< Joshua 2 >
1 Nake Joshua mũrũ wa Nuni agĩtũma athigaani eerĩ kuuma Shitimu na hitho; akĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Thiĩi mũbaare bũrũri ũcio, na makĩria Jeriko.” Nĩ ũndũ ũcio magĩthiĩ, magĩtoonya nyũmba ya mũmaraya wetagwo Rahabu, magĩikara kuo.
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 Nake mũthamaki wa Jeriko akĩĩrwo atĩrĩ, “Nĩ kũrĩ andũ amwe a Isiraeli mokire gũkũ ũtukũ ũyũ gũthigaana bũrũri ũyũ ũrĩa ũhaana.”
But the king of Jericho was told, “Look, some Israelites have come here this evening to spy out the land.”
3 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio mũthamaki wa Jeriko agĩtũmana kũrĩ Rahabu, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Andũ acio mokire gwaku nyũmba marutũrũre na nja, tondũ mokĩte gũthigaana bũrũri ũyũ wothe.”
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 No rĩrĩ, mũndũ-wa-nja ũcio nĩarĩkĩtie kuoya andũ acio eerĩ na akamahitha. Nake akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ĩĩ nĩguo, andũ acio nĩmegũkĩte gwakwa, no ndinamenya kũrĩa mekuumĩte.
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 Hwaĩ-inĩ rĩrĩa kĩhingo gĩa itũũra inene kĩhingagwo-rĩ, andũ acio nĩmathiire. Ndinamenya na kũrĩa mathiire. Marũmĩrĩrei na ihenya. Mwahota kũmakinyĩra.”
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 (No rĩrĩ, nĩamatwarĩte nyũmba igũrũ, na akamahitha rungu rwa ũguta ũrĩa aarĩte kũu nyũmba igũrũ).
(She had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under some bundles of flax that she had lying there.)
7 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio andũ acio maatũmĩtwo nĩ mũthamaki makiumagara, makĩmarũmĩrĩra na njĩra ĩrĩa ĩthiiaga mariũko-inĩ ma Rũũĩ rwa Jorodani, na rĩrĩa andũ acio mamarũmĩrĩire moimire na nja o ũguo-rĩ, kĩhingo gĩkĩhingwo.
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 Athigaani acio eerĩ matanakoma, mũndũ-wa-nja ũcio akĩambata kũu nyũmba igũrũ,
Before the spies went to sleep, Rachel came up to the roof to talk to them.
9 na akĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Nĩnjũũĩ atĩ Jehova nĩamũheete bũrũri ũyũ, na atĩ nĩtũnyiitĩtwo nĩ guoya mũnene nĩ ũndũ wanyu, o nginya ithuothe andũ arĩa tũtũũraga bũrũri ũyũ tũkaiyũrwo nĩ maaĩ nda nĩ ũndũ wanyu.
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 Nĩtũiguĩte ũrĩa Jehova aahũithirie maaĩ ma Iria Itune nĩ ũndũ wanyu rĩrĩa mwoimire bũrũri wa Misiri, na ũrĩa mwekire Sihoni na Ogu, athamaki arĩa eerĩ a Aamori o kũu mwena wa irathĩro wa Rũũĩ rwa Jorodani, arĩa mwaninire biũ.
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 Rĩrĩa twaiguire ũhoro ũcio, ngoro ciitũ nĩciaringĩkire na ũmĩrĩru wa mũndũ o mũndũ akĩũrwo nĩ hinya nĩ ũndũ wanyu, nĩgũkorwo Jehova Ngai wanyu nĩwe Ngai wa kũu igũrũ o na wa gũkũ thĩ.
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 Na rĩrĩ, ndamũthaitha mwĩhĩte na mwĩhĩtwa mũkĩgwetaga rĩĩtwa rĩa Jehova atĩ nĩmũkaiguĩra andũ a nyũmba iitũ tha, na mũmĩĩke wega, tondũ o na niĩ nĩndamũiguĩra tha na ndamwĩka wega. Na mũnyonie ũndũ ũcio na kĩmenyithia kĩa ma
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 kĩa atĩ nĩmũkahonokia baba na maitũ, na ariũ a baba o na aarĩ a baba, na andũ ao othe ciana ciao ciothe, na atĩ nĩmũgatũhonokia kuuma harĩ gĩkuũ.”
