< Joshua 8 >

1 The Lord said to Joshua, “Don't be afraid or downhearted! Take all the fighting men with you and attack Ai, for I'm handing over to you the king of Ai, his people, his town, and his land.
Yehowa gblɔ na Yosua be, “Mègavɔ̃ o, eye dzi megaɖe le ƒowò o. Kplɔ aʋakɔ blibo la yi Ai, elabena ɣeyiɣi la de na mi azɔ be miaɖu Ai dzi. Metsɔ Ai fia kple eƒe ameawo katã de asi na mi.
2 You will do to Ai and its king what you did to Jericho and its king. However, this time you may keep for yourselves the plunder and the livestock. Set up an ambush behind the town.”
Miatsrɔ̃ wo abe ale si mietsrɔ̃ Yeriko kple woƒe fia ene. Ke azɔ ya la, miate ŋu atsɔ woƒe nuwo kple woƒe nyi siwo mieha la woazu mia tɔ. Na ameawo nade xa ɖe dua godo.”
3 So Joshua and all the people got ready to attack Ai. He chose thirty thousand of his best fighting men and sent them out at night.
Ale Yosua dzra ɖo hena aʋahoho ɖe Ai ŋu kple eƒe aʋawɔlawo katã. Etia eƒe asrafo nyuitɔwo akpe blaetɔ̃ ɖo ɖa le zã me;
4 He ordered them, “You lie in ambush behind the town, not far away. All of you need to be ready.
egblɔ na wo do ŋgɔ be, “Mide xa ɖe dua ƒe akpa kemɛ, migade megbe tso dua ŋu fũu o, eye minɔ ŋudzɔ na wo dzi dzedze.”
5 When I and the rest of the men with me approach the town, the defenders will run out to attack us just like before, and we'll run away from them.
Egagblɔ na wo be, “Ne míaƒe aʋakɔ blibo la ho aʋa ɖe Aitɔwo ŋu la, Aitɔwo ado go ava kpe mí na aʋawɔwɔ abe ale si wowɔ zi gbãtɔ ene.
6 They'll chase after us as we draw them away from the town, because they'll say to each other, ‘They're running away from us just like before.’
Ekema míade asi sisi me, eye woakplɔ mí ɖo va se ɖe esi woƒe aʋawɔlawo katã ado go le dua me. Woagblɔ be, ‘Israelviwo gale sisim abe ale si wowɔ zi gbãtɔ ene!’
7 While we're running away from them, you will get up from your ambush positions and take the town for the Lord God will hand it over to you.
Ekema miado tso afi si miede xa ɖo, age ɖe dua me, elabena Yehowa miaƒe Mawu atsɔe na mí.
8 Once you've captured the town, set it on fire, as the Lord has instructed. Now follow your orders.”
Mitɔ dzo dua abe ale si Yehowa ɖo na mí ene. Esiawoe nye nye ɖoɖowo na mi.”
9 Joshua sent them out, and they went to lie in ambush between Bethel and the west side of Ai. But that night Joshua stayed with the people in the camp.
Ale wodze mɔ zã ma me yi ɖade xa ɖe Betel kple Ai ƒe ɣetoɖoƒe gome, le esime Yosua kple aʋawɔla bubuawo tsi asaɖa la me le Yeriko.
10 Early the next morning Joshua got up early and gathered the people and went up to attack Ai, accompanied by the elders of Israel.
Esi ŋu ke ŋdi kanya la, Yosua yɔ aʋawɔlawo, eye woawo kple Israel ƒe ametsitsiwo ɖo ta Ai.
11 All the fighting men who were with him approached the front of the town, and camped there on the north side, with a valley between them and Ai.
Yosua kple aʋawɔla siwo nɔ eŋu la yi ɖe dua ƒe agbo gãtɔ gbɔ, woƒu asaɖa anyi ɖe anyiehe lɔƒo, eye balime aɖe nɔ asaɖa la kple Ai du la dome.
12 He took about five thousand men and had them lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the town.
Eɣla ame abe akpe atɔ̃ ene ɖe dua ƒe ɣetoɖoƒe lɔƒo, le Betel kple Ai dome.
