The kings combine against Israel.

1 ¶ And it came to pass,² when all² the kingsº which² [were] on this sideº Jordan,º in the hills,º and in the valleys,º and in all² the coastsº of the greatº seaº over² againstº Lebanon,º the Hittite,º and the Amorite,º the Canaanite,º the Perizzite,º the Hivite,º and the Jebusite,º heardºª [thereof]; 2 That they gathered¹ª themselves² together,º to fightºª with² Joshuaº and with² Israel,º with oneº accord.º

The Gibeonites by craft obtain a league.

3 ¶ And when the inhabitantsºª of Gibeonº heardºª² what² Joshuaº had doneºª unto Jerichoº and to Ai,º 4 They² did workºª wilily,º and went¹ª² and made as if they had been ambassadors,ºª and tookºª oldº sacksº upon their asses,º and wineº bottles,º old,º and rent,ºª and bound up;ºª 5 And oldº shoesº and cloutedºª upon their feet,º and oldº garmentsº upon² them; and all² the breadº of their provisionº was dryºª [and] mouldy.º 6 And they went¹ª² to² Joshuaº unto² the campº at Gilgal,º and saidºª unto² him, and to² the menº of Israel,º We be comeºª from a far¹ country:º²² now² therefore makeºª ye a leagueº with us. 7 And the menº of Israelº saidºª unto² the Hivites,º Peradventureº ye² dwellºª amongº us; and how² shall we makeºª a leagueº with you? 8 And they saidºª unto² Joshua,º We² [are] thy servants.º And Joshuaº saidºª unto² them, Who² [are] ye?² and from whenceº² comeºª ye? 9 And they saidºª unto² him, From a very¹ far¹ countryº²²² thy servantsº are comeºª because of the nameº of the LORDº thy God:º for² we have heardºª the fameº of him, and all² that² he didºª in Egypt,º 10 And all² that² he didºª to the twoº kingsº of the Amorites,º that² [were] beyondº Jordan,º to Sihonº kingº of Heshbon,º and to Ogº kingº of Bashan,º which² [was] at Ashtaroth.º 11 Wherefore our eldersº and all² the inhabitantsºª of our countryº spakeºª to² us, saying,ºª Takeºª victualsº with youº for the journey,º and go¹ª² to meetºª them, and sayºª unto² them, We² [are] your servants:º therefore now² makeºª ye a leagueº with us. 12 This² our breadº we took hotº [for] our provisionºª out of our housesº² on the dayº we came forthºª to go¹ª² unto² you; but now,² behold,² it is dry,ºª and it is² mouldy:º 13 And these² bottlesº of wine,º which² we filled,ºª [were] new;º and, behold,² they be rent:ºª and these² our garmentsº and our shoesº are become oldºª by reason of the veryº longº² journey.º 14 And the men¹² tookºª of their victuals,º² and askedºª not² [counsel] at the mouthº of the LORD.º 15 And Joshuaº madeºª peaceº with them, and made¹ª² a leagueº with them, to let them live:ºª and the princesº of the congregationº swareºª unto them.

16 ¶ And it came to pass² at the endº² of threeº daysº afterº² they had madeºª a leagueº with them, that they heardºª that² they² [were] their² neighbours,º and [that] they² dweltºª amongº them. 17 And the childrenº of Israelº journeyed,ºª and cameºª unto² their citiesº on the thirdº day.º Now their citiesº [were] Gibeon,º and Chephirah,º and Beeroth,º and Kirjathjearim.º 18 And the childrenº of Israelº smoteºª them not,² because² the princesº of the congregationº had swornºª unto them by the LORDº Godº of Israel.º And all² the congregationº murmuredºª against² the princes.º 19 But all² the princesº saidºª unto² all² the congregation,º We² have swornºª unto them by the LORDº Godº of Israel:º now² therefore we mayºª not² touchºª them. 20 This² we will doºª to them; we will even let them live,ºª² lest² wrathº be² upon² us, because of² the oathº which² we swareºª unto them. 21 And the princesº saidºª unto² them, Let them live;ºª but let them be² hewersºª of woodº and drawersºª of waterº unto all² the congregation;º as² the princesº had promisedºª them.

For which they are condemned to perpetual bondage.

22 ¶ And Joshuaº calledºª for them, and he spakeºª unto² them, saying,ºª Wherefore² have ye beguiledºª us, saying,ºª We² [are] veryº farº from² you; when ye² dwellºª amongº us? 23 Now² therefore ye² [are] cursed,ºª and there shall none² of² you be freedºª from being bondmen,º and hewersºª of woodº and drawersºª of waterº for the houseº of my God.º 24 And they answeredºª² Joshua,º and said,ºª Because² it was certainly¹ª toldºª thy servants,º² how that² the LORDº thy Godº commandedºª his servantº² Mosesº to giveºª you all² the land,º and to destroyºª² all² the inhabitantsºª of the landº from beforeº² you, therefore we were soreº afraidºª of our livesº because¹ of²² you, and have doneºª² this² thing.º 25 And now,² behold,² we¹ [are] in thine hand:º as it seemeth¹ goodº and rightº unto thee² to doºª unto us, do.ºª 26 And so² didºª he unto them, and deliveredºª them out of the handº² of the childrenº of Israel,º that they slewºª them not.² 27 And Joshuaº madeºª them that² dayº hewersºª of woodº and drawersºª of waterº for the congregation,º and for the altarº of the LORD,º even unto² this² day,º in² the placeº which² he should choose.ºª