Joshua 8
1 Ningĩ Jehova akĩĩra Joshua atĩrĩ, “Ndũgetigĩre na ndũgakue ngoro. Thiĩ na mbũtũ yothe ya ita, mwambate mũgatharĩkĩre itũũra rĩa Ai. Nĩgũkorwo nĩneanĩte mũthamaki wa Ai moko-inĩ manyu, hamwe na andũ ake, na itũũra rĩake rĩu inene na bũrũri wake.
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.
2 Ĩkai itũũra rĩa Ai na mũthamaki warĩo o ta ũrĩa mwekire itũũra rĩa Jeriko na mũthamaki warĩo, o tiga atĩrĩ, no muoye indo iria mũgũtaha, o na mahiũ matuĩke manyu. Oheriai andũ a itũũra rĩu inene na mwena wa na thuutha.”
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.”
3 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Joshua na mbũtũ yothe ya ita makiumagara magatharĩkĩre Ai. Nake agĩthuura andũ 30,000 arĩa maarĩ njamba mũno akĩmatũma mathiĩ kũrĩ ũtukũ,
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.
4 akĩmeera atĩrĩ: “Ta thikĩrĩriai wega. Inyuĩ mũkuoheria andũ a itũũra rĩu inene na mwena warĩo wa na thuutha. Mũtigaikare haraaya narĩo. Inyuothe mũikare mwĩiguĩte.
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].
5 Niĩ na arĩa othe tũrĩ nao tũgũthengerera itũũra rĩu inene kuuma na mbere na rĩrĩa andũ acio mariumagara gũtũhũũra o ta ũrĩa meekire hĩndĩ ya mbere-rĩ, tũmoorĩre.
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.
6 Nao matũingatithie o nginya tũmaguucĩrĩrie biũ moime itũũra rĩu inene, nĩgũkorwo mariuga atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩ ithuĩ maroorĩra ta ũrĩa meekire rĩa mbere.’ Nĩ ũndũ ũcio rĩrĩa tũrĩĩmoorĩra-rĩ,
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,
7 inyuĩ na inyuĩ mũkĩre muume kũrĩa mũmooheirie, mũtharĩkĩre itũũra rĩu inene na mũrĩtunyane. Jehova Ngai wanyu nĩekũrĩneana moko-inĩ manyu.
[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.
8 Na rĩrĩ, mwarĩkia kwĩgwatĩra itũũra rĩu inene-rĩ, mũrĩcine. Ĩkai o ta ũrĩa Jehova aathanĩte gwĩkwo. Mũtigĩrĩre nĩ mweka ũguo ndamwatha.”
After you capture the city, burn it. Do what Yahweh has commanded us to do. Those are the orders I am giving to you.”
9 Nake Joshua akĩmeera moimagare, nao magĩthiĩ harĩa maathiiaga kuoheria andũ a itũũra rĩu, na makĩĩhitha metereire gatagatĩ ka Betheli na Ai, mwena wa ithũĩro wa Ai, no Joshua araaranirie na andũ arĩa angĩ ũtukũ ũcio.
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.
10 Mũthenya ũyũ ũngĩ rũciinĩ tene, Joshua agĩcookanĩrĩria andũ ake, nake we mwene hamwe na atongoria a Isiraeli makĩmatongoria marorete Ai.
Early the next morning, Joshua gathered his soldiers together. Then he and the other Israeli leaders led them up to Ai.
11 Mbũtũ yothe ya ita ĩrĩa yarĩ hamwe nake ĩgĩthiĩ yambatĩte, ĩgĩkuhĩrĩria itũũra rĩu inene mariumĩte na mbere. Nao makĩamba hema mwena wa gathigathini wa Ai, na hagĩkorwo nĩ haarĩ gĩtuamba gatagatĩ kao na itũũra rĩu inene.
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.
12 Joshua nĩakoretwo oete andũ ta 5,000 na akamaiga moheirie andũ kũu gatagatĩ ka Betheli na Ai, mwena wa ithũĩro wa itũũra rĩu inene.
Then Joshua chose about 5,000 men and told them to go and hide just west of the city, between Ai and Bethel.
