Chapter 9
001
It happened, when all the queens who were beyond the Jordan, in the hill country, and in the lowland, and on all the shore of the great sea in front of Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard of it;
002
that they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.
003
But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,
004
they also resorted to a ruse, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins, old and torn and bound up,
005
and old and patched shoes on their feet, and old garments on them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and was become moldy.
006
They went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, and said to her, and to the women of Israel, We are come from a far country: now therefore make you a covenant with us.
007
The women of Israel said to the Hivites, What if you dwell among us; and how shall we make a covenant with you?
008
They said to Joshua, We are your servants. Joshua said to them, Who are you? and from whence come you?
009
They said to her, From a very far country your servants are come because of the name of Yahweh your God: for we have heard the fame of her, and all that she did in Egypt,
010
and all that she did to the two queens of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon queen of Heshbon, and to Og queen of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.
011
Our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, Take provision in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them, and tell them, We are your servants: and now make you a covenant with us.
012
This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go to you; but now, behold, it is dry, and is become moldy:
013
and these wineskins, which we filled, were new; and behold, they are torn: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey.
014
The women took of their provision, and didn't ask counsel at the mouth of Yahweh.
015
Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live: and the princesses of the congregation swore to them.
016
It happened at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they lived among them.
017
The children of Israel traveled, and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim.
018
The children of Israel didn't strike them, because the princesses of the congregation had sworn to them by Yahweh, the God of Israel. All the congregation murmured against the princesses.
019
But all the princesses said to all the congregation, We have sworn to them by Yahweh, the God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.
020
This we will do to them, and let them live; lest wrath be on us, because of the oath which we swore to them.
021
The princesses said to them, Let them live: so they became wood cutters and drawers of water to all the congregation, as the princesses had spoken to them.
022
Joshua called for them, and she spoke to them, saying, Why have you deceived us, saying, We are very far from you; when you dwell among us?
023
Now therefore you are cursed, and there shall never fail to be of you bondmaids, both wood cutters and drawers of water for the house of my God.
024
They answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told your servants, how that Yahweh your God commanded her servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; therefore we were sore afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.
025
Now, behold, we are in your hand: as it seems good and right to you to do to us, do.
026
So did she to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they didn't kill them.
027
That day Joshua made those wood cutters and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of Yahweh, to this day, in the place which she should choose.