Iosue 9
1 Quibus auditis, cuncti reges trans Jordanem, qui versabantur in montanis et campestribus, in maritimis ac littore magni maris, hi quoque qui habitabant juxta Libanum, Hethæus et Amorrhæus, Chananæus, Pherezæus, et Hevæus, et Jebusæus,
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 congregati sunt pariter, ut pugnarent contra Josue et Israël uno animo, eademque sententia.
So they all gathered [their armies] to fight Joshua and the Israeli army.
3 At hi qui habitabant in Gabaon, audientes cuncta quæ fecerat Josue Jericho, et Hai,
When the people who lived in Gibeon [city] heard that Joshua’s army had defeated the people of Jericho and Ai,
4 et callide cogitantes, tulerunt sibi cibaria, saccos veteres asinis imponentes, et utres vinarios scissos atque consutos,
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 calceamentaque perantiqua quæ ad indicium vetustatis pittaciis consuta erant, induti veteribus vestimentis: panes quoque, quos portabant ob viaticum, duri erant, et in frustra comminuti:
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 perrexeruntque ad Josue, qui tunc morabatur in castris Galgalæ, et dixerunt ei, atque simul omni Israëli: De terra longinqua venimus, pacem vobiscum facere cupientes. Responderuntque viri Israël ad eos, atque dixerunt:
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 Ne forte in terra, quæ nobis sorte debetur, habitetis, et non possimus fœdus inire vobiscum.
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 At illi ad Josue: Servi, inquiunt, tui sumus. Quibus Josue ait: Quinam estis vos? et unde venistis?
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 Responderunt: De terra longinqua valde venerunt servi tui in nomine Domini Dei tui. Audivimus enim famam potentiæ ejus, cuncta quæ fecit in Ægypto,
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 et duobus regibus Amorrhæorum qui fuerunt trans Jordanem, Sehon regi Hesebon, et Og regi Basan, qui erat in Astaroth:
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 dixeruntque nobis seniores, et omnes habitatores terræ nostræ: Tollite in manibus cibaria ob longissimam viam, et occurrite eis, et dicite: Servi vestri sumus: fœdus inite nobiscum.
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 En panes quando egressi sumus de domibus nostris, ut veniremus ad vos, calidos sumpsimus; nunc sicci facti sunt, et vetustate nimia comminuti.
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 Utres vini novos implevimus; nunc rupti sunt et soluti. Vestes et calceamenta quibus induimur, et quæ habemus in pedibus, ob longitudinem longioris viæ trita sunt, et pene consumpta.
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 Susceperunt igitur de cibariis eorum, et os Domini non interrogaverunt.
The Israeli leaders tasted the bread, but they did not ask Yahweh what to do.
15 Fecitque Josue cum eis pacem, et inito fœdere pollicitus est quod non occiderentur: principes quoque multitudinis juraverunt eis.
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 Post dies autem tres initi fœderis, audierunt quod in vicino habitarent, et inter eos futuri essent.
Three days later the Israelis found out that the men from Gibeon lived nearby.
17 Moveruntque castra filii Israël, et venerunt in civitates eorum die tertio, quarum hæc vocabula sunt: Gabaon, et Caphira, et Beroth, et Cariathiarim.
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 Et non percusserunt eos, eo quod jurassent eis principes multitudinis in nomine Domini Dei Israël. Murmuravit itaque omne vulgus contra principes.
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 Qui responderunt eis: Juravimus illis in nomine Domini Dei Israël, et idcirco non possumus eos contingere.
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 Sed hoc faciemus eis: reserventur quidem ut vivant, ne contra nos ira Domini concitetur, si pejeraverimus:
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 sed sic vivant, ut in usus universæ multitudinis ligna cædant, aquasque comportent. Quibus hæc loquentibus,
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 vocavit Gabaonitas Josue, et dixit eis: Cur nos decipere fraude voluistis, ut diceretis: Procul valde habitamus a vobis, cum in medio nostri sitis?
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 itaque sub maledictione eritis, et non deficiet de stirpe vestra ligna cædens, aquasque comportans in domum Dei mei.
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 Qui responderunt: Nuntiatum est nobis servis tuis, quod promisisset Dominus Deus tuus Moysi servo suo ut traderet vobis omnem terram, et disperderet cunctos habitatores ejus. Timuimus igitur valde, et providimus animabus nostris, vestro terrore compulsi, et hoc consilium inivimus.
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 Nunc autem in manu tua sumus: quod tibi bonum et rectum videtur, fac nobis.
So now you can decide what you will do with us. Do what you think is right.”
26 Fecit ergo Josue ut dixerat, et liberavit eos de manu filiorum Israël, ut non occiderentur.
So Joshua saved the lives of the people of Gibeon by not allowing the Israelis to kill them.
27 Decrevitque in illo die eos esse in ministerio cuncti populi, et altaris Domini, cædentes ligna, et aquas comportantes, usque in præsens tempus, in loco quem Dominus elegisset.
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.
