Joshua 9
1 And it came to pass when all the kings who were on this side the Jordan, in the hill-country, and in the lowland, and along all the coast of the great sea as far as opposite to Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard [of it],
And whanne these thingis weren herd, alle the kyngis biyende Jordan, that lyueden in the hilly places, and in `the feeldi places, in the coostis of the see, and in the brynke of the greet see, and thei that dwellen bisidis Liban, Ethei, and Ammorrei, Cananei, and Feresey, Euey, and Jebusey,
2 that they assembled together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.
weren gaderid togidere to fiyte ayens Josue and Israel, with o wille, and the same sentence.
3 And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,
And thei that dwelten in Gabaon, herden alle thingis whiche Josue hadde do to Jerico, and to Hay; and thei thouyten felli,
4 then they also acted with craft, and they went prepared as on a journey, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine-flasks, old and rent and tied up;
and token to hem silf metis, and puttyden elde sackis on assis, and wyn botels brokun and sewid, and ful elde schoon,
5 and old and patched sandals upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry [and] mouldy.
whiche weren sewid togidere with patchis, to `the schewyng of eldenesse; and thei weren clothid with elde clothis; also looues, whiche thei baren for lijflode in the weie, weren harde and brokun in to gobetis.
6 And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said to him, and to the men of Israel, From a far country are we come; and now make a covenant with us.
And thei yeden to Josue, that dwellide thanne in tentis in Galgala; and thei seiden to hym, and to al Israel togidere, We comen fro a fer lond, and coueyten to make pees with you. And the men of Israel answeriden to hem,
7 And the men of Israel said to the Hivite, Perhaps thou dwellest in the midst of us, and how should I make a covenant with thee?
and seiden, Lest perauenture ye dwellen in the lond, which is due to vs bi eritage, and we moun not make bond of pees with you.
8 And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said to them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?
And thei seiden to Josue, We ben thi seruauntis. To whiche Josue seide, What men ben ye, and fro whennus camen ye?
9 And they said to him, From a very far country are thy servants come, because of the name of Jehovah thy God; for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,
Thei answeriden, Thi seruauntis camen fro a ful fer lond in the name of thi Lord God, for we herden the fame of his power, alle thingis whiche he dide in Egipt,
10 and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og the king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.
and to twei kyngis of Ammorreis biyendis Jordan; to Seon king of Esebon, and to Og kyng of Basan, that weren in Astroth.
11 And our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, Take victuals in your hand for the way, and go to meet them, and say to them, We are your servants, and now make a covenant with us.
And the eldere men and alle the dwelleris of oure lond seiden to vs, Take ye metis in youre hondis, for lengeste weie; and go ye to hem, and seie ye, We ben youre seruauntis; make ye boond of pees with vs.
12 This our bread we took warm for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; and now, behold, it is dry, and is become mouldy.
And we token hoote looues, whanne we yeden out of oure housis to come to you; now tho ben maad drye and brokun, for greet eldenesse;
13 And these flasks of wine which we filled new, behold, they are rent; and these our garments and our sandals are become old by reason of the very long journey.
we filliden newe botels of wyn; now tho ben brokun and vndoon; the clothis and schoon, with whiche we ben clothid, and whiche we han `in the feet, ben brokun and almost wastid, fro the lengthe of lengere weie.
14 And the men took of their victuals, but they did not inquire at the mouth of Jehovah.
Therfor `the sones of Israel token of the metis of hem, and thei axiden not `the mouth of the Lord.
15 And Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the princes of the assembly swore unto them.
And Josue made pees with hem. And whanne the boond of pees was maad, he bihiyte, that thei schulden not be slayn; and the princes of the multitude sworen to hem.
16 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 neighbours, and that they dwelt in their midst.
Forsothe aftir thre daies of the boond of pees maad, thei herden, that thei dwelliden in nyy place, and that thei schulden be among hem.
17 And the children of Israel journeyed, and came to their cities on the third day; and their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim.
And the sones of Israel mouyden tentis, and camen in the thridde dai in to the citees of hem, of whiche citees these ben the names; Gabaon, and Caphira, and Beroth, and Cariathiarym.
18 And the children of Israel did not smite them, because the princes of the assembly had sworn unto them by Jehovah the God of Israel. Then all the assembly murmured against the princes.
And thei smytiden not hem, for the princis of the multitude hadden swore to hem in the name of the Lord God of Israel. Therfor al the comyn puple grutchide ayens the princis of Israel;
19 And all the princes said to all the assembly, We have sworn unto them by Jehovah the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them.
whiche answeriden to hem, We sworen to hem in the name of the Lord God of Israel, and therfor we moun not touche hem;
20 This we will do to them, and let them live, lest wrath come upon us, because of the oath which we swore unto them.
but we schulen do this thing to hem, sotheli be thei reserued that thei lyue, lest the ire of the Lord be stirid ayens vs, if we forsweren to hem;
21 And the princes said to them, Let them live. And they were hewers of wood and drawers of water for all the assembly; as the princes had said to them.
but so lyue thei, that thei hewe trees, and bere watris, in to the vsis of al the multitude. And while thei spaken these thingis,
22 And Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, Why have ye deceived us, saying, We are very far from you; whereas ye dwell in our midst?
Josue clepide Gabonytis, and seide to hem, Whi wolden ye disseyue vs bi fraude, `that ye seiden, We dwellen ful fer fro you, sithen ye ben in the myddis of vs?
23 And now ye are cursed, and ye shall never cease to be bondmen, and hewers of wood, and drawers of water for the house of my God.
Therfor ye schulen be `vndur cursyng, and noon schal faile of youre generacioun, hewynge trees and berynge watris, in to the hows of my God.
24 And they answered Joshua and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants how that Jehovah thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; and we feared greatly for our lives because of you, and did this thing.
Whiche answeryden, It was told to vs thi seruauntis, that thi Lord God bihiyte to Moises, his seruaunt, that he schulde bitake to you al the lond, and schulde leese alle the dwelleris therof; therfor we dredden greetli, and purueiden to oure lyues, and weren compellid bi youre drede, and we token this counsel.
25 And now behold, we are in thy hand: as it is good and right in thine eyes to do to us, do.
`Now forsothe we ben in `thin hond; do thou to vs that, that semeth riytful and good to thee.
26 And he did so to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, and they did not slay them.
Therfor Josue dide, as he seide, and delyuerede hem fro the hondis of the sones of Israel, that thei schulden not be slayn.
27 And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the assembly, and for the altar of Jehovah, to this day, in the place which he should choose.
And in that dai Josue demyde hem to be in to the seruyce of al the puple, and of the auter of the Lord, and to hewe trees, and to bere watris, `til in to present tyme, in the place which the Lord hadde chose.
