Joshua 9
1 Mgbe eze ndị niile bi nʼakụkụ ọdịda anyanwụ osimiri Jọdan, nụrụ banyere ihe ndị a, ya bụ, ndị niile bi nʼala ugwu ugwu nʼọdịda anyanwụ ndagwurugwu, na ndị bi ogologo akụkụ osimiri Mediterenịa ruo Lebanọn, eze ndị Het na nke ndị Amọrait na nke ndị Kenan na nke ndị Periz na nke ndị Hiv na nke ndị Jebus,
And when these things were heard, all the kings across the Jordan, who lived among the mountains and plains, along the coastline and shores of the great sea, also those who were living near Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite,
2 ha niile zukọtara ibu agha megide Joshua na ụmụ Izrel.
gathered themselves together, so that they might fight against Joshua and Israel, with one mind and with the same resolve.
3 Ma mgbe ndị Gibiọn nụrụ ihe Joshua mere Jeriko na Ai,
But those who were living in Gibeon, hearing all that Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,
4 ha sitere nʼaghụghọ chọọ ụzọ ha ga-esi zọpụta onwe ha. Ha zipụrụ ndị ozi, ndị bokwasịrị ịnyịnya ibu ha akpa mere ochie, na karama akpụkpọ mere ochie, nke a duchiri ebe dị iche iche nʼahụ ha.
planning cleverly, took for themselves provisions, placing old sacks upon their donkeys, and wineskins that had torn and been sewed up,
5 Ndị ahụ yikwasịrị nʼụkwụ ha akpụkpọụkwụ kara nka nke a kwachiri akwachi, na uwe mere nnọọ ochie. Achịcha niile ha ji bụ nri ha, kpọrọ nkụ maakwa ebu.
and having very old shoes, which had been sewn with patches indicating their age, and being clothed in old garments, having also loaves, which they carried as food for the journey, which were hard and broken into pieces.
6 Mgbe ha bịaruru nʼebe ndị Izrel mara ụlọ ikwu ha na Gilgal, ha jekwuuru Joshua, gwa ya na ndị Izrel okwu sị ha, “Anyị si nʼala dị anya bịa. Ugbu a, biko anyị chọrọ ka anyị na unu gbaa ndụ.”
And they traveled to Joshua, who at that time was staying in the camp at Gilgal. And they said to him, and to all of Israel with him, “We have come from a far away land, desiring to make peace with you.” And the sons of Israel responded to them, and said,
7 Ndị ikom Izrel zaghachiri sị ndị Hiv ahụ, “Olee otu anyị si amata na unu ebighị anyị nso? Ma eleghị anya unu bi anyị nso, anyị na unu ọ ga-esi aṅaa gbaa ndụ?”
“Perhaps instead, you live in the land which ought to be ours by lot, and we would be unable to form a pact with you.”
8 Ha zara Joshua sị ya, “Anyị bụ ndị ohu unu.” Ma Joshua jụrụ ha ajụjụ sị, “Olee ndị unu bụ? Ebee ka unu si bịa?”
But they said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them: “But who are you? And where are you from?”
9 Ha zara ya sị, “Ala anyị, ebe ndị ohu gị si bịa dị anya nke ukwuu. Anyị bịara nʼihi na anyị anụla akụkọ banyere Onyenwe anyị Chineke unu, na ihe niile o mere nʼIjipt.
They responded: “Your servants have arrived, from a very far away land, in the name of the Lord, your God. For we have heard about the fame of his power, all the things that he has done in Egypt,
10 Anyị anụkwala ihe niile o mere eze abụọ ndị Amọrait, ndị nọ nʼọwụwa anyanwụ Jọdan, Saịhọn eze Heshbọn, na Ọg eze Bashan, onye chịrị nʼAshtarọt.
and to the two kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan: Sihon, the king of Heshbon, and Og, the king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.
11 Ndị okenye anyị na ndị niile bi nʼala anyị sịrị anyị, ‘Werenụ ihe unu ji aga njem, jekwurunụ ndị Izrel sị ha, “Anyị bụ ndị ohu unu, kwerenụ ka anyị na unu gbaa ndụ.”’
And our elders, and all the inhabitants of our land, have said to us: ‘Take in hand provisions for the very long journey, and meet with them, and say: We are your servants; form a pact with us.’
12 Lee achịcha ndị a bụ nke anyị ji mgbe anyị hapụrụ ala anyị. Ha dị ọkụ mgbe anyị hapụrụ ụlọ anyị ịbịa njem a, nʼihi na e si nʼebe a na-eghe ya wepụta ya, ma ugbu a, dịka unu hụrụ, ha akpọọla nkụ, bidokwa ịma ebu.
Lo, the loaves were taken up warm when we departed from our houses, so that we might come to you. Now they have become dry and broken, due to age.
13 A gbajuru karama akpụkpọ anyị ndị a mmanya ọhụrụ mgbe anyị hapụrụ, ma ugbu a, karama ndị a adọwaala. Uwe anyị, na akpụkpọụkwụ anyị, emeela ochie nʼihi ịga ije dị anya.”
These wineskins were new when we filled them, now they are torn and broken. The garments we are wearing, and the shoes we have on our feet, due to the great length of the distance, have become worn and are nearly consumed.”
14 Ndị ikom Izrel ritụrụ ụfọdụ nʼime ihe oriri ha ji bịa, ma ha ajụtaghị ihe bụ uche Onyenwe anyị.
And so they accepted this, because of their provisions, and they did not consult the mouth of the Lord.
