The Capture and Destruction of Ai
1 The Lord said to Joshua, “Take all the soldiers with you and go on up to Ai. Don't be afraid or discouraged. I will give you victory over the king of Ai; his people, city, and land will be yours. 2 You are to do to Ai and its king what you did to Jericho and its king, but this time you may keep its goods and livestock for yourselves. Prepare to attack the city by surprise from the rear.”
3 So Joshua got ready to go to Ai with all his soldiers. He picked out thirty thousand of his best troops and sent them out at night 4 with these orders: “Hide on the other side of the city, but not too far away from it; be ready to attack. 5 My men and I will approach the city. When the men of Ai come out against us, we will turn and run, just as we did the first time. 6 They will pursue us until we have led them away from the city. They will think that we are running from them, as we did before. 7 Then you will come out of hiding and capture the city. The Lord your God will give it to you. 8 After you have taken the city, set it on fire, just as the Lord has commanded. These are your orders.” 9 So Joshua sent them out, and they went to their hiding place and waited there, west of Ai, between Ai and Bethel. Joshua spent the night in camp.
10 Early in the morning Joshua got up and called the soldiers together. Then he and the leaders of Israel led them to Ai. 11 The soldiers with him went toward the main entrance to the city and set up camp on the north side, with a valley between themselves and Ai. 12 He took about five thousand men and put them in hiding west of the city, between Ai and Bethel. 13 The soldiers were arranged for battle with the main camp north of the city and the rest of the men to the west. Joshua spent the night in the valley. 14 When the king of Ai saw Joshua's men, he acted quickly. He and all his men went out toward the Jordan Valley to fight the Israelites at the same place as before, not knowing that he was about to be attacked from the rear. 15 Joshua and his men pretended that they were retreating, and ran away toward the barren country. 16 All the men in the city had been called together to go after them, and as they pursued Joshua, they kept getting farther away from the city. 17 Every man in Ai went after the Israelites, and the city was left wide open, with no one to defend it.
18 Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Point your spear at Ai; I am giving it to you.” Joshua did as he was told, 19 and as soon as he lifted his hand, the men who had been hiding got up quickly, ran into the city and captured it. They immediately set the city on fire. 20 When the men of Ai looked back, they saw the smoke rising to the sky. There was no way for them to escape, because the Israelites who had run toward the barren country now turned around to attack them. 21 When Joshua and his men saw that the others had taken the city and that it was on fire, they turned around and began killing the men of Ai. 22 The Israelites in the city now came down to join the battle. So the men of Ai found themselves completely surrounded by Israelites, and they were all killed. No one got away, and no one lived through it 23 except the king of Ai. He was captured and taken to Joshua.
24 The Israelites killed every one of the enemy in the barren country where they had chased them. Then they went back to Ai and killed everyone there. 25-26 Joshua kept his spear pointed at Ai and did not put it down until every person there had been killed. The whole population of Ai was killed that day—twelve thousand men and women. 27 The Israelites kept for themselves the livestock and goods captured in the city, as the Lord had told Joshua. 28 Joshua burned Ai and left it in ruins. It is still like that today. 29 He hanged the king of Ai from a tree and left his body there until evening. At sundown Joshua gave orders for the body to be removed, and it was thrown down at the entrance to the city gate. They covered it with a huge pile of stones, which is still there today.
The Law Is Read at Mount Ebal
30 Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel. 31 He made it according to the instructions that Moses, the Lord's servant, had given the Israelites, as it says in the Law of Moses: “an altar made of stones which have not been cut with iron tools.” On it they offered burnt sacrifices to the Lord, and they also presented their fellowship offerings. 32 There, with the Israelites looking on, Joshua made on the stones a copy of the Law which Moses had written. 33 The Israelites, with their leaders, officers, and judges, as well as the foreigners among them, stood on two sides of the Lord's Covenant Box, facing the levitical priests who carried it. Half of the people stood with their backs to Mount Gerizim and the other half with their backs to Mount Ebal. The Lord's servant Moses had commanded them to do this when the time came for them to receive the blessing. 34 Joshua then read aloud the whole Law, including the blessings and the curses, just as they are written in the book of the Law. 35 Every one of the commandments of Moses was read by Joshua to the whole gathering, which included women and children, as well as the foreigners living among them.
Yosuwa ye feeroo meŋ ke keloo kono
1 Bituŋ Yaawe* ko Yosuwa ye ko, “Kana sila, aduŋ i kana jikilateyi. I niŋ kelediŋolu bee ye taa, ali ye taa ka Ayi boyinkaŋ. Nte le ye Ayi mansa duŋ i buloo kono, a la moolu, a la saatewo, aniŋ a la bankoo. 2 I ye meŋ ke Yeriko niŋ a mansa la, i be wo le ke la Ayi fanaa la, aniŋ a mansa, fo kuu kiliŋ: ali si ì la feŋolu samba noo le, aniŋ ì la suukono beeyaŋolu ali faŋolu ye. I si kelediŋolu doolu kii ka deleŋo laa saatewo ñiŋ kooma la.”
