1All the kings who ruled west of the River Jordan heard about the battles Israel had won. That included the kings who ruled in the central hill country and the western hills. It also included those who ruled along the entire coast of the Mediterranean Sea all the way to Lebanon. They were the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.2They brought their armies together to fight against Joshua and Israel.3The people of Gibeon heard about what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai.4So they decided to trick the Israelites. They packed supplies as if they were going on a long trip. They loaded their donkeys with old sacks and old wineskins. The wineskins were cracked but had been mended.5They put worn-out sandals on their feet. The sandals had been patched. They also wore old clothes. All the bread they took along was dry and mouldy.6They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal. They spoke to him and the Israelites. They said, ‘We’ve come from a country that’s far away. Make a peace treaty with us.’7The Israelites said to the Hivites, ‘But suppose you live close to us. If you do, we can’t make a peace treaty with you.’8‘We’ll serve you,’ they said to Joshua. But Joshua asked, ‘Who are you? Where do you come from?’9They answered, ‘We’ve come from a country that’s very far away. We’ve come because the LORD your God is famous. We’ve heard reports about him. We’ve heard about everything he did in Egypt.10We’ve heard about everything he did to Sihon and Og. They were the two kings of the Amorites. They ruled east of the River Jordan. Sihon was the king of Heshbon. Og was the king of Bashan. He ruled in Ashtaroth.11Our elders and all the people living in our country spoke to us. They said, “Take supplies for your trip. Go and meet the Israelites. Say to them, ‘We’ll serve you. Make a peace treaty with us.’ ”12Look at our bread. It was warm when we packed it. We packed it at home the day we left to come and see you. But look at how dry and mouldy it is now.13When we filled these wineskins, they were new. But look at how cracked they are now. And our clothes and sandals are worn out because we’ve travelled so far.’14The Israelites looked over the supplies those people had brought. But they didn’t ask the LORD what they should do.15Joshua made a peace treaty with the people who had come. He agreed to let them live. The leaders of the community gave their word that they agreed with the treaty.16So the Israelites made a peace treaty with the people of Gibeon. But three days later they heard that the people of Gibeon lived close to them.17So the Israelites started out to go to the cities of those people. On the third day they came to Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim.18But they didn’t attack those cities. That’s because the leaders of the community had given their word and made a peace treaty with them. They had given their word in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. The whole community told the leaders they weren’t happy with them.19But all the leaders answered, ‘We’ve made a peace treaty with them. We’ve given our word in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. So we can’t touch them now.20But here is what we’ll do to them. We’ll let them live. Then the LORD won’t be angry with us because we didn’t keep our promise.’21They continued, ‘Let them live. But make them cut wood and carry water to serve the whole community.’ So the leaders kept their promise to them.22Joshua sent for the people of Gibeon. He said to them, ‘Why did you trick us? You said, “We live far away from you.” But in fact you live close to us.23So now you are under a curse. You will always serve us. You will always cut wood and carry water for the house of my God.’24They answered Joshua, ‘We were clearly told what the LORD your God had commanded his servant Moses to do. He commanded him to give you the whole land. He also ordered him to wipe out all its people to make room for you. So we were afraid you would kill us. That’s why we tricked you.25We are now under your control. Do to us what you think is good and right.’26So Joshua saved the people of Gibeon. He didn’t let the Israelites kill them.27That day he made them cut wood and carry water. They had to serve the community of Israel. They also had to do work connected with the altar of the LORD. The altar would be at the place the LORD would choose. And they still serve the Israelites to this day.
Joshua 9
English Standard Version
The Gibeonite Deception
1As soon as all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, heard of this, (Nu 34:6; De 1:7; Jos 3:10; Jos 12:8)2they gathered together as one to fight against Joshua and Israel.3But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, (Jos 6:21; Jos 6:24; Jos 8:26; Jos 8:28; Jos 10:2; Jos 10:10; Jos 10:12; 2Sa 21:1; 1Ki 3:4; 1Ki 9:2)4they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended,5with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly.6And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us.” (Jos 5:10)7But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?” (Ex 23:32; De 7:2; Jos 11:19; Jud 2:2)8They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?” (Jos 9:11)9They said to him, “From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, (De 20:15; Jos 2:10; Jos 6:27)10and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth. (Nu 21:21; De 1:4; Jos 12:4)11So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, “We are your servants. Come now, make a covenant with us.”’12Here is our bread. It was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey on the day we set out to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and crumbly.13These wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they have burst. And these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.”14So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord. (Nu 27:21)15And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them. (Jos 11:19)16At 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. (Jos 9:22)17And the people of Israel set out and reached their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. (Jos 18:25; Ezr 2:25)18But the people of Israel did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders.19But all the leaders said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them.20This we will do to them: let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath that we swore to them.” (Nu 1:53; 2Sa 21:2)21And the leaders said to them, “Let them live.” So they became cutters of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, just as the leaders had said of them. (De 29:11; Jos 9:15; Jos 9:23; Jos 9:27)22Joshua summoned them, and he said to them, “Why did you deceive us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you dwell among us? (Jos 9:6; Jos 9:9; Jos 9:16)23Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall never be anything but servants, cutters of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.” (Jos 9:21; Jos 9:27)24They answered Joshua, “Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you—so we feared greatly for our lives because of you and did this thing. (Ex 15:14; De 7:1)25And now, behold, we are in your hand. Whatever seems good and right in your sight to do to us, do it.”26So he did this to them and delivered them out of the hand of the people of Israel, and they did not kill them.27But Joshua made them that day cutters of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, to this day, in the place that he should choose. (De 12:5; Jos 9:21; Jos 9:23; 1Ch 9:2; Ezr 2:43; Ezr 8:20; Ne 7:60; Ne 11:3)