1
Kisha Bwana akamwambia Yoshua, Usiche, wala usifadhaike; wachukue watu wote wa vita waende pamoja nawe, nanyi inukeni, mwende Ai, angalia, mimi nimemtia mkononi mwako huyo mfalme wa Ai, na watu wake, na mji wake, na nchi yake;
Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. See, I have delivered into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.
2
nawe utautenda mji wa Ai na mfalme wake kama ulivyoutenda mji wa Yeriko na mfalme wake; lakini nyara zake na wanyama wake wa mji mtavitwaa kuwa mateka yenu wenyewe; huo mji uuwekee waoteaji upande wa nyuma.
And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set up an ambush behind the city.”
3
Basi Yoshua akainuka, na watu wote wa vita pamoja naye, ili waende Ai; Yoshua akachagua watu thelathini elfu, watu mashujaa wenye uwezo, akawapeleka wakati wa usiku.
So Joshua and the whole army set out to attack Ai. Joshua chose 30,000 mighty men of valor and sent them out at night
4
Akawaagiza, akasema, Angalieni, mtaotea kuuvizia ule mji, upande wa nyuma wa mji; msiende mbali sana na mji, lakini kaeni tayari nyote;
with these orders: “Pay attention. You are to lie in ambush behind the city, not too far from it. All of you must be ready.
5
na mimi, na watu wote walio pamoja nami, tutaukaribia mji; kisha itakuwa, hapo watakapotoka nje kupigana nasi, kama walivyofanya hapo kwanza, sisi tutakimbia mbele yao;
Then I and all the troops with me will advance on the city. When they come out against us as they did the first time, we will flee from them.
6
nao watatoka nje watufuate, hata tuwavute waende mbali na mji wao; kwa kuwa watasema, Wakimbia mbele yetu, kama walivyofanya kwanza; nasi tutakimbia mbele yao;
They will pursue us until we have drawn them away from the city, for they will say, ‘The Israelites are running away from us as they did before.’ So as we flee from them,
7
basi ninyi mtainuka mtoke hapo mwoteapo, na kuushika mji; kwa kuwa Bwana, Mungu wenu, atautia mikononi mwenu.
you are to rise from the ambush and seize the city, for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand.
8
Kisha itakuwa, mtakapoushika mji, ndipo mtauteketeza mji kwa moto; sawasawa na hilo neno la Bwana; angalieni, nimewaagiza.
And when you have taken the city, set it on fire. Do as the LORD has commanded! See, I have given you orders.”
9
Basi Yoshua akawatuma; nao wakaenda hata hapo watakapootea, wakakaa kati ya Betheli na Ai, upande wa magharibi wa Ai; lakini Yoshua akalala usiku huo kati ya watu.
So Joshua sent them out, and they went to the place of ambush and lay in wait between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai. But Joshua spent that night among the people.
10
Yoshua akaamka asubuhi na mapema, akawakutanisha watu, kisha akatangulia kukwea kwenda Ai mbele ya hao watu, yeye na wazee wa Israeli.
Joshua got up early the next morning and mobilized his men, and he and the elders of Israel marched before them up to Ai.
11
Watu wote, hao wa vita, waliokuwa pamoja naye, wakaenda wakakaribia, na kufikilia mbele ya mji, wakatua upande wa kaskazini wa Ai; napo palikuwa na bonde kati ya yeye na Ai.
Then all the troops who were with him marched up and approached the city. They arrived in front of Ai and camped to the north of it, with the valley between them and the city.
12
Kisha akatwaa watu kama elfu tano, akawaweka kuotea kati ya Betheli na Ai, upande wa magharibi wa huo mji.
Now Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set up an ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.
13
Basi wakawaweka hao watu, jeshi zima lililokuwa upande wa kaskazini wa mji, na wale waliokuwa waotea upande wa magharibi wa mji; naye Yoshua akaenda usiku huo katikati ya hilo bonde.
So the forces were stationed with the main camp to the north of the city and the rear guard to the west of the city. And that night Joshua went into the valley.
