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.
When all the kings who were beyond the Jordan, in the hill country, and in the lowland, and on all the shore of the great sea in front of Lebanon, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard of it
2 Dukɔ siawo ƒe aʋakɔwo wɔ ɖeka enumake hena aʋawɔwɔ kple Yosua kple Israelviwo.
they gathered themselves together 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.
But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,
4 Eya ta woɖo be yewoaflu Yosua. Wodo agba na woƒe tedziwo kple kotoku xoxowo kple waingolo vuvuwo.
they also resorted to a ruse, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks on their donkeys, and old, torn-up and bound up wine skins,
5 Wodo awu vuvuwo kple afɔkpa siwo te vuvu wogbugbɔ tɔ, eye abolo si wotsɔ ɖe asi hã ƒu hedze fufu.
and old and patched sandals on their feet, and wore old garments. All the bread of their food supply was dry and mouldy.
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 at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country. Now therefore make a covenant 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.”
The men of Israel said to the Hivites, “What if you live amongst us? How could we make a covenant with you?”
8 Woɖo eŋu be, “Míazu miaƒe kluviwo.” Yosua bia be, “Ame kawoe mienye eye afi ka mietso?”
They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” Joshua said to them, “Who are you? Where do you come from?”
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
They said to him, “Your servants have come from a very far country because of the name of the LORD your God; for we have heard of his fame, 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 all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan, who was at 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.’
Our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take supplies in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them. Tell them, “We are your servants. Now make a covenant 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.
This our bread we took hot for our supplies out of our houses on the day we went out to go to you; but now, behold, it is dry, and has become mouldy.
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 wine skins, which we filled, were new; and behold, they are torn. These our garments and our sandals have become old because 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.
The men sampled their provisions, and didn’t ask counsel from the LORD’s mouth.
15 Yosua wɔ ŋutifafa ƒe nubabla kple Gibeontɔwo, eye wòna be woatsi agbe. Israelviwo ƒe kplɔlawo do ŋugbe be yewoawɔ ɖe nubabla la dzi.
Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live. The princes of the congregation swore to them.
16 Nyateƒe la va dze go le ŋkeke etɔ̃ megbe be Gibeontɔwo ƒe nɔƒe te ɖe Israelviwo ŋu kpokploe.
At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they lived amongst 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 children of Israel travelled and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, 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.
The children of Israel didn’t strike them, because the princes of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. All the congregation 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.
But all the princes said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the LORD, the 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.”
We will do this to them, and let them live; lest wrath be on us, because of the oath which we swore to them.”
21 Ale Gibeontɔwo zu kluviwo na Israelviwo, wozu nakefɔlawo kple tsidulawo na wo.
The princes said to them, “Let them live.” So they became wood cutters and drawers of water for all the congregation, as the princes had spoken to 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?
Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you live amongst 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.”
Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you will never fail to be slaves, both wood cutters 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.
They answered Joshua, and said, “Because your servants were certainly told how the LORD your God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you. Therefore we were very afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.
25 Ke azɔ la, míele miaƒe asi me, miwɔ nu si dze mia ŋu la kpli mí.”
Now, behold, we are in your hand. Do to us as it seems good and right to you to do.”
26 Yosua meɖe mɔ na Israelviwo be woawu Gibeontɔwo o,
He did so to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they didn’t 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 wood cutters and drawers of water for the congregation and for the LORD’s altar to this day, in the place which he should choose.
