Yosua 9
1 Ale si Israelviwo ɖu dukɔwo dzi la va ɖo to me na fia aɖewo. Fia siawo ƒe dukɔwoe nye esiwo nɔ Yɔdan tɔsisi la ƒe ɣetoɖoƒe, dukɔ siwo nɔ towo kple togbɛwo dzi, esiwo nɔ Domeƒu la ŋu kple esiwo nɔ dzigbeme heyi keke Lebanon. Dukɔ siawoe nye Hititɔwo, Amoritɔwo, Kanaantɔwo, Perizitɔwo, Hivitɔwo kple Yebusitɔwo.
All the kings west of the Jordan heard what had happened. These included the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites who lived in the hill country, the lowlands, and along the coast as far as Lebanon.
2 Dukɔ siawo ƒe aʋakɔwo wɔ ɖeka enumake hena aʋawɔwɔ kple Yosua kple Israelviwo.
So they gathered to fight together as a united army against Joshua and the Israelites.
3 Ke Gibeontɔwo, ame siwo nye Hivitɔwo la se nu si Yosua wɔ Yeriko kple Ai.
But when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,
4 Eya ta woɖo be yewoaflu Yosua. Wodo agba na woƒe tedziwo kple kotoku xoxowo kple waingolo vuvuwo.
they decided on a cunning plan. They sent messengers to Joshua, their donkeys wearing worn-out saddles and carrying old wineskins that were torn and patched.
5 Wodo awu vuvuwo kple afɔkpa siwo te vuvu wogbugbɔ tɔ, eye abolo si wotsɔ ɖe asi hã ƒu hedze fufu.
They put on worn sandals that had been mended and wore old clothes. All their bread was dry and moldy.
6 Esi wova ɖo Israelviwo ƒe asaɖa me le Gilgal la, wogblɔ na Yosua kple Israelviwo be, “Míetso teƒe didi aɖe; míedi be míawɔ ŋutifafa kpli mi.”
They went to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal and told him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a land far away, so please make a treaty with us.”
7 Israelviwo gblɔ na Hivitɔ siawo be, “Aleke míawɔ hafi anya be menye teƒe kpui aɖee mietso o? Ne mietso kpuiƒe la, míate ŋu awɔ ŋutifafa kpli mi o.”
But the Israelites said to the Hivites, “Maybe you live close by. If you do, we cannot make a treaty with you.”
8 Woɖo eŋu be, “Míazu miaƒe kluviwo.” Yosua bia be, “Ame kawoe mienye eye afi ka mietso?”
“We are your servants,” they replied. “But who are you? Where do you come from?” Joshua asked.
9 Woɖo eŋu na Yosua be, “Wò dɔlawo tso anyigba didi aɖe dzi. Míese nu tso Yehowa, miaƒe Mawu la ƒe ŋusẽ kple nu siwo katã wòwɔ le Egipte
“Your servants have come from a land far away,” they replied. “For we have heard of the reputation of the Lord your God, and reports of all that he did in Egypt,
10 kpakple nu si wòwɔ Amoritɔwo ƒe fia eveawo, Sixɔn, Hesbon fia kple Ɔg, Basan fia si nɔ Astarot ŋu,
and what he did to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan—to Sihon, king of Heshbon, and Og, king of Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth.
11 eya ta míaƒe ametsitsiwo kple míaƒe amewo gblɔ na mí be, ‘Midzra ɖo na mɔ didi aɖe zɔzɔ. Miyi Israelviwo gbɔ, eye miatsɔ míaƒe dukɔ na wo, ale be míazu woƒe subɔlawo, eye miabia ŋutifafa.’
So our leaders and everyone who lives in our land told us: Take what you need with you for the journey. Go and meet with them, and tell them, ‘We are your servants. Please make a treaty with us.’
12 Woɖe abolo sia dzodzoe tso abolokpo me teti ko míedze mɔ, ke fifia la, abe ale si miawo ŋutɔ miakpɔe ene la, eƒu hedze fufu.
Look at this bread. It was warm when we took it from our houses on the day we set out to come here. But now it's dry and moldy, as you can see.
13 Waingolo siawo nye nu yeyewo, ke fifia la, wodo xoxo hevuvu. Míaƒe awuwo kple afɔkpawo vuvu le mɔzɔzɔ la ƒe didi kple sesẽ ta.”
These wineskins were new when we filled them, but look at them now—they're split and damaged. These clothes of ours and our sandals are all worn out because the journey took so long.”
14 Amedzroawo na nuɖuɖu Israelviwo, eye woxɔe abe ɖekawɔwɔ ƒe dzesi ene le esime womebia Yehowa gbã tso eŋu o.
The Israelites tried some of the food. However, they did not consult the Lord.
