Atemmufoɔ 1
1 Yosua wuo akyi no, Israelfoɔ bisaa Awurade sɛ, “Abusuakuo bɛn na ɛsɛ sɛ wɔkɔto hyɛ Kanaanfoɔ no so kane?”
After Joshua died, the Israeli people asked Yahweh, “Which [of our tribes] should attack the Canaan people-group first?”
2 Awurade buaa sɛ, “Yuda na ɛsɛ sɛ ɔkɔ; mede asase no so die ahyɛ wɔn nsam.”
Yahweh replied, “I will enable the tribe of Judah to defeat [IDM] the Canaan people-group.”
3 Enti, Yuda ntuanofoɔ ka kyerɛɛ wɔn nuanom Simeon abusuakuo no sɛ, “Mommɛka yɛn ho na yɛnko ntia Kanaanfoɔ a wɔte asase a wɔde ama yɛn no so. Yɛn nso, yɛbɛboa mo ama moako afa mo asase.” Enti, Simeonfoɔ mmarima no ne Yudafoɔ no kɔeɛ.
The men of Judah went to their fellow Israelis, [the men] from the tribe of Simeon, and said to them, “Come and help us to fight the Canaan people-group [in order that we can take from them] the land [that Yahweh] allotted to us. If you do that, we will go with you [and help you] conquer the people in the land [that Yahweh promised to give to] you.” So the men from the tribe of Simeon went with the men of the tribe of Judah.
4 Ɛberɛ a Yuda kɔɔ wɔn so no, Awurade ma wɔdii Kanaanfoɔ ne Perisifoɔ no so nkonim, na wɔkunkumm atamfoɔ akofoɔ ɔpedu wɔ Besek.
When the men of those two tribes attacked, Yahweh enabled them to defeat 10,000 men of the Canaan people-group and the Periz people-group [DOU] at Bezek [city].
5 Besek hɔ, wɔne ɔhene Adoni-Besek hyiaeɛ, na wɔko tiaa no, dii Kanaanfoɔ no ne Perisifoɔ no so nkonim.
During the battle they found Adoni-Bezek, the leader of the city,
6 Adoni-Besek dwaneeɛ, nanso ankyɛre na Israelfoɔ kɔkyeree no twitwaa ne nsa ne ne nan kokurobetie.
but he [tried to] run away. The Israelis pursued him and caught him. Then they cut off his thumbs and his big toes.
7 Ɛmaa Adoni-Besek kaa sɛ, “Ɛberɛ bi na mewɔ Ahemfo aduɔson a wɔatwitwa wɔn kokurobetie bɛtasee mporoporowa wɔ me didipono ase. Afei, Awurade atua me deɛ meyɛɛ wɔn no so ka.” Wɔde no kɔɔ Yerusalem na ɔwuu wɔ hɔ.
Adoni-Bezek said, “[My army captured] 70 kings. We cut off their thumbs and big toes. After that, [we forced] those kings to eat scraps that fell from our table. Now God has (paid me back for/done to me like) [what we did to them].” Then the men of Judah took Adoni-Bezek to Jerusalem, and he died there.
8 Yuda mmarima no to hyɛɛ Yerusalem so, dii so nkonim. Wɔkunkumm kuropɔn no so nnipa nyinaa, too mu ogya.
The army of Judah fought against the men of Jerusalem, and they captured the city. With their swords they killed [the people who lived there] and they burned [the houses in] the city.
9 Ɛno akyi, wɔdane faa anafoɔ fam, kɔto hyɛɛ Kanaanfoɔ a wɔtete bepɔ asase, Negeb ne atɔeɛ fam nkokoɔ so no so.
Later, the men of Judah went down to fight the Canaan people-group who lived in the hilly area, in the desert to the south, and in the foothills [to the west].
10 Yuda bɔ wuraa Kanaanfoɔ a na wɔte Hebron a kane no na wɔfrɛ hɔ Kiriat-Arba no mu, dii Sesai, Ahiman ne Talmai so.
The men of Judah also went to fight against the Canaan people-group who lived in Hebron [city], which at that time was named Kiriath-Arba. They defeated [the armies of kings] Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai.
11 Wɔfiri hɔ kɔtoaa nnipa a wɔte Debir a kane no na wɔfrɛ hɔ (Kiriat-Sefer no).
Then they left that area and went to fight against the people living in Debir [city], which was previously named Kiriath-Sepher.
12 Na Kaleb kaa sɛ, “Obiara a ɔbɛto ahyɛ Kiriat-Sefer so na wafa no, mede me babaa Aksa bɛma no aware.”
[Before they attacked the city], Caleb said to them, “If one of you attacks and captures Kiriath-Sepher, I will allow him to marry my daughter.”
13 Ɛnna Kaleb nua kumaa Kenas babarima Otniel kɔfaeɛ. Enti, Aksa bɛyɛɛ Otniel yere.
