Iosue 9
1 quibus auditis cuncti reges trans Iordanem qui versabantur in montanis et in campestribus in maritimis ac litore maris Magni hii quoque qui habitabant iuxta Libanum Hettheus et Amorreus et Chananeus Ferezeus et Eveus et Iebuseus
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 Iosue et Israhel uno animo eademque sententia
So they all gathered [their armies] to fight Joshua and the Israeli army.
3 at hii qui habitabant in Gabaon audientes cuncta quae fecerat Iosue Hiericho et Ahi
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 inponentes 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 calciamentaque perantiqua quae ad indicium vetustatis pittaciis consuta erant induti veteribus vestimentis panes quoque quos portabant ob viaticum duri erant et in frusta 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 Iosue qui tunc morabatur in castris Galgalae et dixerunt ei atque omni simul Israheli de terra longinqua venimus pacem vobiscum facere cupientes responderuntque viri Israhel 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 forsitan in terra quae nobis sorte debetur habitetis et non possimus foedus 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 Iosue servi inquiunt tui sumus quibus Iosue quinam ait estis 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 potentiae eius cuncta quae fecit in Aegypto
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 Amorreorum regibus trans Iordanem Seon regi Esebon et Og regi Basan qui erat in Astharoth
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 terrae nostrae tollite in manibus cibaria ob longissimam viam et occurrite eis ac dicite servi vestri sumus foedus 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 calciamenta quibus induimur et quae habemus in pedibus ob longitudinem largioris viae trita sunt et paene 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 Iosue cum eis pacem et inito foedere pollicitus est quod non occiderentur principes quoque multitudinis iuraverunt 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 foederis 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 Israhel et venerunt in civitates eorum die tertio quarum haec 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 iurassent eis principes multitudinis in nomine Domini Dei Israhel 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 iuravimus illis in nomine Domini Dei Israhel 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 peieraverimus
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 universae multitudinis ligna caedant aquasque conportent quibus haec 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 Iosue 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 caedens aquasque conportans 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 quae promisisset Dominus Deus tuus Mosi servo suo ut traderet vobis omnem terram et disperderet cunctos habitatores eius timuimus igitur valde et providimus animabus nostris vestro terrore conpulsi 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 Iosue ut dixerat et liberavit eos de manibus filiorum Israhel 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 esse eos in ministerium cuncti populi et altaris Domini caedentes ligna et aquas conportantes usque in praesens 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.