3 Wo le to Yosuwa niŋ kelediŋolu bee wulita ka taa Ayi boyinkaŋ. A la kelediŋolu kono, a ye kelediŋ wuli taŋ saba le tomboŋ, a be jikiriŋ mennu la. A ye ì kii ka finti suutoo. 4 A ye ì yaamari ñiŋ ne la ko, “Ali ali hakiloo tu kendeke. Ali deleŋo laa saatewo kooma, bari ali kana jamfa a la baake. Ali bee ye tara pareeriŋ jee. 5 Bituŋ nte niŋ kelediŋolu mennu bee be n nooma, ntolu be saatewo ñiŋ waliŋ na le. Niŋ saatee moolu fintita naŋ ka ǹ kele, ko ì ye a ke nuŋ ñaameŋ foloo, m̀ be m̀ faŋ borindi la ì la le. 6 Ì be bula la ǹ nooma le, fo ŋà ì fintindi naŋ saatewo banta la. Ì be ñiŋ ne miira la ko, ntolu be bori kaŋ itolu le la, komeŋ a keta nuŋ folooto ñaameŋ. Bituŋ niŋ ŋà m̀ bori ì ñaato, 7 ali si finti naŋ ali la deleŋo to, ali ye saatewo taa. Yaawe ali la Alla le be a duŋ na ali buloo kono. 8 Niŋ ali ye saatewo ñiŋ taa, ali ye dimbaa duŋ a la. Ali a ke ko, Yaawe ye ali yaamari ñaameŋ. Ali a je ko, ali be n na kaŋo le nooma.”
9 Kabiriŋ Yosuwa ye ì kii, bituŋ ì naata deleŋo laa ka baturoo ke Beteli niŋ Ayi teema, Ayi tilijii karoo la. Bari Yosuwa niŋ a la moo doolu ye wo suutoo laa ñoo kaŋ ne.
10 Wo saamoo soomandaa, Yosuwa ye a la kelediŋolu bee bendi ñoo kaŋ, a niŋ Banisirayila ñaatonkoolu tambita ì ñaato ka taa Ayi. 11 A niŋ kelediŋ kafoo meŋ taata, ì bee taamata le ka Ayi saatewo waliŋ, aduŋ ì la futoo taata kaañaŋ saatewo ñiŋ faŋo ñaatiliŋo le la. Ì ye daakaa loo Ayi maraa karoo la, bituŋ wulumbaŋo doroŋ be ì niŋ saatewo teema. 12 Yosuwa ye kee wuli luulu ñoŋ ne tomboŋ ka deleŋo laa Beteli niŋ Ayi teema, saatewo tilijii karoo la. 13 Ì ye kelediŋolu londi ì la loodulaalu to teŋ ne: mennu bee be daakaa kono, wolu taata saatewo maraa karoo la, ì ye doolu bitiŋ-bitindi a tilijii karoo la. Wo suutoo la, Yosuwa faŋo taata wulumbaŋo kono.
14 Kabiriŋ Ayi mansa ye ñiŋ je, a niŋ kewolu mennu bee be saatewo kono, ì tariyaatoo fintita soomandaa juunoo, ì ye ì ñaa tiliŋ Araba* tundoo maafaŋo la ka taa Banisirayilankoolu benduŋ keloo la. Bari a maŋ a loŋ ko, kelediŋolu ye deleŋo le laa saatewo ñiŋ kooma, ì pareeriŋo. 15 Yosuwa niŋ Banisirayilankoolu bee ye ì faŋ ke le ko ñinnu le ye ì noo, bituŋ ì ye ì faŋ borindi keñewuloo* maafaŋo la.
16 Bituŋ ì ye saatewo kewolu bee kumandi ñoo la ka ì bayi. Ì la Yosuwa bayindoo ye a saabu, ì bee fintita ka bo saatewo kono. 17 Hani kee kiliŋ maŋ tu Ayi saatewo kono aniŋ Beteli, meŋ maŋ bula Banisirayilankoolu nooma. Ì ye saatewo kenseŋo fili jee ka Banisirayilankoolu bayindi.
Ayi la kasaaroo
18 Bituŋ Yaawe naata a fo Yosuwa ye ko, “I la hawusaroo* tiliŋ Ayi saatewo la. Ñiŋ hawusaroo be i buloo kono ñaameŋ, m be ñiŋ saatewo duŋ na i bulu wo le ñaama.” Kabiriŋ Yosuwa ye a la hawusaroo tiliŋ Ayi saatewo la doroŋ, 19 kewolu mennu ye deleŋo laa, ì bee tariyaatoo wulita naŋ ka bo ì bitidulaa. Bituŋ ì tariyaatoo tambita ñaato, ì dunta saatewo kono. Ì ye jee muta, kataba kiliŋ ì ye dimbaa duŋ a la.
