Joshua 9:3-13

New American Bible (Revised Edition)

The Gibeonite Deception. ³ On hearing what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, the inhabitants of Gibeon^{(A) 4} formed their own scheme. They chose provisions for a journey, making use of old sacks for their donkeys, and old wineskins, torn and mended. ⁵ They wore old, patched sandals and shabby garments; and all the bread they took was dry and crumbly. ⁶ Thus they journeyed to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal, where they said to him and to the Israelites, “We have come from a far-off land; now, make a covenant with us.”^{(B) 7} But the Israelites replied to the Hivites,^[a] “You may be living in land that is ours. How, then, can we make a covenant with you?” ⁸ But they answered Joshua, “We are your servants.” Then Joshua asked them, “Who are you? Where do you come from?” ⁹ They answered him, “Your servants have come from a far-off land, because of the fame of the Lord, your God. For we have heard reports of all that he did in Egypt^{(C) 10} and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan,^(D) Sihon, king of Heshbon, and Og, king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth. ¹¹ So our elders and all the inhabitants of our land said to us, ‘Take along provisions for the journey and go to meet them. Say to them: “We are your servants; now make a covenant with us.”’ ¹² This bread of ours was still warm when we brought it from home as provisions the day we left to come to you, but now it is dry and crumbly. ¹³ Here are our wineskins, which were new when we filled them, but now they are torn. Look at our garments and sandals; they are worn out from the very long journey.”