Josva 9 | Bibelen på hverdagsdansk

Bibelen på hverdagsdansk

Gibeonitterne narrer Josva

1-2 I landet vest for Jordanfloden boede der en række folkeslag, nemlig hittitterne, amoritterne, kana’anæerne, perizzitterne, hivvitterne og jebusitterne. Deres landområder dækkede højsletterne midt i landet, kystsletterne ud mod Middelhavet og skrænterne midt imellem. Nogle boede mod nord oppe ved Libanons bjerge. Da kongerne for alle disse folkeslag hørte, hvad der var sket med Jeriko og Aj, sluttede de sig sammen for at gøre fælles sag imod Josva og Israels folk. 3 Men da de hivvitter, som boede omkring byen Gibeon, hørte om Jerikos og Ajs totale udslettelse, 4 forsøgte de at redde livet ved list. En gruppe af dem lagde gamle sadler og sprukne vinsække på deres æsler, 5 tog laset tøj og lappede sandaler på, og tørt, muggent brød med som proviant, og så rejste de af sted for at forhandle med Josva. 6 Da de kom til israelitternes lejr ved Gilgal, sagde de til Josva og de ledende mænd i Israel: „Vi er kommet fra et fjernt land for at slutte fredspagt med jer.” 7 Israelitterne svarede: „Hvordan kan vi være sikre på, at I ikke bor her i nærheden? For hvis det er tilfældet, kan vi ikke slutte fredspagt med jer.” 8 De svarede: „Vi vil være jeres slaver.” „Men hvem er I?” spurgte Josva. „Og hvor kommer I fra?” 9 „Vi kommer fra et meget fjernt land,” svarede de. „Vi har hørt om jeres vældige Gud og alle de undere, han gjorde i Egypten. 10 Vi har også hørt, hvad I gjorde ved de to amoritterkonger øst for Jordanfloden, kong Sihon af Heshbon og kong Og af Bashan, som boede i Ashtarot. 11 Derfor sagde vores ledere og landsmænd til os: ‚Tag proviant med og begiv jer ud på den lange rejse. Opsøg israelitterne og sig, at vi er villige til at lade dem regere over os, hvis de vil slutte fred med os.’ 12 Se det her brød, som vi tog med hjemmefra. Det var helt nybagt, da vi tog af sted, men nu er det tørt og muggent. 13 Se på vores vinsække. De var nye, da vi fyldte vin i dem, men nu er de sprukne. Og vores tøj og sandaler er blevet helt slidt op på den lange rejse.” 14 De israelitiske ledere inspicerede deres brød, men de spurgte ikke Herren til råds. 15 Josva sluttede derefter fred med dem, og de israelitiske ledere bekræftede aftalen med en bindende ed. 16 Tre dage efter at fredsaftalen var indgået, blev israelitterne klar over, at folkene i virkeligheden boede i nærheden. 17 Straks tog israelitterne af sted og nåede på den tredje dag frem til hivvitternes byer Gibeon, Kefira, Be’erot og Kirjat-Jearim. 18 Men de angreb dem ikke, for deres ledere havde lovet dem fred i Herrens, Israels Guds, navn. Da beklagede israelitterne sig over for deres ledere. 19 Men lederne svarede: „Vi har i Israels Guds navn aflagt ed på ikke at ville røre dem. 20 Så vi er tvunget til at lade dem være, for hvis vi bryder løftet, rammes vi af Guds vrede. 21 Men vi vil gøre dem til vores slaver, så de må hugge brænde og bære vand for os.” Sådan overholdt israelitterne deres løfte til gibeonitterne. 22 Men Josva samlede nu deres ledere og spurgte: „Hvorfor løj I for os og sagde, at I kom fra et fjernt land, når I i virkeligheden bor her? 23 Som straf skal I rammes af forbandelsen. Fra nu af skal I altid være vores slaver og hugge brænde og bære vand til brug i vores Guds hus.” 24 „Vi gjorde det, fordi vi hørte, at Herren, din Gud, havde givet sin tjener Moses befaling om at erobre hele landet og udslette befolkningen,” svarede de. „Vi var bange for, at I ville slå os ihjel. 25 Men nu er vi jeres slaver, og I kan gøre med os, som I vil.” 26 Josva tillod altså ikke israelitterne at dræbe dem, 27 men gjorde dem i stedet til slaver, som skulle hugge brænde og hente vand til israelitterne og til Herrens alter, hvor end Herren ville have det bygget. Den ordning står stadig ved magt.

King James Version

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 ; 2 That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord. 3 And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to 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; 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. 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. 7 And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you? 8 And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye? 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, 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. 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. 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: 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. 14 And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD. 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. 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. 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 Kirjathjearim. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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? 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. 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. 25 And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do. 26 And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not. 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.