1 T he kings west of the Jordan, in the hill country and the valleys and beside the Great Sea toward Lebanon all heard what had happened. These kings were of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

When 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,

2 T hey gathered together as one to fight against Joshua and Israel.

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

3 T he people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai.

But when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,

4 S o they went out to fool him, as men from another land. They took old bags on their donkeys, and skin bags of wine that were old and torn and mended.

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

5 T hey wore old and mended shoes on their feet, and old clothes on themselves. All their bread was dry and broken.

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

6 T hey went to Joshua among the tents at Gilgal. And they said to him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country. Now make an agreement with us.”

And 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.

7 T he men of Israel said to the Hivites, “It may be that you are living within our land. How then can we make an agreement with you?”

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

8 B ut they said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” Then Joshua said to them, “Who are you? Where do you come from?”

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

9 T hey said to him, “Your servants have come from a very far country because of the name of the Lord your God. For we have heard about Him and all He did in Egypt.

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

10 W e heard what He did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan who was at Ashtaroth.

And 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.

11 S o our leaders and all the people of our country said to us, ‘Take what you need for traveling. Go to meet them and tell them, “We are your servants. Now make an agreement with us.’”

So 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.

12 O ur bread was warm when we took it along with what we needed from our houses on the day we left to come to you. But now look, it is dry and broken.

This 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.

13 T hese skin bags that we filled with wine were new. Now look, they are torn. And our clothes and shoes have become old because of the very long way we had to travel.”

These 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.

14 S o the men of Israel took some of their food. They did not ask the Lord what they should do.

So the men partook of their food and did not consult the Lord.

15 J oshua made peace with them and made an agreement with them, to let them live. And the leaders of the people made a promise to them.

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

16 B ut three days after they had made an agreement with them, they heard that they were neighbors who lived in their land.

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

17 T hen the people of Israel left that place and came to their cities on the third day. Their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath-jearim.

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

18 B ut the people of Israel did not kill them because the leaders of the people had made a promise to them by the Lord the God of Israel. All the people complained against the leaders.

But 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.

19 T hen all the leaders said to all the people, “We have made a promise to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. Now we cannot touch them.

But 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.

20 T his is what we will do to them. We will let them live, or anger would be upon us for the promise we swore to them.”

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

21 A nd the leaders said to them, “Let them live.” So they cut wood and brought water for all the people, as the leaders had told them.

And 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.

22 J oshua called them and said, “Why have you lied to us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you are living within our land?

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

23 N ow you are cursed. You will never stop being servants, cutting wood and bringing water, for the house of my God.”

Now 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.

24 T hey answered Joshua, “Because it was told to your servants that the Lord your God had told His servant Moses to give you all the land and kill all the people of the land in front of you. We were very much afraid for our lives because of you. That is why we have done this thing.

They 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.

25 N ow see, we are in your hands. Do to us whatever you think is good and right in your eyes.”

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

26 S o he did this to them. He saved them from the hands of the people of Israel. They did not kill them.

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

27 B ut on that day Joshua made them cut wood and bring water for the people of Israel and for the altar of the Lord, at whatever place He chooses. That was to be their work to this day.

But 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.