Joshua 9

vayehi khishmoa kol-hammelakhim asher be'ever hayyarden bahar uvashefelah uvekhol khof hayyam haggadol el-mul hallevanon hakhitti veha'emori hakkena'ani happerizzi hakhivvi vehayevusi

When all the kings west of the Jordan—in the hill country, in the Shephelah, and along the entire coast of the Mediterranean Sea up to the vicinity of Lebanon, the [land of the] Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—learned of this,

vayyitqabbetsu yakhdav lehillakhem im-yehoshua ve'im-yisra'el peh ekhad

they gathered with one accord to fight against Joshua and Israel.

veyosheve givon shame'u et asher asah yehoshua lirikho vela'ay

But when the inhabitants of Gibeon learned how Joshua had treated Jericho and Ai,

vayya'asu gam-hemmah be'ormah vayyelekhu vayyitstayyaru vayyiqkhu saqqim balim lakhamorehem venodot yayin balim umevuqqa'im umetsorarim

they for their part resorted to cunning. They set out in disguise: they took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and worn-out waterskins that were cracked and patched;

une'alot balot umetulla'ot beraglehem uselamot balot alehem vekhol lekhem tsedam yavesh hayah niqqudim

they had worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and threadbare clothes on their bodies; and all the bread they took as provision was dry and crumbly.

vayyelekhu el-yehoshua el-hammakhaneh haggilgal vayyomeru elayw ve'el-ish yisra'el me'erets rekhoqah banu ve'attah kirtu-lanu verit

And so they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and [in a parley] said to him and to the rest of Israel’s side, “We come from a distant land; we propose that you make a pact with us.”

(vymrv) [vayyomer] ish-yisra'el el-hakhivvi ulay beqirbi attah yoshev ve'ekh (khrvt) [ekhrot-]lekha verit

Israel’s side replied to the Hivites, “But perhaps you live among us; how then can we make a pact with you?”

vayyomeru el-yehoshua avadekha anakhenu vayyomer alehem yehoshua mi attem ume'ayin tavo'u

They said to Joshua, “We will be your subjects.” But Joshua asked them, “Who are you and where do you come from?”

vayyomeru elayw me'erets rekhoqah me'od ba'u avadekha leshem Adonai elohekha ki-shamanu shomo ve'et kol-asher asah bemitsrayim

They replied, “Your servants have come from a very distant country, because of the fame of the ETERNAL your God. For we heard the report of all that [your God] did in Egypt,

ve'et kol-asher asah lishne malkhe ha'emori asher be'ever hayyarden lesikhon melekh kheshbon ule'og melekh-habbashan asher be'ashtarot

and of all that [your God] did to the two Amorite kings on the other side of the Jordan, King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan who lived in Ashtaroth.

vayyomeru elenu zeqenenu vekhol-yosheve artsenu lemor qekhu veyedkhem tsedah ladderekh ulekhu liqratam va'amartem alehem avdekhem anakhnu ve'attah kirtu-lanu verit

So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country instructed us as follows, ‘Take along provisions for a trip, and go to them and say: We will be your subjects; come make a pact with us.’

zeh lakhmenu kham hitstayyadnu oto mibbattenu beyom tsetenu lalekhet alekhem ve'attah hinneh yavesh vehayah niqqudim

This bread of ours, which we took from our houses as provision, was still hot when we set out to come to you; and see how dry and crumbly it has become.

ve'elleh nodot hayyayin asher millenu khadashim vehinneh hitbaqqa'u ve'elleh salmotenu une'alenu balu merov hadderekh me'od

These wineskins were new when we filled them, and see how they have cracked. These clothes and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.”

vayyiqkhu ha'anashim mitsedam ve'et-pi Adonai lo sha'alu

Those involved took [their word for it] because of their provisions, and did not inquire of GOD.

vayya'as lahem yehoshua shalom vayyikhrot lahem berit lekhayyotam vayyishave'u lahem nesi'e ha'edah

Joshua established friendship with them; he made a pact with them to spare their lives, and the chieftains of the community gave them their oath.

vayehi miqtseh sheloshet yamim akhare asher-karetu lahem berit vayyishme'u ki-qerovim hem elayw uveqirbo hem yoshevim

But when three days had passed after they made this pact with them, they learned that they were neighbors, living among them.

vayyisu vene-yisra'el vayyavo'u el-arehem bayyom hashelishi ve'arehem givon vehakkefirah uve'erot veqiryat ye'arim

So the Israelites set out, and on the third day they came to their towns; these towns were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

velo hikkum bene yisra'el ki-nishbe'u lahem nesi'e ha'edah ba-Adonai elohe yisra'el vayyillonu khol-ha'edah al-hannesi'im

But the Israelites did not attack them, since the chieftains of the community had sworn to them by the ETERNAL, the God of Israel. The whole community muttered against the chieftains,

vayyomeru khol-hannesi'im el-kol-ha'edah anakhnu nishbanu lahem ba-Adonai elohe yisra'el ve'attah lo nukhal lingoa bahem

but all the chieftains answered the whole community, “We swore to them by the ETERNAL, the God of Israel; therefore we cannot touch them.

zot na'aseh lahem vehakhayeh otam velo-yihyeh alenu qetsef al-hashevu'ah asher-nishbanu lahem

This is what we will do to them: We will spare their lives, so that there may be no wrath against us because of the oath that we swore to them.”

vayyomeru alehem hannesi'im yikhyu vayyihyu khoteve etsim vesho'ave-mayim lekhol-ha'edah ka'asher dibberu lahem hannesi'im

And the chieftains declared concerning them, “They shall live!” And they became hewers of wood and drawers of water for the whole community, as the chieftains had decreed concerning them.

vayyiqra lahem yehoshua vayedabber alehem lemor lammah rimmitem otanu lemor rekhoqim anakhnu mikkem me'od ve'attem beqirbenu yoshevim

Joshua summoned them and spoke to them thus: “Why did you deceive us and tell us you lived very far from us, when in fact you live among us?

ve'attah arurim attem velo-yikkaret mikkem eved vekhoteve etsim vesho'ave mayim levet elohay

Therefore, be accursed! Never shall your descendants cease to be slaves: hewers of wood and drawers of water for the House of my God.”

vayya'anu et-yehoshua vayyomeru ki hugged huggad la'avadekha et asher tsivvah Adonai elohekha et-mosheh avdo latet lakhem et-kol-ha'arets ulehashmid et-kol-yosheve ha'arets mippenekhem vannira me'od lenafshotenu mippenekhem vanna'aseh et-haddavar hazzeh

But they replied to Joshua, “You see, your servants had heard that the ETERNAL your God had promised Moses—[God’s] servant—to give you the whole land and to wipe out all the inhabitants of the country on your account; so we were in great fear for our lives on your account. That is why we did this thing.

ve'attah hinnu veyadekha kattov vekhayyashar be'enekha la'asot lanu aseh

And now we are at your mercy; do with us what you consider right and proper.”

vayya'as lahem ken vayyatsel otam miyyad bene-yisra'el velo haragum

And he did so; he saved them from being killed by the Israelites.

vayyittenem yehoshua bayyom hahu khoteve etsim vesho'ave mayim la'edah ulemizbakh Adonai ad-hayyom hazzeh el-hammaqom asher yivkhar

That day Joshua made them hewers of wood and drawers of water—as they still are—for the community and for GOD’s altar, in the place that [God] would choose.