Joshua 9

1 Now when news of this reached all the kings west of the Jordan—those in the hill country, the foothills, and all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon (the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites)—

And when the kings of the Amorites on the other side of Jordan, who were in the mountain country, and in the plain, and in all the coast of the great sea, and those who were near Antilibanus, and the Chettites, and the Chananites, and the Pherezites, and the Evites, and the Amorites, and the Gergesites, and the Jebusites, heard [of it],

2 they came together to wage war against Joshua and Israel.

they came all together at the same time to make war against Joshua and Israel.

3 But the people of Gibeon, having heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,

And the inhabitants of Gabaon heard of all that the Lord did to Jericho and Gai.

4 acted deceptively and set out as envoys, carrying on their donkeys worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended.

And they also wrought craftily, and they went and made provision and prepared themselves; and having taken old sacks on their shoulders, and old and tore and patched bottles of wine,

5 They put worn, patched sandals on their feet and threadbare clothing on their bodies, and their whole supply of bread was dry and moldy.

and the upper part of their shoes and their sandals old and clouted on their feet, and their garments old upon them—and the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy and corrupt.

6 They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land; please make a treaty with us.”

And they came to Joshua into the camp of Israel to Galgala, and said to Joshua and Israel, We are come from a far land: now then make a covenant with us.

7 But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you dwell near us. How can we make a treaty with you?”

And the children of Israel said to the Chorrhaean, Peradventure you dwell among us; and how should I make a covenant with you?

8 “We are your servants,” they said to Joshua. Then Joshua asked them, “Who are you and where have you come from?”

And they said to Joshua, We are your servants: and Joshua said to them, Whence are you, and whence have you come?

9 “Your servants have come from a very distant land,” they replied, “because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard the reports about Him: all that He did in Egypt,

And they said, Your servants are come from a very far country in the name of the Lord your God: for we have heard his name, and all that he did in Egypt,

10 and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan—Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth.

and all that he did to the kings of the Amorites, who were beyond Jordan, to Seon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Basan, who lived in Astaroth and in Edrain.

11 So the elders and inhabitants of our land told us, ‘Take provisions for your journey; go to meet them and say to them: We are your servants. Please make a treaty with us.’

And our elders and all that inhabit our land when they heard spoke to us, saying, Take to yourselves provision for the way, and go to meet them; and you shall say to them, We are your servants, and now make a covenant with us.

12 This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But take a look, it is now dry and moldy.

These [are] the loaves—we took them hot for our journey on the day on which we came out to come to you; and now they are dried and become mouldy.

13 These wineskins were new when we filled them, but look, they are cracked. And these clothes and sandals are worn out from our very long journey.”

And these [are] the skins of wine which we filled when new, and they are tore; and our garments and our shoes are worn out because of the very long journey.

14 Then the men of Israel sampled their provisions, but did not seek the counsel of the LORD.

And the chiefs took of their provision, and asked not [counsel of] the Lord.

15 And Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.

And Joshua made peace with them, and they made a covenant with them to preserve them; and the princes of the congregation sware to them.

16 Three days after they had made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites learned that they were neighbors, living among them.

And it came to pass three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were near neighbors, and that they lived among them.

17 So the Israelites set out and on the third day arrived at their cities—Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

And the children of Israel departed and came to their cities; and their cities [were] Gabaon, and Kephira, and Berot, and the cities of Jarin.

18 But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. And the whole congregation grumbled against the leaders.

Land the children of Israel fought not with them, because all the princes sware to them by the Lord God of Israel; and all the congregation murmured at the princes.

19 All the leaders answered, “We have sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them.

And the princes said to all the congregation: We have sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel, and now we shall not be able to touch them.

20 This is how we will treat them: We will let them live, so that no wrath will fall on us because of the oath we swore to them.”

This we will do; take them alive, and we will preserve them: so there shall not be wrath against us by reason of the oath which we swore to them.

21 They continued, “Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for the whole congregation.” So the leaders kept their promise.

They shall live, and shall be hewers of wood and drawers of water to all the congregation, as the princes said to them.

22 Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you deceive us by telling us you live far away from us, when in fact you live among us?

And Joshua called them together and said to them, Why have you deceived me, saying, We live very far from you; whereas you are fellow-countrymen of those who dwell among us?

23 Now therefore you are under a curse and will perpetually serve as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”

And now you are cursed: there shall not fail of you a slave, or a hewer of wood, or a drawer of water to me and my God.

24 The Gibeonites answered, “Your servants were told clearly that the LORD your God had commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land and wipe out all its inhabitants before you. So we greatly feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we have done this.

And they answered Joshua, saying, It was reported to us what the Lord your God charged his servant Moses, to give you this land, and to destroy us and all that lived on it from before you; and we feared very much for our lives because of you, and [therefore] we did this thing.

25 Now we are in your hands. Do to us whatever seems good and right to you.”

And now, behold, we [are] in your power; do to us as it is pleasing to you, and as it seems [good] to you.

26 So Joshua did this and delivered them from the hands of the Israelites, and they did not kill the Gibeonites.

And they did so to them; and Joshua rescued them in that day out of the hands of the children of Israel, and they did not kill them.

27 On that day he made them woodcutters and water carriers, as they are to this day for the congregation of the LORD and for the altar at the place He would choose.

And Joshua made them in that day hewers of wood and drawers of water to the whole congregation, and for the altar of God: therefore the inhabitants of Gabaon became hewers of wood and drawers of water for the altar of God until this day, even for the place which the Lord should choose.