< Jozue 5 >

1 Nzokande, tango bakonzi nyonso ya Amori, na ngambo ya weste ya Yordani, mpe bakonzi nyonso ya Kanana, pene ya ebale monene ya Barozo, bayokaki ndenge nini Yawe akawusaki ebale Yordani liboso ya bana ya Isalaele kino tango basilisaki kokatisa, mitema na bango ebukanaki mpe bazalaki lisusu na makasi te ya kotelemela bana ya Isalaele.
All the kings of the people-groups to the west of the Jordan River and all the kings of the groups who were descendants of Canaan and who lived close to the [Mediterranean] Sea heard about how Yahweh had dried up the water of the Jordan [River] until all we Israeli people had crossed over. So they became very dismayed. They no longer were courageous enough to fight us.
2 Na tango wana, Yawe alobaki na Jozue: — Sala bambeli ya mabanga mpe kata lisusu bana mibali ya Isalaele ngenga.
While [they were camped at Gilgal], Yahweh said to Joshua, “[The Israeli males who lived in Egypt were circumcised before they left there. Now] make knives from flint stones and circumcise all the Israeli males [who have been born since then].”
3 Jozue asalaki bambeli ya mabanga mpe akataki bana mibali ya Isalaele ngenga, pene ya ngomba moke ya Araloti.
So Joshua [made knives and] circumcised the Israeli males at a place that is now called ‘Circumcision Hill’.
4 Tala mpo na nini Jozue asengelaki kokata bango ngenga: Mibali nyonso oyo babimaki na Ejipito mpe bakokisaki mibu ya kobunda bitumba bakufaki na nzela, kati na esobe, sima na bango kobima na Ejipito.
[The reason they did that is that all the men who left Egypt], those who were old enough to be soldiers, died in the desert after they left Egypt.
5 Mibali nyonso oyo babimaki na Ejipito bakatamaki ngenga; kasi bato nyonso oyo babotamaki na nzela, kati na esobe, bakatamaki ngenga te.
They had been circumcised in Egypt, but the baby boys who had been born while their parents were camping in the desert after they left Egypt had not been circumcised.
6 Bana ya Isalaele batambolaki kati na esobe mibu tuku minei, kino tango ekeke mobimba ya mibali oyo bakokisaki mibu ya kobunda bitumba tango babimaki na Ejipito basilaki kokufa. Mpo ete batosaki Yawe te, Yawe alapaki ndayi ete bakomona te mokili oyo alakaki kopesa epai ya batata na bango, mokili oyo ezali kobimisa miliki mpe mafuta ya nzoyi.
Our Israeli ancestors traveled around in the desert for 40 years, and all the men who were old enough to be soldiers had died. [The women had also died]. They had not obeyed Yahweh, so Yahweh said that they would not arrive at the land that he had promised to our ancestors that he would give to us, a land that was very fertile [MTY].
7 Boye, atombolaki bana na esika ya batata na bango; yango wana Jozue akataki bango ngenga, pamba te bakatamaki ngenga te na nzela.
The sons of those who had disobeyed Yahweh were the ones whom Joshua circumcised at Gilgal. They were circumcised because they had not been circumcised [while they were traveling in the desert].
8 Sima na ekolo mobimba kokatama ngenga, batikalaki esika moko kati na molako kino tango bapota na bango ekawukaki.
After all the Israeli males had been circumcised, they remained in the camp and rested until their wounds were healed.
9 Yawe alobaki na Jozue: — Lelo, natindiki soni ya Ejipito mosika na bino. Babengaki esika yango « Giligali » kino na mokolo ya lelo.
Then Yahweh said to Joshua, “[Because your forefathers were slaves in Egypt], the Egyptians felt a revulsion toward you. But today I have removed the revulsion the Egyptians have had toward you.” Because of that, the people called the place ‘Gilgal’, [which sounds like the Hebrew word ‘removed’, ] and it still has that name.
10 Na pokwa ya mokolo ya zomi na minei ya sanza wana, bana ya Isalaele basalaki feti ya Pasika, wana bazalaki nanu na molako ya Giligali, na etando ya Jeriko.
In the evening of the fourteenth day of that month, while the Israeli people were camped at Gilgal, on the plain near Jericho [city], they celebrated the Passover [Festival].
11 Mokolo oyo elandaki feti ya Pasika, baliaki biloko ya mokili ya Kanana: mapa ezanga levire mpe bambuma ya ble oyo bakalingaki kaka mokolo wana.
The next day, they found some barley grain in the fields in that area. So they took that and roasted it and ate it with bread that was made without yeast.
12 Mokolo oyo elandaki mokolo oyo baliaki biloko ya mokili ya Kanana, mana etikaki kokweya; mana ezalaki lisusu te mpo na bana ya Isalaele. Boye, na mobu wana, baliaki biloko ya mokili ya Kanana.
The next day, [God] stopped [sending] manna for the Israeli people to eat. After that, they ate food that was grown in Canaan.
13 Nzokande, tango Jozue azalaki pene ya Jeriko, atombolaki miso mpe amonaki moto moko atelemi liboso na ye; moto yango asimbaki mopanga na loboko na ye. Jozue apusanaki pene na ye mpe atunaki ye: — Boni, ozali na ngambo na biso to na ngambo ya banguna na biso?
One day when Joshua came near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him. The man was holding a sword in his hand. Joshua approached him and asked him, “Are you [going to fight] for us or against us?”
14 Azongiselaki Jozue: — Te, kasi nazali mokonzi ya mampinga ya Yawe; nayei kaka sik’oyo. Boye, Jozue akweyaki elongi kino na mabele mpe alobaki na ye: — Sango nini nkolo na ngai azali na yango mpo na mosali na ye?
The man replied, “I am not [planning to fight with you] or [against you]. Instead, I am the commander of Yahweh’s army [in heaven], and I have come [down from there to assure you that Yahweh will help you].” Then Joshua bowed down with his face on the ground (to show his respect for/to worship) the man, and said to him, “Tell me what [you want me to do].”
15 Mokonzi ya mampinga ya Yawe alobaki na ye: — Longola basapato na yo na makolo, pamba te esika oyo ozali ezali bule. Jozue asalaki se bongo.
The commander of Yahweh’s army replied, “Take off your sandals! [I am Yahweh, and] the ground on which you are standing is holy because I am here.” So Joshua took off his sandals.

< Jozue 5 >