< Joshua 9 >

1 All the kings west of the Jordan heard what had happened. These included the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites who lived in the hill country, the lowlands, and along the coast as far as Lebanon.
Mgbe eze ndị niile bi nʼakụkụ ọdịda anyanwụ osimiri Jọdan, nụrụ banyere ihe ndị a, ya bụ, ndị niile bi nʼala ugwu ugwu nʼọdịda anyanwụ ndagwurugwu, na ndị bi ogologo akụkụ osimiri Mediterenịa ruo Lebanọn, eze ndị Het na nke ndị Amọrait na nke ndị Kenan na nke ndị Periz na nke ndị Hiv na nke ndị Jebus,
2 So they gathered to fight together as a united army against Joshua and the Israelites.
ha niile zukọtara ibu agha megide Joshua na ụmụ Izrel.
3 But when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,
Ma mgbe ndị Gibiọn nụrụ ihe Joshua mere Jeriko na Ai,
4 they decided on a cunning plan. They sent messengers to Joshua, their donkeys wearing worn-out saddles and carrying old wineskins that were torn and patched.
ha sitere nʼaghụghọ chọọ ụzọ ha ga-esi zọpụta onwe ha. Ha zipụrụ ndị ozi, ndị bokwasịrị ịnyịnya ibu ha akpa mere ochie, na karama akpụkpọ mere ochie, nke a duchiri ebe dị iche iche nʼahụ ha.
5 They put on worn sandals that had been mended and wore old clothes. All their bread was dry and moldy.
Ndị ahụ yikwasịrị nʼụkwụ ha akpụkpọụkwụ kara nka nke a kwachiri akwachi, na uwe mere nnọọ ochie. Achịcha niile ha ji bụ nri ha, kpọrọ nkụ maakwa ebu.
6 They went to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal and told him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a land far away, so please make a treaty with us.”
Mgbe ha bịaruru nʼebe ndị Izrel mara ụlọ ikwu ha na Gilgal, ha jekwuuru Joshua, gwa ya na ndị Izrel okwu sị ha, “Anyị si nʼala dị anya bịa. Ugbu a, biko anyị chọrọ ka anyị na unu gbaa ndụ.”
7 But the Israelites said to the Hivites, “Maybe you live close by. If you do, we cannot make a treaty with you.”
Ndị ikom Izrel zaghachiri sị ndị Hiv ahụ, “Olee otu anyị si amata na unu ebighị anyị nso? Ma eleghị anya unu bi anyị nso, anyị na unu ọ ga-esi aṅaa gbaa ndụ?”
8 “We are your servants,” they replied. “But who are you? Where do you come from?” Joshua asked.
Ha zara Joshua sị ya, “Anyị bụ ndị ohu unu.” Ma Joshua jụrụ ha ajụjụ sị, “Olee ndị unu bụ? Ebee ka unu si bịa?”
9 “Your servants have come from a land far away,” they replied. “For we have heard of the reputation of the Lord your God, and reports of all that he did in Egypt,
Ha zara ya sị, “Ala anyị, ebe ndị ohu gị si bịa dị anya nke ukwuu. Anyị bịara nʼihi na anyị anụla akụkọ banyere Onyenwe anyị Chineke unu, na ihe niile o mere nʼIjipt.
10 and what he did to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan—to Sihon, king of Heshbon, and Og, king of Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth.
Anyị anụkwala ihe niile o mere eze abụọ ndị Amọrait, ndị nọ nʼọwụwa anyanwụ Jọdan, Saịhọn eze Heshbọn, na Ọg eze Bashan, onye chịrị nʼAshtarọt.
11 So our leaders and everyone who lives in our land told us: Take what you need with you for the journey. Go and meet with them, and tell them, ‘We are your servants. Please make a treaty with us.’
Ndị okenye anyị na ndị niile bi nʼala anyị sịrị anyị, ‘Werenụ ihe unu ji aga njem, jekwurunụ ndị Izrel sị ha, “Anyị bụ ndị ohu unu, kwerenụ ka anyị na unu gbaa ndụ.”’
12 Look at this bread. It was warm when we took it from our houses on the day we set out to come here. But now it's dry and moldy, as you can see.
Lee achịcha ndị a bụ nke anyị ji mgbe anyị hapụrụ ala anyị. Ha dị ọkụ mgbe anyị hapụrụ ụlọ anyị ịbịa njem a, nʼihi na e si nʼebe a na-eghe ya wepụta ya, ma ugbu a, dịka unu hụrụ, ha akpọọla nkụ, bidokwa ịma ebu.
13 These wineskins were new when we filled them, but look at them now—they're split and damaged. These clothes of ours and our sandals are all worn out because the journey took so long.”
A gbajuru karama akpụkpọ anyị ndị a mmanya ọhụrụ mgbe anyị hapụrụ, ma ugbu a, karama ndị a adọwaala. Uwe anyị, na akpụkpọụkwụ anyị, emeela ochie nʼihi ịga ije dị anya.”
14 The Israelites tried some of the food. However, they did not consult the Lord.
Ndị ikom Izrel ritụrụ ụfọdụ nʼime ihe oriri ha ji bịa, ma ha ajụtaghị ihe bụ uche Onyenwe anyị.