13 So the army took up their positions—the main army to the north of the town, and the ambush to the west. Joshua went that night to the valley.
Woɖo asrafoawo ɖe aʋawɔwɔ ŋu, ame geɖewo nɔ dua ƒe anyiehe lɔƒo, eye mamlɛawo nɔ dua ƒe ɣetoɖoƒe lɔƒo. Yosua tsi balime la le zã ma me.
14 As soon as the king of Ai saw the situation, he and all his men rushed out early in the morning to attack the Israelites where they had before, at a place overlooking the Jordan valley. He didn't know about the ambush waiting on the other side of the town.
Ai fia kpɔ Israelviwo ɖa le balime la godo, eye wòkpe aʋa kpli wo le Araba gbedzi ŋdi kanya, ke menya be futɔwo de xa ɖe dua godo o.
15 Joshua and the Israelites allowed themselves to be driven back, and ran away in the direction of the wilderness.
Yosua kple eƒe Israelviwo si to gbegbe la abe ɖe nugbe menyo na wo o ene.
16 All the men of the town were called out to chase after them, and as they pursued Joshua they were drawn father from the town.
Ale Ai fia ɖe gbe na eƒe asrafo siwo katã nɔ dua me la be woati Israelviwo yome. Ale dutaʋlilawo vɔ le dua me;
17 There wasn't a man left in Ai and Bethel who didn't go out to chase the Israelites. They left the town wide open as they pursued the Israelites.
asrafo aɖeke kura meganɔ Ai alo Betel o. Gawu la, woʋu Ai ƒe agbowo da ɖi siãa.
18 Then the Lord told Joshua, “Hold up the spear in your hand and point it at Ai, because I'm giving it to you.” So Joshua held up the spear in his hand and pointed it at the town.
Yehowa gblɔ na Yosua be, “Tsɔ wò akplɔ do ɖe Ai lɔƒo, elabena matsɔ du la ana wò.” Yosua wɔ nenema.
19 As soon as they saw this signal the men lying in ambush got up and rushed into the town. They captured it, and quickly set it on fire.
Esi xadelawo kpɔ Yosua ƒe dzesia ko la, wolũ ɖe dua dzi, ge ɖe eme eye wotɔ dzoe.
20 When the men of Ai looked back they saw the smoke rising up into the sky from the town. They had nowhere to run to, because the Israelites who had been running away towards the wilderness now turned on their pursuers.
Aitɔwo ƒe aʋawɔlawo nye kɔ kpɔ megbe, kasia wokpɔ dzudzɔ la wòyi ɖatɔ keke dziŋgɔli. Mɔ aɖeke meganɔ anyi na sisi o, elabena Israelviwo, ame siwo si ɖo ta gbegbe la, trɔ hena aʋawɔwɔ kpli wo azɔ.
21 For when Joshua and the Israelites saw that the ambush group had captured the town, and that smoke was rising from it, they turned around and attacked the men of Ai.
Yosua kple Israelviwo katã kpɔ be yewoƒe amewo xɔ dua, eye wotɔ dzoe, eya ta wotrɔ hede asi Aitɔwo wuwu me.
22 The men from the ambush also came from the town and attacked them, so they were caught on the middle, with the Israelites on both sides. The Israelites cut them down—not a single man survived or got away.
Israelvi siwo nɔ Ai dua me la do go tso dua me, eye wode asi Aitɔwo wuwu me tso megbe. Ale Aitɔwo tsi Israelviwo dome, eye wowu wo katã, ame ɖeka pɛ gɔ̃ hã metsi agbe alo si o,
23 Only the king of Ai was captured alive, and he was brought before Joshua.
negbe Ai fia, ame si wolé kplɔ vɛ na Yosua.
24 When the Israelites had finished killing the men of Ai who had chased them towards the wilderness—once they had all been cut down by the sword—the whole Israelite army returned to the town and killed everyone living there.
Esi Israelviwo wu Aitɔ siwo nɔ dua godo vɔ la, wotrɔ yi dua me, eye wowu ame siwo katã ganɔ dua me.