14
Kisha ikawa hapo huyo mfalme wa Ai alipoona jambo hilo, ndipo walipofanya haraka, na wakaamka asubuhi na mapema, na watu waume wa mji wakatoka nje waende kupigana na Israeli, yeye na watu wake wote, kwa wakati ulioamriwa, kuikabili Araba; lakini hakujua ya kwamba walikuwako waviziao kinyume chake kwa upande wa nyuma wa mji.
When the king of Ai saw the Israelites, he hurried out early in the morning with the men of the city to engage them in battle at an appointed place overlooking the Arabah. But he did not know that an ambush had been set up against him behind the city.
15
Kisha Yoshua na watu wa Israeli wote walifanya kana kwamba wameshindwa mbele yao, wakakimbia kwa njia ya nyika.
Joshua and all Israel let themselves be beaten back before them, and they fled toward the wilderness.
16
Watu wote waliokuwa ndani ya mji waliitwa wakusanyike pamoja ili kuwafuatia; nao wakamfuatia Yoshua, wakasongea mbele na kuuacha mji.
Then all the men of Ai were summoned to pursue them, and they followed Joshua and were drawn away from the city.
17
Hakusalia mtu ye yote ndani ya Ai, au katika Betheli, asiyetoka nje kuwafuatia Israeli; wakauacha mji wazi na kuwafuatia Israeli.
Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel, leaving the city wide open while they pursued Israel.
18
Kisha Bwana akamwambia Yoshua, Haya, unyoshe huo mkuki ulio nao mkononi mwako, uuelekeze upande wa Ai; kwa kuwa nitautia mkononi mwako. Basi Yoshua akaunyosha huo mkuki uliokuwa mkononi mwake kuuelekea huo mji.
Then the LORD said to Joshua, “Hold out your battle lance toward Ai, for into your hand I will deliver the city.” So Joshua held out his battle lance toward Ai,
19
Wale watu waliovizia wakainuka kwa upesi kutoka mahali pao, nao wakapiga mbio mara hapo alipokuwa amekwisha unyosha mkono wake, wakaingia ndani ya mji, na kuushika; nao wakafanya haraka kuuteketeza kwa moto huo mji.
and as soon as he did so, the men in ambush rose quickly from their position. They rushed forward, entered the city, captured it, and immediately set it on fire.
20
Kisha hapo hao watu wa Ai walipotazama nyuma yao, wakaona, na tazama, moshi wa huo mji ulikuwa unapaa juu kwenda mawinguni, nao hawakuwa na nguvu za kukimbia huku wala huku; na wale watu waliokuwa wamekimbia kuenenda nyikani wakageuka na kuwarudia hao waliokuwa wakiwafuatia.
When the men of Ai turned and looked back, the smoke of the city was rising into the sky. They could not escape in any direction, and the troops who had fled to the wilderness now turned against their pursuers.
21
Basi hapo Yoshua na Israeli wote walipoona ya kwamba hao waliovizia wamekwisha kuushika huo mji, na ya kwamba moshi wa mji umepaa juu, ndipo wakageuka tena, na kuwaua watu wa Ai.
When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that smoke was rising from it, they turned around and struck down the men of Ai.
22
Tena hao; wengine wakatoka nje kuutoka huo mji kinyume chao; basi hivyo walikuwa wa katikati ya Israeli, wengine upande huu na wengine upande huu; nao wakawapiga, hata wasimwache hata mmoja miongoni mwao aliyesalia, wala kupona.
Meanwhile, those in the ambush came out of the city against them, and the men of Ai were trapped between the Israelite forces on both sides. So Israel struck them down until no survivor or fugitive remained.
23
Kisha wakamshika mfalme wa Ai ali hai, nao wakamleta kwa Yoshua.
But they took the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.
24
Kisha ikawa, hapo Israeli walipokuwa wamekwisha kuwaua wenyeji wote wa Ai katika bara, hapo katika nyika walipokuwamo wakiwafuatia, nao walikuwa wamekwisha anguka wote kwa makali ya upanga, hata walipokuwa wameangamizwa wote, ndipo Israeli wakarejea Ai, na kuupiga huo mji kwa makali ya upanga.