15 Mgbe ahụ, Joshua na ndị ahụ gbara ndụ udo ikwe ka ha dị ndụ. Ndịisi nzukọ Izrel mesiri ọgbụgba ndụ ahụ ike site nʼịṅụ iyi.
And Joshua made peace with them, and entering into a pact, he promised that they would not be put to death. The leaders of the multitude also swore to them.
16 Mgbe ụbọchị atọ gasịrị site na mgbe ụmụ Izrel na ndị Gibiọn gbara ndụ, ndị Izrel nụrụ na ndị Gibiọn bụ ndị agbataobi ha, ndị bi ha nso.
Then, three days after the pact was formed, they heard that they lived in the vicinity, and that they would soon be among them.
17 Ya mere, ndị Izrel buliri ije gaa ịchọpụta ebe ndị a si bịa, si otu a bịaruo obodo ha niile nʼụbọchị nke atọ. Aha obodo ha bụ Gibiọn, Kefira, Beerọt na Kiriat Jearim.
And so the sons of Israel moved the camp, and they arrived at their cities on the third day, those which are called: Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.
18 Ma ndị Izrel ebusoghị ha agha nʼihi na ndịisi nzukọ Izrel ejirila aha Onyenwe anyị, Chineke Izrel ṅụọ iyi idebe ha ndụ. Ma nzukọ Izrel niile tamuru ntamu megide ndịisi ha nʼihi ọgbụgba ndụ a.
And they did not strike them, because the leaders of the multitude had sworn to them in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. And so all of the common people murmured against the leaders.
19 Ma ndịisi Izrel kwuru sị, “Anyị aṅụọla iyi nʼihu Onyenwe anyị, Chineke Izrel sị, na anyị agaghị emetụ ha aka, ugbu a kwa anyị agaghị eme ha ihe ọbụla.
And they responded to them: “We have sworn to them in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, and for that reason, we are not able to touch them.
20 Ma nke a ka anyị ga-eme. Anyị ga-ekwe ka ha dị ndụ, nʼihi na ọ bụrụ na anyị emezughị iyi anyị ṅụrụ, iwe Onyenwe anyị ga-adakwasị anyị niile.”
But we shall do this to them: Certainly, let them be preserved so that they may live, lest the wrath of the Lord be stirred up against us, since we would have sworn falsely.
21 Ya mere, ndịisi kwukwara sị, “Anyị ga-ahapụ ha ka ha dịrị ndụ, kama ha ga-aghọ ohu ndị Izrel, ndị ga na-awara anyị nkụ na ndị ga na-ekutere anyị mmiri.” Nʼụzọ dị otu a, e mere ka ha dịrị ndụ.
But though they live, let them serve the entire multitude by cutting wood and carrying water.” And while they were discussing these things,
22 Emesịa, Joshua ziri ozi kpọọ ndịisi obodo Gibiọn jụọ ha ajụjụ sị, “Gịnị mere unu ji ghọgbuo anyị site nʼịgwa anyị, ‘Anyị bi nʼebe dịpụrụ anya, site nʼebe unu bi,’ ebe ọ bụ na unu bi anyị nso?
Joshua called the Gibeonites, and he said to them: “Why would you be willing to deceive us by fraud, saying, ‘We live very far away from you,’ when you are in our midst?
23 Ugbu a, unu ga-abụ ndị a bụrụ ọnụ. Site nʼụbọchị taa gaa nʼihu, unu aghọọla ndị ohu anyị, ndị ga na-awara anyị nkụ mgbe niile, na ndị ga na-ekutere anyị mmiri nke anyị ga-eji rụọ ọrụ nʼụlọnsọ Chineke m.”
Therefore, you shall be under a curse, and your stock shall not cease to be cutters of wood and carriers of water, into the house of my God.”
24 Ha zara Joshua sị, “Anyị mere nke a nʼihi na agwala anyị na Onyenwe anyị Chineke gị nyere Mosis iwu sị ya merie ala ndị a niile, ma kpochapụ ndị niile bi nʼime ya. Ọ bụ nke a mere ụjọ ji tụọ anyị. Ọ bụkwa ya mere anyị ji mee ihe dị otu a, nʼihi ichebe ndụ anyị.
And they responded: “It was reported to us, your servants, that the Lord your God had promised his servant Moses that he would give you the entire land, and that he would destroy all its inhabitants. Therefore, we were very afraid, and we made a provision for our lives, compelled by the dread of you, and we undertook this counsel.
25 Ma ugbu a, anyị dị unu nʼaka. Unu nwere ike ime anyị ihe dị unu mma.”
And now we are in your hand. Act toward us as it seems good and right to you.”
26 Nʼihi nke a, Joshua ekweghị ka ndị Izrel gbuo ha.
Therefore, Joshua did just as he had said, and he freed them from the hand of the sons of Israel, so that they would not be killed.
27 Joshua mere ha ndị ọwa nkụ na ndị ose mmiri nye ụmụ Izrel, na ịhụkwa banyere ihe ndị dị mkpa nʼebe ịchụ aja Onyenwe anyị, nʼebe ahụ Onyenwe anyị ga-ahọpụta. Ọ bụkwa nke a ka ha bụ ruo taa.
And he decreed on that day, that they would be in the ministry of all the people and of the altar of the Lord, cutting wood and carrying water, even until this present time, in the place which the Lord had chosen.
