Joshua
9:1 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;
9:2 That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with
Israel, with one accord.
9:3 And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto
Jericho and to Ai,
9:4 They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors,
and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent,
and bound up;
9:5 And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them;
and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.
9:6 And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and
to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make
ye a league with us.
9:7 And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among
us; and how shall we make a league with you?
9:8 And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto
them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?
9:9 And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come
because of the name of the LORD thy God: for we have heard the fame of
him, and all that he did in Egypt,
9:10 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.
9:11 Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us,
saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and
say unto them, We are your servants: therefore now make ye a league with
us.
9:12 This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the
day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is
mouldy:
9:13 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.
9:14 And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth
of the LORD.
9:15 And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let
them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.
9:16 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 neighbours, and
that they dwelt among them.
9:17 And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their cities on the
third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and
Kirjathjearim.
9:18 And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the
congregation had sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel. And all the
congregation murmured against the princes.
9:19 But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto
them by the LORD God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.
9:20 This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon
us, because of the oath which we sware unto them.
9:21 And the princes said unto them, Let them live; but let them be hewers of
wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation; as the princes had
promised them.
9:22 And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore
have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when ye dwell
among us?
9:23 Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from
being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of
my God.
9:24 And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy
servants, how that the LORD thy 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.
9:25 And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good and right unto
thee to do unto us, do.
9:26 And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of the
children of Israel, that they slew them not.
9:27 And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for
the congregation, and for the altar of the LORD, even unto this day, in
the place which he should choose.