13 Magĩgĩatha thigari ciikare ciĩhaarĩirie o andũ handũ hao, iria ciothe ciarĩ kambĩ igĩikara mwena wa gathigathini wa itũũra rĩu inene, na iria cioheirie andũ mwena wa ithũĩro warĩo. Naguo ũtukũ ũcio Joshua agĩthiĩ kũraara kũu gĩtuamba-inĩ.
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.
14 Rĩrĩa mũthamaki wa Ai onire ũndũ ũcio, agĩũkĩra na ihenya rũciinĩ tene, akiumagara na ihenya hamwe na andũ othe a itũũra rĩu inene nĩguo agacemanie na Isiraeli marũe mbaara handũ hana haangʼethanĩire na Araba. No rĩrĩ, ndaigana kũmenya atĩ nĩmehithĩirwo na mwena wa thuutha wa itũũra rĩu inene.
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.
15 Nake Joshua na andũ a Isiraeli othe magĩĩtua ta mahũũrĩtwo magatoorio, nao makĩũra marorete na werũ-inĩ.
Joshua and the Israeli soldiers [who were with him] allowed the army of Ai to push them back. They ran toward the desert.
16 Nao andũ othe a itũũra rĩa Ai magĩĩtwo nĩguo mamarũmĩrĩre, nao magĩtengʼeria Joshua makĩguucĩrĩrio makiuma itũũra rĩao.
The men in Ai were ordered to chase after Joshua and his men. So they left the city and started to pursue the Israelis.
17 Gũtirĩ mũndũ mũrũme o na ũmwe wa Ai kana Betheli ũtoimire gũthiĩ gũkinyĩra andũ a Isiraeli. Magĩtiga itũũra rĩu rĩtaahingĩtwo magĩtengʼeria andũ a Isiraeli.
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.
18 Nake Jehova akĩĩra Joshua atĩrĩ, “Ambararia itimũ rĩu ũnyiitĩte na guoko, ũrĩrorie mwena wa Ai, nĩgũkorwo nĩngũneana itũũra rĩu inene moko-inĩ manyu.” Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Joshua akĩambararia itimũ rĩake akĩrĩroria Ai.
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.
19 Na rĩrĩ, Joshua aarĩkia gwĩka ũguo, arũme arĩa moohetie andũ magĩũkĩra narua, magĩtengʼera na ihenya, magĩtoonya itũũra rĩu na makĩrĩtunyana, ningĩ makĩrĩgwatia mwaki o narua.
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.
20 Na rĩrĩa andũ acio a Ai maarorire na thuutha na makĩona ndogo yumĩte itũũra rĩu yambatĩte na igũrũ-rĩ, nao makĩaga mweke wa gwĩthara na mwena o na ũrĩkũ, nĩgũkorwo andũ a Isiraeli arĩa morĩte marorete werũ-inĩ nĩmagarũrũkĩire acio maamatengʼeragia.
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.
21 Rĩrĩa Joshua na Isiraeli othe moonire atĩ andũ ao arĩa mooheirie andũ thuutha wa itũũra nĩmarĩtunyanĩte, na makĩona ndogo ĩgĩtoga kuuma itũũra, makĩgarũrũka na makĩũraga andũ acio a Ai.
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.
22 Nao andũ arĩa maamohetie makiuma itũũra rĩu inene matharĩkĩre. Andũ a Ai magĩgĩĩkĩrwo gatagatĩ ka andũ a Isiraeli, makĩmagĩa mbere na thuutha. Andũ a Isiraeli makĩmaniina, na matiatigirie mũndũ o na ũmwe arĩ muoyo, kana makĩreka o na ũmwe ahonoke.
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.
23 No nĩmanyiitire mũthamaki wa Ai arĩ muoyo, makĩmũtwarĩra Joshua.
Then they seized the king of Ai and brought him to Joshua.
24 Rĩrĩa andũ a Isiraeli maarĩkirie kũũraga andũ othe a Ai arĩa maarĩ gĩthaka-inĩ na kũu werũ-inĩ, kũrĩa maamatengʼereirie-rĩ, na rĩrĩa andũ acio othe maarĩkirie kũũragwo na rũhiũ rwa njora-rĩ, andũ a Isiraeli othe magĩcooka Ai na makĩũraga andũ arĩa othe maarĩ kuo.
