احتلال مدينة عاي
1 وقالَ الرّبُّ ليَشوعَ: «لا تَخَفْ ولا ترتَعِبْ. خُذْ معَكَ جميعَ المُحاربـينَ واصعَدْ إلى عايّ. فأنا أسلمتُ إلى يَدِكَ مَلِكَها وشعبَهُ ومَدينتَهُ وأرضَهُ، 2 فتَفعَلُ بِــعايّ ومَلِكِها كما فعَلْتَ بِأريحا ومَلِكِها، غَيرَ أنَّ غَنائمَها وبَهائمَها تَغنَمونَها لأنفُسِكُم. وحَضِّرْ للمدينةِ هُجوما يُفاجئُها مِنَ الخَلْفِ».
3 فاستَعَدَّ يَشوعُ وسائرُ المُحاربـينَ للهُجومِ على عايّ. واختارَ ثَلاثينَ ألفَ رَجُلٍ أشِدَّاءَ وسيَّرَهُم ليلا، 4 وقالَ لهُم: «تكمنونَ للمدينةِ مِنْ ورائِها. لا تَبعدوا عَنها كثيرا وكونوا كُلُّكُم مُتأهِّبـينَ، 5 وأنا والرِّجالُ الّذينَ معي نتَقدَّمُ إليها. فإذا هُم خرَجوا علَينا كالمرَّةِ الأولى ننهَزِمُ أمامَهُم. 6 فيَخرُجونَ وراءَنا حتّى نُبعِدَهُم عَنها، فيَعتَقِدون أنَّنا مُنهَزِمونَ أمامَهُم كالمرَّةِ الأولى، 7 فتَهجُمونَ مِنَ المكمَنِ وتستَولونَ علَيها لأنَّ الرّبَّ يُسَلِّمُها إلى أيديكُم. 8 وحينَ تَملِكونَها تَحرُقونَها بالنَّارِ كما أمرَ الرّبُّ. هذا ما آمُرُكم بهِ».
9 وأرسَلَهُم يَشوعُ فَساروا إلى المكمَنِ وأقاموا بَينَ بَيت إيلَ وغَربـيِّ عاي، وباتَ يَشوعُ تلكَ اللَّيلةَ معَ سائرِ المُحاربـينَ في المحلَّةِ. 10 ثُمَّ بكَّرَ في الغَدِ وتفقَّدَ جميعَ المُحاربـينَ الّذينَ معَهُ وتقَدَّمَ هوَ وشُيوخُ إِسرائيلَ أمامَ الشَّعبِ 11 وصعِدَ جميعُ رِجالِ الحربِ الّذينَ معَهُ وتقَدَّموا وأتَوا إلى قُبالةِ المدينةِ ونزَلوا شَمالَ عايِّ والوادي بـينَهُم وبـينَها. 12 واختارَ نحوَ خمسةِ آلافِ رَجُلٍ وجَعَلهُم يكمُنونَ بَينَ بَيت إيلَ وغربـيِّ عايِّ. 13 وأنزَلَ جميعَ المُحاربـينَ الّذينَ معَهُ شَمالَ المدينةِ إلاَّ أنَّهُ حشدَ بعضَهُم غربـيَّها. وقضى يَشوعُ ذلِكَ اللَّيلَ وسَطَ الوادي. 14 فلمَّا رأى مَلِكُ عايِّ ما يجري، أسرعَ ورِجالُ المدينةِ وبَكَّروا وهاجَموا بَني إِسرائيلَ مِنْ جِهةِ البرِّيَّةِ وهُم لا يعلمونَ أنَّ وراءَ المدينةِ كمينا. 15 فتَراجَعَ يَشوعُ وجميعُ بَني إِسرائيلَ أمامَهُم إلى البرِّيَّةِ. 16 فتَنادى رِجالُ المدينةِ لِلَّحاقِ بِهِم حتّى ابتَعَدوا عنها، 17 وما بقيَ رَجُلٌ في عايِّ إلاَّ خرَجَ لِلَّحاقِ بِبَني إِسرائيلَ تارِكينَ المدينةَ مفتوحةً.
