Joshua 9

1 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,

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,

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

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

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

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

4 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;

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;

5 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.

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.

6 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.

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.

7 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:

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?

8 And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and whence come ye!

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

9 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;

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,

10 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.

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.

11 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.

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.

12 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:

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.

13 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.

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.

14 And the men took of their provisions, but the decision of the Lord they did not ask.

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

15 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.

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.

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 neighbors, and that they dwelt in the midst of them.

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

17 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.

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.

18 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.

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.

19 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.

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.

20 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.

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.

21 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.

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.

22 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?

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?

23 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.

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.

24 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.

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.

25 And now, behold, we are in thy hand; as it seemeth good and right in thy eyes to do unto us, so do.

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

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

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

27 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.

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.