Joshua 9

1 There were several kings [who ruled in lands that are] on the west side of the Jordan River. They were the kings of the Heth people-group, the Amor people-group, the Canaan people-group, the Periz people-group, the Hiv people-group, and the Jebus people-group. They lived in the hilly area, in the foothills further west, and [on the plains] along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. They heard [about what happened at Ai].

And it was when heard all the kings who [were] on [the] other side of the Jordan in the hill country and in the Shephelah and in all [the] coast of the sea great to [the] front of Lebanon the Hittite[s] and the Amorite[s] the Canaanite[s] the Perizzite[s] the Hivite[s] and the Jebusite[s].

2 So they all gathered [their armies] to fight Joshua and the Israeli army.

And they gathered together all together to wage war with Joshua and with Israel mouth one.

3 When the people who lived in Gibeon [city] heard that Joshua’s army had defeated the people of Jericho and Ai,

And [the] inhabitants of Gibeon they heard [that] which he had done Joshua to Jericho and to Ai.

4 they decided to trick the Israelis. They gathered some old sacks and some old leather wine bags that had been mended after they were cracked, and they put these on the backs of their donkeys.

And they acted also they with cunning and they went and they acted as ambassadors and they took sacks worn out for donkeys their and skin-bottles of wine worn out and split and tied up.

5 They put on old sandals that had been patched, and wore old ragged clothes. And they took along bread that was dry and moldy.

And sandals worn out and patched [were] on feet their and garments worn out [were] on them and all [the] bread of provision[s] their it was dried up it was crumbs.

6 They traveled to where Joshua [and the other Israelis] had set up their tents near Gilgal. They said to Joshua and the other Israeli leaders, “We have traveled from a distant land. We want you to make a peace agreement with us.”

And they went to Joshua to the camp Gilgal and they said to him and to [the] man of Israel from a land distant we have come and therefore make to us a covenant.

7 The Israeli leaders said to those men from [Gilead who were from] the Hiv people-group, “[We do not know if you truly live far from us]. If you live near us, we cannot [RHQ] make a peace agreement with you, [because God has commanded us to get rid of the people that are living near us].”

(And he said *QK) [the] man of Israel to the Hivite[s] perhaps in midst my you [are] dwelling and how? (will I make *Qk) to you a covenant.

8 They replied to Joshua, “[If you make a peace agreement with us], we will be your servants.” But Joshua answered, “What people-group are you? Where do you come from?”

And they said to Joshua [are] servants your we and he said to them Joshua who? [are] you and from where? do you come.

9 The men from Gibeon answered, “[We want to be] your [. We] have come here from a distant land, because we have heard about the great things that your god has done. We have heard about everything that he did in Egypt [to help you].

And they said to him from a land distant very they have come servants your to [the] name of Yahweh God your for we have heard [the] report of him and all that he did in Egypt.

10 We have heard that he [enabled you to] defeat [the armies of] two kings of the Amor people-group, on the east side of the Jordan River—Sihon, the king who ruled in Heshbon [city], and Og, the king who ruled in Ashtaroth in the Bashan [area].

And - all that he did to [the] two [the] kings of the Amorite[s] who [were] on [the] other side of the Jordan to Sihon [the] king of Heshbon and to Og [the] king of Bashan who [was] in Ashtaroth.

11 So our leaders and the rest of our people said to us, ‘Take some food and go to talk with the Israelis. Tell them, “We want to be your servants. So make a peace agreement with us.”’

And they said to us elders our and all [the] inhabitants of land our saying take in hand your provision[s] for the journey and go to meet them and you will say to them [are] servants your we and therefore make to us a covenant.

12 Look at our bread. It was fresh and warm [from having been baked] on the day that we left our area, but now it is dry and moldy.

This - bread our warm we took as our provisions it from homes our on [the] day came out we to come to you and now here! it has dried up and it has been crumbs.

