1 T he kings west of the Jordan, in the hill country and the valleys and beside the Great Sea toward Lebanon all heard what had happened. These kings were of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

وَحِينَ سَمِعَ جَمِيعُ المُلُوكِ الَّذِينَ فِي غَرْبِ نَهرِ الأُردُنِّ فِي المَناطِقِ الجَبَلِيَّةِ وَالتِّلالِ الغَربِيَّةِ وَعَلَى شاطِئِ البَحْرِ إلَى لُبنانَ عَنْ هَذِهِ الأُمُورِ – وَهُمْ مُلُوكُ الحِثِّيِّينَ وَالأمُورِيِّينَ وَالكَنعانِيِّينَ وَالفِرِزِّيِّينَ وَالحِوِّيِّينَ وَاليَبُوسِيِّينَ –

2 T hey gathered together as one to fight against Joshua and Israel.

اتَّفَقُوا مَعاً عَلَى الاجْتِماعِ لِمُحارَبَةِ يَشُوعَ وَإسْرائِيلَ.

3 T he people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai.

لَكِنْ حِينَ سَمِعَ سُكّانُ جِبعُونَ عَنْ ما عَمِلَهُ يَشُوعُ فِي أرِيحا وَعايَ،

4 S o they went out to fool him, as men from another land. They took old bags on their donkeys, and skin bags of wine that were old and torn and mended.

تَصَرَّفُوا بِخِداعٍ، إذْ ذَهَبُوا وَأعَدُّوا بَعْضَ الحاجِياتِ. فَأخَذُوا أكياساً مُهتَرِئَةً لِحَمِيرِهِمْ، وَزِقاقاً مُهتَرِئَةً وَمُمَزَّقَةً وَمُصلَحَةً،

5 T hey wore old and mended shoes on their feet, and old clothes on themselves. All their bread was dry and broken.

وَارتَدُوا أحذِيَةً مُهتَرِئَةً مُرَقَّعَةً وَثِياباً مُهتَرِئَةً. وَكانَ كُلُّ خُبْزِهِمْ يابِساً أوْ مُتَعَفِّناً أوْ مُتَكَسِّراً.

6 T hey went to Joshua among the tents at Gilgal. And they said to him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country. Now make an agreement with us.”

وَذَهَبُوا إلَى يَشُوعَ فِي المُخَيَّمِ فِي الجِلْجالِ، وَقالُوا لَهُ وَلِبَنِي إسْرائِيلَ: «أتَينا مِنْ أرْضٍ بَعِيدَةٍ. لِذا اعمَلُوا مَعَنا مُعاهَدَةً.»

7 T he men of Israel said to the Hivites, “It may be that you are living within our land. How then can we make an agreement with you?”

وَلَكِنَّ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ قالُوا لِلحِوِّيِّينَ: «لَكِنْ رُبَّما تَكُونُونَ ساكِنِينَ فِي وَسَطِنا. فَكَيفَ إذاً نَعمَلُ مَعَكُمْ مُعاهَدَةً؟»

8 B ut they said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” Then Joshua said to them, “Who are you? Where do you come from?”

فَقالَ الحِوِّيِّونَ لِيَشُوعَ: «نَحنُ خُدّامُكَ.» فَقالَ يَشُوعُ لَهُمْ: «مَنْ أنتُمْ وَمِنْ أينَ أتَيتُمْ؟»

9 T hey said to him, “Your servants have come from a very far country because of the name of the Lord your God. For we have heard about Him and all He did in Egypt.

فَقالُوا لَهُ: «أتَى خُدّامُكَ مِنْ أرْضٍ بَعِيدَةٍ جِدّاً لِأجلِ اسْمِ إلَهِكَ. لِأنَّنا سَمِعْنا خَبَرَهُ وَما عَمِلَهُ فِي مِصْرَ،

10 W e heard what He did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan who was at Ashtaroth.

وَكُلَّ ما عَمِلَهُ بِمَلِكَي الأمُورِيِّينَ فِي شَرقِ نَهرِ الأُردُنِّ، سِيحُونَ مَلِكِ حِشْبُونَ وَعُوجَ مَلِكِ باشانَ الَّذِي سَكَنَ عَشتارُوثَ.

