Yoshua 8
1 Yahweh akamwambia Yoshua, “Usiogope; usivunjike moyo. Chukua pamoja nawe watu wa vita. Pandeni kwenda Ai. Tazama nimemtia mkononi mwako mfalme wa Ai, watu wake, mji wake na nchi yake.
Then Yahweh said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged [because of what happened at] Ai. Lead all of your soldiers and go there again. I will help you to defeat the king of Ai, his people, and his city, and [enable you to take] his land.
2 Mtafanya hivyo pia huko Ai na mfalme wake kama mlivyofanya kwa Yeriko na mfalme wake, isipokuwa mtachukua nyara na mifugo kwa ajili yenu. Pangeni mashambulizi ya uviziaji nyuma ya mji.”
Your army will do to the people of Ai and their king like what you did to the people of Jericho and their king. But this time [I will permit you to] take all their possessions and keep them for yourselves. But first, tell some of your soldiers to [hide behind] the city [and] prepare to suddenly attack it.”
3 Basi Yoshua aliinuka na akawachukua kwenda Ai watu wote wa vita. Kisha Yoshua akachagua watu elfu thelathini - wenye nguvu na ujasiri - na aliwatuma waende wakati wa usiku.
So Joshua led all his army toward Ai. He chose 30,000 of his best fighters/warriors and prepared to send them out during the night.
4 Aliwaamuru, “Tazama, mtalala katika hali ya mashambulizi ya uviziaji dhidi ya mji, kwa nyuma yake. Usiende mbali sana na mji, lakini ninyi nyote muwe tayari.
He said to them, “Listen carefully. Some of you must hide on the other side of the city. Do not go far from the city. Just be ready [to attack].
5 Mimi pamoja na watu wote walio pamoja nami tutaukaribia mji. Na wakati watakapokuja kutushambulia sisi, tutawakimbia kama tulivyofanya hapo mwanzo.
I and the men who are with me will march toward the city [in the morning]. The men in the city will come out to fight us, like they did before. Then we will turn around and start to run away from them.
6 Watatoka nje watukimbize mpaka hapo tutakapokuwa tumewavuta mbali sana na mji, watasema, “Wanatukimbia kama walivyofanya mara ya mwisho.' Hivyo tutawakimbia na kwenda mbali.
They will think that we are running away from them like we did before. So they will chase us away from the city. While we are running away,
7 Kisha mtapanda kutoka sehemu mliyojificha, na mtauteka mji. Yahweh Mungu wenu atawapa mkononi mwenu.
[those of you who are hiding come out and] rush into the city and capture it. Yahweh your God will enable you to conquer it.
8 Tazama nimewaamuru, mtakapouteka mji, mtauchoma moto. Mtayafanya haya wakati mtakapotii agizo lililotolewa katika neno la Yahweh.”
After you capture the city, burn it. Do what Yahweh has commanded us to do. Those are the orders I am giving to you.”
9 Yoshua akawatuma, na wakaenda sehemu ya uviziajia, na wakajificha kati ya Betheli na Ai sehemu ya magharibi ya Ai. Yoshua akalala miongoni mwa watu usiku ule.
Then Joshua [prepared to] send some of them to [hide and] wait between Ai and Bethel, which was west of Ai. But Joshua stayed with his other soldiers that night.
10 Yoshua aliamka asubuhi na mapema na akawaandaa tayari wanajeshi wake, Yoshua na wazee wa Israeli walishambuliwa watu wa Ai.
Early the next morning, Joshua gathered his soldiers together. Then he and the other Israeli leaders led them up to Ai.
11 Watu wote wa vita waliokuwa pamoja naye walipanda na kuukaribia mji. Walisogea karibu na mji na wakapiga kambi sehemu ya kasikazini mwa Ai. Kulikuwa na bonde kati yao na Ai.
They all set up their tents close to Ai, just to the north of the city, where all the people of the city could see them. There was a valley between them and the city.
12 Alichukua watu wapatao elfu tano hivi na akawaweka katika hali ya kuvizia katika upande wa magharibi mwa mji kati ya Betheli na Ai.
Then Joshua chose about 5,000 men and told them to go and hide just west of the city, between Ai and Bethel.
13 Waliwapanga wanajeshi wote, jeshi kuu katika upande wa kasikazini mwa mji, na walinzi wa nyuma upande wa magharibi mwa mji. Yoshua alilala bondeni usiku ule.
So those men did that. The main group of soldiers was north of the city, and the others were hiding west of the city. That night Joshua went down into the valley.
