Baamoni banokundiwa
1 Kwakati Adonizedeki mambo we Jerusalema ehwa kuti Joshuwa wakatola kakale wakakolomodza nzi we Ai, kabulaya ne mambo wawo, kakale wakathamila nzi we Ai tjaakatongo thama ne nzi we Jerikho ne mambo wawo ne kuti Bagibiyoni bakathama tjidumano tje mbakiso ne Baiziraela kakale bogala nabo, 2 kadziyidzika kwazo, ngobe Gibiyoni wakabe uli nzi nkulu se mmwe we mizi ye bumambo. Wakabe uli nkulu kupinda nzi we Ai, wakabe una babhayani bakasima. 3 Ndizo Adonizedeki mambo we Jerusalema kayisa mima kuna Hohamu mambo we Heburoni ne kuna Piramu mambo we Jarimuti ne kuna Jafiya mambo we Lakhishi ne kuna Dibiri mambo we Egiloni, kabadwa eti, 4 “Izhani mu ndibhatshe kunginilila nzi we Gibiyoni, ngobe bakathama tjidumano tje mbakiso na Joshuwa ne Baiziraela.”
5 Ndizo bomambo bashanu be Baamori, mambo we Jerusalema ne mambo we Heburoni ne mambo we Jarimuti ne mambo we Lakhishi ne mambo we Egiloni bakashanganya babhayani babo ngono bakayenda bakanonginilila nzi we Gibiyoni.
6 Bathu be Gibiyoni bakayisa dama kuna Joshuwa ku bukotokelo gwe Giligala beti, “Musifupatile balanda benyu. Izhani tjinyolotjo muwotitjidza! Izhani mutibhatshe ngobe bomambo be Baamori banogala mu shango ye matombo bazwishanganya kuti bawotinginilila.”
7 Ndizo Joshuwa ne babhayani babe bose balume be ngwa bakasima bakatathilila ku Giligala. 8 Ngono Yahwe bakadwa Joshuwa beti, “Usitongobatja, ngobe ndowothama kuti ubakunde, akuna ndodwa ne nng'ompela unowoma mbeli kuko.”
Yahwe banobhatsha Baiziraela
9 Kwakati shule kwe gwendo gwakatola busiku gose kudwa mu Giligala, Joshuwa kaswika ebawila batjakazwikangang'wa. 10 Yahwe bakathama kuti babhayani be Baamori bawumane nge lutjo mbeli kwe Baiziraela, ngono bakabulaya nge bunji gusi bushoma ku Gibiyoni. Baiziraela bakabatatamila bali mu zila inotathila ku Bhetihoroni bakabhata be babulaya kudzina beswika mu nzi we Azeka newe Makeda. 11 Ngono bakati bakabhata bali mu zila inodelukila ku Bhetihoroni kunoswika ku Azeka betizha babhayani be Baiziraela, Yahwe bakaligila tjivulamabgwe tjikulu mubali ngono bunji gwabo gukabulawa nge tjivulamabgwe kupinda bakabulawa nge thumo ne Baiziraela.
12 Ngono kwakati zhuba Yahwe labakathama kuti Baamori bakundiwe ne Baiziraela, Joshuwa kalebeleka na Yahwe mbeli kwe Baiziraela kati,
“Zhuba ngalime, lime mu Gibiyoni,
mwedzi iwo usingine pa nkuku we Aijaloni.”
13 Ndizo zhuba likama ne mwedzi ukamabo kuswikilila Baiziraela bazwigwila mu zwita zwabo, koga sekwa kwakakwagwa mu Lukwalo gwa Jashari. Zhuba lakama pakati kwe zhuzhugwi likasimile masikati wose. 14 Akuthu kukabe ne zhuba linofanana na ilelo mukutangisa kene na ngwenu kose, zhuba la Yahwe labakateedza nthu. Tjoselele Yahwe bakagwila Baiziraela!
15 Kudwa ipapo Joshuwa ne Baiziraela bose bakabgwilila ku bukotokelo ku Giligala.
Joshuwa unosunga bomambo bali bashanu
16 Ngono kwakati babhayani be Baamori betizha babhayani be Baiziraela bomambo be Baamori bali bashanu ibo bakatizha bakanobgwata ku guwu le Makeda. 17 Babhayani ba Joshuwa bakandwa beti, “Bomambo bashanu bawang'wa bakabgwata mu guwu le Makeda.” 18 Ngono Joshuwa kabadwa kati, “Kunguludzilani mabgwe makulu ku nkoba we guwu ilelo ngono mubige balume kuti balinde ipapo. 19 Koga imwi musitole tjibaka tjoseko, londani zwita zwenyu muzwisale shule, musitongo baletja bakanoswika ku mizi yabo, Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu banowothama kuti mu bakunde.” 20 Kwakati Joshuwa ne Baiziraela basino balobesa bose, nenguba malimbelimbe mashomanana akabe atizhila ku matizhilo abo, 21 babhayani bakabgwilila zwibuya kuna Joshuwa ku bukotokelo ku Makeda, kwakashaya ndodwa nge nthu nng'ompela wakaleba tjimwe tji biibi ngekwe bathu be Iziraela.
