The Gibeonites Deceive Joshua
1 The victories of Israel became known to all the kings west of the Jordan—in the hills, in the foothills, and all along the coastal plain of the Mediterranean Sea as far north as Lebanon; these were the kings of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 2 They all came together and joined forces to fight against Joshua and the Israelites.
3 But the people of Gibeon, who were Hivites, heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4 and they decided to deceive him. They went and got some food and loaded their donkeys with worn-out sacks and patched-up wineskins. 5 They put on ragged clothes and worn-out sandals that had been mended. The bread they took with them was dry and moldy. 6 Then they went to the camp at Gilgal and said to Joshua and the Israelites, “We have come from a distant land. We want you to make a treaty with us.”
7 But the Israelites said, “Why should we make a treaty with you? Maybe you live nearby.”
8 They said to Joshua, “We are at your service.”
Joshua asked them, “Who are you? Where do you come from?”
9 Then they told him this story: “We have come from a very distant land, sir, because we have heard of the Lord your God. We have heard about everything that he did in Egypt 10 and what he did to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan: King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth. 11 Our leaders and all the people that live in our land told us to get some food ready for a trip and to go and meet you. We were told to put ourselves at your service and ask you to make a treaty with us. 12 Look at our bread. When we left home with it and started out to meet you, it was still warm. But look! Now it is dry and moldy. 13 When we filled these wineskins, they were new, but look! They are torn. Our clothes and sandals are worn out from the long trip.”
14 The Israelites accepted some food from them, but did not consult the Lord about it. 15 Joshua made a treaty of friendship with the people of Gibeon and allowed them to live. The leaders of the community of Israel gave their solemn promise to keep the treaty.
16 Three days after the treaty had been made, the Israelites learned that these people did indeed live nearby. 17 So the people of Israel started out and three days later arrived at the cities where these people lived: Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim. 18 But the Israelites could not kill them, because their leaders had made a solemn promise to them in the name of the Lord, Israel's God. All the people complained to the leaders about this, 19 but they answered, “We have made our solemn promise to them in the name of the Lord God of Israel. Now we cannot harm them. 20 We must let them live because of our promise; if we don't, God will punish us. 21 Let them live, but they will have to cut wood and carry water for us.” This was what the leaders suggested.
22 Joshua ordered the people of Gibeon to be brought to him, and he asked them, “Why did you deceive us and tell us that you were from far away, when you live right here? 23 Because you did this, God has condemned you. Your people will always be slaves, cutting wood and carrying water for the sanctuary of my God.”
24 They answered, “We did it, sir, because we learned that it was really true that the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to kill the people living in it as you advanced. We did it because we were terrified of you; we were in fear of our lives. 25 Now we are in your power; do with us what you think is right.” 26 So this is what Joshua did: he protected them and did not allow the people of Israel to kill them. 27 But at the same time he made them slaves, to cut wood and carry water for the people of Israel and for the Lord's altar. To this day they have continued to do this work in the place where the Lord has chosen to be worshiped.
Josua nOvagibeon
1 Ovitjitwa avihe mbi vya tjiukwa i ozombara azehe nḓa turire komukuma wokongurova kwa Jordan, kozondundu na motutjandja na pomikuro avihe vyOmuronga Mediterania nga kozondundu Libanon. Ozombara nḓa za ri ozOvahetite nozOvaamori nozOvakanaan nozOvaperesi nozOvahevi nozOvajebusi. 2 Ozo azehe ze rikuta kumwe okurwisa Josua nOvaisrael.
3 Ovature va Gibeon va zuva imbi Josua mbya tjita kOjeriko na Ai, 4 notji ve ripura okumutjita ovineya. Owo va katoora ovikurya nave kutire omakutu nga kurupa kousino wawo, nozondjaṱu zomikova zomavinu nḓa kurupa nu nḓa yatatwa. 5 Nowo va zara ozongaku nḓa kurupa nu nḓa yatatwa, nozombanda nḓa tauka. Ozomboroto nḓu va toora otja onguta za kukuta naze rire outekero. 6 Tji ve ya ku Josua kozondanda za Gilgal va tja nai ku ye na kOvaisrael: “Matu zu kehi rokokure, ngatu rikute kumwe.”
