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,

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],

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

they came all together at the same time 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 inhabitants of Gabaon heard of all that the Lord did to Jericho and Gai.

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;

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,

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 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.

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 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.

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 children of Israel said to the Chorrhaean, Peradventure you dwell among us; and how should I make a covenant 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: and Joshua said to them, Whence are you, and whence have you come?

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, 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,

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 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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

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 [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.

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

And the chiefs took of their provision, and asked not [counsel 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 congregation swore unto them.

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.

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.

And it came to pass three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were near neighbors, and that they lived among 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 departed and came to their cities; and their cities [were] Gabaon, and Kephira, and Berot, and the cities of Jarin.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

They shall live, and shall be hewers of wood and drawers of water to all the congregation, as the princes 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?

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 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.

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.

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 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.

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

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.

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 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.