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 when all the Kings that were beyonde Iorden, in the mountaines and in the valleis, and by all the coastes of the great Sea ouer against Lebanon (as the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hiuites, and the Iebusites) heard thereof,

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

They gathered themselues together, to fight against Ioshua, and against Israel with one accord.

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

But the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Ioshua had done vnto Iericho, 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,

And therefore they wrought craftily: for they went, and fayned themselues ambassadours, and tooke olde sackes vpon their asses, and olde bottels for wine, both rent and bound vp,

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

And olde shoes and clouted vpon their feete: also the raiment vpon them was old, and all their prouision of bread was dried, and mouled.

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."

So they came vnto Ioshua into the hoste to Gilgal, and said vnto him, and vnto the men of Israel, Wee be come from a farre countrey: nowe therefore make a league with vs.

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

Then the men of Israel said vnto the Hiuites, It may be that thou dwellest among vs, how then can I make a league with thee?

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

And they said vnto Ioshua, We are thy seruants. Then Ioshua saide vnto 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 the LORD your God; for we have heard of his fame, all that he did in Egypt,

And they answered him, From a very farre countrey thy seruants are come for the Name of the Lord thy God: for we haue heard his fame and all that he hath done 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 hath done to the two Kings of the Amorites that were beyonde Iorden, to Sihon King of Heshbon, and to Og King of Bashan, which were 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 countrey spake to vs, saying, Take vitailes with you for the iourney, and go to meete them, and say vnto them, Wee are your seruants: now therefore make ye a league with vs.

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 tooke it hote with vs for vittailes out of our houses, the day we departed to come vnto you: but nowe beholde, it is dried, and it is mouled.

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."

Also these bottels of wine which we filled, were newe, and lo, they be rent, and these our garments and our shooes are olde, by reason of the exceeding great iourney.

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

And the men accepted their tale concerning their vittailes, and counselled not with 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.

So Ioshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, that he would suffer them to liue: also the Princes of the Congregation sware vnto 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.

But at the end of three dayes, after they had made a league with them, they heard that they were their neighbours, 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 tooke their iourney, and came vnto their cities the third day, and their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth and Kiriath-iearim.

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

And the children of Israel slewe them not, because the Princes of the Congregation had sworne vnto them by the Lord God of Israel: wherefore all the Congregation murmured against the Princes.

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

Then all the Princes said vnto all the Congregation, We haue sworne vnto them by the Lord God of Israel: nowe 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."

But this we wil doe to them, and let them liue, least the wrath be vpon vs because of the othe which we sware vnto 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 sayd vnto them againe, Let them liue, but they shall hewe wood, and drawe water vnto all the Congregation, as the Princes appoint 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?

Ioshua then called them, and talked with them, and sayd, Wherefore haue ye beguiled vs, saying, We are very farre from you, when ye dwel among vs?

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 bondmen, 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 the LORD 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 Ioshua, and sayd, Because it was tolde thy seruants, that the Lord thy God had commanded his seruant Moses to giue you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land out of your sight, therefore we were exceeding sore afraid for our liues at the presence of you, and haue 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 beholde nowe, we are in thine hand: doe as it seemeth good and right in thine eyes to doe vnto vs.

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.

Euen so did he vnto them, and deliuered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slewe them not.

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

And Ioshua appointed them that same day to be hewers of wood, and drawers of water for the Congregation, and for the altar of the Lord vnto this day, in the place which he should chuse.