1 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 ;
Kisha ikawa hapo wafalme wote waliokaa ng'ambo ya pili ya Yordani, hapo penye nchi ya vilima, na katika Shefela, na katika upande wa pwani yote ya bahari kubwa kuikabili Lebanoni, yaani, huyo Mhiti, na Mwamori, na Mkanaani, na Mperizi, na Mhivi, na Myebusi, waliposikia habari ya mambo hayo;
2 that they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.
ndipo walipojikutanisha pamoja wenyewe kwa wenyewe, ili kupigana na Yoshua, na hao Israeli, kwa nia moja.
The Gibeonites
3 And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,
Lakini wenyeji wa Gibeoni waliposikia habari ya hayo yote Yoshua aliyokuwa amewatenda watu wa Yeriko, na wa 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;
wao wakatenda kwa hila, nao wakaenda na kujifanya kama ndio wajumbe, wakaenda na magunia makuukuu juu ya punda zao, na viriba vya mvinyo vilivyokuwa vikuukuu vilivyoraruka-raruka, na kutiwa viraka;
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.
na viatu vilivyotoboka na kushonwa-shonwa katika miguu yao, na mavao makuukuu waliyokuwa wanavaa; tena mkate wote wa chakula chao ulikuwa umekauka na kuingia koga.
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.
Nao wakamwendea Yoshua hata maragoni huko Gilgali, nao wakamwambia yeye na watu wa Israeli, Sisi tumetoka nchi ya mbali sana; basi kwa hiyo fanyeni agano pamoja nasi.
7 And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?
Basi watu wa Israeli wakawaambia hao Wahivi, Labda mwakaa kati yetu; nasi tutawezaje kufanya agano nanyi?
8 And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?
Nao wakamwambia Yoshua, Sisi tu watumishi wako. Yoshua akawauliza, Ninyi ni nani? Nanyi mwatoka wapi?
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,
Nao wakamwambia, Sisi watumishi wako twatoka nchi iliyo mbali sana, kwa sababu ya jina la Bwana, Mungu wako; kwa kuwa sisi tumesikia sifa zake, na habari ya hayo yote aliyofanya huko Misri,
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.
na habari ya hayo yote aliyowatenda wale wafalme wawili wa Waamori, waliokuwa huko ng'ambo ya pili ya Yordani, maana huyo Sihoni, mfalme wa Heshboni, na Ogu, mfalme wa Bashani, aliyekuwa huko Ashtarothi.
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.
Kisha wazee wetu, na wenyeji wote wa nchi yetu, walinena nasi na kutuambia, Chukueni vyakula mkononi mwenu kwa ajili ya safari, mwende mkawalaki watu hao, na kuwaambia, Sisi tu watumishi wenu; basi sasa fanyeni agano nasi.
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:
Huu mkate wetu tuliutwaa ukali moto katika nyumba zetu, siku hiyo tuliyotoka kuja kwenu, uwe chakula chetu; lakini sasa, tazama, umekauka, na kuingia koga;
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.
na viriba vyetu hivi, tulivyovitia divai, vilikuwa ni vipya; sasa, tazama, vimeraruka-raruka; na haya mavazi yetu na viatu vyetu vimekuwa vikuukuu kwa vile tulivyokuja safari ya mbali sana.
14 And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.
Basi hao watu wakatwaa katika vyakula vyao, wala wasitake shauri kinywani mwa Bwana.
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.
Naye Yoshua akafanya amani pamoja nao, na kufanya agano nao, ili kwamba waachwe hai; na wakuu wa mkutano wakawaapia.
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.
Kisha ikawa, mwisho wa siku ya tatu baada ya kufanya hilo agano nao, walisikia habari ya kuwa watu hao ni jirani zao, na ya kwamba waliketi kati yao.
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 Kirjath-jearim.
Kisha wana wa Israeli walisafiri, wakaifikilia miji ya watu hao siku ya tatu. Basi miji ya watu hao ilikuwa ni hii, Gibeoni, na Kefira, na Beerothi, na Kiriath-yearimu.
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.
Wana wa Israeli hawakuwapiga, kwa sababu wakuu wa mkutano walikuwa wamekwisha kuwaapia kwa Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli. Nao mkutano wote wakawanung'unikia hao wakuu.
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.
Lakini wakuu wote waliwaambia mkutano wote, Sisi tumewaapia kwa Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli; basi sasa hatuwezi kuwagusa watu hawa.
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.
Tutawafanyia neno hili, kisha tutawaacha wawe hai; hasira isije juu yetu, kwa ajili ya hicho kiapo tulichowaapia.
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.
Wakuu waliwaambia, Waacheni wawe hai; basi wakawa wenye kupasua kuni, na wenye kuteka maji, kwa ajili ya mkutano wote; vile vile kama hao wakuu walivyowaambia.
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?
Basi Yoshua akawaita, akanena nao, na kuwaambia, Mbona ninyi mmetudanganya, huku mkisema, Sisi tu mbali sana na ninyi; nanyi kumbe! Mwakaa kati yetu?
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.
Basi sasa mmelaaniwa kisha hatakosekana kuwapo mtu wa kwenu aliye mtumwa, wenye kupasua kuni, na wenye kuteka maji, kwa ajili ya nyumba ya Mungu wangu.
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.
Nao wakamjibu Yoshua, na kusema, Ni kwa sababu ya sisi watumishi wako kuambiwa hakika, jinsi huyo Bwana, Mungu wako alivyomwamuru mtumishi wake Musa kuwapa ninyi nchi hii yote, na kuwaangamiza wenyeji wote wa nchi hii watoke mbele zenu; kwa sababu hii tuliogopa mno kwa ajili ya uhai wetu kwa sababu yenu, nasi tumefanya neno hili.
25 And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do.
Basi sasa, tazama, sisi tu mkononi mwako; basi kama uonavyo kuwa ni vyema na haki kwako wewe kututenda, tutende vivyo.
26 And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not.
Naye akawafanyia hivyo, na kuwaokoa na mkono wa wana wa Israeli, ili wasiwaue.
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.
Siku iyo hiyo Yoshua akawafanya kuwa ni wenye kupasua kuni, na wenye kuteka maji, kwa ajili ya mkutano, na kwa ajili ya madhabahu ya Bwana, hata siku hii ya leo, katika mahali hapo atakapopachagua.