11 S o our leaders and all the people of our country said to us, ‘Take what you need for traveling. Go to meet them and tell them, “We are your servants. Now make an agreement with us.’”

فَقالَ لَنا شُيُوخُنا وَكُلُّ شَعبِ أرْضِنا: ‹خُذُوا طَعاماً فِي أيدِيكُمْ لِلطَّرِيقِ وَاذْهَبُوا لِلِقائِهِمْ، وَقُولُوا لَهُمْ: نَحنُ خُدّامُكُمْ. فَاقطَعُوا مَعَنا عَهداً.›

12 O ur bread was warm when we took it along with what we needed from our houses on the day we left to come to you. But now look, it is dry and broken.

«هَذا خُبزُنا! أخَذْناهُ ساخِناً حِينَ غادَرْنا بُيُوتَنا وَجِئْنا إلَيكُمْ. وَالآنَ قَدْ يَبِسَ وَتَعَفَّنْ.

13 T hese skin bags that we filled with wine were new. Now look, they are torn. And our clothes and shoes have become old because of the very long way we had to travel.”

وَهَذِهِ أوعِيتُنا الجَلديَّةُ الَّتِي مَلأْناها بِالنَّبِيذِ، قَدْ تَمَزَّقَتْ. وَهَذِهِ ثِيابُنا وَأحذِيَتُنا قَدْ تَهَرَّأتْ مِنَ الرِّحلَةِ الطَّوِيلَةِ.»

14 S o the men of Israel took some of their food. They did not ask the Lord what they should do.

فَأخَذَ رِجالُ إسْرائِيلَ مِنْ خُبزِهِمْ لِيَفْحصُوهُ، لَكِنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَطلُبُوا إرشاداً مِنَ اللهِ.

15 J oshua made peace with them and made an agreement with them, to let them live. And the leaders of the people made a promise to them.

وَعَمِلَ يَشُوعُ مُعاهَدَةَ سَلامٍ مَعَهُمُ اسْتَبْقاهُمْ بِمُوجِبِها أحْياءَ. وَقَدْ أقسَمَ قادَةُ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ لَهُمْ.

16 B ut three days after they had made an agreement with them, they heard that they were neighbors who lived in their land.

وَبَعْدَ ثَلاثَةِ أيّامٍ مِنْ عَمَلِ المُعاهَدَةِ مَعَهُمْ، عَلِمَ بَنُو إسْرائِيلَ أنَّ الجِبعُونِيِّينَ يَسكُنُونَ قَرِيباً مِنْهُمْ وَبِأنَّهُمْ يَسكُنُونَ فِي وَسَطِهِمْ.

17 T hen the people of Israel left that place and came to their cities on the third day. Their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath-jearim.

فانطَلَقَ بَنُو إسْرائِيلَ وَوَصَلُوا إلَى مُدُنِ الجِبعُونِيِّينَ فِي اليَومِ الثّالِثِ، وَكانَتْ مُدُنُهُمْ هِيَ جِبعُونَ وَالكَفِيرَةَ وَبَئِيرُوتَ وَقَريَةَ يَعارِيمَ.

18 B ut the people of Israel did not kill them because the leaders of the people had made a promise to them by the Lord the God of Israel. All the people complained against the leaders.

وَلَكِنَّ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ لَمْ يُهاجِمُوهُمْ لِأنَّ قادَةَ الشَّعبِ أقسَمُوا لَهُمْ بِاللهِ ، إلَهِ إسْرائِيلَ. وَلَكِنَّ كُلَّ الشَّعبِ تَذَمَّرُوا عَلَى القادَةِ.