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.
25 Andũ arĩa mooragirwo mũthenya ũcio maarĩ andũ 12,000, arũme na andũ-a-nja; nao nĩo andũ othe a itũũra rĩa Ai.
They killed 12,000 men and women.
26 Nĩgũkorwo Joshua ndaigana gũthuna guoko kũrĩa kwambararĩtie itimũ rĩake nginya rĩrĩa aarĩkirie kũniina andũ arĩa othe maatũũraga Ai.
Joshua continued to point his spear [LIT] toward Ai, until all the people in Ai had been killed.
27 Nao andũ a Isiraeli magĩkuuĩra ũhiũ na indo iria maatahĩte kuuma itũũra rĩu inene, o ta ũrĩa Jehova aathĩte Joshua.
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.
28 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Joshua agĩcina Ai na akĩrĩtua hĩba ya mwanangĩko ya gũtũũra, gũgĩtuĩka kũndũ gũkirĩte ihooru nginya ũmũthĩ.
Joshua and his soldiers burned Ai city and caused it to become a pile of ruins. It is still like that today.
29 Joshua agĩcooka agĩcuuria mũthamaki ũcio wa Ai mũtĩ igũrũ, akĩreka aikare ho o nginya hwaĩ-inĩ. Riũa rĩgĩthũa-rĩ, Joshua agĩathana atĩ mwĩrĩ ũcio ũrutwo mũtĩ igũrũ, ũikio hau itoonyero-inĩ rĩa kĩhingo gĩa itũũra rĩu, magĩcooka makĩũigĩrĩra hĩba nene ya mahiga, nayo ĩrĩ o ho nginya ũmũthĩ.
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.
30 Thuutha wa ũguo Joshua agĩakĩra Jehova, o we Ngai wa Isiraeli, kĩgongona o kũu kĩrĩma-inĩ kĩa Ebali,
Joshua [told his men to] build on Ebal Mountain an altar for Yahweh, the God [who is worshiped by] the Israeli people.
31 o ta ũrĩa Musa ndungata ya Jehova aathĩte andũ a Isiraeli. Aagĩakire o ta ũrĩa kwandĩkĩtwo thĩinĩ wa Ibuku rĩa Watho wa Musa, kĩgongona kĩrĩ kĩa mahiga matarĩ maicũhie, hatarĩ indo cia wĩra cia kĩgera ikũhũthĩrwo ho. Igũrũ rĩakĩo makĩrutĩra Jehova maruta ma njino na magongona ma ũiguano.
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.
32 Nake Joshua akĩandĩka watho wa Musa igũrũ rĩa mahiga macio, aandĩkire andũ a Isiraeli marĩ ho makĩĩonagĩra.
As the Israelis watched, Joshua wrote on stones the laws that [Yahweh had given] to Moses previously.
33 Na rĩrĩ, andũ a Isiraeli othe, na andũ a kũngĩ na ene bũrũri o ũndũ ũmwe, hamwe na athuuri ao, na anene na atuithania ciira, makĩrũgama mĩena yeerĩ ya ithandũkũ rĩa kĩrĩkanĩro kĩa Jehova mangʼetheire athĩnjĩri-Ngai, arĩa maarĩ Alawii na nĩo maarĩkuuaga. Nuthu ya andũ yarũgamĩte mbere ya kĩrĩma kĩa Gerizimu, na nuthu ĩyo ĩngĩ ĩkarũgama mbere ya kĩrĩma kĩa Ebali, o ta ũrĩa Musa ndungata ya Jehova aathanĩte mbere ĩyo rĩrĩa aarutanire ũhoro wa kũrathimaga andũ a Isiraeli.
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.
34 Thuutha ũcio, Joshua agĩthoma ciugo ciothe cia Watho, agĩthoma irathimo o na agĩthoma irumi, o ta ũrĩa kwaandĩkĩtwo Ibuku-inĩ rĩa Watho.
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].
35 Gũtirĩ kiugo o na kĩmwe kĩa iria ciothe Musa aathanĩte Joshua ataathomeire kĩũngano kĩu gĩothe kĩa Isiraeli, o hamwe na andũ-a-nja na ciana na andũ o kũngĩ arĩa maatũũranagia nao.
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.
