1 ث ُمَّ قالَ اللهُ لِيَشُوعَ: «لا تَخَفْ وَلا تَخُرْ عَزِيمَتُكَ. خُذْ مَعَكَ كُلَّ الجَيشِ وَاصعَدِ الآنَ إلَى عايَ. سَأُعطِيكَ مَلِكَ عايَ وَشَعبَهُ وَمَدِينَتَهُ وَأرْضَهُ.

The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid. Take all the men of war with you and go up to Ai. See, I have given the king of Ai into your hand, his people, his city, and his land.

2 و َسَتَعمَلُ بِعايَ وَبِمَلِكِها كَما عَمِلْتَ بِأرِيحا وَبِمَلِكِها. لَكِنْ فِي هَذِهِ المَرَّةِ يُمكِنُكَ الاحتِفاظُ بِثَروَتِها وَحَيواناتِها غَنِيمَةً لَكَ. أقِمْ كَمِيناً خَلْفَ المَدِينَةِ.»

Do the same to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Take only its riches and its cattle for yourselves. Hide men behind the city to fight against it.”

3 ف انطَلَقَ يَشُوعُ إلَى عايَ مَعَ كُلِّ الجَيشِ. وَاختارَ يَشُوعُ ثَلاثِينَ ألفاً مِنْ أفضَلِ جُنُودِهِ وَأرسَلَهُمْ فِي الَّليلِ.

So Joshua and all the men of war got ready to go up to Ai. Joshua chose 30, 000 strong soldiers, and sent them out during the night.

4 و َأعطاهُمْ هَذِهِ الأوامِرَ: «انتَبِهُوا! أقِيمُوا كَمِيناً خَلْفَ المَدِينَةِ. وَلا تَبتَعِدُوا عَن المَدِينَةِ، وَلَكِنْ كُونُوا مُستَعِدِّينَ وَيَقِظِينَ.

He told them, “See, you are going to fight the city from behind it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you be ready.

5 س َنَتَقَدَّمُ أنا وَالجَيشُ الَّذِي مَعِي إلَى المَدِينَةِ. حِينَ يَخرُجُونَ لِمُواجَهَتِنا كَما حَدَثَ قَبلاً، فَإنَّنا سَنَهرُبُ أمامَهُمْ.

I and all the people will come near the city. When they come out to meet us as they did before, we will run from them.

6 ح ِينَئِذٍ، سَيَخرُجُونَ وَراءَنا إلَى أنْ نُبعِدَهُمْ عَنِ المَدِينَةِ. لِأنَّهُمْ سَيَظُنُّونَ أنَّنا نَهْرُبُ مِنْهُمْ كَما حَدَثَ مِنْ قَبلُ. فَحِينَ نَهرُبُ أمامَهُمْ،

They will come out after us until we have taken them away from the city. For they will say, ‘They are running from us as they did before.’ So we will run from them.

7 ت َخْرُجُونَ مِنْ مَكانِ الكَمِينِ وَتَأْخُذُونَ المَدِينَةَ، لأنَّ إلَهَكُمْ سَيُعطِيها لَكُمْ.

Then you will come out of your hiding place and take the city. The Lord will give it to you.

8 « وَحِينَ تَأخُذُونَ المَدِينَةَ، أحْرِقُوها بِالنّارِ. اعْمَلُوا بِحَسَبِ أمْرِ اللهِ. ها قَدْ سَمِعْتُمْ أوامِرِي.»

When you have taken the city, set it on fire. Do what the Lord says. See, I have told you.”

9 ف َأرسَلَهُمْ يَشُوعُ فَذَهَبُوا إلَى مَكانِ الكَمِينِ، وَبَقَوْا بَينَ بَيتِ إيلَ وَعايَ، إلَى الغَرْبِ مِنْ عايَ. أمّا يَشُوعُ فَقَضَى تِلْكَ الَّليلَةَ وَسَطَ الجَيشِ.

When Joshua sent them away, they went to the hiding place. They waited between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai. But Joshua stayed that night among the people.

10 و َاستِيقَظَ يَشُوعُ فِي الصَّباحِ باكِراً وَجَمَعَ كُلَّ الجَيشِ. ثُمَّ خَرَجَ مَعَ شُيُوخِ إسْرائِيلَ أمامَ جَيشِ عايَ.

