Joshua 9
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Gibeonites Save Themselves by Trickery
9 Now when all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon—the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites—heard of this,(A) 2 they gathered together with one accord to fight Joshua and Israel.
3 But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,(B) 4 they on their part acted with cunning: they went and prepared provisions[a] and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys and wineskins, worn out and torn and mended, 5 with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet and worn-out clothes, and all their provisions were dry and moldy. 6 They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the Israelites, “We have come from a far country, so now make a treaty with us.”(C) 7 But the Israelites said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a treaty with you?”(D) 8 They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?”(E) 9 They said to him, “Your servants have come from a very far country because of the name of the Lord your God, for we have heard a report of him, of all that he did in Egypt(F) 10 and of all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan who lived in Ashtaroth.(G) 11 So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey; go to meet them, and say to them, “We are your servants; come now, make a treaty with us.” ’ 12 Here is our bread; it was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey, on the day we set out to come to you, but now, see, it is dry and moldy; 13 these wineskins were new when we filled them, and see, they are burst, and these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.” 14 So the leaders[b] partook of their provisions and did not ask direction from the Lord.(H) 15 And Joshua made peace with them, guaranteeing their lives by a treaty, and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.(I)
16 But when three days had passed after they had made a treaty with them, they heard that they were their neighbors and were living among them. 17 So the Israelites set out and reached their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.(J) 18 But the Israelites did not attack them because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders.(K) 19 But all the leaders said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we must not touch them. 20 This is what we will do to them: we will let them live, so that wrath may not come upon us, because of the oath that we swore to them.” 21 The leaders said to them, “Let them live.” So they became woodcutters and drawers of water for all the congregation, as the leaders had decided concerning them.(L)
22 Joshua summoned them and said to them, “Why did you deceive us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ while in fact you are living among us?(M) 23 Now, therefore, you are cursed, and some of you shall always be slaves, woodcutters and drawers of water for the house of my God.”(N) 24 They answered Joshua, “Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you, so we were in great fear for our lives because of you and did this thing.(O) 25 And now we are in your hand: do as it seems good and right in your sight to do to us.”(P) 26 This is what he did for them: he saved them from the Israelites, and they did not kill them. 27 But on that day Joshua made them woodcutters and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, to continue to this day, in the place that he should choose.(Q)
Yoswa 9
Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero
Chinyengo cha Agibiyoni
9 Mafumu onse okhala kumadzulo kwa Yorodani atamva zimenezi pamodzi ndi mafumu okhala ku mayiko a ku mapiri, mu zigwa, mʼmbali mwa Nyanja yayikulu mpaka ku Lebanoni (mafumu a Ahiti, Aamori, Akanaani, Aperezi, Ahivi, ndi Ayebusi), 2 anapangana kuti achite nkhondo ndi Yoswa ndi Israeli.
3 Koma Ahivi ena a ku Gibiyoni atamva zomwe Yoswa anachitira mizinda ya Yeriko ndi Ai, 4 anaganiza zochita zachinyengo. Anapita nasenzetsa abulu awo chakudya mʼmatumba akalekale ndiponso matumba a vinyo achikopa ongʼambikangʼambika. 5 Anthuwa anavala nsapato zakutha ndi zazigamba ndiponso anavala sanza. Buledi wawo yense anali wowuma ndi wowola. 6 Ndipo anapita kwa Yoswa ku msasa ku Giligala ndikumuwuza kuti, pamodzi ndi Aisraeli onse, “Ife tachokera ku dziko lakutali, ndipo tikufuna kuti muchite mgwirizano ndi ife.”
7 Koma Aisraeli anayankha Ahiviwo kuti, “Mwinatu inu mukukhala pafupi ndi ife. Tsono ife tingachite bwanji mgwirizano ndi inu?”
8 Iwo anati kwa Yoswa, “Ife ndife akapolo anu.”
Tsono Yoswa anawafunsa kuti, “Inu ndinu yani ndipo mukuchokera kuti?”
