Josoa 9
1 Ary rehefa nandre izany ny mpanjaka rehetra izay etỳ an-dafin’ i Jordana, na ny tany amin’ ny tany havoana, na ny tany amin’ ny tany lemaka amoron-tsiraka, na ny tany amoron’ ny Ranomasina Lehibe tandrifin’ i Libanona, dia ny Hetita, ny Amorita, ny Kananita, ny Perizita, ny Hivita ary ny Jebosita,
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 dia niray hina niangona hiady amin’ i Josoa sy ny Isiraely izy.
So they all gathered [their armies] to fight Joshua and the Israeli army.
3 Ary ny mponina tao Gibeona nahare izay nanaovan’ i Josoa an’ i Jeriko sy Ay,
When the people who lived in Gibeon [city] heard that Joshua’s army had defeated the people of Jericho and Ai,
4 dia nanao hafetsena kosa izy ka nandeha, ary nody ho iraka ka nitondra lasaka tonta nasampiny teo amin’ ny borikiny sy siny hoditra tonta sady triatra ka nofehipehezina nasiany divay,
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 ary kapa tonta sady nitampintampina teo amin’ ny tongony, ary lamba tonta notafiny; ary efa maina sy bobongolo ny mofo rehetra izay vatsiny.
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 Dia nankany amin’ i Josoa teo an-toby tany Gilgala izy ireo ka niteny taminy sy tamin’ ny Isiraelita nanao hoe: Avy any an-tany lavitra izahay; koa ankehitriny mba manaova fanekena aminay ianareo.
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 Ary hoy ny Isiraelita tamin’ ireo Hivita ireo: Angamba mponina ato aminay ihany ianareo, ka hataonay ahoana no fanao fanekena aminareo?
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 Fa hoy izy tamin’ i Josoa: Mpanomponao izahay. Ary hoy Josoa taminy: Iza moa ianareo, ary avy aiza?
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 Dia hoy izy ireo taminy: Avy tany an-tany lavitra indrindra izahay mpanomponao noho ny anaran’ i Jehovah Andriamanitrao; fa efa renay ny lazany sy izay rehetra nataony tany Egypta
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 ary izay rehetra nataony tamin’ ny mpanjaka roa tamin’ ny Amorita, izay tany an-dafin’ i Jordana, dia Sihona, mpanjakan’ i Hesbona, sy Oga, mpanjakan’ i Basana, izay tany Astarta.
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 Dia niteny taminay ny loholonay sy ny mponina rehetra amin’ ny taninay ka nanao hoe: Mitondrà vatsy eny an-tananareo ho any amin’ ny haleha, dia mandehana hitsena azy, ka lazao aminy hoe: Mpanomponao izahay; koa ankehitriny manaova fanekena aminay.
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 Itony mofonay itony dia vao mafana no nalainay tany an-tranonay ho vatsy tamin’ ny andro nivoahanay hankatỳ aminareo; fa ankehitriny, indro, efa maina sy bobongolo izy;
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 ary vaovao ireto siny hoditra misy divay ireto izay nofenoinay; fa, indreo, efa triatra izy; ary efa rovitra ireto lambanay sy kapanay ireto noho ny halavitry ny naleha.
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 Ary nangalan’ ny olona ny vatsin’ ireo, nefa tsy nanontany tamin’ ny vavan’ i Jehovah izy.
The Israeli leaders tasted the bread, but they did not ask Yahweh what to do.
15 Ary Josoa dia nanao fihavanana taminy ka nanao fanekena taminy mba tsy hamono azy; ary ny lohan’ ny fiangonana koa dia nianiana taminy.
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 Ary nony efa afaka hateloana no nanaovany fanekena taminy, dia reny fa mifanakaiky aminy ihany ireo sady mitoetra eo aminy.
Three days later the Israelis found out that the men from Gibeon lived nearby.
17 Dia niainga ny Zanak’ Isiraely ka tonga tany an-tanànan’ ireo tamin’ ny andro fahatelo. Ary Gibeona sy Kefira sy Berota ary Kiriata-jearima no tanànany.
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 Fa tsy namely azy ny Zanak’ Isiraely, satria Jehovah, Andriamanitry ny Isiraely, no efa nianianan’ ny lohan’ ny fiangonana taminy. Dia nimonomonona tamin’ ireo loholona ny fiangonana rehetra.
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 Fa hoy ny loholona rehetra tamin’ ny fiangonana rehetra: Jehovah, Andriamanitry ny Isiraely, no efa nianiananay taminy; koa ankehitriny tsy mahazo mamely azy isika.
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 Fa izao no hataontsika aminy: Havelantsika ho velona ihany izy, fandrao hisy fahatezerana mahatratra antsika noho ny fianianana nataontsika taminy.
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 Ary hoy koa ny loholona taminy: Aoka ihany ho velona izy. Dia tonga mpikapa hazo sy mpantsaka rano ho an’ ny fiangonana rehetra izy, araka ny teny nataon’ ny loholona taminy.
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 Dia niantso azy ireo Josoa ka nanao taminy hoe: Nahoana no namitaka anay ianareo ka nanao hoe: Lavitra anareo indrindra izahay, kanjo eto aminay ihany no onenanareo?
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 Koa ankehitriny voaozona ianareo, ary tsy hisy ho afaka, fa ho andevo sy ho mpikapa hazo ary ho mpantsaka rano ho an’ ny tranon’ Andriamanitro ianareo.
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 Dia namaly an’ i Josoa izy ireo ka nanao hoe: Satria nambara tokoa taminay mpanomponao fa Jehovah Andriamanitrao efa nandidy an’ i Mosesy mpanompony hanome anareo ny tany rehetra sy handringana ny mponina rehetra amin’ ny tany eo anoloanareo, ary natahotra ny ho faty izahay noho ny aminareo, ka dia nanao izany zavatra izany;
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 koa ankehitriny, indreto, eto an-tananao izahay, koa araka izay ataonao ho tsara sy marina hatao aminay dia ataovy.
So now you can decide what you will do with us. Do what you think is right.”
26 Dia nanao izany taminy izy ka namonjy azy tamin’ ny tanan’ ny Zanak’ Isiraely, mba tsy hahafaty azy ireo.
So Joshua saved the lives of the people of Gibeon by not allowing the Israelis to kill them.
27 Dia natolotr’ i Josoa tamin’ izany andro izany ireo ho mpikapa hazo sy ho mpantsaka rano ho an’ ny fiangonana sy ho an’ ny alitaran’ i Jehovah mandraka androany eo amin’ ny tany izay hofidiny.
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.
