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.

¶ 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 as one to fight against Joshua and Israel.

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

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

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

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.”

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 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?”

And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us, and how shall 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?”

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, “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.

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 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, 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 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.’”

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 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 came forth to come unto you, but now, behold, it is dry and mouldy.

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

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 and made an agreement with them, to let them live. And the leaders of the people made a promise 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 B ut three days after they had made an agreement with them, they heard that they were neighbors who lived in their land.

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 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 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 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.

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 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 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 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 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 cut wood and brought water for all the people, as the leaders had told 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 them and said, “Why have you lied to us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you are living within our land?

¶ 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 you are cursed. You will never stop being servants, cutting wood and bringing 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 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.

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 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 thy hand; as it seems good and right unto thee to do unto us, do.

26 S o he did this to them. He saved them from the hands of the people of Israel. 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 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.

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.