يَشُوع 9

١ 1 وَعِنْدَمَا سَمِعَ جَمِيعُ مُلُوكِ الْحِثِّيِّينَ وَالأَمُورِيِّينَ وَالْكَنْعَانِيِّينَ وَالْفِرِزِّيِّينَ والْحِوِّيِّينَ وَالْيَبُوسِيِّينَ الْمُقِيمِينَ غَرْبِيَّ نَهْرِ الأُرْدُنِّ، الْمُسْتَوْطِنِينَ فِي الْجِبَالِ وَفِي السُّهُولِ، وَعِنْدَ سَاحِلِ الْبَحْرِ الْمُتَوَسِّطِ، حَتَّى حُدُودِ سَاحِلِ لُبْنَانَ، هَذِهِ الأُمُورَ

It happened, when all the kings who were beyond the Jordan, in the hill country, and in the lowland, and on all the shore of the Great Sea in front of Lebanon, the Hethite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard of it

٢ 2 سَارَعُوا بِتَوْحِيدِ جُيُوشِهِمْ لِمُحَارَبَةِ يَشُوعَ وَبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ.

that they gathered themselves together to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.

٣ 3 وَحِينَ عَرَفَ أَهْلُ جِبْعُونَ بِمَا صَنَعَهُ يَشُوعُ بِأَرِيحَا وَعَايَ،

But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,

٤ 4 لَجَأُوا إِلَى الْحِيلَةِ الْمَاكِرَةِ، فَأَقْبَلُوا كَوَفْدٍ مُحَمِّلِينَ حَمِيرَهُمْ بِعِدَالٍ رَثَّةٍ وَزِقَاقِ خَمْرٍ بَالِيَةٍ مَرْبُوطَةٍ،

they also resorted to a ruse, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins, old and torn and bound up,

٥ 5 وَارْتَدَوْا نِعَالاً بَالِيَةً وَمُرَقَّعَةً فِي أَرْجُلِهِمْ، وَلَبِسُوا عَلَيْهِمْ ثِيَاباً مُهْتَرِئَةً، وَتَزَوَّدُوا بِخُبْزٍ يَابِسٍ فَقَطْ، تَحَوَّلَ إِلَى فُتَاتٍ،

and old and patched shoes on their feet, and wore old garments. All the bread of their provision was dry and moldy.

٦ 6 وَقَدِمُوا عَلَى يَشُوعَ فِي مُخَيَّمِ الْجِلْجَالِ، وَقَالُوا لَهُ وَلِقَادَةِ إِسْرَائِيلَ: «هَا نَحْنُ قَدْ جِئْنَا مِنْ أَرْضٍ بَعِيدَةٍ، فَاقْطَعُوا لَنَا عَهْداً».

They went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him, and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a far country. Now therefore make a covenant with us."

٧ 7 فَقَالَ قَادَةُ إِسْرَائِيلَ لِلْحِوِّيِّينَ: «كَيْفَ نَقْطَعُ لَكُمْ عَهْداً؟ رُبَّمَا أَنْتُمْ مِنْ سُكَّانِ هَذِهِ الْمِنْطَقَةِ».

The men of Israel said to the Hivites, "What if you live among us. How could we make a covenant with you?"

٨ 8 فَقَالُوا لِيَشُوعَ: «نَحْنُ عَبِيدٌ لَكَ» فَسَأَلَهُمْ يَشُوعُ: «مَنْ أَنْتُمْ، وَمِنْ أَيْنَ أَقْبَلْتُمْ؟»

They said to Joshua, "We are your servants." Joshua said to them, "Who are you? Where do you come from?"

٩ 9 فَأَجَابُوهُ: «لَقَدْ جَاءَ عَبِيدُكَ عَلَى اسْمِ الرَّبِّ إِلَهِكَ مِنْ أَرْضٍ بَعِيدَةٍ جِدّاً، لأَنَّنَا قَدْ سَمِعْنَا بِقُدْرَتِهِ وَبِكُلِّ مَا أَجْرَاهُ عَلَى مِصْرَ،

They said to him, "Your servants have come from a very far country because of the name of the LORD your God; for we have heard of his fame, all that he did in Egypt,

١٠ 10 وَبِكُلِّ مَا صَنَعَهُ بِمَلِكَيِ الأَمُورِيِّينَ: سِيحُونَ مَلِكِ حَشْبُونَ وَعُوجَ مَلِكِ بَاشَانَ، الَّذِي فِي عَشْتَارُوثَ الْمُقِيمَيْنِ فِي شَرْقِيِّ الأُرْدُنِّ.

and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.