18 فقالَ الرّبُّ ليَشوعَ: «سَدِّدِ الحربةَ الّتي بِيَدكَ نحوَ عايِّ، فأنا أُسَلِّمُها إلى يَدِكَ». فسَدَّدَ يَشوعُ الحربةَ الّتي بـيَدِهِ نحوَ المدينةِ. 19 وعِندَما صوَّبَ حربَتَهُ إلى عايِّ هجمَ الكمينُ بِسُرعةٍ مِنْ مَواضِعِهِم على المدينةِ واستَولَوا علَيها وأسرَعوا وأشعَلوا النَّارَ فيها. 20 فالتفَتَ رِجالُ عايِّ فرَأوا الدُّخانَ صاعدا مِنَ المدينةِ إلى السَّماءِ ولا سبـيلَ للهرَبِ لأنَّ الّذينَ كانوا تراجَعوا أمامَهُم إلى البرِّيَّةِ ارتَدُّوا لمُحارَبَتِهِم. 21 ولمَّا رأى يَشوعُ وكُلُّ بَني إِسرائيلَ أنَّ الكامِنينَ احتَلُّوا المدينةَ ومِنها تصاعَدَ الدُّخانُ رجَعوا وضرَبوا رِجالَ عايِّ. 22 وخرَجَ الكمينُ مِنَ المدينةِ لِلقائهِم فصارَ رِجالُ عايِّ وسَطَ بَني إِسرائيلَ. فضَربوهُم حتّى لم يَبقَ مِنهُم باقٍ ولا شريدٌ. 23 وقبَضوا على مَلِكِ عايِّ حيًّا وقادوهُ إلى يَشوعَ.
24 ولمَّا انتَهى بَنو إِسرائيلَ مِنْ قَتلِ جميعِ سُكَّانِ عايِّ في البرِّيَّةِ حيثُ طارَدوهُم وأسقَطوهُم بِـحَدِّ السَّيفِ عَنْ آخرِهِم، رَجَعوا إلى عايِّ وقضَوا أيضا على مَنْ فيها بِـحَدِّ السَّيفِ. 25 وكانَ عدَدُ القَتلى في ذلِكَ اليومِ مِنْ رِجالٍ ونِساءٍ اثني عشَرَ ألفا وهُم جميعُ أهلِ عايِّ. 26 ولم يَرُدَّ يَشوعُ يَدَهُ الّتي مَدَّها بِالحربةِ حتّى هلَكَ جميعُ سُكَّانِ عايِّ. 27 أمَّا البَهائمُ والغَنائمُ فأخذَها بَنو إِسرائيلَ لأنفُسِهِم حسبَما أمرَ الرّبُّ يَشوعَ. 28 وأحرَقَ يَشوعُ عايَّ وجعَلَها تَلَّ رَدمٍ وخرابا كما هيَ حتّى اليومِ. 29 وعُلِّقَ مَلِكُ عايِّ على شجرةٍ إلى المساءِ، وعِندَ غُروبِ الشَّمسِ أمرَ يَشوعُ فأنزَلوا جُثَّتَهُ وألقَوها عِندَ بابِ المدينةِ وجعَلوا علَيها رُجمَةً كبـيرةً مِنَ الحجارَةِ إلى هذا اليومِ.
