Joshua 8

¹ God tell Joshua say, “Take all the soldiers with you and begin dey go Ai. No fear and get strong mind. I go give you victory over Ai king; him people, city, and the land go be una own.

² Make una do wetin una don do Jericho and hin king to Ai and hin king, but this time una fit keep the goods and animals for unaself. Make una prepare to attack them with surprise from back side.”

³ Naso Joshua ready to go Ai with all him soldiers. He pick out 30,000 of him best troops and send them out at night and order them say

⁴ “Make una hide for other side of the city, but no dey too far from am; make una dey ready to attack.

⁵ Me and my men go near the city. When the men of Ai come attack us, we go turn and run, just as we do for first time.

⁶ Dem go pursue us until we don lead them commot from the city. Dem go think say we dey run away from them, like we do before.

⁷ Then una go come out from where una dey hide and capture the city. The LORD una God go give am to una.

⁸ After una don take the city, make una burn am, just as God don command. Na una orders be these.”

⁹ Naso Joshua send them out, and dem go to where dem go hide and wait for there, for west of Ai, between Ai and Bethel. Joshua stay for camp that night.

¹⁰ Joshua get up early in the morning and call the soldiers together. Then him and the leaders of Israel lead them go Ai.

¹¹ The soldiers wey dey with him dey go toward the city main entrance and dem set up camp for north side, with valley between them and Ai.

¹² He take about 5,000 men and put them for hiding place for west of the city, between Ai and Bethel.

¹³ The soldiers don arrange for battle with the main camp for north of the city and the rest of the men to the west. Joshua spend night for the valley.

¹⁴ When king of Ai see Joshua men, he act fast. Him and all him men begin dey go out toward Jordan Valley to go fight the Israelites for the same place wey dem don fight before, dem no know say na from back Israelites wan attack them.

¹⁵ Joshua and him men pretend like say dem dey run back, and dem run toward barren country.

¹⁶ Na all the men wey dey the country dem call together to go after Israelites, and as dem dey pursue Joshua, dem continue dey go far away from the city.

¹⁷ Na every man wey dey Ai go after Israelites, and dem leave the city open, nobody dey there to defend am.

¹⁸ Then God tell Joshua say, “Point your spear at Ai; I dey give am to you.” Joshua do wetin God tell him,

¹⁹ And as he lift him hand, the men wey dey hide get up fast, dem run enter the city and capture am. Dem set the city on fire.

²⁰ When men of Ai look back, dem see smoke dey rise go sky. No way dey for them to escape, because Israelites wey don run go barren country don turn back to attack them.

²¹ When Joshua and him men see say others don take the city and dem don dey burn am, dem turn round and begin dey kill men of Ai.

²² The Israelites wey dey inside the city come down to join the battle. Naso men of Ai see say Israelites don surround them, and Israelites kill all of them. No one of them escape am

²³ Except the king of Ai. Dem capture him and take him to Joshua.

²⁴ The Israelites kill all of the army for barren country where dem chase them reach. Then dem go back to Ai and dem kill everyone for there.

²⁵ Joshua continue dey point him spear toward Ai and he no put am down until dem don kill everyone for there.

²⁶ Na the whole population of Ai dem kill that day – 12,000 men and women.

²⁷ The Israelites con keep the animals and goods wey dem capture in the city, as God don tell Joshua.

²⁸ Joshua burn Ai and leave am as he don spoil. E still dey like that today

²⁹ He hang the king of Ai for tree and leave him body there till evening. For evening Joshua give order say make dem remove the body, and dem throw am down for entrance of the city gate. Dem cover am with big pile of stone, and e still dey there today.

³⁰ Then Joshua build altar to the LORD, God of Israel on top Mount Ebal.

³¹ He make am according to the instructions wey Moses, God servant, don give Israelites, as e dey for Law of Moses: “altar dem make with stone wey dem never cut with tools.” Dem offer burnt offering to God on top am, and dem present their fellowship offering too.

³² For there, as the Israelites dey look, Joshua make a copy of the Law wey Moses don write on top the stones.

³³ The Israelites, with their leaders, officers, and judges, and even the foreigners wey dey with them, stand for two sides of God Covenant Box, and dem dey face the priests wey carry am. Half of the people stand with their backs on Mount Gerizim and the other half with their back to Mount Ebal. God servant don command them to do this when time don reach to receive blessing.

³⁴ Then Joshua read all the Law loud, with the blessings and curses, just as e dey inside the book of the Law.

³⁵ Joshua read all the commandments of Moses to the gathering, wey women and children dey, and even foreigners wey dey live among them.