Joshua 9

1 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.

And it came to pass, when all the kings who were beyond the Jordan, in the hill-country, and in the lowland, and on all the shore of the great sea in front of Lebanon-the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite-heard of it,

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

that they gathered themselves together to fight with Joshua and with Israel with one accord.

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

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

4 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.

they also worked shrewdly, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their donkeys, and wine-skins, old and torn and bound up,

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

and old and patched shoes upon their feet, and old garments upon them, and all the bread of their provision was dry and became moldy.

6 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.”

And they went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him, and to the men of Israel, We have come from a far country, now therefore make ye a covenant with us.

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

And the men of Israel said to the Hivites, Perhaps ye dwell among us, and how shall we make a covenant with you?

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

And they said to Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said to them, Who are ye, and from where do ye come?

9 “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,

And they said to him, From a very far country. Thy servants have come because of the name of Jehovah thy God, for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,

10 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.

and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.

11 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.’

And our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, Take provision in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, We are your servants, and now make ye a covenant with us.

12 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.

This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go to you, but now, behold, it is dry, and has become moldy.

13 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.”

And these wine-skins, which we filled, were new, and, behold, they are torn. And these our garments and our shoes have become old by reason of the very long journey.

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

And the men took of their provision, and did not ask counsel at the mouth of Jehovah.

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

And Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live, and the rulers of the congregation swore to them.

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

17 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.

And the sons of Israel journeyed, and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

18 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.

And the sons of Israel did not smite them, because the rulers of the congregation had sworn to them by Jehovah, the God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the rulers.

19 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.

But all the rulers said to all the congregation, We have sworn to them by Jehovah, the God of Israel, now therefore we may not touch them.

20 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.”

This we will do to them, and let them live, lest wrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore to them.

21 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.

And the rulers said to them, Let them live. So they became hewers of wood and drawers of water to all the congregation, as the rulers had spoken to them.

22 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!

And Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, Why have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you, when ye dwell among us?

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

Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall never fail to be bondmen of you, both hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.

24 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.

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. Therefore we were very afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.

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

And now, behold, we are in thy hand. As it seems good and right to thee to do to us, do.

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

And so he did to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the sons of Israel, that they did not kill them.

27 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.

And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of Jehovah to this day in the place which he should choose.