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 which 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 thereof;

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

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

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

And 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 did work wilily, 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 shoes and clouted 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.

And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league 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 league 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 servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?

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 a very far country thy servants 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 beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which 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.

Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants: therefore now make ye a league 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 go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is 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.

And these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be 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 took of their victuals, and asked not 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 league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware 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.

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 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 children 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 children of Israel smote them not, 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: now therefore 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 even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware 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 promised 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 he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore 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 there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen, 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 servants, how that 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 sore afraid 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 thine hand: as it seemeth 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, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not.

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, even unto this day, in the place which he should choose.