1
Now it
came about when
all the
kings who were
beyond the
Jordan, in the
hill country and in the
lowland and on
all the
coast of the
Great Sea toward * Lebanon, the
Hittite and the
Amorite, the
Canaanite, the
Perizzite, the
Hivite and the
Jebusite,
heard of it,
!eD.r;Y;h r,be[.B r,v]a ~yik'l.M;h -l'K ;[{m.vik yih.y;w ? l.Wm -l,a lw{d'G;h ~'Y;h @w{x l{k.b.W h'lep.V;b.W r'h'B ? yiZir.P;h yin][;n.K;h yir{m/a'h.w yiTix;h !w{n'b.L;h ? yis.Wb.y;h.w yi.Wix;h
2
that they
gathered themselves
together with
one accord to
fight with
Joshua and with
Israel.
lea'r.fIy -mi[.w ;[Uvw{h.y -mi[ ~ex'Lih.l w'D.x;y .Wc.B;q.tiY;w ? d'x,a h,P
3
When the
inhabitants of
Gibeon heard what Joshua had
done to
Jericho and to
Ai,
;[Uvw{h.y h'f'[ r,v]a tea .W[.m'v !w{[.big yeb.v{y.w ? y'['l.w w{xyiryil
4
they
also acted craftily and
set out as
envoys, and
took worn-out sacks on their
donkeys, and
wineskins worn-out and
torn and
mended,
.Wr'Y;j.ciY;w .Wk.leY;w h'm.r'[.B h'Meh -m;g .Wf][;Y;w ? tw{da{n.w ~,hyerw{m]x;l ~yil'B ~yiQ;f .Wx.qiY;w ? ~yir'r{c.m.W ~yi['QUb.m.W ~yil'B !Iy;y
5
and
worn-out and
patched sandals on their
feet, and
worn-out clothes on themselves; and
all the
bread of their
provision was
dry and had
become crumbled.
tw{m'l.f.W ~,hyel.g;r.B tw{a'LUj.m.W tw{l'B tw{l'[.n.W ? h'y'h veb'y ~'dyec ~,x,l l{k.w ~,hyel][ tw{l'B ? ~yidUQin
6
They
went to
Joshua to the
camp at
Gilgal and
said to him and to the
men of
Israel, "We have
come from a
far country;
now therefore,
make a
covenant with us."
l'G.liG;h h,n]x;M;h -l,a ;[Uvw{h.y -l,a .Wk.leY;w ? #,r,aem lea'r.fIy vyia -l,a.w wy'lea .Wr.ma{Y;w ? tyir.b .Wn'l -.Wt.riK h'T;[.w .Wna'B h'qw{x.r
7
The
men of
Israel said to the
Hivites,
"Perhaps you are
living within our
land;
how then shall we
make a
covenant with you?"
y;l.Wa yi.Wix;h -l,a lea'r.fIy -vyia .Wr.ma{Y;w ? tyir.b tw{r.k,a .$yea.w bevw{y h'T;a yiB.riq.B
8
But they
said to
Joshua, "We are your
servants." Then
Joshua said to them,
"Who are you and
where do you
come from?"
r,ma{Y;w .Wn.x'n]a '$y,d'b][ ;[Uvw{h.y -l,a .Wr.ma{Y;w ? .Wa{b'T !Iy;aem.W ~,T;a yim ;[Uvw{h.y ~,hel]a
9
They
said to him, "Your
servants have
come from a
very far country because of the
fame of the
LORD your
God; for we have
heard the
report of Him and
all that He
did in
Egypt,
.Wa'B d{a.m h'qw{x.r #,r,aem wy'lea .Wr.ma{Y;w ? .Wn.[;m'v -yiK '$y,h{l/a h'wh.y ~ev.l '$y,d'b][ ? ~Iy'r.cim.B h'f'[ r,v]a -l'K tea.w w{[.m'v
10
and
all that He
did to the
two kings of the
Amorites who were
beyond the
Jordan, to
Sihon king of
Heshbon and to
Og king of
Bashan who was at
Ashtaroth.
yir{m/a'h yek.l;m yen.vil h'f'[ r,v]a -l'K tea.w ? !w{B.v,x .$,l,m !w{xyis.l !eD.r;Y;h r,be[.B r,v]a ? tw{r'T.v;[.B r,v]a !'v'B;h -.k,l,m gw{[.l.W
11
"So our
elders and
all the
inhabitants of our
country spoke to us,
saying,
'Take provisions in your
hand for the
journey, and
go to
meet them and
say to them, "We are your
servants;
now then,
make a
covenant with us."'
yeb.v{y -l'k.w .Wnyenyeq.z .Wnyelea .Wr.ma{Y;w ? .$,r,D;l h'dyec ~,k.d,y.b .Wx.q r{mael .Wnec.r;a ? ~,kyed.b;[ ~,hyel]a ~,T.r;m]a;w ~'ta'r.qil .Wk.l.W ? tyir.b .Wn'l -.Wt.riK h'T;[.w .Wn.x;n]a
12
"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
now behold, it is
dry and has
become crumbled.