20 Kabiriŋ Ayinkoolu ye ì kooma fele, ì ye siisii baa je minaayoo bala ka bo ì la saatewo kono, bari ì maŋ sila soto, ì si kana daameŋ, ñaato nte, kooma nte. Kaatu Banisirayilankoolu mennu be bori kaŋ ì ñaato ka taa keñewuloo maafaŋo la, naata muru ì kaŋ naŋ ne ka ì kele. 21 Kabiriŋ Yosuwa niŋ Banisirayilankoolu ye a je ko, mennu ye deleŋo laa, ì ye saatewo muta le, aduŋ siisiyo ka bo saatewo ñiŋ ne kono, ì muruta ì koo la ka Ayinkoolu kele. 22 Kewolu mennu tarata bitiriŋ nuŋ, wolu fanaa naata ka bo saatewo kono ka ì benduŋ. Bituŋ ì ye Ayi kewolu murubeŋ, ì tarata Banisirayilankoolu teema, ì be ì karoo bee la. Ì ye ì bee faa, hani moo kiliŋ ne maŋ kana, sako ka bori. 23 Bari ì maŋ Ayi mansa faa, ì ye ate muta, ì ye a samba Yosuwa ye.
24 Banisirayilankoolu ye Ayinkoolu bee baŋ faa la kenoolu to jee, ì be ì bayindi kaŋ nuŋ daameŋ. Kabiriŋ ì ye ì bee kiliŋ-kiliŋ faa hawusaroo la, Banisirayilankoolu bee muruta Ayi saatewo kono ka moolu faa, mennu be jee. 25 Moo wuli taŋ niŋ fula le faata wo luŋo la, kewolu niŋ musoolu. Moo-wo-moo niŋ a be Ayi le kono, wo faata le. 26 Yosuwa maŋ a buloo murundi, hawusaroo be meŋ kono, fo a ye moolu bee kasaara mennu be Ayi kono. 27 Bituŋ Banisirayilankoolu ye saatewo beeyaŋolu niŋ saatewo la feŋ toomaalu bee taa, ko Yaawe ye Yosuwa yaamari ñaameŋ.
28 Yosuwa ye Ayi saatewo bee jani, a ye a ke tumbuŋo ti fo fawu. A maŋ ke noo saatee ti kotenke fo ka naa bula bii tiloo la. 29 A ye moolu bula ì ye Ayi mansa deŋ yiroo bala. Ì ye a bula jee fo wulaaroo. Bituŋ tiliboyoo la, Yosuwa ye kaŋo dii ì la ka a furewo jindi. Ì ye a fayi duuma saatewo dundaŋ daa* to jee. Ì ye beroolu laa a kaŋ. Wo bere tuŋo be jee le ka naa bula bii tiloo la.
Yosuwa ye Alla la Luwaa Kitaaboo karaŋ
30 Bituŋ Yosuwa naata sadaabodulaa* loo Yaawe ye, Banisirayila la Alla, Ebali Konkoo to, 31 ko Musa Yaawe la dookuulaa ye Banisirayilankoolu yaamari ñaameŋ. A ye a loo le, komeŋ a be safeeriŋ Musa la Luwaa* Kitaaboo kono ñaameŋ. Ì ye sadaabodulaa loo beroo meŋ na, nee jooraŋ maŋ maa a la ka a kuntu. Ì ye jani sadaa* bo Yaawe ye a kaŋ, bituŋ ì ye kayira sabatindiraŋ sadaa beeyaŋolu kanateyi jee.
32 Jee le to, Banisirayilankoolu bee ñaa la, a ye Musa la Luwaa safee beroolu bala, Musa ye meŋ safee nuŋ. 33 Banisirayilankoolu bee, ì niŋ ì la alifaalu, kuntiyolu aniŋ kiitindirilaalu loota Kambeŋ Kunewo* karoo bee la. Ì ye ì ñaa tiliŋ piriisoolu* la, mennu bota Lewi lasiloo kono, mennu ka Yaawe la Kambeŋ Kunewo samba, biriŋ Banisirayila diŋolu ka taa fo tumarankewolu. Talanteemoo loota Kerisimu Konkoo ñaatiliŋo la, talantee doo loota Ebali Konkoo to. Ì ye a ke le ko, Musa Yaawe la dookuulaa ye yaamaroo dii ì la ñaameŋ foloo-foloo, ka neema ke Banisirayilankoolu ma.
34 Wo koolaa, Yosuwa naata luwaa ñiŋ na kumakaŋolu bee karaŋ santo, neemoo aniŋ dankoo, ko a be safeeriŋ Luwaa Kitaaboo faŋo to ñaameŋ. 35 Kuma maŋ soto Musa la yaamaroo kono Yosuwa maŋ meŋ karaŋ Banisirayilankoolu bee ñaatiliŋo la, musoolu niŋ dindiŋolu bee ñaa la, aniŋ tumarankewolu, mennu be sabatiriŋ ì kono.
