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].
Zvino madzimambo ose aigara kumavirira kweJorodhani navaiva munyika yamakomo, mujinga mamakomo kumadokero, mumahombekombe ose eGungwa Guru kusvikira kuRebhanoni (madzimambo avaHiti, navaAmori, navaKenani, navaPerizi, navaHivhi navaJebhusi) vakanzwa nezvazvo.
2 So they all gathered [their armies] to fight Joshua and the Israeli army.
Vakaungana pamwe chete kuti varwisane naJoshua navaIsraeri.
3 When the people who lived in Gibeon [city] heard that Joshua’s army had defeated the people of Jericho and Ai,
Asi vanhu veGibheoni pavakanzwa zvakanga zvaitwa Jeriko neAi naJoshua,
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.
vakafunga zano: Vakaenda senhume nembongoro dzavo dzakatakura masaga akasakara nehomwe dzewaini dzakasakara, dzakatsemuka dzikasonanidzwazve.
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.
Varume vakapfeka shangu dzakasakara. Zvingwa zvose zvembuva yavo zvakanga zvakaoma nokuvhuvha.
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.”
Ipapo vakaenda kuna Joshua mumusasa paGirigari ndokubva vati kwaari nokuvarume veIsraeri, “Tabva kunyika iri kure; zvino itai sungano nesu.”
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].”
Zvino varume veIsraeri vakati kuvaHivhi, “Asi zvichida munogara pedyo nesu. Tingagoita sungano nemi sei?”
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?”
Ivo ndokuti kuna Joshua, “Tiri varanda venyu.” Asi Joshua akavabvunza achiti, “Ndimi vanaani uye munobvepi?”
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].
Ivo vakati kwaari, “Varanda venyu vabva kunyika iri kure kure nokuda kwomukurumbira waJehovha Mwari wenyu. Nokuti takanzwa nezvake: zvose zvaakaita muIjipiti,
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].
uye nezvose zvaakaita kumadzimambo maviri avaAmoni kumabvazuva eJorodhani nokuna Sihoni mambo weHeshibhoni, naOgi mambo weBhashani, aitonga muAshitaroti.
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.”’
Zvino vakuru vedu navagari vose vomunyika yedu vakati kwatiri, ‘Torai mbuva yerwendo rwenyu; muende munosangana navo muti kwavari, “Tiri varanda venyu; itai sungano nesu.”’
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.
Zvingwa zvedu izvi zvakanga zvichidziya patakazvitora mudzimba dzedu zuva ratakasimuka tichiuya kuno. Asi zvino chionai kuoma nokuvhuvha kwazvaita.
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.”
Uye homwe dzewaini idzi dzaiva itsva patakadzizadza, asi chionai kubvaruka kwadzaita. Uye mbatya dzedu neshangu dzedu zvasakara nokuda kworwendo rurefu refu.”
14 The Israeli leaders tasted the bread, but they did not ask Yahweh what to do.
Varume veIsraeri vakaravira mbuva yavo asi havana kubvunza Jehovha.
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].
Ipapo Joshua akaita sungano yorugare navo kuti vavarege vari vapenyu, uye vakuru veungano vakaisimbisa nemhiko.
16 Three days later the Israelis found out that the men from Gibeon lived nearby.
Zvino mushure mamazuva matatu vaita sungano navaGibheoni, vaIsraeri vakanzwa kuti vakanga vari vavakidzani, vagere pedyo navo.
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.
Naizvozvo vaIsraeri vakasimuka vakasvika mumaguta avo zuva rechitatu: aiti Gibheoni, neKefira, neBheroti, neKiriati Jearimi.
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].
Asi vaIsraeri havana kuvarwisa, nokuti vakuru veungano vakanga vaita mhiko kwavari naJehovha, Mwari waIsraeri. Ungano yose yakapopotera vatungamiri,
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.
asi vatungamiri vose vakapindura vachiti, “Takapika kwavari naJehovha, Mwari waIsraeri, zvino hatigoni kuita chinhu kwavari.
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.
Izvi ndizvo zvatichaita kwavari: Tichavarega vari vapenyu, kuitira kuti kutsamwa kwaMwari kurege kutiwira nokuda kwokuputsa mhiko yatakapika kwavari.”
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.
Vakaenderera mberi vachiti, “Varegei vari vapenyu, asi ngavave vatemi vehuni navacheri vemvura veungano yose.” Naizvozvo zvakanga zvarehwa navatungamiri zvakaitwa.
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!
Ipapo Joshua akadana vaGibheoni akati kwavari, “Sei makatinyengedza muchiti, ‘Tinogara kure kure nemi,’ asi imi muchigara pedyo nesu?
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.”
Naizvozvo mava vanhu vakatukwa: Hamuchazofi makarega kuva vatemi vehuni navacheri vemvura veimba yaMwari wangu.”
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.
Ivo vakapindura Joshua vachiti, “Varanda venyu vakanga vaudzwa pachena kuti Jehovha Mwari wenyu akanga arayira Mozisi muranda wake sei kuti akupei nyika yose nokuparadza vose vageremo pamberi penyu. Naizvozvo taityira upenyu hwedu nokuda kwenyu, zvino ndicho chikonzero takaita izvi.
25 So now you can decide what you will do with us. Do what you think is right.”
Zvino tava mumaoko enyu. Itai kwatiri chero zvamunoona zvakanaka uye zvakarurama.”
26 So Joshua saved the lives of the people of Gibeon by not allowing the Israelis to kill them.
Naizvozvo Joshua akavaponesa kubva kuvaIsraeri, ivo vakasavauraya.
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.
Zuva iroro Joshua akaita vaGibheoni vatemi vehuni navacheri vemvura yeungano neyearitari yaJehovha panzvimbo yaizosarudzwa naJehovha. Uye ndizvo zvavari kusvikira nanhasi.
