< 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.
Afei, Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Yosua sɛ, “Nsuro anaasɛ mma wʼakoma nntu. Fa wʼasraadɔm no nyinaa na kɔto hyɛ Ai so, ɛfiri sɛ, mede Aihene, ne nkurɔfoɔ, ne kuropɔn ne nʼasase ama wo.
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.”
Wobɛsɛe wɔn sɛdeɛ wosɛee Yeriko ne ne ɔhene no. Nanso, saa ɛberɛ yi deɛ, motumi fa asadeɛ ne anantwie no. Ma wʼasraafoɔ no nkɔtɛ kuropɔn no akyi.”
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.
Na Yosua ne Israel akodɔm no siim sɛ wɔrekɔto ahyɛ Ai so. Yosua yii akodɔm ɔpeduasa, somaa wɔn anadwo,
4 He ordered them, “You lie in ambush behind the town, not far away. All of you need to be ready.
hyɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Monkɔtɛ wɔ atɛeɛ a ɛwɔ kuropɔn no akyi na monyɛ krado mma ɔko.
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.
Sɛ yɛn asraafoɔ no to hyɛ Ai so a, Ai mmarima bɛfiri adi abɛko, sɛdeɛ wɔyɛɛ kane no, na yɛbɛdwane.
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.’
Yɛbɛma wɔataa yɛn ara kɔsi sɛ wɔn nyinaa bɛfiri kuropɔn no mu. Na wɔbɛka sɛ ‘Israelfoɔ no redwane sɛdeɛ wɔyɛɛ kane no.’
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.
Afei mobɛfiri mo atɛeɛ hɔ ntɛm so akɔfa kuropɔn no, ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade, mo Onyankopɔn de bɛma mo.
8 Once you've captured the town, set it on fire, as the Lord has instructed. Now follow your orders.”
Monto kuropɔn no mu ogya sɛdeɛ Awurade ahyɛ no. Monim deɛ ɛsɛ sɛ moyɛ.”
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.
Enti, wɔfirii hɔ anadwo no kɔtɛɛ Bet-El ne Ai atɔeɛ fam ntam. Nanso, Yosua deɛ, ɔkaa nnipa no mu wɔ wɔn atenaeɛ hɔ anadwo no.
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.
Adeɛ kyee anɔpahema no, Yosua nyanee nʼakodɔm maa wɔde wɔn ani kyerɛɛ Ai a Israel ntuanofoɔ ka wɔn ho.
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.
Wɔkɔbɔɔ atenaeɛ wɔ Ai atifi fam a bɔnhwa da wɔne kuropɔn no ntam.
12 He took about five thousand men and had them lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the town.
Anadwo no, Yosua somaa akodɔm mpem enum sɛ wɔnkɔtɛ Bet-El ne Ai ntam wɔ kuropɔn no atɔeɛ fam.
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.
Enti, ɔmaa akodɔm no mu fa kɛseɛ gyinaa kuropɔn no atifi fam a na atɛfoɔ no bi nso wɔ kuropɔn no atɔeɛ fam. Yosua ankasa deɛ, ɔtenaa bɔnhwa no mu anadwo no.
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.
Aihene hunuu sɛ Israelfoɔ no wɔ bɔnhwa no fa nohoa no, ntɛm so, ɔne nʼakodɔm nyinaa sɔree anɔpahema kɔtoaa Israelfoɔ no, to hyɛɛ wɔn so wɔ Araba. Nanso, na ɔnnim sɛ atɛfoɔ bi wɔ kuropɔn no akyi.
15 Joshua and the Israelites allowed themselves to be driven back, and ran away in the direction of the wilderness.
Yosua ne ne Israel akodɔm no dwane kɔɔ ɛserɛ no so yɛɛ sɛdeɛ Aifoɔ no adi wɔn so,
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.
enti Aifoɔ no frɛɛ mmarima a wɔwɔ kuropɔn no mu no nyinaa ma wɔbɛtaa Israelfoɔ no. Ɛyɛɛ saa maa wɔn nyinaa firii kuropɔn no mu.
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.
Anka obi biara wɔ Ai anaa Bet-El a wankɔtaa Israelfoɔ, na wɔgyaa kuro no maa ano daa hɔ.
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.
Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Yosua sɛ, “Fa wo pea no kyerɛ Ai so, na mede kuropɔn no bɛma wo.” Enti, Yosua yɛɛ sɛdeɛ wɔhyɛɛ noɔ no.
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.
Yosua nyamaa atɛfoɔ no ara pɛ, wɔsɔree pankran bɔ wuraa kuropɔn no mu. Wɔfaa kuropɔn no na wɔtoo mu ogya.
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.