قراءة الشريعة على جبل عيـبال
30 في ذلِكَ الوقتِ بَنى يَشوعُ مذبَحا للرّبِّ إلهِ إِسرائيلَ في جبَلِ عيـبالَ. 31 بَناهُ كما أمرَ موسى، عبدُ الرّبِّ، بَني إِسرائيلَ حسَبَ ما هو مكتوبٌ في كتابِ شريعةِ موسى، بَناهُ مذبَحا مِنْ حجارةٍ غَيرِ منحوتةٍ لم يُرفَعْ علَيها حديدٌ. وقَدَّمَ بَنو إِسرائيلَ على هذا المذبَحِ مُحرقاتٍ للرّبِّ وذبَحوا ذَبائحَ سلامةٍ. 32 ونقَشَ يَشوعُ هُناكَ على الحجارةِ بِـحُضورِ بَني إِسرائيلَ نُسخَةً مِنَ الشَّريعةِ الّتي كتَبَها موسى. 33 وكانَ جميعُ بَني إِسرائيلَ وشُيوخُهُم وقادَتُهم وقُضاتُهُم واقِفينَ على جانِبَـي تابوتِ العَهدِ مِنْ هُنا وهُنا قُبالَةَ الكهَنةِ اللاَّويِّينَ حامِلي التَّابوتِ، سَواءٌ مِنهُمُ الغريـبُ والأصيلُ، نِصفُهُم إلى جِهَةِ جبَلِ جِرزِّيمَ، والنِّصفُ الآخَرُ إلى جِهَةِ جبَلِ عيـبالَ، كما أمَرَهُم موسى عَبدُ الرّبِّ، أنْ يفعَلوا حينَ يُبارِكونَ الرّبَّ.
34 وبَعدَ ذلِكَ، قَرأ يَشوعُ جميعَ ما جاءَ في كتابِ الشَّريعةِ مِنَ البَركةِ واللَّعنَةِ 35 كُلَّ كلِمةٍ أمرَ بِها موسى بِـحُضورِ جماعةِ بَني إِسرائيلَ، ومِنهُمُ النِّساءُ والأطفالُ والغُرَباءُ الّذينَ معَهُم.
1 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land: 2 And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it.
3 ¶ So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour, and sent them away by night. 4 And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, even behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready: 5 And I, and all the people that are with me, will approach unto the city: and it shall come to pass, when they come out against us, as at the first, that we will flee before them, 6 (For they will come out after us) till we have drawn them from the city; for they will say, They flee before us, as at the first: therefore we will flee before them. 7 Then ye shall rise up from the ambush, and seize upon the city: for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand. 8 And it shall be, when ye have taken the city, that ye shall set the city on fire: according to the commandment of the LORD shall ye do. See, I have commanded you.
9 ¶ Joshua therefore sent them forth: and they went to lie in ambush, and abode between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of Ai: but Joshua lodged that night among the people. 10 And Joshua rose up early in the morning, and numbered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. 11 And all the people, even the people of war that were with him, went up, and drew nigh, and came before the city, and pitched on the north side of Ai: now there was a valley between them and Ai. 12 And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Beth-el and Ai, on the west side of the city. 13 And when they had set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city, and their liers in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.
14 ¶ And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it , that they hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain; but he wist not that there were liers in ambush against him behind the city. 15 And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness. 16 And all the people that were in Ai were called together to pursue after them: and they pursued after Joshua, and were drawn away from the city. 17 And there was not a man left in Ai or Beth-el, that went not out after Israel: and they left the city open, and pursued after Israel. 18 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Stretch out the spear that is in thy hand toward Ai; for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city. 19 And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand: and they entered into the city, and took it, and hasted and set the city on fire. 20 And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way: and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers. 21 And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again, and slew the men of Ai. 22 And the other issued out of the city against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side: and they smote them, so that they let none of them remain or escape.
23 And the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua. 24 And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they chased them, and when they were all fallen on the edge of the sword, until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned unto Ai, and smote it with the edge of the sword. 25 And so it was, that all that fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai. 26 For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. 27 Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey unto themselves, according unto the word of the LORD which he commanded Joshua. 28 And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day. 29 And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide: and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcase down from the tree, and cast it at the entering of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of stones, that remaineth unto this day.
30 ¶ Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in mount Ebal, 31 As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings.
32 ¶ And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel. 33 And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel. 34 And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them.