Joshua 9

1When all the kings who were beyond the Jordan heard of this—those in the hill country, in the lowland, and all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites—

2they gathered together with one purpose to fight against Joshua and Israel.

3But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,

4they too acted with cunning. They went and disguised themselves as envoys. They took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins that were worn out, cracked, and mended,

5with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet and worn-out clothes on their bodies. All the bread they had for provisions was dry and crumbled.

6They went to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country. Now make a covenant with us.”

7But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us. How then can we make a covenant with you?”

8They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” Joshua said to them, “Who are you, and where do you come from?”

9They said to him, “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the name of Yahweh your God. For we have heard the report of him and of everything he did in Egypt,

10and everything he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth.

11So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, ‘Take provisions with you for the journey. Go and meet them and say to them, “We are your servants. Now make a covenant with us.”’

12This bread of ours was warm when we packed it as provisions from our houses on the day we left to come to you. But now look, it is dry and crumbled.

13These wineskins were new when we filled them, but look, they are cracked. And these clothes and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.”

14The men took some of their provisions, but they did not ask Yahweh for direction.

15Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.

16Three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that these people were their neighbors and were living among them.

17So the Israelites set out and came to their cities on the third day. Their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

18But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by Yahweh, the God of Israel. And the whole congregation grumbled against the leaders.

19But all the leaders said to the whole congregation, “We have sworn to them by Yahweh, the God of Israel, so now we cannot touch them.

20This is what we will do to them: we will let them live, so that wrath will not come on us because of the oath we swore to them.”

21The leaders said to them, “Let them live.” So they became woodcutters and water carriers for the whole congregation, as the leaders had said concerning them.

22Joshua summoned them and said to them, “Why did you deceive us by saying, ‘We live very far from you,’ when you live right among us?

23Now then, you are cursed. Some of you will always be servants, woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”

24They answered Joshua, “Your servants were told plainly that Yahweh your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you. So we were terribly afraid for our lives because of you, and we did this thing.

25Now here we are in your hands. Do to us whatever seems good and right to you.”

26So he did this for them: he rescued them from the hands of the Israelites, and they did not kill them.

27That day Joshua made them woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and for the altar of Yahweh, at the place he would choose, as they are to this day.