Joshua 9

1 It happened, 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 Hethite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard of it

And it came to pass, when all the kings who [were] on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite heard [these things],

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

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

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

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

4 they also resorted to a ruse, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins, old and torn and bound up,

They did work craftily, and went and made as if they had been embassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine-bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;

5 and old and patched shoes on their feet, and wore old garments. All the bread of their provision was dry and moldy.

And old shoes and patched upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry [and] moldy.

6 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 a covenant 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 league with us.

7 The men of Israel said to the Hivites, "What if you live among us. How could we make a covenant with you?"

And the men of Israel said to the Hivites, It may be ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?

8 They said to Joshua, "We are your servants." Joshua said to them, "Who are you? Where do you come from?"

And they said to Joshua, we [are] thy servants. And Joshua said to them, Who [are] ye? and whence come ye?

9 They said to him, "Your servants have come from a very far country because of the name of Jehovah your God; for we have heard of his fame, 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 the LORD thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,

10 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.

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

11 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 tell them, "We are your servants. Now make a covenant with us."'

Wherefore our elders, and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, Take provisions with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, We [are] your servants: therefore now make ye a league with us:

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

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 it is moldy:

13 These wineskins, which we filled, were new; and look, they are torn. These our garments and our shoes have become old because of the very long journey."

And these bottles of wine which we filled, [were] new, and behold, they are rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey.

14 The men sampled their provisions, and did not ask counsel from the mouth of Jehovah.

And the men took of their provisions, and asked not [counsel] at the mouth of the LORD.

15 Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live. The leaders of the congregation swore to them.

And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation swore to them.

16 It happened 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 lived among them.

And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they [were] their neighbors, and [that] they dwelt among them.

17 The children of Israel traveled and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim.

And the children of Israel journeyed, and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities [were] Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim.

18 The children of Israel did not strike them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by Jehovah, the God of Israel. And the whole congregation murmured against the leaders.

And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes.

19 But all the leaders said to all the congregation, "We have sworn to them by Jehovah, the God of Israel; and now therefore we may not touch them.

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

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

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

21 And the leaders said to them, "Let them live." So they became wood cutters and drawers of water for all the congregation, and all the congregation did as the leaders had spoken to them.

And the princes said to them, Let them live; but let them be hewers of wood, and drawers of water to all the congregation; as the princes had promised them.

22 Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, "Why have you deceived us, saying, 'We are very far from you,' when you live among us?

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

23 Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you will never fail to be bondservants, both wood cutters and drawers of water for the house of my God."

Now therefore ye [are] cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bond-men, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.

24 They answered Joshua, and said, "Because your servants were certainly told how Jehovah your 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.

And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants, how the LORD 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 greatly afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.

25 Now, look, we are in your hand. Do to us as it seems good and right to you to do."

And now, behold, we [are] in thy hand: do as it seemeth good and right to thee to do to us,

26 He did so to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they did not kill them.

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

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

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