< Joshua 2 >

1 Then Joshua [chose] two men from [their camp at] Acacia. He told them, “Go [across the Jordan River] and secretly find out all that you can about the land on that side of the river, especially about Jericho [city].” So the two men crossed [the river and entered Jericho]. They entered the house of a prostitute, whose name was Rahab. They stayed in her house [that night].
Yosua, Nun ƒe vi la dɔ ŋkutsala eve tso Israelviwo ƒe asaɖa la me le Sitim be woatso tɔsisi la, eye woalé ŋku ɖe nuwo ŋu le afi ma le adzame, vevietɔ le Yeriko. Ŋkutsalawo yi ɖadze gbolo aɖe si ŋkɔe nye Rahab la gbɔ. Wodi be yewoanɔ afi ma ŋkeke eve,
2 But someone [saw them and] told the king of Jericho, “Some Israeli men have come here tonight to spy out the land!”
ke ame aɖewo yi ɖagblɔ na Yeriko fia be, Israelvi eve, ame siwo ɖi ŋkutsalawo la va ɖo dua me fiẽ ma.
3 So the king sent some messengers to tell Rahab, “Bring out the men who came and entered your house, [so that we can kill them], because they have come [here] to (spy out/find out all they can about) this land!”
Ale fia la dɔ dɔlawo ɖo ɖe Rahab be, “Ɖe asi le amedzroawo ŋu, elabena ŋkutsalawo wonye, eye Israelviwo ƒe kplɔlawoe ɖo wo ɖa be woadi mɔ nyuitɔ si dzi woato aho aʋa ɖe mía ŋu.”
4 She told them that the two men had gone to her house. But she had hidden the two men there. So when the messengers came to her house, she told them, “Two men came here, but I did not know where they had come from.
Ke Rahab ɣla amedzroawo, eye wògblɔ be, “Ameawo nya va afi sia do ŋgɔ na mi, gake nyemenya ne ŋkutsalawo wonye o.
5 At dusk, just before (guards closed the city gate/the city gates were closed), the two men left. I do not know where they went. So, go quickly and search for them! Perhaps you may catch them!”
Wodzo esi xexea me de asi tsyɔtsyɔ me, eye wòsusɔ vie woatu dua ƒe agbowo. Nyemenya afi si woyi o, ne mieɖe abla la, ɖewohĩ miatu wo!”
6 But [she was lying, ] she had taken the two men up to the [flat] roof of her house and had hidden them under the piles of flax that she had laid on the roof.
Nu si Rahab wɔe nye, ekplɔ ameawo yi xɔta, eye wòɣla wo ɖe ɖetifu si wòsia ɖe afi ma la te.
7 The messengers went out of the city to search for the two men. Immediately, the guards shut the city gate. The messengers went along the road that leads down to the place where people can walk across the Jordan [River], [but they did not find the two men].
Ale dɔlawo di wo yi keke Yɔdan tɔsisi la to. Esi dɔlawo dze mɔ ko la, wotu dua ƒe agbowo.
8 Before the two men lay down [to sleep] that night, Rahab went up to the roof
Hafi woamlɔ anyi la, Rahab yi ɖagblɔ na amedzroawo be,
9 and said to them, “We know that Yahweh [is about to] give this land to you Israelis, and as a result all the people living in this land are terrified because of you.
“Menyae nyuie be Yehowa le míaƒe anyigba tsɔ ge na mi. Mí katã míele mia vɔ̃m. Miaƒe ŋkɔ ‘Israel’ sese ɖeɖe hã dea vɔvɔ̃ lãme na ame sia ame,
10 We have heard about how Yahweh dried up the water of the Red Sea for you to cross it when you left Egypt. And we have heard how you killed Sihon and Og, the two kings of the tribe of Amor who lived east of the Jordan [River]. You [Israelis] totally destroyed everyone [and everything in their kingdom].
elabena míese ale si Yehowa ɖe mɔ to Ƒu Dzĩ la me na mi esi miedzo le Egipte! Míenya nu si miewɔ Sixɔn kple Ɔg, Amoritɔwo ƒe fia eve siwo le Yɔdan tɔsisi la ƒe ɣedzeƒe lɔƒo kple ale si miegblẽ woƒe anyigba, eye mietsrɔ̃ dukɔ blibo la gbidigbidi.
11 When we heard about those things, we were very dismayed. We no longer have enough courage to fight against you, because we know that Yahweh, the God whom you [worship], is helping you. [And we know that] he rules everything in heaven and here on earth.
Nu sia ta míele mia vɔ̃m ŋutɔŋutɔ! Nya siawo sese ɖe dzi le mía ƒo, elabena Yehowa, miaƒe Mawue nye Mawu gã le dziƒo, eye menye mawu dzodzro aɖeke o.
12 So now [I want you to] solemnly promise me, and ask Yahweh to punish you if you do not do what you promise. Solemnly promise me that you will act kindly to me and my family, because I have acted kindly to you.