15 Then Joshua made a treaty with them, promising to spare their lives, and the leaders of the assembly swore an oath to guarantee it.
Mgbe ahụ, Joshua na ndị ahụ gbara ndụ udo ikwe ka ha dị ndụ. Ndịisi nzukọ Izrel mesiri ọgbụgba ndụ ahụ ike site nʼịṅụ iyi.
16 Three days after they had made the treaty, the Israelites learned that the Gibeonites lived nearby, right among them!
Mgbe ụbọchị atọ gasịrị site na mgbe ụmụ Izrel na ndị Gibiọn gbara ndụ, ndị Izrel nụrụ na ndị Gibiọn bụ ndị agbataobi ha, ndị bi ha nso.
17 The Israelites left to go to the Gibeonite towns, and arrived there on the third day. The towns were Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim.
Ya mere, ndị Izrel buliri ije gaa ịchọpụta ebe ndị a si bịa, si otu a bịaruo obodo ha niile nʼụbọchị nke atọ. Aha obodo ha bụ Gibiọn, Kefira, Beerọt na Kiriat Jearim.
18 But the Israelites did not attack them because of the treaty sworn by the leaders of the assembly in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. At this all the Israelites protested against the leaders.
Ma ndị Izrel ebusoghị ha agha nʼihi na ndịisi nzukọ Izrel ejirila aha Onyenwe anyị, Chineke Izrel ṅụọ iyi idebe ha ndụ. Ma nzukọ Izrel niile tamuru ntamu megide ndịisi ha nʼihi ọgbụgba ndụ a.
19 But the leaders replied to the people, “We swore to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, so we cannot lay a hand on them now.
Ma ndịisi Izrel kwuru sị, “Anyị aṅụọla iyi nʼihu Onyenwe anyị, Chineke Izrel sị, na anyị agaghị emetụ ha aka, ugbu a kwa anyị agaghị eme ha ihe ọbụla.
20 So this is what we're going to do to them. We'll let them live, so that we won't be punished for breaking the oath that we swore to them.”
Ma nke a ka anyị ga-eme. Anyị ga-ekwe ka ha dị ndụ, nʼihi na ọ bụrụ na anyị emezughị iyi anyị ṅụrụ, iwe Onyenwe anyị ga-adakwasị anyị niile.”
21 The leaders concluded, “Let them live.” So the Gibeonites became woodcutters and water-carriers in service to the entire assembly, as the Israelite leaders had ordered.
Ya mere, ndịisi kwukwara sị, “Anyị ga-ahapụ ha ka ha dịrị ndụ, kama ha ga-aghọ ohu ndị Izrel, ndị ga na-awara anyị nkụ na ndị ga na-ekutere anyị mmiri.” Nʼụzọ dị otu a, e mere ka ha dịrị ndụ.
22 Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and asked them, “Why did you trick us? You told us, ‘We live a long way from you,’ but you live right next door to us!
Emesịa, Joshua ziri ozi kpọọ ndịisi obodo Gibiọn jụọ ha ajụjụ sị, “Gịnị mere unu ji ghọgbuo anyị site nʼịgwa anyị, ‘Anyị bi nʼebe dịpụrụ anya, site nʼebe unu bi,’ ebe ọ bụ na unu bi anyị nso?
23 Consequently you are under a curse. From now on you shall forever be servants, woodcutters and water-carriers for the house of my God.”
Ugbu a, unu ga-abụ ndị a bụrụ ọnụ. Site nʼụbọchị taa gaa nʼihu, unu aghọọla ndị ohu anyị, ndị ga na-awara anyị nkụ mgbe niile, na ndị ga na-ekutere anyị mmiri nke anyị ga-eji rụọ ọrụ nʼụlọnsọ Chineke m.”
24 They answered Joshua, “We your servants were told very clearly that the Lord your God had ordered Moses to give you all this land, and that all its inhabitants were to be wiped out before you. So we really feared for our lives because of you. That's why we did what we did.
Ha zara Joshua sị, “Anyị mere nke a nʼihi na agwala anyị na Onyenwe anyị Chineke gị nyere Mosis iwu sị ya merie ala ndị a niile, ma kpochapụ ndị niile bi nʼime ya. Ọ bụ nke a mere ụjọ ji tụọ anyị. Ọ bụkwa ya mere anyị ji mee ihe dị otu a, nʼihi ichebe ndụ anyị.
25 Now we're in your hands. Do to us what you think is right and just.”
Ma ugbu a, anyị dị unu nʼaka. Unu nwere ike ime anyị ihe dị unu mma.”
26 Joshua did as he had said. He saved them from the Israelites, so that they did not kill them.
Nʼihi nke a, Joshua ekweghị ka ndị Izrel gbuo ha.
27 That day Joshua made them woodcutters and water-carriers in service to the entire assembly and for the altar of the Lord wherever the Lord should choose. That is what they do right up to this very day.
Joshua mere ha ndị ọwa nkụ na ndị ose mmiri nye ụmụ Izrel, na ịhụkwa banyere ihe ndị dị mkpa nʼebe ịchụ aja Onyenwe anyị, nʼebe ahụ Onyenwe anyị ga-ahọpụta. Ọ bụkwa nke a ka ha bụ ruo taa.

< Joshua 9 >