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,
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].
2 ha niile zukọtara ibu agha megide Joshua na ụmụ Izrel.
So they all gathered [their armies] to fight Joshua and the Israeli army.
3 Ma mgbe ndị Gibiọn nụrụ ihe Joshua mere Jeriko na Ai,
When the people who lived in Gibeon [city] heard that Joshua’s army had defeated the people of 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.
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.
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.
They put on old sandals that had been patched, and wore old ragged clothes. And they took along bread that was dry and moldy.
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.”
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.”
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?”
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].”
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?”
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?”
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.
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].
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.
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].
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.”’
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.”’
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.
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.
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.”
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.”
14 Ndị ikom Izrel ritụrụ ụfọdụ nʼime ihe oriri ha ji bịa, ma ha ajụtaghị ihe bụ uche Onyenwe anyị.
The Israeli leaders tasted the bread, but they did not ask Yahweh what to do.
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.
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].
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.
Three days later the Israelis found out that the men from Gibeon lived nearby.
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.
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.
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.
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].
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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?
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!
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.”
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.”
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.
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.
25 Ma ugbu a, anyị dị unu nʼaka. Unu nwere ike ime anyị ihe dị unu mma.”
So now you can decide what you will do with us. Do what you think is right.”
26 Nʼihi nke a, Joshua ekweghị ka ndị Izrel gbuo ha.
So Joshua saved the lives of the people of Gibeon by not allowing the Israelis to kill them.
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.
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.
