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And when these things were heard, all the kings beyond (the) Jordan, that dwelt in hilly places, and in plain places, in coasts of the sea, and in the brink of the great sea, and they that dwelt beside Lebanon, (the) Hittite, and Amorite, Canaanite, and Perizzite, Hivite, and Jebusite, (And when these things were heard, all the kings west of the Jordan River, who lived in the hill country, and on the plains, and by the sea coasts, and at the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, and they who lived beside Lebanon, yea, the Hittites, and Amorites, Canaanites, and Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites,)

were (all) gathered together to fight against Joshua and Israel, with one will, and with the same accord.

And they that dwelt in Gibeon, heard (of) all the things that Joshua had done to Jericho, and to Ai;

and they thought fellily, and took to themselves meats, and putted eld sackcloths on asses, and wine bottles broken, and sewed (up)/and patched, (and they thought out things craftily, and then took some food for themselves, and put old sackcloths upon their donkeys, and wine bottles that were broken and then sewed up, or patched,)

and full eld shoes, the which were sewed together with old patches, to show their oldness; and these men were clothed with full old clothes; also the loaves, which they bare for lifelode in the way, were hard and broken into gobbets (and the bread, which they carried for sustenance on the way, was hard and broken into pieces).

And they went to Joshua, that dwelled then in tents in Gilgal (who lived then in the camp at Gilgal); and they said to him, and to all Israel together, We [have] come from a far land, and we covet to make peace with you.

And the men of Israel answered to them, and said, Lest peradventure ye dwell in the land, which is due to us by heritage, and we may not make bond of peace with you. (And the Israelites answered, and said to them, Agreed, unless ye live in the land that is due to us by inheritance, and then we cannot make a covenant with you.)

And they said to Joshua, We be thy servants. To whom Joshua said, What men be ye, and from whence came ye?

They answered, (We) Thy servants came from a full far land in the name of thy Lord God; for we have heard the fame of his power, and all (the) things which he did in Egypt,

10 and to the two kings of Amorites beyond (the) Jordan; to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, that were in Ashtaroth. (and to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan River; that is, to Sihon, the king of Heshbon, and to Og, the king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth.)

11 And the elder men and all the dwellers of our land said to us, Take ye meats in your hands, for the full long way; and go ye to them, and say ye, We be your servants; make ye bond of peace with us. (And the elders and all the citizens of our land said to us, Take ye food with you, for the very long way; and go ye to them, and say ye, We be your servants; make ye a covenant with us.)

12 And we took hot loaves, when we went out of our houses to come to you; (but) now they be made dry and broken, for great eldness;

13 we filled new bottles of wine (and we filled new bottles with wine); (but) now they be broken and unsewed; (and) the clothes and (the) shoes, with which we be clothed, and which we have on our feet, be broken and well nigh wasted, from the length of (the) long way.

14 Then they took of [the] meats of these men, and they asked not counsel of the Lord. (And they took some food from these men, but they did not ask any counsel from the Lord.)

15 And Joshua made peace with them. And when the bond of peace was made, he promised, that they should not be slain; and the princes of the multitude swore to them. (And so Joshua made peace with them. And when the covenant was made, he promised, that they would not be killed; and the leaders of the multitude swore to them as well. And they went away.)

16 And after three days of the bond of peace made, the men of Israel heard, that those men dwelled in nigh place, and that they should be soon among those men. (And three days after that the covenant was made, the Israelites heard that those men lived nearby, and that they would soon be among them.)

17 And the sons of Israel moved their tents, and came in the third day into the cities of them (And the Israelites moved their camp, and came on the third day into their cities), of which cities these be the names; Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kiriathjearim.

18 And Israel destroyed not them, for the princes of the multitude had sworn to them in the name of the Lord God of Israel. Therefore all the common people grouched against the princes of Israel; (But Israel did not destroy them, for the leaders of the multitude had sworn to them in the name of the Lord God of Israel. And so all the common people grumbled against Israel’s leaders;)

19 and the princes answered to them, We swore to them in the name of the Lord God of Israel, and therefore we may not touch them; (and the leaders answered to them, and said, We swore to them in the name of the Lord God of Israel, and so we cannot touch them;)

20 but we shall do this thing to them; be they kept that they live, lest the ire of the Lord be stirred against us, if we forswear us to them; (but we shall do this to them; let them be kept alive, lest the Lord’s anger be stirred up against us, if we break our oath to them;)

21 but so live they, that they hew trees, and bear waters, into the uses of all the multitude (but let them live, so that they can cut wood, and carry water, for the use of all the multitude of Israel). And while they spake these things,

22 Joshua called (for the) Gibeonites, and said to them, Why would ye deceive us by fraud, (so) that ye said, We dwell full far from you, since ye be in the midst of us? (We live far away from you, when truly ye live right here in the midst of us?)

