Israel Destroys Ai
1Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid. Do not lose hope. Go up and attack Ai. Take the whole army with you. I have handed the king of Ai over to you. I have given you his people, his city and his land. 2Remember what you did to Jericho and its king. You will do the same thing to Ai and its king. But this time you can keep for yourselves the livestock and everything else you take from them. Have some of your fighting men hide behind the city and take them by surprise.”
3So Joshua and the whole army moved out to attack Ai. He chose 30,000 of his best fighting men. He sent them out at night. 4He gave them orders. He said, “Listen carefully to what I’m saying. You must hide behind the city. Don’t go very far away from it. All of you must be ready to attack it. 5I and all those with me will march up to the city. The men of Ai will come out to fight against us, just as they did before. Then we’ll run away from them. 6They’ll chase us until we’ve drawn them away from the city. They’ll say, ‘They are running away from us, just as they did before.’ When we run away from them, 7come out of your hiding place. Capture the city. The Lord your God will hand it over to you. 8When you have taken it, set it on fire. Do what the Lord has commanded. Make sure you obey my orders.”
9Then Joshua sent them away. They went to the place where they had planned to hide. They hid in a place west of Ai. It was between Bethel and Ai. But Joshua spent that night with his troops.
10Early the next morning Joshua brought together his army. He and the leaders of Israel marched in front of them to Ai. 11The whole army that was with him marched up to the city. They stopped in front of it. They set up camp north of Ai. There was a valley between them and the city. 12Joshua had chosen about 5,000 soldiers. He had ordered them to hide in a place west of Ai. It was between Bethel and Ai. 13The men took up their battle positions. All the men in the camp north of the city took up their positions. So did those who were supposed to hide west of the city. That night Joshua went into the valley.
14The king of Ai saw what the troops with Joshua were doing. So the king and all his men hurried out of the city early in the morning. They marched out to meet Israel in battle. They went to a place that looked out over the Arabah Valley. The king didn’t know that some of Israel’s fighting men were hiding behind the city. 15Joshua and all his men let the men of Ai drive them back. The Israelites ran away toward the desert. 16All the men of Ai were called out to chase them. They chased Joshua. So they were drawn away from the city. 17Not even one man remained in Ai or Bethel. All of them went out to chase Israel. When they did, they left the city wide open.
18Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Hold out toward Ai the javelin that is in your hand. I will give the city to you.” So Joshua held out toward the city the javelin in his hand. 19As soon as he did, the men hiding behind the city got up quickly. They came out of their hiding places and rushed forward. They entered the city and captured it. They quickly set it on fire.
20The men of Ai looked back. They saw smoke rising up from the city into the sky. But they couldn’t escape in any direction. The Israelites had been running away toward the desert. But now they turned around to face those chasing them. 21Joshua and all his men saw that the men who had been hiding behind the city had captured it. They also saw that smoke was going up from it. So they turned around and attacked the men of Ai. 22The men who had set Ai on fire came out of the city. They also fought against the men of Ai. So the men of Ai were caught in the middle. The army of Israel was on both sides of them. Israel struck them down. They didn’t let anyone remain alive or get away. 23But they captured the king of Ai alive. They brought him to Joshua.
24Israel finished killing all the men of Ai. They destroyed them in the fields and in the desert where they had chased them. They struck down every one of them with their swords. Then all the Israelites returned to Ai. And they killed those who were left in it. 25The total number of men and women they killed that day was 12,000. The Israelites put to death all the people of Ai. 26Joshua continued to hold out his javelin toward Ai. He didn’t lower his hand until he and his men had totally destroyed everyone who lived there. 27But this time Israel kept for themselves the livestock and everything else they had taken from the city. The Lord had directed Joshua to let them do it.
28So Joshua burned down Ai. He tore it down so it could never be built again. It has been deserted to this very day. 29Joshua killed the king of Ai. He stuck a pole through the body. Then he set it up where people could see it. He left it there until evening. At sunset, Joshua ordered his men to remove the body from the pole. He told them to throw the body down at the entrance of the city gate. They put a large pile of rocks over the body. That pile is still there to this day.
