Josua 9
Schlachter 2000
Die List der Gibeoniter
9 Als dies nun alle Könige hörten, die diesseits des Jordan, auf dem Bergland und in der Schephela[a] und der ganzen Küste des großen Meeres[b] wohnten, dem Libanon gegenüber, die Hetiter, Amoriter, Kanaaniter, Pheresiter, Hewiter und Jebusiter,
2 da versammelten sie sich einmütig, um gegen Josua und gegen Israel zu kämpfen.
3 Als aber die Einwohner von Gibeon hörten, was Josua mit Jericho und Ai getan hatte,
4 da gebrauchten sie eine List, und sie gingen hin und verstellten sich als Abgesandte: Sie nahmen alte Säcke auf ihre Esel und alte, zerrissene und geflickte Weinschläuche,
5 auch alte und geflickte Schuhe an ihre Füße und zogen abgenutzte Kleider an, und alles Brot ihres Speisevorrats war hart und schimmlig.
6 Und sie gingen zu Josua ins Lager nach Gilgal und sprachen zu ihm und zu den Männern von Israel: Wir sind aus einem fernen Land gekommen; so macht nun einen Bund mit uns!
7 Da sprachen die Männer von Israel zu den Hewitern: Vielleicht wohnt ihr in unserer Nähe; wie könnten wir da einen Bund mit euch machen?
8 Sie aber sprachen zu Josua: Wir sind deine Knechte! Und Josua sprach zu ihnen: Wer seid ihr, und woher kommt ihr?
9 Und sie sprachen zu ihm: Deine Knechte sind aus einem sehr fernen Land gekommen um des Namens des Herrn, deines Gottes, willen; denn wir haben die Kunde von ihm vernommen und alles, was er in Ägypten getan hat,
10 auch alles, was er den beiden Königen der Amoriter jenseits des Jordan getan hat, Sihon, dem König von Hesbon, und Og, dem König von Baschan, der in Astarot wohnte.
11 Darum sprachen unsere Ältesten und alle Einwohner unseres Landes zu uns und sagten: Nehmt Speise mit euch auf den Weg und geht hin, ihnen entgegen, und sprecht zu ihnen: »Wir sind eure Knechte, so macht nun einen Bund mit uns!«
12 Dieses unser Brot, das wir als Speisevorrat aus unseren Häusern mitnahmen, war noch warm, als wir auszogen, um zu euch zu gehen; nun aber, siehe, ist es hart und schimmlig.
13 Und diese Weinschläuche waren neu, als wir sie füllten, und siehe, sie sind zerrissen. Und diese unsere Kleider und unsere Schuhe sind abgenutzt worden von der sehr langen Reise!
14 Da nahmen die Männer [Israels] von ihrer Speise, aber den Mund des Herrn befragten sie nicht.
15 Und Josua machte Frieden mit ihnen und schloss einen Bund mit ihnen, dass sie am Leben bleiben sollten; und die Obersten der Gemeinde schworen ihnen.
16 Es geschah aber nach drei Tagen, nachdem sie mit ihnen einen Bund gemacht hatten, da hörten sie, dass jene aus ihrer Nähe wären und mitten unter ihnen wohnten.
17 Denn als die Kinder Israels weiterzogen, kamen sie am dritten Tag zu ihren Städten; die hießen Gibeon, Kaphira, Beerot und Kirjat-Jearim.
18 Und die Kinder Israels schlugen sie nicht, weil die Obersten der Gemeinde ihnen geschworen hatten bei dem Herrn, dem Gott Israels. Aber die ganze Gemeinde murrte gegen die Obersten.
19 Da sprachen alle Obersten zu der ganzen Gemeinde: Wir haben ihnen geschworen bei dem Herrn, dem Gott Israels, darum können wir sie nicht angreifen.
20 So wollen wir an ihnen handeln: Wir wollen sie leben lassen, damit nicht ein Zorn über uns kommt um des Eides willen, den wir ihnen geschworen haben.
21 Und die Obersten sprachen zu ihnen: Lasst sie leben, damit sie Holzhauer und Wasserschöpfer für die ganze Gemeinde werden, wie ihnen die Obersten gesagt haben!
22 Und Josua rief sie zu sich und redete mit ihnen und sprach: Warum habt ihr uns betrogen und gesagt: »Wir wohnen sehr weit von euch weg«, während ihr doch mitten unter uns wohnt?
23 Darum sollt ihr verflucht sein und nicht aufhören, Knechte und Holzhauer und Wasserschöpfer zu sein für das Haus meines Gottes!
24 Da antworteten sie Josua und sprachen: Es ist deinen Knechten als gewiss berichtet worden, dass der Herr, dein Gott, seinem Knecht Mose geboten hat, euch das ganze Land zu geben und alle Einwohner des Landes vor euch her zu vertilgen; da fürchteten wir sehr um unser Leben wegen euch und haben darum so gehandelt.
25 Nun aber siehe, wir sind in deiner Hand; wie du es für gut und recht hältst, mit uns zu verfahren, so sollst du verfahren!