23 Therefore ye shall be under cursing, and none shall fail of your generation, hewing trees and bearing waters, into the house of my God. (And so because ye did this, ye shall all be cursed, and none of your generation shall ever be free, from cutting wood and carrying water, for the House of my God/for God’s household, or his family.)

24 Which answered, It was told to us thy servants, that thy Lord God promised to Moses, his servant, that he should betake to you all the land, and should lose all the dwellers thereof; therefore we dreaded greatly, and purveyed to our lives, and we were compelled by your dread, and we took this counsel. (And they answered, It was told to us thy servants, that the Lord thy God promised to his servant Moses, that he would deliver all the land to you, and would destroy all of its inhabitants; and so we greatly feared, and purveyed for our own lives, and we were compelled by our fear of you, and so we did this thing.)

25 Now forsooth we be in thine hand; do thou to us that, that seemeth rightful and good to thee. (And so now we be in thy hands; do thou to us what seemeth right and good to thee.)

26 Therefore Joshua did, as he said, and delivered them from the hands of the sons of Israel, that they should not be slain. (And so Joshua did, as he said, and delivered them from the hands of the Israelites, and they were not killed.)

27 And in that day Joshua deemed them to be into the service of all the people, and of the altar of the Lord, and to hew trees, and to bear waters, till into present time, in the place which the Lord had chosen. (And on that day, Joshua decreed them to be in the service of all the people of Israel, and of the altar of the Lord, and to cut wood, and to carry water, yea, even until this present time, in the place which the Lord had chosen.)

Me të mësuar këto gjëra, tërë mbretërit që ndodheshin këtej Jordanit, në krahinën malore, në fushat dhe gjatë bregut të Detit të Madh në drejtim të Libanit, Hiteu, Amoreu, Kananeu, Perezeu, Hiveu dhe Jebuseu,

u mblodhën bashkë në besëlidhje midis tyre për të luftuar kundër Jozueut dhe Izraelit.

Por kur banorët e Gabaonit mësuan atë që Jozueu kishte bërë në Jeriko dhe në Ai,

vepruan me dinakëri dhe u nisën gjoja si ambasadorë; ata ngarkuan mbi gomarët e tyre thasë të vjetra të konsumuara dhe kacekë të vjetër të shqyer dhe të arnuar për të transportuar verën,

dhe mbathën sandale të vjetra dhe të grisura dhe veshën trupin me rroba të përdorura; dhe e gjithë buka e tyre ishte e fortë dhe e thërmuar.

U paraqitën kështu para Jozueut në kampin e Gigalit dhe i thanë atij dhe tërë njerëzve të Izraelit: "Ne kemi ardhur nga një vend i largët; prandaj bëni aleancë me ne".

Por njerëzit e Izraelit iu përgjigjën kështu Hivejve: "Ndoshta banoni në mes nesh; si mund të lidhim aleancë me ju?".

Ata i thanë Jozueut: "Ne jemi shërbëtorë të tu!". Jozueu u tha atyre: Kush jeni dhe nga vini??".

Atëherë ata u përgjigjën: "Shërbëtorët e tu kanë ardhur nga një vend shumë i largët, për shkak të emrit të Zotit, Perëndisë tënd, sepse kemi dëgjuar të flitet për të dhe për të gjitha ato që ka bërë në Egjipt,

10 ashtu edhe për të gjitha ato që u ka bërë dy mbretërve të Amorejve matanë Jordanit, Sihonit, mbretit të Heshbonit, dhe Ogut, mbretit të Bashanit, që banonte në Ashtaroth.

11 Prandaj pleqtë tanë dhe të gjithë banorët e vendit tonë na thanë: Merrni nozullime me vete për udhëtimin, u dilni përpara dhe u thoni: "Ne jemi shërbëtorët tuaj; bëni, pra, aleancë me ne".

12 Kjo është buka jonë që morëm të ngrohtë me vete si rezervë nga shtëpitë tona ditën që u nisëm për të ardhur tek ju, dhe tani është bërë e fortë dhe e thërmuar;

13 dhe këta janë calikët e verës që ishin të rinj kur i mbushëm dhe ja, ku janë prishur; dhe ja, rrobat dhe sandalet tona, që janë ngrënë për shkak të udhëtimit shumë të gjatë".

14 Atëherë njerëzit e Izraelit morën disa nga nozullimet e tyre, por pa u konsultuar me Zotin.

15 Kështu Jozueu lidhi paqe me ta dhe nënshkroi një besëlidhje në bazë të së cilës ata mbeteshin të gjallë; dhe krerët e asamblesë u detyruan të betohen për këto gjëra.

16 Por tri ditë pas nënshkrimit të besëlidhjes mësuan se ata ishin fqinj të tyre dhe banonin në mes tyre.

17 Atëherë bijtë e Izraelit u nisën dhe ditën e tretë arritën në qytetet e tyre; qytetet e tyre ishin Gabaoni, Kefirahu, Beerothi dhe Kiriath-Jearimi.

