Josué 9

Da alle Kongerne på den anden Side af Jordan, i Bjergene og i Lavlandet og langs hele det store Havs Kyst hen imod Libanon, Hetiterne, Amoriterne, Kana'anæerne, Perizziterne, Hivviterne og Jebusiterne, hørte, hvad der var sket,

samlede de sig for i Fællesskab at kæmpe mod Josua og Israel.

Men da Indbyggerne i Gibeon hørte, hvad Josua havde gjort ved Jeriko og Aj,

greb også de til en List; de gik hen og forsynede sig med Rejsetæring, læssede nogle slidte Sække og nogle slidte, sprukne, stoppede Vinsække på deres Æsler

og tog slidte, lappede Sko på Fødderne og slidte Klæder på Kroppen, og alt deres Rejsebrød var tørt og mullent.

og alt, hvad han gjorde mod de to Amoriterkonger hinsides Jordan, Kong Sihon af Hesjbon og Kong Og af Basan, som boede i Asjtarot.

og vore Ældste og alle Indbyggerne i vort Land sagde til os: Tag Rejse tæring med eder, drag dem i Møde og sig til dem: Vi er eders Trælle; slut derfor nu Pagt med os!

Vort Brød her var endnu varmt, da vi tog det med hjemmefra, dengang vi begav os af Sted for at drage til eder; men se, nu er det tørt og mullent;

Så tog Mændene af deres Rejsetæring; men HERREN rådspurgte de ikke.

Og Josua tilsagde dem Fred og sluttede Overenskomst med dem og lovede at lade dem leve, og Menighedens Øverster tilsvor dem det.

Men tre Dage efter at de havde sluttet Pagt med dem, hørte de, at de var fra den nærmeste Omegn og boede midt iblandt dem.

Og Israeliterne brød op og kom den tredje Dag til deres Byer, det var Gibeon, Kefira, Beerot og Kirjat Jearim.

Men Israeliterne dræbte dem ikke, fordi Menighedens Øverster havde, tilsvoret dem Fred ved HERREN, Israels Gud. Da knurrede hele Menigheden mod Øversterne;

Men dette vil vi gøre med dem, når vi skåner deres Liv, at der ikke skal komme Vrede over os for den Ed, vi svor dem:

Da handlede han således med dem; han friede dem fra Israeliternes Hånd, så de ikke dræbte dem;

men Josua gjorde dem den Dag til Brændehuggere og Vandbærere for Menigheden og for HERRENs Alter på det Sted, han vilde udvælge. Og det er de den Dag i Dag.

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};

That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord. {accord: Heb. mouth}

And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,

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;

And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry {and} mouldy.

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.

And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?

And they said unto Joshua, We {are} thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who {are} ye? and from whence come ye?

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,

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.

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. {with you: Heb. in your hand}

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:

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.

And the men took of their victuals, and asked not {counsel} at the mouth of the LORD. {the men...: or, they received the men by reason of their victuals}

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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. {none...: Heb. not be cut off from you}

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.

And now, behold, we {are} in thine hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do.

And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not.

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. {made: Heb. gave, or, delivered to be}