Joshua 9
1 And when the kings of the Amorites on the other side of Jordan, who were in the mountain country, and in the plain, and in all the coast of the great sea, and those who were near Antilibanus, and the Chettites, and the Chananites, and the Pherezites, and the Evites, and the Amorites, and the Gergesites, and the Jebusites, heard [of it],
Kwasekusithi lapho wonke amakhosi ayenganeno kweJordani, entabeni, lesihotsheni, lekhunjini lolwandle olukhulu, maqondana leLebhanoni, amaHethi lamaAmori, amaKhanani, amaPerizi, amaHivi lamaJebusi ezwa,
2 they came all together at the same time to make war against Joshua and Israel.
abuthana ndawonye ukulwa loJoshuwa loIsrayeli nganhliziyonye.
3 And the inhabitants of Gabaon heard of all that the Lord did to Jericho and Gai.
Kwathi abahlali beGibeyoni sebezwile lokho uJoshuwa ayekwenzile eJeriko laseAyi,
4 And they also wrought craftily, and they went and made provision and prepared themselves; and having taken old sacks on their shoulders, and old and tore and patched bottles of wine,
labo basebesenza ngobuqili; bahamba bazenza izithunywa, bathwalisa obabhemi babo amasaka agugileyo lemigodla yewayini egugileyo ledabukileyo lebekelweyo,
5 and the upper part of their shoes and their sandals old and clouted on their feet, and their garments old upon them—and the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy and corrupt.
lamanyathela agugileyo labekelweyo enyaweni zabo, lezigqoko ezigugileyo bezigqokile, lezinkwa zonke zomphako wabo sezomile zikhuntile.
6 And they came to Joshua into the camp of Israel to Galgala, and said to Joshua and Israel, We are come from a far land: now then make a covenant with us.
Basebesiya kuJoshuwa enkambeni eGiligali, bathi kuye lemadodeni akoIsrayeli: Sivela elizweni elikhatshana, ngakho-ke yenzani isivumelwano lathi.
7 And the children of Israel said to the Chorrhaean, Peradventure you dwell among us; and how should I make a covenant with you?
Kodwa amadoda akoIsrayeli athi kumaHivi: Mhlawumbe lihlala phakathi kwethu; pho, singenza njani isivumelwano lenu?
8 And they said to Joshua, We are your servants: and Joshua said to them, Whence are you, and whence have you come?
Asesithi kuJoshuwa: Sizinceku zakho. UJoshuwa wasesithi kiwo: Lingobani? Njalo livela ngaphi?
9 And they said, Your servants are come from a very far country in the name of the Lord your God: for we have heard his name, 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 kings of the Amorites, who were beyond Jordan, to Seon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Basan, who lived in Astaroth and in Edrain.
lakho konke eyakwenza emakhosini amabili amaAmori ayengaphetsheya kweJordani, uSihoni inkosi yeHeshiboni, loOgi inkosi yeBashani, eyayiseAshitarothi.
11 And our elders and all that inhabit our land when they heard spoke to us, saying, Take to yourselves provision for the way, and go to meet them; and you shall 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 These [are] the loaves—we took them hot for our journey on the day on which we came out to come to you; and now they are dried and become mouldy.
Lesisinkwa sethu sasithatha sitshisa singumphako wethu ezindlini zethu mhla siphumayo sisiza kini; kodwa khathesi, khangela, sesomile sakhunta.
13 And these [are] the skins of wine which we filled when new, and they are tore; and our garments and our shoes are worn out because of the very long journey.
Lalimigodla yewayini esayigcwalisayo yayimitsha; kodwa khangela, isidabukile. Lalezizigqoko zethu lamanyathela ethu sekugugiswe luhambo olude kakhulu.
14 And the chiefs took of their provision, and asked not [counsel of] the Lord.
Ngakho amadoda athatha kokomphako wabo, engabuzanga umlomo weNkosi.
15 And Joshua made peace with them, and they made a covenant with them to preserve them; and the princes of the congregation sware to them.
UJoshuwa wasesenza ukuthula labo, wenza isivumelwano labo sokubayekela baphile, lezinduna zenhlangano zafunga kibo.
16 And it came to pass three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were near neighbors, and that they lived among them.
Kwasekusithi ekupheleni kwensuku ezintathu emva kokuthi sebenzile isivumelwano labo, bezwa ukuthi bangomakhelwane babo, lokuthi babehlala phakathi kwabo.
17 And the children of Israel departed and came to their cities; and their cities [were] Gabaon, and Kephira, and Berot, and the cities of Jarin.
Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebesuka bafika emizini yabo ngosuku lwesithathu. Njalo imizi yabo yayiyiGibeyoni leKefira leBherothi leKiriyathi-Jeyarimi.
18 Land the children of Israel fought not with them, because all the princes sware to them by the Lord God of Israel; and all the congregation murmured at the princes.
Njalo abantwana bakoIsrayeli kababatshayanga ngoba izinduna zebandla zazibafungele ngeNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli; inhlangano yonke yasingungunela izinduna.
19 And the princes said to all the congregation: We have sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel, and now we shall not be able to touch them.
Kodwa zonke izinduna zathi enhlanganweni yonke: Thina sifungile kibo ngeNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ngakho-ke kasilakubathinta.
20 This we will do; take them alive, and we will preserve them: so there shall not be wrath against us by reason of the oath which we swore to them.
Sizakwenza lokhu kibo, sibayekele baphile, ukuze kungabi khona ulaka phezu kwethu ngenxa yesifungo esasifunga kibo.
21 They shall live, and shall be hewers of wood and drawers of water to all the congregation, as the princes said to them.
Lezinduna zathi kubo: Bayekeleni baphile, kodwa kababe ngabagamuli benkuni labakhi bamanzi enhlanganweni yonke, njengokutsho kwezinduna kubo.
22 And Joshua called them together and said to them, Why have you deceived me, saying, We live very far from you; whereas you are fellow-countrymen of those who dwell among us?
UJoshuwa wasebabiza, wakhuluma labo esithi: Lisikhohliseleni, lisithi: Sikhatshana kakhulu lani; kanti lina lihlala phakathi kwethu?
23 And now you are cursed: there shall not fail of you a slave, or a hewer of wood, or a drawer of water to me and my God.
Ngakho-ke liqalekisiwe, njalo kakuyikuqunywa phakathi kwenu izigqili labagamuli benkuni labakhi bamanzi bendlu kaNkulunkulu wami.
24 And they answered Joshua, saying, It was reported to us what the Lord your God charged his servant Moses, to give you this land, and to destroy us and all that lived on it from before you; and we feared very much for our lives because of you, and [therefore] we 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 your power; do to us as it is pleasing to you, and as it seems [good] to you.
Khathesi-ke, khangela, sesisesandleni sakho; yenza njengokulungileyo lanjengokuqondileyo emehlweni akho ukukwenza kithi.
26 And they did so to them; and Joshua rescued them in that day out of the hands of the children of Israel, and they did not kill them.
Ngakho wenza njalo kubo, wabophula esandleni sabantwana bakoIsrayeli, ukuze bangababulali.
27 And Joshua made them in that day hewers of wood and drawers of water to the whole congregation, and for the altar of God: therefore the inhabitants of Gabaon became hewers of wood and drawers of water for the altar of God until this day, even for the place which the Lord should choose.
UJoshuwa wasebenza ngalolosuku baba ngabagamuli benkuni labakhi bamanzi benhlangano, labelathi leNkosi, kuze kube lamuhla, endaweni ezayikhetha.
