Joshua 9:1-15

Lexham English Bible

The Gibeonites Act with Cunning

9 Now^[a] when all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the Shephelah,^[b] and on all the coast of the great sea toward Lebanon^[c]—the Hittites,^[d] the Amorites,^[e] the Canaanites,^[f] the Perizzites,^[g] the Hivites,^[h] and the Jebusites^[i]—heard of this, ² they gathered themselves together to fight with one accord against^[j] Joshua and Israel.

³ But the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua did to Jericho and Ai, ⁴ and they acted on their part with cunning: they went and prepared provisions,^[k] and took worn-out sacks^[l] for their donkeys and old wineskins that were torn and mended. ⁵ The sandals on their feet were patched and old, their clothes were old, and their food was dry and crumbled. ⁶ And they went to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far land; so then make a covenant with us.”^{[m] 7} And the men of Israel said to the Hivites,^[n] “Perhaps you are living among us; how can we make a covenant^[o] with you?” ⁸ They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you, and from where do you come?” ⁹ And they said to him, “Your servants have come from a very far land because of the name of Yahweh your God; we have heard of his reputation, of all that he did in Egypt, ¹⁰ and of 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 in Ashtaroth. ¹¹ So our elders said to us and all the inhabitants of our land, ‘Take in your hand provisions for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, “We are your servants; so then make a covenant with us.”’^{[p] 12} This is our bread; it was hot when we took it from our houses as provisions on the day we set out to come to you. But now, look, it is dry and crumbled. ¹³ These are the wineskins that we filled new, but look, they have burst; and these are our clothes and sandals that have worn out from the very long journey.” ¹⁴ So the leaders^[q] took from their provisions, but they did not ask direction from Yahweh.^{[r] 15} And Joshua made peace with them, and he made a covenant with them^[s] to allow them to live happily, and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.