1 And it came to pass when all the kings who were by the Jordan, in the hills and in the lowland and in all the coasts of the Great Sea toward Lebanon; the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite; heard about it,2 that they gathered together to fight with Joshua and Israel with one mouth.3 But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,4 they did shrewdly, and went and pretended to be ambassadors. And they took old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins torn and bound up,5 old and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and in crumbs.6 And they went to Joshua, to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, We have come from a distant land; now therefore, make a treaty with us.7 And the men of Israel said to the Hivites, Perhaps you are dwelling among us; so how can we make a treaty with you?8 But they said to Joshua, We are your servants. And Joshua said to them, Who are you, and where do you come from?9 So they said to him: Your servants have come from a very distant land, because of the name of Jehovah your God; for we have heard of His fame, and all that He has done in Egypt,10 and all that He has done to the two kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan; to Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.11 Therefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our land spoke to us, saying, Take provisions with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, We are your servants; now therefore, make a treaty with us.12 This bread of ours we took hot for our provision from our houses on the day we departed to come to you. But now behold, it is dry and crumbly.13 And these wineskins which we filled were new, and behold, they are torn; and these our garments and our sandals have become old because of the very long journey.14 And the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask at the mouth of Jehovah.15 And Joshua made peace with them, and made a treaty with them to let them live; and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.16 And it happened at the end of three days, after they had made the treaty with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors, dwelling among them.17 And the children of Israel journeyed and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kirjath Jearim.18 But the sons of Israel did not strike them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by Jehovah the God of Israel. And all the congregation grumbled against the leaders.19 Then all the leaders said to all the congregation, We have sworn to them by Jehovah the God of Israel; now therefore, we cannot touch them.20 This we will do to them: We will let them live, that wrath not be upon us because of the oath which we have sworn to them.21 And the leaders said to them, Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and drawers of water for all the congregation, as the leaders have spoken to them.22 And Joshua summoned them, and he spoke to them, saying, Why have you deceived us, saying, We are very far from you, when you are dwelling among us?23 Now therefore, you are cursed, and none of you shall fail to be slaves, woodcutters and drawers of water for the house of my God.24 And they answered Joshua and said, Because it was reported and told to your servants that Jehovah your God had commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before you; therefore we were greatly afraid for our souls because of you, and have done this thing.25 And now behold, we are in your hands; do with us as seems good and right in your eyes to do.26 Thus he did to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the sons of Israel, so that they did not kill them.27 And that day Joshua made them woodcutters and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of Jehovah, in the place which He would choose, even to this day.

1 And whanne these thingis weren herd, alle the kyngis biyende Jordan, that lyueden in the hilly places, and in `the feeldi places, in the coostis of the see, and in the brynke of the greet see, and thei that dwellen bisidis Liban, Ethei, and Ammorrei, Cananei, and Feresey, Euey, and Jebusey,2 weren gaderid togidere to fiyte ayens Josue and Israel, with o wille, and the same sentence.3 And thei that dwelten in Gabaon, herden alle thingis whiche Josue hadde do to Jerico, and to Hay; and thei thouyten felli,4 and token to hem silf metis, and puttyden elde sackis on assis, and wyn botels brokun and sewid, and ful elde schoon,5 whiche weren sewid togidere with patchis, to `the schewyng of eldenesse; and thei weren clothid with elde clothis; also looues, whiche thei baren for lijflode in the weie, weren harde and brokun in to gobetis.6 And thei yeden to Josue, that dwellide thanne in tentis in Galgala; and thei seiden to hym, and to al Israel togidere, We comen fro a fer lond, and coueyten to make pees with you. And the men of Israel answeriden to hem,7 and seiden, Lest perauenture ye dwellen in the lond, which is due to vs bi eritage, and we moun not make bond of pees with you.8 And thei seiden to Josue, We ben thi seruauntis. To whiche Josue seide, What men ben ye, and fro whennus camen ye?9 Thei answeriden, Thi seruauntis camen fro a ful fer lond in the name of thi Lord God, for we herden the fame of his power, alle thingis whiche he dide in Egipt,10 and to twei kyngis of Ammorreis biyendis Jordan; to Seon king of Esebon, and to Og kyng of Basan, that weren in Astroth.11 And the eldere men and alle the dwelleris of oure lond seiden to vs, Take ye metis in youre hondis, for lengeste weie; and go ye to hem, and seie ye, We ben youre seruauntis; make ye boond of pees with vs.12 And we token hoote looues, whanne we yeden out of oure housis to come to you; now tho ben maad drye and brokun, for greet eldenesse;13 we filliden newe botels of wyn; now tho ben brokun and vndoon; the clothis and schoon, with whiche we ben clothid, and whiche we han `in the feet, ben brokun and almost wastid, fro the lengthe of lengere weie.14 Therfor `the sones of Israel token of the metis of hem, and thei axiden not `the mouth of the Lord.15 And Josue made pees with hem. And whanne the boond of pees was maad, he bihiyte, that thei schulden not be slayn; and the princes of the multitude sworen to hem.16 Forsothe aftir thre daies of the boond of pees maad, thei herden, that thei dwelliden in nyy place, and that thei schulden be among hem.17 And the sones of Israel mouyden tentis, and camen in the thridde dai in to the citees of hem, of whiche citees these ben the names; Gabaon, and Caphira, and Beroth, and Cariathiarym.18 And thei smytiden not hem, for the princis of the multitude hadden swore to hem in the name of the Lord God of Israel. Therfor al the comyn puple grutchide ayens the princis of Israel;19 whiche answeriden to hem, We sworen to hem in the name of the Lord God of Israel, and therfor we moun not touche hem;20 but we schulen do this thing to hem, sotheli be thei reserued that thei lyue, lest the ire of the Lord be stirid ayens vs, if we forsweren to hem;21 but so lyue thei, that thei hewe trees, and bere watris, in to the vsis of al the multitude. And while thei spaken these thingis,22 Josue clepide Gabonytis, and seide to hem, Whi wolden ye disseyue vs bi fraude, `that ye seiden, We dwellen ful fer fro you, sithen ye ben in the myddis of vs?23 Therfor ye schulen be `vndur cursyng, and noon schal faile of youre generacioun, hewynge trees and berynge watris, in to the hows of my God.24 Whiche answeryden, It was told to vs thi seruauntis, that thi Lord God bihiyte to Moises, his seruaunt, that he schulde bitake to you al the lond, and schulde leese alle the dwelleris therof; therfor we dredden greetli, and purueiden to oure lyues, and weren compellid bi youre drede, and we token this counsel.25 `Now forsothe we ben in `thin hond; do thou to vs that, that semeth riytful and good to thee.26 Therfor Josue dide, as he seide, and delyuerede hem fro the hondis of the sones of Israel, that thei schulden not be slayn.27 And in that dai Josue demyde hem to be in to the seruyce of al the puple, and of the auter of the Lord, and to hewe trees, and to bere watris, `til in to present tyme, in the place which the Lord hadde chose.