Joshua 9

1 Now on hearing the news of these things, all the kings on the west side of Jordan, in the hill-country and the lowlands and by the Great Sea in front of Lebanon, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites,

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 Came together with one purpose, to make war against Joshua and Israel.

That they assembled themselves, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.

3 And the men of Gibeon, hearing what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,

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

4 Acting with deceit, got food together as if for a long journey; and took old food-bags for their asses, and old and cracked wine-skins kept together with cord;

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 put old stitched-up shoes on their feet, and old clothing on their backs; and all the food they had with them was dry and broken up.

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 And they came to Joshua to the tent-circle at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, We have come from a far country: so now make an agreement with us.

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 to the Hivites, It may be that you are living among us; how then may we make an agreement with you?

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 to Joshua, We are your servants. Then Joshua said to them, Who are you and where do you come from?

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 to him, Your servants have come from a very far country, because of the name of the Lord your God: for the story of his great name, and of all he did in Egypt has come to our ears,

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 what he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of Jordan, to Sihon, king of Heshbon, and to Og, king of Bashan, at 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 the responsible men and all the people of our country said to us, Take food with you for the journey and go to them, and say to them, We are your servants: so now make an agreement with us.

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 bread which we have with us for our food, we took warm and new from our houses when starting on our journey to you; but now see, it has become dry and broken up.

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 wine-skins were new when we put the wine in them, and now they are cracked as you see; and our clothing and our shoes have become old because of our very long journey here.

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 And the men took some of their food, without requesting directions from the Lord.

And the men took of their provisions, and asked not [counsel] at the mouth of the LORD.

15 So Joshua made peace with them, and made an agreement with them that they were not to be put to death: and the chiefs of the people took an oath to 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 Now three days after, when they had made this agreement with them, they had word that these men were their neighbours, living near them.

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 And the children of Israel went forward on their journey, and on the third day came to their towns. Now their towns were 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 children of Israel did not put them to death, because the chiefs of the people had taken an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. And all the people made an outcry against the chiefs.

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 But all the chiefs said to the people, We have taken an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and so we may not put our hands on 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 is what we will do to them: we will not put them to death, for fear that wrath may come on us because of our oath to 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 Keep them living, and let them be servants, cutting wood and getting water for all the people. And all the people did as the chiefs had said to 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 Then Joshua sent for them, and said to them, Why have you been false to us, saying, We are very far from you, when you are living among us?

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 because of this you are cursed, and you will for ever be our servants, cutting wood and getting 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, answering Joshua, they said, Because it came to the ears of your servants that the Lord your God had given orders to his servant Moses to give you all this land, and to send destruction on all the people living in it, because of you; so, fearing greatly for our lives because of you, we have done this.

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 And now we are in your hands: do to us whatever seems good and right to you.

And now, behold, we [are] in thy hand: do as it seemeth good and right to thee to do to us,

26 So he kept them safe from the children of Israel, and did not let them be put to death.

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 that day Joshua made them servants, cutting wood and getting water for the people and for the altar of the Lord, in the place marked out by him, to this day.

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.