Joshua 9
Names of God Bible
The People from Gibeon Deceive Joshua
9 When all the kings west of the Jordan River heard about these events, 2 they joined together to fight Joshua and Israel. (They were the kings in the mountains, the foothills, and along the whole Mediterranean coast as far as Lebanon, the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.)[a]
3 When the people living in Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4 they devised a scheme. They posed as messengers. They took worn-out sacks on their donkeys. Their wineskins were old, split, and patched. 5 Their sandals were worn-out and repaired, and their clothes were tattered. All their bread was dried out and crumbling. 6 They came to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal. They told Joshua and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country. Make a treaty with us right now.”
7 The men of Israel said to the Hivites, “What if you’re living in this area? We wouldn’t be able to make a treaty with you.”
8 They responded to Joshua, “We’re at your mercy.”
Joshua asked them, “Who are you, and where did you come from?”
9 They answered him, “We came from a country very far away because Yahweh your Elohim has become famous. We heard stories about him and everything he did in Egypt. 10 We also heard everything he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan in Ashtaroth. 11 Our leaders and everyone who lives in our country told us, ‘Take what you need for the trip, and go meet them. Tell them, “We’re at your mercy. Make a treaty with us right now.”’ 12 Our bread was warm when we left home to meet with you. Look at it now! It’s dry and crumbling. 13 These were new wineskins when we filled them. Look at them now! See how they are splitting! Our clothes and sandals are also worn-out because we have come such a long way.”
14 The men believed the evidence they were shown, but they did not ask Yahweh about it. 15 So Joshua made peace with them by making a treaty which allowed them to live. The leaders of the congregation swore to it with an oath.
16 But three days after the treaty was made, the Israelites heard that these people were their neighbors and lived with them. 17 The Israelites broke camp. They came to the cities of Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim two days later. 18 The Israelites didn’t destroy these other people, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn an oath about them to Yahweh Elohim of Israel. The whole congregation complained about the leaders. 19 But all the leaders said to them, “We have sworn an oath about them to Yahweh Elohim of Israel, so we cannot touch them now. 20 We must let them live to avoid the Lord’s anger because of the oath we swore.” 21 The leaders said that they should be allowed to live. So they became woodcutters and water carriers for the whole congregation, as the leaders had said.
22 Joshua sent for the people of Gibeon and asked, “Why did you deceive us by saying, ‘We live very far away from you,’ when you live here with us? 23 You are under a curse now. You will always be servants. You will be woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my Elohim.”
24 They answered Joshua, “We were told that Yahweh your Elohim commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and destroy all who live there. We deceived you because we feared for our lives. 25 Now we’re at your mercy. Do to us what you think is good and right.”
26 So Joshua rescued them and did not let the people of Israel kill them. 27 But that day Joshua made them woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation. They served Yahweh’s altar, wherever he chose to put it. They still serve today.
Footnotes
- Joshua 9:2 Part of verse 1 (in Hebrew) has been placed in verse 2 to express the complex Hebrew paragraph structure more clearly in English.
Joshua 9
Common English Bible
The Gibeonites’ trick
9 All the kings on the west side of the Jordan heard about this, including those in the highlands, the lowlands, and along the entire coast of the Mediterranean Sea toward Lebanon. They were Hittites and Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 2 They formed an alliance to fight Joshua and Israel. 3 In contrast, when the population of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4 they acted cleverly. They set out pretending to be messengers.[a] They took worn-out sacks for their donkeys and worn-out wineskins that were split and mended. 5 They had worn-out, patched sandals on their feet and were wearing worn-out clothes. All the bread in their supplies was dry and crumbly.
6 They went to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal. They said to him and to Israel, “We have come from a distant country. So now, make a treaty with us.”
7 Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us. How then could we make a treaty with you?”
8 Then they said to Joshua, “We are your servants.”
Joshua said to them, “Who are you? Where have you come from?”
9 They said to him, “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the reputation of the Lord your God. We have heard a report about him and everything he did in Egypt. 10 We heard about everything he did to the two kings of the Amorites on the east side of the Jordan, Heshbon’s King Sihon and Bashan’s King Og, who was in Ashtaroth. 11 Our elders and all the population of our land said to us, ‘Take along supplies for the journey. Go meet them and say to them, “We are your servants. So now make a treaty with us.”’ 12 This is our bread. On the day we left to come to you we took it warm from our houses as supplies. But now here it is, dried up and crumbly. 13 These wineskins were new when we filled them. But here they are, split open. These clothes and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.” 14 The Israelites[b] took some of their supplies, but they didn’t ask for any decision from the Lord. 15 Joshua made peace with them. He made a treaty with them to protect their lives. The leaders of the community made a solemn pledge to them.
Israel discovers the trick
16 Three days after the Israelites made a treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were actually their neighbors and were living among them. 17 So on the third day the Israelites marched out and came to their cities: Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. 18 But the Israelites didn’t strike at them. This was because the leaders of the community had made a solemn pledge to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. The entire community grumbled against the leaders. 19 Then all the leaders said to the whole community, “We have made a solemn pledge to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. So we can’t touch them now. 20 This is what we’ll do with them. We’ll let them live so that wrath won’t come down on us because of the solemn pledge that we made to them.” 21 The leaders went on to say to them, “Let them live.” So they became woodcutters and water haulers for the whole community, exactly as the leaders had intended for them.
22 Joshua called for the Gibeonites and spoke to them: “Why have you deceived us by saying, ‘We live very far away from you,’ when actually you live among us? 23 So now you are cursed. Some of you will always serve as woodcutters and water haulers for my God’s house.”
24 They answered Joshua, “Your servants had been told that the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the entire land and to wipe out all its population on your account. So we feared for our very lives because of you and did this thing. 25 Now, here we are in your power. Do to us whatever seems good and proper to you.” 26 So Joshua treated them in this way. He spared them from the power of the Israelites, and they didn’t kill them. 27 That day Joshua assigned them as woodcutters and water haulers for the community and for the Lord’s altar, located wherever God[c] would choose. That is still the case today.
Footnotes
- Joshua 9:4 Heb uncertain
- Joshua 9:14 Or men
- Joshua 9:27 Or he
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible