Joshua
9
- Now when all the kings west of the Jordan
heard about these things -- those in the hill country, in the western foothills,
and along the entire coast of the Great Sea as far as Lebanon (the kings of
the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites) --
- they came together to make war against Joshua
and Israel.
- However, when the people of Gibeon heard
what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,
- they resorted to a ruse: They went as a
delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins,
cracked and mended.
- The men put worn and patched sandals on
their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry
and moldy.
- Then they went to Joshua in the camp at
Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, "We have come from a distant
country; make a treaty with us."
- The men of Israel said to the Hivites, "But
perhaps you live near us. How then can we make a treaty with you ?"
- "We are your servants," they said
to Joshua. But Joshua asked, "Who are you and where do you come from
?"
- They answered: "Your servants have
come from a very distant country because of the fame of the LORD your God.
For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt,
- and all that he did to the two kings of
the Amorites east of the Jordan -- Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan,
who reigned in Ashtaroth.
- And our elders and all those living in our
country said to us, 'Take provisions for your journey; go and meet them and
say to them, "We are your servants; make a treaty with us." '
- This bread of ours was warm when we packed
it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy
it is.
- And these wineskins that we filled were
new, but see how cracked they are. And our clothes and sandals are worn out
by the very long journey."
- The men of Israel sampled their provisions
but did not inquire of the LORD.
- Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with
them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.
- Three days after they made the treaty with
the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were neighbors, living near
them.
- So the Israelites set out and on the third
day came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim.
- But the Israelites did not attack them,
because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by the LORD,
the God of Israel. The whole assembly grumbled against the leaders,
- but all the leaders answered, "We have
given them our oath by the LORD, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them
now.
- This is what we will do to them: We will
let them live, so that wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we
swore to them."
- They continued, "Let them live, but
let them be woodcutters and water carriers for the entire community."
So the leaders' promise to them was kept.
- Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and
said, "Why did you deceive us by saying, 'We live a long way from you,'
while actually you live near us ?
- You are now under a curse: You will never
cease to serve as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God."
- They answered Joshua, "Your servants
were clearly told how the LORD your God had commanded his servant Moses to
give you the whole land and to wipe out all its inhabitants from before you.
So we feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this.
- We are now in your hands. Do to us whatever
seems good and right to you."
- So Joshua saved them from the Israelites,
and they did not kill them.
- That day he made the Gibeonites woodcutters
and water carriers for the community and for the altar of the LORD at the
place the LORD would choose. And that is what they are to this day.
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