Ke azɔ la, mika atam nam kple Yehowa, miaƒe Mawu la be miave nye ƒometɔwo nu, elabena nye hã menyo dɔ me na mi. Azɔ mina dzesim abe kakaɖedzi ene,
13 Do something to prove that you will (spare the lives of/not kill) my father and my mother, my brothers and sisters, and all of their families. Promise me that you [Israelis] will not kill us [when you destroy this city].”
be miaɖe fofonye kple danye, nɔvinye ŋutsuwo kple nɔvinye nyɔnuwo ƒe agbe kpe ɖe woƒe nunɔamesiwo ŋu, eye be míaɖe mí tso ku me.”
14 The two men replied, “We desire that God will cause us to die if we do not do as we say! If you do not tell others what we [are planning to] do, we will act kindly toward you all when Yahweh enables us to possess the land.”
Amedzroawo lɔ̃, eye wodo ŋugbe nɛ be, “Ne màfia mía yomemɔ o la, ekema míakpɔ egbɔ be wò kple wò ƒometɔwo katã mianɔ dedie.
15 [One of] the outside walls of the house where Rahab lived was part of the wall [that was around] the city. So she fastened a rope outside the window [that was in that wall], by which the men could climb down the wall.
Míatsɔ míaƒe agbe aʋli mia ta.” Esi Rahab ƒe xɔta kɔ wu dua ƒe gliwo ta la, esa ka legbe aɖe ɖe eƒe fesreti ŋu, eye wòna amedzroawo ɖiɖi to ka la ŋu ɖe anyigba le dua godo.
16 Then she said to them, “When you leave the city, go up into the hills so that the men who are searching for you will not find you. Hide in caves in the hills for three days, until the men who are searching for you return to the city. Then you can return safely to your camp.”
Rahab gblɔ na ŋkutsalawo be, “Misi yi toawo dzi. Minɔ afi ma ŋkeke etɔ̃ va se ɖe esime ame siwo le mia dim la natrɔ agbɔ, ekema miate ŋu atrɔ adzo azɔ.”
17 The two men [gave her a red cord, and] said to her, “This is what you must do; if you do not do this, we will not be required to do what we have vowed to do.
Ŋutsuawo gblɔ nɛ be, “Atam si nèna míeka fifia la, mabla mí o,
18 You must tie this red cord in the window that has the rope by which we will climb down. You must let the cord hang there. And you must bring your father and your mother and your brothers and all the others in your family inside the house. Then, when our army enters your land, we will see the cord, and we will not kill the people in your house.
negbe ne míege ɖe anyigba la dzi, eye nètsɔ avɔ dzĩ tsi ɖe fesre si nètsɔ mí toe la nu, eye ne mèkplɔ fofowò kple dawò, nɔviwò ŋutsuwo kple wò ƒometɔwo katã va wò aƒe me o la, míedze agɔ o.
19 If anyone in your family goes outside this house into the street, [our soldiers] will kill them, and we will not be guilty [MTY] for doing that. But if anyone who is in this house with you is injured, we will be guilty for causing that.
Ne ame aɖe do go le wò aƒe me yi mɔtata dzi la, eƒe ʋu anɔ eya ŋutɔ ƒe ta dzi, menye míawoe wɔe o. Ke hena ame siwo anɔ wò aƒe me la, amea ƒe ʋu ava míaƒe ta dzi ne míeka asi eŋuti.
20 But if you tell anyone what we [are planning to] do, we are not required to do what we have vowed to do.”
Ke ne ègblɔ nu si wɔm míele la na ame aɖe la, atam si nèna míeka la, mabla mí o.”
21 Rahab said, “I agree to do what you say.” So they climbed down the rope and left. And she left the red cord tied in the window.
Rahab gblɔ na wo bena, “Melɔ̃ ɖe miaƒe ɖoɖo siawo dzi abe ale si miegblɔe ene.” Ale wòɖe asi le wo ŋu woyi. Ke etsi ka dzĩ la ɖe fesreti la ŋu.
22 When the two men left the city, they went up into the hills. They stayed there for three days, while the men [who had been sent by the king] continued to search for them. They searched all along the road, but they did not find the two men. So they returned to the city.
Ŋkutsalawo yi toawo dzi, eye wonɔ afi ma ŋkeke etɔ̃ va se ɖe esime ame siwo nɔ wo yome tim la di wo le afi sia afi le mɔa dzi do kpoe, eye wotrɔ gbɔ va dua me.
23 Then the two men started back toward their camp. They went down from the hills, went down to the river, crossed it at the place where people can walk across it, and returned to their camp. They told Joshua everything that had happened to them.
Ŋkutsala eveawo ɖi tso toawo dzi, eye wotso tɔsisi la. Wogblɔ nya sia nya si dzɔ la na Yosua, Nun ƒe vi.
24 They said to Joshua, “We are sure that Yahweh is going to enable us to possess everything that is in that land. The people there are terrified [IDM] because of us.”
Wogblɔ be, “Kakaɖedzi blibo li bena, Yehowa atsɔ anyigba la katã ana mí, elabena afi ma tɔwo katã le mía vɔ̃m ŋutɔŋutɔ.”

< Joshua 2 >