Joshua_Chapter 9

The kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who lived in the mountains and plateaus west of the Jordan River and faced the sea along the Lebanon Mountains, heard this,

They all gathered together with one heart and one mind to fight against Joshua and the Israelites.

The residents of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,

They set up a scheme, pretending to be messengers, carrying old bags and torn and patched old leather wine bags on donkeys,

Wear repaired old shoes on your feet and old clothes on your body. The cakes they brought were all dry and moldy.

They came to Joshua in the camp of Gilgal and said to him and the Israelites, “We have come from afar. Now, please make a treaty with us.”.

The Israelites said to these Hivites, “I’m afraid you are living among us.”. If that’s the case, how can we make a treaty with you?

They said to Joshua, We are your servants. Joshua asked them, “Who are you?”. Where did it come from.

They replied, “My servant came from a very far place because he heard the name of the Lord your God and all his actions in Egypt.”,

And all that he did to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, namely King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan in Ashtaroth.

Our elders and all the residents of our land said to us, ‘Bring the food for the journey with you to meet the Israelites, and say to them,’ We are your servants. ‘. Now please make a treaty with us.

On the day we came out to come to you, the bread we brought out of our house was still hot. Look, it’s all done now, it’s moldy.

This wine bag was still new when we served the wine. Look, it’s already broken now. Our clothes and shoes are worn out due to the long road.

The Israelites received some of their food and did not ask the Lord.

So Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, allowing them to live. The leaders of the congregation also swore to them.

After the Israelites made a treaty with them, three days later they heard that they were neighbors living among the Israelites.

On the third day, the Israelites set out and arrived in their cities, which were Gibeon, Kephelah, Biroth, and Kiriath Jearim.

Because the leaders of the congregation had already sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, the Israelites did not kill them. The whole assembly complained to the leader.

The leaders said to the whole assembly, We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, that we cannot harm them now.

We will do this to them, allowing them to live, so that no wrath may come upon us because of the oath we have sworn.

And the leader said to the congregation, Let them live. So they became the people who cut wood and carried water for the entire assembly, just as the leader had said to them.

Joshua summoned them and said to them, “Why have you deceived us by saying that we are far from you?”? Actually, you live between us.

Now you are cursed. Those among you will never cease to be slaves, to be choppers of wood and fetchers of water for the house of my God.

They answered Joshua, saying, Because someone truly told your servant that the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you all this land and to destroy all its inhabitants before you. Therefore, we were very afraid of losing our lives for your sake, and we did this.

Now we are in your hands, do as you please treat us as good and right.

So Joshua treated them like this and saved them from the hands of the Israelites, so they did not kill them.

On that day, Joshua appointed them as woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and the altar of the Lord in the place that the Lord will choose, until this day.