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.
Yahweh said to Joshua, “Do not fear; do not be discouraged. Take with you all the people of war. Go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and 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.”
You will do to Ai and her king as you have done to Jericho and her king, except that you will take the plunder and the cattle for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the city.”
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 got up and took all the men of war up to Ai. Then Joshua chose thirty thousand men—strong, courageous men—and he sent them out at 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 commanded them, “Look, you will lie in ambush against the city, behind it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready.
5 Mimi pamoja na watu wote walio pamoja nami tutaukaribia mji. Na wakati watakapokuja kutushambulia sisi, tutawakimbia kama tulivyofanya hapo mwanzo.
I and all the men with me will approach the city, and when they come out to attack us, we will run away from them just as before.
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 come out after us until we have drawn them away from the city. They will say, 'They are running away from us as they did the last time.' So we will run away from them.
7 Kisha mtapanda kutoka sehemu mliyojificha, na mtauteka mji. Yahweh Mungu wenu atawapa mkononi mwenu.
Then you come up out of your place of hiding, and you will capture the city. Yahweh your God will give it into your hand.
8 Tazama nimewaamuru, mtakapouteka mji, mtauchoma moto. Mtayafanya haya wakati mtakapotii agizo lililotolewa katika neno la Yahweh.”
When you capture the city, you will set it on fire. You will do this when you obey the command given in the word of Yahweh. See, I have commanded 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.
Joshua sent them out, and they went to the place of ambush, and they hid between Bethel and Ai to the west of Ai. But Joshua slept that night among the people.
10 Yoshua aliamka asubuhi na mapema na akawaandaa tayari wanajeshi wake, Yoshua na wazee wa Israeli walishambuliwa watu wa Ai.
Joshua got up early in the morning and got his soldiers ready, Joshua and the elders of Israel, and they attacked the people of 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.
All the fighting men who were with him went up and approached the city. They came near the city and camped on the north side of Ai. Now there was a valley between them and Ai.
12 Alichukua watu wapatao elfu tano hivi na akawaweka katika hali ya kuvizia katika upande wa magharibi mwa mji kati ya Betheli na Ai.
He took about five thousand men and set them in ambush on the west side of the city between Bethel and Ai.
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.
They positioned all the soldiers, the main army on the north side of the city, and the rear guard on the west side of the city. Joshua spent that night in 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.
It came about when the king of Ai saw it, he and his army got up early and rushed out to attack Israel at a certain place that was overlooking the Jordan River valley. He did not know that an ambush was waiting to attack from behind the city.
15 Yoshua na Waisraeli wote walikubali wenyewe kushindwa mbele yenu, na wakakimbia kuelekea nyikani.
Joshua and all Israel let themselves be defeated before them, and they fled toward the wilderness.
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.
All the people who were in the city were called together to go after them, and they went after Joshua and they were drawn away from the city.
17 Hapakuwa na mtu mme aliyesalia Ai na Betheli ambaye alikuwa hajaenda nje kuwafuatilia waisraeli. Na walipokuwa wanawafuatilia Waisraeli, Wakatoka na waliuacha mji wazi.
There was not a man left in Ai and Bethel who had not gone out to pursue Israel. They abandoned the city and left it open as they pursued Israel.
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.
Yahweh said to Joshua, “Point that spear in your hand toward Ai, for I will give Ai into your hand.” Joshua held out the spear that was in his hand toward the city.
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.
The soldiers hiding in ambush quickly rushed out of their place as he reached out with his hand. They ran and entered the city and captured it. They quickly set the city 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.
The men of Ai turned and looked back. They saw the smoke from the city rising into the sky, and they could not escape this way or that. For the Israelite soldiers who had fled into the wilderness now turned back to face those who were pursuing them.
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.
When Joshua and all Israel saw the ambush had captured the city with the smoke rising, they turned around and killed 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.
The other soldiers of Israel, those who had gone in the city, came out to attack them. So the men of Ai were caught between the armies of Israel, some on this side and some on that side. Israel attacked the men of Ai; none of them survived or escaped.
23 Lakini walimhifadhi mfalme wa Ai, ambaye walimteka akiwa hai, na kisha wakamleta kwa Yoshua.
They kept the king of Ai, whom they captured alive, and they 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.
It came about when Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the field near the wilderness where they pursued them, and when all of them, to the very last one, had fallen by the edge of the sword, all Israel returned to Ai. They attacked it with the edge of the sword.
25 Wale wote walikufa siku hiyo walikuwa watu elfu kumi na mbili elfu, wanaume na wanawake, wote ni watu wa Ai.
All those who fell that day, both men and women, were twelve thousand, all the people of Ai.
26 Yoshua hakuukunja mkono wake ambao alikuwa ameunyosha huku akishikilia mkuki wake, mpaka pale alipowateketeza kabisa watu wote wa Ai.
Joshua did not draw back his hand with which he had reached out while holding his spear, until he had completely destroyed all the people of Ai.
27 Waisraeli walichukua tu wanyama na nyara kutoka katika mji kwa ajili yao wenyewe, kama Yahweh alivyokuwa amemwagiza Yoshua.
Israel took only the livestock and the plunder from the city for themselves, just as Yahweh had commanded Joshua.
28 Yoshua aliichoma Ai na kuigeuza kuwa kichuguu cha mapango. Ni mahali palipoachwa ukiwa hata leo.
Joshua burned Ai and turned it into a heap of ruins forever. It is an abandoned place to this day.
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.
He hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening. When the sun was going down, Joshua gave the command and they took the king's body down from the tree and threw it in front of the city gates. There they set up a great heap of stones on top of it. That heap remains there to this day.
30 Kisha Yoshua akajenga madhabahu kwa Yahweh, Mungu wa Israeli katika Mlima wa Ebali,
Then Joshua built an altar to Yahweh, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal,
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.
just as Moses the servant of Yahweh had commanded the people of Israel, as it was written in the Book of the Law of Moses: “An altar from uncut stones, on which no one has wielded an iron tool.” He offered on the altar burnt offerings to Yahweh, and they sacrificed peace offerings.
32 Na huko aliandika juu ya mawe nakala ya sheria za Musa mbele ya watu wa Israeli.
There, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses.
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.
All Israel, their elders, officers, and their judges stood on both sides of the ark before the priests and Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of Yahweh—the foreigner as well as the native born—half of them stood in front of Mount Gerizim and the other half stood in front of Mount Ebal. They blessed the people of Israel, just as Moses the servant of Yahweh had commanded them at first.
34 Baada ya hayo, Yoshua alisoma maneno yote ya sheria, baraka na laana, kama zilivyoandikwa katika kitabu cha sheria.
Afterward, Joshua read all the words of the law, the blessings and the curses, just as they had been written in the book of the law.
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.
There was not one word from all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read in front of the assembly of Israel, including the women, the little children, and the foreigners who lived among them.
