Joshua, 9

1. Hearing these things, all the kings on this side of the Jordan, in the highlands and in the lowlands, all along the coast of the Great Sea towards the Lebanon, Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, with one consent

1. When all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Per'izzites, the Hivites, and the Jeb'usites, heard of this,

2. formed a fighting alliance against Joshua and Israel.

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

3. When the inhabitants of Gibeon learned how Joshua had treated Jericho and Ai, for their part,

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

4. they had recourse to a ruse. They provided themselves with supplies, and loaded their donkeys with old sacks and with old wineskins which had burst and been sewn up again.

4. they on their part acted with cunning, and went and made ready provisions, and took worn-out sacks upon their asses, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended,

5. They put on patched old sandals and worn-out clothes. The only bread they took with them to eat was dried up and crumbling.

5. with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes; and all their provisions were dry and moldy.

6. They came to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal, and to him and the men of Israel they said, 'We come from a distant country, so make a treaty with us.'

6. And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a far country; so now make a covenant with us."

7. The Israelites answered these Hivites, 'For all we know, you may live right among us. How then could we make a treaty with you?'

7. But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, "Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?"

8. They said to Joshua, 'We are your servants.' 'But who are you?' Joshua asked them, 'and where do you come from?'

8. They said to Joshua, "We are your servants." And Joshua said to them, "Who are you? And where do you come from?"

9. They said, 'Your servants have come from a country very far away, because of the fame of Yahweh your God; for we have heard of him and of all that he did in Egypt,

9. 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 a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt,

10. and of all that he did to the two Amorite kings who used to live on the other side of the Jordan: Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who used to live at Ashtaroth.

10. and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, Sihon the king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who dwelt in Ash'taroth.

11. Because of which, our elders and all the people of our country said to us, "Take provisions with you for the journey; go and meet them and say to them: We are your servants; so make a treaty with us."

11. And our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, `Take provisions in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, "We are your servants; come now, make a covenant with us."'

12. Here is our bread; it was warm when we took it from home to provide for our journey the day we set out to come to you, and now, you can see, it is dried up and crumbling.

12. Here is our bread; it was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey, on the day we set forth to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and moldy;

13. These wineskins were new when we filled them; you can see, they have burst; and these clothes and sandals of ours are worn out from travelling such a long way.'

13. these wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they are burst; and these garments and shoes of ours are worn out from the very long journey."

14. The leaders sampled some of the food they offered, but they did not ask Yahweh's orders.

14. So the men partook of their provisions, and did not ask direction from the LORD.

15. Joshua made peace with them, and struck a treaty with them guaranteeing their lives, and the leaders of the community ratified it by oath.

15. And Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.

16. Now it so happened that three days after the treaty had been made, it became known that they were a neighbouring people, living in Israel's region.

16. At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they dwelt among them.

17. The Israelites set out from camp, arriving in their towns three days later. Their towns were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath-Jearim.

17. And the people of Israel set out and reached their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephi'rah, Be-er'oth, and Kir'iath-je'arim.

18. The Israelites did not attack them, since the leaders of the community had sworn to them by Yahweh, God of Israel, but the whole community muttered against the leaders.

18. But the people of Israel did not kill them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders.

19. The leaders, however, all said to the whole community, 'Since we have sworn an oath to them by Yahweh, God of Israel, we cannot touch them now.

19. But all the leaders said to all the congregation, "We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them.

20. This is what we shall do with them: let them live, rather than bring retribution down on ourselves on account of the oath which we have sworn to them.'

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

21. And the leaders went on, 'Let them live, but let them be wood-cutters and water-carriers for the whole community.' Thus spoke the leaders.

21. And the leaders said to them, "Let them live." So they became hewers of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, as the leaders had said of them.

22. Joshua sent for the Gibeonites and asked them, 'Why did you deceive us by saying, "We live very far away," when in fact you live right among us?

22. Joshua summoned them, and he said to them, "Why did you deceive us, saying, `We are very far from you,' when you dwell among us?

23. From now on, you are accursed and will for ever be serfs, as wood-cutters and water-carriers in the house of my God.'

23. Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall always be slaves, hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God."

24. Their answer to Joshua was, 'We did it because your servants had been rightly told that Yahweh your God had ordered his servant Moses to give you the whole of this country and destroy all its inhabitants before you; also because, as you advanced on us, we feared very greatly for our lives. That was why we did this.

24. They answered Joshua, "Because it was told to your servants for a certainty 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 from before you; so we feared greatly for our lives because of you, and did this thing.

25. Now, as you see, we are at your mercy; do to us whatever you think good and right.'

25. And now, behold, we are in your hand: do as it seems good and right in your sight to do to us."

26. What he did with them was this: he saved them from the hand of the Israelites, who did not kill them.

26. So he did to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the people of Israel; and they did not kill them.

27. But that very day Joshua made them wood-cutters and water-carriers for the community and for the altar of Yahweh, at the place which he would eventually choose; and so they are today.

27. But Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, to continue to this day, in the place which he should choose.