Verse
BSB
Berean Standard Bible
KJV
King James Version
Now
when news
of
this
reached
all the kings west
of
the
Jordan —those
in the hill
country
, the foothills
, and all along
the coast
of the Great Sea toward
Lebanon (
the Hittites
, Amorites
, Canaanites
, Perizzites
, Hivites
, and Jebusites)—
And
it
came
to
pass,
when all the kings which
were
on
this
side
Jordan ,
in the hills
, and
in
the valleys
, and in
all the coasts
of the great sea over
against
Lebanon ,
the Hittite
, and
the
Amorite
, the
Canaanite
, the
Perizzite
, the
Hivite
, and the
Jebusite,
heard
thereof;
they came
together to wage
war
against
Joshua and Israel.
That
they gathered
themselves
together ,
to fight
with
Joshua and with
Israel ,
with
one
accord
.
But
the people
of Gibeon ,
having
heard what Joshua had done to
Jericho and Ai,
And
when
the inhabitants
of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto
Jericho and to
Ai,
acted
deceptively
and set
out
as envoys
, carrying
on
their
donkeys
worn-out
sacks and old wineskins
, cracked
and mended.
They
did
work
wilily,
and went
and
made
as if
they
had
been
ambassadors
, and
took
old
sacks upon
their
asses,
and wine
bottles,
old, and rent,
and
bound
up;
They
put
worn,
patched
sandals
on
their
feet
and threadbare
clothing
on
their bodies
, and their
whole
supply
of
bread was dry and moldy
.
And old
shoes
and
clouted
upon
their feet
, and old
garments
upon
them;
and
all
the
bread of
their
provision
was dry and mouldy
.
They went to Joshua in
the camp at Gilgal and said to
him and the men of Israel, “
We have
come from a distant
land;
please
make a treaty
with us. ”
And
they went to Joshua unto
the camp at Gilgal ,
and said unto
him ,
and to
the men of Israel, We be
come from a far
country:
now
therefore
make ye
a league
with us.
But
the men of Israel said to
the Hivites, “Perhaps
you
dwell near
us .
How can
we make a treaty
with you? ”
And
the men of Israel said unto
the Hivites, Peradventure
ye
dwell among
us ;
and
how shall
we make a league
with you?
“We
are
your
servants,”
they said to
Joshua. Then
Joshua asked
them, “
Who are you
and where
have
you
come
from? ”
And
they said unto
Joshua ,
We
are
thy
servants
. And
Joshua said
unto
them, Who are ye?
and from whence
come
ye
?
“Your
servants
have
come
from a very distant
land,”
they
replied,
“
because of the fame
of the LORD your
God .
For we have heard the reports
about
Him :
all that He did in Egypt,
And
they
said
unto
him,
From a very far
country
thy
servants
are
come
because of the name
of the LORD thy
God :
for we have heard the fame
of
him ,
and
all that he did in Egypt,
and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites beyond the
Jordan —
Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan, who
reigned
in
Ashtaroth.
And all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites ,
that
were
beyond Jordan ,
to
Sihon king of Heshbon ,
and to
Og king of Bashan, which
was
at
Ashtaroth.
So
the
elders and inhabitants of our land
told
us, ‘
Take provisions
for your
journey ;
go to meet them and say to
them :
We are your servants .
Please
make a treaty
with us. ’
Wherefore
our
elders and all
the
inhabitants of our country
spake
to
us, saying,
Take victuals
with
you
for the
journey ,
and
go to meet them ,
and say unto
them ,
We are your servants :
therefore
now
make ye
a league
with us.
This bread of
ours
was
warm
when
we packed
it
at
home
on the day we left
to
come
to you .
But take
a
look
, it is now
dry and moldy.
This our
bread we took
hot
for
our
provision
out
of
our
houses
on the day we came
forth
to go
unto
you ;
but now
, behold,
it is dry ,
and it
is
mouldy:
These wineskins
were
new
when
we filled them
, but
look
, they are
cracked.
And these clothes
and sandals
are
worn
out
from
our very long journey. ”
And
these bottles
of
wine,
which
we filled, were
new;
and
, behold,
they be
rent:
and these our
garments
and our shoes
are
become
old
by
reason
of
the
very long journey.
