round behind them, then they saw the smoke going up out of the city to heaven, and they were no longer able to flee this way or that way.
Watu wa Ai wakaangalia nyuma, wakauona moshi wa huo mji ukielekea angani lakini hawakuwa na nafasi ya kutoroka kwa upande wowote, kwa kuwa wale Waisraeli waliokuwa wanawakimbia kuelekea jangwani walikuwa wamegeuka nyuma kuwakabili wakimbizaji wao.
21 And Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambuscade had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city went up to heaven; and they turned and struck the men of Gai.
Basi Yoshua na Israeli wote walipoona kwamba waviziaji wameshauteka mji na moshi ulikuwa unapaa juu kutoka kwenye mji, wakawageukia watu wa Ai na kuwashambulia.
22 And these came forth out of the city to meet them; and they were in the midst of the army, some [being] on this side, and some on that; and they struck them until there was not left of them one who survived and escaped.
Wale waviziaji nao pia wakatoka nje ya mji dhidi yao, hivi kwamba wakashikiwa katikati, Waisraeli wakiwa pande zote mbili. Israeli wakawaua, bila kuwaachia yeyote aliyenusurika wala aliyetoroka.
23 And they took the king of Gai alive, and brought him to Joshua.
Lakini wakamchukua mfalme wa Ai akiwa hai na kumleta kwa Yoshua.
24 And when the children of Israel had ceased slaying all that were in Gai, and in the fields, and in the mountain on the descent, from whence they pursued them [even] to the end, then Joshua returned to Gai, and struck it with the edge of the sword.
Israeli ilipomaliza kuwaua wanaume wote wa Ai katika mashamba na jangwani walipokuwa wamewafukuzia, na baada ya kila mmoja wao kuuawa kwa upanga, Waisraeli wote wakarudi Ai na kuwaua wale waliokuwa wamebakia mjini.
25 And they that fell in that day, men and women, were twelve thousand: [they killed] all the inhabitants of Gai.
Watu kumi na mbili elfu, waume kwa wake, waliangamia siku ile, yaani watu wote wa Ai.
Kwa maana Yoshua hakuurudisha ule mkono wake uliokuwa umeuinua mkuki hadi alipomaliza kuwaangamiza wote walioishi Ai.
27 Beside the spoils that were in the city, all things which the children of Israel took as spoil for themselves according to the command of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Joshua.
Lakini Israeli wakajichukulia mifugo na nyara za mji huu, kama vile Bwana alivyokuwa amemwagiza Yoshua.
28 And Joshua burnt the city with fire: he made it an uninhabited heap for ever, [even] to this day.
Kwa hiyo Yoshua akauchoma moto mji wa Ai na kuufanya kuwa lundo la magofu la kudumu, mahali pa ukiwa hadi leo.
29 And he hanged the king of Gai on a gallows; and he remained on the tree till evening: and when the sun went down, Joshua gave charge, and they took down his body from the tree, and cast it into a pit, and they set over him a heap of stones until this day.
Akamwangika mfalme wa Ai kwenye mti na kumwacha hapo mpaka jioni. Wakati wa jua kutua, Yoshua akawaamuru wautoe mwili wake kwenye mti na kuutupa kwenye ingilio la lango la mji. Kisha wakalundika mawe makubwa mengi juu yake, ambayo yamesalia mpaka leo.
30 Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord God of Israel in mount Gaebal,
Kisha Yoshua akajenga madhabahu ya Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, katika Mlima wa Ebali,
31 as Moses the servant of the Lord commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the law of Moses, an altar of unhewn stones, on which iron had not been lifted up; and he offered there whole burnt offerings to the Lord, and a peace-offering.
kama Mose mtumishi wa Bwana alivyokuwa amewaamuru Waisraeli. Akaijenga sawasawa na ilivyoandikwa katika Kitabu cha Sheria ya Mose: madhabahu ya mawe yasiyochongwa, ambayo juu yake hakuna chombo cha chuma kilichotumika. Hapo juu yake wakamtolea Bwana sadaka za kuteketezwa na kutoa sadaka za amani.
32 And Joshua wrote upon the stones a copy of the law, even the law of Moses, before the children of Israel.
Pale, mbele ya Waisraeli Yoshua akanakili juu ya hayo mawe sheria ya Mose, aliyokuwa ameiandika.
33 And all Israel, and their elders, and their judges, and their scribes, passed on one side and on the other before the ark; and the priests and the Levites took up the ark of the covenant of the Lord; and the stranger and the native were there, who were half of them near mount Garizin, and half near mount Gaebal, as Moses the servant of the Lord commanded at first, to bless the people.
Israeli yote, wageni na wazawa sawasawa, wakiwa na wazee wao, maafisa na waamuzi, walikuwa wamesimama pande zote mbili za Sanduku la Agano la Bwana, wakiwaelekea wale waliokuwa wamelichukua, yaani makuhani, ambao ni Walawi. Nusu ya watu ilisimama mbele ya Mlima Gerizimu na nusu hiyo ingine ikasimama mbele ya Mlima Ebali, kama vile Mose mtumishi wa Bwana alivyokuwa ameamuru hapo mwanzo alipotoa maagizo ya kuwabariki watu wa Israeli.
34 And afterwards Joshua read accordingly all the words of this law, the blessings and the curses, according to all things written in the law of Moses.
Hatimaye, Yoshua akasoma maneno yote ya sheria, yaani baraka na laana, kama vile ilivyoandikwa katika Kitabu cha Sheria.
35 There was not a word of all that Moses charged Joshua, which Joshua read not in the ears of all the assembly of the children of Israel, the men, and the women, and the children, and the strangers that joined themselves to Israel.
Hakuna neno lolote katika yale yote ambayo Mose alikuwa ameamuru ambalo Yoshua hakulisomea kusanyiko lote la Israeli, ikiwa ni pamoja na wanawake na watoto, na wageni walioishi miongoni mwao.
