< Yoshua 7 >
1 Lakini watu wa Israeli hawakutenda katika uaminifu kuhusiana na vitu vilivyotengwa kwa ajili ya uharibifu. Akani mwana wa Karmi, mwana wa Zabdi, mwana wa Zera, kutoka katika kabila la Yuda, alivitwaa baadhi ya vitu hivyo vilivyokuwa vimetengwa kwa ajili ya uharibifu, na hasira ya Yahweh iliwaka juu yawatu wa Israeli.
Yahweh had commanded that all the things [that they had captured in Jericho] should be [destroyed to show that they belong] to him. But there was a man from the tribe of Judah named Achan. He was the son of Carmi and grandson of Zabdi and great-grandson of Zerah. He disobeyed [what] Yahweh [had commanded] and took for himself some of those things. So Yahweh was very angry with the Israelis.
2 Yoshua alituma watu kutoka Yeriko kwenda Ai, mji uliokuwa karibu na Bethi Aveni, mashariki mwa Betheli. Aliwaambia, “Nendeni na mkaipeleleza nchi.” Wale watu walikwea na kuipeleleza Ai.
Joshua told some of his men to go from Jericho to Ai [town], which was east of Bethel [city] and near Beth-Aven [town]. He said to them, “Go to Ai and (spy out the area/see what the area is like).” So the men went.
3 Waliporudi kwa Yoshua, walimwambia, “Usitume watu wote kwenda Ai. Tuma tu watu elfu mbili au elfu tatu waende kuiteka Ai. Usiwafanye watu wateseke katika vita, kwani ni watu wachache.”
When they returned to Joshua they said, “There are only a few people in Ai. So we do not need to send all of our soldiers to defeat them. Send 2.000 or 3,000 men to attack them. That will be enough.”
4 Hivyo ni watu wapatao elfu tatu tu kutoka katika jeshi ndio walioenda, lakini watu hawa waliwakimbia watu wa Ai.
So about 3,000 Israeli men went [to attack Ai]. But the men of Ai defeated them badly.
5 Watu wa Ai waliwaua watu wapatao thelathini na sita, waliwafuata katika lango la mji hadi katika machimbo ya mawe, na waliwauwa walipokuwa wakishuka katika kilima. Na mioyo ya watu ilijawa hofu na ujasiri wao ukawatoka.
They killed about 36 Israelis and chased the rest of Israeli men from the city gate to the bottom of the hill. When the other Israelis saw that this had happened, they became very discouraged.
6 Basi Yoshua alizirarua nguo zake. Yeye pamoja na wazewe wa Israeli waliweka mavumbi juu ya vichwa vyao na wakainamisha vichwa vyao hadi katika nchi mbele ya sanduku la Yahweh, na walibaki pale mpaka jioni.
Joshua and the other Israeli leaders tore their clothes [because they were very sad about being defeated]. They prostrated themselves on the ground in front of [the Sacred Tent in which was] the sacred chest. They stayed there until that evening. They also threw dirt on their heads [to show that they were very sad about what had happened].
7 Kisha Yoshua akasema, “Oo, Yahweh Bwana, kwanini umewavusha watu hawa ng'ambo ya Yordani? Kutuweka katika mikono ya Waamori ili kutuangamiza? ikiwa kama tulifanya maamuzi tofauti na tungekaa katika upande mwingine wa Yordani!
Then Joshua prayed and said, “Lord God, you brought us Israelis [safely] across the Jordan River. So why are you now allowing the Amor people-group to defeat us [RHQ]? [This would not have happened] if we had stayed on the other side of the Jordan River!
8 Bwana, niseme nini, baada ya Israeli kuwatega migongo maadui zao?
Lord, we Israelis have been defeated by our enemies, so I do not know what to say now [RHQ].
9 Kwa kuwa Wakaanani na wenyeji wote wa nchi watakaposikia, watatuzunguka na kuwafanya watu wa nchi kulisahau jina letu. Na utafanya nini kwa ajili ya jina lako kuu?
