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; —

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 Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard of it

2 then gathered they themselves together as one man, to fight with Joshua, and with Israel, —with one accord.

they gathered themselves together 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;

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

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 and patched sandals on their feet, and wore old garments. All the bread of their food supply was dry and mouldy.

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.

They went to Joshua at 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.”

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?

The men of Israel said to the Hivites, “What if you live amongst us? How could we 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?

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

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;

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,

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 who were beyond the 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.

Our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take supplies in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them. Tell them, “We are your servants. 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;

This our bread we took hot for our supplies out of our houses on the day we went out to go to you; but now, behold, it is dry, and has 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.

These wine skins, which we filled, were new; and behold, they are torn. These our garments and our sandals have become old because of the very long journey.”

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

The men sampled their provisions, and didn’t ask counsel from the LORD’s mouth.

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.

Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live. 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.

At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their 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.

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

The children of Israel didn’t strike them, because the princes of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. 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, the 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.

We will do this to them, and let them live; lest wrath be on 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.

The princes said to them, “Let them live.” So they became wood cutters and drawers of water for all the congregation, as the princes had spoken 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?

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 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.

Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you will never fail to be slaves, both wood cutters 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.

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.

25 Now, therefore, here we are, in thy hand, —as may be good and right in thine eyes, to do unto us, do.

Now, behold, we are in your hand. Do to us as it seems good and right to you to do.”

26 And he did to them so, —and rescued them out of the hand of the sons of Israel, and they slew them not.

He did so to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they didn’t 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.

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