Joshua 9
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
Deception by Gibeon
9 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) towards Lebanon – the Hethites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites – 2 they formed a unified alliance to fight against Joshua and Israel.
3 When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,(C) 4 they acted deceptively. They gathered provisions[b] and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys and old wineskins, cracked and mended. 5 They wore old, patched sandals on their feet and threadbare clothing on their bodies. Their entire provision of bread was dry and crumbly. 6 They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, ‘We have come from a distant land. Please make a treaty with us.’(D)
7 The men of Israel replied to the Hivites, ‘Perhaps you live among us. How can we make a treaty with you? ’(E)
8 They said to Joshua, ‘We are your servants.’(F)
Then Joshua asked them, ‘Who are you and where do you come from? ’
9 They replied to him, ‘Your servants have come from a faraway land because of the reputation of the Lord your God. For we have heard of his fame, and all that he did in Egypt, 10 and all that he did to the two Amorite kings beyond the Jordan – King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan, who was in Ashtaroth. 11 So our elders and all the inhabitants of our land told us, “Take provisions with you for the journey; go and meet them and say, ‘We are your servants. Please make a treaty with us.’ ” 12 This bread of ours was warm when we took it from our houses as food on the day we left to come to you; but see, it is now dry and crumbly. 13 These wineskins were new when we filled them; but see, they are cracked. And these clothes and sandals of ours are worn out from the extremely long journey.’ 14 Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions, but did not seek the Lord’s decision.(G) 15 So Joshua established peace with them and made a treaty to let them live, and the leaders of the community swore an oath to them.(H)
Gibeon’s Deception Discovered
16 Three days after making the treaty with them, they heard that the Gibeonites were their neighbours, living among them. 17 So the Israelites set out and reached the Gibeonite cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.(I) 18 But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the community had sworn an oath(J) to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. Then the whole community grumbled against the leaders.
19 All the leaders answered them, ‘We have sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them. 20 This is how we will treat them: we will let them live, so that no wrath will fall on us because of the oath we swore to them.’ 21 They also said, ‘Let them live.’ So the Gibeonites became woodcutters and water-carriers(K) for the whole community, as the leaders had promised them.
22 Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said to them, ‘Why did you deceive us by telling us you live far away from us, when in fact you live among us? 23 Therefore you are cursed and will always be slaves – woodcutters and water-carriers for the house of my God.’
24 The Gibeonites answered him, ‘It was clearly communicated to your servants that the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you. We greatly feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this.(L) 25 Now we are in your hands. Do to us whatever you think is right.’(M) 26 This is what Joshua did to them: he rescued them from the Israelites, and they did not kill them. 27 On that day he made them woodcutters and water-carriers – as they are today – for the community and for the Lord’s altar at the place he would choose.(N)
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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