Joshua 9
Legacy Standard Bible
The Gibeonites Act Craftily
9 Now it happened when (A)all the kings who were beyond the Jordan, in the hill country and in the [a]Shephelah and on all the (B)coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, (C)the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, heard of it, 2 that they gathered themselves together with [b](D)one accord to fight with Joshua and with Israel.
3 Now the inhabitants of (E)Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai. 4 So they also acted craftily and went and traveled as envoys and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins worn-out and torn and [c]mended, 5 and worn-out and patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and was crumbled. 6 And they went to Joshua to the (F)camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country; so now, cut a covenant with us.” 7 Then the men of Israel said to the (G)Hivites, “Perhaps you are living [d]within our land; (H)how then shall we cut a covenant with you?” 8 But they said to Joshua, “(I)We are your servants.” Then Joshua said to them, “Who are you and where do you come from?” 9 They said to him, “Your servants have come from (J)a very far country because of the [e]fame of Yahweh your God; for (K)we have heard the report of Him and all that He did in Egypt, 10 and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan who was at Ashtaroth. 11 So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them and say to them, “(L)We are your servants; now then, cut a covenant with us.”’ 12 This bread of ours was warm when we took it for our provisions out of our houses on the day that we left to come to you; but now behold, it is dry and has become crumbled. 13 And these wineskins which we filled were new, and behold, they are torn; and these clothes of ours and our sandals are worn out because of the very long journey.” 14 So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, but (M)they did not ask for the [f]command of Yahweh. 15 (N)And Joshua made peace with them and cut a covenant with them, to let them live; and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.
16 Now it happened at the end of three days after they had cut a covenant with them, that they heard that they were near them and that they were living [g]nearly among them. 17 Then the sons of Israel set out and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were (O)Gibeon and Chephirah and Beeroth and Kiriath-jearim. 18 But the sons of Israel did not strike them down because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by Yahweh the God of Israel. And the whole congregation grumbled against the leaders. 19 Then all the leaders said to the whole congregation, “We have sworn to them by Yahweh, the God of Israel, so now we cannot touch them. 20 This we will do to them, even let them live, so that wrath will not be upon us for the oath which we swore to them.” 21 So the leaders said to them, “Let them live.” Thus they became (P)hewers of wood and drawers of water for the whole congregation, just as the leaders had spoken to them.
22 Then Joshua called for them and spoke to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ (Q)when you are living nearly in the midst of us? 23 So now, you are (R)cursed, and [h]you shall never be cut loose from being slaves, both hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.” 24 So they answered Joshua and said, “(S)Because it was certainly told to your slaves that Yahweh your God had commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you; therefore we feared greatly for our lives because of you and have done this thing. 25 So now, behold, (T)we are in your hands; do as it seems good and right in your sight to do to us.” 26 Thus he did to them and delivered them from the hands of the sons of Israel, and they did not kill them. 27 But Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of Yahweh, to this day, (U)in the place which He would choose.
Footnotes
- Joshua 9:1 Or lowland
- Joshua 9:2 Lit one mouth
- Joshua 9:4 Lit tied up
- Joshua 9:7 Lit among us
- Joshua 9:9 Or name
- Joshua 9:14 Lit mouth
- Joshua 9:16 Or in the midst of them
- Joshua 9:23 Lit a slave shall not be cut off from you
Yehoshua 9
Orthodox Jewish Bible
9 And it came to pass, when kol hamelachim which were beyond the Yarden, in the har, and in the Shefelah, and in all the coasts of the Yam Hagadol [i.e., the Mediterranean] over against the Levanon, the Chitti, and HaEmori, the Kena’ani, the Perizzi, the Chivi, and the Yevusi, heard thereof;
2 That they gathered themselves together, to make war with Yehoshua and with Yisroel, with one peh (mouth, i.e., one accord).
3 And when the inhabitants of Giv’on heard what Yehoshua had done unto Yericho and to Ai,
4 They did work in a cunning, crafty manner [see Genesis 3:1], and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sakkim (sacks) upon their donkeys, and skins of yayin, old, and cracked, and mended;
5 And sandals old and patched upon their feet, and selamot ballot (old garments) upon them; and all the lechem of their food supply was dry and moldy.
6 And they went to Yehoshua unto the machaneh at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the Ish Yisroel, We are come from an eretz rechokah (far country); now therefore cut ye a brit with us.
7 And the Ish Yisroel said unto the Chivi (Hivites), Perhaps ye dwell among us; how then shall we cut a brit with you?
8 And they said unto Yehoshua, We are thy avadim. And Yehoshua said unto them, Who are ye? And from where do ye come?
9 And they said unto him, From an eretz rechokah me’od thy avadim are come because of the Shem of Hashem Eloheicha; for we have heard the report of Him, and all that He did in Mitzrayim,
10 And all that He did to the two melachim of HaEmori, that were beyond the Yarden, to Sichon Melech Cheshbon, and to Og Melech HaBashan, which was at Ashtarot.
11 Therefore Zekeinenu and all the inhabitants of Artzeinu spoke to us, saying, Take food supplies with you for the derech, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your avadim; therefore now cut ye a brit with us.
12 This our lechem we packed cham (hot) for our provision out of our batim (houses) on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, hinei, it is dry, and it is moldy;
13 And these skins of yayin, which we filled, were chadashim; and, hinei, they are cracked; and these our garments and our sandals are become worn out by reason of the derech me’od.
14 And the anashim took of their food supplies, and asked not counsel at the pi Hashem (mouth of Hashem).
15 And Yehoshua made shalom with them, and cut a brit with them, to let them live; and the Nasi’im of the Edah so ratified by oath unto them.
16 And it came to pass at the end of shloshet yamim after they had cut a brit with them, that they heard that they were their kerovim (neighbors), and that they dwelt near them.
17 And the Bnei Yisroel journeyed, and came unto their towns on the yom hashelishi. Now their towns were Giv’on, and Kephirah, and Be’erot, and Kiryat-Ye’arim.
18 And the Bnei Yisroel did not strike them down, because the Nasi’im of the Edah had sworn unto them by Hashem Elohei Yisroel. And Kol HaEdah murmured against the Nasi’im.
19 But all the Nasi’im said unto Kol HaEdah, We have sworn unto them by Hashem Elohei Yisroel; now therefore we may not touch them.
20 This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest ketzef (wrath) be upon us, because of the shevu’ah (oath) which we swore unto them.
21 And the Nasi’im said unto them, Let them live; but let them be woodcutters and water carriers unto Kol HaEdah; as the Nasi’im had promised them.
22 And Yehoshua called for them, and he spoke unto them, saying, Why have ye beguiled us, saying, Rechokim anachnu from you when ye dwell near us?
23 Now therefore ye are arurim, and there shall none of you be yikaret (be cut off) from being eved, and woodcutters and water carriers for the Bais Elohai.
24 And they answered Yehoshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy avadim, how that Hashem Eloheicha commanded His Eved Moshe to give you kol HaAretz, and to destroy all the inhabitants of HaAretz from before you, therefore we were greatly afraid for nafshoteinu because of you, so we have done this thing.
25 And now, behold, we are in thine yad; as it seemeth tov and yashar unto thee to do unto us, do.
26 And so did he unto them, and saved them out of the yad of the Bnei Yisroel, that they slaughtered them not.
27 And Yehoshua made them that day woodcutters and water carriers for the Edah, and for the Mizbe’ach of Hashem, even unto this day, in the makom which He would choose.
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