< Yosua 2 >

1 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,
Then Joshua, son of Nun, secretly sent out two spies from Shittim. “Go and explore the land, especially around Jericho,” he told them. So they went, and stayed at the house of woman named Rahab, a prostitute. There they spent the night.
2 ke ame aɖewo yi ɖagblɔ na Yeriko fia be, Israelvi eve, ame siwo ɖi ŋkutsalawo la va ɖo dua me fiẽ ma.
But the king of Jericho was told, “Look, some Israelites have come here this evening to spy out the land.”
3 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.”
So the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab, telling her, “Hand over the men who came to visit you and stay in your house, for they've come to spy out our whole country.”
4 Ke Rahab ɣla amedzroawo, eye wògblɔ be, “Ameawo nya va afi sia do ŋgɔ na mi, gake nyemenya ne ŋkutsalawo wonye o.
The woman had taken the two men and had hidden them. She told the king's messengers, “Yes, it's true—the men did come to visit me, but I didn't know where they were from.
5 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!”
They left at sundown, just as the city gate was closing. I've no idea where they went. If you're quick, you can chase after them and maybe catch up with them.”
6 Nu si Rahab wɔe nye, ekplɔ ameawo yi xɔta, eye wòɣla wo ɖe ɖetifu si wòsia ɖe afi ma la te.
(She had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under some bundles of flax that she had lying there.)
7 Ale dɔlawo di wo yi keke Yɔdan tɔsisi la to. Esi dɔlawo dze mɔ ko la, wotu dua ƒe agbowo.
The king's messengers went chasing after the men down the road that leads to the Jordan River fords. As soon as the pursuers had left, the city gate was shut behind them.
8 Hafi woamlɔ anyi la, Rahab yi ɖagblɔ na amedzroawo be,
Before the spies went to sleep, Rachel came up to the roof to talk to them.
9 “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,
She told them, “I know that the Lord has given this land to you. We're all terrified of you. Everyone who lives here is dying of fright since you people arrived.
10 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.
We've heard how the Lord dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you when you left Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you completely destroyed.
11 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.
When we heard all this, our courage melted away. Nobody had any fighting spirit left because of you. For the Lord your God is God of heaven above and the earth below.
12 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,
So now promise me in the name of the Lord that because I have acted in good faith to you, then you will do the same for my family. Give me some sign that I can trust you,
13 be miaɖe fofonye kple danye, nɔvinye ŋutsuwo kple nɔvinye nyɔnuwo ƒe agbe kpe ɖe woƒe nunɔamesiwo ŋu, eye be míaɖe mí tso ku me.”
that you will spare my father and mother and brothers and sisters—and all who are part of their families—that you will save them from death.”
14 Amedzroawo lɔ̃, eye wodo ŋugbe nɛ be, “Ne màfia mía yomemɔ o la, ekema míakpɔ egbɔ be wò kple wò ƒometɔwo katã mianɔ dedie.
“Our lives for yours!” the men told her. “If you don't tell anyone about this, we will treat you honestly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land.”
15 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.
Then she lowered them down by a rope through the window since the house where she lived was built into the outside of the city wall.
16 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.”
“Run to the hills,” she told them. “That way those searching for you won't find you. Stay there three days until they've gone home, and then you can be on your way.”
17 Ŋutsuawo gblɔ nɛ be, “Atam si nèna míeka fifia la, mabla mí o,
The men had told her, “We will be freed from the promise you made us swear,
18 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.
unless when we enter this land, you hang a scarlet cord in the window through which you lowered us. You must gather together in the house your father and mother and brothers—all the family.
19 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.
If anyone leaves your house and is killed, that's their fault—we're not responsible for their death. But if anyone lays a hand on someone who is inside your house, we take full responsibility for their death.
20 Ke ne ègblɔ nu si wɔm míele la na ame aɖe la, atam si nèna míeka la, mabla mí o.”
But if you tell anyone about this then we will be freed from the promise you made us swear.”
21 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.
“I agree—may it be as you say,” she replied. She sent them off, and hung a scarlet cord in the window.
22 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.
They went up into the hill country and stayed there three days. The men searching for them looked all along the road, but couldn't find them, so they returned home.
23 Ŋkutsala eveawo ɖi tso toawo dzi, eye wotso tɔsisi la. Wogblɔ nya sia nya si dzɔ la na Yosua, Nun ƒe vi.
Then the two men started back. They came down from the hill country and crossed over the Jordan. They went to Joshua and explained to him all that had happened to them.
24 Wogblɔ be, “Kakaɖedzi blibo li bena, Yehowa atsɔ anyigba la katã ana mí, elabena afi ma tɔwo katã le mía vɔ̃m ŋutɔŋutɔ.”
“The Lord has placed this land in our hands,” they assured him. “All the people who live there are scared to death of us!”

< Yosua 2 >