Joshua 9
9
Guile of the Gibeonites
1Now it came about when all the kings who were beyond the Jordan, in the hill country and in the lowland and on all the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, heard of it, 2that they gathered themselves together with one accord to fight with Joshua and with Israel.
3When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, 4they also acted craftily and set out as envoys, and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins worn-out and torn and mended, 5and worn-out and patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and had become crumbled. 6They went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us.” 7The men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you are living within our land; how then shall we make a covenant with you?” 8But they said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” Then Joshua said to them, “Who are you and where do you come from?” 9They said to him, “Your servants have come from a very far country because of the fame of the Lord your God; for we have heard the report of Him and all that He did in Egypt, 10and 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. 11So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them and say to them, “We are your servants; now then, make a covenant with us.” ’ 12This our bread was warm when we took it for our provisions out of our houses on the day that we left to come to you; but now behold, it is dry and has become crumbled. 13These wineskins which we filled were new, and behold, they are torn; and these our clothes and our sandals are worn out because of the very long journey.” 14So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the Lord. 15Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.
16It came about at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were neighbors and that they were living within their land. 17Then the sons of Israel set out and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon and Chephirah and Beeroth and Kiriath-jearim. 18The sons of Israel did not strike them because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord the God of Israel. And the whole congregation grumbled against the leaders. 19But all the leaders said to the whole congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them. 20This we will do to them, even let them live, so that wrath will not be upon us for the oath which we swore to them.” 21The leaders said to them, “Let them live.” So they became hewers of wood and drawers of water for the whole congregation, just as the leaders had spoken to them.
22Then Joshua called for them and spoke to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you are living within our land? 23Now therefore, you are cursed, and you shall never cease being slaves, both hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.” 24So they answered Joshua and said, “Because it was certainly told 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 before you; therefore we feared greatly for our lives because of you, and have done this thing. 25Now behold, we are in your hands; do as it seems good and right in your sight to do to us.” 26Thus he did to them, and delivered them from the hands of the sons of Israel, and they did not kill them. 27But Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, to this day, in the place which He would choose.
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Joshua 9: NASB1995
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Y'hoshua (Jos) 9
9
1When all the kings on the west side of the Yarden in the hills, in the Sh’felah and all along the shore of the Great Sea that fronts the L’vanon — the Hitti, Emori, Kena‘ani, P’rizi, Hivi and Y’vusi — heard what had happened, 2they joined forces to fight together against Y’hoshua and Isra’el. 3But when the inhabitants of Giv‘ah heard what Y’hoshua had done to Yericho and ‘Ai, 4they developed a clever deception: they made themselves look as if they had been on a long journey by putting old sacks on their donkeys and taking used wineskins that had burst and been mended back together. 5They put old, patched sandals on their feet and dressed in worn-out clothes; and took as provisions nothing but dried-up bread that was crumbling to pieces. 6Then they went to Y’hoshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Isra’el, “We have come from a country far away. Now, make a covenant with us.” 7The men of Isra’el said to the Hivi, “How do we know that you don’t live here among us? If you do, we don’t want to make a covenant with you.” 8But they answered Y’hoshua, “We are your servants.” Y’hoshua asked, “Who are you, and where do you come from?” 9They answered him, “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the reputation of Adonai your God. We have heard reports about him — everything he did in Egypt, 10and everything he did to the two kings of the Emori across the Yarden, Sichon king of Heshbon and ‘Og king of Bashan at ‘Ashtarot. 11So our leaders and all the people living in our country said to us, “Take provisions with you for the journey, go to meet them, and say to them, ‘We are your servants, and now make a covenant with us.’ 12Here is the bread which we took for our provisions. It was still warm when we took it out of our homes the day we left to come to you. Now look at it! It’s dry and turned to crumbs! 13And these wineskins were new when we filled them, but look, now they’re torn. Likewise these clothes of ours and our shoes are worn out because of the very long journey.”
14The men sampled some of their food but didn’t seek the advice of Adonai, 15so Y’hoshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them to spare their lives, and the leading officials of the community swore to them. 16But three days later, after they had made the covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors, that they lived there with them.
17The people of Isra’el traveled and arrived at their cities on the third day. Their cities were Giv‘on, K’firah, Be’erot and Kiryat-Ye‘arim. 18The people of Isra’el did not attack them, because the leading officials of the community had sworn to them by Adonai, the God of Isra’el; but all the community grumbled against the leaders. 19However, the leaders replied to the whole community, “We have sworn to them by Adonai, the God of Isra’el; so we can’t touch them. 20Here is what we will do to them: we will let them live, so that God’s anger will not be on us because of the oath we swore to them. 21Yes, let them live,” the leaders continued, “but let them chop wood and draw water for the whole community.” This is what the leaders said.
22Y’hoshua summoned them and said this to them: “Why have you deceived us by saying, ‘We come from a place very far away,’ when in fact you are living right here with us? 23Now you have a curse on you: you will be slaves forever, supplying people to chop wood and draw water for the house of my God.” 24They answered Y’hoshua, “It is because we heard the reports that Adonai your God had ordered his servant Moshe to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from ahead of you. So we were terrified for our lives on account of you; that’s why we did this. 25Now, as you see, we are in your hands; do to us whatever seems good and right to you.” 26So Y’hoshua did exactly that: he saved them from the power of the people of Isra’el, so that they didn’t kill them. 27But he did that same day make them choppers of wood and drawers of water for the community and for the altar of Adonai in the place which he would choose; and they remain so to this day.
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