Josua ma havere Ovaamori
1 Adoni-Sedek, ombara ya Jerusalem, wa zuva kutja Josua wa kamburire otjihuro Ai ne tji nyono okumana, nokutja wa zepere ombara yatjo otja tja tjitire kOjeriko nombara yatjo. Eye wina wa zuva kutja ovandu va Gibeon va tjitire ohange nOvaisrael, nokutja va tura mokati kawo. 2 Ovandu va Jerusalem otji va tira tjinene, orondu Gibeon tja ri otjihuro otjinene tjimuna ovihuro avihe mbya ri nozombara, wina tja ri otjinene pOai, novarumendu vatjo avehe va ri ovarwe wovita ozombanḓe. 3 Adoni-Sedek otja hinda ombuze ku Hoham, ombara ya Hebron, na Piram, ombara ya Jarmut, na Jafia, ombara ya Lakis, na Debir, ombara ya Eglon, ama tja: 4 “Indjeye mu ndji vatere okurwisa Gibeon, orondu ovandu vatjo va tjita ohange na Josua nOvaisrael.” 5 Nu inḓa ozombara ndano zOvaamori, okutja ombara ya Jerusalem noya Hebron noya Lakis noya Jarmut noya Eglon, novarwe vazo wovita avehe va worongana, ave kovere Gibeon nave tji rwisa.
6 Ovarumendu va Gibeon va hinda embo ku Josua kozondanda mOgilgal, ave tja: “O tu esa, muhona! Indjo tjimanga u tu vatere! Tu yama! Ozombara azehe zOvaamori, nḓa tura mozondundu ze rikuta kumwe okuturwisa!”
7 Josua notjimbumba tje atjihe tjovita novarwe ve ozombanḓe avehe otji va kumuka okuza mOgilgal. 8 Muhona wa tja nai ku Josua: “O ve tira. Ami meve yandja mouvara woye. Kape na umwe ngu ma yenene okukupirukira.” 9 Josua notjimbumba tje tjovita wa kayenda ouṱuku auhe okuza kOgilgal, nu mokamanga otji va rwisa Ovaamori. 10 Muhona wa mumaparisa Ovaamori komurungu wOvaisrael. Ovaisrael ve ve zepera mOgibeon nave ve rambere komuṱurukira wozondundu za Ber-Horon, amave ve rwisa nga kOaseka na Makeda. 11 Nu Ovaamori ngunda amave taurisiwa i otjimbumba tjOvaisrael tjovita namave randata komuṱurukira wozondundu za Bet-Horon, amave i kOaseka, Muhona otja rokisa ozombawe zombura ozonene, nozo ze ve zepa. Ovengi va ṱa i ozombawe pu imba mba ṱa i Ovaisrael nengaruvyo.
12 Meyuva Muhona nda yandja outoṋi kOvaisrael kombanda yOvaamori, Josua wa hungira ku Muhona, ama tja nai komurungu wOvaisrael:
“Yuva, kurama kombanda ya Gibeon;
nove, mueze, kurama kombanda yomukutu wa Ajalon!”
13 Neyuva ra hirimana, nomueze kau nyinganyingire nga otjiwaṋa tji tja havera ovanavita na tjo. Otjiṋa hi tja tjangwa mEmbo rOmbanḓe. Eyuva ra kurama mokati kevaverwa, mangara oure weyuva arihe, nari ha hakahana okuhita. 14 Kape na pu pa karere eyuva nda sana ngo, komurungu poo kombunda yaro, Muhona nda zuvire komundu; orondu Muhona wa rwira Ovaisrael.
15 Josua nOvaisrael avehe va yaruka kozondanda kOgilgal.
Josua ma huura ozombara ndano zOvaamori
16 Inḓa ozombara ndano zOvaamori za taura naze kaṱara mondimba ya Makeda. 17 Josua wa raerwa kutja ozombara nḓa ndano za munika, nokutja za ṱara mondimba ya Makeda. 18 Eye wa tja nai: “Kunguzurireye omawe omanene pomahitiro wondimba, nu mu twe po ovatjevere 19 nungwari eṋe oveni amu kara mbo. Rambeye ovanavita nu mu ve rwisire okuza kongotwe; amu ve esa kutja ve yaruke kovihuro vyawo! Orondu Muhona, Ndjambi weṋu, we ve yandja mouvara weṋu.” 20 Josua nOvaisrael otji ve ve nyona; nu imba mbe ha ṱire va kaunda movihuro vyawo mbya zeuparisiwa. 21 Otjimbumba atjihe tjovita tja kotoka ku Josua kozondanda mOmakeda nokuhinatjipo.
Kape na umwe ngwa rora rukwao okutjita otjipo kOvaisrael.
