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 which 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 thereof;

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

That they gathered themselves 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.

They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks on their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;

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

And old shoes and clouted on their feet, and old garments on them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy.

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 to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make you a league 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 Hivites, Peradventure you dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?

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

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

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 your servants are come because of the name of the LORD your 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 king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which 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.’

Why our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, We are your servants: therefore now make you a league 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 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 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 bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes 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, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.

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 league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation swore to 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 league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they dwelled among them.

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. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjathjearim.

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 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 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.

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 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; we will even let them live, lest wrath be on us, because of the oath which we swore to 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; but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water to all the congregation; as the princes had promised 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 you beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when you dwell among us?

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.”

Now therefore you are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being slaves, 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 your servants, how that 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 sore afraid of our lives because of you, and have done 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 your hand: as it seems good and right to you 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 so did he to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not.

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 congregation, and for the altar of the LORD, even to this day, in the place which he should choose.