9 Iwo anayankha kuti, “Akapolo anufe tachokera ku dziko lakutali chifukwa tamva za Yehova Mulungu wanu. Tamva mbiri yonse ya zimene Iye anachita ku Igupto, 10 ndi zonse zimene anachita kwa mafumu awiri a Aamori kummawa kwa Yorodani, mfumu Sihoni ya Hesiboni ndi Ogi mfumu ya Basani amene amalamulira ku Asiteroti. 11 Tsono akuluakulu athu ndi onse amene akukhala mʼdziko lathu anati kwa ife. Tengani chakudya cha pa ulendo wanu. Pitani mukakumane nawo ndipo mukati kwa iwo, ‘Ife ndife akapolo anu, ndipo tikufuna kuti mugwirizane nafe za mtendere.’ ” 12 Buledi wathuyu anali wotentha pamene timanyamuka ku mudzi kubwera kwa inu. Koma tsopano taonani ali gwaa ndiponso wawola. 13 Zikopa zimene tinathiramo vinyozi zinali zatsopano, koma taonani zathetheka. Zovala zathu ndi nsapato zathu zatha chifukwa cha kutalika kwa ulendo.
14 Aisraeli anatengako chakudya chawo koma sanafunse kwa Yehova. 15 Choncho Yoswa anapangana nawo za mtendere kuti sadzawapha, ndipo atsogoleri a gulu anavomereza pochita lumbiro.
16 Patatha masiku atatu atachita mgwirizano wa mtendere ndi Agibiyoni, Aisraeli anamva kuti anali anansi awo, anthu amene amakhala nawo pafupi. 17 Tsono Aisraeli ananyamuka ulendo ndipo tsiku lachitatu anafika ku mizinda ya Gibiyoni, Kefira, Beeroti ndi Kiriati-Yearimu. 18 Koma Aisraeli sanawaphe anthuwo chifukwa atsogoleri awo anali atalonjeza mʼdzina la Yehova Mulungu wa Israeli za Agibiyoniwo.
Koma anthu onse anatsutsana ndi atsogoleriwo. 19 Koma atsogoleriwo anayankha kuti, “Ife tinawalonjeza mʼdzina la Yehova, Mulungu wa Israeli, ndipo tsopano sitingawaphe. 20 Chimene tidzachita nawo ndi ichi: Tidzawasiya akhale ndi moyo kuti mkwiyo wa Yehova usatigwere chifukwa chophwanya lonjezo limene tinawalonjeza.” 21 Anapitiriza kunena kuti “Asiyeni akhale ndi moyo, komabe akhale otidulira mitengo ndi kutitungira madzi ogwiritsa ntchito pa chipembedzo.” Lonjezo la atsogoleriwo linasungidwa.
22 Kenaka Yoswa anayitanitsa Agibiyoni aja nawafunsa kuti, “Chifukwa chiyani inu munatinyenga ponena kuti mumachokera kutali pamene zoona zake nʼzoti mumakhala pafupi pomwe pano? 23 Tsopano popeza mwachita izi, Mulungu wakutembererani ndipo palibe wina mwa inu amene akhale mfulu. Nthawi zonse inu muzidzatidulira nkhuni ndi kutitungira madzi ku Nyumba ya Yehova.”
24 Iwo anayankha Yoswa kuti, “Ife akapolo anufe tinachita zimenezi chifukwa tinamva bwino lomwe kuti Yehova Mulungu wanu analamula Mose mtumiki wake kuti adzakupatsani dziko lonseli ndi kuti anthu onse okhalamo adzaphedwe. Tsono ife tinachita mantha aakulu ndipo tinachita zimenezi pofuna kupulumutsa miyoyo yathu. 25 Tsopanotu ife tili mʼmanja mwanu, ndipo inu chitani nafe monga kukukomerani.”
26 Tsono Yoswa anawapulumutsa mʼmanja mwa Aisraeli ndipo sanawaphe. 27 Kuyambira tsiku limenelo Agibiyoni aja anasanduka odula nkhuni zaguwa lansembe la Yehova ndiponso otunga madzi. Mpaka lero lino iwo akuchitabe zimenezi kulikonse kumene Yehova anasankha.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Word of God in Contemporary Chichewa Copyright © 2002, 2016 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide. Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Mwini © 2002, 2016 ndi Biblica, Inc.® Kugwiritsa ntchito mwachilolezo. Umwini ndi otetezedwa pa dziko lonse.