The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Joshua 09
1 When all the kings who were beyond
the Jordan, in the hill country, and in the
lowland, and on all the shore of the great
sea in front of Lebanon, the Hittite, the
Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the
Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard of it
2 they gathered themselves together to
fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one
accord.
3 But when the inhabitants of Gibeon
heard whatJoshuahad done to Jericho and
to Ai,
4 they also resorted to a ruse, and went
and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks on their donkeys, and old,
torn-up and bound up wineskins,
5 and old and patched sandals on their
feet, and wore old garments. All the bread
of their food supply was dry and moldy.
6 They went to Joshua at 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 covenant with us.”
7 The men of Israel said to the Hivites,
“What if you live among us? How could we
make a covenant with you?”
8 They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.”
Joshua said to them, “Who are you?
Where do you come from?”
9 They said to him, “Your servants have
come from a very far country because of
the name of Yahweh your God; for we have
heard of his fame, all that he did in Egypt,
10 and all that he did to the two kings of
the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan,
to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of
Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.
11 Our elders and all the inhabitants of
our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take supplies in your hand for the journey, and go
to meet them. Tell them, “We are your
servants. Now make a covenant with us.” ’
12 This our bread we took hot for our
supplies out of our houses on the day we
went out to go to you; but now, behold, it is
dry, and has become moldy.
13 These wineskins, which we filled,
were new; and behold, they are torn.
These our garments and our sandals have
become old because of the very long journey.”
14 The men sampled their provisions,
and didn’t ask counsel from Yahweh’s
mouth.
15 Joshua made peace with them, and
made a covenant with them, to let them
live. The princes of the congregation
swore to them.
16 At 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.
17 The children of Israel traveled and
came to their cities on the third day.
Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah,
Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim.
18 The children of Israel didn’t strike
them, because the princes of the congregation had sworn to them by Yahweh, the
God of Israel. All the congregation murmured against the princes.
19 But all the princes said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by Yahweh, the God of Israel. Now therefore we
may not touch them.
20 We will do this to them, and let them
live; lest wrath be on us, because of the
oath which we swore to them.”
21 The princes said to them, “Let them
live.” So they became wood cutters and
drawers of water for all the congregation,
as the princes had spoken to them.
22 Joshua calledfor them, andhe spoke to
them, saying, “Why have you deceived us,
saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when
you live among us?
23 Now therefore you are cursed, and
some of you will never fail to be slaves,
both wood cutters and drawers of water
for the house of my God.”
24 They answered Joshua, and said, “Because your servants were certainly told
how Yahweh your 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 very
afraid for our lives because of you, and
have done this thing.
25 Now, behold, we are in your hand. Do
to us as it seems good and right to you to
do.”
26 He did so to them, and delivered them
out of the hand of the children of Israel, so
that they didn’t kill them.
27 That day Joshua made them wood cutters and drawers of water for the congregation and for Yahweh’s altar to this day,
in the place which he should choose.