Yosua 8
1 Yehowa gblɔ na Yosua be, “Mègavɔ̃ o, eye dzi megaɖe le ƒowò o. Kplɔ aʋakɔ blibo la yi Ai, elabena ɣeyiɣi la de na mi azɔ be miaɖu Ai dzi. Metsɔ Ai fia kple eƒe ameawo katã de asi na mi.
Then the Lord said to Joshua: “You should not fear, and you should not dread. Take with you the entire multitude of fighters, and rising up, ascend to the town of Ai. Behold, I have delivered into your hand its king and people, and the city and the land.
2 Miatsrɔ̃ wo abe ale si mietsrɔ̃ Yeriko kple woƒe fia ene. Ke azɔ ya la, miate ŋu atsɔ woƒe nuwo kple woƒe nyi siwo mieha la woazu mia tɔ. Na ameawo nade xa ɖe dua godo.”
And you shall do to the city of Ai, and to its king, just as you did to Jericho, and to its king. Yet truly, the spoils, and all the living things, you shall plunder for yourselves. Set an ambush against the city behind it.”
3 Ale Yosua dzra ɖo hena aʋahoho ɖe Ai ŋu kple eƒe aʋawɔlawo katã. Etia eƒe asrafo nyuitɔwo akpe blaetɔ̃ ɖo ɖa le zã me;
And Joshua rose up, and the entire army of warriors with him, so that they might ascend against Ai. And he sent thirty thousand elect strong men in the night.
4 egblɔ na wo do ŋgɔ be, “Mide xa ɖe dua ƒe akpa kemɛ, migade megbe tso dua ŋu fũu o, eye minɔ ŋudzɔ na wo dzi dzedze.”
And he instructed them, saying: “Set an ambush behind the city. You shall withdraw not far away, and let everyone be prepared.
5 Egagblɔ na wo be, “Ne míaƒe aʋakɔ blibo la ho aʋa ɖe Aitɔwo ŋu la, Aitɔwo ado go ava kpe mí na aʋawɔwɔ abe ale si wowɔ zi gbãtɔ ene.
But I and the remainder of the multitude that is with me will approach from the opposite side of the city. And when they come out against us, we will flee and turn our backs, just as we did before,
6 Ekema míade asi sisi me, eye woakplɔ mí ɖo va se ɖe esi woƒe aʋawɔlawo katã ado go le dua me. Woagblɔ be, ‘Israelviwo gale sisim abe ale si wowɔ zi gbãtɔ ene!’
until, pursuing us, they are drawn away from the city. For they will think that we are fleeing as before.
7 Ekema miado tso afi si miede xa ɖo, age ɖe dua me, elabena Yehowa miaƒe Mawu atsɔe na mí.
Then, while we are fleeing and they are pursuing, you shall rise up from the ambush, and you shall lay waste to the city. And the Lord your God will deliver it into your hands.
8 Mitɔ dzo dua abe ale si Yehowa ɖo na mí ene. Esiawoe nye nye ɖoɖowo na mi.”
And when you have seized it, set it on fire. And you shall do all that I have ordered.”
9 Ale wodze mɔ zã ma me yi ɖade xa ɖe Betel kple Ai ƒe ɣetoɖoƒe gome, le esime Yosua kple aʋawɔla bubuawo tsi asaɖa la me le Yeriko.
And he sent them away, and they traveled to the place of the ambush, and they settled between Bethel and Ai, toward the western region of the city of Ai. But Joshua remained for that night in the midst of the people.
10 Esi ŋu ke ŋdi kanya la, Yosua yɔ aʋawɔlawo, eye woawo kple Israel ƒe ametsitsiwo ɖo ta Ai.
And rising at first light, he reviewed his troops, and he went up, with the elders at the front of the army, surrounded by an auxiliary of fighters.
11 Yosua kple aʋawɔla siwo nɔ eŋu la yi ɖe dua ƒe agbo gãtɔ gbɔ, woƒu asaɖa anyi ɖe anyiehe lɔƒo, eye balime aɖe nɔ asaɖa la kple Ai du la dome.
And when they had arrived, and had ascended from the opposite side of the city, they stood toward the northern region of the city. And there was a valley in the middle, between them and the city.
