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 it came to pass, when all the kings that were on this side of the Jordan, in the mountain, and in the lowlands, and in all the coast of the great sea opposite Lebanon, the Hittites, and the Emorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, heard this,

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

That they assembled themselves all together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.

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

And when the inhabitants of Gib'on heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and unto 'Ai,

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

They also did work wilily, and went and feigned to be messengers, and took old sacks for their asses, and wine-bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;

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 [put] old and patched-up shoes upon their feet, and old garments upon themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.

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 went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We are come from a far-off country; and now make ye 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 men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell in the midst of us; and how can we 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 unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and whence come ye!

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 unto him, From a very far-off country are thy servants come, because of the name of the Lord thy God; for we have heard his fame, and all that he hath done 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 hath done to the two kings of the Emorites, that were beyond the Jordan, to Sichon the king of Cheshbon, and to 'Og the king of Bashan, who was at 'Ashtaroth.

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.’

Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, as followeth, Take provisions with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, Your servants are we: and now make ye with us a covenant.

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.

This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; and now, behold, it is dry, and it is 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 wine-bottles, which we filled, when new, — but behold, they are now become rent; and these our garments and our shoes are become worn out by reason 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 men took of their provisions, but the decision of the Lord they did not ask.

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 made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the princes of the congregation swore unto 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 at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they dwelt in the midst of 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 broke up, and came unto their cities on the third day; and their cities were Gib'on, and Kephirah, and Beeroth, and Kiryath-ye'arim.

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.

And the children of Israel smote them not; because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the Lord, the God of Israel; but all the congregation murmured against 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 all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the Lord the God of Israel: and now we cannot 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 will we do to them, and we will let them live, that there be no wrath upon us, on account of the oath which we have sworn unto 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.

And the princes said unto them, Let them live: and they became hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation, as the princes had spoken unto 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 for them, and he spoke unto them, saying, Wherefore have ye deceived us, saying, We are very far from you: whereas ye dwell in the midst of 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 be ye cursed, and there shall not cease to be of you servants and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of 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, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that the Lord thy God had commanded his servant Moses to give unto you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; wherefore we were sore afraid for our lives because of you, and we have done 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 thy hand; as it seemeth good and right in thy eyes to do unto us, so do.

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

And he did unto them thus; and he delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, and they slew them not.

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 appointed them on that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the Lord, even unto this day, for the place which he should choose.