22 Ngono Joshuwa kalebeleka kati, “Zhulani nkoba we guwu ngono muzhise bomambo ibabo bashanu bamu guwu kundili.” 23 Ngono bakathama saikoku, bakazhisa bomambo ibabo bashanu ku nli, kwakabe kuli mambo we Jerusalema ne mambo we Heburoni ne mambo we Jarimuti ne mambo we Lakhishi ne mambo we Egiloni. 24 Bakati bedusa bomambo ibabo, Joshuwa kadwa balume bose be Iziraela ne batungamili be babhayani bakabe banaye ku ngwa eti, “Izhani ngeno mu tshambe bomambo ibaba mu mitshibha.” Bakazha ngono bakatshamba bomambo mitshibha. 25 Joshuwa kabadwa kati. “Musitje kene ili kutemeka mafupa, simani mube ne tjilopa, ngobe itjetji nditjo Yahwe tjabanowothama mu zwita zwamunowogwa nazo.” 26 Ipapo Joshuwa kabulaya bomambo ibabo kabalembeledza mu miti mishanu, ngono bakasiyiwa bakalembeleka mu miti iyeyo kuswikilila madekwana.
27 Ngono kwakati zhuba lomila Joshuwa kadusa ndaulo kuti bomambo ibaba basunungugwe mu miti ngono balashigwe mu guwu labakabe bakabgwata mulili, kudwapo lizhaligwe nge mabgwe makulukulu, mabgwe iyawo ayapo na nasi.
Joshuwa unotola mizi ye Baamoni
28 Kwakati mu zhuba ilelo, Joshuwa katapa nzi we Makeda ngono kabulaya mambo we Makeda ne mmwe ne mmwe unogala mu nzi iwoyo, kukasala kusina ndodwa nge limbelimbe ling'ompela. Wakathama mambo we Makeda koga sekwa akathama mambo we Jerikho.
29 Kudwa mu nzi we Makeda Joshuwa ne Baiziraela bakalinga ku nzi we Libina ba kaunginilila. 30 Yahwe bakathama kuti Baiziraela bakunde ngono bakatapa nzi we Libina ne mambo wawo. Bakabulaya mmwe ne mmwe wakabe ali mu nzi nge thumo kukasheta ne limbelimbe ling'ompela lakasala. Wakathamila mambo wawokoga sekwa akathama mambo we Jerikho.
31 Kudwa ipapo Joshuwa ne Baiziraela bose bakamilika mu nzi we Libina bakalinga ku Lakhishi, ngono bakaswika bakaukomba bakaunginilila. 32 Yahwe bakathama kuti mu zhuba linotobela Lakhishi ikundiwe. Bathu bose bakabe bali mu nzi bakabulawa nge thumo koga sekwa kwakashingikalila nzi we Libina.
33 Kwakati kutjakajalo Horamu mambo we nzi we Gezeri kazha kuwobhatsha nzi we Lakhishi koga Joshuwa ka nkunda iye ne babhayani babe kukasheta ndodwa ne limbelimbe ling'ompela lakasala.
34 Kudwapo Joshuwa ne Baiziraela bose bakamilika mu Lakhishi bakalinga ku Egiloni, bakakomba nzi we Egiloni bakaunginilila, 35 ngono bakatapa nzi we Egiloni mu zhuba ilelo zwalo. Bakabulaya mmwe ne mmwe nge thumo koga sekwa bakathama nge nzi we Lakhishi.
36 Joshuwa ne Baiziraela bakadwapo bemilika mu nzi we Egiloni belinga ku nzi we Heburoni ngono bakanounginilila. 37 Bakatapa nzi we Heburoni, bakabulaya mmwe ne mmwe muuli kose ne mambo wawo nge thumo kose ne mizana yayo. Bakasiya kusina ndodwa ne limbelimbe koga sekwa bakathama ku nzi we Egiloni, bakalobesa mmwe ne mmwe muuli.
38 Joshuwa ne Baiziraela bakashanduka bakanonginilila nzi we Dibiri. 39 Bakatapa nzi nkulu na mambo wawo ne mizana yawo bakababulaya bose nge thumo. Bakalobesa mmwe ne mmwe bakasiya kusina ndodwa ne limbelimbe. Bakathama nzi we Dibiri koga sekwa bakathama nzi we Libina ne mambo wawo koga sekwa bakathama ku nzi we Heburoni.
40 Ndizo Joshuwa kakunda ntuthu wose ne shango ye matombo neye Negebu ne shango yakawila ikunobhuda zhuba ne imu thobo dze matombo akunomila zhuba kose na bomambo badzo, akuna waakasiya, koga sekwa Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela bakabe baleba. 41 Joshuwa wakabakunda kudwa tjose ku Kadeshibhareneya kunoti ku Gaza ne shango yose ye Gosheni kunoti ku Gibiyoni. 42 Mu tjibaka itjetji Joshuwa wakakunda bomambo ibaba ne mituthu yabo. Wakatubula kuthama saikoku ngobe Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela wakabe ugwila Iziraela.
43 Joshuwa wakabgwilila ne Baiziraela bose ku bukotokelo ku Giligala.
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.