When Israel had finished killing all the men of Ai who had pursued them into the field and wilderness, and when every last one of them had fallen by the sword, all the Israelites returned to Ai and put it to the sword as well.
25
Wote walioanguka siku hiyo waume kwa wake, walikuwa ni kumi na mbili elfu, yaani, watu wote wa mji wa Ai.
A total of twelve thousand men and women fell that day—all the people of Ai.
26
Kwani huyo Yoshua hakuuzuia mkono wake, huo ulionyosha huo mkuki, hata hapo alipokuwa amewaangamiza kabisa wenyeji wote wa Ai.
Joshua did not draw back the hand that held his battle lance until he had devoted to destruction all who lived in Ai.
27
Isipokuwa wanyama wa mji na nyara za mji Israeli wakatwaa wenyewe kuwa ni mapato yao, sawasawa na hilo neno la Bwana alilomwamuru Yoshua.
Israel took for themselves only the cattle and plunder of that city, as the LORD had commanded Joshua.
28
Basi Yoshua akaupiga moto mji wa Ai, na kuufanya kuwa ni chungu ya magofu hata milele, kuwa ni ukiwa hata siku hii ya leo.
So Joshua burned Ai and made it a permanent heap of ruins, a desolation to this day.
29
Na huyo mfalme wa Ai akamtundika katika mti hata wakati wa jioni; kisha hapo jua lilipokuchwa Yoshua akaagiza, nao wakauondoa mzoga wake katika huo mti, na kuutupa hapo penye maingilio ya lango la mji, kisha wakaweka pale juu yake chungu kubwa ya mawe, hata hivi leo.
He hung the king of Ai on a tree until evening, and at sunset Joshua commanded that they take down the body from the tree and throw it down at the entrance of the city gate. And over it they raised a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day.
30
Ndipo Yoshua alijenga madhabahu kwa Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli katika mlima Ebali.
At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal to the LORD, the God of Israel,
31
Kama Musa, mtumishi wa Bwana, alivyowaamuru wana wa Israeli, kama ilivyoandikwa katika kitabu cha torati ya Musa, madhabahu ya mawe yasiyochongwa, ambayo mtu hakutumia juu yake chombo cha chuma; nao wakatoa juu yake sadaka za kuteketezwa kwa Bwana, na kuchinja sadaka za amani.
just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: “an altar of uncut stones on which no iron tool has been used.” And on it they offered burnt offerings to the LORD, and they sacrificed peace offerings.
32
Akaandika huko juu ya mawe hayo nakala ya torati ya Musa, aliyoiandika mbele ya wana wa Israeli.
And there in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua inscribed on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written.
33
Na Israeli wote, na wazee wao, na maakida yao, na makadhi yao, wakasimama upande huu wa sanduku na upande huu, mbele ya makuhani Walawi, waliolichukua sanduku la agano la Bwana, huyo aliyekuwa mgeni pamoja na huyo mzalia; nusu yao mbele ya mlima Gerizimu, na nusu yao mbele ya mlima Ebali, kama Musa, mtumishi wa Bwana, alivyoamuru, ili wawabarikie watu wa Israeli kwanza.
All Israel, foreigners and citizens alike, with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the LORD facing the Levitical priests who carried it. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded earlier, to bless the people of Israel.
34
Na baadaye alisoma maneno yote ya torati, baraka na laana, sawasawa na maneno yote yaliyoandikwa katika kitabu cha torati.
Afterward, Joshua read aloud all the words of the law—the blessings and the curses—according to all that is written in the Book of the Law.
35
Hapakuwa na hata neno moja katika hayo aliyoamuru Musa, ambalo Yoshua hakulisoma mbele ya kusanyiko lote la Israeli, na mbele ya wanawake, na watoto, na wageni waliokaa nao.</p>
There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua failed to read before the whole assembly of Israel, including the women, the little ones, and the foreigners who lived among them.