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.
1 Un, kad to dzirdēja visi ķēniņi, kas ir viņpus Jordānas gan kalnos, gan ielejās un gar visu Lielās jūras malu līdz Libanonam, proti: hetieši, kānaānieši, ferisieši, hīvieši un jebusieši, 2 tad tie visi sapulcējās vienkopus, lai vienprātīgi vestu pret Jozuu un Israēlu karu. 3 Kad nu Gibeonas iedzīvotāji dzirdēja, ko Jozua bija darījis ar Jēriku un ar Aju, 4 tad arī tie rīkojās ar viltu: viņi nogāja, apgādājās ar pārtiku un ņēma līdzi uz saviem ēzeļiem vecus maisus un nodriskātus ādas vīna traukus, kas bija saplaisājuši un salāpīti, 5 ar vecām, salāpītām sandalēm kājās un novalkātiem apmetņiem mugurā, un visa viņu ceļamaize bija sakaltusi un sapelējusi. 6 Un tie nāca pie Jozuas Gilgalas nometnē un sacīja viņam un Israēla vīriem: "Mēs esam nākuši no tālas zemes, bet tagad slēdziet ar mums derību." 7 Tad Israēla vīri atbildēja hīviešiem: "Varbūt jūs jau dzīvojat mūsu vidū - kā tad lai mēs slēdzam ar jums derību?" 8 Tad tie apgalvoja Jozuam: "Mēs esam tavi kalpi." Un Jozua viņiem jautāja: "Kas jūs esat, un no kurienes jūs nākat?" 9 Tad tie viņam atbildēja: "Mēs, tavi kalpi, nākam no visai tālas zemes Tā Kunga, tava Dieva, Vārda dēļ, jo mēs esam dzirdējuši Viņa slavu un arī visu to, ko Viņš ir darījis Ēģiptē. 10 Un tāpat arī visu to, ko Viņš ir darījis tiem diviem amoriešu ķēniņiem viņpus Jordānas, Hešbonas ķēniņam Sihonam un Basanas ķēniņam Ogam, kas dzīvoja Aštarotā. 11 Tāpēc mūsu vecaji un visi, kas dzīvo mūsu zemē, mūs skubināja, teikdami: ņemiet savās rokās ceļamaizi, dodieties tiem ceļā pretī un sakiet viņiem: mēs esam jūsu kalpi, un tagad slēdziet ar mums derību. 12 Un šeit ir mūsu maize, mēs to siltu paņēmām līdzi no savām mājām ceļam tanī dienā, kad mēs izgājām, lai dotos pie jums, bet nu redziet, cik tā ir sakaltusi un sapelējusi. 13 Un šie ādas vīna trauki, ko mēs piepildījām, tie bija pilnīgi jauni, bet tagad tie ir saplaisājuši gabalos, kā jūs to redzat, un mūsu drēbes un mūsu sandales ir galīgi nolietotas pārāk tālajā ceļā." 14 Tad Israēla vīri ņēma gan no viņu ceļamaizes, bet tie neprasīja Tā Kunga gribu. 15 Un Jozua noslēdza ar viņiem mieru un noslēdza ar tiem derību, ka viņš tos atstās dzīvus, un draudzes vadoņi nodeva tiem zvērestu. 16 Bet pēc trim dienām, kad tie bija noslēguši derību ar viņiem, tie dzirdēja, ka viņi esot to kaimiņi, jo dzīvojot to vidū, 17 un, kad Israēla bērni cēlās un devās ceļā, tad viņi trešajā dienā nonāca pie viņu pilsētām. Bet viņu pilsētas bija Gibeona, Kefīra, Beērota, kā arī Kirjat-Jeārima. 18 Tomēr Israēla bērni tos nenokāva, tādēļ ka visas draudzes vadoņi, piesaukdami To Kungu, Israēla Dievu, bija tiem zvērējuši; bet, kad nu visa draudze kurnēja pret vadoņiem, 19 tad visi vadoņi teica visai draudzei: "Mēs esam pie Tā Kunga, Israēla Dieva, tiem zvērējuši, un mēs tāpēc nevaram tos aiztikt. 20 Bet mēs ar viņiem rīkosimies šādi: labāk lai tie paliek dzīvi, nevis ka pār mums nāktu sods, ja mēs būtu tiem devuši viltīgu zvērestu." 21 Un tad tie vadoņi ļaudīm sacīja: "Lai tie paliek dzīvi, bet tiem jākļūst par malkas cirtējiem un ūdens nesējiem visai mūsu draudzei." Tā tie vadoņi bija to viņiem nolikuši. 22 Tad Jozua viņus ataicināja un tiem jautāja: "Kāpēc jūs mūs pievīlāt, teikdami: mēs no jums esam ļoti tālu,- kaut gan jūs šeit pat mūsu vidū dzīvojat? 23 Nu tad tagad - esiet nolādēti, lai no jums netrūktu kalpu, malkas cirtēju un ūdens smēlēju mūsu Dieva namam." 24 Un tie atbildēja Jozuam un sacīja: "Taviem kalpiem tika patiesi stāstīts, ko Tas Kungs, tavs Dievs, Mozum, Savam kalpam, ir apsolījis, ka Viņš visu šo zemi jums nodošot un ka ienākot jūs iznīcināšot visus šīs zemes iedzīvotājus. Tad mēs ļoti bijāmies no jums savas dzīvības dēļ, un tāpēc mēs to tā darījām. 25 Bet nu tagad, redzi, mēs esam tavā rokā, dari ar mums tā, kā tas ir labi un taisnīgi tavās acīs." 26 Tad viņš tiem tā arī darīja un tos izglāba no Israēla bērnu rokas, ka tie tos nenokāva. 27 Un Jozua tanī dienā viņus nodeva draudzei par malkas cirtējiem un ūdens nesējiem Tā Kunga altāra vajadzībām līdz šai dienai tai vietā, kuru Tas Kungs bija izraudzījis.
