‏ Joshua 9

The Gibeonite Deception

1As soon as all the kings who were beyond the Jordan ain the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast bof the Great Sea toward Lebanon, cthe Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, heard of this, 2they gathered together as one to fight against Joshua and Israel.

3But when the inhabitants of dGibeon heard what Joshua had done eto Jericho and fto Ai, 4they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, 5with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly. 6And they went to Joshua in gthe camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us.” 7But the men of Israel said to hthe Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us; then ihow can we make a covenant with you?” 8They said to Joshua, j“We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?” 9They said to him, k“From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God. lFor we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, 10 mand all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in nAshtaroth. 11So 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.”’ 12Here 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 out to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and crumbly. 13These wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they have burst. And these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.” 14So the men took some of their provisions, but odid not ask counsel from the Lord. 15And Joshua pmade peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.

16At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors qand that they lived among them. 17And the people of Israel set out and reached their cities on the third day. rNow their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. 18But the people of Israel did not attack 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. 19But 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. 20This we will do to them: let them live, lest swrath be upon us, tbecause of the oath that we swore to them.” 21And the leaders said to them, “Let them live.” So they became ucutters of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, just as the leaders vhad said of them.

22Joshua summoned them, and he said to them, “Why did you deceive us, saying, wWe are very far from you,’ when xyou dwell among us? 23Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall never be anything but servants, ycutters of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.” 24They answered Joshua, “Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the Lord your God had zcommanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you—so aawe feared greatly for our lives because of you and did this thing. 25And now, behold, we are in your hand. Whatever seems good and right in your sight to do to us, do it.” 26So he did this to them and delivered them out of the hand of the people of Israel, and they did not kill them. 27But Joshua made them that day abcutters of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, to this day, acin the place that he should choose.

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