15 Yosua wɔ ŋutifafa ƒe nubabla kple Gibeontɔwo, eye wòna be woatsi agbe. Israelviwo ƒe kplɔlawo do ŋugbe be yewoawɔ ɖe nubabla la dzi.
Then Joshua made a treaty with them, promising to spare their lives, and the leaders of the assembly swore an oath to guarantee it.
16 Nyateƒe la va dze go le ŋkeke etɔ̃ megbe be Gibeontɔwo ƒe nɔƒe te ɖe Israelviwo ŋu kpokploe.
Three days after they had made the treaty, the Israelites learned that the Gibeonites lived nearby, right among them!
17 Israelviwo ƒe aʋakɔ dze mɔ enumake be yeaku nya la gɔme, eye woɖo woƒe duwo me le ŋkeke etɔ̃ pɛ ko megbe. Woƒe duwo ƒe ŋkɔwoe nye: Gibeon, Kefira, Beerot kple Kiriat Yearim,
The Israelites left to go to the Gibeonite towns, and arrived there on the third day. The towns were Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim.
18 Ke Israelviwo metsrɔ̃ duawo o le adzɔgbe si Israelviwo ƒe kplɔlawo ɖe le Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu la ƒe ŋkɔ me la ta. Israelviwo do dɔmedzoe ɖe woƒe kplɔlawo ŋu le ŋutifafa ƒe nubabla la ta.
But the Israelites did not attack them because of the treaty sworn by the leaders of the assembly in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. At this all the Israelites protested against the leaders.
19 Kplɔlawo ɖo eŋu be, “Míeka atam le Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu la ƒe ŋkɔ me be míawɔ nuvevi wo o, eya ta míaka asi wo ŋu hã o.
But the leaders replied to the people, “We swore to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, so we cannot lay a hand on them now.
20 Ele be míana woanɔ agbe, elabena ne mietu míaƒe atam la la, Yehowa ado dɔmedzoe ɖe mia ŋu.”
So this is what we're going to do to them. We'll let them live, so that we won't be punished for breaking the oath that we swore to them.”
21 Ale Gibeontɔwo zu kluviwo na Israelviwo, wozu nakefɔlawo kple tsidulawo na wo.
The leaders concluded, “Let them live.” So the Gibeonites became woodcutters and water-carriers in service to the entire assembly, as the Israelite leaders had ordered.
22 Yosua yɔ Gibeon ƒe kplɔlawo, eye wòbia wo be, “Nu ka ta mieble mí be miaƒe anyigba le didiƒe, le afi aɖe ke, le esime wònye ele kpuiƒe, afi sia ko le mía dome ɖo?
Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and asked them, “Why did you trick us? You told us, ‘We live a long way from you,’ but you live right next door to us!
23 Fifia la, fiƒode ava mia dzi; tso egbe sia dzi la, miazu subɔlawo na mí. Ɣe sia ɣi miafɔ nake, adu tsi na mí hena subɔsubɔdɔwo wɔwɔ na Mawu.”
Consequently you are under a curse. From now on you shall forever be servants, woodcutters and water-carriers for the house of my God.”
24 Gibeontɔwo ƒe kplɔlawo ɖo eŋu be, “Míeble mi nenema, elabena míese be Yehowa ɖo na eƒe dɔla, Mose be wòaɖu anyigba blibo la dzi, eye wòatsrɔ̃ ameawo katã le anyigba la dzi. Ale míevɔ̃ mi, ɖe míaƒe agbe ta, eya ta míeble mi nenema ɖo.
They answered Joshua, “We your servants were told very clearly that the Lord your God had ordered Moses to give you all this land, and that all its inhabitants were to be wiped out before you. So we really feared for our lives because of you. That's why we did what we did.
25 Ke azɔ la, míele miaƒe asi me, miwɔ nu si dze mia ŋu la kpli mí.”
Now we're in your hands. Do to us what you think is right and just.”
26 Yosua meɖe mɔ na Israelviwo be woawu Gibeontɔwo o,
Joshua did as he had said. He saved them from the Israelites, so that they did not kill them.
27 ke boŋ wozu nakefɔlawo kple tsidulawo na Israelviwo. Woawoe adu tsi na Yehowa ƒe subɔsubɔdɔwɔwɔ le afi sia afi si woawɔ subɔsubɔdɔ le ko. Ɖoɖo sia gale edzi kokoko va se ɖe egbe.
That day Joshua made them woodcutters and water-carriers in service to the entire assembly and for the altar of the Lord wherever the Lord should choose. That is what they do right up to this very day.
