Bagibiyoni banotjengela Joshuwa
1 Kwakati bomambo bakabe begala kunomila zhuba kwe gwizi gwe Jorodani mu shango ye matombo ne shango yakawila ne yakabapisa Gungwa Bukulu kuyendila ku shango ye Lebanoni neye Bahiti neye Baamori neye Bakanana neye Baperizi neye Bahivi neye Bajebusi behwa ngekwe kukunda kwe Baiziraela, 2 bakazwibhatshanya bakabe tjithu tjing'ompela kugwa na Joshuwa ne Baiziraela.
3 Bathu be Gibiyoni bakati behwa kuti Joshuwa wakathamilani nzi we Jerikho ne we Ai, 4 naibo bakaluka maano, bakatola masaka akashakala ne makukhwa e nkumbi we zhambi akalongwa zwibata, 5 bakaambala bokhwebana bakaphetjiwabo ne zwiambalo zwakashakala. Zojiwa zwabo zose zwakabe zwakawomelela kakale zwakavuva. 6 Ngono bakayenda kuna Joshuwa ku bukotokelo gwe Baiziraela ku Giligala ngono bakaswika bedwa Joshuwa ne balume be Baiziraela beti, “Todwa ku shango ikule kule ngono tokumbila muthame tjidumano tje mbakiso naswi.”
7 Ngono balume be Baiziraela bakabhuzwa Bahivi ibaba beti, “Ngatitini mogala pejo naswi, tingathama tjidumano tje mbakiso namwi tjini wali kene?” 8 Ngono bakashandula Joshuwa beti, “Ti balanda benyu.” Koga Joshuwa kababhuzwa eti, “Ndimwi boani kakale modwa ngayi?” 9 Bakanshandula beti, “Balanda benyu, banodwa ku shango ikule kule ngekwe ndumbidzo ya Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu na zose zwabakashinga ku Egipiti 10 ne tjimwe ne tjimwe tjabakathama bomambo babili be Baamori, Sihoni mambo we Heshibhoni na Ogi mambo we Bhashani wakabe egala ku Ashitaroti. 11 Batungamili bedu ne bathu bose be shango yedu banogala mu shango yedu bakatidwa beti, ‘Tolani mbuba mululwamisile gwendo munoshangana nabo ngono muswike mubadwe muti, “Ti balanda benyu, thamani tjidumano tje mbakiso naswi,” ’ 12 Bonani zojiwa zwedu, zwakabe zwipisa patakamilika tizha ngeno ngono ngwenu bonani zwatjiwomelela kakale zwavuva, 13 makukhwa edu e nkumbi we zhambi akabe ali matshwa patakaadila nkumbi ngono ngwenu sekwa munobona atjipubuka. Zwiambalo zwedu ne shangu dzedu dzatjishakala nge gwendo bulefu.” 14 Baiziraela bakanokola zojiwa bakalabila basashakisisa nge kwako muna Yahwe. 15 Ngono Joshuwa kathama tjidumano tje mbakiso nabo kabaletjedza bakagala nabo, ne batungamili be gubungano bakasisithila nge kutuna.
16 Kwakati shule kwe mazhuba matatu basino thama tjidumano tje mbakiso ne bathu be Gibiyoni, Baiziraela bakahwa kuti Bagibiyoni babakidzani babo. 17 Ndizo Baiziraela bakamilika bakatola gwendo kukati shule kwe mazhuba matatu bakanoti ku mizi yabo ye Gibiyoni ne Khefira ne Bheeroti ne Kiriatijearimu. 18 Koga Baiziraela bakasibanginilile ngobe batungamili be gubungano bakabe batuna na Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela. Gubungano lakang'ong'ola ngekwe batungamili nge kwako 19 koga batungamili bakadwa gubungano beti, “Takatuna kale na Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela, kuti atingalonge bathu ibaba luboko. 20 Ngono ngwenu etji nditjo tjatinowothama nge kwabo. Ngobe takatuna kale towobaletja bakatjila kuti ndizo bushongola gwe Ndzimu gusitiwile ngosashingikadza Tjidumano tjedu nabo.” 21 Batungamili bakabadwa beti, “Mubaletje bagale, koga banowobe batemi be hwuni ne batjeli be vula betjelela gubungano lose.” Ndizo batungamili bakashingikadza tjabakabe bagadzabgwe.
