Yosua 9
1 Afei, ahemfo a wɔwɔ Yordan atɔeɛ fam no nyinaa tee nsɛm a asisi. (Yeinom ne Hetifoɔ, Amorifoɔ, Kanaanfoɔ, Perisifoɔ, Hewifoɔ ne Yebusifoɔ ahemfo a na wɔtete mmepɔ nsase a ɛwɔ atɔeɛ fam mmepɔ ayaase ne Ɛpo Kɛseɛ no mpoano kɔsi Lebanon atifi fam mmepɔ so tɔnn.)
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 Saa ahemfo yi boaa wɔn akodɔm ano ntɛm so sɛ wɔbɛko atia Yosua ne Israelfoɔ.
So they all gathered [their armies] to fight Joshua and the Israeli army.
3 Nanso Gibeonfoɔ tee asɛm a ato Yeriko ne Ai no,
When the people who lived in Gibeon [city] heard that Joshua’s army had defeated the people of Jericho and Ai,
4 wɔfaa nnaadaa kwan so de gyee wɔn ho nkwa. Wɔsomaa ananmusifoɔ kɔɔ Yosua nkyɛn. Wɔde nkotokuo a atete ne mmoa nwoma nsã nkotokuo a ayɛ dada na wɔatetɛ mu soaa wɔn mfunumu.
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 Wɔhyehyɛɛ ntadeɛ dada ne mpaboa a akyɛre na wɔapempam. Afei wɔfaa burodo a abɔ ntu sɛ wɔn aduane.
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 Wɔduruu Israelfoɔ atenaeɛ wɔ Gilgal no, wɔka kyerɛɛ Yosua ne Israel mmarimma no sɛ, “Yɛfiri akyirikyiri ɔman bi so na aba rebɛsrɛ mo sɛ mo ne yɛn nyɛ asomdwoeɛ apam.”
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 Israelfoɔ no buaa saa Hewifoɔ yi sɛ, “Ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na yɛahunu sɛ monnte mmɛn ha? Ɛfiri sɛ, sɛ ɛte saa a, yɛrentumi ne mo nnyɛ apam.”
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 Wɔbuaa sɛ, “Yɛbɛyɛ mo asomfoɔ.” Yosua bisaa wɔn sɛ, “Moyɛ ɛhefoɔ na mofiri he?”
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 Wɔbuaa sɛ, “Yɛfiri akyirikyiri asase bi so. Yɛate Awurade, mo Onyankopɔn no kɛseyɛ ne deɛ ɔyɛɛ wɔ Misraim nyinaa.
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 Afei yɛate deɛ ɔyɛɛ Amorifoɔ ahemfo baanu wɔ Asubɔnten Yordan apueeɛ fam, Hesbonhene Sihon ne Basanhene Og (a ɔtenaa Astarot no).
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 Ɛno enti, yɛn mpanimfoɔ ne ɔmanfoɔ no ka kyerɛɛ yɛn ɔhyɛ so sɛ, ‘Monsiesie mo ho mma akwantuo tenten. Monkɔhyia Israelfoɔ na mompae mu nka sɛ, “Yɛn nkurɔfoɔ bɛyɛ wɔn asomfoɔ na mompere asomdwoeɛ.”’
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 Yɛresi mu no, na burodo yi yɛ hyeehyeehye a ɛfiri fononoo mu. Nanso sɛdeɛ mohunu no, akyenkyene na abɔ ntu.
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 Saa mmoa nwoma nsã nkotokuo yi, ɛberɛ a yɛde nsã guu mu no na ɛyɛ foforɔ, nanso seesei, apaapae ayɛ dada. Na yɛn ntadeɛ ne mpaboa nso, ɛsiane akwantuo tenten enti, atete.”
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 Enti, Israelfoɔ no hwehwɛɛ wɔn burodo no ho nanso wɔammisa Awurade.
The Israeli leaders tasted the bread, but they did not ask Yahweh what to do.
15 Yosua kɔɔ so ne wɔn yɛɛ asomdwoeɛ apam no na Israel mpanimfoɔ no kekaa ntam a emu yɛ den nam so gye too mu.
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 Nnansa akyi no, nokorɛ no daa adi sɛ saa nnipa a wɔyɛ Gibeonfoɔ no te bɛn.
Three days later the Israelis found out that the men from Gibeon lived nearby.
17 Enti, Israelfoɔ no anna so koraa na wɔyɛɛ sɛ wɔbɛyɛ nhwehwɛmu. Nnansa akyi no wɔduruu wɔn nkuro no so. Saa nkuro no ne Gibeon, Kefira, Beerot ne Kiriat-Yearim.
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 Nanso, Israelfoɔ no anto anhyɛ nkuro no so, ɛfiri sɛ, na wɔn mpanimfoɔ aka ntam akyerɛ Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn. Esiane Apam no enti, Israelfoɔ no nwiinwii hyɛɛ wɔn mpanimfoɔ no.
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 Na mpanimfoɔ no buaa sɛ, “Yɛaka ntam wɔ Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn anim. Yɛrentumi mfa yɛn nsa nka wɔn.
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 Ɛsɛ sɛ yɛma wɔtena. Sɛ yɛbu yɛn ntam no so a, Onyankopɔn bo bɛfu yɛn.
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 Momma wɔntena. Nanso, yɛbɛma wɔabu nnua, akɔ asuo ama asafo no nyinaa.” Enti Israelfoɔ no dii ɛbɔ a wɔahyɛ Gibeonfoɔ no so.
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 Na Yosua frɛɛ Gibeonfoɔ mpanimfoɔ no bisaa wɔn sɛ, “Adɛn enti na motwaa atorɔ kyerɛɛ yɛn? Adɛn enti na mokaa sɛ mote akyirikyiri asase so wɔ ɛberɛ a mote yɛn mu pɛɛ?
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 Nnome mmra mo so! Ɛfiri ɛnnɛ rekorɔ, mobɛbu nnua, atwe nsuo de akɔ me Onyankopɔn fie.”
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 Wɔbuaa Yosua sɛ, “Yɛyɛɛ saa, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔka kyerɛɛ yɛn sɛ, Awurade, mo Onyankopɔn hyɛɛ ne ɔsomfoɔ Mose sɛ ɔmmɛko nni saa asase yi nyinaa so na ɔnsɛe nnipa a wɔte so nyinaa. Yɛsuroo sɛ mobɛkum yɛn. Ɛno enti na ɛma yɛyɛɛ saa.
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 Seesei yɛdan mo. Deɛ mosusu sɛ ɛyɛ ma mo biara no, monyɛ.”
So now you can decide what you will do with us. Do what you think is right.”
26 Yosua amma Israelfoɔ no ankum wɔn.
So Joshua saved the lives of the people of Gibeon by not allowing the Israelis to kill them.
27 Na ɛda no, ɔmaa Gibeonfoɔ no yɛɛ nnuabufoɔ ne asukɔfoɔ maa Israelfoɔ ne Awurade afɔrebukyia no wɔ baabiara a Awurade bɛka sɛ wɔnsi no no. Saa nhyehyɛeɛ no wɔ hɔ bɛsi ɛnnɛ.
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.