13 Look at our leather wine bags. They were new when we filled them with wine [before we left], but now they are cracked and old. Our clothes and our sandals are worn out from traveling [on the long road] to come here.”

And these [the] skin-bottles of wine which we filled new and here! they have split and these garments our and sandals our they have worn out from [the] greatness of the journey very.

14 The Israeli leaders tasted the bread, but they did not ask Yahweh what to do.

And they took the men some of provision[s] their and [the] mouth of Yahweh not they asked.

15 So Joshua agreed to make a peace agreement with the men from Gibeon to not kill them. All the Israeli leaders vowed to do what Joshua said in the agreement. [Then the men from Gibeon returned home].

And he made to them Joshua peace and he made to them a covenant to let live them and they swore an oath to them [the] leaders of the congregation.

16 Three days later the Israelis found out that the men from Gibeon lived nearby.

And it was from [the] end of three days after that they had made to them a covenant and they heard that [were] near they to him and in midst his they [were] dwelling.

17 So they went to where the men from Gibeon lived. After traveling [only] three days, they came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-Jearim.

And they set out [the] people of Israel and they came to cities their on the day third and cities their [were] Gibeon and Kephirah and Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim.

18 But the Israelis did not attack the people of those cities, because they had promised [to live peacefully with them], and Yahweh had heard them promise [to do that]. All the Israeli people grumbled against their leaders [for doing that].

And not they attacked them [the] people of Israel for they had sworn an oath to them [the] leaders of the congregation by Yahweh [the] God of Israel and they grumbled all the congregation on the leaders.

19 But the leaders answered, “We promised to [live peacefully with them], and Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship], heard us promise [to do that]. So now we cannot attack [EUP] them.

And they said all the leaders to all the congregation we we have sworn an oath to them by Yahweh [the] God of Israel and therefore not we are able to touch them.

20 This is what we will do: We will not kill them. If we kill them, God will be very angry with us [and punish us] because of not doing what we promised to do.

This we will do to them and we will let live them and not it will be towards us wrath on the oath which we swore to them.

21 So we must allow them to live. But they will cut wood for us, and they will carry water for us.” So the Israeli leaders did what they had promised.

And they said to them the leaders let them live and they were cutters of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation just as they had spoken to them the leaders.

22 Then Joshua summoned the men from Gibeon and asked them, “Why did you lie to us? Your land was near to where we had set up our tents, but you told us that you were from a distant land!

And he summoned them Joshua and he spoke to them saying why? did you deceive us saying [are] distant we from you very and you in midst our [are] dwelling.

23 So now you will become our slaves. You will always be forced to cut wood and carry water for [us Israeli people who worship in] the temple of our God.”

And therefore [are] cursed you and not he will be cut off from you a slave and cutters of wood and drawers of water for [the] house of God my.

24 The men from Gibeon replied, “We lied to you because we were afraid that you would kill us. We heard that Yahweh, your God, declared to his servant Moses that he would enable you to conquer all the people in this land and to kill all the people who lived in it.

And they answered Joshua and they said that certainly it was told to servants your this: he had commanded Yahweh God your Moses servant his to give to you all the land and to destroy all [the] inhabitants of the land from before you and we were afraid very for lives our because of you and we did the thing this.

25 So now you can decide what you will do with us. Do what you think is right.”

And therefore here we [are] in hand your according to the good and according to the right in eyes your to do to us do.

26 So Joshua saved the lives of the people of Gibeon by not allowing the Israelis to kill them.

And he did to them thus and he delivered them from [the] hand of [the] people of Israel and not they killed them.

27 Instead, he forced them to become the Israelis’ slaves. They cut wood and carried water for the Israelis. They also brought the wood and water [that was needed for] the sacred altar of Yahweh, to whatever place Yahweh decided that they should build one. And the people of Gibeon are still doing that.

And he made them Joshua on the day that cutters of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for [the] altar of Yahweh until the day this to the place which he will choose.