Joshua 8
1 Zvino Jehovha akati kuna Joshua, “Usatya kana kuvhundutswa. Tora varwi vose uende unorwisa Ai. Nokuti ndaisa mambo weAi, navanhu vake, neguta rake nenyika yake mumaoko ako.
Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. See, I have delivered into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.
2 Munofanira kuita kuAi namambo waro sezvamakaita kuJeriko namambo waro, kunze kwokuti apa munofanira kuzvitakurira zvamunotapa zvavo nezvipfuwo. Muise vangavandira guta necheseri kwaro.”
And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set up an ambush behind the city.”
3 Naizvozvo Joshua akasimuka nehondo yose kuti andorwisa Ai. Akasarudza mhare dzokurwa dzinokwana zviuru makumi matatu akavatuma usiku.
So Joshua and the whole army set out to attack Ai. Joshua chose 30,000 mighty men of valor and sent them out at night
4 Akavarayira achiti, “Nyatsoteererai. Munofanira kuvandira guta necheseri kwaro. Musaende kure naro. Mose munofanira kugara makagadzirira.
with these orders: “Pay attention. You are to lie in ambush behind the city, not too far from it. All of you must be ready.
5 Ini navanhu vose vandinavo tichafamba takananga guta, zvino kana varume vakauya kuti vazorwa nesu, sezvavakaita pakutanga, tichavatiza.
Then I and all the troops with me will advance on the city. When they come out against us as they did the first time, we will flee from them.
6 Vachatidzinganisa kusvikira tavakwezvera kure neguta, nokuti vachati, ‘Vari kutitiza sezvavakamboita pakutanga.’ Naizvozvo kana tavatiza,
They will pursue us until we have drawn them away from the city, for they will say, ‘The Israelites are running away from us as they did before.’ So as we flee from them,
7 imi munofanira kusimuka kubva pamunenge makavanda motora guta. Jehovha Mwari wenyu acharipa mumaoko enyu.
you are to rise from the ambush and seize the city, for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand.
8 Kana matora guta, ripisei nomoto. Muite zvamarayirwa naJehovha, tarirai, ndakurayirai.”
And when you have taken the city, set it on fire. Do as the LORD has commanded! See, I have given you orders.”
9 Ipapo Joshua akavatuma, vakaenda kunzvimbo yokunovandira vakagara pakati peBheteni neAi, kumavirazuva kweAi, asi Joshua akarara kuvanhu usiku ihwohwo.
So Joshua sent them out, and they went to the place of ambush and lay in wait between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai. But Joshua spent that night among the people.
10 Mangwana mangwanani Joshua akaronga vanhu, uye iye navatungamiri veIsraeri vakafamba pamberi pavo vachienda kuAi.
Joshua got up early the next morning and mobilized his men, and he and the elders of Israel marched before them up to Ai.
11 Hondo yose yaiva naye yakafamba vakaswedera pedyo neguta vakasvika nechemberi kwaro. Vakadzika musasa kumusoro kweAi, mupata uri pakati pavo neguta.
Then all the troops who were with him marched up and approached the city. They arrived in front of Ai and camped to the north of it, with the valley between them and the city.
12 Joshua akanga atora varume vangasvika zviuru zvishanu akavarayira kuti vavandire pakati peBheteri neAi, kumavirazuva kweguta.
Now Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set up an ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.
13 Vakarayira varwi kuti vatore nzvimbo dzavo, vose vaiva mumusasa nechokumusoro kweguta navakanga vakavandira kumavirazuva kwaro. Usiku ihwohwo Joshua akapinda mumupata.
So the forces were stationed with the main camp to the north of the city and the rear guard to the west of the city. And that night Joshua went into the valley.
14 Zvino mambo weAi paakaona izvi, iye navarume vose veguta vakakurumidza kubuda mangwanani kuti vasangane navaIsraeri varwe panzvimbo yakanga yakatarisana neArabha. Asi haana kuziva kuti akanga avandirwa seri kweguta.
When the king of Ai saw the Israelites, he hurried out early in the morning with the men of the city to engage them in battle at an appointed place overlooking the Arabah. But he did not know that an ambush had been set up against him behind the city.
15 Joshua navaIsraeri vose vakavarega vachivadzingirira vachidzokera shure, vakatiza vakananga kugwenga.
Joshua and all Israel let themselves be beaten back before them, and they fled toward the wilderness.
16 Varume vose veAi vakadaidzwa kuti vavadzingirire, uye vakadzingirira Joshua vachibva vakwezvwa kubva kuguta.
Then all the men of Ai were summoned to pursue them, and they followed Joshua and were drawn away from the city.
17 Hapana murume kana mumwe akasara muAi kana muBheteri asina kudzingirira vaIsraeri. Vakasiya guta rakashama vakadzingirira vaIsraeri.
Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel, leaving the city wide open while they pursued Israel.
18 Ipapo Jehovha akati kuna Joshua, “Simudza pfumo rawakabata muruoko rwako urinongedzere kuAi, nokuti ndichaisa guta iri muruoko rwako.” Naizvozvo Joshua akanongedzera pfumo rake kuAi.
Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Hold out your battle lance toward Ai, for into your hand I will deliver the city.” So Joshua held out his battle lance toward Ai,
19 Akati achangoita izvi varume vaiva vakavandira vakasimuka kubva panzvimbo dzavo nokukurumidza vakamhanya vachienda mberi. Vakapinda muguta vakaripamba ndokukurumidza kuritungidza nomoto.
and as soon as he did so, the men in ambush rose quickly from their position. They rushed forward, entered the city, captured it, and immediately set it on fire.
