[1] It happened, when all the kings who 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 of it; [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 resorted to a ruse, and went and
made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks on their donkeys,
and wine-skins, old and torn and bound up, [5] and old and patched shoes on
their feet, and old garments on them; and all the bread of their provision
was dry and was become moldy. [6] 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] The men of Israel
said to the Hivites, What if you dwell among us; and how shall we make a
covenant with you? [8] They said to Joshua, We are your servants. Joshua
said to them, Who are you? and from whence come you? [9] They said to him,
From a very far country your servants are come because of the name of
Yahweh 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, who were
beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who
was at Ashtaroth. [11] 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 tell 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 moldy: [13] and these wine-skins, which we filled, were new;
and, behold, they are torn: and these our garments and our shoes are become
old by reason of the very long journey. [14] The men took of their
provision, and didn`t ask counsel at the mouth of Yahweh. [15] 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] It happened 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 lived among them. [17] 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] The children of Israel didn`t strike them, because the
princes of the congregation had sworn to them by Yahweh, the God of Israel.
All the congregation murmured against the princes. [19] But all the princes
said to all the congregation, We have sworn to them by Yahweh, the God of
Israel: now therefore we may not touch them. [20] This we will do to them,
and let them live; lest wrath be on us, because of the oath which we swore
to them. [21] The princes said to them, Let them live: so they became wood
cutters and drawers of water to all the congregation, as the princes had
spoken to them. [22] Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying,
Why have you deceived 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 bondservants, both wood cutters and drawers of water for the
house of my God. [24] They answered Joshua, and said, Because it was
certainly told your servants, how that Yahweh 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] Now, behold, we are in your
hand: as it seems good and right to you to do to us, do. [26] So did he to
them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that
they didn`t kill them. [27] That day Joshua made those wood cutters and
drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of Yahweh, to this
day, in the place which he should choose.
