< Joshua 2 >
1 Joshua nwa Nun sitere na Shitim zipụ ndị nnyopụta abụọ na nzuzo sị ha, “Gaanụ leta otu ihe si aga nʼala ahụ, karịsịa nʼobodo Jeriko.” Ha gara nʼobodo ahụ baa nʼụlọ nwanyị akwụna aha ya bụ Rehab nọọ ọnọdụ nʼebe ahụ.
Then Joshua [chose] two men from [their camp at] Acacia. He told them, “Go [across the Jordan River] and secretly find out all that you can about the land on that side of the river, especially about Jericho [city].” So the two men crossed [the river and entered Jericho]. They entered the house of a prostitute, whose name was Rahab. They stayed in her house [that night].
2 Ma otu onye gwara eze Jeriko okwu sị, “Lee, ụfọdụ ụmụ ndị ikom Izrel batara obodo a nʼabalị inyochapụta ala anyị.”
But someone [saw them and] told the king of Jericho, “Some Israeli men have come here tonight to spy out the land!”
3 Mgbe eze Jeriko nụrụ okwu a, o zigaara Rehab ozi sị, “Kpọpụta ndị ikom ahụ batara nʼụlọ gị nʼihi na ha bịara iledo ala anyị.”
So the king sent some messengers to tell Rahab, “Bring out the men who came and entered your house, [so that we can kill them], because they have come [here] to (spy out/find out all they can about) this land!”
4 Ma nwanyị ahụ zoro mmadụ abụọ ahụ. Mgbe ndị ahụ e ziri ozi bịarutere, ọ gwara ha okwu sị, “Ọ bụ eziokwu na ndị ikom ahụ bakwutere m, ma amaghị m ebe ha si bịa.
She told them that the two men had gone to her house. But she had hidden the two men there. So when the messengers came to her house, she told them, “Two men came here, but I did not know where they had come from.
5 Ma ha apụọlarị. Ha hapụrụ obodo a mgbe a na-achọ imechi ọnụ ụzọ ama, nʼoge ọchịchịrị bidoro ịgba. Amaghị m ebe ha gara. Ma, nʼuche m, ọ bụrụ na unu achụso ha ọsọ ọsịịsọ unu nwere ike ijide ha.”
At dusk, just before (guards closed the city gate/the city gates were closed), the two men left. I do not know where they went. So, go quickly and search for them! Perhaps you may catch them!”
6 (Nʼeziokwu ọ bụ Rehab nʼonwe ya mere ka mmadụ abụọ ahụ rigoro nʼelu ụlọ ebe o zoro ha nʼokpuru ahịhịa flakisi ọ wụsara nʼebe ahụ.)
But [she was lying, ] she had taken the two men up to the [flat] roof of her house and had hidden them under the piles of flax that she had laid on the roof.
7 Ya mere, ndị ikom ahụ pụrụ na-achụ ndị nnyopụta ahụ nʼakụkụ ụzọ gara ngabiga Jọdan. Ma ngwangwa ha pụrụ, e mechiri ọnụ ụzọ ama e si abata obodo ahụ.
The messengers went out of the city to search for the two men. Immediately, the guards shut the city gate. The messengers went along the road that leads down to the place where people can walk across the Jordan [River], [but they did not find the two men].
8 Ma tupu ndị nnyopụta ahụ edina ala ịrahụ ụra nʼabalị ahụ, Rehab rịgokwuru ha,
Before the two men lay down [to sleep] that night, Rahab went up to the roof
9 gwa ha sị, “Ama m na Onyenwe anyị enyela unu ala a, marakwa na oke ụjọ nke egwu unu adakwasịla anyị, nke mere na ndị niile bi nʼime ala a na-agbaze nʼegwu nʼihi unu,
and said to them, “We know that Yahweh [is about to] give this land to you Israelis, and as a result all the people living in this land are terrified because of you.
10 nʼihi na anyị anụla otu Onyenwe anyị si mee ka mmiri dị nʼOsimiri Uhie taa nʼihi unu, mgbe unu si nʼIjipt pụta. Anyị nụkwara ihe unu mere Saịhọn, na Ọg, bụ eze abụọ ndị Amọrị, ndị bi nʼọwụwa anyanwụ osimiri Jọdan, otu unu si bibie ha, gbuchapụ ndị niile bi nʼala ahụ.
We have heard about how Yahweh dried up the water of the Red Sea for you to cross it when you left Egypt. And we have heard how you killed Sihon and Og, the two kings of the tribe of Amor who lived east of the Jordan [River]. You [Israelis] totally destroyed everyone [and everything in their kingdom].
11 Ma mgbe anyị nụrụ ihe ndị a, obi anyị gbazere nʼihi ụjọ, mmụọ onye ọbụla dara mba nʼihi unu, nʼihi na Onyenwe anyị Chineke unu bụ Chineke nʼeluigwe na nʼụwa.
When we heard about those things, we were very dismayed. We no longer have enough courage to fight against you, because we know that Yahweh, the God whom you [worship], is helping you. [And we know that] he rules everything in heaven and here on earth.
12 “Ugbu a, ebe ọ bụ na m emeelara unu ebere, jirinụ Onyenwe anyị ṅụọrọ m iyi na unu ga-emere ezinaụlọ m ebere. Gosinụ m ihe ịrịbama nʼeziokwu,
So now [I want you to] solemnly promise me, and ask Yahweh to punish you if you do not do what you promise. Solemnly promise me that you will act kindly to me and my family, because I have acted kindly to you.
