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].
Sucedió que cuando todos los reyes que estaban al otro lado del Jordán, tanto en la región montañosa como en la Sefela y toda la costa del mar Grande hasta el Líbano: el heteo, el amorreo, el cananeo, el ferezeo, el heveo y el jebuseo supieron lo acontecido,
2 So they all gathered [their armies] to fight Joshua and the Israeli army.
se reunieron para luchar juntos contra Josué y contra Israel bajo un solo mando.
3 When the people who lived in Gibeon [city] heard that Joshua’s army had defeated the people of Jericho and Ai,
Sin embargo, cuando los habitantes de Gabaón oyeron lo que Josué hizo en Jericó y en 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.
ellos usaron astucia, pues fueron y fingieron ser embajadores. Pusieron sobre sus asnos costales viejos, odres de vino viejos, 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.
sandalias viejas y remendadas en los pies, ropas viejas sobre ellos, y todo el pan que llevaban para el camino estaba seco y mohoso.
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.”
Así llegaron al campamento en Gilgal ante Josué y le dijeron a él y a los israelitas: Venimos de una tierra lejana. Hagan ahora un pacto 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].”
Los hombres de Israel respondieron a aquellos heveos: Tal vez ustedes viven en medio de nuestra tierra, ¿cómo, pues, haremos un pacto 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?”
Y dijeron a Josué: Somos esclavos tuyos. Entonces Josué les dijo: ¿Quiénes son ustedes? ¿De dónde vienen?
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].
A lo cual ellos respondieron: Tus esclavos llegaron de un país muy lejano por causa del Nombre de Yavé tu ʼElohim, pues oímos la fama de Él, todo lo que Él 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 a los dos reyes de los amorreos que estaban al otro lado del Jordán: a Sehón, rey de Hesbón, y Og, rey de Basán, quien vivía 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.”’
Por lo cual nuestros ancianos y todos los habitantes de nuestra tierra nos hablaron: Tomen en sus manos provisión para el camino, vayan al encuentro con ellos y díganles: Nosotros somos sus esclavos. Hagan ahora un pacto 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.
Este pan estaba caliente cuando lo tomamos de nuestras casas como provisión para el camino el día cuando salimos a fin de llegar a ustedes, pero ahora, míralo aquí seco y mohoso.
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 de vino los llenamos nuevos, y míralos aquí rotos, y nuestras ropas y nuestras sandalias desgastadas por lo largo del camino.
14 The Israeli leaders tasted the bread, but they did not ask Yahweh what to do.
Entonces los hombres de Israel tomaron de sus provisiones [y les dieron], pero no pidieron consejo de Yavé.
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].
Josué hizo paz con ellos e hizo un pacto con ellos de preservarles la vida. Los jefes de la congregación también les hicieron juramento.
16 Three days later the Israelis found out that the men from Gibeon lived nearby.
Sucedió que tres días después de hacer el pacto con ellos, oyeron decir que eran sus vecinos y que vivían dentro de su tierra.
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 hijos de Israel salieron, y al tercer día llegaron a las ciudades de aquéllos. Y sus ciudades eran Gabaón, Cafira, Beerot, y Quiriat-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].
Los hijos de Israel no los mataron porque los jefes de la congregación les hicieron juramento por Yavé, ʼElohim de Israel. Y toda la congregación murmuró contra los jefes.
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.
Todos los jefes respondieron a toda la congregación: Juramos por Yavé, ʼElohim de Israel, por tanto, ahora no los podemos tocar.
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.
Esto haremos con ellos para dejarlos vivir, y así la ira no caerá sobre nosotros a causa del 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 jefes dijeron con respecto a ellos: Déjenlos vivir. Y fueron leñadores y aguadores para toda la congregación, según los jefes les prometieron.
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!
Josué entonces los llamó y les habló: ¿Por qué nos engañaron y dijeron: Vivimos muy lejos de ustedes, pero en realidad viven en medio 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 pues, malditos son ustedes. Nunca faltarán de entre ustedes esclavos, ni leñadores y aguadores para la Casa de mi ʼElohim.
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.
Ellos respondieron a Josué: Porque tus esclavos ciertamente fueron informados que Yavé tu ʼElohim ordenó a su esclavo Moisés que les diera toda esta tierra y destruyera a todos los habitantes de esta tierra que está ante ustedes. Por tanto tuvimos muchísimo temor por nuestras vidas a causa de ustedes, e hicimos esto.
25 So now you can decide what you will do with us. Do what you think is right.”
Ahora pues, estamos en tus manos. Haz con nosotros como te parezca bien y justo.
26 So Joshua saved the lives of the people of Gibeon by not allowing the Israelis to kill them.
Él lo hizo así, y los libró de la mano de los hijos de Israel 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 designó como leñadores y aguadores para la congregación y para el altar de Yavé en el lugar que Él escogiera. Lo cual son hasta hoy.
