¹ And it came to pass, when they heard,—namely, all the kings who were over the Jordan, in the hill country and in the lowland, and in all the coast of the great sea, over against the Lebanon,—the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite;—

² then gathered they themselves together as one man, to fight with Joshua, and with Israel,—with one accord.

³ Now, the inhabitants of Gibeon, heard that which Joshua had done unto Jericho and unto Ai;

⁴ they, however, acted craftily, and went and started,—and took old sacks for their asses, and leathern wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;

⁵ and sandals, old and patched, upon their feet, and worn-out mantles upon them,—and, all the bread of their provision, was dry and broken.

⁶ So they took their journey unto Joshua, unto the camp, at Gilgal,—and said unto him, and unto the men of Israel, From a far country, are we come, Now, therefore, solemnise with us a covenant.

⁷ And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites,—Peradventure, in our midst, ye are dwelling, how then can we solemnise with you a covenant?

⁸ And they said unto Joshua: Thy servants, we are. And Joshua said unto them: Who, are ye? And, from whence, come ye?

⁹ And they said unto him—From a very far country, have thy servants come, because of the name of Yahweh thy God,—because we had heard his fame, and all that he had done in Egypt;

¹⁰ and all that he had done unto the two kings of the Amorites who were over the Jordan,—unto Sihon, king of Heshbon, and unto Og, king of Bashan, who was in Ashtaroth.

¹¹ So our elders and all the inhabitants of our land spake unto us, saying—Take ye, in your hand, provision for the journey, and go your way to meet them,—then shall ye say unto them, Your servants, we are. Now, therefore, solemnise with us a covenant.

¹² This our bread, took we, hot, for our provision, out of our houses, on the day we came forth to journey unto you,—but, now, lo! it is dry, yea it is broken;

¹³ and, these leathern wine bottles, which we filled new, lo! also, they are rent,—and, as for these our mantles and our sandals, they are worn out, by reason of the very long journey.

¹⁴ So the men took of their provision,—but, the bidding of Yahweh, had they not asked.

¹⁵ And Joshua made peace with them, and solemnised with them a covenant to let them live,—and the princes of the assembly, entered into an oath with them.

¹⁶ And it came to pass, at the end of three days after they had solemnised with them a covenant, that they heard that, near neighbours, they were unto them, and, in their midst, they were dwelling.

¹⁷ So the sons of Israel brake up, and came in unto their cities on the third day,—their cities, being Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

¹⁸ And the sons of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the assembly had sworn unto them by Yahweh, God of Israel,—but all the assembly murmured against the princes.

¹⁹ And all the princes said unto all the assembly, We, have sworn unto them, by Yahweh, God of Israel,—now, therefore, we may not touch them.

²⁰ This, will we do unto them, even let them live,—lest there come on us wrath, because of the oath which we have sworn unto them.

²¹ And the princes said unto them—Let them live. So they became hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the assembly, as the princes spake unto them.

²² And Joshua called for them, and spake unto them, saying,—Wherefore did ye deceive us, saying—We are, very far, from you, whereas, ye, in our midst, are dwelling?

²³ Now, therefore, accursed, ye are,—and ye shall not cease to be in bond-service as hewers of wood and drawers of water, for the house of my God.

²⁴ And they responded to Joshua, and said—Because it was, plainly told, thy servants, how that Yahweh thy God had commanded Moses his servant to give unto you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you,—therefore feared we greatly, for our lives, because of you, and did this thing.

²⁵ Now, therefore, here we are, in thy hand,—as may be good and right in thine eyes, to do unto us, do.

²⁶ And he did to them so,—and rescued them out of the hand of the sons of Israel, and they slew them not.

²⁷ And Joshua appointed them that day to be hewers of wood and drawers of water unto the assembly,—and unto the altar of Yahweh, [as they are] until this day, in the place which he should choose.