13 na unu ga-emekwa ka ndụ nna m, na nne m, na ụmụnne m ndị ikom na ndị inyom, na ndị ezinaụlọ ha niile dịrị, na unu ga-anapụta anyị site nʼọnwụ.”
Do something to prove that you will (spare the lives of/not kill) my father and my mother, my brothers and sisters, and all of their families. Promise me that you [Israelis] will not kill us [when you destroy this city].”
14 Ndị ikom ahụ kwere ya nkwa sị, “Ndụ anyị lara ndụ unu. Ọ bụrụ na ị gbaghị anyị ama, anyị ga-egosi gị obi ebere na ikwesi ntụkwasị obi mgbe Onyenwe anyị ga-enye anyị ala a.”
The two men replied, “We desire that God will cause us to die if we do not do as we say! If you do not tell others what we [are planning to] do, we will act kindly toward you all when Yahweh enables us to possess the land.”
15 Ụlọ Rehab dị nʼakụkụ mgbidi obodo ahụ. O ji ụdọ site na oghereikuku wedata ndị ikom abụọ ahụ.
[One of] the outside walls of the house where Rahab lived was part of the wall [that was around] the city. So she fastened a rope outside the window [that was in that wall], by which the men could climb down the wall.
16 Ọ gwakwara ha sị, “Gbalaganụ nʼugwu, zoonụ onwe unu nʼebe ahụ ụbọchị atọ, tutu ndị ahụ na-achọ unu alaghachi azụ. Mgbe ahụ, unu nwere ike ịpụta laghachi ebe unu si bịa.”
Then she said to them, “When you leave the city, go up into the hills so that the men who are searching for you will not find you. Hide in caves in the hills for three days, until the men who are searching for you return to the city. Then you can return safely to your camp.”
17 Ndị ahụ gwara ya sị, “Iyi a i mere ka anyị ṅụọ agaghị adị ire megide anyị,
The two men [gave her a red cord, and] said to her, “This is what you must do; if you do not do this, we will not be required to do what we have vowed to do.
18 ma ọ bụrụ na nʼụbọchị ahụ anyị ga-abata ala a, i wereghị ụdọ ahụ na-acha uhie uhie kenye ya na oghereikuku i si wedata anyị, ma ọ bụrụkwa na ịkpọbataghị nʼụlọ gị nna gị, na nne gị, na ụmụnne gị ndị ikom, na ndị ezinaụlọ gị niile.
You must tie this red cord in the window that has the rope by which we will climb down. You must let the cord hang there. And you must bring your father and your mother and your brothers and all the others in your family inside the house. Then, when our army enters your land, we will see the cord, and we will not kill the people in your house.
19 Ọ bụrụ na onye ọbụla esite nʼụlọ gị pụọ nʼezi, ọbara ya agaghị adị anyị nʼisi, anyị agaghị abụkwa ndị ikpe mara. Ma ikpe ọmụma dịrị anyị ma ọ bụrụ nʼihe ọbụla emee onye ọbụla gị na ya so nọdụ nʼime ụlọ.
If anyone in your family goes outside this house into the street, [our soldiers] will kill them, and we will not be guilty [MTY] for doing that. But if anyone who is in this house with you is injured, we will be guilty for causing that.
20 Ma ọ bụrụ na ị gbaa anyị ama, ọ dịkwaghị iwu ji anyị imezu iyi a i mere ka anyị ṅụọrọ gị.”
But if you tell anyone what we [are planning to] do, we are not required to do what we have vowed to do.”
21 Rehab zara sị ha, “Dịka okwu niile unu kwuru si dị, otu a ka ọ ga-adị.” O zilagara ha. Ha pụkwara gaara onwe ha. Ma Rehab kekwasịrị ụdọ uhie uhie ahụ nʼọnụ oghereikuku ụlọ ya.
Rahab said, “I agree to do what you say.” So they climbed down the rope and left. And she left the red cord tied in the window.
22 Ndị ikom abụọ ahụ gara zoo onwe ha nʼugwu ahụ. Ha nọrọ ụbọchị atọ nʼebe ahụ dịka Rehab gwara ha, tutu ndị ahụ na-achụ ha laghachiri nʼobodo Jeriko. Ndị a chọọrọ ha gaa ebe niile, nʼokporoụzọ niile, ma ha ahụghị ha.
When the two men left the city, they went up into the hills. They stayed there for three days, while the men [who had been sent by the king] continued to search for them. They searched all along the road, but they did not find the two men. So they returned to the city.
23 Emesịa, mmadụ abụọ ahụ e zipụrụ iledo ala ahụ anya sitere nʼebe ha zoro onwe ha rịpụta, gafee osimiri Jọdan, laghachi nʼebe ụmụ Izrel nọ. Ha bịara kọọrọ Joshua nwa Nun otu ha si gaa ije ha.
Then the two men started back toward their camp. They went down from the hills, went down to the river, crossed it at the place where people can walk across it, and returned to their camp. They told Joshua everything that had happened to them.
24 Ha gwara Joshua sị, “Nʼezie, Onyenwe anyị enyela anyị ala ahụ niile, nʼihi na ndị niile bi nʼala ahụ na-atụ anyị ụjọ.”
They said to Joshua, “We are sure that Yahweh is going to enable us to possess everything that is in that land. The people there are terrified [IDM] because of us.”