11
So the responsible men and all the people of our country said to us, Take food with you for the journey and go to them, and say to them, We are your servants: so now make an agreement with us.
12
This bread which we have with us for our food, we took warm and new from our houses when starting on our journey to you; but now see, it has become dry and broken up.
13
And these wine-skins were new when we put the wine in them, and now they are cracked as you see; and our clothing and our shoes have become old because of our very long journey here.
14
And the men took some of their food, without requesting directions from the Lord.
15
So Joshua made peace with them, and made an agreement with them that they were not to be put to death: and the chiefs of the people took an oath to them.
16
Now three days after, when they had made this agreement with them, they had word that these men were their neighbours, living near them.
17
And the children of Israel went forward on their journey, and on the third day came to their towns. Now their towns were Gibeon and Chephirah and Beeroth and Kiriath-jearim.
18
And the children of Israel did not put them to death, because the chiefs of the people had taken an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. And all the people made an outcry against the chiefs.
19
But all the chiefs said to the people, We have taken an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and so we may not put our hands on them.
20
This is what we will do to them: we will not put them to death, for fear that wrath may come on us because of our oath to them.
21
Keep them living, and let them be servants, cutting wood and getting water for all the people. And all the people did as the chiefs had said to them.