19 T hen all the leaders said to all the people, “We have made a promise to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. Now we cannot touch them.

فَقالَ القادَةُ لِكُلِّ الشَّعبِ: «لَقَدْ أقسَمْنا لَهُمْ بِاللهِ ، إلَهِ إسْرائِيلَ، فَلا نَستَطِيعُ أنْ نُؤْذِيَهُمُ الآنَ.

20 T his is what we will do to them. We will let them live, or anger would be upon us for the promise we swore to them.”

فهَذا ما سَنَفعَلُهُ، سَنُبقِيهِمْ أحْياءَ كَي لا يَأْتِيَ غَضَبُ اللهِ عَلَينا بِسَبَبِ كَسْرِنا لِلقَسَمِ الَّذِي أقسَمْناهُ لَهُمْ.

21 A nd the leaders said to them, “Let them live.” So they cut wood and brought water for all the people, as the leaders had told them.

فَليَعِيشُوا بَينَنا، لَكِنْ سَيَكُونُونَ حَطّابِينَ وَسُقاةً لِكُلِّ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ.» وَهَكَذا لَمْ يَكسِرِ القادَةُ وَعدَهُمْ بِسَلامَتِهِمْ.

22 J oshua called them and said, “Why have you lied to us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you are living within our land?

وَدَعا يَشُوعُ الجِبعُونِيِّينَ وَقالَ لَهُمْ: «لَماذا خَدَعتُمُونا بِقَولِكُمْ: ‹نَحنُ مِنْ أرْضٍ بَعِيدَةٍ.› فِي حِينِ أنَّكُمْ تَسكُنُونَ فِي وَسَطِنا؟

23 N ow you are cursed. You will never stop being servants, cutting wood and bringing water, for the house of my God.”

لِذَلِكَ أنتُمْ مَلعُونُونَ، فَسَيَكُونُ دائِماً مِنْكُم عَبِيدٌ وَحَطّابِونَ وَسُقاةٌ لِبَيتِ إلَهِي إلَى الأبَدِ.»

24 T hey answered Joshua, “Because it was told to your servants that the Lord your God had told His servant Moses to give you all the land and kill all the people of the land in front of you. We were very much afraid for our lives because of you. That is why we have done this thing.

فَأجابُوا يَشُوعَ: «قَدْ عَلِمَ خُدّامُكَ بِما أمَرَ إلَهُكَ بِهِ خادِمَهُ مُوسَى بِأنْ يُعطِيَكُمُ الأرْضَ، وَبِأنْ يُهلِكَ كُلَّ سُكّانِ الأرْضِ مِنْ أمامِكُمْ. وَقَدْ خِفنا كَثِيراً عَلَى حَياتِنا مِنكُمْ، وَلِذا عَمِلْنا هَذا الأمرَ.

25 N ow see, we are in your hands. Do to us whatever you think is good and right in your eyes.”

وَالآنَ نَحنُ تَحْتَ سُلطَتِكَ، فافعَلْ بِنا ما تَراهُ مُناسِباً.»

26 S o he did this to them. He saved them from the hands of the people of Israel. They did not kill them.

وَهَذا ما عَمِلَهُ يَشُوعُ لَهُمْ: أنقَذَهُمْ مِنْ يَدِ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ فَلَمْ يَقتُلُوهُمْ.

27 B ut on that day Joshua made them cut wood and bring water for the people of Israel and for the altar of the Lord, at whatever place He chooses. That was to be their work to this day.

لَكِنْ فِي ذَلِكَ اليَومِ، جَعَلَهُمْ يَشُوعُ حَطّابِينَ وَسُقاةً لِبَنِي إسْرائِيلَ وَلِمَذْبَحِ اللهِ فِي المَكانِ الَّذَي يَختارُهُ اللهُ. وَهَذا هوَ حالُهُم إلَى اليَومِ.