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 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 then gathered they themselves together as one man, 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 Now, the inhabitants of Gibeon, heard that which Joshua had done unto Jericho and unto Ai;

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

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;

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

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 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 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 men of Israel said to the Hivites, It may be ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league 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] thy servants. And Joshua said to them, Who [are] ye? and whence come ye?

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 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 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 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 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.

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, 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;

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 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 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 So the men took of their provision, —but, the bidding of Yahweh, had they not asked.

And the men took of their provisions, and asked not [counsel] at the mouth 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 made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation swore 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 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 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 journeyed, and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities [were] Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim.

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.

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 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.

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, 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 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 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.

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 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 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, 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.

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 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, 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, 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 thy hand: do as it seemeth good and right to thee to do to us,

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

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 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.