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 cometh to pass, when all the kings who beyond the Jordan, in the hill-country, and in the low-country, and in every haven of the great sea, over-against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, hear --

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

that they gather themselves together to fight with Joshua, and with Israel -- one mouth.

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

And the inhabitants of Gibeon have heard that which Joshua hath 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.

and they work, even they, with subtilty, and go, and feign to be ambassadors, and take old sacks for 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 sandals, old and patched, on their feet, and old garments upon them, and all the bread of their provision is dry -- it was crumbs.

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 go unto Joshua, unto the camp at Gilgal, and say unto him, and unto the men of Israel, `From a land far off we have come, and now, make with us a covenant;'

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 say unto the Hivite, `It may be in our midst ye are dwelling, and how do we make with thee a covenant?'

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 say unto Joshua, `Thy servants we.' And Joshua saith unto them, `Who ye? and whence come ye?'

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 say unto him, `From a land very far off have thy servants come, for the name of Jehovah thy God, for we have heard His fame, and all that He hath done 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 hath done to the two kings of the Amorite who beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who 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.’”

`And our elders, and all the inhabitants of our land speak unto us, saying, Take in your hand provision for the way, and go to meet them, and ye have said unto them, Your servants we, and now, make with us a covenant;

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 -- hot we provided ourselves with it out of our houses, on the day of our coming out to go unto you, and now, lo, it is dry, and hath been crumbs;

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.”

and these the wine-bottles which we filled, new, and lo, they have rent; and these, our garments and our sandals, have become old, from the exceeding greatness of the way.'

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 take of their provision, and the mouth of Jehovah have not asked;

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 maketh with them peace, and maketh with them a covenant, to keep them alive; and swear to them do the princes of the company.

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

And it cometh to pass, at the end of three days after that they have made with them a covenant, that they hear that they their neighbours -- that in their midst they are dwelling.

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 journey and come in unto their cities on the third day -- and their cities Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath-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.

and the sons of Israel have not smitten them, for sworn to them have the princes of the company by Jehovah God of Israel, and all the company murmur 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.

And all the princes say unto all the company, `We -- we have sworn to them by Jehovah, God of Israel; and now, we are not able to come against 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 do to them, and have kept them alive, and wrath is not upon us, because of the oath which we have sworn 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 princes say unto them, `They live, and are hewers of wood and drawers of water for all the company, as the princes spake 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?

And Joshua calleth for them, and speaketh unto them, saying, `Why have ye deceived us, saying, We are very far from you, and ye in our midst dwelling?

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

and now, cursed are ye, and none of you is cut off a servant, even 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 answer Joshua and say, `Because it was certainly declared to thy servants, that Jehovah thy God commanded Moses His servant to give to you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; and we fear greatly for ourselves because of you, and we do 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, lo, we in thy hand, as good, and as right in thine eyes to do to 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 he doth to them so, and delivereth them from the hand of the sons of Israel, and they have not slain 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 maketh them on that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the company, and for the altar of Jehovah, unto this day, at the place which He doth choose.