< Yoshua 5 >

1 Basi wafalme wote wa Waamori magharibi ya Yordani na wafalme wote wa Kanaani waliokuwa kwenye pwani waliposikia jinsi Bwana alivyoukausha Mto Yordani mbele ya Waisraeli hata tulipokwisha kuvuka, mioyo yao ikayeyuka kwa hofu, wala hawakuwa na ujasiri kuwakabili Waisraeli.
Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and their spirits failed for fear of the Israelites.
2 Wakati huo Bwana akamwambia Yoshua, “Tengeneza visu vya mawe magumu sana na uwatahiri Waisraeli tena.”
At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel once again.”
3 Kwa hiyo Yoshua akatengeneza visu vya mawe magumu sana na kutahiri Waisraeli huko Gibeath-Haaralothi.
So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth.
4 Hii ndiyo sababu ya Yoshua kufanya hivyo: Wanaume wote waliotoka Misri, wote wenye umri wa kwenda vitani, walikufa jangwani wakiwa njiani baada ya kuondoka Misri.
Now this is why Joshua circumcised them: All those who came out of Egypt—all the men of war—had died on the journey in the wilderness after they had left Egypt.
5 Watu wote waliotoka Misri walikuwa wametahiriwa, lakini watu wote waliozaliwa jangwani wakiwa safarini toka Misri walikuwa hawajatahiriwa.
Though all who had come out were circumcised, none of those born in the wilderness on the journey from Egypt had been circumcised.
6 Waisraeli walitembea jangwani miaka arobaini mpaka wanaume wote wale waliokuwa na umri wa kwenda vitani wakati waliondoka Misri walipokwisha kufa, kwa kuwa hawakumtii Bwana. Kwa maana Bwana alikuwa amewaapia kuwa wasingeweza kuona nchi ambayo alikuwa amewaahidi baba zao katika kuapa kutupatia, nchi inayotiririka maziwa na asali.
For the Israelites had wandered in the wilderness forty years, until all the nation’s men of war who had come out of Egypt had died, since they did not obey the LORD. So the LORD vowed never to let them see the land He had sworn to their fathers to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.
7 Kwa hiyo akawainua wana wao baada yao na hawa ndio hao ambao Yoshua aliwatahiri. Walikuwa hawajatahiriwa bado kwa sababu walikuwa safarini.
And Joshua raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones he circumcised. Until this time they were still uncircumcised, since they had not been circumcised along the way.
8 Baada ya taifa lote kutahiriwa, waliendelea kukaa kambini mpaka walipokuwa wamepona.
And after all the nation had been circumcised, they stayed there in the camp until they were healed.
9 Bwana akamwambia Yoshua, “Leo nimeiondoa aibu ya Wamisri kutoka kwenu.” Basi mahali pale pakaitwa Gilgali hadi leo.
Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So that place has been called Gilgal to this day.
10 Jioni ya siku ya kumi na nne ya mwezi, wakiwa kambini huko Gilgali katika tambarare za Yeriko, Waisraeli wakaadhimisha Pasaka.
On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while the Israelites were camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they kept the Passover.
11 Siku iliyofuata Pasaka, katika siku ile ile, wakala mazao ya nchi, mikate isiyotiwa chachu na nafaka za kukaanga.
The day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate unleavened bread and roasted grain from the produce of the land.
12 Mana ilikoma siku iliyofuata baada ya Waisraeli kula chakula kilichotoka katika nchi; hapakuwa na mana tena kwa ajili ya Waisraeli, ila mwaka huo walikula mazao ya nchi ya Kanaani.
And the day after they had eaten from the produce of the land, the manna ceased. There was no more manna for the Israelites, so that year they began to eat the crops of the land of Canaan.
13 Basi wakati Yoshua alipokuwa karibu na Yeriko, akainua macho, akaona mtu aliyesimama mbele yake, akiwa na upanga mkononi uliofutwa kwenye ala. Yoshua akamwendea na kumuuliza, “Je, wewe uko upande wetu au upande wa adui zetu?”
Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in His hand. Joshua approached Him and asked, “Are You for us or for our enemies?”
14 Akajibu, “La, siko upande wowote, lakini mimi nimekuja nikiwa jemadari wa jeshi la Bwana.” Yoshua akaanguka kifudifudi hadi chini, akasujudu, akamuuliza, “Je, Bwana, una ujumbe gani kwa mtumishi wako?”
“Neither,” He replied. “I have now come as Commander of the LORD’s army.” Then Joshua fell facedown in reverence and asked Him, “What does my Lord have to say to His servant?”
15 Jemadari wa jeshi la Bwana akajibu, “Vua viatu vyako, kwa maana mahali hapa unaposimama ni patakatifu.” Naye Yoshua akafanya hivyo.
The Commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

< Yoshua 5 >