The Canaan people-group and all the other people who are living in this land will hear about this. Then they will surround us and kill all of us! Then what will you do (to defend your reputation [MTY]/to show that you are a powerful God)?”
10 Yahweh akamwambia Yoshua, “Inuka! kwanini umelala kifudifudi?
But Yahweh said to Joshua, “Stand up! Stop lying there with your face on the ground [RHQ]!
11 Israeli imetenda dhambi. Wamevunja agano langu nililowaagiza. Wameiba baadhi ya vitu vilivyokuwa vimetengwa. Wameiba na kisha pia wakaficha dhambi yao kwa kuweka vitu vile walivyochukua miongoni mwa mali zao wenyewe.
You Israelis have sinned! You have disobeyed the commands that I told you to obey. [One of] your men has taken some of the things that I told you to destroy. He has stolen them and taken them for himself and lied [about it].
12 Na matokeo yake ni kwamba watu wa Israeli hawataweza kusimama mbele za maadui zao. Walitega migongo yao kwa maadui zao kwasababu wao wenyewe wametengwa kwa ajili ya uharibifu. Sitakuwa pamoja nanyi tena mpaka pale mtakapoteketeza vitu vile vilivyotakiwa kuharibiwa, lakini sasa bado viko miongoni mwenu.
That is why you Israelis have been unable to be strong when you went to attack your enemies. That is why you have run away from them. And now you yourselves may be destroyed. If you do not do as I commanded you and destroy everything [that you captured in Jericho] I will not help you any more!”
13 Inuka! Waweke watu wakfu kwangu, na uwaambie, 'Jiwekeeni wakfu ninyi wenyewe kesho. Kwa kuwa, Yahweh, Mungu wa Israeli asema hivi, “Kuna vitu vilitengwa ili kuteketezwa ambavyo bado viko miongoni mwenu, Israeli. Hamtaweza kusimama mbele ya maadui zenu mpaka pale mtakapoviondoa miongoni mwenu vitu vyote ambavyo vilitengwa kwa ajili ya kuteketezwa.”
“Now go and tell this to the people: ‘Tomorrow you must [perform the rituals that will] cause yourselves to become acceptable to Yahweh again. Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship], says that one of you has kept things that he told you to destroy. You will never defeat your enemies until you get rid of those things.
14 Asubuhi, mtajisogeza wenyewe kwa makabila. Kabila lile ambalo Yahweh atalichagua litasogea karibu kwa koo zake. Ukoo ule ambao Yahweh atauchagua lazima usogee karibu kwa nyumba. Nyumba ambayo Yahweh ataichagua lazima isogee karibu kwa mtu mmoja mmoja.
‘Tomorrow morning you must present yourselves before Yahweh, tribe by tribe. Then Yahweh will indicate to which tribe [the man who took those things belongs]. Then Yahweh will indicate to which clan from that tribe [the guilty man belongs]. Then Yahweh will indicate to which family he belongs. And then he will indicate which person [in that family took those things].
15 Itakuwa hivi mtu yule atakayechaguliwa na aliye navyo vitu hivyo vilivyotengwa kwa ajili ya kuharibiwa, atachomwa moto, yeye na kila kitu alichonacho, kwasababu amelivunja agano la Yahweh na kwasababu amefanya jambo la aibu katika Israeli.'”
Then the one who has taken some of the things that should have been destroyed will be destroyed in a fire. And everything he owns will be destroyed with him, because he has disobeyed the command that Yahweh gave us and has done something that is disgraceful to us Israeli people.’”
16 Basi, Yoshua aliamka asubuhi na mapema na aliwaleta Israeli karibu, kabila kwa kabila, na kabila la Yuda lilichaguliwa.
Early the next morning, Joshua told all the Israeli people to stand before the Sacred Tent, tribe by tribe. [When they did that], Yahweh indicated that a man from the tribe of Judah [was the one who had taken the things].
