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when all the kings west of the Jordan in the hill country, in the western foothills, and along all the coast of the Great Sea towards Lebanon, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, heard of this, 2 they came together to fight against Joshua and Israel.
3 However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4 they schemed a deception: They went as a delegation, and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys, and old wineskins, torn and mended, 5 with worn-out and patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. All the bread in their provisions was dry and mouldy. 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 country; so now make a treaty with us.”
7 The men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us. How then can we make a treaty with you?”
8 But they said to Joshua, “We are your servants.”
Joshua asked them, “Who are you, and where do you come from?”
9 They said to him, “Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the Lord your God. We have heard reports of Him and of all that He did in Egypt, 10 and of all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites who were across the Jordan—to Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. 11 So our elders and all the people of our country said to us, ‘Take provisions with you for the journey and go to meet them. Say to them, “We are your servants; come now then, make a treaty with us” ’. 12 This bread of ours was warm when we took it from our houses for our food on the day we left to come to you. But see how it is now dry and mouldy. 13 And these wineskins that we filled were new, and see, they have cracked. And these clothes and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey’.”
14 So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, but did not seek counsel from the Lord. 15 So Joshua made peace with them, and made a treaty with them to let them live, and the leaders of the community swore an oath to them.
16 Three days after they had made a treaty with them, they heard that they were their neighbours who lived near them. 17 So the Israelites set out and on the third day reached their cities. Their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. 18 But the Israelites did not want to attack them, because the leaders of the community had sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. Then the whole community grumbled against the leaders.
19 Then all the leaders said to the whole community, “We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them. 20 This is what we will do with them: We will let them live, so that no wrath will fall on us because of the oath we swore to them.” 21 And the leaders said to them, “Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for the whole community, as the leaders had promised them.”
22 Joshua summoned them, and he said to them, “Why have you deceived us, saying, ‘We are very far from you’, when you live among us? 23 Now therefore, you are cursed, and none of you will be freed from being slaves—woodcutters and water carriers for the temple of my God.”
24 So they answered Joshua, “Because your servants were clearly told 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. So we feared greatly for our lives because of you, and did this thing. 25 Now we are in your hands. Do to us what seems good and right to you to do.”
26 So that is what Joshua did with them, and he delivered them from the hands of the Israelites, so that they did not kill them. 27 Instead Joshua made them woodcutters and water carriers that day for the community and for the altar of the Lord at the place that He would choose, as they are to this day.