Joshua 9
1 And it came to pass when all the kings who were on this side the Jordan, in the hill-country, and in the lowland, and along all the coast of the great sea as far as opposite to Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard [of it],
Kwasekusithi lapho wonke amakhosi ayenganeno kweJordani, entabeni, lesihotsheni, lekhunjini lolwandle olukhulu, maqondana leLebhanoni, amaHethi lamaAmori, amaKhanani, amaPerizi, amaHivi lamaJebusi ezwa,
2 that they assembled together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.
abuthana ndawonye ukulwa loJoshuwa loIsrayeli nganhliziyonye.
3 And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,
Kwathi abahlali beGibeyoni sebezwile lokho uJoshuwa ayekwenzile eJeriko laseAyi,
4 then they also acted with craft, and they went prepared as on a journey, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine-flasks, old and rent and tied up;
labo basebesenza ngobuqili; bahamba bazenza izithunywa, bathwalisa obabhemi babo amasaka agugileyo lemigodla yewayini egugileyo ledabukileyo lebekelweyo,
5 and old and patched sandals upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry [and] mouldy.
lamanyathela agugileyo labekelweyo enyaweni zabo, lezigqoko ezigugileyo bezigqokile, lezinkwa zonke zomphako wabo sezomile zikhuntile.
6 And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said to him, and to the men of Israel, From a far country are we come; and now make a covenant with us.
Basebesiya kuJoshuwa enkambeni eGiligali, bathi kuye lemadodeni akoIsrayeli: Sivela elizweni elikhatshana, ngakho-ke yenzani isivumelwano lathi.
7 And the men of Israel said to the Hivite, Perhaps thou dwellest in the midst of us, and how should I make a covenant with thee?
Kodwa amadoda akoIsrayeli athi kumaHivi: Mhlawumbe lihlala phakathi kwethu; pho, singenza njani isivumelwano lenu?
8 And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said to them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?
Asesithi kuJoshuwa: Sizinceku zakho. UJoshuwa wasesithi kiwo: Lingobani? Njalo livela ngaphi?
9 And they said to him, From a very far country are thy servants come, because of the name of Jehovah thy God; for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,
Asesithi kuye: Izinceku zakho zivela elizweni elikhatshana kakhulu, ngenxa yebizo leNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, ngoba sizwile indumela yayo lakho konke eyakwenza eGibhithe,
10 and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og the king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.
lakho konke eyakwenza emakhosini amabili amaAmori ayengaphetsheya kweJordani, uSihoni inkosi yeHeshiboni, loOgi inkosi yeBashani, eyayiseAshitarothi.
11 And our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, Take victuals in your hand for the way, and go to meet them, and say to them, We are your servants, and now make a covenant with us.
Ngakho abadala bethu labo bonke abakhileyo elizweni lakithi bakhuluma kithi besithi: Thathani umphako wendlela esandleni senu, lihambe liyehlangana labo, lithi kibo: Sizinceku zenu; ngakho-ke yenzani isivumelwano lathi.
12 This our bread we took warm for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; and now, behold, it is dry, and is become mouldy.
Lesisinkwa sethu sasithatha sitshisa singumphako wethu ezindlini zethu mhla siphumayo sisiza kini; kodwa khathesi, khangela, sesomile sakhunta.
13 And these flasks of wine which we filled new, behold, they are rent; and these our garments and our sandals are become old by reason of the very long journey.
Lalimigodla yewayini esayigcwalisayo yayimitsha; kodwa khangela, isidabukile. Lalezizigqoko zethu lamanyathela ethu sekugugiswe luhambo olude kakhulu.
14 And the men took of their victuals, but they did not inquire at the mouth of Jehovah.
Ngakho amadoda athatha kokomphako wabo, engabuzanga umlomo weNkosi.
15 And Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the princes of the assembly swore unto them.
UJoshuwa wasesenza ukuthula labo, wenza isivumelwano labo sokubayekela baphile, lezinduna zenhlangano zafunga kibo.
16 And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt in their midst.
Kwasekusithi ekupheleni kwensuku ezintathu emva kokuthi sebenzile isivumelwano labo, bezwa ukuthi bangomakhelwane babo, lokuthi babehlala phakathi kwabo.
17 And the children of Israel journeyed, and came to their cities on the third day; and their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim.
Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebesuka bafika emizini yabo ngosuku lwesithathu. Njalo imizi yabo yayiyiGibeyoni leKefira leBherothi leKiriyathi-Jeyarimi.
18 And the children of Israel did not smite them, because the princes of the assembly had sworn unto them by Jehovah the God of Israel. Then all the assembly murmured against the princes.
Njalo abantwana bakoIsrayeli kababatshayanga ngoba izinduna zebandla zazibafungele ngeNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli; inhlangano yonke yasingungunela izinduna.
19 And all the princes said to all the assembly, We have sworn unto them by Jehovah the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them.
Kodwa zonke izinduna zathi enhlanganweni yonke: Thina sifungile kibo ngeNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ngakho-ke kasilakubathinta.
20 This we will do to them, and let them live, lest wrath come upon us, because of the oath which we swore unto them.
Sizakwenza lokhu kibo, sibayekele baphile, ukuze kungabi khona ulaka phezu kwethu ngenxa yesifungo esasifunga kibo.
21 And the princes said to them, Let them live. And they were hewers of wood and drawers of water for all the assembly; as the princes had said to them.
Lezinduna zathi kubo: Bayekeleni baphile, kodwa kababe ngabagamuli benkuni labakhi bamanzi enhlanganweni yonke, njengokutsho kwezinduna kubo.
22 And Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, Why have ye deceived us, saying, We are very far from you; whereas ye dwell in our midst?
UJoshuwa wasebabiza, wakhuluma labo esithi: Lisikhohliseleni, lisithi: Sikhatshana kakhulu lani; kanti lina lihlala phakathi kwethu?
23 And now ye are cursed, and ye shall never cease to be bondmen, and hewers of wood, and drawers of water for the house of my God.
Ngakho-ke liqalekisiwe, njalo kakuyikuqunywa phakathi kwenu izigqili labagamuli benkuni labakhi bamanzi bendlu kaNkulunkulu wami.
24 And they answered Joshua and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants how that Jehovah thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; and we feared greatly for our lives because of you, and did this thing.
Basebephendula uJoshuwa bathi: Ngoba kwatshelwa lokutshelwa ezincekwini zakho ukuthi iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho yalaya uMozisi inceku yayo ukulinika ilizwe lonke lokuchitha bonke abakhileyo belizwe phambi kwenu. Ngakho sesaba kakhulu ngempilo yethu ngenxa yenu. Yikho senze le into.
25 And now behold, we are in thy hand: as it is good and right in thine eyes to do to us, do.
Khathesi-ke, khangela, sesisesandleni sakho; yenza njengokulungileyo lanjengokuqondileyo emehlweni akho ukukwenza kithi.
26 And he did so to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, and they did not slay them.
Ngakho wenza njalo kubo, wabophula esandleni sabantwana bakoIsrayeli, ukuze bangababulali.
27 And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the assembly, and for the altar of Jehovah, to this day, in the place which he should choose.
UJoshuwa wasebenza ngalolosuku baba ngabagamuli benkuni labakhi bamanzi benhlangano, labelathi leNkosi, kuze kube lamuhla, endaweni ezayikhetha.
