Joshua 9

1 Now on hearing the news of these things, all the kings on the west side of Jordan, in the hill-country and the lowlands and by the Great Sea in front of Lebanon, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites,

All the kings west of the Jordan heard what had happened. These included the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites who lived in the hill country, the lowlands, and along the coast as far as Lebanon.

2 Came together with one purpose, to make war against Joshua and Israel.

So they gathered to fight together as a united army against Joshua and the Israelites.

3 And the men of Gibeon, hearing what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,

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

4 Acting with deceit, got food together as if for a long journey; and took old food-bags for their asses, and old and cracked wine-skins kept together with cord;

they decided on a cunning plan. They sent messengers to Joshua, their donkeys wearing worn-out saddles and carrying old wineskins that were torn and patched.

5 And put old stitched-up shoes on their feet, and old clothing on their backs; and all the food they had with them was dry and broken up.

They put on worn sandals that had been mended and wore old clothes. All their bread was dry and moldy.

6 And they came to Joshua to the tent-circle at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, We have come from a far country: so now make an agreement with us.

They went to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal and told him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a land far away, so please make a treaty with us.”

7 And the men of Israel said to the Hivites, It may be that you are living among us; how then may we make an agreement with you?

But the Israelites said to the Hivites, “Maybe you live close by. If you do, we cannot make a treaty with you.”

8 And they said to Joshua, We are your servants. Then Joshua said to them, Who are you and where do you come from?

“We are your servants,” they replied. “But who are you? Where do you come from?” Joshua asked.

9 And they said to him, Your servants have come from a very far country, because of the name of the Lord your God: for the story of his great name, and of all he did in Egypt has come to our ears,

“Your servants have come from a land far away,” they replied. “For we have heard of the reputation of the Lord your God, and reports of all that he did in Egypt,

10 And what he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of Jordan, to Sihon, king of Heshbon, and to Og, king of Bashan, at Ashtaroth.

and what he did to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan—to Sihon, king of Heshbon, and Og, king of Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth.

11 So the responsible men and all the people of our country said to us, Take food with you for the journey and go to them, and say to them, We are your servants: so now make an agreement with us.

So our leaders and everyone who lives in our land told us: Take what you need with you for the journey. Go and meet with them, and tell them, ‘We are your servants. Please make a treaty with us.’

12 This bread which we have with us for our food, we took warm and new from our houses when starting on our journey to you; but now see, it has become dry and broken up.

Look at this bread. It was warm when we took it from our houses on the day we set out to come here. But now it's dry and moldy, as you can see.

13 And these wine-skins were new when we put the wine in them, and now they are cracked as you see; and our clothing and our shoes have become old because of our very long journey here.

These wineskins were new when we filled them, but look at them now—they're split and damaged. These clothes of ours and our sandals are all worn out because the journey took so long.”

14 And the men took some of their food, without requesting directions from the Lord.

The Israelites tried some of the food. However, they did not consult the Lord.

15 So Joshua made peace with them, and made an agreement with them that they were not to be put to death: and the chiefs of the people took an oath to them.

Then Joshua made a treaty with them, promising to spare their lives, and the leaders of the assembly swore an oath to guarantee it.

16 Now three days after, when they had made this agreement with them, they had word that these men were their neighbours, living near them.

Three days after they had made the treaty, the Israelites learned that the Gibeonites lived nearby, right among them!

17 And the children of Israel went forward on their journey, and on the third day came to their towns. Now their towns were Gibeon and Chephirah and Beeroth and Kiriath-jearim.

The Israelites left to go to the Gibeonite towns, and arrived there on the third day. The towns were Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim.

18 And the children of Israel did not put them to death, because the chiefs of the people had taken an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. And all the people made an outcry against the chiefs.

But the Israelites did not attack them because of the treaty sworn by the leaders of the assembly in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. At this all the Israelites protested against the leaders.

19 But all the chiefs said to the people, We have taken an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and so we may not put our hands on them.

But the leaders replied to the people, “We swore to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, so we cannot lay a hand on them now.

20 This is what we will do to them: we will not put them to death, for fear that wrath may come on us because of our oath to them.

So this is what we're going to do to them. We'll let them live, so that we won't be punished for breaking the oath that we swore to them.”

21 Keep them living, and let them be servants, cutting wood and getting water for all the people. And all the people did as the chiefs had said to them.

The leaders concluded, “Let them live.” So the Gibeonites became woodcutters and water-carriers in service to the entire assembly, as the Israelite leaders had ordered.

22 Then Joshua sent for them, and said to them, Why have you been false to us, saying, We are very far from you, when you are living among us?

Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and asked them, “Why did you trick us? You told us, ‘We live a long way from you,’ but you live right next door to us!

23 Now because of this you are cursed, and you will for ever be our servants, cutting wood and getting water for the house of my God.

Consequently you are under a curse. From now on you shall forever be servants, woodcutters and water-carriers for the house of my God.”

24 And, answering Joshua, they said, Because it came to the ears of your servants that the Lord your God had given orders to his servant Moses to give you all this land, and to send destruction on all the people living in it, because of you; so, fearing greatly for our lives because of you, we have done this.

They answered Joshua, “We your servants were told very clearly that the Lord your God had ordered Moses to give you all this land, and that all its inhabitants were to be wiped out before you. So we really feared for our lives because of you. That's why we did what we did.

25 And now we are in your hands: do to us whatever seems good and right to you.

Now we're in your hands. Do to us what you think is right and just.”

26 So he kept them safe from the children of Israel, and did not let them be put to death.

Joshua did as he had said. He saved them from the Israelites, so that they did not kill them.

27 And that day Joshua made them servants, cutting wood and getting water for the people and for the altar of the Lord, in the place marked out by him, to this day.

That day Joshua made them woodcutters and water-carriers in service to the entire assembly and for the altar of the Lord wherever the Lord should choose. That is what they do right up to this very day.