12 Eɣla ame abe akpe atɔ̃ ene ɖe dua ƒe ɣetoɖoƒe lɔƒo, le Betel kple Ai dome.
Now he had chosen five thousand men, and he had positioned them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, at the western part of the same city.
13 Woɖo asrafoawo ɖe aʋawɔwɔ ŋu, ame geɖewo nɔ dua ƒe anyiehe lɔƒo, eye mamlɛawo nɔ dua ƒe ɣetoɖoƒe lɔƒo. Yosua tsi balime la le zã ma me.
Yet truly, all the remainder of the army was arranged in a line to the north, so that the very end of that multitude reached to the western region of the city. Then Joshua went out that night, and he stood in the middle of the valley.
14 Ai fia kpɔ Israelviwo ɖa le balime la godo, eye wòkpe aʋa kpli wo le Araba gbedzi ŋdi kanya, ke menya be futɔwo de xa ɖe dua godo o.
And when the king of Ai had seen this, he hurried in the morning, and he went out with the entire army of the city. And he arranged them in a line opposite the desert, not knowing that an ambush lay hidden behind his back.
15 Yosua kple eƒe Israelviwo si to gbegbe la abe ɖe nugbe menyo na wo o ene.
Yet truly, Joshua, and all of Israel, withdrew from the place, pretending to be afraid, and fleeing along the way of the wilderness.
16 Ale Ai fia ɖe gbe na eƒe asrafo siwo katã nɔ dua me la be woati Israelviwo yome. Ale dutaʋlilawo vɔ le dua me;
And they pursued them, shouting together and encouraging one another. And when they had withdrawn from the city,
17 asrafo aɖeke kura meganɔ Ai alo Betel o. Gawu la, woʋu Ai ƒe agbowo da ɖi siãa.
and indeed not one remained in the city of Ai and of Bethel who did not pursue after Israel, (leaving the towns open after they had rushed out, )
18 Yehowa gblɔ na Yosua be, “Tsɔ wò akplɔ do ɖe Ai lɔƒo, elabena matsɔ du la ana wò.” Yosua wɔ nenema.
the Lord said to Joshua: “Lift up the shield that is in your hand, toward the city of Ai. For I will deliver it to you.”
19 Esi xadelawo kpɔ Yosua ƒe dzesia ko la, wolũ ɖe dua dzi, ge ɖe eme eye wotɔ dzoe.
And when he had lifted up the shield toward the city, the ambush, which lay hidden, rose up quickly. And advancing to the city, they seized it, and set it on fire.
20 Aitɔwo ƒe aʋawɔlawo nye kɔ kpɔ megbe, kasia wokpɔ dzudzɔ la wòyi ɖatɔ keke dziŋgɔli. Mɔ aɖeke meganɔ anyi na sisi o, elabena Israelviwo, ame siwo si ɖo ta gbegbe la, trɔ hena aʋawɔwɔ kpli wo azɔ.
Now the men of the city who were pursuing Joshua, looking back and seeing the smoke of the city rising up even to heaven, were no longer able to flee in one direction or another, especially since those who had pretended to flee, and who were heading toward the wilderness, had turned back very strongly against those who were pursuing them.
21 Yosua kple Israelviwo katã kpɔ be yewoƒe amewo xɔ dua, eye wotɔ dzoe, eya ta wotrɔ hede asi Aitɔwo wuwu me.
And Joshua, and all of Israel, seeing that the city had been captured, and that the smoke of the city was ascending, returned and struck down the men of Ai.
22 Israelvi siwo nɔ Ai dua me la do go tso dua me, eye wode asi Aitɔwo wuwu me tso megbe. Ale Aitɔwo tsi Israelviwo dome, eye wowu wo katã, ame ɖeka pɛ gɔ̃ hã metsi agbe alo si o,
Then too, those who had seized and set the city on fire, departing from the city toward their own men, began to strike the enemies in the middle. Therefore, since the adversaries were cut off from both sides, none of so great a multitude was saved.
23 negbe Ai fia, ame si wolé kplɔ vɛ na Yosua.
Also, they apprehended the king of the city of Ai, alive, and they brought him before Joshua.
24 Esi Israelviwo wu Aitɔ siwo nɔ dua godo vɔ la, wotrɔ yi dua me, eye wowu ame siwo katã ganɔ dua me.
And so, after all were slain who had pursued Israel fleeing toward the wilderness, and after they fell by the sword in the same place, the sons of Israel returned and struck the city.