26 Und er verfuhr auf diese Weise mit ihnen und errettete sie aus der Hand der Kinder Israels, dass sie sie nicht töteten.
27 Und Josua machte sie an jenem Tag zu Holzhauern und Wasserschöpfern für die Gemeinde und für den Altar des Herrn, an dem Ort, den Er erwählen würde; [und so ist es] bis zu diesem Tag.
Joshua 9
King James Version
9 And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof;
2 That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.
3 And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,
4 They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;
5 And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.
6 And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us.
7 And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?
8 And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?
9 And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the Lord thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,
10 And all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth.
11 Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants: therefore now make ye a league with us.
12 This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is mouldy:
13 And these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey.
14 And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord.
15 And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.
16 And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them.
17 And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjathjearim.
18 And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes.
19 But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.
20 This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them.
21 And the princes said unto them, Let them live; but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation; as the princes had promised them.
22 And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when ye dwell among us?
23 Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.
24 And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that the Lord thy 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 sore afraid of our lives because of you, and have done this thing.
25 And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do.
26 And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not.
27 And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the Lord, even unto this day, in the place which he should choose.
Joshua 9
Evangelical Heritage Version
The Deception by Gibeon
9 When all the kings who were west of the Jordan in the hill country,[a] in the Shephelah,[b] and along the entire coast of the Mediterranean Sea[c] as far as Lebanon (the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites) heard what had happened, 2 they gathered together with one purpose: to wage war against Joshua and Israel.
3 However, when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, 4 they responded by coming up with a clever scheme: They gathered their provisions as if they were going on a trip.[d] They loaded worn-out sacks on their donkeys and wineskins that were worn-out, split, and mended. 5 They put worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and they put on worn-out clothing. All the bread in their provisions was dried out. It had begun to crumble. 6 Then they came to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal and told him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a land far away. So now, make a treaty with us.”
7 The men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us. How can we make a treaty with you?”
8 They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.”
So Joshua said to them, “Who are you, and where do you come from?”
9 They said to him, “Because of the Name of the Lord your God, your servants have come from a land very far away. For we heard the report about him and all that he did in Egypt 10 and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were in the area east of the Jordan—to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan, who was in Ashtaroth. 11 Our elders and all the inhabitants of our land said to us, ‘Take in your hand provisions for the journey and go to meet them. You should say to them, “We are your servants, so now make a treaty with us.”’ 12 This bread of ours was hot when we packed for the trip at our houses on the day we set out to come to you. Now, look, it is dried out and has become crumbs! 13 The wineskins were new when we filled them. Look, they have burst! Look at our clothing and our sandals. They wore out because of the great length of the journey.”
14 Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions, but they did not seek the word of the Lord. 15 So Joshua made peace with them. He made a treaty with them to let them live, and the leaders of the community swore an oath to them.
16 But three days after they had made the treaty with them, the Israelites heard that they were their neighbors, that is, that they were living among them. 17 So the people of Israel set out and came to the Gibeonites’ cities on the third day. Their cities were Gibeon, Kephirah, Be’eroth,[e] and Kiriath Jearim. 18 But the people of Israel did not attack them because the leaders of the congregation had sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. So the whole community grumbled against the leaders.
19 All the leaders said to the community, “We swore an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, so now we are not able to touch them. 20 This is what we should do with them: We will keep them alive so that there will not be anger against us because of the oath that we swore to them.” 21 Then the leaders said to the community, “They shall live!” So they became wood cutters and water carriers for the whole community, just as the leaders had advised concerning them.
22 Then Joshua summoned them and said to them, “Why did you deceive us by saying, ‘We live very far away from you,’ when in fact you live right among us? 23 So now you are cursed! The name ‘slave’ will never be removed from you. You will always be wood cutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”
24 They answered Joshua, “Your servants were told very clearly that the Lord your God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to exterminate all the inhabitants of the land from your presence. We feared greatly for our lives because of you. That is why we did this. 25 So here we are, in your hand. Whatever seems good and right in your eyes to do to us, do it.”
26 So that is what he did to them. He saved them from the hand of the people of Israel so that they did not kill them. 27 On that day Joshua designated them as wood cutters and water carriers for the community and for the altar of the Lord, for the place the Lord would choose, until this very day.
Footnotes
- Joshua 9:1 Or highlands. The word traditionally translated hill country is the same Hebrew word that means mountain. But in many cases, as it does here, it refers to highland regions, not to a mountain peak. This translation retains the traditional rendering hill country for the highland regions of Israel.
- Joshua 9:1 The Shephelah is the region of foothills west of the central mountain range of Israel.
- Joshua 9:1 Hebrew Great Sea
- Joshua 9:4 The meaning of this sentence is uncertain.
- Joshua 9:17 The stop mark ′ is inserted into some names as a pronunciation guide. The double vowel in Beer should not be read as one syllable, Beer, but as two syllables, Be-er.
Copyright © 2000 by Geneva Bible Society
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.