Joshua 8
1 Then Yahweh said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged [because of what happened at] Ai. Lead all of your soldiers and go there again. I will help you to defeat the king of Ai, his people, and his city, and [enable you to take] his land.
Mgbe ahụ, Onyenwe anyị sịrị Joshua, “Atụla egwu, adakwala mba. Chịrị ndị agha gị niile gaa Ai, nʼihi na ugbu a, unu onwe unu ga-emeri ha. Aga m eme ka i merie eze ndị Ai, na ndị ya na obodo ya, na ala ya.
2 Your army will do to the people of Ai and their king like what you did to the people of Jericho and their king. But this time [I will permit you to] take all their possessions and keep them for yourselves. But first, tell some of your soldiers to [hide behind] the city [and] prepare to suddenly attack it.”
Ị ga-emekwa obodo Ai na eze ya ihe i mere Jeriko na eze ya. Ma ihe dị iche na nke a bụ na unu ga-edebere onwe unu ihe niile unu kwatara nʼagha, ya bụ anụ ụlọ niile na ngwongwo obodo ahụ niile. Jikerenụ ibuso ha agha. Ọ bụkwa nʼazụ obodo ha ka unu ga-esi lụso ha agha.”
3 So Joshua led all his army toward Ai. He chose 30,000 of his best fighters/warriors and prepared to send them out during the night.
Mgbe ahụ, Joshua na ndị agha ya niile, biliri gaa ibuso Ai agha. Joshua họpụtara iri puku ndị agha atọ zipụ ha nʼabalị
4 He said to them, “Listen carefully. Some of you must hide on the other side of the city. Do not go far from the city. Just be ready [to attack].
o nyere ha iwu a, “Lee! Unu ga-aga zoo onwe unu nʼọhịa dị nʼazụ obodo Ai. Unu ezola onwe unu nʼebe dị anya site nʼobodo ahụ, kama nọọnụ nso, nọọkwanụ na njikere.
5 I and the men who are with me will march toward the city [in the morning]. The men in the city will come out to fight us, like they did before. Then we will turn around and start to run away from them.
Mụ na ndị niile so m ga-abịaru obodo ahụ nso. Mgbe ha ga-apụta ịlụso anyị ọgụ dịka ha mere na mbụ, anyị ga-agbakwa ọsọ nʼihu ha,
6 They will think that we are running away from them like we did before. So they will chase us away from the city. While we are running away,
Ha ga-achụ anyị ọsọ, tutu ruo mgbe anyị mere ka ha niile hapụ nʼobodo ha pụta. Nʼihi nʼuche ha, ha ga-asị, ‘Ha na-agbara anyị ọsọ dịka ha mere na mbụ, bịanụ ka anyị chụọ ha ọsọ gbuo ha.’ Ya mere, dịka anyị na-agbapụ site nʼebe ha nọ,
7 [those of you who are hiding come out and] rush into the city and capture it. Yahweh your God will enable you to conquer it.
unu ga-esite nʼebe unu zoro onwe unu bilie, nweta obodo ahụ, nʼihi na Onyenwe anyị Chineke unu ga-enyefe ya nʼaka unu.
8 After you capture the city, burn it. Do what Yahweh has commanded us to do. Those are the orders I am giving to you.”
Mgbe unu weere obodo ahụ, unu ga-esunye obodo ahụ ọkụ. Meenụ ihe Onyenwe anyị nyere nʼiwu. Hụnụ na unu mezuru ihe ndị a m nyere unu nʼiwu.”
9 Then Joshua [prepared to] send some of them to [hide and] wait between Ai and Bethel, which was west of Ai. But Joshua stayed with his other soldiers that night.
Mgbe Joshua nyesịrị ha iwu ndị a, o zipụrụ ha. Ha hapụkwara nʼabalị ahụ gaa zoo onwe ha nʼọhịa dị nʼetiti Betel na ọdịda anyanwụ Ai. Ma Joshua na ndị agha ndị ọzọ fọdụrụ nọdụrụ nʼabalị ahụ nʼetiti ndị Izrel.
