Joshua 9

Revised Geneva Translation

9 And when all the kings who were beyond Jordan, in the mountains and in the valleys, and by all the borders of the Great Sea, opposite Lebanon (the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites) heard of it,

² they gathered themselves together to fight against Joshua and against Israel, with one accord.

³ But the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai.

⁴ And therefore they worked craftily. They went, and pretended to be ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their donkeys, and old bottles for wine, both torn and mended,

⁵ and old spotted shoes upon their feet. Also the clothing upon them was old, and all their provision of bread was dried and molded.

⁶ So they came to Joshua, into the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country. Now, therefore, make an alliance with us.”

⁷ Then the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “It may be that you dwell among us; how, then, can I make an alliance with you?”

⁸ And they said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” Then Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And from where have you come?”

⁹ And they answered him, “Your servants have come from a very far country for the Name of the LORD your God. For we have heard His fame and all that He has done in Egypt,

¹⁰ “and all that He has done to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond Jordan—to Sihon, king of Heshbon and to Og, king of Bashan— who were at Ashtaroth.

¹¹ “Therefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take provisions with you for the journey and go to meet them, and say to them, “We are your servants. Now, therefore, make an alliance with us.”’

¹² “This, our bread, we took hot with us out of our houses for provisions the day we departed to come to you. But now, behold, it is dried and it is molded.

¹³ “Also, these bottles of wine which we filled were new. And lo, they are torn. And these our garments and our shoes are old by reason of the exceedingly great journey.”

¹⁴ And the men accepted their tale concerning their provisions and did not counsel with the mouth of the LORD.

¹⁵ So Joshua made peace with them, and made an alliance with them, and allowed them to live. Also, the princes of the Congregation swore to them.

¹⁶ But at the end of three days, after they had made an alliance with them, they heard that they were their neighbors and that they dwelt among them.

¹⁷ And the children of Israel took their journey, and came to their cities on the third day. And their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth and Kirjath Jearim.

¹⁸ And the children of Israel did not kill them, because the princes of the Congregation had sworn to them by the LORD God of Israel. Therefore, all the Congregation murmured against the princes.

¹⁹ Then, all the princes said to all the Congregation, “We have sworn to them by the LORD God of Israel. Now, therefore, we may not touch them.

²⁰ “This we will do to them, and let them live, lest the Wrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore to them.”

²¹ And the princes said to them again, “Let them live. But they shall cut wood and draw water for all the Congregation, as the princes appoint them.”

²² Joshua then called them, and talked with them, and said, “Why have you tricked us, saying, ‘We are very far from you’, when you dwell among us?

²³ “Now, therefore, you are accursed. And there shall be none of you freed from being bondmen, and woodcutters, and drawers of water for the House of my God.”

²⁴ And they answered Joshua, and said, “Because it was told to your servants that the LORD your God had commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land not within your sight, therefore we were exceedingly very afraid for our lives at the presence of you, and have done this thing.

²⁵ “And behold now, we are in your hand. Do as seems good and right in your eyes to do to us.”

²⁶ And so he did to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they did not kill them.

²⁷ And Joshua appointed them on that same day to be woodcutters and drawers of water for the Congregation and for the Altar of the LORD, until this day, in the place which he would choose.