Josh 9
1
And it came to pass, when all the kings that were beyond the Jordan, in the hill-country,
and in the lowland, and on all the shore of the great sea in front of Lebanon, the
Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite,
heard thereof;
2
that they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with
one accord.
3
But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,
4
they also did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and
took old sacks upon their asses, and wine-skins, old and rent and bound up,
5
and old and patched shoes upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the
bread of their provision was dry and was become mouldy.
6
And they went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him, and to the men of
Israel, We are come from a far country: now therefore make you a covenant with us.
7
And the men of Israel said to the Hivites, Peradventure you dwell among us; and how
shall we make a covenant with you?
8
And they said to Joshua, We are your servants. And Joshua said to them, Who are you?
and from whence come you?
9
And they said to him, From a very far country your servants are come because of the
name of YHWH your God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,
10
and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond the Jordan,
to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.
11
And our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, Take provision
in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, We are your servants:
and now make you a covenant with us.
12
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 is become mouldy:
13
and these wine-skins, 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 of their provision, and asked not counsel at the mouth of YHWH.
15
And Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live:
and the princes of the congregation swore to them.
16
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 neighbors, and that they dwelt among them.
17
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 Kiriath-jearim.
18
And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation
had sworn to them by YHWH, the God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against
the princes.
19
But all the princes said to all the congregation, We have sworn to them by YHWH, the
God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.
20
This we will do to them, and let them live; lest anger be upon us, because of the
oath which we swore to them.
21
And the princes said to them, Let them live: so they became hewers of wood and drawers
of water to all the congregation, as the princes had spoken to them.
22
And Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, Wherefore have you beguiled
us, saying, We are very far from you; when you dwell among us?
23
Now therefore you are cursed, and there shall never fail to be of you bondmen, both
hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.
24
And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told your servants, how
that YHWH 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 for
our lives because of you, and have done this thing.
25
And now, behold, we are in your hand: as it seems good and right to you to do to us,
do.
26
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 Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation,
and for the altar of YHWH, to this day, in the place which he should choose.