20 Varume veAi vakacheuka vakaona utsi hweguta huchikwira kudenga, asi vakashayiwa pokupukunyuka napo kumativi ose, nokuti vaIsraeri vakanga vachitizira kugwenga vakatendeukira vaivatevera.
When the men of Ai turned and looked back, the smoke of the city was rising into the sky. They could not escape in any direction, and the troops who had fled to the wilderness now became the pursuers.
21 Joshua navaIsraeri vose pavakaona kuti vavandiri vakanga vatora guta uye utsi hwakanga huchikwira kubva muguta, vakatendeuka vakarwisa varume veAi.
When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that smoke was rising from it, they turned around and struck down the men of Ai.
22 Varume vakanga vakavandira vakabudawo muguta kuzorwa navo, naizvozvo vakabva vaiswa pakati pavaIsraeri, vamwe nechokuno, vamwe nechokoko. VaIsraeri vakavauraya zvokusasiya kana mumwe chete wavo ari mupenyu kana vakatiza.
Meanwhile, those in the ambush came out of the city against them, and the men of Ai were trapped between the Israelite forces on both sides. So Israel struck them down until no survivor or fugitive remained.
23 Asi vakatora mambo weAi ari mupenyu vakauya naye kuna Joshua.
But they took the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.
24 VaIsraeri pavakapedza kuuraya varume vose veAi nomunondo kusango nokurenje kwavakanga vavadzinganisira, uye mushure mokunge mumwe nomumwe wavo aurayiwa nomunondo, vose vakadzokera kuAi vakauraya vose vaivamo.
When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai who had pursued them into the field and wilderness, and when every last one of them had fallen by the sword, all the Israelites returned to Ai and put it to the sword as well.
25 Zuva iroro kwakafa varume navakadzi vaisvika zviuru gumi nezviviri, vanhu vose veAi.
A total of twelve thousand men and women fell that day—all the people of Ai.
26 Nokuti Joshua haana kudzosa ruoko rwake rwakanga rwakasimudza pfumo kusvikira aparadza vose vaigara muAi.
Joshua did not draw back the hand that held his battle lance until he had devoted to destruction all who lived in Ai.
27 Asi vaIsraeri vakazvitorera zvipfuwo nezvakapambwa muguta iri, sezvakanga zvarayirwa Joshua naJehovha.
Israel took for themselves only the cattle and plunder of that city, as the LORD had commanded Joshua.
28 Naizvozvo Joshua akapisa Ai akariita murwi, rikava dongo kusvika nanhasi.
So Joshua burned Ai and made it a permanent heap of ruins, a desolation to this day.
29 Akasungirira mambo weAi mumuti akamusiya kusvikira manheru. Zuva rodoka, Joshua akavarayira kuti vaturure chitunha chake mumuti vachikande pasi pasuo reguta. Vakaitawo murwi mukuru wamatombo, uchiripo nanhasi.
He hung the king of Ai on a tree until evening, and at sunset Joshua commanded that they take down the body from the tree and throw it down at the entrance of the city gate. And over it they raised a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day.
30 Zvino Joshua akavakira Jehovha, Mwari waIsraeri, aritari pagomo reEbhari,
At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal to the LORD, the God of Israel,
31 sezvakanga zvarayirwa vaIsraeri naMozisi muranda waJehovha. Akaivaka sezvazvakanyorwa muBhuku roMurayiro waMozisi. Yakanga iri aritari yamabwe asina kuvezwa, hapana kumboshandiswa mudziyo wesimbi pairi. Vakapa kuna Jehovha zvipiriso zvinopiswa uye vakabayira zvipiriso zvokuwadzana pairi.
just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: “an altar of uncut stones on which no iron tool has been used.” And on it they offered burnt offerings to the LORD, and they sacrificed peace offerings.
32 Zvino ipapo, pamberi pavaIsraeri, Joshua akanyorazve pamabwe murayiro waMozisi, waakanga ambonyora.
And there in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua inscribed on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written.
33 VaIsraeri vose navatorwa, navakuru vavo navatariri vavo, navatongi vavo, vakanga vakamira kumativi maviri eareka yesungano yaJehovha, vakatarisa avo vakanga vakaitakura, vaprista, vakanga vari vaRevhi. Imwe hafu yavanhu yakanga yakamira pamberi pegomo reGerizimu uye imwe hafu yakamira pamberi pegomo reEbhari, sezvakanga zvarayirwa naMozisi muranda waJehovha pakutanga paakati vanhu veIsraeri varopafadzwe.
All Israel, foreigners and citizens alike, with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the LORD facing the Levitical priests who carried it. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded earlier, to bless the people of Israel.
34 Mushure maizvozvo, Joshua akaverenga mashoko ose omurayiro, maropafadzo nezvituko sokunyorwa kwazvakaitwa muBhuku roMurayiro.
Afterward, Joshua read aloud all the words of the law—the blessings and the curses—according to all that is written in the Book of the Law.
35 Hapana shoko kana rimwe pane zvose zvakanga zvarayirwa naMozisi, risina kuverengerwa ungano yose yavaIsraeri naJoshua, kusanganisira vakadzi navana, navatorwa vaigara pakati pavo.
There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua failed to read before the whole assembly of Israel, including the women, the little ones, and the foreigners who lived among them.