10 Early the next morning, Joshua gathered his soldiers together. Then he and the other Israeli leaders led them up to Ai.
Nʼisi ụtụtụ echi ya, Joshua chịkọtara ndị agha ya, ya na ndị ndu Izrel gara nʼihu ha, ruo Ai.
11 They all set up their tents close to Ai, just to the north of the city, where all the people of the city could see them. There was a valley between them and the city.
Ndị agha niile ha na ya so, chere ihu ha gaa nso obodo ruo nʼihu ya. Ha mara ụlọ ikwu ha nʼakụkụ ugwu obodo Ai, ndagwurugwu bụ ihe kewara ha na obodo ahụ.
12 Then Joshua chose about 5,000 men and told them to go and hide just west of the city, between Ai and Bethel.
Joshua chịịrị ihe ruru puku ndị agha ise, zoo ha nʼakụkụ ọdịda anyanwụ obodo ahụ, nʼetiti Betel na Ai.
13 So those men did that. The main group of soldiers was north of the city, and the others were hiding west of the city. That night Joshua went down into the valley.
Ya mere, ndị agha were ọnọdụ ha nʼusoro, ndị ga-ebu agha nọ nʼakụkụ ugwu, ndị niile zoro onwe ha nʼakụkụ ọdịda anyanwụ nke obodo ahụ. Ma nʼabalị ahụ, Joshua gara nọdụ na ndagwurugwu ahụ.
14 When the king of Ai saw the Israeli army, he and his soldiers got up early the next morning and quickly went out of the city to fight them. They went to a place east of the city, but they did not know that some Israeli soldiers were hiding behind the city.
Mgbe eze Ai hụrụ nke a, ya na ndị ikom obodo ahụ niile mere ngwangwa pụọ nʼisi ụtụtụ izute ndị Izrel nʼotu ebe, nke chere ihu nʼAraba. Ma ọ mataghị na o nwere ndị agha zubere imegide ya ndị zoro onwe ha nʼọhịa dị nʼazụ obodo.
15 Joshua and the Israeli soldiers [who were with him] allowed the army of Ai to push them back. They ran toward the desert.
Joshua na ndị Izrel niile mere ka ha chụghachi ha azụ site nʼihu ha, ha gbara ọsọ na-aga akụkụ ọzara ahụ niile dịka ndị e meriri emeri.
16 The men in Ai were ordered to chase after Joshua and his men. So they left the city and started to pursue the Israelis.
Nʼihi nke a, a kpọkuru ndị ikom niile nọ nʼime obodo Ai sị ha pụta bịa chụọ ụmụ Izrel ọsọ, ha chụrụ Joshua na-aga, e si otu a rapụta ha nʼebe dị anya site nʼobodo ahụ.
17 All the men of Ai and the men of Bethel pursued the Israeli army. They did not leave even one man in Ai to defend it. The [gates of the] city were left wide open.
Ọ dịkwaghị otu onye nwoke nke fọdụrụ na Ai maọbụ na Betel. Ha hapụkwara obodo ahụ ka o ghere oghe, gaa ịchụ ndị Izrel ọsọ.
18 Then Yahweh said to Joshua, “[Lift up] your spear [and] point it toward Ai, because I am going to enable your soldiers to capture it!” So Joshua pointed [his spear] toward Ai.
Mgbe ahụ, Onyenwe anyị kpọrọ Joshua sị ya, “Setịpụ ùbe dị gị nʼaka nʼụzọ Ai, nʼihi na aga m enye gị obodo a.” Joshua mere dịka Onyenwe anyị gwara ya.
19 When the Israeli men who were hiding saw that, they rushed out from the places where they were hiding and ran into the city. They quickly captured it and set it on fire.
Mgbe ndị agha ahụ zoro onwe ha nʼime ọhịa lere anya hụ na Joshua setịrị aka ya, ngwangwa, ha wụpụtara site nʼebe ha zoro onwe ha, gbara ọsọ gbaba nʼobodo Ai, merie ya, mụnye ya ọkụ.
