1 W hen all the kings beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland and all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites heard this,

¶ And it came to pass when all the kings who were on this side of the Jordan, in the mountains and in the valleys and in all the coast of the great sea over against Lebanon, heard these things, the Hittites and the Amorites the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites

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

gathered themselves together with one accord to fight with Joshua and with Israel.

3 B ut when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,

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

4 T hey worked cunningly, and went pretending to be ambassadors and took old sacks on their donkeys and wineskins, old, torn, and mended,

they worked with prudence and went and made as if they had been ambassadors and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old and rent and bound up,

5 A nd old and patched shoes on their feet and wearing old garments; and all their supply of food was dry and moldy.

and old patched shoes upon their feet, and old garments upon them, and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.

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

Thus they came unto Joshua to the camp at Gilgal and said unto him and to the men of Israel, We are come from a far country; now, therefore, make ye a covenant with us.

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

And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us, and how shall we make a covenant with you?

8 T hey said to Joshua, We are your servants. And Joshua said to them, Who are you? From where have you come?

And they said unto Joshua, We are thy slaves. And Joshua said unto them, Who are you and where do you come from?

9 T hey 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 the fame of Him, and all that He did in Egypt,

And they said unto him, From very far lands thy slaves are 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

10 A nd 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 lived in Ashtaroth.

and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side of the Jordan, and to Sihon, king of Heshbon, and to Og, king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.

11 S o our elders and all the residents of our country said to us, Take provisions for the journey and go to meet and say to them, We are your servants; and now make a covenant with us.

Therefore, our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, Take provision with you for the journey and go to meet them and say unto them, We are your slaves; therefore, now make ye a covenant with us.

12 T his our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we set out to go to you; but now behold, it is dry and has become moldy.

This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to come unto you, but now, behold, it is dry and mouldy.

13 T hese wineskins (bottles) which we filled were new, and behold, they are torn; and our garments and our shoes have become old because of the very long journey.

These bottles of wine, we also filled new, and, behold, they are rent, and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey.

14 S o the men partook of their food and did not consult the Lord.

And the men of Israel took of their provision and did not ask counsel at the mouth of the LORD.

15 J oshua made peace with them, covenanting with them to let them live, and the assembly’s leaders swore to them.

¶ And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live; also the princes of the congregation swore unto them.

16 T hen three days after they had made a covenant with heard that they were their neighbors and that they dwelt among them.

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

17 A nd the Israelites set out and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

And the sons of Israel journeyed and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon and Chephirah and Beeroth and Kirjathjearim.

18 B ut the Israelites did not slay them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel,. And all the assembly murmured against the leaders.

And the sons of Israel did not smite them because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes.

19 B ut all the leaders said to all the assembly, We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, so now we may not touch them.

But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel; therefore, now we may not touch them.

20 T his we will do to them: we will let them live, lest wrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore to them.

This we will do to them; we will let them live lest wrath come upon us because of the oath which we swore unto them.

21 A nd the leaders said to them, Let them live. So they became hewers of wood and drawers of water for all the assembly, just as the leaders had said of them.

And the princes said unto them, Let them live but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation, as the princes had said unto them.

22 J oshua called the men and said, Why did you deceive us, saying, We live very far from you, when you dwell among us?

¶ And Joshua called for them, and spoke unto them saying, Why have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you, when ye dwell among us?

23 N ow therefore you are cursed, and of you there shall always be slaves, hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.

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

24 T hey answered Joshua, Because it was surely told your servants that the Lord your God commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the land’s inhabitants from before you. So we feared greatly for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.

And they answered Joshua and said, Because it was certainly told thy slaves how the LORD thy God commanded his slave Moses that he was to give you the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; therefore, we feared greatly of our lives because of you and have done this thing.

25 A nd now, behold, we are in your hand; do as it seems good and right in your sight to do to us.

And now, behold, we are in thy hand; as it seems good and right unto thee to do unto us, do.

26 S o he did to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the Israelites, so that they did not kill them.

And so did he unto them; he delivered them out of the hand of the sons of Israel, so that they did not slay them.

27 B ut Joshua then made them 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 should choose.

And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, in the place which he should choose; which they are even unto this day.