Joshua
Chapter Nine
1 ¶ And it came to
pass when all the kings who were on this side of the Jordan, in the hills and
in the lowland and in all the coasts of the Great Sea toward Lebanon-the Hittite,
the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite-heard
about it,
2 that they gathered together to fight with Joshua and Israel with one accord.
3 ¶ But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho
and Ai,
4 they worked craftily, and went and pretended to be ambassadors. And they took
old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins torn and mended,
5 old and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves; and
all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy.
6 And they 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."
7 Then the men of Israel said to the Hivites, "Perhaps you dwell among
us; so how can we make a covenant with you?"
8 But they said to Joshua, "We are your servants." And Joshua said
to them, "Who are you, and where do you come from?"
9 So they said to him: "From a very far country your servants have come,
because of the name of the LORD your God; for we have heard of His fame, 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 Og king of Bashan, who was 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 a covenant
with us."'
12 "This bread of ours we took hot for our provision from our houses on
the day we departed to come to you. But now look, it is dry and moldy.
13 "And these wineskins which we filled were new, and see, they are torn;
and these our garments and our sandals have become old because of the very long
journey."
14 Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask
counsel of the LORD.
15 ¶ So Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let
them live; and the rulers of the congregation swore to them.
16 And it happened at the end of three days, after they had made a covenant
with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors who dwelt near them.
17 Then the children of Israel journeyed and came to their cities on the third
day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjath Jearim.
18 But the children of Israel did not attack them, because the rulers of the
congregation had sworn to them by the LORD God of Israel. And all the congregation
complained against the rulers.
19 Then all the rulers 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: We will let them live, lest wrath be upon
us because of the oath which we swore to them."
21 And the rulers said to them, "Let them live, but let them be woodcutters
and water carriers for all the congregation, as the rulers had promised them."
22 ¶ Then 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 near
us?
23 "Now therefore, you are cursed, and none of you shall be freed from
being slaves-woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God."
24 So they answered Joshua and said, "Because your servants were clearly
told that the LORD 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 very much afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.
25 "And now, here we are, in your hands; do with us as it seems good and
right to do to us."
26 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 that day Joshua made them woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation
and for the altar of the LORD, in the place which He would choose, even to this
day.
Go to Chapter Ten
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