14 Na ilikuwa alipoona hilo mfalme wa Ai, yeye pamoja na jeshi lake, waliamka asubuhi na mapema na walitoka kwa haraka kwenda kuwashambulia Israeli katika eneo linalokabili bonde la Mto Yordani. Hakujua kuwa kulikuwa na shambulizi la kuvizia lilikuwa linasubiria kushambulia kutokea kwa nyuma ya mji.
When the king of Ai saw the Israeli army, he and his soldiers got up early the next morning and quickly went out of the city to fight them. They went to a place east of the city, but they did not know that some Israeli soldiers were hiding behind the city.
15 Yoshua na Waisraeli wote walikubali wenyewe kushindwa mbele yenu, na wakakimbia kuelekea nyikani.
Joshua and the Israeli soldiers [who were with him] allowed the army of Ai to push them back. They ran toward the desert.
16 Watu wote waliokuwa kwenye mji waliitwa kwa pamoja waende mbele yao, na walienda mbele ya Yoshua na kwa jinsi hiyo walivutwa mbali na mji.
The men in Ai were ordered to chase after Joshua and his men. So they left the city and started to pursue the Israelis.
17 Hapakuwa na mtu mme aliyesalia Ai na Betheli ambaye alikuwa hajaenda nje kuwafuatilia waisraeli. Na walipokuwa wanawafuatilia Waisraeli, Wakatoka na waliuacha mji wazi.
All the men of Ai and the men of Bethel pursued the Israeli army. They did not leave even one man in Ai to defend it. The [gates of the] city were left wide open.
18 Yahweh akamwambia Yoshua, “Nyosha mkuki huo ulio mkononi mwako kuelekea Ai, kwa kuwa nitaitia Ai mikononi mwako.” Yoshua akaunyosha mkuki uliokuwa mkononi mwake kuuelekea mji.
Then Yahweh said to Joshua, “[Lift up] your spear [and] point it toward Ai, because I am going to enable your soldiers to capture it!” So Joshua pointed [his spear] toward Ai.
19 Wanajeshi waliojificha katika hali ya kuvizia walitoka upesi katika eneo lao mara tu alipounyosha mkono wake. Walikimbia mbio na kuuingia mji na kuuteka. Na kwa haraka wakauchoma moto mji.
When the Israeli men who were hiding saw that, they rushed out from the places where they were hiding and ran into the city. They quickly captured it and set it on fire.
20 Watu wa Ai waligeuka na kuangalia nyuma. Waliona moshi kutoka katika mji ukipanda kwenda angani, na hawakuweza kutoroka kwa njia hii au ile. Kwa kuwa wanajeshi wa Israelei waliokuwa wamekimbia katika nyika, sasa walirudi kuwakabili wale waliokuwa wanawafuatilia.
When the men of Ai looked back, they saw smoke rising from their city. But they could not escape, because the Israeli troops stopped running away.
21 Na wakati Yoshua na Israeli wote walipoona kuwa wale watu wa kuvizia wameuteka mji kwa ule moshi uliokuwa ukipanda, waligeuka nyuma na kuwaua watu wa Ai.
Joshua and his men saw that the men who had been hiding had captured the city and were burning it, and they saw the smoke rising. So they turned around and started to attack the men of Ai.
22 Na wanajeshi wengine wa Israeli, wale waliokuwa wameingia ndani ya mji, walitoka nje ili kuwashambulia. Hivyo, watu wa Ai walikamatwa katikati ya majeshi ya Israeli, baadhi katika upande huu na wengine katika upande ule.
Meanwhile, the soldiers who had captured the city came out [and attacked them from the rear]. So the men of Ai were caught between the two groups of Israeli soldiers. None of the men of Ai escaped. The Israelis fought until they killed all of them. Only the king of Ai was still alive.
23 Lakini walimhifadhi mfalme wa Ai, ambaye walimteka akiwa hai, na kisha wakamleta kwa Yoshua.
Then they seized the king of Ai and brought him to Joshua.
24 Ilikuwa baada ya Israeli walipokuwa wamemaliza kuuwaua wenyeji wote wa Ai katika uwanda kariibu na nyika mahali walipowafuata, na baada ya wao wote, hata yule wa mwisho, walipokuwa wamekwisha kulala kwa ncha ya upanga, Waisraeli wote walirudi Ai. Waliuteka mji kwa ncha ya upanga.
While they were fighting, the Israeli army pursued the men of Ai into the fields and into the desert, and killed all of them. Then they went to Ai and killed everyone who was there.
