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.
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 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.”
Khonale uzakwenza owakwenza eJerikho lenkosini yakhona, kodwa lingazithathela impahla zonke eliyabe lizithumbile lezifuyo kube ngokwenu. Cathamani ngemva kwedolobho.”
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.
Ngakho uJoshuwa lebutho lonke baphuma bayahlasela i-Ayi. Wakhetha amabutho azinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amathathu ayezingcitshi ukwedlula amanye ekulweni, wasewathuma ebusuku.
4 He ordered them, “You lie in ambush behind the town, not far away. All of you need to be ready.
Wawalaya wathi, “Lalelisisani, kumele licathame ngemva kwedolobho. Lingaze laya khatshana lalo. Lonke kumele lihlale liqaphele.
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.
Mina lalabo engizabe ngilabo sizaqhubeka siqonde edolobheni, kuthi nxa amadoda ephuma ukusihlasela njengalokho akwenza kuqala, sizawabalekela.
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.’
Bazaxotshana lathi size sibahugele khatshana ledolobho, ngoba bazakuthi, ‘Bayasibalekela njengalokhu abakwenza kuqala.’ Ngakho nxa sesibabalekela,
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.
lina lizavuka lapho eliyabe licathame khona beselithumba idolobho. UThixo uNkulunkulu wenu uzalinikela ezandleni zenu.
8 Once you've captured the town, set it on fire, as the Lord has instructed. Now follow your orders.”
Nxa selilithumbile idolobho, lithungeleni ngomlilo. Yenzani lokho okulaywe nguThixo. Wobani leqiniso lokuthi lilandela iziqondiso zami.”
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.
UJoshuwa wasebalaya ukuthi bahambe, basebesiya endaweni okwakumele bacathame kuyo phakathi kweBhetheli le-Ayi, entshonalanga ye-Ayi kodwa uJoshuwa waqeda ubusuku lobo elabantu.
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.
Ekuseni ngelanga elilandelayo uJoshuwa waqoqa amabutho akhe, kwathi yena labadala bako-Israyeli bahamba phambi kwabo besiya e-Ayi.
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.
Iviyo lonke lalabo ayelabo lahamba laya edolobheni lafika lema phambi kwabo. Bamisa izihonqo enyakatho ye-Ayi, isigodi siphakathi kwabo ledolobho.
12 He took about five thousand men and had them lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the town.
UJoshuwa wayethethe amadoda aphosa afike kunkulungwane ezinhlanu wawacathamisa phakathi kweBhetheli le-Ayi entshonalanga yedolobho.
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.
Benza ukuthi amabutho aye ezikhundleni zawo zonke ezaziphakathi kwezihonqo enyakatho yedolobho lendaweni yokucathamela eyayisentshonalanga yalo. Ngalobobusuku uJoshuwa waya esigodini.
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.
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 the Israelites allowed themselves to be driven back, and ran away in the direction of the wilderness.
UJoshuwa labantu bonke bako-Israyeli bathambela ukubuyiselwa emuva, babalekela enkangala.
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.
Wonke amadoda e-Ayi atshelwa ukuthi abaxotshe, basebexotshana loJoshuwa badonselwa khatshana ledolobho.
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.
Kakukho lendoda eyodwa eyasala e-Ayi kumbe eBhetheli engazanga ixotshane labako-Israyeli.
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.
UThixo wasesithi kuJoshuwa, “Phakamisa umkhonto osesandleni ukhombe e-Ayi, ngenxa yokuthi idolobho leli ngizalinikela ezandleni zakho.” Ngakho uJoshuwa wakhombela e-Ayi ngomkhonto wakhe.
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.
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 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.
Amadoda e-Ayi anyemukula abona intuthu eyayisuka edolobheni iqonga emayezini kodwa aswela ukuthi azabalekela ngaphi ngoba abako-Israyeli ababebalekele enkangala basebephendukele labo ababebaxotsha.
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.
Kwathi uJoshuwa labako-Israyeli bonke bebona ukuthi labo ababecatheme basebethumbe idolobho lokuthi intuthu yayiqonga emayezini ivela edolobheni, batshibilika baqalisa ukuhlasela amadoda ase-Ayi.
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.
Amadoda ayecatheme lawo aphuma edolobheni abahlasela, okwenza ukuthi babe phakathi laphakathi, inxa zombili zilabako-Israyeli. Abako-Israyeli babatshaya bababhuqa akwaze kwasala muntu owaphunyukayo.
23 Only the king of Ai was captured alive, and he was brought before Joshua.
Kodwa bathatha inkosi yase-Ayi iphila basebeyiletha kuJoshuwa.
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.
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 Those who were killed that day numbered twelve thousand, men and women—all the inhabitants of Ai.
Amadoda labesifazane abazinkulungwane ezilitshumi lambili bafa ngalelolanga, bonke kungabantu be-Ayi,
26 For Joshua had continued to hold up his spear until all the people of Ai had been destroyed.
ngoba uJoshuwa kazange ehlise isandla sakhe esiphethe umkhonto ngawo baze babhujiswa bonke abantu ababehlala e-Ayi.
27 Only the livestock and plunder were taken from the town by the Israelites, as the Lord had instructed Joshua.
Kodwa abako-Israyeli bathatha zonke izifuyo lempango yonke eyayithunjwe kulelodolobho njengokulaywa kukaJoshuwa nguThixo.
28 So Joshua burned the town of Ai, making it permanently into a heap of ruins where no one lives to this very day.
UJoshuwa watshisa i-Ayi wayenza yaba lunxiwa oluyinqwaba, indawo engelakuhlalwa muntu kuze kube lamhlanje.
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.
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 Then Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal for the Lord, the God of Israel.
UJoshuwa wasesakhela uThixo, uNkulunkulu wako-Israyeli i-alithari e-Ebhali.
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.
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 There in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua inscribed on the stones a copy of the Law of Moses.
Lapho, phambi kwabako-Israyeli uJoshuwa waloba ematsheni umthetho kaMosi ayewubhalile.
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.
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 Then Joshua read out the whole Law—all the blessings and curses recorded in the book of the Law.
Emva kwalokho uJoshuwa wafunda wonke amazwi omthetho, izibusiso leziqalekiso, njengokulotshwa okwenziwe eNcwadini yeMithetho.
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.
Kakulalizwi elalaywa nguMosi elingazanga lifundwe nguJoshuwa phambi kombuthano wonke wako-Israyeli kugoqela abesifazane labantwana labezizweni ababehlala phakathi kwabo.