20 When the men of Ai looked back, they saw smoke rising from their city. But they could not escape, because the Israeli troops stopped running away.
Ma mgbe ndị agha Ai lere anya nʼazụ, hụ ka anwụrụ ọkụ si nʼobodo ha na-alali elu, ha dara mba nʼime onwe ha. Ohere ọbụla adịghịkwa nye ha ịgbalaga gaa otu ụzọ maọbụ ụzọ ọzọ. Nʼihi na ndị Izrel ahụ buuru ụzọ gbaa ọsọ, ndị ahụ gbara na-aga nʼọzara, chigharịrị bido ịlụso ndị agha Ai ahụ na-achụ ha ọsọ ọgụ.
21 Joshua and his men saw that the men who had been hiding had captured the city and were burning it, and they saw the smoke rising. So they turned around and started to attack the men of Ai.
Nʼihi na mgbe Joshua na ndị agha Izrel so ya lepụrụ anya hụ ka anwụrụ ọkụ si nʼobodo Ai na-arịgo elu, ha matara na ndị ha zoro onwe ha nʼọhịa abanyela obodo Ai, lụgbuo ya. Ya mere, Joshua na ndị agha so ya tụgharịrị bido igbu ndị agha obodo Ai.
22 Meanwhile, the soldiers who had captured the city came out [and attacked them from the rear]. So the men of Ai were caught between the two groups of Israeli soldiers. None of the men of Ai escaped. The Israelis fought until they killed all of them. Only the king of Ai was still alive.
Ndị agha Izrel ahụ gara kpọọ obodo ahụ ọkụ pụtakwara, site nʼobodo ahụ, bido ịlụso ndị agha Ai ọgụ. Nke a mere ka ndị agha Ai nọdụ nʼetiti ụzọ ndị agha Izrel abụọ. Otu nʼihu ha, ndị nke ọzọ nʼazụ ha. Ya mere, ndị agha Izrel menyụrụ ha anya, gbuo ha, ruo na ọ dịkwaghị otu onye fọdụrụ nʼime ha, maọbụ onye gbapụrụ agbapụ.
23 Then they seized the king of Ai and brought him to Joshua.
Naanị eze Ai ka e jidere na ndụ. A kpọtakwara ya bịaruo nʼebe Joshua nọ.
24 While they were fighting, the Israeli army pursued the men of Ai into the fields and into the desert, and killed all of them. Then they went to Ai and killed everyone who was there.
Mgbe ndị agha Izrel gbusịrị ndị agha Ai niile nọ nʼọhịa na nʼọzara, ha lọghachiri azụ gbuo ndị niile fọdụrụ nʼime obodo ahụ.
25 They killed 12,000 men and women.
Ndị niile e gburu nʼụbọchị ahụ, ma nwoke ma nwanyị dị puku iri na abụọ. Ọ bụkwa ndị niile nọ nʼobodo ahụ ka e gburu.
26 Joshua continued to point his spear [LIT] toward Ai, until all the people in Ai had been killed.
Nʼihi na Joshua nọgidere setịpụ ùbe o ji nʼaka ya, megide obodo Ai, tutu e bibie ndị niile nọ nʼobodo ahụ kpamkpam.
27 The Israeli soldiers took for themselves the animals and the other things that had belonged to the people of Ai, just like Yahweh had told Joshua that they should do.
Ma ndị Izrel kwaara anụ ụlọ, na ihe nkwata nʼagha nke obodo ahụ, dịka okwu Onyenwe anyị nyere Joshua nʼiwu si dị.
28 Joshua and his soldiers burned Ai city and caused it to become a pile of ruins. It is still like that today.
Ya mere, Joshua kpọrọ obodo Ai ọkụ, mee ya ka ọ ghọọ mkpọmkpọ ebe nke tọgbọrọ nʼefu ruo taa.
