< Joshua 5 >

1 Zvino madzimambo ose avaAmoni aigara kumavirazuva eJorodhani namadzimambo ose avaKenani vaigara pedyo negungwa vakanzwa kuti Jehovha akanga aomesa Jorodhani pamberi pavaIsraeri kusvikira vayambuka, mwoyo yavo yakarukutika vakasazova nokushinga nokuda kwavaIsraeri.
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 Panguva iyoyo Jehovha akataura naJoshua akati, “Gadzira mapanga amatombo anopinza ugodzingisa vaIsraeri zvakare.”
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 Naizvozvo Joshua akagadzira mapanga amatombo akadzingisa vaIsraeri paGibhea Hararoti (chikomo chezvikanda zvepamberi).
So Joshua [made knives and] circumcised the Israeli males at a place that is now called ‘Circumcision Hill’.
4 Joshua akavadzingisa nokuda kwechikonzero ichi: Varume vose vakabuda muIjipiti, varume vezera rehondo, vakafira munzira mugwenga mushure mokubuda muIjipiti.
[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 Vanhu vose vakabuda vakanga vadzingiswa asi vose vakaberekerwa mugwenga vachibva kuIjipiti vakanga vasina.
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 VaIsraeri vakanga vafamba mugwenga kwamakore makumi mana kusvikira varume vose vaiva vezera rehondo pavakabuda muIjipiti vafa, nokuti vakanga vasina kuteerera Jehovha. Nokuti Jehovha akanga apika kwavari kuti havaizoona nyika iyo yaakanga avimbisa madzitateguru avo kuti achatipa, nyika inoerera mukaka nouchi.
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 Zvino akasimudza vanakomana vavo pachinzvimbo chavo, uye ivava ndivo vakanga vasati vadzingiswa naJoshua. Vakanga vasati vadzingiswa nokuti havana kunge vadzingiswa munzira.
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 Shure kwokunge rudzi rwose rwadzingiswa, vakagara pavakanga vari pamisasa kusvikira vapora.
After all the Israeli males had been circumcised, they remained in the camp and rested until their wounds were healed.
9 Zvino Jehovha akati kuna Joshua, “Nhasi ndabvisa kuzvidzwa kweIjipiti pamuri.” Saka nzvimbo iyoyo yakanzi Girigari, kusvikira nanhasi.
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 Madekwana ezuva regumi namana romwedzi, vaIsraeri vari pamisasa paGirigari pamapani eJeriko, vakapemberera Pasika.
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 Zuva raitevera shure kwePasika, musi wacho chaiwo, vakadya zvimwe zvezvibereko zvenyika iyoyo: chingwa chisina mbiriso nezviyo zvakakangwa.
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 Mana yakabva yaguma musi wakatevera shure kwokudya zvokudya zvenyika iyoyo; vaIsraeri havana kuzova nemanazve, asi vakadya zvibereko zvenyika yeKenani gore iroro.
The next day, [God] stopped [sending] manna for the Israeli people to eat. After that, they ate food that was grown in Canaan.
13 Zvino Joshua akati ava pedyo neJeriko, akasimudza meso ake akaona murume amire pamberi pake akabata munondo wakavhomorwa muruoko rwake. Joshua akaenda kwaari akabvunza achiti, “Uri mumwe wedu here kana wavavengi vedu?”
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 Iye akapindura achiti, “Kwete, asi ndauya ini mukuru wehondo yaJehovha.” Ipapo Joshua akawira pasi nechiso chake akanamata, uye akamubvunza achiti, “Ishe wangu, mune shoko reiko kumuranda wenyu?”
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 Mukuru wehondo yaJehovha akapindura achiti, “Bvisa shangu dzako mutsoka dzako nokuti nzvimbo yaumire itsvene.” Joshua akaita saizvozvo.
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.

< Joshua 5 >