rsv Joshua:9:3-27 SEEK
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But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai ,
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they on their part acted with cunning ,
and went and made ready provisions ,
and took worn-out sacks upon their asses ,
and wineskins ,
worn-out and torn and mended ,
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with worn-out ,
patched sandals on their feet ,
and worn-out clothes ;
and all their provisions were dry and moldy .
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And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal ,
and said to him and to the men of Israel , "
We have come from a far country ;
so now make a covenant with us ."
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But the men of Israel said to the Hivites , "
Perhaps you live among us ;
then how can we make a covenant with you ?"
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They said to Joshua , "
We are your servants ."
And Joshua said to them , "
Who are you ?
And where do you come from ?"
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They said to him , "
From a very far country your servants have come ,
because of the name of the LORD your God ;
for we have heard a report of him ,
and all that he did in Egypt ,
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and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan ,
Sihon the king of Heshbon ,
and Og king of Bashan ,
who dwelt in Ash '
taroth .
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And our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us , `
Take provisions in your hand for the journey ,
and go to meet them ,
and say to them , "
We are your servants ;
come now ,
make a covenant with us ."'
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Here is our bread ;
it was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey ,
on the day we set forth to come to you ,
but now ,
behold ,
it is dry and moldy ;
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these wineskins were new when we filled them ,
and behold ,
they are burst ;
and these garments and shoes of ours are worn out from the very long journey ."
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So the men partook of their provisions ,
and did not ask direction from the LORD .
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And Joshua made peace with them ,
and made a covenant with them ,
to let them live ;
and the leaders of the congregation swore to them .
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At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them ,
they heard that they were their neighbors ,
and that they dwelt among them .
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And the people of Israel set out and reached their cities on the third day .
Now their cities were Gibeon ,
Chephi '
rah ,
Be-er '
oth ,
and Kir '
iath-je '
arim .
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But the people of Israel did not kill them ,
because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD ,
the God of Israel .
Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders .
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But all the leaders said to all the congregation , "
We have sworn to them by the LORD ,
the God of Israel ,
and now we may not touch them .
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This we will do to them ,
and let them live ,
lest wrath be upon us ,
because of the oath which we swore to them ."
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And the leaders said to them , "
Let them live ."
So they became hewers of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation ,
as the leaders had said of them .
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Joshua summoned them ,
and he said to them , "
Why did you deceive us ,
saying , `
We are very far from you ,'
when you dwell among us ?
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Now therefore you are cursed ,
and some of you shall always be slaves ,
hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God ."
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They answered Joshua , "
Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the LORD your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land ,
and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you ;
so we feared greatly for our lives because of you ,
and did this thing .
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And now ,
behold ,
we are in your hand :
do as it seems good and right in your sight to do to us ."
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So he did to them ,
and delivered them out of the hand of the people of Israel ;
and they did not kill them .
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But Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD ,
to continue to this day ,
in the place which he should choose .