The People of Gibeon Trick the Leaders of Israel
1-2 The kings west of the Jordan River heard about Joshua's victories, so they got together and decided to attack Joshua and Israel. These kings were from the hill country and from the foothills to the west, as well as from the Mediterranean seacoast as far north as the Lebanon Mountains. Some of them were Hittites, others were Amorites or Canaanites, and still others were Perizzites, Hivites, or Jebusites.
3 The people of Gibeon had also heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai. 4 So they decided that some of their men should pretend to be messengers to Israel from a faraway country. The men put worn-out bags on their donkeys and found some old wineskins that had cracked and had been sewn back together. 5 Their sandals were old and patched, and their clothes were worn out. They even took along some dry and crumbly bread. 6 Then they went to the Israelite camp at Gilgal, where they said to Joshua and the men of Israel, “We have come from a country that is far from here. Please make a peace treaty with us.”
7-8 The Israelites replied, “But maybe you really live near us. We can't make a peace treaty with you if you live nearby.”
The Gibeonites said, “If you make a peace treaty with us, we will be your servants.”
“Who are you?” Joshua asked. “Where do you come from?”
They answered:
9 We are your servants, and we live far from here. We came because the Lord your God is so famous. We heard what the Lord did in Egypt 10 and what he did to those two Amorite kings on the other side of the Jordan: King Og of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth, and King Sihon of Heshbon.
11 Our leaders and everyone who lives in our country told us to meet with you and tell you that all of us are your servants. They said to ask you to make a peace treaty with our people. They told us to be sure and take along enough food for our journey. 12 See this dry, crumbly bread of ours? It was hot out of the oven when we packed the food on the day we left our homes. 13 These cracked wineskins were new when we filled them, and our clothes and sandals are worn out because we have traveled so far.
14 The Israelites tried some of the food, but they did not ask the Lord if he wanted them to make a treaty. 15 So Joshua made a peace treaty with the messengers and promised that Israel would not kill their people. Israel's leaders swore that Israel would keep this promise.
16-17 A couple of days later, the Israelites found out that these people actually lived in the nearby towns of Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-Jearim. So the Israelites left the place where they had camped and arrived at the four towns two days later. 18 But they did not attack the towns, because the Israelite leaders had sworn in the name of the Lord that they would let these people live.
The Israelites complained about their leaders' decision not to attack, 19-21 but the leaders reminded them, “We promised these people in the name of the Lord God of Israel that we would let them live, so we must not harm them. If we break our promise, God will punish us. We'll let them live, but we'll make them cut wood and carry water for our people.”
22 Joshua told some of his soldiers, “I want to meet with the Gibeonite leaders. Bring them here.”
When the Gibeonites came, Joshua said, “You live close to us. Why did you lie by claiming you lived far away? 23 So now you are under a curse, and from now on your people will have to send workers to cut wood and carry water for the place of worship.”
24 The Gibeonites answered, “The Lord your God told his servant Moses that you were to kill everyone who lives here and take their land for yourselves. We were afraid you would kill us, and so we tricked you into making a peace treaty. But we agreed to be your servants, 25 and you are strong enough to do anything to us that you want. We just ask you to do what seems right.”
26 Joshua did not let the Israelites kill the Gibeonites, 27 but he did tell the Gibeonites that they would have to be servants of the nation of Israel. They would have to cut firewood and bring it for the priests to use for burning sacrifices on the Lord's altar, wherever the Lord decided the altar would be. The Gibeonites would also have to carry water for the priests. And that is still the work of the Gibeonites.
Gibeoniešu viltība
1 Kad to izdzirdēja visi ķēniņi, kas bija viņpus Jardānas kalnos un līdzenumos un gar visu Lielās jūras piekrasti iepretī Lebanonam, – hetieši, amorieši, kanaānieši, perizieši, hivieši un jebūsieši, – 2 tad tie sapulcējās, lai cīnītos ar Jozuu un Israēlu – visi kā viens!
