Joshua 9:3–15

³But when the inhabitants of ^mGibeon heard what Joshua had done ⁿto Jericho and ^oto Ai, 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 ^pthe 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.” ⁷But the men of Israel said to ^qthe Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us; then ^rhow can we make a covenant with you?” ⁸They said to Joshua, ^s“We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?” ⁹They said to him, ^t“From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God. ^uFor we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, ^10vand 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 ^wAshtaroth. 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 ^xdid not ask counsel from the Lord. ¹⁵And Joshua ^ymade peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.