25 Wale wote walikufa siku hiyo walikuwa watu elfu kumi na mbili elfu, wanaume na wanawake, wote ni watu wa Ai.
They killed 12,000 men and women.
26 Yoshua hakuukunja mkono wake ambao alikuwa ameunyosha huku akishikilia mkuki wake, mpaka pale alipowateketeza kabisa watu wote wa Ai.
Joshua continued to point his spear [LIT] toward Ai, until all the people in Ai had been killed.
27 Waisraeli walichukua tu wanyama na nyara kutoka katika mji kwa ajili yao wenyewe, kama Yahweh alivyokuwa amemwagiza Yoshua.
The Israeli soldiers took for themselves the animals and the other things that had belonged to the people of Ai, just like Yahweh had told Joshua that they should do.
28 Yoshua aliichoma Ai na kuigeuza kuwa kichuguu cha mapango. Ni mahali palipoachwa ukiwa hata leo.
Joshua and his soldiers burned Ai city and caused it to become a pile of ruins. It is still like that today.
29 Alimtundika mfalme wa Ai juu ya mti mpaka jioni. Na jua lilipokuwa linaenda kuzama, Yoshua aliwaagiza na wakautoa mwili wa mfalme wakaushusha chini ya mti na kuutupa mbele ya malango ya mji. Huko wakaweka kichuguu kikubwa cha mawe juu yake. Kichuguu hicho kimebaki huko hata leo.
Joshua hanged the king of Ai on a tree and left his corpse hanging there until the evening. At sunset Joshua told his men to take the king’s corpse down from the tree and to throw it on the ground at the city gate. [After they did that], they piled a lot of rocks on top of the corpse, and that pile of rocks is still there.
30 Kisha Yoshua akajenga madhabahu kwa Yahweh, Mungu wa Israeli katika Mlima wa Ebali,
Joshua [told his men to] build on Ebal Mountain an altar for Yahweh, the God [who is worshiped by] the Israeli people.
31 kama vile Musa mtumishi wa Yahweh alivyowaagiza watu wa Israeli, kama ilivyoandikwa katika kitabu cha sheria ya Musa: “Madhabahu ya mawe yasiyochongwa, ambayo juu yake hakuna mtu yeyote aliyetumia zana ya chuma.” Na allimtolea Yahweh sadaka ya kuteketezwa juu yake na wakatoa sadaka ya amani.
They built it just like Moses, the man who served God [well], had written previously in the laws [that God had given to him]. They made it from stones that had not been cut using iron tools. The Israelis then offered sacrifices to Yahweh that were burned completely on the altar. They also offered sacrifices to restore fellowship with Yahweh.
32 Na huko aliandika juu ya mawe nakala ya sheria za Musa mbele ya watu wa Israeli.
As the Israelis watched, Joshua wrote on stones the laws that [Yahweh had given] to Moses previously.
33 Waisraeli wote, wazee wao, maafisa, na waamuzi wao walisimama katika sehemu mbili za sanduku mbele ya makuhani na Walawi ambao hulibeba sanduku la Agano la Yahweh - wageni pamoja na wazalia, nusu yao walisimama mbele ya Mlima Gerizimu na nusu walisimama mbele ya Mlima Ebali. Waliwabariki watu wa Israeli kama Musa mtumishi wa Yahweh alivyowaagiza hapo mwanzo.
The Israeli leaders, the officials, the judges, and other Israelis were there, standing nearby. Many people who were not Israelis were also there. Half of the people stood [on one side of the valley] below Ebal Mountain, and the other half of the people stood [on the other side of the valley] below Gerizim Mountain. The sacred chest was [in the valley] between the two groups. That was what Moses had previously commanded that the people should do when [Yahweh was about to] bless them.
34 Baada ya hayo, Yoshua alisoma maneno yote ya sheria, baraka na laana, kama zilivyoandikwa katika kitabu cha sheria.
Then Joshua read [to the people] all that [Moses] had written previously. That included what Yahweh had taught them and the ways [that he promised] to bless them [if they obeyed his commands], or to curse them [if they disobeyed them].
35 Halikusalia hata neno moja katika yote ambayo Musa alimwagiza Yoshua ambalo halikusomwa mbele ya kusanyiko la Waisraeli lilojumuisha wanawake, watoto wadogo na wageni walioishi miongoni mwao.
All the Israelis gathered together [to listen]—the men, the women, and the children. The (foreigners/people who were not Israelis) who were living among them also listened, while Joshua read all the commands that Moses had written.
