< 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, “Don’t be afraid, and don’t be dismayed. Take all the warriors with you, and arise, go up to Ai. Behold, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, with 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 shall do to Ai and her king as you did to Jericho and her king, except you shall take its goods and its livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush for the city behind 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 arose, with all the warriors, to go up to Ai. Joshua chose thirty thousand men, the mighty men of valor, and sent them out by 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, saying, “Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind the city. Don’t 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 people who are with me will approach the city. It shall happen, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before 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 come out after us until we have drawn them away from the city; for they will say, ‘They flee before us, like the first time.’ So we will flee before them,
7 Kisha mtapanda kutoka sehemu mliyojificha, na mtauteka mji. Yahweh Mungu wenu atawapa mkononi mwenu.
and you shall rise up from the ambush, and take possession of the city; for Yahweh your God will deliver it into your hand.
8 Tazama nimewaamuru, mtakapouteka mji, mtauchoma moto. Mtayafanya haya wakati mtakapotii agizo lililotolewa katika neno la Yahweh.”
It shall be, when you have seized the city, that you shall set the city on fire. You shall do this according to Yahweh’s word. Behold, 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 set up the ambush, and stayed between Bethel and Ai on the west side of Ai; but Joshua stayed among the people that night.
10 Yoshua aliamka asubuhi na mapema na akawaandaa tayari wanajeshi wake, Yoshua na wazee wa Israeli walishambuliwa watu wa Ai.
Joshua rose up early in the morning, mustered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people 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.
All the people, even the men of war who were with him, went up and came near, and came before the city and encamped on the north side of Ai. Now there was a valley between him 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 between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.
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 they set the people, even all the army who was on the north of the city, and their ambush on the west of the city; and Joshua went that night into the middle of 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 it, they hurried and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at the time appointed, before the Arabah; but he didn’t know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.
15 Yoshua na Waisraeli wote walikubali wenyewe kushindwa mbele yenu, na wakakimbia kuelekea nyikani.
Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of 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 pursue after them. They pursued Joshua, and 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 or Bethel who didn’t go out after Israel. They left the city open, and 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, “Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” Joshua stretched out the javelin 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 ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand and entered into the city and took it. They hurried and 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.
When the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way. The people who fled to the wilderness turned back on the pursuers.
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 that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned back 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 others came out of the city against them, so they were in the middle of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side. They struck them, so that they let none of them remain or escape.
23 Lakini walimhifadhi mfalme wa Ai, ambaye walimteka akiwa hai, na kisha wakamleta kwa Yoshua.
They captured the king of Ai alive, 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.
When Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness in which they pursued them, and they had all fallen by the edge of the sword until they were consumed, all Israel returned to Ai and struck 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 that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even 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.
For Joshua didn’t draw back his hand, with which he stretched out the javelin, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.
27 Waisraeli walichukua tu wanyama na nyara kutoka katika mji kwa ajili yao wenyewe, kama Yahweh alivyokuwa amemwagiza Yoshua.
Israel took for themselves only the livestock and the goods of that city, according to Yahweh’s word which he commanded Joshua.
28 Yoshua aliichoma Ai na kuigeuza kuwa kichuguu cha mapango. Ni mahali palipoachwa ukiwa hata leo.
So Joshua burned Ai and made it a heap forever, even a desolation, 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 the evening. At sundown, Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree and threw it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raised a great heap of stones on it that remains 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.
as Moses the servant of Yahweh commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses: an altar of uncut stones, on which no one had lifted up any iron. They offered burnt offerings on it to Yahweh and sacrificed peace offerings.
32 Na huko aliandika juu ya mawe nakala ya sheria za Musa mbele ya watu wa Israeli.
He wrote there on the stones a copy of Moses’ law, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel.
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, with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on both sides of the ark before the Levitical priests, who carried the ark of Yahweh’s covenant, the foreigner as well as the native; half of them in front of Mount Gerizim, and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of Yahweh had commanded at the first, that they should bless the people of Israel.
34 Baada ya hayo, Yoshua alisoma maneno yote ya sheria, baraka na laana, kama zilivyoandikwa katika kitabu cha sheria.
Afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is 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 a word of all that Moses commanded which Joshua didn’t read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and the foreigners who were among them.