Joshua 9:3–27

³But when the inhabitants of ^eGibeon ^fheard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, ⁴they worked craftily, and went and ²pretended to be ambassadors. And they took old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins torn and ³mended, ⁵old and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. ⁶And they went to Joshua, ^gto 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 ⁴covenant with us.”

⁷Then the men of Israel said to the ^hHivites, “Perhaps you dwell among us; so ⁱhow can we make a covenant with you?”

⁸But they said to Joshua, ^j“We are your servants.”

And Joshua said to them, “Who are you, and where do you come from?”

⁹So they said to him: ^k“From a very far country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God; for we have ^lheard of His fame, and all that He did in Egypt, ¹⁰and ^mall that He did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan—to Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth. ¹¹Therefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take provisions with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, “We are your servants; now therefore, make a covenant with us.” ’ ¹²This bread of ours we took hot for our provision from our houses on the day we departed to come to you. But now look, it is dry and moldy. ¹³And these wineskins which we filled were new, and see, they are torn; and these our garments and our sandals have become old because of the very long journey.”

¹⁴Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; ⁿbut they ⁵did not ask counsel of the Lord. ¹⁵So Joshua ^omade peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live; and the rulers of the congregation swore to them.

¹⁶And it happened at the end of three days, after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors who dwelt near them. ¹⁷Then the children of Israel journeyed and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were ^pGibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjath Jearim. ¹⁸But the children of Israel did not ⁶attack them, ^qbecause the rulers of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel. And all the congregation complained against the rulers.

¹⁹Then all the rulers said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lord God of Israel; now therefore, we may not touch them. ²⁰This we will do to them: We will let them live, lest ^rwrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore to them.” ²¹And the rulers said to them, “Let them live, but let them be ^swoodcutters and water carriers for all the congregation, as the rulers had ^tpromised them.”

²²Then Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, ^u‘We are very far from you,’ when ^vyou dwell near us? ²³Now therefore, you are ^wcursed, and none of you shall be freed from being slaves—woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”

²⁴So they answered Joshua and said, “Because your servants were clearly told that the Lord your God ^xcommanded His servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; therefore ^ywe were very much afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing. ²⁵And now, here we are, ^zin your hands; do with us as it seems good and right to do to us.” ²⁶So he did to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they did not kill them. ²⁷And that day Joshua made them ^awoodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, ^bin the place which He would choose, even to this day.