« | Joshua 9 | » |
1 All the kings west of the Jordan River heard about these things. They were the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. They lived in the hill country and in the plains. They also lived along the seacoast of the Mediterranean Sea as far as Lebanon.
2 All these kings came together and made plans to fight against Joshua and the Israelites.
3 The people from the city of Gibeon heard about the way Joshua had defeated Jericho and Ai.
4 So they decided to try to trick the Israelites. This was their plan: They gathered together old wineskins that were cracked and broken. They put these old wineskins on the backs of their animals. They put old pieces of cloth on their animals to look as if they had traveled from far away.
5 The men put old sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. They found some old bread that was dry and moldy.
6 Then they went to the camp of the Israelites. This camp was near Gilgal. The men went to Joshua and said to him, "We have traveled from a faraway country. We want to make a peace agreement with you."
7 The men of Israel said to these Hivite men, "Maybe you are trying to trick us. Maybe you live near us. We cannot make a peace agreement with you until we know where you are from."
8 The Hivite men said to Joshua, "We are your servants." But Joshua asked, "Who are you? Where do you come from?"
9 The men answered, "We are your servants. We have come from a faraway country. We came because we heard of the great power of the Lord your God. We heard about what he has done and about everything he did in Egypt.
10 And we heard that he defeated the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan River. This was King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan in the land of Ashtaroth.
11 So our elders and our people said to us, 'Take enough food for your journey. Go and meet with the Israelites.' Tell them, 'We are your servants. Make a peace agreement with us.'
12 "Look at our bread. When we left home, it was warm and fresh. But now you can see that it is dry and old.
13 Look at our wineskins. When we left home they were new and filled with wine. Now you can see that they are cracked and old. Look at our clothes and sandals. You can see that the long journey has almost destroyed the things we wear."
14 The men of Israel wanted to know if these men were telling the truth. So they tasted the bread—but they did not ask the Lord what they should do.
15 Joshua agreed to make peace with them. He agreed to let them live. The leaders of Israel agreed with this promise of Joshua.
16 Three days later the Israelites learned that these men lived very near their camp.
17 So the Israelites went to the place where they lived. On the third day the Israelites came to the cities of Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim.
18 But the army of Israel did not try to fight against those cities. They had made a peace agreement with them. They had made a promise to them before the Lord, the God of Israel. All the people complained against the leaders who made the agreement.
19 But the leaders answered, "We have given our promise. We promised before the Lord, the God of Israel. We cannot fight against them now.
20 This is what we must do. We must let them live. We cannot hurt them or God will be angry with us because we broke the promise we made to them.
21 So let them live, but they will be our servants. They will cut wood for us and carry water for all our people." So the leaders did not break their promise of peace to them.
22 Joshua called the Gibeonites together. He said, "Why did you lie to us? Your land was near our camp. But you told us you were from a faraway country.
23 Now, your people will have many troubles. All of your people will be slaves—they will have to cut wood and carry water for the house of God. "
24 The Gibeonites answered, "We lied to you because we were afraid you would kill us. We heard that God commanded his servant Moses to give you all of this land. And God told you to kill all the people who lived in this land. That is why we lied to you.
25 Now we are your servants. You can do whatever you think is right."
26 So the Gibeonites became slaves, but Joshua let them live. He did not allow the Israelites to kill them.
27 He made them slaves of the Israelites. They cut wood and carried water for the Israelites and for the altar of the Lord—wherever the Lord chose it to be. They are still slaves today.
The Easy-To-Read Version (ERV)
The Easy-To-Read Version (ERV) is a Bible translation specifically designed to be accessible and comprehensible for people with limited reading skills or those for whom English is a second language. Originally published in 1987 by the World Bible Translation Center, the ERV was initially developed to serve the deaf community, using a simplified vocabulary and straightforward sentence structures. The goal of the ERV is to make the scriptures understandable to a wide range of readers, ensuring that everyone can grasp the essential messages of the Bible without being hindered by complex language or archaic terms.
One of the defining characteristics of the ERV is its commitment to clarity and simplicity. The translators employed a thought-for-thought translation philosophy, focusing on conveying the meaning of the original texts in plain, everyday English. This approach ensures that readers can easily comprehend the Bible’s teachings and narratives, making it a valuable resource for children, new Christians, and those with limited literacy skills. The ERV avoids technical theological terms and instead uses language that is commonly spoken, making it accessible for personal study and public reading alike.
The ERV also pays careful attention to the cultural and contextual nuances of the original manuscripts. The translators sought to present the Bible’s messages in a way that is relevant and meaningful to contemporary readers while maintaining faithfulness to the original texts. This cultural sensitivity helps bridge the gap between ancient scriptures and modern readers, allowing them to connect more deeply with the biblical stories and teachings. Additionally, the ERV includes helpful footnotes and cross-references that provide further explanation and context, enhancing the reader’s understanding of the text.
Despite its strengths, the ERV has faced some criticism from those who prefer more traditional or literal translations. Critics argue that the simplified language and thought-for-thought approach can sometimes result in a loss of depth and richness found in the original texts. Some theologians believe that the ERV’s emphasis on accessibility may lead to oversimplification of complex theological concepts. Nonetheless, the Easy-To-Read Version remains a highly valuable translation for its target audience, offering a clear and approachable rendition of the Bible that helps people of all backgrounds engage with and understand the scriptures.