< Joshua 9 >

1 There were several kings [who ruled in lands that are] on the west side of the Jordan River. They were the kings of the Heth people-group, the Amor people-group, the Canaan people-group, the Periz people-group, the Hiv people-group, and the Jebus people-group. They lived in the hilly area, in the foothills further west, and [on the plains] along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. They heard [about what happened at Ai].
Mafumu onse okhala kumadzulo kwa Yorodani atamva zimenezi pamodzi ndi mafumu okhala ku mayiko a ku mapiri, mu zigwa, mʼmbali mwa Nyanja yayikulu mpaka ku Lebanoni (mafumu a Ahiti, Aamori, Akanaani, Aperezi, Ahivi, ndi Ayebusi),
2 So they all gathered [their armies] to fight Joshua and the Israeli army.
anapangana kuti achite nkhondo ndi Yoswa ndi Israeli.
3 When the people who lived in Gibeon [city] heard that Joshua’s army had defeated the people of Jericho and Ai,
Koma Ahivi ena a ku Gibiyoni atamva zomwe Yoswa anachitira mizinda ya Yeriko ndi Ai,
4 they decided to trick the Israelis. They gathered some old sacks and some old leather wine bags that had been mended after they were cracked, and they put these on the backs of their donkeys.
anaganiza zochita zachinyengo. Anapita nasenzetsa abulu awo chakudya mʼmatumba akalekale ndiponso matumba a vinyo achikopa ongʼambikangʼambika.
5 They put on old sandals that had been patched, and wore old ragged clothes. And they took along bread that was dry and moldy.
Anthuwa anavala nsapato zakutha ndi zazigamba ndiponso anavala sanza. Buledi wawo yense anali wowuma ndi wowola.
6 They traveled to where Joshua [and the other Israelis] had set up their tents near Gilgal. They said to Joshua and the other Israeli leaders, “We have traveled from a distant land. We want you to make a peace agreement with us.”
Ndipo anapita kwa Yoswa ku msasa ku Giligala ndikumuwuza kuti, pamodzi ndi Aisraeli onse, “Ife tachokera ku dziko lakutali, ndipo tikufuna kuti muchite mgwirizano ndi ife.”
7 The Israeli leaders said to those men from [Gilead who were from] the Hiv people-group, “[We do not know if you truly live far from us]. If you live near us, we cannot [RHQ] make a peace agreement with you, [because God has commanded us to get rid of the people that are living near us].”
Koma Aisraeli anayankha Ahiviwo kuti, “Mwinatu inu mukukhala pafupi ndi ife. Tsono ife tingachite bwanji mgwirizano ndi inu?”
8 They replied to Joshua, “[If you make a peace agreement with us], we will be your servants.” But Joshua answered, “What people-group are you? Where do you come from?”
Iwo anati kwa Yoswa, “Ife ndife akapolo anu.” Tsono Yoswa anawafunsa kuti, “Inu ndinu yani ndipo mukuchokera kuti?”
9 The men from Gibeon answered, “[We want to be] your [. We] have come here from a distant land, because we have heard about the great things that your god has done. We have heard about everything that he did in Egypt [to help you].
Iwo anayankha kuti, “Akapolo anufe tachokera ku dziko lakutali chifukwa tamva za Yehova Mulungu wanu. Tamva mbiri yonse ya zimene Iye anachita ku Igupto,
10 We have heard that he [enabled you to] defeat [the armies of] two kings of the Amor people-group, on the east side of the Jordan River—Sihon, the king who ruled in Heshbon [city], and Og, the king who ruled in Ashtaroth in the Bashan [area].
ndi zonse zimene anachita kwa mafumu awiri a Aamori kummawa kwa Yorodani, mfumu Sihoni ya Hesiboni ndi Ogi mfumu ya Basani amene amalamulira ku Asiteroti.
11 So our leaders and the rest of our people said to us, ‘Take some food and go to talk with the Israelis. Tell them, “We want to be your servants. So make a peace agreement with us.”’
Tsono akuluakulu athu ndi onse amene akukhala mʼdziko lathu anati kwa ife. Tengani chakudya cha pa ulendo wanu. Pitani mukakumane nawo ndipo mukati kwa iwo, ‘Ife ndife akapolo anu, ndipo tikufuna kuti mugwirizane nafe za mtendere.’”
12 Look at our bread. It was fresh and warm [from having been baked] on the day that we left our area, but now it is dry and moldy.
Buledi wathuyu anali wotentha pamene timanyamuka ku mudzi kubwera kwa inu. Koma tsopano taonani ali gwaa ndiponso wawola.
13 Look at our leather wine bags. They were new when we filled them with wine [before we left], but now they are cracked and old. Our clothes and our sandals are worn out from traveling [on the long road] to come here.”
Zikopa zimene tinathiramo vinyozi zinali zatsopano, koma taonani zathetheka. Zovala zathu ndi nsapato zathu zatha chifukwa cha kutalika kwa ulendo.
