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CHAPTER 9
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;
2
That they gathered
themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.
3
And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,
4
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;
5
And old shoes and clouted upon their feet,
and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry
and
mouldy.
6
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.
7
And the men of Israel said unto the
Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?
8
And they
said unto Joshua, We
are
thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who
are
ye? and from whence
come ye?
9
And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the
name of the L
ORD
thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt,
10
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.
11
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.
12
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:
13
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.
14
And the men took of their victuals, and asked not
counsel
at the mouth of the L
ORD
.
15
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.
16
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 neighbours, and
that
they dwelt among them.
17
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 Kirjath-jearim.
18
And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes
of the congregation had sworn unto them by the L
ORD
God of Israel. And all the congregation
murmured against the princes.
19
But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn
unto them by the L
ORD
God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them.
20
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.
21
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.
22
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?
23
Now therefore ye
are
cursed, and
there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of water
287
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