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].
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 all gathered [their armies] to fight Joshua and the Israeli army.
ha niile zukọtara ibu agha megide Joshua na ụmụ Izrel.
3 When the people who lived in Gibeon [city] heard that Joshua’s army had defeated the people of Jericho and Ai,
Ma mgbe ndị Gibiọn nụrụ ihe Joshua mere Jeriko na 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.
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 old sandals that had been patched, and wore old ragged clothes. And they took along bread that 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 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.”
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 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].”
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 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?”
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 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].
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 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].
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 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.”’
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 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.
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 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.”
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 Israeli leaders tasted the bread, but they did not ask Yahweh what to do.
Ndị ikom Izrel ritụrụ ụfọdụ nʼime ihe oriri ha ji bịa, ma ha ajụtaghị ihe bụ uche Onyenwe anyị.
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].
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 later the Israelis found out that the men from Gibeon lived nearby.
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 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.
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 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].
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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!
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 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.”
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 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.
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 So now you can decide what you will do with us. Do what you think is right.”
Ma ugbu a, anyị dị unu nʼaka. Unu nwere ike ime anyị ihe dị unu mma.”
26 So Joshua saved the lives of the people of Gibeon by not allowing the Israelis to kill them.
Nʼihi nke a, Joshua ekweghị ka ndị Izrel gbuo ha.
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.
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.