7 Ovaisrael va zira nai kOvahevi: “Matu kutasanene tjike na eṋe? Ngahino mwa tura popezu na eṱe.”
8 Owo va zira ku Josua ave tja: “Oweṱe ovakarere voye.”
Josua ope ve purira a tja: “Oweṋe oowaṋi! Nu mamu zu pi?”
9 Owo ve mu zira ave tja: “Eṱe matu zu kehi rokokure, muhona, orondu twa zuva ondangu ya Muhona, Ndjambi woye. Twa raerwa oviṋa avihe eye mbya tjitire mOengipte, 10 na imbi mbya tjita kozombara mbari zOvaamori, munda mbwina na Jordan, okutja oSihon, ombara ya Hesbon, na Og, ombara ya Basan, ndja turire mOastarot. 11 Ovanane vetu novature vehi retu ve tu raera kutja ngatu tooreye ovikurya nu tu yende okukahakaena na wo. Nu ve tu raerere kutja ngatu riwise kehi yeṋu otja ovakarere nu tu mu ningire kutja tu rikute kumwe! 12 Tareye ozomboroto zetu! Tji twa sekama konganda okuhakaena na eṋe, tjandje ozombwa. Nambano tareye, ozo za kukuta, nu za rira outekero. 13 Neṱe tji twe urisa ozondjaṱu zomikova zomavinu nḓa, tjandje ozombe; nambano tareye, ozo za tauka. Nozombanda nozongaku zetu za kurupisiwa i oure wondjira.”
14 Ovaisrael va rora ovikurya mbi, nungwari kave ningirire ondunge ku Muhona. 15 Josua otja tjita ohange nOvagibeon, ne rikutu kuna wo kutja e ve hupise. Novanane wombongo yOvaisrael va tjita oruyano rwomazuvasaneno.
16 Kombunda yomayuva yetatu omazuvasaneno tji ya za nokutjitwa, Ovaisrael otji va zuva kutja ovandu mba, tjiri, va tura popezu na wo. 17 Ovaisrael va kumuka, nu meyuva oritjatatu va kavaza kovihuro vyovandu mba mu va tura, okutja oGibeon na Kefira na Beerot na Kirjat-Jearim. 18 Nungwari Ovaisrael kave ve zepere, ovanane vawo tjinga ava tjita omakwizikiro kovandu mba mena ra Muhona, Ndjambi wa Israel. Ovandu avehe va unaunina ovanane mena rotjiṋa hi. 19 Novanane va zira ave tja: “Eṱe twe ve yanena mena ra Muhona, Ndjambi wa Israel, kutja katu nokuvetjita otjipo. 20 Eṱe matu ve esa ve kare nomuinyo, orondu twa tjita omakwizikiro; nu tji tu hi nokutjita nao, Ndjambi me tu vere.” 21 Ovanane va ryama okuhungira ave tja nai ku wo: “Ve eseye ve hupe. Owo mave tu tyorere ozonguṋe nu mave tu tekere omeva.”
22 Josua wa rakiza ovandu va Gibeon ne ve pura nai: “Okutjavi tji mwe tu wovisa amamu tu raere kutja mwa tura kokure, ngunda nangwari amwa tura mokati ketu? 23 Eṋe tjinga amwa tjita nai, mamu sengwa i Ndjambi. Aruhe mamu rire ovakarere, mbu mamu tyora ozonguṋe nu mbu mamu teke omeva wotjouyapuke tja Ndjambi wandje.”
24 Owo va zira ave tja: “Eṱe twa tjita nao, muhona, tjinga atwa raerwa kutja, tjiri, Muhona, Ndjambi weṋu, wa rakizire komukarere we Moses e mu pe ehi arihe, nokutja a nyone ovandu avehe mba tura mu ro, tji mamu yende amamu ryama. Eṱe twa tjita nao, tjinga aa tu mu tira tjinene, nokutira okuṱa. 25 Nambano tu ri mouvara woye; tjita ku eṱe otja pu movanga.” 26 Komuhingo mbwi Josua otje ve yama kOvaisrael kutja ave ha ṱu. 27 Okuzambo Josua we ve isa po ovakarere vokutyora ozonguṋe nokuteka omeva wombongo nowotjipunguhiro tja Muhona. Owo va kara pokuungura nai nga ku ndinondi poṋa Muhona pa toorora kutja a kumbirwe po.