Joshua Reads the Book of the Law to the People
30Joshua built an altar to honor the Lord, the God of Israel. He built it on Mount Ebal. 31Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded the Israelites to do that. Joshua built the altar according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses. Joshua built the altar out of stones that iron tools had never touched. Then the people offered on the altar burnt offerings to the Lord. They also sacrificed friendship offerings on it. 32Joshua copied the law of Moses on stones. He did it while all the Israelites were watching. 33They were standing on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the Lord. All the Israelites, including outsiders and citizens, were there. Israel’s elders, officials and judges were also there. All of them faced the priests, who were Levites. They were carrying the ark. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim. The other half stood in front of Mount Ebal. Moses, the servant of the Lord, had earlier told them to do it. Moses told them to do it when he had given directions to bless the Israelites.
34Then Joshua read all the words of the law out loud. He read the blessings and the curses. He read them just as they are written in the Book of the Law. 35Joshua read every word Moses had commanded. He read them to the whole community of Israel. That included the women and children. It also included the outsiders living among them.
Kuwonongedwa kwa Mzinda wa Ai
1Kenaka Yehova anati kwa Yoswa, “Usachite mantha kapena kutaya mtima. Tenga gulu lonse la nkhondo, ndipo upite ku Ai. Taona, ndapereka mfumu ya Ai pamodzi ndi anthu ake, mzinda wake ndi dziko lake lonse mʼmanja mwako. 2Mzinda wa Ai ndi mfumu yake muchite monga munachita ndi mzinda wa Yeriko ndi mfumu yake, koma katundu wa mumzindamo ndi zoweta mukazitenge ndi kuzisunga kuti zikhale zanu. Mukalalire mzinda wa Ai ndi kuwuthira nkhondo kuchokera kumbuyo.”
3Kotero Yoswa ndi gulu lonse la nkhondo anakonzeka kupita ku Ai. Iye anasankha amuna 30,000 odziwa kumenya nkhondo bwino ndipo anawatumiza usiku 4nawapatsa malamulo awa kuti, “Mvetsani bwino; mukabisale kuseri kwa mzindawo. Musakapite patali ndi mzindawo, koma nonsenu mukakhale okonzekera nkhondo. 5Ine ndi gulu langa lonse tikayamba kuwuputa mzindawu, ndipo akadzangotuluka kudzalimbana nafe, ife tidzawathawa monga tinachitira poyamba. 6Iwo adzatithamangitsa mpaka titawakokera kutali ndi mzindawo, pakuti iwo adzati, ‘Akutithawa monga anachitira poyamba.’ Pamene ife tizidzathawa, 7inu mudzatuluke pamene mwabisalapo ndi kulanda mzindawo. Yehova Mulungu wanu adzakupatsani mzindawo. 8Mukakawulanda mzindawo mudzawuyatse moto. Mukachite monga mwa mawu a Yehova. Amenewa ndiwo malamulo amene ndakupatsani.”
9Yoswa atawatumiza, anapita ku malo wokabisalakowo ndipo anadikirira kumeneko. Malowa anali pakati pa Beteli ndi Ai, kumadzulo kwa Ai. Koma Yoswa anagona usiku umenewu pakati pa gulu lake lankhondo.
10Mmawa mwake, Yoswa anadzuka nayitana asilikali ake. Tsono iye pamodzi ndi akuluakulu a Aisraeli anatsogola kupita ku Ai. 11Gulu lonse la nkhondo limene linali ndi iye linatsogolako ndi kukamanga zithando pafupi ndi mzindawo chakumpoto mopenyana nawo. Pakati pa iwo ndi mzindawo panali chigwa. 12Yoswa anali atatenga asilikali 5,000 ndi kuwabisa pakati pa Ai ndi Beteli, kumadzulo kwa mzindawo. 13Anakhazika anthuwo mokonzekera nkhondo. Gulu lalikulu la nkhondo linakamanga zithando zawo kumpoto kwa mzinda, ndipo gulu lina linakamanga zithando zawo kumadzulo kwa mzindawo. Usiku umenewo Yoswa anakagona ku chigwa.
14Mfumu ya Ai itaona ankhondo a Yoswa, inachita zinthu mofulumira. Inadzuka mmamawa ndipo inapita pamodzi ndi anthu ake ku malo otsika oyangʼanana ndi Araba kuti akachite nkhondo ndi Aisraeli. Koma iyo sinadziwe kuti ayithira nkhondo kudzera kumbuyo kwa mzindawo. 15Yoswa ndi Aisraeli onse anachita ngati agonja ndi kumathawira ku chipululu. 16Anthu onse a ku Ai anawuzidwa kuti awapirikitse. Ndipo iwo anapirikitsadi Yoswa uja, ndi kupita kutali ndi mzinda wawo. 17Palibe munthu wamwamuna wa mzinda wa Ai kapena wa Beteli amene sanatuluke kukapirikitsa Aisraeli. Iwo anasiya mzinda wosatseka ndi kumapirikitsa Aisraeli.