22 Ndizo Joshuwa kadana balume be Gibiyoni ngono kabadwa kati, “Ini matitjengela nge kutidwa muti, ‘Togala kulekule namwi,’ koga mu gala ipapa pejo pejo naswi kene? 23 Muna bhiso, mowogala koga muli batemi be hwuni ne batjeli be vula be Ng'umba ye Ndzimu wangu kuswikilila.” 24 Bakadabila Joshuwa beti, “Balanda benyu bakabudziwa zubuyanana kuti Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu bakadwa nlada wabo Mushe kuti amupe shango yose ne kuti mulobese bagali bose bayo. Ndizo takatja nge kwenyu tibetithama saikoku. 25 Tabe mu maboko enyu ndizo mungathama tjimwe ne tjimwe tjamunobona tjakamululwamila nge kwedu.” 26 Ndizo Joshuwa kabatjidza mu Baiziraela kakale bakasibabulaye. 27 Koga Joshuwa wakabathama batemi be hwuni ne batjeli be vula ye gubungano lose neye tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo tja Yahwe. Na nasi kose batjathama saikoku mu magalo ashalugwa ndi Yahwe.
The Gibeonites Deceive Joshua
1 The victories of Israel became known to all the kings west of the Jordan—in the hills, in the foothills, and all along the coastal plain of the Mediterranean Sea as far north as Lebanon; these were the kings of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 2 They all came together and joined forces to fight against Joshua and the Israelites.
3 But the people of Gibeon, who were Hivites, heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4 and they decided to deceive him. They went and got some food and loaded their donkeys with worn-out sacks and patched-up wineskins. 5 They put on ragged clothes and worn-out sandals that had been mended. The bread they took with them was dry and moldy. 6 Then they went to the camp at Gilgal and said to Joshua and the Israelites, “We have come from a distant land. We want you to make a treaty with us.”
7 But the Israelites said, “Why should we make a treaty with you? Maybe you live nearby.”
8 They said to Joshua, “We are at your service.”
Joshua asked them, “Who are you? Where do you come from?”
9 Then they told him this story: “We have come from a very distant land, sir, because we have heard of the Lord your God. We have heard about everything that he did in Egypt 10 and what he did to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan: King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth. 11 Our leaders and all the people that live in our land told us to get some food ready for a trip and to go and meet you. We were told to put ourselves at your service and ask you to make a treaty with us. 12 Look at our bread. When we left home with it and started out to meet you, it was still warm. But look! Now it is dry and moldy. 13 When we filled these wineskins, they were new, but look! They are torn. Our clothes and sandals are worn out from the long trip.”
14 The Israelites accepted some food from them, but did not consult the Lord about it. 15 Joshua made a treaty of friendship with the people of Gibeon and allowed them to live. The leaders of the community of Israel gave their solemn promise to keep the treaty.
16 Three days after the treaty had been made, the Israelites learned that these people did indeed live nearby. 17 So the people of Israel started out and three days later arrived at the cities where these people lived: Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim. 18 But the Israelites could not kill them, because their leaders had made a solemn promise to them in the name of the Lord, Israel's God. All the people complained to the leaders about this, 19 but they answered, “We have made our solemn promise to them in the name of the Lord God of Israel. Now we cannot harm them. 20 We must let them live because of our promise; if we don't, God will punish us. 21 Let them live, but they will have to cut wood and carry water for us.” This was what the leaders suggested.
22 Joshua ordered the people of Gibeon to be brought to him, and he asked them, “Why did you deceive us and tell us that you were from far away, when you live right here? 23 Because you did this, God has condemned you. Your people will always be slaves, cutting wood and carrying water for the sanctuary of my God.”
24 They answered, “We did it, sir, because we learned that it was really true that the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to kill the people living in it as you advanced. We did it because we were terrified of you; we were in fear of our lives. 25 Now we are in your power; do with us what you think is right.” 26 So this is what Joshua did: he protected them and did not allow the people of Israel to kill them. 27 But at the same time he made them slaves, to cut wood and carry water for the people of Israel and for the Lord's altar. To this day they have continued to do this work in the place where the Lord has chosen to be worshiped.