Then
the men of Israel
sampled
their provisions
, but
did
not seek
the
counsel of the LORD.
And
the men took
of their victuals
, and
asked
not counsel at
the
mouth
of the LORD.
And Joshua made a
treaty
of
peace with them to let them live ,
and the leaders
of the congregation swore
an
oath
to
them.
And Joshua made peace with them ,
and
made
a
league
with
them,
to let them live :
and the princes
of the congregation sware
unto
them.
Three days after they had made the
treaty
with the
Gibeonites
, the
Israelites
learned
that they were neighbors, living
among them.
And
it
came
to
pass
at
the
end
of
three days after they had made a
league
with them
, that they heard
that
they
were their
neighbors, and
that
they
dwelt
among them.
So
the Israelites
set
out
and on the third day arrived
at
their cities —
Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim
.
And
the children
of
Israel
journeyed,
and came
unto
their
cities
on the third day .
Now
their cities were
Gibeon, and
Chephirah, and
Beeroth, and Kirjathjearim
.
But
the Israelites
did
not
attack
them, because the leaders
of the congregation had sworn an
oath
to
them by the LORD ,
the
God of Israel. And the whole
congregation grumbled
against the leaders
.
And
the children
of
Israel
smote
them not
, because the princes
of the congregation had sworn unto
them by the LORD God of Israel. And all
the congregation murmured
against the princes
.
All the leaders
answered
, “
We have sworn an
oath
to
them by the LORD ,
the
God of Israel ,
and
now we cannot
touch them.
But
all the princes
said
unto
all
the
congregation
, We have sworn unto
them by the LORD God of Israel :
now therefore
we may
not
touch them.
This is
how
we will treat
them :
We will let them live, so
that
no
wrath will
fall
on
us because of the oath we swore
to
them. ”
This we will do
to
them ;
we will even
let them live, lest
wrath be
upon
us ,
because of the oath which
we sware
unto
them.
They
continued
, “
Let them live ,
but let them be woodcutters
and water carriers
for
the whole
congregation .”
So
the leaders
kept
their
promise
.
And
the
princes
said
unto
them
, Let them live ;
but let them be hewers
of
wood
and drawers
of
water unto
all
the congregation ;
as
the princes
had
promised
them
.
Then
Joshua summoned
the
Gibeonites
and said
, “Why
did
you
deceive
us
by
telling
us you
live
far away
from us,
when
in
fact
you live
among us?
And
Joshua called
for
them,
and he
spake
unto
them
, saying,
Wherefore
have
ye
beguiled
us ,
saying,
We
are
very
far from you ;
when
ye
dwell
among us?
Now therefore you
are under
a
curse
and will
perpetually
serve
as
woodcutters
and water carriers
for the house of my God. ”
Now therefore ye
are cursed,
and there
shall
none
of
you
be
freed
from
being
bondmen,
and hewers
of
wood
and
drawers
of
water for the house of my God.
The
Gibeonites
answered, “Your
servants
were
told clearly
that the LORD your
God had
commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land and wipe
out
all its
inhabitants before you .
So
we greatly
feared
for
our lives because of you, and that
is
why
we
have done this.
And
they
answered Joshua
, and
said,
Because
it
was
certainly
told thy
servants,
how
that the LORD thy
God commanded his 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
of
our lives because of you, and have done this thing
.
Now we are in your
hands.
Do
to
us
whatever
seems
good and right to you
. ”
And
now ,
behold,
we are in thine
hand:
as
it
seemeth
good and right unto
thee
to do
unto
us,
do
.
So Joshua
did this
and delivered them from
the hands
of the Israelites
, and
they did
not kill
the
Gibeonites
.
And
so did he
unto
them,
and delivered them out
of
the hand
of the children
of
Israel
, that
they slew
them
not.
On
that
day
he
made them woodcutters
and water carriers,
as
they
are
to
this
day
for the congregation of
the
LORD
and for the altar at
the place He would
choose.
And
Joshua
made them that
day
hewers
of
wood
and drawers
of
water for the congregation ,
and for the altar of
the LORD,
even
unto
this
day,
in
the
place which
he should
choose.
Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible and King James Version. Public domain; source text distributed by BSB Publishing, LLC.; UK publication rights are administered by the Crown's patentee; public domain in most other jurisdictions..