18Ndipo Yehova anati kwa Yoswa, “Loza mkondo uli mʼdzanja lako ku Ai pakuti ine ndipereka mʼdzanja lanu mzindawo.” Kotero Yoswa analoza mkondowo ku Ai. 19Atangotambalitsa dzanja lake, anthu amene anabisala aja ananyamuka msangamsanga pamalo pawo ndi kuthamangira kutsogolo. Iwo analowa mu mzindamo ndi kuwulanda ndipo anawutentha mofulumira.
20Anthu a ku Ai aja atangochewukira mʼmbuyo anaona utsi uli tolotolo. Koma mpata woti athawireko panalibe pakuti Aisraeli amene amathawira ku chipululu anabwerera nayamba kuwathamangitsa. 21Yoswa ndi Aisraeli onse ataona kuti obisalira aja alanda mzinda ndipo kuti utsi unali tolotolo, iwo anatembenuka ndi kuyamba kupha anthu a ku Ai. 22Nawonso Aisraeli amene anali mu mzindamo anatuluka kudzalimbana ndi anthu a ku Ai. Choncho iwo anazingidwa mbali zonse ndi Aisraeli ndipo onse anaphedwa. Palibe amene anatsala wamoyo kapena wothawa 23kupatula mfumu ya ku Ai yokha imene anayigwira nabwera nayo kwa Yoswa.
24Aisraeli aja atatha kupha anthu onse a ku Ai amene anali mʼthengo ndi mʼchipululu kumene anawapirikitsira, onse anabwerera ku Ai ndi kupha onse amene anali mu mzindamo. 25Chiwerengero cha anthu onse a ku Ai, amuna ndi akazi, amene anaphedwa pa tsiku limeneli chinali 12,000. 26Yoswa sanatsitse dzanja lake limene ananyamula mkondo mpaka ataona kuti onse amene amakhala mu mzinda wa Ai aphedwa. 27Tsono Aisraeli anatenga zoweta ndi katundu yense wa anthu ophedwa aja, monga momwe Yehova analamulira Yoswa.
28Pambuyo pake Yoswa anawutentha mzinda wa Ai ndi kuwusiya bwinja monga ulili leromu. 29Iye anapachika pa mtengo mfumu ya Ai ndipo anayisiya mpaka madzulo. Pomwe dzuwa linalowa Yoswa analamula kuti akachotse mtembowo ndi kukawutaya ku chipata cha mzindawo. Pamwamba pa mtembowo anawunjikapo mulu waukulu wa miyala. Muluwo ulipobe mpaka lero lino.
Kuchitanso Pangano pa Phiri la Ebala
30Ndipo Yoswa anamanga guwa lansembe la Yehova Mulungu wa Israeli pa phiri la Ebala. 31Analimanga motsata zimene Mose mtumiki wa Yehova analamulira Aisraeli, ndiponso potsata zomwe zinalembedwa mʼbuku la malamulo a Mose kuti guwa lansembe likhale la miyala yosasemedwa ndi chitsulo. Pa guwalo anapereka kwa Yehova nsembe yopsereza ndi nsembe yachiyanjano. 32Kenaka anthu onse akupenya, Yoswa analemba pa miyala chitsanzo cha malamulo amene Mose analemba. 33Aisraeli onse, akuluakulu awo, atsogoleri awo ndi oweruza awo, alendo pamodzi ndi mbadwa, anayimirira mbali zonse ziwiri za Bokosi la Chipangano la Yehova, ena uku ena uku moyangʼanana ndi ansembe a Chilevi. Theka la anthu linayima patsogolo pa phiri la Gerizimu ndipo theka lina patsogolo pa phiri la Ebala, monga momwe Mose mtumiki wa Yehova anawalamulira mʼmbuyomo pamene anawapatsa malangizo podalitsa Aisraeli.
34Pambuyo pake Yoswa anawerenga mawu onse a malamulo, madalitso ndi matemberero monga momwe zinalembedwera mʼbuku la malamulo a Mose. 35Yoswa anawerenga mawu onse amene Mose analamula, gulu lonse la Israeli limene linasonkhana likumva. Amayi, ana ndi alendo omwe okhala pakati pawo anali pomwepo.