١١ 11 فَأَشَارَ عَلَيْنَا شُيُوخُنَا وَسَائِرُ سُكَّانِ أَرْضِنَا أَنْ نَتَزَوَّدَ لِهَذِهِ الرِّحْلَةِ الطَّوِيلَةِ، وَنَأْتِيَ لِلِقَائِكُمْ وَنُعْلِنَ لَكُمْ أَنَّ شَعْبَنَا صَارَ لَكُمْ عَبِيداً، فَتَعَالَوْا وَاقْطَعُوا لَنَا عَهْداً.

Our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, 'Take provision in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them, and tell them, "We are your servants. Now make a covenant with us."'

١٢ 12 هَذَا هُوَ خُبْزُنَا أَخَذْنَاهُ مِنْ بُيُوتِنَا سَاخِناً يَوْمَ بَدَأْنَا رِحْلَتَنَا إِلَيْكُمْ، وَصَارَ الآنَ يَابِساً فُتَاتاً.

This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we went out to go to you; but now, look, it is dry, and has become moldy.

١٣ 13 وَهَذِهِ هِيَ زِقَاقُ الْخَمْرِ الَّتِي كَانَتْ جَدِيدَةً يَوْمَ مَلأْنَاهَا، قَدْ أَصْبَحَتْ مُشَقَّقَةً، وَهَذِهِ ثِيَابُنَا وَنِعَالُنَا قَدْ بَلِيَتْ مِنْ طُولِ الْمَسِيرِ عَلَى الطَّرِيقِ».

These wineskins, which we filled, were new; and look, they are torn. These our garments and our shoes have become old because of the very long journey."

١٤ 14 فَأَخَذَ قَادَةُ إِسْرَائِيلَ مِنْ زَادِهِمْ مِنْ غَيْرِ اسْتِشَارَةِ الرَّبِّ.

The men sampled their provisions, and did not ask counsel from the mouth of the LORD.

١٥ 15 وَعَقَدَ يَشُوعُ لَهُمْ مُعَاهَدَةَ صُلْحٍ، وَأَبْرَمَ مَعَهُمْ مِيثَاقاً لِلْمُحَافَظَةِ عَلَى حَيَاتِهِمْ، وَكَذَلِكَ حَلَفَ لَهُمْ قَادَةُ إِسْرَائِيلَ.

Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live. The leaders of the congregation swore to them.

١٦ 16 وَفِي نِهَايَةِ ثَلاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ، بَعْدَ أَنْ قَطَعُوا لَهُمْ عَهْداً، اكْتَشَفَ الإِسْرَائِيلِيُّونَ أَنَّهُمْ مِنَ الْحِوِّيِّينَ الْقَرِيبِينَ مِنْهُمْ وَالْمُقِيمِينَ فِي وَسَطِهِمْ.

It happened at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they lived among them.

١٧ 17 وَمَا لَبِثَ أَنِ ارْتَحَلَ الإِسْرَائِيلِيُّونَ فِي الْيَوْمِ الثَّالِثِ وَجَاءُوا إِلَى مُدُنِ الْحِوِّيِّينَ الَّتِي هِيَ جِبْعُونُ وَالْكَفِيرَةُ وَبَئِيرُوتُ وَقَرْيَةُ يَعَارِيمَ.

The children of Israel traveled and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim.

١٨ 18 فَلَمْ يُهَاجِمْهُمُ الْمُحَارِبُونَ لأَنَّ قَادَةَ الْجَمَاعَةِ قَدْ أَبْرَمُوا مَعَهُمْ عَهْداً حَالِفِينَ بِالرَّبِّ إِلَهِ إِسْرَائِيلَ. فَتَذَمَّرَ جَمِيعُ الشَّعْبِ عَلَى الْقَادَةِ.

The children of Israel did not strike them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. And the whole congregation murmured against the leaders.

