Joshua 9
Lexham English Bible
The Gibeonites Act with Cunning
9 Now[a] when all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the Shephelah,[b] and on all the coast of the great sea toward Lebanon[c]—the Hittites,[d] the Amorites,[e] the Canaanites,[f] the Perizzites,[g] the Hivites,[h] and the Jebusites[i]—heard of this, 2 they gathered themselves together to fight with one accord against[j] Joshua and Israel.
3 But the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua did to Jericho and Ai, 4 and they acted on their part with cunning: they went and prepared provisions,[k] and took worn-out sacks[l] for their donkeys and old wineskins that were torn and mended. 5 The sandals on their feet were patched and old, their clothes were old, and their food was dry and crumbled. 6 And they went to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far land; so then make a covenant with us.”[m] 7 And the men of Israel said to the Hivites,[n] “Perhaps you are living among us; how can we make a covenant[o] with you?” 8 They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you, and from where do you come?” 9 And they said to him, “Your servants have come from a very far land because of the name of Yahweh your God; we have heard of his reputation, of all that he did in Egypt, 10 and of all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan—to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan, who was in Ashtaroth. 11 So our elders said to us and all the inhabitants of our land, ‘Take in your hand provisions for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, “We are your servants; so then make a covenant with us.”’[p] 12 This is our bread; it was hot when we took it from our houses as provisions on the day we set out to come to you. But now, look, it is dry and crumbled. 13 These are the wineskins that we filled new, but look, they have burst; and these are our clothes and sandals that have worn out from the very long journey.” 14 So the leaders[q] took from their provisions, but they did not ask direction from Yahweh.[r] 15 And Joshua made peace with them, and he made a covenant with them[s] to allow them to live happily, and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.
16 And it happened that at the end of three days, after they made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors[t] and living among them. 17 And the Israelites[u] set out and went to their cities on the third day (their cities were Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim). 18 But the Israelites[v] did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by Yahweh the God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against their leaders.[w] 19 But all the leaders of the congregation said, “We have sworn to them by Yahweh the God of Israel, and so we cannot touch them. 20 This we will do to them: we will let them live so that wrath will not be on us because of the oath we swore to them.” 21 And the leaders[x] said to them, “Let them live.” So they became woodcutters and water carriers for all the congregation, just as the leaders had said to them.
22 And Joshua summoned them and said, “Why have you deceived us saying, ‘We are very far from you’ when you are living among us? 23 Therefore you are cursed; some of you will always be slaves as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.” 24 And they answered Joshua and said, “Because it was told with certainty to your servants that Yahweh your God commanded Moses his servant to give to you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you, so we were very afraid for our lives because of you, and so we did this thing. 25 So then, look, we are in your hand; do with us whatever seems good and right in your eyes.” 26 So he did this to them: he saved them from the hand of the Israelites,[y] and they did not kill them. 27 And that day Joshua made them woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and for the altar of Yahweh, to this day, in the place that he should choose.
Footnotes
- Joshua 9:1 Or “And it happened”
- Joshua 9:1 Or “lowlands”; a geographical region on the western edge of the hills of Judea
- Joshua 9:1 Literally “white mountain”
- Joshua 9:1 Hebrew “Hittite”
- Joshua 9:1 Hebrew “Amorite”
- Joshua 9:1 Hebrew “Canaanite”
- Joshua 9:1 Hebrew “Perizzite”
- Joshua 9:1 Hebrew “Hivite”
- Joshua 9:1 Hebrew “Jebusite”
- Joshua 9:2 Hebrew “with”
- Joshua 9:4 The Hebrew is difficult here. Some ancient manuscripts read, “they sent out a delegation/an envoy”
- Joshua 9:4 Or “sackcloths”
- Joshua 9:6 Literally “cut for us a covenant”
- Joshua 9:7 Hebrew “Hivite”
- Joshua 9:7 Literally “cut a covenant”
- Joshua 9:11 Literally “cut for us a covenant”
- Joshua 9:14 Or “men”
- Joshua 9:14 Literally “the mouth of Yahweh they did not ask”
- Joshua 9:15 Literally “he cut a covenant with them”
- Joshua 9:16 Literally “they were near them”
- Joshua 9:17 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Joshua 9:18 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Joshua 9:18 Literally “against the leaders of the congregation”
- Joshua 9:21 Or “men”
- Joshua 9:26 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
Yehoshua 9
Orthodox Jewish Bible
9 And it came to pass, when kol hamelachim which were beyond the Yarden, in the har, and in the Shefelah, and in all the coasts of the Yam Hagadol [i.e., the Mediterranean] over against the Levanon, the Chitti, and HaEmori, the Kena’ani, the Perizzi, the Chivi, and the Yevusi, heard thereof;
2 That they gathered themselves together, to make war with Yehoshua and with Yisroel, with one peh (mouth, i.e., one accord).
