Joshua 9

1 All the kings west of the Jordan heard what had happened. These included the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites who lived in the hill country, the lowlands, and along the coast as far as Lebanon.

And it came to pass when all the kings who were on this side the Jordan, in the hill-country, and in the lowland, and along all the coast of the great sea as far as opposite to Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard [of it],

2 So they gathered to fight together as a united army against Joshua and the Israelites.

that they assembled together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.

3 But when the people of Gibeon heard 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 they decided on a cunning plan. They sent messengers to Joshua, their donkeys wearing worn-out saddles and carrying old wineskins that were torn and patched.

then they also acted with craft, and they went prepared as on a journey, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine-flasks, old and rent and tied up;

5 They put on worn sandals that had been mended and wore old clothes. All their bread was dry and moldy.

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

6 They went to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal and told him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a land far away, so please make a treaty with us.”

And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said to him, and to the men of Israel, From a far country are we come; and now make a covenant with us.

7 But the Israelites said to the Hivites, “Maybe you live close by. If you do, we cannot make a treaty with you.”

And the men of Israel said to the Hivite, Perhaps thou dwellest in the midst of us, and how should I make a covenant with thee?

8 “We are your servants,” they replied. “But who are you? Where do you come from?” Joshua asked.

And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said to them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?

9 “Your servants have come from a land far away,” they replied. “For we have heard of the reputation of the Lord your God, and reports of all that he did in Egypt,

And they said to him, From a very far country are thy servants come, because of the name of Jehovah 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 Amorite kings east of the Jordan—to Sihon, king of Heshbon, and Og, king of Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth.

and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og the king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.

11 So our leaders and everyone who lives in our land told us: Take what you need with you for the journey. Go and meet with them, and tell them, ‘We are your servants. Please make a treaty with us.’

And our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, Take victuals in your hand for the way, and go to meet them, and say to them, We are your servants, and now make a covenant with us.

12 Look at this bread. It was warm when we took it from our houses on the day we set out to come here. But now it's dry and moldy, as you can see.

This our bread we took warm for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; and now, behold, it is dry, and is become mouldy.

13 These wineskins were new when we filled them, but look at them now—they're split and damaged. These clothes of ours and our sandals are all worn out because the journey took so long.”

And these flasks of wine which we filled new, behold, they are rent; and these our garments and our sandals are become old by reason of the very long journey.

14 The Israelites tried some of the food. However, they did not consult the Lord.

And the men took of their victuals, but they did not inquire at the mouth of Jehovah.

15 Then Joshua made a treaty with them, promising to spare their lives, and the leaders of the assembly swore an oath to guarantee it.

And Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the princes of the assembly swore unto them.

16 Three days after they had made the treaty, the Israelites learned that the Gibeonites lived nearby, right among them!

And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt in their midst.

17 The Israelites left to go to the Gibeonite towns, and arrived there on the third day. The towns were Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim.

And the children of Israel journeyed, and came to their cities on the third day; and their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim.

18 But the Israelites did not attack them because of the treaty sworn by the leaders of the assembly in the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. At this all the Israelites protested against the leaders.

And the children of Israel did not smite them, because the princes of the assembly had sworn unto them by Jehovah the God of Israel. Then all the assembly murmured against the princes.

19 But the leaders replied to the people, “We swore to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, so we cannot lay a hand on them now.

And all the princes said to all the assembly, We have sworn unto them by Jehovah the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them.

20 So this is what we're going to do to them. We'll let them live, so that we won't be punished for breaking the oath that we swore to them.”

This we will do to them, and let them live, lest wrath come upon us, because of the oath which we swore unto them.

21 The leaders concluded, “Let them live.” So the Gibeonites became woodcutters and water-carriers in service to the entire assembly, as the Israelite leaders had ordered.

And the princes said to them, Let them live. And they were hewers of wood and drawers of water for all the assembly; as the princes had said to them.

22 Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and asked them, “Why did you trick us? You told us, ‘We live a long way from you,’ but you live right next door to us!

And Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, Why have ye deceived us, saying, We are very far from you; whereas ye dwell in our midst?

23 Consequently you are under a curse. From now on you shall forever be servants, woodcutters and water-carriers for the house of my God.”

And now ye are cursed, and ye shall never cease to be bondmen, and hewers of wood, and drawers of water for the house of my God.

24 They answered Joshua, “We your servants were told very clearly that the Lord your God had ordered Moses to give you all this land, and that all its inhabitants were to be wiped out before you. So we really feared for our lives because of you. That's why we did what we did.

And they answered Joshua and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants how that Jehovah thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; and we feared greatly for our lives because of you, and did this thing.

25 Now we're in your hands. Do to us what you think is right and just.”

And now behold, we are in thy hand: as it is good and right in thine eyes to do to us, do.

26 Joshua did as he had said. He saved them from the Israelites, so that they did not kill them.

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

27 That day Joshua made them woodcutters and water-carriers in service to the entire assembly and for the altar of the Lord wherever the Lord should choose. That is what they do right up to this very day.

And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the assembly, and for the altar of Jehovah, to this day, in the place which he should choose.