22 Josua wa tja nai: “Paturureye omahitiro wondimba, nu mu pitise ozombara nḓa ndano, nu mu ze ete ku ami.” 23 Nu pa tjitwa nao. Owo va pitisa ozombara nḓa ndano, okutja ombara ya Jerusalem noya Hebron noya Jarmut noya Lakis noya Eglon. 24 Ozombara nḓa tji za etwa ku Josua, eye wa isana Ovaisrael avehe ku ye na rakiza kovahongore vovarwe wovita, mba ya puna ye a tja: “Indjeye popezu mu yate ozombara nḓa pozosengo!” Nowo va tjita nao. 25 Josua arire tja tja kovahongore ve: “Amu tira nu amu mumapara. Rireye ovanamasa nu panḓipareye, orondu Muhona ma tjiti nao kovanavita na eṋe avehe.” 26 Josua wa zepa ozombara nḓa ne ze turike komiti vitano; nozo za kara ngo nga kongurova. 27 Neyuva tji ratoko, Josua wa rakiza kutja oturova twazo tu tururwe komiti, nokutja tu yumbwe mondimba ozo mu za ṱarere rutenga. Pomahitiro wondimba pa rongerwa omawe omanene nge ri po nga ku ndinondi.
Josua ma huurire po ehi enyingi rOvaamori
28 Josua wa rwisa na huura otjihuro tja Makeda nombara yatjo eyuva ndo, nu wa zepa ovandu avehe, mba ri motjihuro; kape na umwe ngwa hupa. Eye wa tjita kombara ya Makeda otja tja tjitire kombara ya Jeriko.
29 Tjazumba Josua notjimbumba tje tjovita va za mOmakeda, ave i kotjihuro Libna nave ketjirwisa. 30 Muhona wa yandja otjihuro hi nombara yatjo mouvara wOvaisrael. Josua ke na umwe ngwa hupisa, nungwari wa zepa omundu auhe ngwa ri mu tjo. Eye wa tjita kombara ndji otja tja tjitire kombara ya Jeriko.
31 Kombunda yanao, Josua novarwe ve wovita va za mOlibna nave i kotjihuro Lakis. Owo ve tji kovera nave tji rwisa. 32 Muhona wa yandja outoṋi kOvaisrael mokuhavera otjihuro tja Lakis meyuva oritjavari rotjirwa. Otja tja tjitire kOlibna Josua ka hupisire po umwe, nungwari wa zepa ovandu avehe motjihuro. 33 Horam, ombara ya Geser, wa kumuka na kavatera Lakis; nungwari Josua we mu havera puna ovandu ve, nu ka hupisire po umwe.
34 Tjazumba Josua notjimbumba tje tjovita va za mOlakis nave i kotjihuro Eglon. Nowo ve tji kovera nave tji rwisa. 35 Owo ve tji huura meyuva tjingero ndo nave zepa ovature vatjo otja tji va tjitire kOlakis.
36 Kombunda yanao Josua novarwe ve wovita va kumuka mOeglon, ave karonda kozondundu nave i kotjihuro Hebron. Owo ve tji rwisa, 37 ave tji huura nave zepa ombara na avehe, mba ri motjihuro hi, na wina imba mba ri movirongo avihe mbya ri popezu na tjo. Josua wa nyona otjihuro hi okumana otja tja tjitire kOeglon. Kape na umwe mu tjo ngwa hupa.
38 Josua notjimbumba tje tjovita va vingurukira kOdebir nave ketjirwisa. 39 Eye we tji huura puna ombara yatjo na wina ovirongo avihe mbya ri popezu na tjo. Nowo va zepa ovandu avehe, mba ri mu vyo. Josua wa tjita kOdebir nombara yatjo otja tja tjitire kOhebron na kOlibna nozombara zavyo.
40 Josua wa huura ehi arihe. Eye wa havera ozombara azehe zehi rozondundu, nozehi ra Negeb, nozorutjandja nozomeṋe yozondundu. Ke na umwe ngwa hupisa, nungwari wa zepa ovandu avehe otja Muhona, Ndjambi wa Israel, pa rakizire. 41 Josua we ve havera okuza kOkades-Barnea nga kOgasa, na indi ehi arihe ra Gosen nga kotjihuro Gibeon. 42 Josua wa huura ozombara nḓa azehe nomahi wazo movita vimwe, orondu Muhona, Ndjambi wa Israel, wa rwira Ovaisrael. 43 Kombunda yanao, Josua nOvaisrael avehe va yaruka kozondanda kOgilgal.
Joshua Commands the Sun To Stand Still
1 King Adonizedek of Jerusalem heard that Joshua had captured and destroyed the town of Ai, and then killed its king as he had done at Jericho. He also learned that the Gibeonites had signed a peace treaty with Israel. 2 This frightened Adonizedek and his people. They knew that Gibeon was a large town, as big as the towns that had kings, and even bigger than the town of Ai had been. And all of the men of Gibeon were warriors. 3 So Adonizedek sent messages to the kings of four other towns: King Hoham of Hebron, King Piram of Jarmuth, King Japhia of Lachish, and King Debir of Eglon. The messages said, 4 “The Gibeonites have signed a peace treaty with Joshua and the Israelites. Come and help me attack Gibeon!”
