Josua 9
1 Då nu detta hördes intill alla de Konungar, som voro på den sidon Jordan, på bergom och i dalom, och i alla stora hafsens hamner, och när dem som voro invid Libanons berg, nämliga de Hetheer, Amoreer, Cananeer, Phereseer, Heveer och Jebuseer;
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 Samkade de sig tillhopa endrägteliga, att de skulle strida emot Josua, och emot Israel.
So they all gathered [their armies] to fight Joshua and the Israeli army.
3 Men Gibeons inbyggare, då de hörde hvad Josua gjort hade med Jericho och Aj,
When the people who lived in Gibeon [city] heard that Joshua’s army had defeated the people of Jericho and Ai,
4 Upptänkte de en list, gingo till och sände bådskap åstad, och togo gamla säcker på sina åsnar, och gamla slitna vinläglar,
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 Och gamla lappade skor på sina fötter, och drogo gamla och rifna kläder uppå; och allt det bröd, som de togo med sig, var hårdt och mögladt;
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 Och gingo till Josua i lägret vid Gilgal, och sade till honom, och till hela Israel: Vi äre komne fjerran af annor land; så görer nu ett förbund med oss.
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 Då sade hela Israel till de Heveer: Kan hända, att du bor här ibland oss, huru kunne vi då göra förbund med dig?
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 De sade till Josua: Vi äre dine tjenare. Josua sade till dem: Ho ären I; eller hvadan kommen I?
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 De sade: Dine tjenare äro ganska fjerran komne af annor land, för Herrans dins Guds Namns skull; ty vi hafve hört hans rykte, och allt det han i Egypten gjort hafver;
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 Och allt det han de två Amoreers Konungar på hinsidon Jordan gjort hafver, Sihon, Konungenom i Hesbon, och Og, Konungenom i Basan, som bodde i 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 Derföre sade våre äldste; och alle vårt lands inbyggare: Tager spisning med eder på resona, och går åstad emot dem, och säger till dem: Vi äre edre tjenare; så görer nu ett förbund med oss.
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 Detta vårt bröd, som vi togo med oss till spisning utu vår hus, var ännu färskt, då vi åstad forom till eder; men nu, si, det är hårdt och mögladt.
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 Och dessa vinläglarna fyllde vi nya; och si, de äro slitne; och denna vår kläder och skor äro gamla vordna för denna ganska långa resonas skull.
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 Då togo höfvitsmännerna af deras spisning, och frågade intet Herrans mun.
The Israeli leaders tasted the bread, but they did not ask Yahweh what to do.
15 Och Josua gjorde frid med dem, och ingick ett förbund med dem, att de skulle blifva lefvande; och de öfverste för menighetene svoro dem.
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 Men efter tre dagar, sedan de hade gjort förbundet med dem, kom för dem, att de voro hardt när dem, och skulle bo ibland dem.
Three days later the Israelis found out that the men from Gibeon lived nearby.
17 Ty då Israels barn drogo framåt, kommo de tredje dagen till deras städer, hvilke så voro nämnde: Gibeon, Cephira, Beeroth och KiriathJearim.
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 Och de slogo dem intet, ty de öfverste för menighetene hade svorit vid Herran Israels Gud; och hela menigheten knorrade emot de öfversta.
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 Då sade alle de öfverste för hela menighetene: Vi hafve svorit dem vid Herran Israels Gud; derföre kunne vi intet komma vid dem.
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 Men det vilje vi göra dem; låtom dem lefva, att en vrede icke kommer öfver oss för edens skull, den vi dem gjort hafvom.
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 Och de öfverste sade till dem: Låtom dem lefva, att de måga vara vedahuggare och vattudragare för hela menighetene, såsom öfverstarna dem sagt hafva.
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 Då kallade dem Josua, och talade med dem, och sade: Hvi hafven I bedragit oss, och sagt: I ären ganska långt ifrån oss; ändock I bon ibland oss?
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 Derföre skolen I vara förbannade, så att af eder icke skall återvända trälar, som ved hugga, och vatten draga, till mins Guds hus.
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 De svarade Josua, och sade: Det hafver varit sagdt dina tjenare, att Herren din Gud hafver budit sinom tjenare Mose, att han skall gifva eder detta hela landet, och förgöra för eder alla landsens inbyggare; då fruktade vi om våra själar för eder storliga, och gjorde detta.
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 Men nu, si, vi äre i dina händer; hvad dig tycker godt och rätt vara att göra med oss, det gör.
So now you can decide what you will do with us. Do what you think is right.”
26 Och han gjorde dem så, och friade dem ifrån Israels barnas hand, att de icke slogo dem ihjäl.
So Joshua saved the lives of the people of Gibeon by not allowing the Israelis to kill them.
27 Så gjorde Josua dem på samma dagen till vedahuggare och vattudragare för menighetene, och till Herrans altare, allt intill denna dag, på det rum som han utväljandes vorde.
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.
