1Cuando los reyes de los alrededores oyeron lo que le había ocurrido a Jericó, rápidamente se unieron para defender sus vidas de los ataques de Josué y los israelitas.2Eran los reyes de las naciones que estaban al occidente del río Jordán, a lo largo de las costas del Mediterráneo hasta los montes del Líbano: los hititas, los amorreos, los cananeos, los ferezeos, los heveos y los jebuseos.3Pero cuando el pueblo de Gabaón oyó lo ocurrido a Jericó y a Hai, decidieron usar una estratagema para salvarse. Enviaron embajadores a Josué vestidos con ropa muy gastada; como si vinieran de un largo viaje, con sandalias muy remendadas, monturas muy gastadas sobre sus burros, odres de vino muy viejos y secos, y pan enmohecido.6Cuando llegaron al campamento de Israel en Guilgal le dijeron a Josué y al pueblo de Israel: ―Hemos venido de una tierra distante a concertar un tratado de paz con ustedes.7Los israelitas les contestaron: ―¿Cómo sabremos que no son de por aquí cerca? Porque si son de las cercanías no podemos hacer ningún tratado con ustedes.8―Seremos sus esclavos —respondieron. ―Pero, ¿quiénes son ustedes? —preguntó Josué—. ¿De dónde vienen?9―Venimos de un país muy distante —le dijeron—. Hemos oído hablar del poder del SEÑOR su Dios y de todo lo que hizo en Egipto10y de lo que hicieron a los reyes de los amorreos, a Sijón rey de Hesbón y a Og rey de Basán.11Por esta razón nuestros ancianos y nuestro pueblo nos ordenaron: “Prepárense para un largo viaje. Vayan al pueblo de Israel y declárenles que nuestra nación les servirá y pidan la paz”.12Este pan estaba caliente, recién salido de los hornos, cuando emprendimos el viaje. Ahora, como puedes ver, está seco y enmohecido.13Estos odres para el vino eran nuevos, pero ahora están viejos y quebrajados. La ropa y las zandalias se han gastado a causa de nuestro largo y difícil viaje.14Josué y los demás dirigentes finalmente les creyeron. No se preocuparon de consultar al SEÑOR, sino que hicieron un pacto de paz con ellos. Luego los jefes de Israel ratificaron el pacto con un juramento.16Tres días después se descubrió la estratagema: eran vecinos.17Los hombres de Israel salieron a investigar y llegaron a las ciudades de ellos en tres días. Las ciudades eran Gabaón, Cafira, Berot y Quiriat Yearín.18Pero no los mataron y las ciudades no sufrieron daño a causa del juramento que los dirigentes de Israel habían hecho delante del SEÑOR. El pueblo de Israel se enojó con sus dirigentes a causa de este tratado de paz.19Pero los dirigentes respondieron: ―Hemos jurado delante del SEÑOR Dios de Israel que no los tocaremos y así lo haremos.20Debemos dejarlos con vida, porque si quebrantamos nuestro juramento, la ira del SEÑOR se derramará sobre nosotros.21De esta manera ellos se convirtieron en siervos de los israelitas para cortar la leña y acarrear el agua.22Josué convocó a los dirigentes de esos pueblos y les preguntó: ―¿Por qué nos han mentido diciendo que vivían en una tierra distante cuando realmente viven casi entre nosotros?23Ahora caerá una maldición sobre ustedes. Desde este momento deben proporcionarnos esclavos que corten la leña y acarreen el agua para el servicio de nuestro Dios.24Ellos respondieron: ―Como se nos dijo que el SEÑOR su Dios había dado órdenes a su siervo Moisés de conquistar Canaán y destruir a todos sus habitantes, tuvimos temor de perder la vida a la llegada de ustedes. Por eso es que lo hemos hecho.25Pero ahora estamos en sus manos. Pueden hacer con nosotros lo que quieran.26Josué no permitió que el pueblo de Israel les diera muerte,27pero hizo que fueran leñadores y aguadores para el pueblo de Israel y para el altar del SEÑOR dondequiera que fuera construido (porque el SEÑOR aún no les había dado órdenes de edificarlo). Esto está todavía en vigor en el momento en que esto se escribe.
English Standard Version
The Gibeonite Deception
1As soon as all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, heard of this,2they gathered together as one to fight against Joshua and Israel.3But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,4they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended,5with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly.6And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us.”7But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?”8They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?”9They said to him, “From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt,10and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth.11So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, “We are your servants. Come now, make a covenant with us.”’12Here is our bread. It was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey on the day we set out to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and crumbly.13These wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they have burst. And these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.”14So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord.15And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.16At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors and that they lived among them.17And the people of Israel set out and reached their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.18But the people of Israel did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders.19But all the leaders said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them.20This we will do to them: let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath that we swore to them.”21And the leaders said to them, “Let them live.” So they became cutters of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, just as the leaders had said of them.22Joshua summoned them, and he said to them, “Why did you deceive us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you dwell among us?23Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall never be anything but servants, cutters of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.”24They answered Joshua, “Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you—so we feared greatly for our lives because of you and did this thing.25And now, behold, we are in your hand. Whatever seems good and right in your sight to do to us, do it.”26So he did this to them and delivered them out of the hand of the people of Israel, and they did not kill them.27But Joshua made them that day cutters of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, to this day, in the place that he should choose.
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