Aifoɔ no hwɛɛ wɔn akyi hunuu sɛ wisie kumɔnn aduru soro, na wɔannya baabi ankɔ, ɛfiri sɛ Israelfoɔ no a wɔdwane kɔɔ ɛserɛ so no danee wɔn ani taa wɔn.
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.
Ɛberɛ a Yosua ne Israelfoɔ a wɔaka no hunuu sɛ atɛfoɔ no afa kuropɔn no, na wisie ayɛ kumɔnn wɔ ewiem no, wɔdanee wɔn ho bɛto hyɛɛ Aifoɔ no so.
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.
Israelfoɔ a na wɔwɔ kuropɔn no mu firii akyire hyɛɛ aseɛ kunkumm atamfoɔ no. Enti Ai mmarima no dii nsensɛn mu na wɔn nyinaa wuwuiɛ. Anka obi biara.
23 Only the king of Ai was captured alive, and he was brought before Joshua.
Ai ɔhene nko ara na wɔkyeree no anikann de no brɛɛ 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.
Ɛberɛ a Israelfoɔ akodɔm kunkumm Ai mmarima a wɔpue firii kuropɔn no mu wieeɛ no, wɔsane kɔɔ kuropɔn no mu kɔkunkumm wɔn a wɔaka wɔ mu nyinaa.
25 Those who were killed that day numbered twelve thousand, men and women—all the inhabitants of Ai.
Enti ɛda no, wɔkunkumm nnipa a wɔwɔ Ai nyinaa; na wɔn ano si mpem dumienu.
26 For Joshua had continued to hold up his spear until all the people of Ai had been destroyed.
Yosua sɔɔ ne pea no mu saa ara kɔsii sɛ obiara a ɔte Ai no, wɔsɛee no pasaa.
27 Only the livestock and plunder were taken from the town by the Israelites, as the Lord had instructed Joshua.
Anantwie ne agyapadeɛ a ɛwɔ kuropɔn no mu nko ara na wɔansɛe no; Israelfoɔ no ankasa faeɛ, sɛdeɛ Awurade hyɛɛ Yosua no.
28 So Joshua burned the town of Ai, making it permanently into a heap of ruins where no one lives to this very day.
Enti, Ai bɛdanee mmubuiɛ esie ne asase bonini de bɛsi ɛnnɛ.
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 sɛnee Ai ɔhene wɔ dua bi so gyaa no dua no so kɔsii anwummerɛ. Owia kɔtɔeɛ no, Israelfoɔ no yii amu no de no kɔtoo kuropɔn no ɛpono ano. Wɔhyɛɛ aboɔ esie wɔ ne so a ɛda so wɔ hɔ bɛsi ɛnnɛ.
30 Then Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal for the Lord, the God of Israel.
Yosua sii afɔrebukyia maa Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn, wɔ Ebal bepɔ so.
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.
Ɔdii nkyerɛkyerɛ a Mose a ɔyɛ Awurade ɔsomfoɔ atwerɛ wɔ Mmara Nwoma no mu sɛ, “Fa aboɔ a wɔntwaeɛ na wɔmfaa adwinnadeɛ nsensenee ho si afɔrebukyia ma me.” Na wɔbɔɔ ɔhyeɛ afɔdeɛ ne asomdwoeɛ afɔdeɛ maa Awurade wɔ afɔrebukyia no so.
32 There in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua inscribed on the stones a copy of the Law of Moses.
Na Yosua twerɛɛ Mose Mmara no guu afɔrebukyia no aboɔ no so wɔ ɛberɛ a na Israelfoɔ no rehwɛ no.
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.
Afei, Israelfoɔ nyinaa, ahɔhoɔ ne ɔmanfoɔ, ntuanofoɔ, adwumayɛfoɔ ne atemmufoɔ nyinaa, wɔkyɛɛ wɔn mu akuo mmienu. Ekuo baako gyinaa Gerisim bepɔ ayaase ɛnna ekuo baako nso gyinaa Ebal bepɔ ayaase. Akuo mmienu yi dii nhwɛanimu. Na Lewifoɔ asɔfoɔ a wɔso Awurade Apam Adaka no gyinaa wɔn mfimfini. Wɔyɛɛ yeinom nyinaa sɛdeɛ Awurade ɔsomfoɔ Mose nkyerɛkyerɛ a ɔnam so hyiraa Israelfoɔ no teɛ.
34 Then Joshua read out the whole Law—all the blessings and curses recorded in the book of the Law.
Afei, Yosua kenkanee nhyira ne nnome nsɛm a Mose atwerɛ wɔ Mmara Nwoma no mu no kyerɛɛ wɔn.
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.
Asɛm biara a Mose ahyɛ no, Yosua kenkan kyerɛɛ ɔman mu no a mmaa, mmɔfra ne ahɔhoɔ a wɔne Israelfoɔ no teɛ no nso ka ho.

< Joshua 8 >