9:1 And it came to pass, when all the kings who [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 [these things],
9:2 That they assembled themselves, to fight with Joshua and
with Israel, with one accord.
9:3 And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had
done to Jericho and to Ai,
9:4 They did work craftily, and went and made as if they had
been embassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and
wine-bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;
9:5 And old shoes and patched upon their feet, and old garments
upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry [and]
moldy.
9:6 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 ye a league with us.
9:7 And the men of Israel said to the Hivites, It may be ye
dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?
9:8 And they said to Joshua, we [are] thy servants. And Joshua
said to them, Who [are] ye? and whence come ye?
9:9 And they said to him, From a very far country thy servants
have 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, who [was] at Ashtaroth.
9:11 Wherefore 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: 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 to you; but now, behold,
it is dry, and it is moldy:
9:13 And these bottles of wine which we filled, [were] new, and
behold, they are 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 provisions, 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
swore to 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
neighbors, and [that] they dwelt among them.
9:17 And the children of Israel journeyed, and came to their
cities on the third day. Now their cities [were] Gibeon, and
Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim.
9:18 And the children of Israel smote them not, because the
princes of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD God
of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the
princes.
9:19 But 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.
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 swore to them.
9:21 And the princes said to them, Let them live; but let them
be hewers of wood, and drawers of water to all the
congregation; as the princes had promised them.
9:22 And Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying,
Why have ye deceived 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 bond-men, 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 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
greatly afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this
thing.
9:25 And now, behold, we [are] in thy hand: do as it seemeth
good and right to thee to do to us,
9:26 And so did he to 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
to this day, in the place which he should choose.
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