1 And it came to pass when all the kings who were on this side the Jordan, in the hill-country, and in the lowland, and along all the coast of the great sea as far as opposite to Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard {of it},2 that they assembled 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 then they also acted with craft, and they went prepared as on a journey, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine-flasks, old and rent and tied up;5 and old and patched sandals 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 to him, and to the men of Israel, From a far country are we come; and now make a covenant with us.7 And the men of Israel said to the Hivite, Perhaps thou dwellest in the midst of us, and how should I make a covenant with thee?8 And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said to them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye?9 And they said to him, From a very far country are thy servants come, because of the name of Jehovah 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 the king of Heshbon, and to Og the king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.11 And our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, Take victuals in your hand for the way, and go to meet them, and say to them, We are your servants, and now make a covenant with us.12 This our bread we took warm for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; and now, behold, it is dry, and is become mouldy.13 And these flasks of wine which we filled new, behold, they are rent; and these our garments and our sandals are become old by reason of the very long journey.14 And the men took of their victuals, but they did not inquire at the mouth of Jehovah.15 And Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the princes of the assembly swore unto them.16 And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt in their midst.17 And the children of Israel journeyed, and came to their cities on the third day; and their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim.18 And the children of Israel did not smite them, because the princes of the assembly had sworn unto them by Jehovah the God of Israel. Then all the assembly murmured against the princes.19 And all the princes said to all the assembly, We have sworn unto them by Jehovah the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them.20 This we will do to them, and let them live, lest wrath come upon us, because of the oath which we swore unto them.21 And the princes said to them, Let them live. And they were hewers of wood and drawers of water for all the assembly; as the princes had said to them.22 And Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, Why have ye deceived us, saying, We are very far from you; whereas ye dwell in our midst?23 And now ye are cursed, and ye shall never cease to be bondmen, 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 thy servants how that Jehovah thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; and we feared greatly for our lives because of you, and did this thing.25 And now behold, we are in thy hand: as it is good and right in thine eyes to do to us, do.26 And he did so to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, and they did not slay them.27 And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the assembly, and for the altar of Jehovah, to this day, in the place which he should choose.

1 En toe al die konings wat wes van die Jordaan woon op die Gebergte en in die Laeveld en aan die hele kus van die Groot See na die kant van die L¡banon toe: die Hetiete en Amoriete, Kana„niete, Feresiete, Hewiete en Jebusiete, dit hoor,2 het hulle bymekaargekom om soos een man teen Josua en Israel te veg.3 Maar toe die inwoners van G¡beon hoor wat Josua met J,rigo en met Ai gedoen het,4 het hulle ook met lis gehandel: hulle het gegaan en hulle as boodskappers aangestel en verslyte sakke op hulle esels geneem en verslyte wynsakke wat geskeur en weer toegebind was;5 ook verslyte en gelapte skoene aan hulle voete en verslyte klere aan hulle lyf; en al die brood van hulle padkos was droog en verkrummeld.6 So het hulle dan na Josua gegaan in die laer van Gilgal en aan hom en die manne van Israel gesê: Ons kom van 'n ver land af; sluit dan nou 'n verbond met ons.7 Maar die manne van Israel het aan die Hewiete gesê: Miskien woon julle onder ons; hoe kan ons dan 'n verbond met julle sluit?8 Toe sê hulle vir Josua: Ons is u dienaars! Daarop het Josua hulle gevra: Wie is julle, en waar kom julle vandaan?9 En hulle sê vir hom: U dienaars kom van 'n baie ver land af, vanweë die Naam van die HERE u God; want ons het die gerug van Hom gehoor, en alles wat Hy in Egipte gedoen het;10 en alles wat Hy aan die twee konings van die Amoriete oorkant die Jordaan gedoen het, aan Sihon, die koning van Hesbon, en Og, die koning van Basan, wat in Astarot was.11 Daarom het ons oudstes en al die inwoners van ons land met ons gespreek en gesê: Neem padkos met julle saam vir die reis en trek hulle tegemoet en sê aan hulle: Ons is julle dienaars, sluit dan nou 'n verbond met ons.12 Ons brood hier -- warm het ons dit as padkos uit ons huise geneem, die dag toe ons uitgetrek het om na julle te gaan -- kyk maar, nou het dit droog en verkrummeld geword.13 En die wynsakke hier wat ons as nuwes volgemaak het -- kyk maar, hulle is geskeur; en ons klere hier en ons skoene -- hulle is verslyt deur die baie lang reis.14 Toe neem die manne van hulle padkos; maar die mond van die HERE het hulle nie geraadpleeg nie.15 En Josua het met hulle vrede gemaak en met hulle 'n verbond gesluit, dat hy hulle sou laat lewe; en die owerstes van die vergadering het hulle dit met 'n eed beloof.16 Maar aan die einde van drie dae, nadat die verbond met hulle gesluit was, hoor die volk dat hulle in hul nabyheid en tussen hulle in woon.17 Die kinders van Israel het naamlik weggetrek en op die derde dag by hulle stede gekom; en hulle stede was: G¡beon en Kef¡ra en B,ërot en Kirjat-Je rim.18 Maar die kinders van Israel het hulle nie verslaan nie, omdat die owerstes van die vergadering vir hulle gesweer het by die HERE, die God van Israel; die hele vergadering het toe teen die owerstes gemurmureer.19 Daarop sê al die owerstes aan die hele vergadering: Ons het self vir hulle gesweer by die HERE, die God van Israel; en nou mag ons hulle nie aanraak nie.20 Dit sal ons aan hulle doen en hulle laat lewe, sodat daar nie toorn oor ons kom ter wille van die eed wat ons vir hulle gesweer het nie.21 Verder sê die owerstes vir hulle: Laat hulle lewe! En hulle het houtkappers en waterputters geword van die hele vergadering, soos die owerstes aan hulle gesê het.22 Toe laat Josua hulle roep en spreek met hulle en sê: Waarom het julle ons bedrieg deur te sê: Ons woon baie ver van julle af -- terwyl julle tussen ons in woon?23 Nou dan, vervloek is julle! En nooit sal julle ophou om knegte, houtkappers sowel as waterputters, vir die huis van my God te wees nie.24 Toe het hulle Josua geantwoord en gesê: Omdat aan u dienaars verseker meegedeel was dat die HERE u God aan Moses, sy kneg, bevel gegee het om die hele land aan julle te gee en al die inwoners van die land voor julle uit te verdelg, daarom was ons vir julle baie bevrees ter wille van ons lewe en het ons hierdie ding gedoen.25 Maar hier is ons nou in u hand: doen soos dit goed en reg is in u oë om met ons te handel.26 Hy het toe so met hulle gedoen en hulle gered uit die hand van die kinders van Israel, dat die hulle nie gedood het nie.27 So het Josua dan op die dag houtkappers en waterputters van hulle gemaak vir die vergadering en vir die altaar van die HERE, tot vandag toe, op die plek wat Hy sou uitkies.