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 Nao andũ acio makĩmũmĩrĩria, makĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ithuĩ tũrokua tũngĩkaaga kũhonokia mĩoyo yanyu! Waga kuuga ũrĩa tũreeka, nĩtũkaamwĩka maũndũ ma ũtugi na ma kĩhooto rĩrĩa Jehova agaatũhe bũrũri ũyũ.”
“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 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio akĩmaikũrũkia na mũkanda, akĩmoimĩria ndirica tondũ nyũmba ĩrĩa aikaraga yaakĩtwo rũthingo-inĩ rwa itũũra rĩu inene.
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 Na rĩrĩ, nĩameerĩte atĩrĩ, “Thiĩi kũrĩa irĩma-inĩ nĩgeetha andũ acio mamũrũmĩrĩire matikamuone. Mwĩhithei kũu mĩthenya ĩtatũ o nginya makorwo macookete, mũcooke mwĩthiĩre.”
“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 Nao andũ acio makĩĩra mũndũ-wa-nja ũcio atĩrĩ, “Mwĩhĩtwa ũyũ watwĩhĩtithia ndũgatũcookerera kana ũtwĩke ũũru,
The men had told her, “We will be freed from the promise you made us swear,
18 o tiga wĩkire ũũ: rĩrĩa tũgaatoonya bũrũri ũyũ-rĩ, ũgaakorwo wohereire rũrigi rũrũ rũtune ndirica-inĩ o ĩno watũharũrũkĩria, nawe ũkorwo ũrehete thoguo na nyũkwa, na ariũ a thoguo, na andũ anyu othe gũkũ gwaku nyũmba.
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 Mũndũ o wothe ũkoima nja ya nyũmba yaku athiĩ na kũu barabara-inĩ-rĩ, thakame yake ĩkamũcookerera we mwene; no ithuĩ tũtigacookererwo nĩ ũũru nĩ ũndũ wake. No ũhoro wa mũndũ o wothe ũgaakorwo nyũmba hamwe nawe, thakame yake nĩĩgatũcookerera angĩgeekwo ũũru nĩ guoko kwa mũndũ o na ũrĩkũ.
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 No rĩrĩ ũngĩaria ũhoro ũyũ witũ twĩ naguo, tũtigacookererwo nĩ ũũru ũkoniĩ mwĩhĩtwa ũrĩa watwĩhĩtithia.”
But if you tell anyone about this then we will be freed from the promise you made us swear.”
21 Nake agĩcookia, akĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Nĩndetĩkĩra; nĩgũtuĩke o ta ũguo mwoiga.” Nĩ ũndũ ũcio agĩkĩmoigĩra ũhoro, nao magĩthiĩ. Na akĩoherera rũrigi rũu rũtune hau ndirica-inĩ.
“I agree—may it be as you say,” she replied. She sent them off, and hung a scarlet cord in the window.
22 Maarĩkia kuumagara-rĩ, magĩthiĩ irĩma-inĩ na magĩikara kuo mĩthenya ĩtatũ, nginya rĩrĩa andũ arĩa maamarũmĩrĩire maahũndũkire. Andũ acio maamacarĩtie kũu njĩra-inĩ ĩyo yothe kũrĩa maathiĩrĩire, no matiigana kũmona.
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 Thuutha wa ũguo Hĩndĩ ĩyo nao andũ acio eerĩ makĩambĩrĩria gũcooka. Magĩikũrũka moimĩte na irĩma-inĩ, makĩringa Rũũĩ rwa Jorodani, magĩkinya harĩ Joshua mũrũ wa Nuni, na makĩmũhe ũhoro wa maũndũ marĩa mothe maamakorete.
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 Makĩĩra Joshua atĩrĩ, “Ti-itherũ Jehova nĩatũheete bũrũri ũcio wothe, akaũneana moko-inĩ maitũ; andũ othe a kũu nĩmaiyũrĩtwo nĩ guoya mũnene nĩ ũndũ witũ.”
“The Lord has placed this land in our hands,” they assured him. “All the people who live there are scared to death of us!”