Joshua 9

The Gibeonites’ Deception

1When all the kings west of the Jordan heard of this — those in the hill country, in the lowlands, and along the whole coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon: the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites — 2they gathered together to fight against Joshua and Israel with a single purpose. 3But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4they too acted deceitfully. They set out and equipped themselves as if they were envoys, taking worn-out sacks for their donkeys and worn wineskins, cracked and mended, 5worn and patched sandals on their feet, and worn clothes on themselves. All their bread provisions were dry and crumbling. 6They went to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land. Now make a treaty with us.” 7The men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us — how then can we make a treaty with you?” 8They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” Joshua asked them, “Who are you, and where do you come from?” 9They said to him, “Your servants have come from a very distant land, because of the name of Yahweh your God. For we have heard the report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, 10and 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 was at Ashtaroth. 11So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country told us, ‘Take provisions with you for the journey, go and meet them, and tell them: We are your servants. Now make a treaty with us.’ 12This bread of ours was warm when we packed it as provisions from our houses on the day we set out to come to you, but now, look, it is dry and crumbling. 13These wineskins were new when we filled them, and look, they are torn. And these clothes and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.” 14The men of Israel took some of their provisions, but did not seek the counsel of Yahweh. 15So Joshua made peace with them and made a treaty to let them live, and the leaders of the community swore an oath to them.

The Gibeonites Made Servants

16Three days after they had made the treaty with them, they heard that they were their neighbors, living among them. 17The Israelites set out and reached their cities on the third day. Their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. 18But the Israelites did not strike them down, because the leaders of the community had sworn an oath to them by Yahweh, the God of Israel. And the whole community grumbled against the leaders. 19All the leaders said to the whole community, “We have sworn an oath to them by Yahweh, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them. 20This is what we will do to them: we will let them live, so that no wrath falls on us because of the oath we swore to them.” 21The leaders continued, “Let them live.” So they became woodcutters and water carriers for the whole community, just as the leaders had said. 22Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said to them, “Why did you deceive us, saying, ‘We live very far from you,’ when in fact you live among us? 23Now you are under a curse. You will never cease to be slaves — woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.” 24They answered Joshua, “It was told to your servants without question that Yahweh your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you. So we were terrified for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this. 25Now here we are in your hands. Do to us whatever seems good and right to you.” 26So Joshua did this: he saved them from the hands of the Israelites, and they did not kill them. 27That day Joshua made them woodcutters and water carriers for the community and for the altar of Yahweh, at the place he would choose — as they are to this day.