Yosua 9

1 Afei, ahemfo a wɔwɔ Yordan atɔe fam no nyinaa tee nsɛm a asisi. Eyinom ne Hetifo, Amorifo, Kanaanfo, Perisifo, Hewifo ne Yebusifo ahemfo a na wɔtete mmepɔw nsase a ɛwɔ atɔe fam mmepɔw no ase ne Po Kɛse no mpoano kosi Lebanon atifi fam mmepɔw no so tɔnn.

It happened, when all the kings who were beyond the Jordan, in the hill country, and in the lowland, and on all the shore of the Great Sea in front of Lebanon, the Hethite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard of it

2 Saa ahemfo yi boaa wɔn nsraadɔm ano ntɛm so sɛ wɔbɛko atia Yosua ne Israelfo.

that they gathered themselves together to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.

3 Nanso Gibeonfo tee asɛm a ato Yeriko ne Ai no,

But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,

4 wɔfaa nnaadaa kwan so de gyee wɔn ho nkwa. Wɔsomaa ananmusifo kɔɔ Yosua nkyɛn. Wɔde nkotoku a atetew ne mmoa nhoma nsa nkotoku a ayɛ dedaw na wɔatetare mu soaa wɔn mfurum.

they also resorted to a ruse, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins, old and torn and bound up,

5 Wɔhyehyɛɛ ntade dedaw ne mpaboa a akyɛ na wɔapempam. Afei wɔfaa brodo a abɔ ntuw sɛ wɔn aduan.

and old and patched shoes on their feet, and wore old garments. All the bread of their provision was dry and moldy.

6 Woduu Israelfo atenae wɔ Gilgal no, wɔka kyerɛɛ Yosua ne Israel mmarima no se, “Yefi akyirikyiri man bi so na aba rebɛsrɛ mo sɛ mo ne yɛn nyɛ asomdwoe apam.”

They went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him, and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a far country. Now therefore make a covenant with us."

7 Israelfo no buaa saa Hewifo yi sɛ, “Ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na yɛahu sɛ monnte mmɛn ha? Efisɛ sɛ ɛte saa a, yɛrentumi ne mo nnyɛ apam.”

The men of Israel said to the Hivites, "What if you live among us. How could we make a covenant with you?"

8 Wobuae se, “Yɛbɛyɛ mo asomfo.” Yosua bisaa wɔn se, “Moyɛ ɛhefo na mufi he?”

They said to Joshua, "We are your servants." Joshua said to them, "Who are you? Where do you come from?"

9 Wobuaa se, “Yefi akyirikyiri asase bi so. Yɛate Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn no kɛseyɛ ne nea ɔyɛɛ wɔ Misraim nyinaa.

They said to him, "Your servants have come from a very far country because of the name of YHWH your God; for we have heard of his fame, all that he did in Egypt,

10 Afei yɛate nea ɔyɛɛ Amorifo ahemfo baanu wɔ Asubɔnten Yordan apuei fam, Hesbonhene Sihon ne Basanhene Og (a ɔtenaa Astarot no).

and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.

11 Ɛno nti, yɛn mpanyimfo ne ɔmanfo no ka kyerɛɛ yɛn ɔhyɛ so sɛ, ‘Munsiesie mo ho mma akwantu tenten. Munkohyia Israelfo na mompae mu nka se “Yɛn nkurɔfo bɛyɛ wɔn asomfo na mompere asomdwoe.”’

Our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, 'Take provision in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them, and tell them, "We are your servants. Now make a covenant with us."'

12 Yɛresi mu no, na brodo yi yɛ hyerehyere a efi fonoo mu. Nanso sɛnea muhu no, akyenkyen na abɔ ntuw.

This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we went out to go to you; but now, look, it is dry, and has become moldy.

13 Saa mmoa nhoma nsa nkotoku yi, bere a yɛde nsa guu mu no na ɛyɛ foforo, nanso mprempren, apaapae ayɛ dedaw. Na yɛn ntade ne mpaboa nso, esiane akwantu tenten nti, atetew.”