Joshua got up early in the morning and gathered the people. Then he went up with the leaders of Israel in front of the people to Ai.

11 و َكُلُّ الجُنُودِ الَّذِينَ مَعْهُ صَعِدُوا وَاقتَرَبُوا مِنَ المَدِينَةِ، وَوَصَلُوا إلَى مُقابِلِها، وَخَيَّمُوا إلَى الشَّمالِ مِنْ عايَ. وَكانَ الوادِي بَينَهُمْ وَبَينَ عايَ.

All the men of war who were with him went up and came to the front of the city. They stayed on the north side of Ai. There was a valley between him and Ai.

12 و َأخَذَ يَشُوعُ خَمسَةَ آلافِ رَجُلٍ وَجَعَلَهُمْ يَكْمُنُونَ بَينَ بَيْتَ إيلَ وَعايَ إلَى الغَرْبِ مِنَ المَدِينَةِ.

Then he took about 5, 000 men and hid them between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.

13 ف َحَدَّدُوا مَواقِعَ الجَيشِ. عَرَفُوا أنَّ المُعَسكَرَ الرَّئِيسِيَّ إلَى الشَّمالِ مِنَ المَدِينَةِ، وَبَقِيَّةَ الجَيشِ إلَى الغَربِ مِنَ المَدِينَةِ. وَذَهَبَ يَشُوعُ فِي تِلكَ الَّليلَةِ إلَى وَسَطِ الوادِي.

So they put the men in their places. There was the army on the north side of the city, and the secret army on the west side of the city. But Joshua stayed that night in the center of the valley.

14 و َحِينَ رَأى مَلِكُ عايَ هَذا، أسرَعَ هوَ وَشَعبُهُ، سُكَّانُ المَدِينَةِ، وَخَرَجُوا فِي الصَّباحِ الباكِرِ لِقِتالِ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ مُقابِلَ وادِي الأُردُنِّ. لَكِنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَعرِفُ أنَّ كَمِيناً قَدْ أُعِدَّ خَلْفَ المَدِينَةِ.

The king of Ai saw this. So the men of the city were quick to get up early and go out to meet Israel in battle at the chosen place near the desert plain. But he did not know that there was an army hiding behind the city.

15 و َتَظاهَرَ يَشُوعُ وَكُلُّ جَيشِ إسْرائِيلَ بِالانهِزامِ أمامَهُمْ، فَهَرَبُوا نَحْوَ البَرِّيَّةِ.

Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten in front of them. And they ran away into the desert.

16 ف َخَرَجَ كُلُّ رِجالِ عايَ لِيُطارِدُوهُمْ. فَطارَدُوا يَشُوعَ وَابتَعَدُوا عَنِ المَدِينَةِ.

All the people in the city were called together to go after them. They went after Joshua, and were taken away from the city.

17 و َلَمْ يَبْقَ رَجُلٌ فِي عايَ أوْ بَيتِ إيلَ إلّا وَخَرَجَ وَراءَ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ. تَرَكُوا المَدِينَةَ بِلا حِمايةٍ وَطارَدُوا إسْرائِيلَ.

So not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who had not gone out after Israel. They left the city open and ran after Israel.

18 ف َقالَ اللهُ لِيَشُوعَ: «مُدَّ رُمحَكَ الَّذِي فِي يَدِكَ نَحوَ عايَ لِأنِّي سَأُخضِعُها لَكَ.» فَمَدَّ يَشُوعُ رُمحَهُ الَّذِي كانَ فَي يَدِهِ نَحْوَ المَدِينَةِ.

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Hold out the spear that is in your hand toward Ai. For I will give the city to you.” So Joshua held out the spear that was in his hand toward the city.

19 ح ِينَئِذٍ قامَ الجُنُودُ المُختَبِئُونَ مِنْ مَكانِهِمْ وَاندَفَعُوا إلَى الأمامِ حِينَ مَدَّ يَشُوعُ يَدَهُ. وَدَخَلُوا المَدِينَةَ وَسَيطَرُوا عَلَيها، وَأشعَلُوا النّارَ فِيها بِسُرعَةٍ.

