-
And it
came to pass, when all the kings which were on
this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the
valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea
over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the
Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the
Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof;
02 That they gathered themselves together, to
fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one
accord.
03 And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what
Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,
04 They did work wilily, and went and made as if
they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks
upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and
rent, and bound up;
05 And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and
old garments upon them; and all the bread of
their provision was dry and mouldy.
06 And they went to Joshua unto the camp at
Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of
Israel, We be come from a far country: now
therefore make ye a league with us.
07 And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites,
Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we
make a league with you?
08 And they said unto Joshua, We are thy
servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye?
and from whence come ye?
09 And they said unto him, From a very far
country thy servants are come because of the name
of the Lord thy God: for we have heard the fame
of him, and all that he did in Egypt,
10 And all that he did to the two kings of the
Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king
of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which was
at Ashtaroth.
11 Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants
of our country spake to us, saying, Take victuals
with you for the journey, and go to meet them,
and say unto them, We are your servants:
therefore now make ye a league with us.
12 This our bread we took hot for our provision
out of our houses on the day we came forth to go
unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is
mouldy:
13 And these bottles of wine, which we filled,
were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these
our garments and our shoes are become old by
reason of the very long journey.
14 And the men took of their victuals, and asked
not counsel at the mouth of the Lord.
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15 And Joshua made peace with them, and made a
league with them, to let them live: and the
princes of the congregation sware unto them.
16 And it came to pass at the end of three days
after they had made a league with them, that they
heard that they were their neighbours, and that
they dwelt among them.
17 And the children of Israel journeyed, and came
unto their cities on the third day. Now their
cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth,
and Kirjathjearim.
18 And the children of Israel smote them not,
because the princes of the congregation had sworn
unto them by the Lord God of Israel. And all the
congregation murmured against the princes.
19 But all the princes said unto all the
congregation, We have sworn unto them by the Lord
God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch
them.
20 This we will do to them; we will even let them
live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath
which we sware unto them.
21 And the princes said unto them, Let them live;
but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of
water unto all the congregation; as the princes
had promised them.
22 And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto
them, saying, Wherefore have ye beguiled us,
saying, We are very far from you; when ye dwell
among us?
23 Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall
none of you be freed from being bondmen, and
hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house
of my God.
24 And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it
was certainly told thy servants, how that the
Lord thy God commanded his servant Moses to give
you all the land, and to destroy all the
inhabitants of the land from before you,
therefore we were sore afraid of our lives
because of you, and have done this thing.
25 And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it
seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us,
do.
26 And so did he unto them, and delivered them
out of the hand of the children of Israel, that
they slew them not.
27 And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood
and drawers of water for the congregation, and
for the altar of the Lord, even unto this day, in
the place which he should choose.
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