Deception by Gibeon

When all the kings heard about Jericho and Ai, those who were west of the Jordan in the hill country,(A) in the Judean foothills,[a] and all along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea(B) toward Lebanon—the Hethites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites— they formed a unified alliance to fight against Joshua and Israel.

When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,(C) they acted deceptively. They gathered provisions[b] and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys and old wineskins, cracked and mended. They wore old, patched sandals on their feet and threadbare clothing on their bodies. Their entire provision of bread was dry and crumbly.

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Footnotes

  1. 9:1 Or the Shephelah
  2. 9:4 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Vg; other Hb mss read They went disguised as ambassadors

The Gibeonite Deception

Now when all the kings west of the Jordan heard about these things—the kings in the hill country,(A) in the western foothills, and along the entire coast of the Mediterranean Sea(B) as far as Lebanon(C) (the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites,(D) Hivites(E) and Jebusites)(F) they came together to wage war against Joshua and Israel.

However, when the people of Gibeon(G) heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,(H) they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded[a] with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. They put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy.

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Footnotes

  1. Joshua 9:4 Most Hebrew manuscripts; some Hebrew manuscripts, Vulgate and Syriac (see also Septuagint) They prepared provisions and loaded their donkeys