The men who were hiding got up in a hurry from their place and ran when he held out his hand. They went into the city and took it, and were quick to set it on fire.

20 و َلَمّا نَظَرَ رِجالُ عايَ إلَى الوَراءِ، رَأَوْا الدُّخانَ يَصْعَدُ مِنَ المَدِينَةِ نَحْوَ السَّماءِ. وَلَمْ يكُنْ لَهُمْ مَهْرَبٌ فِي أيِّ اتِّجاهٍ، لِأنَّ الشَّعبَ الَّذِي كانَ يَتَظاهَرُ بِالهَرَبِ نَحوَ البَرِّيَّةِ، دارَ إلَى الخَلْفِ ضِدَّ مُطارِديهِ.

When the men of Ai looked back, they saw the smoke of the city going up to the sky. They had no place to run. Then the people of Israel who had been running away in the desert turned against those who went after them.

21 ف َحِينَ رَأى يَشُوعُ وَكُلُّ إسْرائِيلَ أنَّ جُنُودَ الكَمِينِ سَيطَرُوا عَلَى المَدِينَةِ وَأنَّ الدُّخانَ يَرتَفِعُ مِنْها، التَفَتُوا إلَى الخَلْفِ وَهاجَمُوا رِجالَ عايَ.

Joshua and all Israel saw that the men who had been hiding had taken the city. They saw the smoke from the city, so they turned around and killed the men of Ai.

22 و َخَرَجَ جُنُودُ إسرائِيلَ عَلَيهِمْ مِنَ المَدِينَةِ، فَحاصَرَ بَنُو إسْرائِيلَ رِجالَ عايَ مِنْ كُلِّ الجِهاتِ. فَهاجَمَهُمْ بَنُو إسْرائِيلَ حَتَّى لَمْ يَنجُ أحَدٌ مِنْهُمْ.

The others came out from the city to meet them. The men of Ai were caught in the center of Israel. There were some on one side and some on the other side. They killed until no one was left alive. No one got away.

23 و َلَكِنَّ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ أمسَكُوا بِمَلِكِ عايَ حَيّاً وَأحضَرُوهُ إلَى يَشُوعَ.

But they took the king of Ai alive and brought him to Joshua.

24 و َلَمّا انتَهَى رِجالُ إسْرائِيلَ مِنْ قَتلِ كُلِّ سُكّانِ عايَ فِي الحُقُولِ وَالبَرِّيَّةِ حَيثُ طارَدُوهُمْ، وَسَقَطُوا جَمِيعاً بِحَدِّ السَّيفِ إلَى آخِرِ رَجُلٍ مِنْهُمْ، عادَ جَيشُ إسْرائِيلَ إلَى عايَ وَهاجَمُوها بِحَدِّ السَّيفِ.

Israel killed all the men of Ai in the field and in the desert where they had run after them. All of them were killed with the sword until they were destroyed. Then all Israel returned to Ai and destroyed it with the sword.

25 و َكانَ مَجمُوعُ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي ذَلِكَ اليَومِ مِنْ رِجالٍ وَنِساءٍ اثنَي عَشَرَ ألفاً، أي جَميعَ شَعبِ عايَ.

All the men and women of Ai died that day, 12, 000 in all.

26 و َلَمْ يَرُدَّ يَشُوعُ رُمْحَهُ كَعلامَةٍ لِلهُجُومِ، حَتَّى تَمَّ إهلاكُ جَمِيعَ سُكّانِ عايَ تَماماً.

Joshua did not put down his hand he used to hold out the spear until he had destroyed all the people of Ai.

27 و َسَبَى بَنُو إسْرائِيلَ حَيواناتِ وَخَيراتِ تِلْكَ المَدِينَةِ لِأنفُسِهِمْ كَما أمَرَ اللهُ يَشُوعَ.

Israel took only the cattle and the riches of that city for themselves, as the Lord had told Joshua.

28 ف َأحرَقَ يَشُوعُ عايَ وَجَعَلَها كَومَةَ خَرائِبَ إلَى الأبَدِ، كَما هوَ حالُها إلَى هَذا اليَومِ.

