Joshua 9:3-13

Evangelical Heritage Version

³ However, when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, ⁴ they responded by coming up with a clever scheme: They gathered their provisions as if they were going on a trip.^[a] They loaded worn-out sacks on their donkeys and wineskins that were worn-out, split, and mended. ⁵ They put worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and they put on worn-out clothing. All the bread in their provisions was dried out. It had begun to crumble. ⁶ Then they came to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal and told him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a land far away. So now, make a treaty with us.”

⁷ The men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us. How can we make a treaty with you?”

⁸ They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.”

So Joshua said to them, “Who are you, and where do you come from?”

⁹ They said to him, “Because of the Name of the Lord your God, your servants have come from a land very far away. For we heard the report about him and all that he did in Egypt ¹⁰ and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were in the area east of the Jordan—to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan, who was in Ashtaroth. ¹¹ Our elders and all the inhabitants of our land said to us, ‘Take in your hand provisions for the journey and go to meet them. You should say to them, “We are your servants, so now make a treaty with us.”’ ¹² This bread of ours was hot when we packed for the trip at our houses on the day we set out to come to you. Now, look, it is dried out and has become crumbs! ¹³ The wineskins were new when we filled them. Look, they have burst! Look at our clothing and our sandals. They wore out because of the great length of the journey.”