Joshua 9

1 And whanne these thingis weren herd, alle the kyngis biyende Jordan, that lyueden in the hilly places, and in `the feeldi places, in the coostis of the see, and in the brynke of the greet see, and thei that dwellen bisidis Liban, Ethei, and Ammorrei, Cananei, and Feresey, Euey, and Jebusey,

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 weren gaderid togidere to fiyte ayens Josue and Israel, with o wille, and the same sentence.

they came all together at the same time to make war against Joshua and Israel.

3 And thei that dwelten in Gabaon, herden alle thingis whiche Josue hadde do to Jerico, and to Hay; and thei thouyten felli,

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

4 and token to hem silf metis, and puttyden elde sackis on assis, and wyn botels brokun and sewid, and ful elde schoon,

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 rent and patched bottles of wine,

5 whiche weren sewid togidere with patchis, to `the schewyng of eldenesse; and thei weren clothid with elde clothis; also looues, whiche thei baren for lijflode in the weie, weren harde and brokun in to gobetis.

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 And thei yeden to Josue, that dwellide thanne in tentis in Galgala; and thei seiden to hym, and to al Israel togidere, We comen fro a fer lond, and coueyten to make pees with you. And the men of Israel answeriden to hem,

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 seiden, Lest perauenture ye dwellen in the lond, which is due to vs bi eritage, and we moun not make bond of pees with you.

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

8 And thei seiden to Josue, We ben thi seruauntis. To whiche Josue seide, What men ben ye, and fro whennus camen ye?

And they said to Joshua, We are thy servants: and Joshua said to them, Whence are ye, and whence have ye come?

9 Thei answeriden, Thi seruauntis camen fro a ful fer lond in the name of thi Lord God, for we herden the fame of his power, alle thingis whiche he dide in Egipt,

And they said, Thy servants are come from a very far country in the name of the Lord thy God: for we have heard his name, and all that he did in Egypt,

10 and to twei kyngis of Ammorreis biyendis Jordan; to Seon king of Esebon, and to Og kyng of Basan, that weren in Astroth.

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 dwelt in Astaroth and in Edrain.

11 And the eldere men and alle the dwelleris of oure lond seiden to vs, Take ye metis in youre hondis, for lengeste weie; and go ye to hem, and seie ye, We ben youre seruauntis; make ye boond of pees with vs.

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 ye shall say to them, We are thy servants, and now make a covenant with us.

12 And we token hoote looues, whanne we yeden out of oure housis to come to you; now tho ben maad drye and brokun, for greet eldenesse;

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 we filliden newe botels of wyn; now tho ben brokun and vndoon; the clothis and schoon, with whiche we ben clothid, and whiche we han `in the feet, ben brokun and almost wastid, fro the lengthe of lengere weie.

And these [are] the skins of wine which we filled when new, and they are rent; and our garments and our shoes are worn out because of the very long journey.

14 Therfor `the sones of Israel token of the metis of hem, and thei axiden not `the mouth of the Lord.

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

15 And Josue made pees with hem. And whanne the boond of pees was maad, he bihiyte, that thei schulden not be slayn; and the princes of the multitude sworen to hem.

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 Forsothe aftir thre daies of the boond of pees maad, thei herden, that thei dwelliden in nyy place, and that thei schulden be among hem.

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 dwelt among them.

17 And the sones of Israel mouyden tentis, and camen in the thridde dai in to the citees of hem, of whiche citees these ben the names; Gabaon, and Caphira, and Beroth, and Cariathiarym.

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 thei smytiden not hem, for the princis of the multitude hadden swore to hem in the name of the Lord God of Israel. Therfor al the comyn puple grutchide ayens the princis of Israel;

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 whiche answeriden to hem, We sworen to hem in the name of the Lord God of Israel, and therfor we moun not touche hem;

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 but we schulen do this thing to hem, sotheli be thei reserued that thei lyue, lest the ire of the Lord be stirid ayens vs, if we forsweren to hem;

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 but so lyue thei, that thei hewe trees, and bere watris, in to the vsis of al the multitude. And while thei spaken these thingis,

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

22 Josue clepide Gabonytis, and seide to hem, Whi wolden ye disseyue vs bi fraude, `that ye seiden, We dwellen ful fer fro you, sithen ye ben in the myddis of vs?

And Joshua called them together and said to them, Why have ye deceived me, saying, We live very far from you; whereas ye are fellow-countrymen of those who dwell among us?

23 Therfor ye schulen be `vndur cursyng, and noon schal faile of youre generacioun, hewynge trees and berynge watris, in to the hows of my God.

And now ye 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 Whiche answeryden, It was told to vs thi seruauntis, that thi Lord God bihiyte to Moises, his seruaunt, that he schulde bitake to you al the lond, and schulde leese alle the dwelleris therof; therfor we dredden greetli, and purueiden to oure lyues, and weren compellid bi youre drede, and we token this counsel.

And they answered Joshua, saying, It was reported to us what the Lord thy God charged his servant Moses, to give you this land, and to destroy us and all that dwelt on it from before you; and we feared very much for our lives because of you, and [therefore] we did this thing.

25 `Now forsothe we ben in `thin hond; do thou to vs that, that semeth riytful and good to thee.

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 Therfor Josue dide, as he seide, and delyuerede hem fro the hondis of the sones of Israel, that thei schulden not be slayn.

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 slay them.

27 And in that dai Josue demyde hem to be in to the seruyce of al the puple, and of the auter of the Lord, and to hewe trees, and to bere watris, `til in to present tyme, in the place which the Lord hadde chose.

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.