Yoshua 2
1 Kisha Yoshua mwana wa Nuni kwa siri akawatuma wapelelezi wawili kutoka Shitimu, akawaambia, “Nendeni mkaikague hiyo nchi, hasa Yeriko.” Kwa hiyo wakaenda na kuingia kwenye nyumba ya kahaba mmoja jina lake Rahabu na kukaa humo.
Then did Joshua son of Nun, send out from The Acacias, two men to spy out silently, saying, Go view the land, and Jericho. So they came, and entered the house of a harlot, whose name was Rahab, and lay there.
2 Mfalme wa Yeriko akaambiwa, “Tazama! Baadhi ya Waisraeli wamekuja huku usiku huu kuipeleleza nchi.”
And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, —Lo! men, have come in hither to-night of the sons of Israel to search out the land.
3 Hivyo mfalme wa Yeriko akatuma huu ujumbe kwa Rahabu: “Watoe wale watu waliokujia na kuingia nyumbani mwako, kwa sababu wamekuja kuipeleleza nchi yote.”
So the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, —Bring forth the men that are come in unto thee who have entered thy house, for, to search out all the land, have they come.
4 Lakini huyo mwanamke alikuwa amewachukua hao watu wawili na kuwaficha. Akasema, “Naam, watu hao walikuja kwangu, lakini sikujua walikotoka.
And the woman took the two men and hid them, —and said: Even so, the men did come in unto me, but I knew not from whence they were;
5 Kulipoingia giza, wakati wa kufunga lango la mji, watu hao waliondoka. Sijui njia waliyoiendea. Wafuatilieni haraka. Huenda mkawapata.”
and it came to pass, as the gate was about to be shut in the darkness, that, the men, went out, I know not whither the men went, —pursue them quickly for ye shall overtake them.
6 (Lakini alikuwa amewapandisha darini akawafunika kwa mabua ya kitani aliyokuwa ameyatandika darini.)
But, she, had taken them up to the roof, —and concealed them with the stalks of flax which she had laid in order for herself upon the roof.
7 Basi hao watu wakaondoka kuwafuatilia hao wapelelezi katika njia ile inayoelekea vivuko vya Yordani, mara tu wafuatiliaji walipotoka nje, lango likafungwa.
So, the men, pursued them by way of the Jordan unto the fords, —the gate being shut as soon as they who pursued them had gone forth.
8 Kabla wale wapelelezi hawajalala, Rahabu akawaendea huko juu darini,
And, ere yet they slept, she, went up unto them, upon the roof;
9 akawaambia, “Ninajua kuwa Bwana amewapa nchi hii na hofu kuu imetuangukia kwa sababu yenu, kiasi kwamba wote waishio katika nchi hii wanayeyuka kwa hofu kwa sababu yenu.
and said unto the men, I know that Yahweh hath given unto you the land, —and that the terror of you hath fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land, have melted away, from before you.
10 Tumesikia jinsi Bwana alivyokausha maji ya Bahari ya Shamu kwa ajili yenu mlipotoka Misri, pia lile mlilowatendea Sihoni na Ogu, wafalme wawili wa Waamori mashariki mwa Yordani, ambao mliwaangamiza kabisa.
For we have heard how Yahweh, dried up, the waters of the Red Sea from before you, when ye came forth out of Egypt, —and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites who were over the Jordan unto Sihon and unto Og, whom ye devoted to destruction;
11 Tuliposikia juu ya hili, mioyo yetu iliyeyuka na kila mmoja alikosa ujasiri kwa sababu yenu, kwa maana Bwana Mungu wenu ni Mungu juu mbinguni na duniani chini.
and, when we heard, then did our heart melt, and there rose up no longer any spirit in any man because of you, —for, as for Yahweh your God, he, is God—in the heavens above, and upon the earth beneath.
12 Sasa basi, tafadhali niapieni kwa Bwana, kwamba mtaitendea hisani jamaa ya baba yangu, kwa kuwa mimi nimewatendea hisani. Nipeni ishara ya uaminifu
Now, therefore I pray you, swear unto me by Yahweh, since I have dealt with you in lovingkindness, that, ye also, will deal with the house of my father in lovingkindness, and will give me a token of faithfulness,
13 kwamba mtayahifadhi maisha ya baba yangu na mama yangu, ndugu zangu wa kiume na wa kike, pamoja na wale wote walio wa kwao na kwamba mtatuokoa na kifo.”
and will save alive my father and my mother, and my brethren and my sisters, and all that they have, —and will deliver our souls from death.
