1 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 to Jericho and to Ai,4 They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks on their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;5 And old shoes and clouted on their feet, and old garments on them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy.6 And they went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make you a league with us.7 And the men of Israel said to the Hivites, Peradventure you dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you?8 And they said to Joshua, We are your servants. And Joshua said to them, Who are you? and from from where come you?9 And they said to him, From a very far country your servants are come because of the name of the LORD your 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 Why our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, We are your servants: therefore now make you 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 to you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is moldy: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 LORD.15 And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation swore to 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 neighbors, and that they dwelled among them.17 And the children of Israel journeyed, and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjathjearim.18 And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes.19 But all the princes said to all the congregation, We have sworn to them by the LORD 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 on us, because of the oath which we swore to them.21 And the princes said to them, Let them live; but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water to all the congregation; as the princes had promised them.22 And Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, Why have you beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when you dwell among us?23 Now therefore you are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being slaves, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.24 And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told your servants, how that the LORD your 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.25 And now, behold, we are in your hand: as it seems good and right to you to do to us, do.26 And so did he to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not.27 And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the LORD, even to this day, in the place which he should choose.

1 Depois sucedeu que, ouvindo isto todos os reis que estavam além do Jordão, na região montanhosa, na baixada e em toda a costa do grande mar, defronte do Líbano, os heteus, os amorreus, os cananeus, os perizeus, os heveus, e os jebuseus2 se ajuntaram de comum acordo para pelejar contra Josué e contra Israel.3 Ora, os moradores de Gibeão, ouvindo o que Josué fizera a Jericó e a Ai.4 usaram de astúcia: foram e se fingiram embaixadores, tomando sacos velhos sobre os seus jumentos, e odres de vinho velhos, rotos e recosidos,5 tendo nos seus pés sapatos velhos e remendados, e trajando roupas velhas; e todo o pão que traziam para o caminho era seco e bolorento.6 E vieram a Josué, ao arraial em Gilgal, e disseram a ele e aos homens de Israel: Somos vindos duma terra longínqua; fazei, pois, agora pacto conosco.7 Responderam os homens de Israel a estes heveus: Bem pode ser que habiteis no meio de nós; como pois faremos pacto convosco?8 Então eles disseram a Josué: Nós somos teus servos. Ao que lhes perguntou Josué: Quem sois vós? e donde vindes?9 Responderam-lhe: Teus servos vieram duma terra mui distante, por causa do nome do Senhor teu Deus, porquanto ouvimos a sua fama, e tudo o que fez no Egito,10 e tudo o que fez aos dois reis dos amorreus, que estavam além do Jordão, a Siom, rei de Hesbom, e a Ogue, rei de Basã, que estava em Astarote.11 Pelo que nossos anciãos e todos os moradores da nossa terra nos falaram, dizendo: Tomai nas mãos provisão para o caminho, e ide-lhes ao encontro, e dizei-lhes: Nós somos vossos servos; fazei, pois, agora pacto conosco.12 Este nosso pão tomamo-lo quente das nossas casas para nossa provisão, no dia em que saímos para vir ter convosco, e ei-lo aqui agora seco e bolorento;13 estes odres, que enchemos de vinho, eram novos, e ei-los aqui já rotos; e esta nossa roupa e nossos sapatos já envelheceram em razão do mui longo caminho.14 Então os homens de Israel tomaram da provisão deles, e não pediram conselho ao Senhor.15 Assim Josué fez paz com eles; também fez um pacto com eles, prometendo poupar-lhes a vida; e os príncipes da congregação lhes prestaram juramento.16 Três dias depois de terem feito pacto com eles, ouviram que eram vizinhos e que moravam no meio deles.17 Tendo partido os filhos de Israel, chegaram ao terceiro dia às cidades deles, que eram Gibeom, Cefira, Beerote e Quiriate-Jearir.18 Mas os filhos de Israel não os mataram, porquanto os príncipes da congregação lhes haviam prestado juramento pelo Senhor, o Deus de Israel; pelo que toda a congregação murmurava contra os príncipes.19 Mas os príncipes disseram a toda a congregação: Nós lhes prestamos juramento pelo Senhor, o Deus de Israel, e agora não lhes podemos tocar.20 Isso cumpriremos para com eles, poupando-lhes a vida, para que não haja ira sobre nós, por causa do juramento que lhes fizemos.21 Disseram, pois, os príncipes: Vivam. Assim se tornaram rachadores de lenha e tiradores de água para toda a congregação, como os príncipes lhes disseram.22 Então Josué os chamou, e lhes disse: Por que nos enganastes, dizendo: Mui longe de vós habitamos, morando vós no meio de nós?23 Agora, pois, sois malditos, e dentre vós nunca deixará de haver servos, rachadores de lenha e tiradores de água para a casa do meu Deus.24 Respondendo a Josué, disseram: Porquanto foi anunciado aos teus servos que o Senhor teu Deus ordenou a Moisés, seu servo, que vos desse toda esta terra, e destruísse todos os seus moradores diante de vós, temíamos muito pelas nossas vidas por causa de vós, e fizemos isso.25 E eis que agora estamos na tua mão; faze aquilo que te pareça bom e reto que se nos faça.26 Assim pois ele lhes fez, e livrou-os das mãos dos filhos de Israel, de sorte que estes não os mataram.27 Mas, naquele dia, Josué os fez rachadores de lenha e tiradores de água para a congregação e para o altar do Senhor, no lugar que ele escolhesse, como ainda o são.