Israel Destroys the Town of Ai
1-2 The Lord told Joshua:
Don't be afraid, and don't be discouraged by what happened at the town of Ai. Take the army and attack again. But first, order part of the army to set up an ambush on the other side of the town. I will help you defeat the king of Ai and his army, and you will capture the town and the land around it. Destroy Ai and kill its king as you did at Jericho. But you may keep the livestock and everything else you want.
3-4 Joshua quickly got the army ready to attack Ai. He chose 30,000 of his best soldiers and gave them these orders:
Tonight, while it is dark, march to Ai and take up a position behind the town. Get as close to the town as you can without being seen, and be ready to attack.
5-6 The rest of the army will come with me and attack near the gate. When the people of Ai come out to fight, we'll run away and let them chase us. They will think we are running from them just like the first time. But when we've let them chase us far enough away, 7 you come out of hiding. The Lord our God will help you capture the town. 8 Then set it on fire, as the Lord has told us to do. Those are your orders, 9 now go!
The 30,000 soldiers went to a place on the west side of Ai, between Ai and Bethel, where they could hide and wait to attack.
That night, Joshua stayed in camp with the rest of the army. 10 Early the next morning he got his troops ready to move out, and he and the other leaders of Israel led them to Ai. 11 They set up camp in full view of the town, across the valley to the north. 12 Joshua had already sent 5,000 soldiers to the west side of the town to hide and wait to attack. 13 Now all his troops were in place. Part of the army was in the camp to the north of Ai, and the others were hiding to the west, ready to make a surprise attack. That night, Joshua went into the valley.
14-15 The king of Ai saw Joshua's army, so the king and his troops hurried out early the next morning to fight them. Joshua and his army pretended to be beaten, and they let the men of Ai chase them toward the desert. The king and his army were facing the Jordan valley as Joshua had planned.
The king did not realize that some Israelite soldiers were hiding behind the town. 16-17 So he called out every man in Ai to go after Joshua's troops. They all rushed out to chase the Israelite army, and they left the town gates wide open. Not one man was left in Ai or in Bethel.
Joshua let the men of Ai chase him and his army farther and farther away from Ai. 18 Finally, the Lord told Joshua, “Point your sword at the town of Ai, because now I am going to help you defeat it!”
As soon as Joshua pointed his sword at the town, 19 the soldiers who had been hiding jumped up and ran into the town. They captured it and set it on fire.
20-21 When Joshua and his troops saw smoke rising from the town, they knew that the other part of their army had captured it. So they turned and attacked.
The men of Ai looked back and saw smoke rising from their town. But they could not escape, because the soldiers they had been chasing had suddenly turned and started fighting. 22-24 Meanwhile, the other Israelite soldiers had come from the town and attacked the men of Ai from the rear. The Israelites captured the king of Ai and brought him to Joshua. They also chased the rest of the men of Ai into the desert and killed them.
The Israelite army went back to Ai and killed everyone there. 25-26 Joshua kept his sword pointed at the town of Ai until every last one of Ai's 12,000 people was dead. 27 But the Israelites took the animals and the other possessions of the people of Ai, because this was what the Lord had told Joshua to do.
28-29 Joshua made sure every building in Ai was burned to the ground. He told his men to kill the king of Ai and hang his body on a tree. Then at sunset he told the Israelites to take down the body, throw it in the gateway of the town, and cover it with a big pile of rocks. Those rocks are still there, and the town itself has never been rebuilt.
Joshua Reads the Blessings and Curses
(Deuteronomy 27.1-26)30-32 One day, Joshua led the people of Israel to Mount Ebal, where he told some of his men, “Build an altar for offering sacrifices to the Lord. And use stones that have never been cut with iron tools, because that is what Moses taught in The Book of the Law.”
Joshua offered sacrifices to please the Lord and to ask his blessing. Then with the Israelites still watching, he copied parts of The Book of the Law of Moses onto stones.
33-35 Moses had said that everyone in Israel was to go to the valley between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, where they were to be blessed. So everyone went there, including the foreigners, the leaders, officials, and judges. Half of the people stood on one side of the valley, and half on the other side, with the priests from the Levi tribe standing in the middle with the sacred chest. Then in a loud voice, Joshua read the blessings and curses from The Book of the Law of Moses.
Ais di danhes tsî hîkākāhes
1 ǃKhūb ge Josuab ǃoa ge mî: “Hoaraga toroǃkhamaoga ūsao, î Aisa ǁnāǂam. Tā ǃao tamas ka io ǂkhabuǂâi. Tita ge Ais di gao-aob ǂama dansa nî mā tsi; ǁîb di khoen, ǃās tsî ǃhūb tsîn hoan ge nî sa. 2 Jerixos tsî ǁîs di gao-aob ǀkhats ge dī khamits ge Ais tsî ǁîs di gao-aob ǀkha nî dī, xawe nē ǃnāsats ge ǁîs di xūn tsî ǂgarib tsîna a ūbasen ǁkhā. ǀNî toroǃkhamaoga ǂganǃgâsase ǃās ǃgâb ai hâ kai, î gu ǃāsa ǃgâbǀkhāba xu ǁnāǂam.”