17 Yoshua akazisogeza koo za Yuda karibu, na ukoo wa Zera ulichaguliwa. Akausogeza karibu ukoo wa Zera mtu kwa mtu, na Zabdi alichaguliwa.
Then the clans of Judah presented themselves, and Yahweh indicated that someone from the clan of Zerah was the guilty one. Then the families of Zerah’s clan presented themselves, and Yahweh indicated that someone from the family of Zabdi [was the guilty one].
18 Akaisogeza karibu nyumba ya Zabdi mtu kwa mtu, na Akani mwana wa Karmi, mwana wa Zabdi, mwana wa Zera, kutoka kabila la Yuda, alichaguliwa.
Then Joshua told the men from that family to present themselves. And Yahweh indicated that Achan was guilty.
19 Kisha Yoshua akamwambia Akani, “Mwanangu, niambie ukweli mbele za Yahweh, Mungu wa Israel, na ufanye ukiri wako kwake. Tafadhali niambie kile ulichofanya. Usinifiche.”
Then Joshua said to Achan, “Son, tell the truth [IDM]. Confess to Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship, what you have done]. And tell me what you did, and do not try to (conceal anything/prevent me from knowing what you did).”
20 Akani akamjibu Yoshua, “Kwa kweli nimetenda dhambi mbele Yahweh, Mungu wa Israeli.
Achan replied, “It is true. I have sinned against Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship].
21 Nilichofanya ni hiki: Nilipoona miongoni mwa nyara mkoti mzuri kutoka Babeli, shekeli mia mbili za fedha, na kipande cha dhahabu chenye uzito wa shekeli hamsini, nilivitamani na nikavichukua. Vimefichwa chini ardhini katikati ya hema langu, na fedha iko chini yake.”
Among the things [in Jericho] that I saw was a beautiful coat from Babylonia. I also saw 200 pieces of silver and some gold that weighed as much as 50 pieces of silver. I wanted those things very much for myself, so I took them. I buried them all in the ground under my tent. You will find them there. The silver is buried under the other things.”
22 Yoshua akatuma wajumbe waliokimbia mpaka kwenye hema mahali palipokuwa na vile vitu. Walipoangalia, waliviona vimefichwa katika hema lake, na fedha chini yake.
So Joshua sent some men [to find those things]. They ran to Achan’s tent and found all the things hidden there.
23 Walivichukua vitu hivyo kutoka katikati ya hema na kuvileta kwa Yoshua na watu wote wa Israeli. Walivimwaga mbele za Yahweh.
The men brought them all out of the tent and took them to Joshua and the rest of the Israeli people. Then they spread/laid them out on the ground, where Yahweh could see them.
24 Kisha Yoshua na Waisraeli wote pamoja naye, walimchukua Akani mwana wa Zera, na fedha, na koti, na kipande cha dhahabu, wana na binti zake, ng'ombe zake, punda zake, kondoo zake, hema lake, na kila kitu alichokuwa nacho, na wakavileta hata bonde la Akori.
Then Joshua and the rest of the people led Achan down to the valley. They also took down there the silver, the coat, the gold, Achan’s [wife and] sons and daughters, and his cattle and donkeys and sheep, and his tent, and everything else that he owned.
25 Kisha Yoshua akasema, “Kwanini umetusumbua? Leo Yahweh atakutesa na wewe.” Waisraeli wote wakampiga kwa mawe. Na wakawachoma wote kwa moto, na wakawapiga mawe.
Joshua said, “(I do not know why you caused so much trouble for us/You have caused a lot of trouble for us) [RHQ], but now Yahweh will cause trouble for you.” Then all the people threw stones at Achan and his family until they all died. Then the people burned their corpses.
26 Kisha wakaweka juu yake kichuguu kikubwa cha mawe ambayo yapo hata leo. Yahweh akaachilia mbali hasira yake. Hivyo basi, jina la mahali hapo likawa Akori hata leo.
They piled rocks over [the ashes of] their [corpses], and those rocks are still there. That is why that valley is called Trouble Valley. After that, Yahweh was no longer angry [with the Israeli people].