Joshua 5

1 All the kings of the people-groups to the west of the Jordan River and all the kings of the groups who were descendants of Canaan and who lived close to the [Mediterranean] Sea heard about how Yahweh had dried up the water of the Jordan [River] until all we Israeli people had crossed over. So they became very dismayed. They no longer were courageous enough to fight us.

Mara tu waliposikia wafalme wa Waamori walio upande wa magharibi wa Yordani, na wafalme wote wa Wakanaani waliokuwa katika pwani ya Ziwa kuu, waliposikia ya kwamba Yahweh alikuwa ameyakausha maji ya Yordani mpaka pale waisraeli wote walipomaliza kuvuka, mioyo yao ikayeyuka, na hapakuwa na moyo wowote ndani yao kwa sababu ya watu wa Israeli.

2 While [they were camped at Gilgal], Yahweh said to Joshua, “[The Israeli males who lived in Egypt were circumcised before they left there. Now] make knives from flint stones and circumcise all the Israeli males [who have been born since then].”

Kwa wakati huo Yahweh alimwambia Yoshua, “Tengenezeni visu vya mawe na mara moja mwatahiri wanaume wote wa Israeli.”

3 So Joshua [made knives and] circumcised the Israeli males at a place that is now called ‘Circumcision Hill’.

Kisha Yoshua alijifanyia visu vya mawe na akawatahiri wanaume wote wa Gibea Haaraloti.

4 [The reason they did that is that all the men who left Egypt], those who were old enough to be soldiers, died in the desert after they left Egypt.

Na hii ndo sababu ya Yoshua kuwatahiri; wanaume wote waliotoka Misri, pamoja na wanaume wa vita walikuwa wamekwisha kufa njiani katika nyikani, baada ya kukwea kutoka Misri.

5 They had been circumcised in Egypt, but the baby boys who had been born while their parents were camping in the desert after they left Egypt had not been circumcised.

Ingawa wanaume wote waliotoka Misri walikuwa wametahiriwa, bado hapakuwa na kijana yeyote aliyekuwa ametahiriwa kati ya vijana wote waliozaliwa nyikani katika njia ya kutoka Misri.

6 Our Israeli ancestors traveled around in the desert for 40 years, and all the men who were old enough to be soldiers had died. [The women had also died]. They had not obeyed Yahweh, so Yahweh said that they would not arrive at the land that he had promised to our ancestors that he would give to us, a land that was very fertile [MTY].

Kwasababu watu wa Israeli walitembea nyikani miaka arobaini, mpaka watu wa vita, yaani wanaume wote waliotoka Misri walikufa, kwasababu hawakuitii sauti ya Yahweh. Yahweh aliwaapia kwamba hawataruhusu kuiona nchi ambayo aliwaapia mababa zao kwamba angetupatia sisi, nchi inayotiririka maziwa na asali.

7 The sons of those who had disobeyed Yahweh were the ones whom Joshua circumcised at Gilgal. They were circumcised because they had not been circumcised [while they were traveling in the desert].

Na badala yao, Yahweh aliwainua watoto wao kuchukua nafasi zao ambao Yoshua aliwatahiri, kwasababu walikuwa bado hajatahiriwa njiani.

8 After all the Israeli males had been circumcised, they remained in the camp and rested until their wounds were healed.

Walipokwisha kutahiriwa wote, walibaki mahali walipokuwa katika kambi mpaka walipopona.

9 Then Yahweh said to Joshua, “[Because your forefathers were slaves in Egypt], the Egyptians felt a revulsion toward you. But today I have removed the revulsion the Egyptians have had toward you.” Because of that, the people called the place ‘Gilgal’, [which sounds like the Hebrew word ‘removed’, ] and it still has that name.

Na Yahweh akasema na Yoshua, “Siku hii nimeiondoa kwenu aibu ya Misri.” Hivyo, mahali pale paliitwa Gilgali hadi leo.

10 In the evening of the fourteenth day of that month, while the Israeli people were camped at Gilgal, on the plain near Jericho [city], they celebrated the Passover [Festival].

Watu wa Israeli walipiga kambi hapo Gilgali. Waliitunza Pasaka katika siku ya kumi na nne ya mwezi, wakati wa jioni, katika uwanda wa Yeriko.

11 The next day, they found some barley grain in the fields in that area. So they took that and roasted it and ate it with bread that was made without yeast.

Na siku iliyofuata baada ya Pasaka, walikula sehemu ya mazao ya nchi, mikate isiyotiwa chachu na nafaka iliyokaangwa katika siku hiyo iyo.

12 The next day, [God] stopped [sending] manna for the Israeli people to eat. After that, they ate food that was grown in Canaan.

Mana zilikoma siku ile walipokula mazao ya nchi. Hapakuwa tena na mana kwa watu wa Israeli, bali walikula mazao ya nchi ya Kanaani mwaka huo.

13 One day when Joshua came near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him. The man was holding a sword in his hand. Joshua approached him and asked him, “Are you [going to fight] for us or against us?”

Wakati Yoshua alipokaribia Yeriko, aliinua macho na kuangalia, na tazama, mtu alikuwa amesimama mbele yake, alikuwa amechomoa upanga wake na ulikuwa mkononi mwake. Yoshua alimwendea na kumwambia, “Je uko kwa ajili yetu au kwa ajli ya maadui zetu?”

14 The man replied, “I am not [planning to fight with you] or [against you]. Instead, I am the commander of Yahweh’s army [in heaven], and I have come [down from there to assure you that Yahweh will help you].” Then Joshua bowed down with his face on the ground (to show his respect for/to worship) the man, and said to him, “Tell me what [you want me to do].”

Akajibu, la hasha. Maana mimi ni amiri wa jeshi la Yahweh. Sasa nimekuja. Kisha Yoshua akainamisha uso wake juu ya nchi akaabudu na akamwambia, “Bwana wangu anasema nini kwa mtumwa wake?”

15 The commander of Yahweh’s army replied, “Take off your sandals! [I am Yahweh, and] the ground on which you are standing is holy because I am here.” So Joshua took off his sandals.

Amiri wa jeshi la Yahweh akamwambia Musa, “Vua viatu vyako miguuni mwako, kwasababu sehemu uliyosimama ni takatifu.” Na Yoshua akafanya hivyo.