Joshua 9
1 And it comes to pass, when all the kings who [are] beyond the Jordan, in the hill-country, and in the low-country, and in every haven of the Great Sea, toward Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, hear—
約旦河西，住在山地和平原並沿大海一帶直到黎巴嫩山上的眾王子，即赫特人、阿摩黎人、客納罕人、堷黎齊人、希威人和耶步斯人，聽見了這些事，
2 that they gather themselves together to fight with Joshua, and with Israel—[with] one mouth.
聯合起來，同心協力對抗若蘇厄和以色人。
3 And the inhabitants of Gibeon have heard that which Joshua has done to Jericho and to Ai,
基貝紅居民聽說若蘇厄對耶利哥和哈依所行的事，
4 and they work, even they, with subtlety, and go, and feign to be ambassadors, and take old sacks for their donkeys, and wine-bottles, old, and split, and bound up,
便設詭許帶著行糧上路將一些舊布袋和破裂縫補的舊酒囊馱在驢上；
5 and sandals, old and patched, on their feet, and old garments on them, and all the bread of their provision is dry—it was crumbs.
腳上穿著補過的破鞋，身上穿著襤褸的衣服；所帶的食物，又乾又碎，
6 And they go to Joshua, to the camp at Gilgal, and say to him, and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far-off land, and now, make a covenant with us”;
來到基耳加耳營中見若蘇厄；對他和以色列人說：「我們是遠方來的，現在請你們與我們立約。」
7 and the men of Israel say to the Hivite, “It may be [that] you are dwelling in our midst, so how do we make a covenant with you?”
以色列對這些希威人說：「你們也許是我們附近的居民，我們怎能同你們立約﹖」
8 And they say to Joshua, “We [are] your servants.” And Joshua says to them, “Who [are] you? And where do you come from?”
他們回答若蘇厄說：「我們是你的僕人。」若蘇厄問他們說：「你們是什麼人﹖是從那裏來的﹖」
9 And they say to him, “Your servants have come from a very far-off land, for the Name of your God YHWH, for we have heard His fame, and all that He has done in Egypt,
他們答說：「你的僕人是因為聽了上主你們天主的名聲，由極遠的地方來的，因為我們聽見人 談及衪的聲望，和衪在埃及所行的一切，
10 and all that He has done to the two kings of the Amorite who [are] beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who [is] in Ashtaroth.
以及衪對住在約旦河東的的兩阿摩黎王：即赫市朋王息紅和阿市塔洛特的巴商王敖格所行的一切。
11 And our elderly, and all the inhabitants of our land speak to us, saying, Take provision in your hand for the way, and go to meet them, and you have said to them: We [are] your servants, and now, make a covenant with us;
為此，我們的長老和我們本地的居民，對我們說：你們手中拿些路用的食物，去迎接以色列人；對他們說：我們是你們的僕人，現在請你們與我們立約。
12 this bread of ours—we provided ourselves with it hot out of our houses, on the day of our coming out to go to you, and now, behold, it is dry, and has been crumbs;
看，這是我們的食物，我們從家中帶出來，要到你們這裏來的那天還熱，看，現在又乾又碎；
13 and these [are] the wine-bottles which we filled, new, and behold, they have split; and these, our garments and our sandals, have become old, from the exceeding greatness of the way.”
這就是我們的酒囊，才盛酒的時候還新，看，現在都破裂了；這是我們的衣服和鞋，為了路途遙遠，都穿爛了。」
14 And the men take of their provision, and have not asked the mouth of YHWH;
以色列的首領便取了他們的行糧，並沒有請求上主的諭示；
15 and Joshua makes peace with them, and makes a covenant with them, to keep them alive; and the princes of the congregation swear to them.
若蘇厄便與他們修好，與他們立了約，讓他們生存，會眾的首領也向他們起了誓。
16 And it comes to pass, that at the end of three days after they have made a covenant with them, that they hear that they [are] their neighbors—that they are dwelling in their midst.
但是，與他們立約後才過了三天，以色列人就聽說，他們是住在自己附近的居民。
17 And the sons of Israel journey and come to their cities on the third day—and their cities [are] Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath-Jearim—
以色列子民於是動身，第三天便到了他們的城市：就是基貝紅、革非辣、貝洛特和克黎雅特耶阿陵。
18 and the sons of Israel have not struck them, for the princes of the congregation have sworn to them by YHWH, God of Israel, and all the congregation murmur against the princes.
但以色列子民沒有擊殺他們，因為會眾的首領指著上主，以色列的天主，對他們起過誓；但全會眾對他們的首領不滿。
19 And all the princes say to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by YHWH, God of Israel; and now, we are not able to come against them;
眾首領對全會眾說：「我們既已指著上主以色列的天主對他們起誓，那麼我們決不能加害他們，
20 we do this to them, and have kept them alive, and wrath is not on us, because of the oath which we have sworn to them.”
只有這樣做，就是讓他們生存下去，免得因我們對他們所起的誓，為我們招來上主的義怒。」
21 And the princes say to them, “They live, and are hewers of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, as the princes spoke to them.”
首領又對民眾說：「讓他們生存下去，但他們應為全會眾劈柴挑水。」全會眾便遵照首領的話而行。
22 And Joshua calls for them, and speaks to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, We are very far from you, yet you [are] dwelling in our midst?
若蘇厄將基貝紅人召來，對他們說：「你們為什麼欺騙我們說：我們離你們很遠，其實你們就住在我們附近﹖
23 And now you are cursed, and none of you is cut off [from being] a servant, even hewers of wood and drawers of water, for the house of my God.”
從此你們應受詛咒，你們中間，決不斷有人在我天主的殿內，做劈柴挑水的勞役。」
24 And they answer Joshua and say, “Because it was certainly declared to your servants that your God YHWH commanded His servant Moses to give all the land to you, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; and we fear greatly for ourselves because of you, and we do this thing;
他們回答若蘇厄說：「你的僕人確實聽說：上主你的天主，曾吩咐衪的僕人梅瑟，要把這整塊土地賜給你們，並在你們面前，將這地方上的一切居民消滅；我們見你們前來，我們實在為我們的生命擔憂，所以才做了這事。
25 and now, behold, we [are] in your hand, as [it is] good, and as [it is] right in your eyes to do to us—do.”
現在，我們都在你手裏，你以為怎樣好，怎樣對，就怎樣對待我們吧! 」
26 And he does to them so, and delivers them from the hand of the sons of Israel, and they have not slain them;
若蘇厄就這樣對待了他們：將他們由以色列人手中救出，不讓人加害他們。
27 and on that day Joshua makes them hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of YHWH, to this day, at the place which He chooses.
當天就派定他們在上主選定的地方，為會眾，為上主的祭壇，劈柴挑水，直到今日。