١٩ 19 فَقَالَ الْقَادَةُ لِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ: «إِنَّنَا قَدْ حَلَفْنَا لَهُمْ بِالرَّبِّ إِلَهِ إِسْرَائِيلَ، وَلا يُمْكِنُنَا الآنَ أَنْ نَمَسَّهُمْ بِسُوءٍ.

But all the leaders said to all the congregation, "We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel; and now therefore we may not touch them.

٢٠ 20 وَلا يَسَعُنَا إلّا أَنْ نَسْتَحْيِيَهُمْ لِئَلّا يَحِلَّ عَلَيْنَا سَخَطُ الرَّبِّ مِنَ جَرَّاءِ الْيَمِينِ الَّتي حَلَفْنَا بِها لَهُمْ».

This we will do to them, and let them live; lest wrath be on us, because of the oath which we swore to them."

٢١ 21 وَأَضَافُوا: «لِيَحْيَوْا، وَلَكِنْ لِيَكُونُوا لِكُلِّ الْجَمَاعَةِ عَبِيداً، يَحْتَطِبُونَ حَطَباً وَيَسْتَقُونَ لَهُمْ مَاءً». وَهَكَذَا لَمْ يَنْكُثِ الْقَادَةُ عَهْدَهُمْ.

And the leaders said to them, "Let them live." So they became wood cutters and drawers of water for all the congregation, and all the congregation did as the leaders had spoken to them.

٢٢ 22 وَاسْتَدْعَاهُمْ يَشُوعُ وَقَالَ لَهُمْ: «لِمَاذَا خَدَعْتُمُونَا مُدَّعِينَ أَنَّكُمْ تُقِيمُونَ بَعِيداً جِدّاً، بَيْنَمَا أَنْتُمْ سَاكِنُونَ فِي وَسَطِنَا؟

Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, "Why have you deceived us, saying, 'We are very far from you,' when you live among us?

٢٣ 23 فَلْتَكُونُوا مَلْعُونِينَ الآنَ، لَا يَنْقَطِعُ مِنْكُمُ الْعَبِيدُ وَمُحْتَطِبُو الْحَطَبِ وَمُسْتَقُو الْمَاءِ لِبَيْتِ إِلَهِي».

Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you will never fail to be bondservants, both wood cutters and drawers of water for the house of my God."

٢٤ 24 فَأَجَابُوا يَشُوعَ قَائِلِينَ: «لَقَدْ بَلَغَ عَبِيدَكَ أَخْبَارُ مَا وَعَدَ بِهِ الرَّبُّ إِلَهُكَ مُوسَى عَبْدَهُ، أَنْ يَهَبَكُمْ كُلَّ الأَرْضِ وَيُهْلِكَ جَمِيعَ سُكَّانِهَا مِنْ أَمَامِكُمْ، فَخَشِينَا جِدّاً عَلَى أَنْفُسِنَا مِنْكُمْ، فَتَوَسَّلْنَا بِالْحِيلَةِ.

They answered Joshua, and said, "Because your servants were certainly told how the LORD your God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you. Therefore we were very afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.

٢٥ 25 وَالآنَ هَا نَحْنُ تَحْتَ رَحْمَتِكَ، فَافْعَلْ بِنَا مَا تَرَاهُ صَالِحاً وَحَقّاً».

Now, look, we are in your hand. Do to us as it seems good and right to you to do."

٢٦ 26 وَهَكَذَا أَنْقَذَهُمْ يَشُوعُ مِنَ الإِسْرَائِيلِيِّينَ فَلَمْ يَقْتُلُوهُمْ،

He did so to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they did not kill them.

٢٧ 27 وَلَكِنَّهُ اسْتَخْدَمَهُمْ مُنْذُ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ فِي احْتِطَابِ الْحَطَبِ، وَاسْتِقَاءِ الْمَاءِ لِكُلِّ جَمَاعَةِ إِسْرَائِيلَ، وَلِمَذْبَحِ الرَّبِّ إِلَى هَذَا الْيَوْمِ، فِي الْمَوْضِعِ الَّذِي يَخْتَارُهُ الرَّبُّ.

That day Joshua made them wood cutters and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, to this day, in the place which he should choose.