14 The Israeli leaders tasted the bread, but they did not ask Yahweh what to do.
Aisraeli anatengako chakudya chawo koma sanafunse kwa Yehova.
15 So Joshua agreed to make a peace agreement with the men from Gibeon to not kill them. All the Israeli leaders vowed to do what Joshua said in the agreement. [Then the men from Gibeon returned home].
Choncho Yoswa anapangana nawo za mtendere kuti sadzawapha, ndipo atsogoleri a gulu anavomereza pochita lumbiro.
16 Three days later the Israelis found out that the men from Gibeon lived nearby.
Patatha masiku atatu atachita mgwirizano wa mtendere ndi Agibiyoni, Aisraeli anamva kuti anali anansi awo, anthu amene amakhala nawo pafupi.
17 So they went to where the men from Gibeon lived. After traveling [only] three days, they came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-Jearim.
Tsono Aisraeli ananyamuka ulendo ndipo tsiku lachitatu anafika ku mizinda ya Gibiyoni, Kefira, Beeroti ndi Kiriati-Yearimu.
18 But the Israelis did not attack the people of those cities, because they had promised [to live peacefully with them], and Yahweh had heard them promise [to do that]. All the Israeli people grumbled against their leaders [for doing that].
Koma Aisraeli sanawaphe anthuwo chifukwa atsogoleri awo anali atalonjeza mʼdzina la Yehova Mulungu wa Israeli za Agibiyoniwo. Koma anthu onse anatsutsana ndi atsogoleriwo.
19 But the leaders answered, “We promised to [live peacefully with them], and Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship], heard us promise [to do that]. So now we cannot attack [EUP] them.
Koma atsogoleriwo anayankha kuti, “Ife tinawalonjeza mʼdzina la Yehova, Mulungu wa Israeli, ndipo tsopano sitingawaphe.
20 This is what we will do: We will not kill them. If we kill them, God will be very angry with us [and punish us] because of not doing what we promised to do.
Chimene tidzachita nawo ndi ichi: Tidzawasiya akhale ndi moyo kuti mkwiyo wa Yehova usatigwere chifukwa chophwanya lonjezo limene tinawalonjeza.”
21 So we must allow them to live. But they will cut wood for us, and they will carry water for us.” So the Israeli leaders did what they had promised.
Anapitiriza kunena kuti “Asiyeni akhale ndi moyo, komabe akhale otidulira mitengo ndi kutitungira madzi ogwiritsa ntchito pa chipembedzo.” Lonjezo la atsogoleriwo linasungidwa.
22 Then Joshua summoned the men from Gibeon and asked them, “Why did you lie to us? Your land was near to where we had set up our tents, but you told us that you were from a distant land!
Kenaka Yoswa anayitanitsa Agibiyoni aja nawafunsa kuti, “Chifukwa chiyani inu munatinyenga ponena kuti mumachokera kutali pamene zoona zake nʼzoti mumakhala pafupi pomwe pano?
23 So now you will become our slaves. You will always be forced to cut wood and carry water for [us Israeli people who worship in] the temple of our God.”
Tsopano popeza mwachita izi, Mulungu wakutembererani ndipo palibe wina mwa inu amene akhale mfulu. Nthawi zonse inu muzidzatidulira nkhuni ndi kutitungira madzi ku Nyumba ya Yehova.”
24 The men from Gibeon replied, “We lied to you because we were afraid that you would kill us. We heard that Yahweh, your God, declared to his servant Moses that he would enable you to conquer all the people in this land and to kill all the people who lived in it.
Iwo anayankha Yoswa kuti, “Ife akapolo anufe tinachita zimenezi chifukwa tinamva bwino lomwe kuti Yehova Mulungu wanu analamula Mose mtumiki wake kuti adzakupatsani dziko lonseli ndi kuti anthu onse okhalamo adzaphedwe. Tsono ife tinachita mantha aakulu ndipo tinachita zimenezi pofuna kupulumutsa miyoyo yathu.
25 So now you can decide what you will do with us. Do what you think is right.”
Tsopanotu ife tili mʼmanja mwanu, ndipo inu chitani nafe monga kukukomerani.”
26 So Joshua saved the lives of the people of Gibeon by not allowing the Israelis to kill them.
Tsono Yoswa anawapulumutsa mʼmanja mwa Aisraeli ndipo sanawaphe.
27 Instead, he forced them to become the Israelis’ slaves. They cut wood and carried water for the Israelis. They also brought the wood and water [that was needed for] the sacred altar of Yahweh, to whatever place Yahweh decided that they should build one. And the people of Gibeon are still doing that.
Kuyambira tsiku limenelo Agibiyoni aja anasanduka odula nkhuni zaguwa lansembe la Yehova ndiponso otunga madzi. Mpaka lero lino iwo akuchitabe zimenezi kulikonse kumene Yehova anasankha.

< Joshua 9 >