14 Wale watu wakamhakikishia Rahabu, “Uhai wetu kwa uhai wenu! Ikiwa hutatoa habari ya nini tunachofanya, wakati Bwana atakapotupa nchi hii, tutawatendea kwa hisani na kwa uaminifu.”
And the men said unto her, Our souls in your stead unto death, if ye utter not this our business, —so shall it be, when Yahweh shall give us the land, that we will deal with thee in lovingkindness and in faithfulness.
15 Kisha akawateremsha dirishani kwa kamba, kwa kuwa nyumba yake aliyokuwa anaishi ilikuwa sehemu ya ukuta wa mji.
And she let them down with a cord through the window, —for, her house, was within the wall of the rampart, and, within the rampart, she was dwelling.
16 Alikuwa amewaambia, “Nendeni vilimani ili wale wafuatiliaji wasiwapate. Jificheni huko kwa siku tatu mpaka watakaporudi, hatimaye mwende zenu.”
And she said unto them—To the mountain, get you, lest the pursuers, fall in, with you, —and hide yourselves there, three days until the pursuers return, and, afterwards, shall ye go your way.
17 Wale watu wakamwambia, “Hiki kiapo ulichotuapisha hakitatufunga,
And the men said unto her, —Free, will we be from this thine oath which thou hast made us swear:
18 isipokuwa, hapo tutakapoingia katika nchi hii, utakuwa umefunga hii kamba nyekundu dirishani pale ulipotuteremshia na kama utakuwa umewaleta baba yako na mama yako, ndugu zako na jamaa yako yote ndani ya nyumba yako.
Lo! when we are coming into the land, this cord of crimson thread, must thou bind in the window by which thou didst let us down, and, thy father and thy mother and thy brethren and all the household of thy father, must thou gather together unto thee unto the house.
19 Ikiwa mtu yeyote atatoka nje ya nyumba yako akaenda mtaani, damu yake itakuwa juu ya kichwa chake mwenyewe, hatutawajibika. Lakini yule ambaye atakuwa ndani pamoja nawe, kama mkono wa mtu yeyote ukiwa juu yake damu yake itakuwa juu ya vichwa vyetu.
And it shall be, whosoever shall go forth out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood, shall be on his own head and, we, shall be free, —but, whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood, shall be on our heads, if a, hand, be upon him.
20 Lakini ikiwa utatoa habari ya shughuli yetu tunayofanya, tutakuwa tumefunguliwa kutoka kwenye kiapo hiki ulichotufanya tuape.”
Or, if thou utter this our business, then shall we be free from this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.
21 Naye akajibu, “Nimekubali. Na iwe kama mnavyosema.” Kwa hiyo akaagana nao, nao wakaondoka. Yeye akaifunga ile kamba nyekundu dirishani.
And she said—According to your words, so, shall it be. Thus sent she them away and they departed, —and she bound the crimson cord in the window.
22 Walipoondoka, wakaelekea vilimani na kukaa huko siku tatu, hadi wale waliokuwa wakiwafuatilia wakawa wamewatafuta njia nzima na kurudi pasipo kuwapata.
And they went and came into the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers had returned, —so the pursuers, made search, throughout all the way, but found them not.
23 Ndipo wale watu wawili wakaanza kurudi. Wakashuka kutoka kule vilimani, wakavuka mto na kuja kwa Yoshua mwana wa Nuni, na kumweleza kila kitu kilichowapata.
And the two men returned and came down out of the mountain, and crossed over and came unto Joshua, son of Nun, —and recounted to him all that had befallen them;
24 Wakamwambia Yoshua, “Hakika Bwana ametupa nchi yote mikononi mwetu; watu wote wanayeyuka kwa hofu kwa sababu yetu.”
and they said unto Joshua, Yahweh, hath delivered, into our hand all the land, —moreover also all the inhabitants of the land, have melted away, from before us.
