Joshua 9:22-24

International Standard Version

²² Joshua summoned the Gibeonites^[a] and asked them, “Why did you deceive us by saying ‘We live far away from you,’ even though you were, in fact, living in our midst? ²³ Now therefore you are under a curse. Some of you will always be slaves, wood cutters, and water carriers for the house of my God.”

²⁴ They replied to Joshua, “Because your servants had been informed that the Lord your God had certainly commanded his servant Moses to give you the entire land and to destroy all of the inhabitants of the land before you. So we were terrified for our lives because of you. That’s why we did this.