These wineskins, which we filled, were new; and look, they are torn. These our garments and our shoes have become old because of the very long journey."

14 Enti Israelfo no hwehwɛɛ wɔn brodo no ho nanso wɔammisa Awurade.

The men sampled their provisions, and did not ask counsel from the mouth of YHWH.

15 Yosua kɔɔ so ne wɔn yɛɛ asomdwoe apam no na Israel mpanyimfo no kekaa ntam a emu yɛ den nam so gye too mu.

Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live. The leaders of the congregation swore to them.

16 Nnansa akyi no, nokware no daa adi sɛ saa nnipa a wɔyɛ Gibeonfo no te bɛn.

It happened at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they lived among them.

17 Enti Israelfo no anna so koraa na wɔyɛɛ sɛ wɔbɛyɛ nhwehwɛmu. Nnansa akyi no woduu wɔn nkurow no so. Saa nkurow no ne Gibeon, Kefira, Beerot ne Kiriat-Yearim.

The children of Israel traveled and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim.

18 Nanso Israelfo no antow anhyɛ nkurow no so, efisɛ na wɔn mpanyimfo aka ntam akyerɛ Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn. Esiane Apam no nti, Israelfo no nwiinwii hyɛɛ wɔn mpanyimfo no.

The children of Israel did not strike them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by YHWH, the God of Israel. And the whole congregation murmured against the leaders.

19 Na mpanyimfo no buae se, “Yɛaka ntam wɔ Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn anim. Yɛrentumi mfa yɛn nsa nka wɔn.

But all the leaders said to all the congregation, "We have sworn to them by YHWH, the God of Israel; and now therefore we may not touch them.

20 Ɛsɛ sɛ yɛma wɔtena. Sɛ yebu yɛn ntam no so a, Onyankopɔn bo befuw yɛn.

This we will do to them, and let them live; lest wrath be on us, because of the oath which we swore to them."

21 Momma wɔntena. Nanso, yɛbɛma wɔabu nnua, akɔ asu ama asafo no nyinaa.” Enti Israelfo no dii bɔ a wɔahyɛ Gibeonfo no so.

And the leaders said to them, "Let them live." So they became wood cutters and drawers of water for all the congregation, and all the congregation did as the leaders had spoken to them.

22 Na Yosua frɛɛ Gibeonfo mpanyimfo no bisaa wɔn se, “Adɛn nti na mutwaa atoro kyerɛɛ yɛn? Adɛn nti na mokaa se mote akyirikyiri asase so wɔ bere a mote yɛn mu pɛɛ?

Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, "Why have you deceived us, saying, 'We are very far from you,' when you live among us?

23 Nnome mmra mo so! Efi nnɛ rekɔ, mubebu nnua, atwe nsu de akɔ me Nyankopɔn fi.”

Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you will never fail to be bondservants, both wood cutters and drawers of water for the house of my God."

24 Wobuaa Yosua se, “Yɛyɛɛ saa, efisɛ wɔka kyerɛɛ yɛn se, Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn hyɛɛ ne somfo Mose sɛ ɔmmɛko nni saa asase yi nyinaa so na ɔnsɛe nnipa a wɔte so nyinaa. Yesuroo sɛ mubekunkum yɛn. Ɛno nti na ɛma yɛyɛɛ saa.

They answered Joshua, and said, "Because your servants were certainly told how YHWH your God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you. Therefore we were very afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.

25 Mprempren yɛdan mo. Nea mususuw sɛ eye ma mo biara no, monyɛ.”

Now, look, we are in your hand. Do to us as it seems good and right to you to do."

26 Yosua amma Israelfo no ankum wɔn.

He did so to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they did not kill them.

27 Na ɛda no, ɔmaa Gibeonfo no yɛɛ nnuabufo ne asukɔfo maa Israelfo ne Awurade afɔremuka no wɔ baabiara a Awurade bɛka sɛ wonsi no no. Saa nhyehyɛe no wɔ hɔ de besi nnɛ.

That day Joshua made them wood cutters and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of YHWH, to this day, in the place which he should choose.