25 Those who were killed that day numbered twelve thousand, men and women—all the inhabitants of Ai.
Ale wowu ame akpe wuieve siwo nye Aitɔwo katã la gbe ma gbe.
26 For Joshua had continued to hold up his spear until all the people of Ai had been destroyed.
Yosua lé eƒe akplɔ do ɖe Ai du la gbɔ va se ɖe esime wowu Aitɔ mamlɛa.
27 Only the livestock and plunder were taken from the town by the Israelites, as the Lord had instructed Joshua.
Aitɔwo ƒe lãwo kple kesinɔnuwo ko wometsrɔ̃ o, elabena Israelviwo ƒe aʋawɔlawo tsɔ wo na wo ɖokuiwo. Yehowa ŋutɔe gblɔe na Yosua be woate ŋu atsɔ wo.
28 So Joshua burned the town of Ai, making it permanently into a heap of ruins where no one lives to this very day.
Ale Ai trɔ zu gli gbagbã siwo woli kɔe ɖi va se ɖe egbe.
29 He killed the king of Ai and hung his body on a tree until evening. When the sun went down Joshua ordered the body taken down. They threw it down in front of the entrance to the town gate and piled a heap of rocks over it which is still there today.
Yosua de ka ve na Ai fia ɖe ati aɖe ŋu, ke esi ɣe nɔ to ɖom la, eɖee tsɔ ƒu gbe ɖe dua ƒe agbo ŋgɔ. Wofɔ kpe gãwo li kɔ ɖe edzi. Kpeawo gali va se ɖe egbe.
30 Then Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal for the Lord, the God of Israel.
Le esia megbe la, Yosua tu vɔsamlekpui aɖe na Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu la ɖe Ebal to la gbɔ
31 He did what Moses, the servant of the Lord, had told the Israelites to do, as recorded in the book of the Law of Moses: an altar of uncut stones which no one has worked with iron tools. On the altar they made burnt offerings and friendship offerings to the Lord.
abe ale si Mose, Yehowa ƒe dɔla ɖo na Israelviwo be woawɔ ene. Etui abe ale si woŋlɔe ɖe Mose ƒe Segbalẽ la me ene be, “Tsɔ kpe siwo womegbã alo kpa o la tu vɔsamlekpui nam.” Yehowa gblɔ nya sia tso Ebal to la ŋuti. Nunɔlawo sa numevɔ kple ŋutifafavɔ na Yehowa le vɔsamlekpui la dzi.
32 There in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua inscribed on the stones a copy of the Law of Moses.
Yosua ŋlɔ Mose ƒe Se Ewoawo dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe ɖe vɔsamlekpui la ƒe kpeawo dzi le Israelviwo ŋkume.
33 All the Israelites, the elders, the officers, and the judges stood in two groups facing each other with the priests, the Levites, and the Ark of the Lord's Agreement between them. (Included were the foreigners as well as the native born.) Half of them stood in front of Mount Gerizim, and half in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses had ordered, for the blessing of the people this first time.
Azɔ la, Israelviwo katã, woƒe ametsitsiwo, kplɔlawo, ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo kple amedzro siwo nɔ wo dome la ma ɖe akpa eve me. Akpa ɖeka tsi tsitre ɖe Gerizim to la te, eye akpa evelia hã nɔ Ebal to la te. Nunɔlawo kɔ nubablaɖaka la nɔ akpa eveawo dome hena yayranyawo xexlẽ. Wowɔ esia abe ale si Mose ɖo na wo gbe aɖe gbe ene.
34 Then Joshua read out the whole Law—all the blessings and curses recorded in the book of the Law.
Yosua xlẽ yayranya kple fiƒodenya siwo katã Mose ŋlɔ ɖe Yehowa ƒe Segbalẽ la me la na wo.
35 Joshua read out every word of Moses' instruction to the whole Israelite assembly, including the women, the children, and the foreigners who lived among them.
Exlẽ se siwo katã Mose de na wo kpɔ la hã na ameha blibo la, si me nyɔnuwo, ɖeviwo kple amedzro siwo nɔ Israelviwo dome la hã nɔ.

< Joshua 8 >