Joshua

8 Then Jehovah tell Joshua say: “Make you no fear or shake. Take all the men wey fit fight and make una go up go attack A′i. See, I don put the king of A′i, im people, im city, and im land for your hand. 2 Do A′i and im king wetin you do Jer′i·cho and im king, the only thing be say una fit carry things from there and animals for unaself. Make una hide for back of the city to attack-am.”

3 So Joshua and all the men wey fit fight go up to attack A′i. Joshua choose 30,000 strong soldiers and send them comot for night. 4 E command them say: “See, una go hide wait for back of the city to attack-am. Make una no too comot go far from the city, and make all of una ready. 5 Me and all the people wey dey with me go near the city, and when them come out to attack us like before, we go run from them. 6 When them come out to pursue us, we go draw them comot from the city, because them go talk say, ‘Them de run from us like before.’ And we go run from them. 7 Then make una come out from where una hide and take over the city; Jehovah una God go put-am for una hand. 8 As soon as una don take over the city, make una burn-am with fire. Make una do as Jehovah don talk. See, I don command una.”

9 Then Joshua send them comot, and them march go the place wey them go hide; them position theirself between Beth′el and A′i, and them face the west side of A′i, but Joshua sleep that night with the other people.

10 After Joshua don wake up for early morning and gather the soldiers together, Joshua and the elders of Israel lead them go A′i. 11 All the men wey fit fight wey dey with-am march go up and near the front of the city. Them put their camp for the north side of A′i, and the lowland* dey between them and A′i. 12 And e don take around 5,000 men and make them hide between Beth′el and A′i, wey face the west side of the city to attack-am. 13 So the people put the main camp make e face the north side of the city, and the soldiers wey hide face the west side of the city, and Joshua go the middle of the lowland* that night.

14 And as the king of A′i just see this one, im and the men of the city come out quick-quick for early morning to attack Israel people for one place wey face the level land wey dey the desert. But e no know say some people hide for back of the city to fight against-am. 15 When the men of A′i attack, Joshua and all Israel people wey dey with-am run follow the road wey face the wilderness. 16 Then, them call all the people wey dey the city make them pursue them, and as them de pursue Joshua, them de draw them comot from the city. 17 No single man remain for A′i and Beth′el wey no come out to pursue Israel people. Them leave the city open finish and pursue Israel people.

18 Then Jehovah tell Joshua say: “Stretch the javelin wey dey your hand face A′i, because I go put the city for your hand.” So Joshua stretch the javelin wey dey im hand face the city. 19 As e just stretch im hand, the people wey hide stand up quick-quick from where them dey and run enter the city and take over-am. At once, them start to burn the city.

20 When the men of A′i turn round, them see as the smoke de go up from the city, and them no get power again to run go any direction. Then Israel people wey be de run go the wilderness turn face the people wey de pursue them. 21 When Joshua and all Israel people wey dey with-am see say the people wey hide don take over the city and them see the smoke de go up from the city, them turn round and attack the men of A′i. 22 And the other Israel people come out of the city to attack them, na so the men of A′i come dey the middle of Israel people, some Israel people dey this side and other ones dey the other side. Them kill them sotey nobody among them survive or escape. 23 But them catch the king of A′i and bring-am come meet Joshua.

24 After Israel people don kill all the people wey de live for A′i for open area finish, for the wilderness wey them be pursue them go, and them don use sword kill all of them, then all Israel people go back to A′i and use sword kill the rest of the people. 25 All the people wey die that day, all the people of A′i, both man and woman, reach 12,000. 26 Joshua no bring down im hand wey e use stretch the javelin until e don destroy all the people wey de live for A′i. 27 But, Israel people carry the animals and the better-better things for the city for theirself, according to the things wey Jehovah don command Joshua.

28 Then Joshua burn A′i and e come be heap of stones, and na so e still be till today. 29 E hang the king of A′i for pole* until evening, and as sun want start to come down, Joshua command make them bring the dead body come down from the pole. Then, them throw-am for the front of the city gate and pack big heap of stones ontop-am, and e dey there till today.

30 Na that time Joshua build altar to Jehovah the God of Israel for Mount E′bal, 31 just as Moses the servant of Jehovah don command Israel people and just as them write-am for the book of the Law of Moses say: “E go be altar wey them make with stones wey them never cut, wey no iron tool don touch.” Them do offerings wey them de burn ontop-am to Jehovah together with peace sacrifice them.

32 Then for there, ontop of the stones, e copy the Law wey Moses be don write before for front of Israel people. 33 All Israel people, their elders, the officers and their judges stand for the two sides of the Ark for front of the Levites wey be priests, wey be de carry the ark of the agreement of Jehovah. The strangers dey there together with the people from the land. Half of them stand for front of Mount Ger′i·zim, and the other half stand for front of Mount E′bal (just as Moses the servant of Jehovah be don command), to bless the people of Israel. 34 After this one, e read all the words of the Law loud, the blessings and the curse them, according to everything wey them write for the book of the Law. 35 E no get any word out of everything wey Moses don command wey Joshua no read loud for front of all Israel people,* and the women, the children, and the strangers wey de live* with them still dey among.