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

And the inhabitants of Gabaon heard of all that the Lord did to Jericho and Gai.

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

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

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

9 They said to him, "Your servants have come from a very far country because of the name of YHWH your God; for we have heard of his fame, all that he did 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 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 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 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."'

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 went out to go to you; but now, look, it is dry, and has become moldy.

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

And the chiefs took of their provision, and asked not [counsel 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 they made a covenant with them to preserve them; and the princes of the congregation sware 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 three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were near neighbours, and that they lived amongst 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 departed and came to their cities; and their cities [were] Gabaon, and Kephira, and Berot, and the cities of Jarin.

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

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

They shall live, and shall be hewers of wood and drawers of water to all the congregation, as the princes said to 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 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 amongst 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."

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 They answered Joshua, and said, "Because your servants were certainly told how YHWH 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, 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 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 your power; do to us as it is pleasing to you, and as it seems [good] to you.

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 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 That day Joshua made them wood cutters and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of YHWH, to this day, in 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.