3 And when the inhabitants of Giv’on heard what Yehoshua had done unto Yericho and to Ai,
4 They did work in a cunning, crafty manner [see Genesis 3:1], and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sakkim (sacks) upon their donkeys, and skins of yayin, old, and cracked, and mended;
5 And sandals old and patched upon their feet, and selamot ballot (old garments) upon them; and all the lechem of their food supply was dry and moldy.
6 And they went to Yehoshua unto the machaneh at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the Ish Yisroel, We are come from an eretz rechokah (far country); now therefore cut ye a brit with us.
7 And the Ish Yisroel said unto the Chivi (Hivites), Perhaps ye dwell among us; how then shall we cut a brit with you?
8 And they said unto Yehoshua, We are thy avadim. And Yehoshua said unto them, Who are ye? And from where do ye come?
9 And they said unto him, From an eretz rechokah me’od thy avadim are come because of the Shem of Hashem Eloheicha; for we have heard the report of Him, and all that He did in Mitzrayim,
10 And all that He did to the two melachim of HaEmori, that were beyond the Yarden, to Sichon Melech Cheshbon, and to Og Melech HaBashan, which was at Ashtarot.
11 Therefore Zekeinenu and all the inhabitants of Artzeinu spoke to us, saying, Take food supplies with you for the derech, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your avadim; therefore now cut ye a brit with us.
12 This our lechem we packed cham (hot) for our provision out of our batim (houses) on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, hinei, it is dry, and it is moldy;
13 And these skins of yayin, which we filled, were chadashim; and, hinei, they are cracked; and these our garments and our sandals are become worn out by reason of the derech me’od.
14 And the anashim took of their food supplies, and asked not counsel at the pi Hashem (mouth of Hashem).
15 And Yehoshua made shalom with them, and cut a brit with them, to let them live; and the Nasi’im of the Edah so ratified by oath unto them.
16 And it came to pass at the end of shloshet yamim after they had cut a brit with them, that they heard that they were their kerovim (neighbors), and that they dwelt near them.
17 And the Bnei Yisroel journeyed, and came unto their towns on the yom hashelishi. Now their towns were Giv’on, and Kephirah, and Be’erot, and Kiryat-Ye’arim.
18 And the Bnei Yisroel did not strike them down, because the Nasi’im of the Edah had sworn unto them by Hashem Elohei Yisroel. And Kol HaEdah murmured against the Nasi’im.
19 But all the Nasi’im said unto Kol HaEdah, We have sworn unto them by Hashem Elohei Yisroel; now therefore we may not touch them.
20 This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest ketzef (wrath) be upon us, because of the shevu’ah (oath) which we swore unto them.
21 And the Nasi’im said unto them, Let them live; but let them be woodcutters and water carriers unto Kol HaEdah; as the Nasi’im had promised them.
22 And Yehoshua called for them, and he spoke unto them, saying, Why have ye beguiled us, saying, Rechokim anachnu from you when ye dwell near us?
23 Now therefore ye are arurim, and there shall none of you be yikaret (be cut off) from being eved, and woodcutters and water carriers for the Bais Elohai.
24 And they answered Yehoshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy avadim, how that Hashem Eloheicha commanded His Eved Moshe to give you kol HaAretz, and to destroy all the inhabitants of HaAretz from before you, therefore we were greatly afraid for nafshoteinu because of you, so we have done this thing.
25 And now, behold, we are in thine yad; as it seemeth tov and yashar unto thee to do unto us, do.
26 And so did he unto them, and saved them out of the yad of the Bnei Yisroel, that they slaughtered them not.
27 And Yehoshua made them that day woodcutters and water carriers for the Edah, and for the Mizbe’ach of Hashem, even unto this day, in the makom which He would choose.
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