5 When these five Amorite kings called their armies together and attacked Gibeon, 6 the Gibeonites sent a message to the Israelite camp at Gilgal: “Joshua, please come and rescue us! The Amorite kings from the hill country have joined together and are attacking us. We are your servants, so don't let us down. Please hurry!”
7 Joshua and his army, including his best warriors, left Gilgal. 8 “Joshua,” the Lord said, “don't be afraid of the Amorites. They will run away when you attack, and I will help you defeat them.”
9 Joshua marched all night from Gilgal to Gibeon and made a surprise attack on the Amorite camp. 10 The Lord made the enemy panic, and the Israelites started killing them right and left. They chased the Amorite troops up the road to Beth-Horon and kept on killing them, until they reached the towns of Azekah and Makkedah. 11 And while these troops were going down through Beth-Horon Pass, the Lord made huge hailstones fall on them all the way to Azekah. More of the enemy soldiers died from the hail than from the Israelite weapons.
12-13 The Lord was helping the Israelites defeat the Amorites that day. So about noon, Joshua prayed to the Lord loud enough for the Israelites to hear:
“Our Lord, make the sun stop
in the sky over Gibeon,
and the moon stand still
over Aijalon Valley.”
So the sun and the moon
stopped and stood still
until Israel defeated its enemies.
This poem can be found in The Book of Jashar. The sun stood still and didn't go down for about a whole day. 14 Never before and never since has the Lord done anything like that for someone who prayed. The Lord was really fighting for Israel.
15 After the battle, Joshua and the Israelites went back to their camp at Gilgal.
Joshua Kills the Five Enemy Kings
16 While the enemy soldiers were running from the Israelites, the five enemy kings ran away and hid in a cave near Makkedah. 17 Joshua's soldiers told him, “The five kings have been found in a cave near Makkedah.”
18 Joshua answered, “Roll some big stones over the mouth of the cave and leave a few soldiers to guard it. 19 But you and everyone else must keep going after the enemy troops, because they will be safe if they reach their walled towns. Don't let them get away! The Lord our God is helping us get rid of them.” 20 So Joshua and the Israelites almost wiped out the enemy soldiers. Only a few safely reached their walled towns.
21 The Israelite army returned to their camp at Makkedah, where Joshua was waiting for them. No one around there dared say anything bad about the Israelites. 22 Joshua told his soldiers, “Now, move the rocks from the entrance to the cave and bring those five kings to me.”
23 The soldiers opened the entrance to the cave and brought out the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon. 24 After Joshua had called the army together, he forced the five kings to lie down on the ground. Then he called his officers forward and told them, “You fought these kings along with me, so put your feet on their necks.” The officers did this, 25 and Joshua continued, “Don't ever be afraid or discouraged. Be brave and strong. This is what the Lord will do to all your enemies.”
26 Joshua killed the five kings and told his men to hang each body on a tree. Then at sunset 27 he told some of his troops, “Take the bodies down and throw them into the cave where the kings were found. Cover the entrance to the cave with big rocks.”
Joshua's troops obeyed his orders, and those rocks are still there.
Joshua Continues the Fighting
28 Later that day, Joshua captured Makkedah and killed its king and everyone else in the town, just as he had done at Jericho.
29 Joshua and his army left Makkedah and attacked the town of Libnah. 30 The Lord let them capture the town and its king, and they killed the king and everyone else, just as they had done at Jericho.
31 Joshua then led his army to Lachish, and they set up camp around the town. They attacked, 32 and the next day the Lord let them capture the town. They killed everyone, as they had done at Libnah. 33 King Horam of Gezer arrived to help Lachish, but Joshua and his troops attacked and destroyed him and his army.
34 From Lachish, Joshua took his troops to Eglon, where they set up camp surrounding the town. They attacked, 35 captured it that same day, then killed everyone, as they had done at Lachish.
36 Joshua and his army left Eglon and attacked Hebron. 37 They captured the town and the nearby villages, then killed everyone, including the king. They destroyed Hebron in the same way they had destroyed Eglon.
38 Joshua and the Israelite army turned and attacked Debir. 39 They captured the town, and its nearby villages. Then they destroyed Debir and killed its king, together with everyone else, just as they had done with Hebron and Libnah.
40 Joshua captured towns everywhere in the land: In the central hill country and the foothills to the west, in the Southern Desert and the region that slopes down toward the Dead Sea. Whenever he captured a town, he would kill the king and everyone else, as the Lord God of Israel had commanded. 41 Joshua wiped out towns from Kadesh-Barnea to Gaza, everywhere in the region of Goshen, and as far north as Gibeon. 42-43 The Lord fought on Israel's side, so Joshua and the Israelite army were able to capture these kings and take their land. They fought one battle after another, then they went back to their camp at Gilgal after capturing all that land.