So Joshua burned Ai and destroyed it forever, as it is to this day.

29 و َعَلَّقَ مَلِكَ عايَ عَلَى شَجَرَةٍ إلَى المَساءِ. وَفِي المَساءِ أمَرَ يَشُوعُ، فَأنزَلُوا جَسَدَهُ المَيِّتَ مِنْ عَلَى الشَّجَرَةِ، وَألقُوهُ عِندَ بَوّابَةِ المَدِينَةِ، وَأقامُوا عَلَيهِ كَومَةَ صُخُورٍ عَظِيمَةً باقِيَةً إلَى هَذا اليَومِ. البَرَكاتُ وَاللَّعْنات

He hanged the king of Ai on a tree until evening. When the sun went down, Joshua had them take his body down from the tree and throw it down at the gate of the city. They put many stones over it, and they are there to this day.

30 ث ُمَّ بَنَى يَشُوعُ مَذْبَحاً للهِ ، إلَهِ إسْرائِيلَ، عَلَى جَبَلِ عِيبالَ،

Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, at Mount Ebal.

31 ك َما أمَرَ مُوسَى خادِمُ اللهِ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ، وَكَما هوَ مُدَوَّنٌ فِي كِتابِ شَرِيعَةِ مُوسَى. فَكانَ المَذْبَحُ مِنْ حِجارَةٍ كامِلَةٍ لَمْ تُستَخدَمْ فِيهِ أداةٌ حَدِيدِيَّةٌ. ثُمَّ قَدَّمُوا عَلَيهِ ذَبائِحَ صاعِدَةً للهِ وَذَبَحُوا ذَبائِحَ سَلامَةٍ.

It was built just as the Lord’s servant Moses had told the people of Israel, as it is written in the book of the Law of Moses. It was an altar made of stones which had not been cut. No one had used an iron object on them. On the altar they gave burnt gifts in worship to the Lord. And there they gave peace gifts in worship.

32 و َنَقَشَ يَشُوعُ – بِحُضُورِ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ – نُسخَةً مِنْ شَرِيعَةِ مُوسَى عَلَى الحِجارَةِ.

There Joshua wrote on the stones the Law of Moses in front of the people of Israel.

33 و َكانَ جَمِيعُ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ، المُواطِنِينَ مِنْهُمْ وَالأجانِبَ المُقِيمينَ، مَعَ شُيُوخِهِمْ وَقادَتِهِمْ وَقُضاتِهِمْ، واقِفِينَ عَلَى جانِبَيِّ الصُّنْدُوقِ أمامَ الكَهَنَةِ اللّاوِيِّينَ الَّذِينَ حَمَلُوا صُنْدُوقَ عَهدِ اللهِ. وَقَفَ نِصْفُ الشَّعبِ مِنْ جِهَةِ جَبَلِ جِرِزِّيمَ، وَالنِّصْفُ الآخَرُ مِنْ جِهَةِ جَبَلِ عِيبالَ، كَما أمَرَ مُوسَى خادِمُ اللهِ فِي البِدايَةِ لِبَرَكَةِ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ.

All Israel stood on both sides of the special box, in front of the Levite religious leaders who carried the special box of the agreement of the Lord. Strangers stood there as well as those born among the people, with their leaders and heads and men who judge between what is right or wrong. Half of them stood in front of Mount Gerizim. The other half stood in front of Mount Ebal. They did just as the Lord’s servant Moses had told them before. They prayed for good to come to the people of Israel.

34 و َقَرَأ يَشُوعُ كَلامَ الشَّرِيعَةِ، أي البَرَكاتِ وَاللَّعْناتِ، كَما هوَ مَكتُوبٌ فِيهِ.

After this Joshua read all the words of the Law, the good and the bad that will happen. He read all that is written in the book of the Law.

35 و َلَمْ تُتْرَكْ كَلِمَةٌ أوصَى بِها مُوسَى، بَلْ قَرأها يَشُوعُ كُلَّها أمامَ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ وَالنِّساءِ وَالأطفالِ وَالأجانِبِ المُقِيمينَ بَينَهُمْ.

There was not a word of all that Moses had said which Joshua did not read. He read it in front of all the people of Israel, with the women and children and strangers who were living among them.