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].
Todos los reyes al oeste del Jordán se enteraron de lo sucedido. Entre ellos estaban los reyes de los hititas, amorreos, cananeos, ferezeos, heveos y jebuseos que vivían en la región de las colinas, en las tierras bajas y a lo largo de la costa hasta el Líbano.
2 So they all gathered [their armies] to fight Joshua and the Israeli army.
Así que se reunieron para luchar juntos como un ejército unido contra Josué y los israelitas.
3 When the people who lived in Gibeon [city] heard that Joshua’s army had defeated the people of Jericho and Ai,
Pero cuando el pueblo de Gabaón se enteró de lo que Josué le había hecho a Jericó y a Hai,
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.
decidieron un plan astuto. Enviaron mensajeros a Josué, con sus burros que llevaban monturas desgastadas y cargaban odres viejos que estaban rotos y remendados.
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.
Se pusieron sandalias gastadas que habían sido remendadas y llevaban ropas viejas. Todo su pan estaba seco y enmohecido.
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.”
Se dirigieron a Josué en el campamento de Gilgal y le dijeron a él y a los hombres de Israel: “Hemos venido de una tierra lejana, así que por favor hagan un tratado con nosotros”.
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].”
Pero los israelitas dijeron a los heveos: “Tal vez ustedes vivan cerca. Si es así, no podemos hacer un tratado con ustedes”.
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?”
“Somos sus siervos”, respondieron. “Pero ¿quiénes son ustedes? ¿De dónde vienen?” preguntó Josué.
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].
“Nosotros tus siervos hemos venido de una tierra lejana”, respondieron. “Porque hemos oído hablar de la reputación del Señor, su Dios, y de todo lo que hizo en Egipto,
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].
y de lo que hizo a los dos reyes amorreos al este del Jordán: a Sejón, rey de Hesbón, y a Og, rey de Basán, que gobernaba en Astarot.
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.”’
Así que nuestros jefes nos djieron a nosotros y a todos los habitantes de nuestra tierra: Llévense lo que necesiten para el viaje. Únanse a ellos y díganles: ‘Somos tus siervos. Por favor, hagan un tratado con nosotros’.
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.
‘Miren este pan. Estaba caliente cuando lo sacamos de nuestras casas el día que salimos para venir aquí. Pero ahora está seco y mohoso, como pueden ver.
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.”
Estos odres eran nuevos cuando los llenamos, pero mírenlos ahora: están rotos y dañados. Estas ropas nuestras y nuestras sandalias están desgastadas porque el viaje ha sido muy largo’”.
14 The Israeli leaders tasted the bread, but they did not ask Yahweh what to do.
Los israelitas probaron algunos de los alimentos. Sin embargo, no consultaron al Señor.
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].
Entonces Josué hizo un tratado con ellos, prometiendo perdonarles la vida, y los líderes de la asamblea hicieron un juramento para garantizarlo.
16 Three days later the Israelis found out that the men from Gibeon lived nearby.
Tres días después de haber hecho el tratado, los israelitas se enteraron de que los gabaonitas vivían cerca, ¡justo en medio de ellos!
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.
Entonces los israelitas partieron para ir a las ciudades gabaonitas, y llegaron allí al tercer día. Las ciudades eran Gabaón, Cafira, Berot y Quiriat Yearín.
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].
Pero los israelitas no los atacaron debido al tratado que habían jurado los líderes de la asamblea en nombre del Señor, el Dios de Israel. Ante esto, todos los israelitas protestaron contra los líderes.
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.
Pero los líderes respondieron al pueblo: “Les hemos jurado por el Señor, el Dios de Israel, así que ahora no podemos ponerles la mano encima.
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.
Así que esto es lo que vamos a hacer con ellos. Los dejaremos vivir, para que no seamos castigados por romper el juramento que les hicimos”.
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.
Los líderes concluyeron: “Déjenlos vivir”. Así que los gabaonitas se convirtieron en leñadores y aguadores al servicio de toda la asamblea, como habían ordenado los líderes israelitas.
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!
Entonces Josué convocó a los gabaonitas y les preguntó: “¿Por qué nos han engañado? ¡Nos dijeron que vivíamos lejos de ustedes, pero resulta que ustedes viven al lado de nosotros!
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.”
Ahora, como consecuencia, ustedes estarán bajo una maldición. Desde ahora serán para siempre siervos, leñadores y aguadores de la casa de mi Dios”.
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.
Entonces ellos le respondieron a Josué: “A nosotros, tus siervos, se nos dijo muy claramente que el Señor, tu Dios, le había ordenado a Moisés que te diera toda esta tierra, y que todos sus habitantes debían ser exterminados ante ustedes. Así que temimos mucho por nuestras vidas a causa de ustedes. Por eso hicimos lo que hicimos.
25 So now you can decide what you will do with us. Do what you think is right.”
Ahora estamos en tus manos. Haz con nosotros lo que consideres justo y correcto”.
26 So Joshua saved the lives of the people of Gibeon by not allowing the Israelis to kill them.
Josué hizo lo que había dicho. Los salvó de los israelitas, para que no los mataran.
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.
Aquel día Josué los nombró leñadores y aguadores al servicio de toda la asamblea y para el altar del Señor dondequieraque el Señor quisiera. Eso es lo que hacen hasta el día de hoy.
