Josué 9
1 Y aconteció que como oyeron estas cosas todos los reyes que estaban de esta parte del Jordán, así en las montañas como en los llanos, y en toda la costa de la gran mar delante del Líbano, los Jetteos, Amorreos, Cananeos, Ferezeos, Heveos, y Jebuseos,
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 Juntáronse a una de un acuerdo para pelear contra Josué e Israel.
So they all gathered [their armies] to fight Joshua and the Israeli army.
3 Mas los moradores de Gabaón, como oyeron lo que Josué había hecho a Jericó y a Hai;
When the people who lived in Gibeon [city] heard that Joshua’s army had defeated the people of Jericho and Ai,
4 Ellos usaron también de astucia; y fueron, y fingiéronse embajadores, y tomaron sacos viejos sobre sus asnos, y cueros viejos de vino rotos y remendados;
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 Y zapatos viejos y remendados en sus pies, y vestidos viejos sobre sí: y todo el pan que traían para el camino, seco y mohoso.
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 Y vinieron a Josué al campo en Galgala, y dijéronle a él y a los de Israel: Nosotros venimos de tierra muy lejana, hacéd pues ahora con nosotros alianza.
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 Y los de Israel respondieron a los Heveos: Quizá vosotros habitáis en medio de nosotros: ¿cómo pues podremos nosotros hacer alianza con vosotros?
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 Y ellos respondieron a Josué: Nosotros somos tus siervos. Y Josué les dijo: ¿Quién sois vosotros; y de donde venís?
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 Y ellos respondieron: Tus siervos han venido de muy lejanas tierras por la fama de Jehová tu Dios, porque hemos oído su fama, y todas las cosas que hizo en Egipto:
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 Y todas las cosas que hizo a los dos reyes de los Amorreos, que estaban de la otra parte del Jordán: a Sejón rey de Jesebón, y a Og rey de Basán, que estaban en Astarot.
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 Por lo cual nuestros ancianos y todos los moradores de nuestra tierra nos dijeron: Tomád en vuestras manos provisión para el camino, e id delante de ellos, y decídles: Nosotros somos vuestros siervos, y hacéd ahora con nosotros alianza:
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 Este nuestro pan tomamos caliente de nuestras casas para el camino el día que salimos para venir a vosotros; y hélo aquí, ahora que está seco y mohoso:
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 Estos cueros de vino también los henchimos nuevos; hélos aquí: ya rotos: también estos nuestros vestidos y nuestros zapatos están ya viejos a causa de la grande longura del camino.
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 Y los hombres de Israel tomaron de su provisión del camino, y no preguntaron a la boca de Jehová.
The Israeli leaders tasted the bread, but they did not ask Yahweh what to do.
15 E hizo Josué paz con ellos, y trató con ellos alianza que les daría la vida. Y los príncipes del pueblo les juraron.
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 Pasados tres días después que hicieron con ellos el concierto, oyeron como eran sus vecinos, y que habitaban en medio de ellos.
Three days later the Israelis found out that the men from Gibeon lived nearby.
17 Y partiéronse los hijos de Israel, y al tercero día llegaron a sus ciudades: y sus ciudades eran Gabaón, Cafira, Berot, y Cariat-jarim.
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 Y no los hirieron los hijos de Israel, por cuanto los príncipes del pueblo les habían jurado por Jehová el Dios de Israel: y toda la congregación murmuraba contra los príncipes.
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 Mas todos los príncipes respondieron a toda la congregación: Nosotros les hemos jurado por Jehová Dios de Israel: por tanto ahora no les podemos tocar.
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 Empero esto haremos con ellos: dejarlos hemos vivir, porque no venga ira sobre nosotros a causa del juramento que les hemos hecho.
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 Y los príncipes les dijeron: Vivan; mas sean leñadores y aguadores para toda la congregación, como los príncipes les han dicho.
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 Y llamándoles Josué les habló, diciendo: ¿Por qué nos habéis engañado, diciendo: Muy lejos habitamos de vosotros, morando en medio de nosotros?
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 Vosotros pues ahora seréis malditos, y no faltará de vosotros siervo, y quien corte la leña, y saque el agua para la casa de mi Dios.
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 Y ellos respondieron a Josué, y dijeron: Como fue dado a entender a tus siervos, que Jehová tu Dios había mandado a Moisés su siervo, que os había de dar toda la tierra, y que había de destruir todos los moradores de la tierra delante de vosotros; por esto temimos en grande manera de vosotros por nuestras vidas, e hicimos esto.
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 Ahora, pues, hénos aquí en tu mano, lo que te pareciere bueno y recto hacer de nosotros, eso haz.
So now you can decide what you will do with us. Do what you think is right.”
26 Y él lo hizo así, que los libró de la mano de los hijos de Israel, que no los matasen.
So Joshua saved the lives of the people of Gibeon by not allowing the Israelis to kill them.
27 Y Josué los constituyó aquel día por leñadores y aguadores para la congregación, y para el altar de Jehová en el lugar que él escogiese, hasta hoy.
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.
