9:1 And when the kings of the Amorites on
the other side of Jordan, who were in the mountain country, and in the
plain, and in all the coast of the great sea, and those who were near
Antilibanus, and the Chettites, and the Canaanites, and the Pherezites, and
the Evites, and the Amorites, and the Gergesites, and the Jebusites, heard
[of it],
9:2 they came all together at the same time to make war against Joshua and
Israel.
9:3 And the inhabitants of Gabaon heard of all that Yehovah did to Jericho
and Gai.
9:4 And they also wrought craftily, and they went and made provision and
prepared themselves; and having taken old sacks on their shoulders, and old
and rent and patched bottles of wine,
9:5 and the upper part of their shoes and their sandals old and clouted on
their feet, and their garments ld upon them-- and the bread of their
provision was dry and mouldy and corrupt.
9:6 And they came to Joshua into the camp of Israel to Galgala, and said to
Joshua and Israel, We are come from a far land: now then make a covenant
with us.
9:7 And the children of Israel said to the Chorrhaean, Peradventure thou
dwellest amongst us; and how should I make a covenant with thee?
9:8 And they said to Joshua, We are thy servants: and Joshua said to them,
Whence are ye, and whence have ye come?
9:9 And they said, Thy servants are come from a very far country in the name
of Yehovah thy Elohim: for we have heard his name, and all that he did in
Egypt,
9:10 and all that he did to the kings of the Amorites, who were beyond
Jordan, to Seon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Basan, who dwelt in
Astaroth and in Edrain.
9:11 And our elders and all that inhabit our land when they heard spoke to
us, saying, Take to yourselves provision for the way, and go to meet them;
and ye shall say to them, We are thy servants, and now make a covenant with
us.
9:12 These [are] the loaves-- we took them hot for our journey on the day on
which we came out to come to you; and now they are dried and become mouldy.
9:13 And these [are] the skins of wine which we filled when new, and they
are rent; and our garments and our shoes are worn out because of the very
long journey.
9:14 And the chiefs took of their provision, and asked not [counsel of] the
Lord.
9:15 And Joshua made peace with them, and they made a covenant with them to
preserve them; and the princes of the congregation sware to them.
9:16 And it came to pass three days after they had made a covenant with
them, they heard that they were near neighbours, and that they dwelt among
them.
9:17 And the children of Israel departed and came to their cities; and their
cities [were] Gabaon, and Kephira, and Berot, and the cities of Jarin.
9:18 Land the children of Israel fought not with them, because all the
princes sware to them by Yehovah Elohim of Israel; and all the congregation
murmured at the princes.
9:19 And the princes said to all the congregation: We have sworn to them by
Yehovah Elohim of Israel, and now we shall not be able to touch them.
9:20 This we will do; take them alive, and we will preserve them: so there
shall not be wrath against us by reason of the oath which we swore to them.
9:21 They shall live, and shall be hewers of wood and drawers of water to
all the congregation, as the princes said to them.
9:22 And Joshua called them together and said to them, Why have ye deceived
me, saying, We live very far from you; whereas ye are fellow-countrymen of
those who dwell among us?
9:23 And now ye are cursed: there shall not fail of you a slave, or a hewer
of wood, or a drawer of water to me and my Elohim.
9:24 And they answered Joshua, saying, It was reported to us what Yehovah
thy Elohim charged his servant Moses, to give you this land, and to destroy us
and all that dwelt on it from before you; and we feared very much for our
lives because of you, and [therefore] we did this thing.
9:25 And now, behold, we [are] in your power; do to us as it is pleasing to
you, and as it seems [good] to you.
9:26 Land they did so to them; and Joshua rescued them in that day out of
the hands of the children of Israel, and they did not slay them.
9:27 And Joshua made them in that day hewers of wood and drawers of water to
the whole congregation, and for the altar of Elohim: therefore the inhabitants
of Gabaon became hewers of wood and drawers of water for the altar of Elohim
until this day, even for the place which Yehovah should choose. |
9:1 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;
9:2 That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with
Israel, with one accord.
9:3 And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto
Jericho and to Ai,
9:4 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;
9:5 And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them;
and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy.
9:6 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.
9:7 And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among
us; and how shall we make a league with you?
9:8 And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto
them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?
9:9 And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come
because of the name of Yehovah thy Elohim: for we have heard the fame of him,
and all that he did in Egypt,
9:10 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.
9:11 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.
9:12 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:
9:13 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.
9:14 And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth
of Yehovah.
9:15 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.
9:16 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 neighbors, and that
they dwelt among them.
9:17 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.
9:18 And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the
congregation had sworn unto them by Yehovah Elohim of Israel. And all the
congregation murmured against the princes.
9:19 But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto
them by Yehovah Elohim of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.
9:20 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.
9:21 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.
9:22 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?
9:23 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
Elohim.
9:24 And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy
servants, how that Yehovah thy Elohim 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.
9:25 And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good and right
unto thee to do unto us, do.
9:26 And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of the
children of Israel, that they slew them not.
9:27 And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for
the congregation, and for the altar of Yehovah, even unto this day, in the
place which he should choose. |