18 Por bijtë e Izraelit nuk i vranë, sepse krerët e asamblesë u ishin betuar atyre në emër të Zotit, Perëndisë së Izraelit. Mirëpo tërë asambleja murmuriti kundër krerëve.

19 Atëherë krerët i thanë tërë asamblesë: "Ne u jemi betuar atyre në emër të Zotit, Perëndisë së Izraelit; prandaj nuk mund t’i ngasim.

20 Këtë do t’u bëjmë atyre: do t’i lëmë të gjallë që të mos tërheqim zemërimin e Zotit, për shkak të betimit që u kemi bërë atyre".

21 Krerët u thanë atyre: "Le të jetojnë, pra, por do të punojnë si druvarë dhe do të bartin ujë për gjithë asamblenë, siç u kishin thënë krerët".

22 Pastaj Jozueu i thirri dhe foli me ta, duke thënë: "Pse na gënjyet duke thënë: "Ne banojmë shumë larg nga ju, kurse ju banoni në mes nesh?"

23 Prandaj tani jeni të mallkuar, dhe do të jeni gjithnjë skllevër, druvarë o bartës të ujit për shtëpinë e Perëndisë tim".

24 Atëherë ata iu përgjigjën Jozueut dhe thanë: "Shërbëtorëve të tu u qe thënë qartë që Perëndia yt, Zoti, kishte urdhëruar shërbëtorin e tij Moisiun t’ju jepte tërë vendin dhe të shfaroste para jush tërë banorët e tij. Prandaj ne na hyri një frikë e madhe për jetën tonë nga shkaku juaj, dhe kemi vepruar në këtë mënyrë.

25 Dhe ja, tani jemi në dorën tënde; bëna atë që të duket e mirë dhe e drejtë".

26 Jozueu i trajtoi, pra, në këtë mënyrë: i liroi nga duart e bijve të Izraelit, me qëllim që këta të mos i vrisnin;

27 por po atë ditë i caktoi që të jenë druvarë dhe bartës të ujit për asamblenë dhe për altarin e Zotit, në vendin që ai do të zgjidhte deri në ditën e sotme.

The Treaty with the Gibeonites

And it came to pass when (A)all the kings who were on this side of the Jordan, in the hills and in the lowland and in all the coasts of (B)the Great Sea toward Lebanon—(C)the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite—heard about it, that they (D)gathered together to fight with Joshua and Israel with one [a]accord.

But when the inhabitants of (E)Gibeon (F)heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they worked craftily, and went and [b]pretended to be ambassadors. And they took old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins torn and [c]mended, old and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. And they went to Joshua, (G)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 [d]covenant with us.”

Then the men of Israel said to the (H)Hivites, “Perhaps you dwell among us; so (I)how can we make a covenant with you?”

But they said to Joshua, (J)“We are your servants.”

And Joshua said to them, “Who are you, and where do you come from?”

So they said to him: (K)“From a very far country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God; for we have (L)heard of His fame, and all that He did in Egypt, 10 and (M)all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan—to Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth. 11 Therefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take provisions with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, “We are your servants; now therefore, make a covenant with us.” ’ 12 This bread of ours we took hot for our provision from our houses on the day we departed to come to you. But now look, it is dry and moldy. 13 And these wineskins which we filled were new, and see, they are torn; and these our garments and our sandals have become old because of the very long journey.”

14 Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; (N)but they [e]did not ask counsel of the Lord. 15 So Joshua (O)made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live; and the rulers of the congregation swore to them.

16 And it happened at the end of three days, after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors who dwelt near them. 17 Then the children of Israel journeyed and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were (P)Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjath Jearim. 18 But the children of Israel did not [f]attack them, (Q)because the rulers of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel. And all the congregation complained against the rulers.

19 Then all the rulers said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel; now therefore, we may not touch them. 20 This we will do to them: We will let them live, lest (R)wrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore to them.” 21 And the rulers said to them, “Let them live, but let them be (S)woodcutters and water carriers for all the congregation, as the rulers had (T)promised them.”

22 Then Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, (U)‘We are very far from you,’ when (V)you dwell near us? 23 Now therefore, you are (W)cursed, and none of you shall be freed from being slaves—woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”

24 So they answered Joshua and said, “Because your servants were clearly told that the Lord your God (X)commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; therefore (Y)we were very much afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing. 25 And now, here we are, (Z)in your hands; do with us as it seems good and right to do to us.” 26 So he did to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they did not kill them. 27 And that day Joshua made them (AA)woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, (AB)in the place which He would choose, even to this day.

Footnotes

  1. Joshua 9:2 Lit. mouth
  2. Joshua 9:4 acted as envoys
  3. Joshua 9:4 Lit. tied up
  4. Joshua 9:6 treaty
  5. Joshua 9:14 Lit. did not inquire at the mouth of
  6. Joshua 9:18 strike