3 Ob ge Josuaba ge ǂhomisen, ǁîb toroǃkhamaogu hoagu ǀkhab Ais ǃoa nî ǃgûse. ǁÎb ge ǃnonadisiǀoadisi ǁkhoaǂgaoxa aoga ǁhûiǂui tsî ǁîga tsuxuba ge sî, 4 nē mîmās ǀkha: “ǃĀs nauǀkhāb ai sī gau, xawe tā ǃāsa xu ǃnūse hâ; ǃāsa ǁnāǂamsa ǃoa ǂhomisase hâ. 5 Tita tsî ti khoegu tsîge ge ǃās ǁga nî ǀgūǀgūsen. Ais di aogu ga sige ǃoagu a ǂoaxa, o ge ge sige ǂguro ǃnās ǁkhās khami dabasen tsî nî ǁhâ. 6 ǁÎgu ge sige nî ǃgôaǃgon, ǁîga ge ǃāsa xu nî ǂgaeǂguibēs kōse. ǁÎgu ge ǁîga xu ge ǂguro ǃnās ǁkhās khami ra ǁhâ ti nî ǂâi. 7 O go ge sago gau go hâpa xu ǂoaxa tsî ǃāsa nî ǂgâǃnâ. ǃKhūb sago Elob ge ǁîsa nî mā go. 8 ǃĀs ǃnâ go ǂgâ, o go ge ǁîsa nî khauǃkhū, ǃKhūb ge mîmā hâ is ǁkhās khami. Nēdi ge sago ǁguiǂamde.” 9 ǁNātib ge Josuaba ǁîga ge sîǂui tsî gu ge ǁîgu gauǃkhais ǁga ǃgû tsî ǁnāpa sī ge ǃâu, Ais di huriǂoas ǃnâ, Ais tsî Betels tsîra ǁaegu. Josuab ge ǁnā tsuxuba hâǃkhaib ǃnâ ge hâ.
10 Josuab ge ǃnauǁgoaga khâi tsî toroǃkhamaoga ge ǂgaiǀhao, tsî gu ge ǁîb tsî Israeli ǂgaeǂgui-aogu tsîga ǁîga Ais ǁga ge ǂgaeǂgui. 11 ǁÎb ǀkha hâ toroǃkhamaogu ge ǃās di dao-ams kōse sī tsî hâǃkhaiba ǀapasǀkhāb ai ge ǂnaumâi, ǃgoaǃnāb ǁîgu tsî Ais tsîn ǁaegu hâse. 12 Josuab ge ǁaubexa koroǀoadisi nî ī khoega ū tsî ǁîga gaugausen hâse ge hâ kai, ǃās di huriǂoasǀkhāb ai, Ais tsî Betels tsîra ǁaegu. 13 Toroǃkhamaogu ge ǃkhammi ǃoa ge ǀgoraǂgāsa i, dana hâǃkhaiba ǃās di ǀapas ǃnâ tsî nau toroǃkhamaoga huriǂoasǀkhāb ai. Josuab ge ǁnā tsuxuba ǃgoaǃnāb ǃnâ ge hâ. 14 Ais di gao-aob ge Josuab aogab ge mûo kaise ge ǃhae. ǁÎb tsî ǁîb khoegu tsîn ge Jordanǃgoaǃnāb ǁga ge ǂoa, Israelǁîgu ǃoagu gu, ǂguro gu ge ǁîgu ǃoagu ǃkham hâ i ǃkhais ǁkhās ai nî ǃkhamse. ǁÎb ge ǃgâbǀkhāba xu gu nî ǁnāǂamhe ǃkhaisa ge ǀū i. 15 Josuab tsî ǁîb aogu tsîgu ge ǃkhoeni ra khami ǃgaroǃhūbǀkhāb ǁga ge ǁhâ. 16 Hoaraga aogu ǃās ǃnâ hâgu ge ǁîga gu nî ǃgôaǃgonse ge ǂgaiǀhaohe; ǁîgu ge Josuaba ǃgôaǃgons ǀkha o gu ra ǃnūo ǃāsa xu ge ǃnū. 17 Ais di aogu hoagu ge Israelǁîga ge ǃgôaǃgon tsîs ge ǃāsa ǁkhowa-amsase ge mâ, ǁîsa nî ǁkhauba khoe-i xare-i a ǀkhaise.
