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 who were beyond the Jordan, in the hill country, and in the lowland, and on all the shore of the great sea in front of Lebanon, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard of it

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

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

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 to 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 also resorted to a ruse, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks on their donkeys, and old, torn-up and bound up wine skins,

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 wore old garments. All the bread of their food supply 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.”

They went to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country. Now therefore 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?”

The men of Israel said to the Hivites, “What if you live among us. How could 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.” Joshua said to them, “Who are you? 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.

They said to him, “Your servants have come from a very far country because of the name of Yahweh your God; for we have heard of his fame, 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 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.’”

Our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take supplies in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them. Tell them, “We are your servants. 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 supplies out of our houses on the day we went 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 wine skins, which we filled, were new; and behold, they are torn. These 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.

The men sampled their provisions, and didn’t ask counsel from Yahweh’s mouth.

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, and made a covenant with them, to let them live. The princes of the congregation 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.

At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they lived 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.

The children of Israel traveled 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.

The children of Israel didn’t strike them, because the princes of the congregation had sworn to them by Yahweh, the God of Israel. 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 to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by Yahweh, the God of Israel. Now therefore 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.”

We will do this to them, and let them live; lest wrath be on 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.

The princes said to them, “Let them live, so they became wood cutters and drawers of water for all the congregation, as the princes had spoken to 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 for them, and he spoke to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you live 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 some of you will never fail to be slaves, both wood cutters 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, and said, “Because your servants were certainly told how Yahweh your 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 very afraid 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.”

Now, behold, we are in your hand. Do to us as it seems good and right to you to 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.

He did so to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they didn’t 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.

That day Joshua made them wood cutters and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of Yahweh to this day, in the place which he should choose.