Othniel, who was the son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz, captured the city. So Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him, to become his wife.
14 Aksa waree Otniel no, ɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ ɔmmisa nʼagya Kaleb na ɔmma wɔn asase nka deɛ wɔwɔ no ho. Ɔfiri nʼafunumu so sii fam ara pɛ, Kaleb bisaa no sɛ, “Asɛm bɛn? Ɛdeɛn na menyɛ mma wo?”
When Acsah married Othniel, she told him to ask her father to give him a field. [But she decided to ask him herself. She rode to Caleb’s house on her donkey], and when she got off the donkey, Caleb [could see that something was troubling her. So he] asked her, “What do you want?”
15 Ɔbuaa sɛ, “Ma me nhyira bio. Woadom me ama me asase wɔ Negeb, na mesrɛ wo ma me asase a nsuo wɔ so.” Enti, Kaleb maa no atifi ne anafoɔ fam nsuwansuwa asase.
She replied, “I want you to do a favor for me. You have given me some land in the southern desert, [but it is very dry there]. So please also give me some [land that has] springs of water.” So Caleb gave her some land on higher ground that had a spring, and some land on lower ground that also had a spring.
16 Ɛberɛ a Yuda abusuakuo firii Yeriko no, Kenifoɔ a wɔyɛ Mose ase barima asefoɔ ne wɔn kɔɔ Yuda ɛserɛ no so. Wɔtenaa nnipa a wɔwɔ hɔ no mu wɔ beaeɛ bi a ɛbɛn Arad a ɛwɔ Negeb.
The people of the Ken people-group who were descendants of Moses’ father-in-law left Jericho, which was called ‘The City of Palm Trees’. They went with some of the men of Judah to live with them in the southern desert area, near Arad [city].
17 Afei, Yuda ne Simeon ka bɔɔ mu ko tiaa Kanaanfoɔ a wɔte Sefat no sɛee kuro no pasaa. Enti, wɔtoo kuro no edin Horma.
The men of Judah and their fellow Israelis from the tribe of Simeon defeated the people of the Canaan people-group who lived in Zephath [city]. They completely destroyed the city and gave it a new name, Hormah, [which means ‘complete destruction’].
18 Ɛno akyi, Yuda ko faa nkuropɔn Gasa, Askelon ne Ekron ne wɔn nsase a atwa wɔn ho ahyia.
The men of Judah also captured Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron [cities] and all the land that is near those cities.
19 Na Awurade ka Yuda nkurɔfoɔ ho enti, ɛmaa wɔfaa bepɔ nsase no. Nanso, wɔantumi ampam nnipa a wɔte tata so no amfiri hɔ, ɛfiri sɛ, na wɔwɔ nnadeɛ nteaseɛnam.
Yahweh helped the men of Judah to capture the hilly area, but they could not force the people who were living in the plains to leave, because [those people had better weapons—] had iron chariots.
20 Wɔde Hebron kuropɔn maa Kaleb sɛdeɛ na Mose ahyɛ ho bɔ no. Na Kaleb pamoo nnipa a na wɔyɛ Anak mmammarima baasa no asefoɔ no firii hɔ.
Hebron [city] was given to Caleb because Moses had promised him that he could have that city. And Caleb forced the three clans descended from Anak to leave that area.
21 Benyamin abusuakuo no antumi ampam Yebusifoɔ a na wɔte Yerusalem no. Enti, ɛbɛsi ɛnnɛ yi, Yebusifoɔ ne Benyamin nkurɔfoɔ da so te Yerusalem.
But the people of the tribe of Benjamin could not force the people of the Jebus people-group to leave Jerusalem. So, since that time the people of the Jebus people-group have lived in Jerusalem with the people of the tribe of Benjamin.
22 Yosef asefoɔ kɔto hyɛɛ Bet-El kuro no so, na Awurade kaa wɔn ho.
The men of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh went to fight against [the men of] Bethel [city], and Yahweh helped them.
23 Wɔsomaa akwansrafoɔ kɔɔ Bet-El (a kane no na wɔfrɛ no Lus) hɔ.
They sent some spies to [find out everything that they could find out about] Bethel, which was previously called Luz.
24 Wɔde nsɛmmisa puapuaa ɔbarima bi a na ɔfiri kuropɔn no mu reba. Wɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Kyerɛ yɛn ɛkwan a wɔde kɔ kuropɔn no mu na yɛn nso, yɛbɛhunu wo mmɔbɔ.”
The spies saw a man who was coming out of the city. They said to him, “If you show us a way to get into the city, we will be kind to you [and we will not kill you].”
25 Enti, ɔkyerɛɛ wɔn kuropɔn no kwan ma wɔkɔkunkumm kuropɔn no mu nnipa nyinaa, na wɔgyaa ɔbarima no ne nʼabusuafoɔ.
So the man showed them a way to enter the city. The men of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh entered the city and killed all the people with their swords, but they did not kill the man [who showed them how to get into the city], and they did not kill his family.