18 Ob ge ǃKhūba Josuab ǃoa ge mî: “ǁHâigôab âtsa Ais ǃoa ǁgau, tita ge ǁîsa satsa ra mā xuige.” Ob ge Josuaba mîbaheb ge khami ge dī. 19 Tsî Josuab ǃommi âba ra ūkhâi, hîa gu ge gaugausen ge hâ i aoga ǃhaese khâimâ tsî ǃās ǃnâ ǃkhoeǂgâ tsî ǁîsa ge ū. ǁÎgu ge ǁîsa ǁnātimîsi ge ǃkhāǂhubi. 20 Ais aogu ge ǂnan gu geo, ǀanni ǃāsa xu ra khâi ǃkhaisa ge mû. ǁÎgu ge ûiǂoa gu nî ǃkhai-i xare-e ge ūhâ tama hâ i, ǃgaroǃhūb ǃoa ge ǁhâ Israelǁîgu ge dabasen tsî ǁîga ǁnāǂam xui-ao. 21 Josuab tsî ǁîb aogu tsîgu ge nau aogu go ǃāsa ū ǃkhaisa mû, tsî ǃās ra ǂhubisa, o gu ge dabasen tsî Ais aoga ge ǃgamtsoatsoa. 22 Tsî gu ge ǃās ǃnâ hâ Israelǁîgu tsîna ǃkhammi ǃoa ge ǂoaxa. ǁNāti gu ge Ais aoga hoa ǀkhāga xu Israelǁîgu xa xāǂgāhe tsî hoatsama ge ǃgamhe. ǀGuib tsîn ge ûiǂoa tamas ka io ûiǃgau tama ge i, 23 Ais di gao-aob ǀguib, xaweb ge ǁîba ǃkhōhe tsî Josuab tawa ge sī-ūhe.
24 Israelǁîgu ge ǁîga ge sauruǃgon khākhoegu hoaga ǃgaroǃhūb ǃnâ ge ǃgam, tsî gu ge ǁnāpa xu Ais ǁga oa tsî ǁnāpa hoaraga khoena sī ge ǃgam. 25-26 Josuab ge ǁhâigôab âba Ais ai ǁgaumâiǀgara tsî ǁîba ǁgui tama ge i, hoaraga khoen ge ǃgamhes kōse. Hoaraga khoen Ais din ge ǁnātsē ge ǃgamhe, disiǀgamǀaǀoadisi aorekhoegu tsî tarekhoedi tsîna. 27 Israelǁîgu ge ûitsama xūn tsî nau xūn ǃās din tsîna ge ūbasen, ǃKhūb ge Josuaba mîba khami. 28 Josuab ge Aisa khauǃkhū tsî ǁîsa hîkākāsa ǃās ase ge ǁnāxū tsîs ge nētsēs kōse ǁnāti ī. 29 ǁÎb ge Ais gao-aoba hais ai ǂgāmâi tsî ǁîb sorosa ǁnāpa ǃuis kōse ge ǁnāxūmâi. Soresǂgâb ǀkhab ge Josuaba ge mîmā, îs sorosa ūǁnâhe tsîs ge ǁîsa ǃās di dao-ams tawa aoxūhe, tsî kai ǀuiǁkhoposa ǁîs ai ge ǀhaoǀhaohe, nētsēs kōse ǁnāpa ǂnôasa.
ǂHanub di khomaihes, Ebalǃhommi ai
30 Josuab ge ǃKhūb, Israeli di Eloba Ebalǃhommi ai altarsa ge ǂnubiba. 31 ǁÎsab ge Moseb, ǃKhūb di ǃgāb ge Israelǁîna mā hâ i xoaǁguigu ǃoa ge dī, Moseb ǂHanub ǃnâb ge mîsa: “Altars, ǀurin ǀkha ǁhāǂuihe tama ǀuidi ǀkha a ǂnubisas.” ǁÎs ain ge ǃKhūba khauǁguibade ǁguiba tsî ǂkhîbagusǁguibadi tsîna ge hā-ū. 32 ǁNāpab ge Josuaba Israelǁîn hoan mûǁae Moseb ge xoa hâ i ǂHanub di ǁgâiǁnâba ǀuidi ai ge dī. 33 Israelǁîn tsî ǁîn di ǂgaeǂgui-aogu, ǂamkhoegu, ǂhanuǂhanu-aogu tsî ǁîn ǁaegu hâ ǃhaokhoen tsîn ge hoan ge ǃGaeǀhaos ǂGaes ǃKhūb dis di hoa ǀkhākha ai, Leviǁî pristergu ǁîsa ra tanigu ǃoa-ai ge mâ i. ǃKhare ǃâb nē khoen dib ge Gerisimǃhommi ais ai ge mâ i tsî nau ǃkhare ǃâba Ebalǃhommi ais ai. ǃKhūb di ǃgāb, Moseb ge ǁîna ǁnātin nî dīsa ge mîmā, ǀkhaeban nî ǃkhōǃoa ǁaeb ge hāo. 34 Ob ge Josuaba hoaraga ǂhanuba ǃgarise ge khomai, ǀkhaeb tsî ǀâxareb tsîkha ǃkhōǂgā hâse, ǂhanub ǂkhanis ǃnâ i a xoamâisa khami ǀgui. 35 Mâ mîmās Moseb dis hoasab ge Josuaba hoaraga ǂnubisa ge khomaiba. ǁÎn ǃnân ge tarekhoedi, ǀgôan tsî ǃhaokhoen, Israelǁîn ǁaegu ge hâ in tsîna ge hâ i.
