Joshua 8
1 And Jehovah said to Joshua, Fear not, neither be dismayed. Take with thee all the people of war, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, 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 thou shalt do to Ai and to its king as thou didst to Jericho and to its king; only, the spoil thereof and the cattle thereof shall ye take as prey for yourselves. Set an ambush against the city behind it.
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 arose, and all the people of war, to go up to Ai. And Joshua chose thirty thousand valiant men, and 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 commanded them, saying, See, ye shall be in ambush against the city, behind the city: go not very far from the city, and be all of you ready.
akiwaagiza: “Sikilizeni kwa makini. Mtavizia nyuma ya mji. Msiende mbali sana na mji. Wote kuweni macho.
5 And I and all the people that are with me will approach to the city; and it shall come to pass when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee 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 they will come out after us till we have drawn them from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first; and we will flee before them.
Watatufuatilia mpaka tutakapokuwa tumewavuta mbali na mji kwa kuwa watasema, ‘Wanatukimbia, kama walivyofanya hapo awali.’ Hivyo tutakapowakimbia,
7 And ye shall rise up from the ambush and take possession of the city; and Jehovah your God will deliver it into your hand.
ninyi inawapasa mwinuke mtoke huko mafichoni na kuuteka mji. Bwana Mungu wenu atautia mkononi mwenu.
8 And it shall be when ye have taken the city, that ye shall set the city on fire; according to the word of Jehovah shall ye do. See, I have commanded you.
Mtakapokuwa mmeuteka mji, uteketezeni kwa moto. Fanyeni kama vile Bwana alivyoamuru. Angalieni, nimewaagiza.”
9 And Joshua sent them forth; and they went to lie in ambush, and abode between Bethel and Ai, on the west of Ai. And Joshua lodged that night among the people.
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 early in the morning, and inspected the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.
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 people of war that were with him went up, and drew near, and came before the city; and they encamped on the north of Ai; and the valley was between them and Ai.
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 Now he had taken about five thousand men, and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west of the city.
Yoshua alikuwa amewachukua watu wapatao elfu tano, akawaweka katika uavizi kati ya Betheli na Ai, upande wa magharibi wa mji.
13 And when they had set the people, the whole camp on the north of the city, and their ambush on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.
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 Ai saw it, that the men of the city hasted and rose early, and went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at the appointed place before the plain. But he knew not that there was an ambush 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 all Israel let themselves be beaten before them; and they fled by the way of the wilderness.
Yoshua na Israeli wote wakaruhusu kurudishwa nyuma mbele yao, na kuelekea jangwani.
16 And all the people that were in the city were called together to pursue after them; and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city.
Watu wote wa Ai wakaitwa ili kuwafuatia, nao wakavutwa kumfuatia Yoshua mbali na mji.
17 And not a man remained in Ai and Bethel that went not out 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 Jehovah said to Joshua, Stretch out the javelin that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thy hand. And Joshua stretched out the javelin that he had in his hand toward the city.
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 the ambush arose quickly from their place, and they ran when he stretched out his hand, and came into the city, and took it, and hasted and set the city on 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 the men of Ai turned and saw, and behold, the smoke of the city went up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way; and the people that fled to the wilderness turned upon the pursuers.
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 When Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city went up, they turned again, and slew the men of Ai.
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 the others went out of the city against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side; and they smote them, until they let none of them escape or flee away.
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 the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.
Lakini wakamchukua mfalme wa Ai akiwa hai na kumleta kwa Yoshua.
24 And it came to pass when Israel had ended slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they had chased them, and they had all fallen by the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all Israel returned to Ai, and smote 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 so it was, that all who fell that day, men as well as women, were twelve thousand, all the people of Ai.
Watu kumi na mbili elfu, waume kwa wake, waliangamia siku ile, yaani watu wote wa Ai.
26 And Joshua did not draw back his hand, which he had stretched out with the javelin, until they had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.
Kwa maana Yoshua hakuurudisha ule mkono wake uliokuwa umeuinua mkuki hadi alipomaliza kuwaangamiza wote walioishi Ai.
27 Only, the cattle and the spoil of the city Israel took as prey to themselves, according to the word of Jehovah which he had commanded Joshua.
Lakini Israeli wakajichukulia mifugo na nyara za mji huu, kama vile Bwana alivyokuwa amemwagiza Yoshua.
28 And Joshua burned Ai, and made it an everlasting heap of desolation 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 the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until the evening; and at the going down of the sun Joshua commanded, and they took his carcase down from the tree, and threw it down at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raised upon it a great heap of stones, [which remains] to 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 Jehovah the God of Israel, in mount Ebal,
Kisha Yoshua akajenga madhabahu ya Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, katika Mlima wa Ebali,
31 as Moses the servant of Jehovah had commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which iron had not been lifted up. And they offered up burnt-offerings on it to Jehovah, and sacrificed peace-offerings.
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 he wrote there on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written 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 officers and judges, stood on this side and on that side of the ark before the priests the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, as well the stranger as the home-born [Israelite]; half of them toward mount Gerizim, and the other half of them toward mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of Jehovah had commanded, that they should bless the people of Israel, in the beginning.
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 he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law.
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 had commanded which Joshua read not before the whole congregation of Israel, and the women, and the children, and the strangers that lived among them.
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.
