Joshua 9

1 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],

And it cometh to pass, when all the kings who [are] beyond the Jordan, in the hill-country, and in the low-country, and in every haven of the great sea, over-against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, hear —

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

that they gather themselves together to fight with Joshua, and with Israel — one mouth.

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

And the inhabitants of Gibeon have heard that which Joshua hath done to Jericho and to Ai,

4 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,

and they work, even they, with subtilty, and go, and feign to be ambassadors, and take old sacks for their asses, and wine-bottles, old, and rent, and bound up,

5 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.

and sandals, old and patched, on their feet, and old garments upon them, and all the bread of their provision is dry — it was crumbs.

6 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.

And they go unto Joshua, unto the camp at Gilgal, and say unto him, and unto the men of Israel, 'From a land far off we have come, and now, make with us a covenant;'

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

and the men of Israel say unto the Hivite, 'It may be in our midst ye are dwelling, and how do we make with thee a covenant?'

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

and they say unto Joshua, 'Thy servants we [are].' And Joshua saith unto them, 'Who [are] ye? and whence come ye?'

9 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,

And they say unto him, 'From a land very far off have thy servants come, for the name of Jehovah thy God, for we have heard His fame, and all that He hath done in Egypt,

10 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.

and all that He hath done to the two kings of the Amorite who [are] beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who [is] in Ashtaroth.

11 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.

'And our elders, and all the inhabitants of our land speak unto us, saying, Take in your hand provision for the way, and go to meet them, and ye have said unto them, Your servants we [are], and now, make with us a covenant;

12 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.

this our bread — hot we provided ourselves with it out of our houses, on the day of our coming out to go unto you, and now, lo, it is dry, and hath been crumbs;

13 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.

and these [are] the wine-bottles which we filled, new, and lo, they have rent; and these, our garments and our sandals, have become old, from the exceeding greatness of the way.'

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

And the men take of their provision, and the mouth of Jehovah have not asked;

15 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.

and Joshua maketh with them peace, and maketh with them a covenant, to keep them alive; and swear to them do the princes of the company.

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

And it cometh to pass, at the end of three days after that they have made with them a covenant, that they hear that they [are] their neighbours — that in their midst they are dwelling.

17 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.

And the sons of Israel journey and come in unto their cities on the third day — and their cities [are] Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath-Jearim —

18 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.

and the sons of Israel have not smitten them, for sworn to them have the princes of the company by Jehovah God of Israel, and all the company murmur against the princes.

19 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.

And all the princes say unto all the company, 'We — we have sworn to them by Jehovah, God of Israel; and now, we are not able to come against them;

20 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.

this we do to them, and have kept them alive, and wrath is not upon us, because of the oath which we have sworn to them.'

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

And the princes say unto them, 'They live, and are hewers of wood and drawers of water for all the company, as the princes spake to them.'

22 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 amongst us?

And Joshua calleth for them, and speaketh unto them, saying, 'Why have ye deceived us, saying, We are very far from you, and ye in our midst dwelling?

23 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.

and now, cursed are ye, and none of you is cut off [from being] a servant, even hewers of wood and drawers of water, for the house of my God.'

24 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.

And they answer Joshua and say, 'Because it was certainly declared to thy servants, that Jehovah thy God commanded Moses His servant to give to you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; and we fear greatly for ourselves because of you, and we do this thing;

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

and now, lo, we [are] in thy hand, as [it is] good, and as [it is] right in thine eyes to do to us — do.'

26 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.

And he doth to them so, and delivereth them from the hand of the sons of Israel, and they have not slain them;

27 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.

and Joshua maketh them on that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the company, and for the altar of Jehovah, unto this day, at the place which He doth choose.