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.
And it came to pass, when they heard, —namely, all the kings who were over the Jordan, in the hill country and in the lowland, and in all the coast of the great sea, over against the Lebanon, —the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; —
2 Dukɔ siawo ƒe aʋakɔwo wɔ ɖeka enumake hena aʋawɔwɔ kple Yosua kple Israelviwo.
then gathered they themselves together as one man, to fight with Joshua, and with Israel, —with one accord.
3 Ke Gibeontɔwo, ame siwo nye Hivitɔwo la se nu si Yosua wɔ Yeriko kple Ai.
Now, the inhabitants of Gibeon, heard that which Joshua had done unto Jericho and unto Ai;
4 Eya ta woɖo be yewoaflu Yosua. Wodo agba na woƒe tedziwo kple kotoku xoxowo kple waingolo vuvuwo.
they, however, acted craftily, and went and started, —and took old sacks for their asses, and leathern wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;
5 Wodo awu vuvuwo kple afɔkpa siwo te vuvu wogbugbɔ tɔ, eye abolo si wotsɔ ɖe asi hã ƒu hedze fufu.
and sandals, old and patched, upon their feet, and worn-out mantles upon them, —and, all the bread of their provision, was dry and broken.
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.”
So they took their journey unto Joshua, unto the camp, at Gilgal, —and said unto him, and unto the men of Israel, From a far country, are we come, Now, therefore, solemnise with us a covenant.
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.”
And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, —Peradventure, in our midst, ye are dwelling, how then can we solemnise with you a covenant?
8 Woɖo eŋu be, “Míazu miaƒe kluviwo.” Yosua bia be, “Ame kawoe mienye eye afi ka mietso?”
And they said unto Joshua: Thy servants, we are. And Joshua said unto them: Who, are ye? And, from whence, come ye?
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
And they said unto him—From a very far country, have thy servants come, because of the name of Yahweh thy God, —because we had heard his fame, and all that he had done in Egypt;
10 kpakple nu si wòwɔ Amoritɔwo ƒe fia eveawo, Sixɔn, Hesbon fia kple Ɔg, Basan fia si nɔ Astarot ŋu,
and all that he had done unto the two kings of the Amorites who were over the Jordan, —unto Sihon, king of Heshbon, and unto Og, king of Bashan, who was 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 elders and all the inhabitants of our land spake unto us, saying—Take ye, in your hand, provision for the journey, and go your way to meet them, —then shall ye say unto them, Your servants, we are. Now, therefore, solemnise with us a covenant.
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.
This our bread, took we, hot, for our provision, out of our houses, on the day we came forth to journey unto you, —but, now, lo! it is dry, yea it is broken;
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.”
and, these leathern wine bottles, which we filled new, lo! also, they are rent, —and, as for these our mantles and our sandals, they are worn out, by reason of the very long journey.
14 Amedzroawo na nuɖuɖu Israelviwo, eye woxɔe abe ɖekawɔwɔ ƒe dzesi ene le esime womebia Yehowa gbã tso eŋu o.
So the men took of their provision, —but, the bidding of Yahweh, had they not asked.
15 Yosua wɔ ŋutifafa ƒe nubabla kple Gibeontɔwo, eye wòna be woatsi agbe. Israelviwo ƒe kplɔlawo do ŋugbe be yewoawɔ ɖe nubabla la dzi.
And Joshua made peace with them, and solemnised with them a covenant to let them live, —and the princes of the assembly, entered into an oath with them.
16 Nyateƒe la va dze go le ŋkeke etɔ̃ megbe be Gibeontɔwo ƒe nɔƒe te ɖe Israelviwo ŋu kpokploe.
And it came to pass, at the end of three days after they had solemnised with them a covenant, that they heard that, near neighbours, they were unto them, and, in their midst, they were dwelling.
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,
So the sons of Israel brake up, and came in unto their cities on the third day, —their cities, being Gibeon, and Chephirah, and 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.
And the sons of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the assembly had sworn unto them by Yahweh, God of Israel, —but all the assembly murmured against the princes.
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.
And all the princes said unto all the assembly, We, have sworn unto them, by Yahweh, God of Israel, —now, therefore, we may not touch them.
20 Ele be míana woanɔ agbe, elabena ne mietu míaƒe atam la la, Yehowa ado dɔmedzoe ɖe mia ŋu.”
This, will we do unto them, even let them live, —lest there come on us wrath, because of the oath which we have sworn unto them.
21 Ale Gibeontɔwo zu kluviwo na Israelviwo, wozu nakefɔlawo kple tsidulawo na wo.
And the princes said unto them—Let them live. So they became hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the assembly, as the princes spake unto them.
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?
And Joshua called for them, and spake unto them, saying, —Wherefore did ye deceive us, saying—We are, very far, from you, whereas, ye, in our midst, are dwelling?
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.”
Now, therefore, accursed, ye are, —and ye shall not cease to be in bond-service as hewers of wood and drawers of water, 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.
And they responded to Joshua, and said—Because it was, plainly told, thy servants, how that Yahweh thy God had commanded Moses his servant to give unto you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you, —therefore feared we greatly, for our lives, because of you, and did this thing.
25 Ke azɔ la, míele miaƒe asi me, miwɔ nu si dze mia ŋu la kpli mí.”
Now, therefore, here we are, in thy hand, —as may be good and right in thine eyes, to do unto us, do.
26 Yosua meɖe mɔ na Israelviwo be woawu Gibeontɔwo o,
And he did to them so, —and rescued them out of the hand of the sons of Israel, and they slew them not.
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.
And Joshua appointed them that day to be hewers of wood and drawers of water unto the assembly, —and unto the altar of Yahweh, [as they are] until this day, in the place which he should choose.