29 Joshua hanged the king of Ai on a tree and left his corpse hanging there until the evening. At sunset Joshua told his men to take the king’s corpse down from the tree and to throw it on the ground at the city gate. [After they did that], they piled a lot of rocks on top of the corpse, and that pile of rocks is still there.
Ma Joshua kwụbara eze ndị Ai nʼelu osisi site nʼụtụtụ ruo nʼanyasị. Mgbe anyanwụ dara, Joshua nyere iwu ka e wedata ozu eze Ai site nʼosisi ahụ, tụsa ya nʼihu ọnụ ụzọ e si abata obodo ahụ. Emesịa, ha tụkọtara ọtụtụ nkume nʼelu ya. Nkume ahụ ha tụkọtara dịkwa nʼebe ahụ ruo taa.
30 Joshua [told his men to] build on Ebal Mountain an altar for Yahweh, the God [who is worshiped by] the Israeli people.
Mgbe ahụ, Joshua wuuru Onyenwe anyị, Chineke Izrel ebe ịchụ aja nʼelu ugwu Ebal,
31 They built it just like Moses, the man who served God [well], had written previously in the laws [that God had given to him]. They made it from stones that had not been cut using iron tools. The Israelis then offered sacrifices to Yahweh that were burned completely on the altar. They also offered sacrifices to restore fellowship with Yahweh.
dịka Mosis onyeozi Onyenwe anyị nyere ndị Izrel nʼiwu. O wuru ya dịka ihe e dere nʼakwụkwọ iwu Mosis si dị, ebe ịchụ aja a na-ejighị nkume a wara awa wuo, nkume a na-ejighị ngwa ọrụ igwe waa. Nʼelu ebe ịchụ aja a ka ha chụụrụ Onyenwe anyị aja nsure ọkụ na aja udo.
32 As the Israelis watched, Joshua wrote on stones the laws that [Yahweh had given] to Moses previously.
Ma mgbe ndị Izrel nọ na-ele anya, Joshua depụtara iwu ndị ahụ Mosis nyere ha nʼelu nkume.
33 The Israeli leaders, the officials, the judges, and other Israelis were there, standing nearby. Many people who were not Israelis were also there. Half of the people stood [on one side of the valley] below Ebal Mountain, and the other half of the people stood [on the other side of the valley] below Gerizim Mountain. The sacred chest was [in the valley] between the two groups. That was what Moses had previously commanded that the people should do when [Yahweh was about to] bless them.
Izrel niile, ha na ndị okenye ha, na ndị ọchịagha ha, na ndị ikpe ha, guzo nʼakụkụ abụọ nke igbe ọgbụgba ndụ Onyenwe anyị, na ncherita ihu ndị nchụaja, bụ ndị Livayị ndị na-ebu ya. Ma ndị ọbịa bi nʼetiti ha, ma ndị amụrụ nʼala ahụ nọ nʼebe ahụ. Ọkara nʼime ha gara guzo nʼakụkụ ugwu Gerizim, ọkara ndị ọzọ guzoro nʼakụkụ ugwu Ebal, dịka Mosis onyeozi Onyenwe anyị nyere nʼiwu na mbụ, na ha ga-agọzi ndị Izrel.
34 Then Joshua read [to the people] all that [Moses] had written previously. That included what Yahweh had taught them and the ways [that he promised] to bless them [if they obeyed his commands], or to curse them [if they disobeyed them].
Emesịa, Joshua gụpụtara na ntị ha, okwu niile nke iwu ahụ, ya na ngọzị na ọbụbụ ọnụ so ya, dịka ihe niile e dere nʼAkwụkwọ Iwu si dị.
35 All the Israelis gathered together [to listen]—the men, the women, and the children. The (foreigners/people who were not Israelis) who were living among them also listened, while Joshua read all the commands that Moses had written.
Iwu niile Mosis nyere ha ka Joshua gụpụtara na ntị ndị Izrel niile. Ndị inyom na ụmụntakịrị, na ndị ọbịa niile bi nʼetiti ụmụ Izrel so nọkọọ nʼoge a ndị Izrel niile zukọrọ.
