Joshua 9

1 And it came to pass, when they heard, —namely, all the kings who were over the Jordan, in the hill country and in the lowland, and in all the coast of the great sea, over against the Lebanon, —the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; —

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 then gathered they themselves together as one man, 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 Now, the inhabitants of Gibeon, heard that which 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, however, acted craftily, and went and started, —and took old sacks for their asses, and leathern 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 sandals, old and patched, upon their feet, and worn-out mantles upon them, —and, all the bread of their provision, was dry and broken.

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 So they took their journey unto Joshua, unto the camp, at Gilgal, —and said unto him, and unto the men of Israel, From a far country, are we come, Now, therefore, solemnise with us a covenant.

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, in our midst, ye are dwelling, how then can we solemnise with you a covenant?

And the children of Israel said to the Chorrhaean, Peradventure you dwell amongst us; and how should I make a covenant with you?

8 And they said unto Joshua: Thy servants, we are. And Joshua said unto them: Who, are ye? And, from 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 country, have thy servants come, because of the name of Yahweh thy God, —because we had heard his fame, and all that he had 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 had done unto the two kings of the Amorites who were over the Jordan, —unto Sihon, king of Heshbon, and unto Og, king of Bashan, who was in 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 So our elders and all the inhabitants of our land spake unto us, saying—Take ye, in your hand, provision for the journey, and go your way to meet them, —then shall ye say unto them, Your servants, we are. Now, therefore, solemnise 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, took we, hot, for our provision, out of our houses, on the day we came forth to journey unto you, —but, now, lo! it is dry, yea it is broken;

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 leathern wine bottles, which we filled new, lo! also, they are rent, —and, as for these our mantles and our sandals, they are 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 So the men took of their provision, —but, the bidding of Yahweh, had they not asked.

And the chiefs took of their provision, and asked not [counsel of] the Lord.

15 And Joshua made peace with them, and solemnised with them a covenant to let them live, —and the princes of the assembly, entered into an oath with 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 solemnised with them a covenant, that they heard that, near neighbours, they were unto them, and, in their midst, they were dwelling.

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 So the sons of Israel brake up, and came in unto their cities on the third day, —their cities, being Gibeon, and Chephirah, and 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 And the sons of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the assembly had sworn unto them by Yahweh, God of Israel, —but all the assembly 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 assembly, We, have sworn unto them, by Yahweh, God of Israel, —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, will we do unto them, even let them live, —lest there come on us wrath, because 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. So they became hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the assembly, as the princes spake 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 spake unto them, saying, —Wherefore did ye deceive us, saying—We are, very far, from you, whereas, ye, in our midst, are dwelling?

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, accursed, ye are, —and ye shall not cease to be in bond-service as 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 responded to Joshua, and said—Because it was, plainly told, thy servants, how that Yahweh thy God had commanded Moses his servant to give unto you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you, —therefore feared we greatly, for our lives, because of you, and did 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, therefore, here we are, in thy hand, —as may be good and right in thine eyes, to do unto us, 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 to them so, —and rescued them out of the hand of the sons 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 that day to be hewers of wood and drawers of water unto the assembly, —and unto the altar of Yahweh, [as they are] until 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.