3 Kad Gibeonas iemītnieki uzzināja, ko Jozua bija izdarījis ar Jēriku un Aju, 4 tie rīkojās ar viltu – gāja, sagādāja iztiku, uzkrāva saviem ēzeļiem izdilušus maisus un apdilušus vīna maisus, kas jau bija cauri un saplīsuši, 5 un kājās tie āva novalkātas un noplēstas sandales, un tiem bija apvalkātas drēbes, un viņu iztikas maize bija sakaltusi un sapelējusi. 6 Tie devās pie Jozuas uz nometni Gilgālā un teica viņam un Israēla vīriem: “Mēs nākam no tālas zemes, slēdziet nu ar mums derību!” 7 Bet Israēla vīri teica hiviešiem: “Varbūt jūs mītat tepat pie mums – kā tad lai slēdzam ar jums derību?” 8 Bet tie teica Jozuam: “Mēs esam tavi kalpi!” Un Jozua tiem sacīja: “Kas jūs tādi? No kurienes jūs esat?” 9 Un tie viņam teica: “Tavi kalpi nāk no ļoti tālas zemes – Kunga, tava Dieva, slavas dēļ! Jo mums ir zināma viņa slava un viss, ko viņš darījis Ēģiptē! 10 Un arī tas, ko viņš izdarījis abiem amoriešu ķēniņiem, kas mita viņpus Jardānas – Hešbonas ķēniņam Sīhonam un Bāšānas ķēniņam Ogam, kas Aštārotā! 11 Un mūsu vecajie un visi, kas dzīvo mūsu zemē, mums teica: ņemiet iztiku ceļam, ejiet tiem pretī un sakiet: mēs esam jūsu kalpi! Slēdziet nu tagad ar mums derību! 12 Te ir mūsu maize! Tā bija silta, kad savās mājās mēs to ņēmām iztikai todien, kad devāmies ceļā pie jums, bet tagad, redzi, tā ir sakaltusi un sapelējusi! 13 Un šie vīna maisi, kad tos piepildījām, bija jauni, bet tagad, redzi, tie ir cauri! Un mūsu drānas un sandales tālajā ceļā ir novalkātas!” 14 Tad vīri dalījās ar tiem iztikā, bet Kungam nepajautāja. 15 Un Jozua ar tiem noslēdza mieru un derību, ka atstās tos dzīvus, un sapulces vadoņi viņiem zvērēja.
16 Bet trīs dienas pēc tam, kad ar tiem bija noslēgta derība, viņi uzzināja, ka tie ir tepat no tuvienes un ka tie mīt tepat viņiem blakus. 17 Un Israēla dēli devās ceļā un trešajā dienā sasniedza viņu pilsētas. Viņu pilsētas bija Gibeona, Kefīra, Beērota un Kirjat-Jeārīma. 18 Israēla dēli viņus nenokāva, jo sapulces vadoņi tiem bija zvērējuši pie Kunga, Israēla Dieva. Bet visa sapulce kurnēja pret saviem vadoņiem. 19 Un vadoņi teica visai sapulcei: “Mēs viņiem esam zvērējuši pie Kunga, Israēla Dieva, tagad mēs viņus nedrīkstam aiztikt! 20 Darīsim tā – atstāsim tos dzīvus, ka pār mums nenāk dusmas zvēresta dēļ, ko esam zvērējuši!” 21 Un vadoņi teica viņiem: “Lai tie paliek dzīvi un kļūst par malkas cirtējiem un ūdens smēlējiem visai sapulcei.” Tā vadoņi par viņiem lēma. 22 Tad Jozua sasauca tos un sacīja tiem: “Kādēļ jūs pievīlāt mūs, sacīdami, ka esat no tālienes, kaut gan bijāt tepat no tuvienes!? 23 Tagad esiet nolādēti un nolemti verdzībai, malkas ciršanai un ūdens smelšanai mūsu Dieva namam!” 24 Bet tie atbildēja Jozuam un sacīja: “Tas tāpēc, ka taviem kalpiem bija daudz stāstīts, ko Kungs, tavs Dievs, pavēlējis savam kalpam Mozum – ka atdos jums visu šo zemi, lai jūsu priekšā iznīcinātu visas šīs zemes tautas. Tad nu mēs jūsu dēļ baidījāmies par savām dzīvībām un tā izdarījām. 25 Tagad, redzi, mēs esam tavās rokās! Kā tev šķiet labi un pareizi, tā ar mums dari!” 26 Un tā viņš tiem darīja – izglāba tos no Israēla dēlu rokas, un tie tos nenokāva. 27 Todien Jozua viņus padarīja par malkas cirtējiem un ūdens smēlējiem visai sapulcei un Kunga altārim, vietā, ko viņš sev izraudzījis, – tā tas ir līdz šai dienai.