26 Akyire no, ɔbarima no tutu kɔɔ Hetifoɔ asase so. Ɔkyekyeree kuropɔn wɔ hɔ. Ɔtoo kuropɔn no edin Lus. Na saa edin no da kuropɔn no so de bɛsi ɛnnɛ.
That man went to the area where the descendants of Heth lived, and built a city. He named the city Luz, and that is still the name of that city.
27 Manase abusuakuo no nso antumi ampam nnipa a na wɔte Bet-Sean, Taanak, Dor, Yibleam, Megido ne wɔn nkuraaseɛ no, ɛfiri sɛ, na Kanaanfoɔ no aka sɛ, sɛdeɛ ɛteɛ biara, ɛhɔ ara na wɔpɛ sɛ wɔtena.
There were people of the Canaan people-group who lived in Beth-Shan, Taanach, Dor, Ibleam, and Megiddo [cities] and in the surrounding villages. [The men of] the tribe of Manasseh did not force those people to leave those towns, because the people of the Canaan people-group were determined to stay there.
28 Israelfoɔ no nyaa ahoɔden kakra no, wɔhyɛɛ Kanaanfoɔ no ma wɔyɛɛ nnwuma sɛ nkoa maa wɔn a wɔampamo wɔn amfiri asase no so.
Later, the Israelis became (stronger/more numerous), and they forced the people of the Canaan people-group to work for them [as their slaves], but they did not force all the people of the Canaan people-group to leave their land.
29 Efraim abusuakuo no nso antumi antu Kanaanfoɔ a na wɔte Geser no enti Kanaanfoɔ no kɔɔ so ne wɔn tenaeɛ.
[The men of] the tribe of Ephraim did not force the people of the Canaan people-group to leave Gezer [city]. So the people of the Canaan people-group continued to live with the people of the tribe of Ephraim.
30 Sebulon abusuakuo no antumi antu Kanaanfoɔ a na wɔte Kitron ne Nahalol, enti wɔkɔɔ so ne wɔn tenaeɛ. Nanso, wɔhyɛɛ wɔn ma wɔyɛɛ adwuma sɛ nkoa.
[The men of] the tribe of Zebulun did nor compel the people of the Canaan people-group who were living in Kitron and Nahalol [cities] to leave. They stayed there and lived among the people of the tribe of Zebulun, but the people of Zebulun forced them to work for them as their slaves.
31 Aser abusuakuo no nso antumi antu wɔn a na wɔte Ako, Sidon, Ahlab, Aksib, Helba, Afik ne Rehob.
[The men of] the tribe of Asher did not force the people of the Canaan people-group who lived in Acco, Sidon, Ahlab, Aczib, Helbah, Aphek and Rehob [cities] to leave.
32 Nokorɛm, ɛsiane sɛ wɔantumi antu wɔn no enti, Kanaanfoɔ no dɔɔso wɔ asase a Aserfoɔ no te soɔ no so.
So the people of the tribe of Asher lived among them.
33 Naftali abusuakuo no nso antumi antu wɔn a na wɔte Bet-Semes ne Bet-Anat. Mmom, Kanaanfoɔ no dɔɔso wɔ asase a wɔte soɔ no so. Nanso wɔhyɛɛ nnipa a wɔte Bet-Semes ne Bet-Anat ma wɔyɛɛ adwuma sɛ nkoa maa Naftali nkurɔfoɔ.
[The men of] the tribe of Naphtali did not compel the people who lived in Beth-Shemesh and Beth-Anath [cities] to leave, so the people in those two cities continued to live there, but the people of the Canaan people-group were forced to work as the slaves of the people of the tribe of Naphtali.
34 Dan abusuakuo no deɛ, Amorifoɔ hyɛɛ wɔn maa wɔtu kɔɔ bepɔ nsase no so na wɔamma wɔn amma tata so hɔ.
The people of the Amor people-group forced the people of the tribe of Dan to live in the hills. They did not allow them to come down [and live] on the plain.
35 Amorifoɔ no sii wɔn adwene pi sɛ, wɔbɛtena Heres bepɔ so wɔ Ayalon ne Saalbim, nanso Yosef asefoɔ no yɛɛ den mmorosoɔ no, wɔhyɛɛ Amorifoɔ no ma wɔyɛɛ adwuma sɛ nkoa.
The people of the Amor people-group were determined to stay in Heres Mountain and in Aijalon and Shaalbim [cities]. But when the Israelis became (stronger/more numerous), they forced the people of the Amor people-group to work as their slaves.
36 Na Amorifoɔ hyeɛ firi Akrabbim aforoeɛ kɔ Sela na ɛtoa so kɔ atifi fam.
The land where the Amor people-group lived extended from Scorpion Pass [toward the west] beyond Sela [town], up into the hilly area.
