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Now it came about when all the kingswho were beyond the Jordan, in the hillcountry and in the lowland and on all the coast of the GreatSeatoward*Lebanon, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, heard of it,
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and worn-out and patchedsandals on their feet, and worn-outclothes on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and had becomecrumbled.
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They went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a farcountry; now therefore, make a covenant with us."
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They said to him, "Your servants have come from a veryfarcountry because of the fame of the LORD your God; for we have heard the report of Him and all that He did in Egypt,
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"So our elders and all the inhabitants of our countryspoke to us, saying, 'Takeprovisions in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them and say to them, "We are your servants; now then, make a covenant with us."'
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"This our bread was warm when we took it for our provisions out of our houses on the day that we left to come to you; but nowbehold, it is dry and has becomecrumbled.
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"Thesewineskinswhich we filled were new, and behold, they are torn; and these our clothes and our sandals are worn out because of the verylongjourney."
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It came about at the end of threedaysafter they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were neighbors and that they were livingwithin their land.
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The sons of Israel did not strike them because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD the God of Israel. And the wholecongregationgrumbledagainst the leaders.
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The leaderssaid to them, "Let them live." So they becamehewers of wood and drawers of water for the wholecongregation, just as the leaders had spoken to them.
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Then Joshuacalled for them and spoke to them, saying, "Why have you deceived us, saying, 'We are veryfar from you,' when you are livingwithin our land?
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So they answeredJoshua and said, "Because it was certainlytold your servants that the LORD your God had commanded His servantMoses to give you all the land, and to destroyall the inhabitants of the landbefore* you; therefore we fearedgreatly for our livesbecause* of you, and have donethisthing.
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But Joshuamade them that dayhewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, to thisday, in the placewhich He would choose.