Joshua:9

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* And it came to pass when all the kings who were by the Jordan , in the hills and in the lowland and in all the coasts of the Great Sea toward Lebanon ; the Hittite , the Amorite , the Canaanite , the Perizzite , the Hivite , and the Jebusite ; heard about it , * that they gathered together to fight with Joshua and Israel with one mouth . * But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai , * they did shrewdly , and went and pretended to be ambassadors . And they took old sacks on their donkeys , old wineskins torn and bound up , * old and patched sandals on their feet , and old garments on themselves ; and all the bread of their provision was dry and in crumbs . * And they went to Joshua , to the camp at Gilgal , and said to him and to the men of Israel , We have come from a distant land ; now therefore , make a treaty with us . * And the men of Israel said to the Hivites , Perhaps you are dwelling among us ; so how can we make a treaty with you ? * But they said to Joshua , We are your servants . And Joshua said to them , Who are you , and where do you come from ? * So they said to him : Your servants have come from a very distant land , because of the name of Jehovah your God ; for we have heard of His fame , and all that He has done in Egypt , * and all that He has done to the two kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan ; to Sihon king of Heshbon , and Og king of Bashan , who was at Ashtaroth . * Therefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our land spoke to us , saying , Take provisions with you for the journey , and go to meet them , and say to them , We are your servants ; now therefore , make a treaty with us . * This bread of ours we took hot for our provision from our houses on the day we departed to come to you . But now behold , it is dry and crumbly . * And these wineskins which we filled were new , and behold , they are torn ; and these our garments and our sandals have become old because of the very long journey . * And the men of Israel took some of their provisions ; but they did not ask at the mouth of Jehovah . * And Joshua made peace with them , and made a treaty with them to let them live ; and the leaders of the congregation swore to them . * And it happened at the end of three days , after they had made the treaty with them , that they heard that they were their neighbors , dwelling among them . * And the children of Israel journeyed and came to their cities on the third day . Now their cities were Gibeon , Chephirah , Beeroth , and Kirjath Jearim . * But the sons of Israel did not strike them , because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by Jehovah the God of Israel . And all the congregation grumbled against the leaders . * Then all the leaders said to all the congregation , We have sworn to them by Jehovah the God of Israel ; now therefore , we cannot touch them . * This we will do to them : We will let them live , that wrath not be upon us because of the oath which we have sworn to them . * And the leaders said to them , Let them live , but let them be woodcutters and drawers of water for all the congregation , as the leaders have spoken to them . * And Joshua summoned them , and he spoke to them , saying , Why have you deceived us , saying , We are very far from you , when you are dwelling among us ? * Now therefore , you are cursed , and none of you shall fail to be slaves , woodcutters and drawers of water for the house of my God . * And they answered Joshua and said , Because it was reported and told to your servants that Jehovah your God had commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land , and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you ; therefore we were greatly afraid for our souls because of you , and have done this thing . * And now behold , we are in your hands ; do with us as seems good and right in your eyes to do . * Thus he did to them , and delivered them out of the hand of the sons of Israel , so that they did not kill them . * And that day Joshua made them woodcutters and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of Jehovah , in the place which He would choose , even to this day .

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