25 Ale wowu ame akpe wuieve siwo nye Aitɔwo katã la gbe ma gbe.
Now there were twelve thousand persons who had fallen on the same day, from man even to woman, the entire city of Ai.
26 Yosua lé eƒe akplɔ do ɖe Ai du la gbɔ va se ɖe esime wowu Aitɔ mamlɛa.
Truly Joshua did not draw back his hand, which he had stretched out on high, keeping hold of the shield until all the inhabitants of Ai were put to death.
27 Aitɔwo ƒe lãwo kple kesinɔnuwo ko wometsrɔ̃ o, elabena Israelviwo ƒe aʋawɔlawo tsɔ wo na wo ɖokuiwo. Yehowa ŋutɔe gblɔe na Yosua be woate ŋu atsɔ wo.
Then the sons of Israel divided among themselves the cattle and the plunder of the city, just as the Lord had instructed Joshua.
28 Ale Ai trɔ zu gli gbagbã siwo woli kɔe ɖi va se ɖe egbe.
And he set fire to the city, and he caused it to be a perpetual tomb.
29 Yosua de ka ve na Ai fia ɖe ati aɖe ŋu, ke esi ɣe nɔ to ɖom la, eɖee tsɔ ƒu gbe ɖe dua ƒe agbo ŋgɔ. Wofɔ kpe gãwo li kɔ ɖe edzi. Kpeawo gali va se ɖe egbe.
Also, he suspended the king on a gallows, until evening and the setting of the sun. And Joshua instructed, and they took down his dead body from the hanging tree. And they cast it at the very entrance of the city, gathering a great pile of stones upon it, which remains even to the present day.
30 Le esia megbe la, Yosua tu vɔsamlekpui aɖe na Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu la ɖe Ebal to la gbɔ
Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal,
31 abe ale si Mose, Yehowa ƒe dɔla ɖo na Israelviwo be woawɔ ene. Etui abe ale si woŋlɔe ɖe Mose ƒe Segbalẽ la me ene be, “Tsɔ kpe siwo womegbã alo kpa o la tu vɔsamlekpui nam.” Yehowa gblɔ nya sia tso Ebal to la ŋuti. Nunɔlawo sa numevɔ kple ŋutifafavɔ na Yehowa le vɔsamlekpui la dzi.
just as Moses, the servant of the Lord, had instructed to the sons of Israel, and this was written in the book of the law of Moses: truly, an altar of uncut stones, which iron has not touched. And he offered holocausts upon it to the Lord, and he immolated victims as peace-offerings.
32 Yosua ŋlɔ Mose ƒe Se Ewoawo dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe ɖe vɔsamlekpui la ƒe kpeawo dzi le Israelviwo ŋkume.
And he wrote on the stones, the Deuteronomy of the law of Moses, which he had set in order before the sons of Israel.
33 Azɔ la, Israelviwo katã, woƒe ametsitsiwo, kplɔlawo, ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo kple amedzro siwo nɔ wo dome la ma ɖe akpa eve me. Akpa ɖeka tsi tsitre ɖe Gerizim to la te, eye akpa evelia hã nɔ Ebal to la te. Nunɔlawo kɔ nubablaɖaka la nɔ akpa eveawo dome hena yayranyawo xexlẽ. Wowɔ esia abe ale si Mose ɖo na wo gbe aɖe gbe ene.
Then all the people, and those greater by birth, and the commanders and judges were standing on both sides of the ark, in the sight of the priests who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, with both the new arrival and the native born, one half part of them beside Mount Gerizim, and one half beside Mount Ebal, just as Moses, the servant of the Lord, had instructed. And first, certainly, he blessed the people of Israel.
34 Yosua xlẽ yayranya kple fiƒodenya siwo katã Mose ŋlɔ ɖe Yehowa ƒe Segbalẽ la me la na wo.
After this, he read all the words of the blessing and the cursing, and all the things that were written in the book of the law.
35 Exlẽ se siwo katã Mose de na wo kpɔ la hã na ameha blibo la, si me nyɔnuwo, ɖeviwo kple amedzro siwo nɔ Israelviwo dome la hã nɔ.
He left nothing untouched out of those things that Moses had ordered, and he repeated everything before the entire multitude of Israel, with the women and the little ones, and the new arrivals who were staying among them.