.WnyeT'Bim w{t{a .Wn.d;Y;j.cih ~'x .Wnem.x;l h,z ? heNih h'T;[.w ~,kyel]a t,k,l'l .Wnetaec ~w{y.B ? ~yidUQin h'y'h.w veb'y
13
"These wineskins which we
filled were
new, and
behold, they are
torn; and
these our
clothes and our
sandals are
worn out
because of the
very long journey."
~yiv'd]x .WnaeLim r,v]a !Iy;Y;h tw{da{n h,Lea.w ? .Wnyel'[.n.W .Wnyetw{m.l;f h,Lea.w .W['Q;B.tih heNih.w ? d{a.m .$,r,D;h b{rem .Wl'B
14
So the
men of Israel
took some of their
provisions, and did not
ask for the
counsel of the
LORD.
h'wh.y yiP -t,a.w ~'dyeCim ~yiv'n]a'h .Wx.qiY;w ? .Wl'a'v a{l
15
Joshua made peace with them and
made a
covenant with them, to let them
live; and the
leaders of the
congregation swore an oath to them.
tyir.B ~,h'l t{r.kiY;w ~w{l'v ;[Uvw{h.y ~,h'l f;[;Y;w ? h'de['h yeayif.n ~,h'l .W[.b'ViY;w ~'tw{Y;x.l
16
It
came about at the
end of
three days after they had
made a
covenant with them, that they
heard that they were
neighbors and that they were
living within their
land.
.Wt.r'K -r,v]a yer]x;a ~yim'y t,v{l.v hec.qim yih.y;w ? wy'lea ~eh ~yib{r.q -yiK .W[.m.viY;w tyir.B ~,h'l ? ~yib.v{y ~eh w{B.riq.b.W
17
Then the
sons of
Israel set out and
came to their
cities on the
third day. Now their
cities were
Gibeon and
Chephirah and
Beeroth and
Kiriath-jearim.
~,hyer'[ -l,a .Wa{b'Y;w lea'r.fIy -yen.b .W[.siY;w ? h'ryip.K;h.w !w{[.biG ~,hyer'[.w yivyil.V;h ~w{Y;B ? ~yir'[.y t;y.riq.w tw{rea.b.W
18
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
whole congregation grumbled against the
leaders.
~,h'l .W[.B.vin -yiK lea'r.fIy yen.B ~.WKih a{l.w ? .Wn{LiY;w lea'r.fIy yeh{l/a h'why;B h'de['h yeayif.n ? ~yiayif.N;h -l;[ h'de['h -l'k
19
But
all the
leaders said to the
whole congregation, "We have
sworn to them by the
LORD, the
God of
Israel, and
now we
cannot * touch them.
h'de['h -l'K -l,a ~yiayif.N;h -l'k .Wr.ma{Y;w ? lea'r.fIy yeh{l/a h'why;B ~,h'l .Wn.[;B.vin .Wn.x;n]a ? ~,h'B ;[{G.nil l;k.Wn a{l h'T;[.w
20
"This we will
do to them, even let them
live,
so that
wrath will not be upon us for the
oath which we
swore to them."
h,y.hIy -a{l.w ~'tw{a hey]x;h.w ~,h'l h,f][;n ta{z ? .Wn.[;B.vin -r,v]a h'[.Wb.V;h -l;[ @,c,q .Wnyel'[ ? ~,h'l
21
The
leaders said to them, "Let them
live." So they
became hewers of
wood and
drawers of
water for the
whole congregation,
just as the
leaders had
spoken to them.
.Wy.hiY;w .Wy.xIy ~yiayif.N;h ~,hyel]a .Wr.ma{Y;w ? h'de['h -l'k.l ~Iy;m -yeb]a{v.w ~yice[ yeb.j{x ? ~yiayif.N;h ~,h'l .Wr.BiD r,v]a;K
22
Then
Joshua called for them and
spoke to them,
saying,
"Why have you
deceived us,
saying, 'We are
very far from you,' when you are
living within our
land?
r{mael ~,hyel]a reB;d.y;w ;[Uvw{h.y ~,h'l a'r.qiY;w ? .Wn.x;n]a ~yiqw{x.r r{mael .Wn't{a ~,tyiMir h'M'l ? ~yib.v{y .WneB.riq.B ~,T;a.w d{a.m ~,Kim
23
"Now therefore, you are
cursed, and you shall
never cease being
slaves, both
hewers of
wood and
drawers of
water for the
house of my
God."
d,b,[ ~,Kim ter'KIy -a{l.w ~,T;a ~yir.Wr]a h'T;[.w ? y'h{l/a tyeb.l ~Iy;m -yeb]a{v.w ~yice[ yeb.j{x.w
24
So they
answered Joshua and
said,
"Because it was
certainly told your
servants that the
LORD 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
feared greatly for our
lives because * of you, and have
done this thing.
d;GUh deGUh yiK .Wr.ma{Y;w ;[Uvw{h.y -t,a .Wn][;Y;w ? h,v{m -t,a '$y,h{l/a h'wh.y h\Wic r,v]a tea '$y,d'b][;l ? dyim.v;h.l.W #,r'a'h -l'K -t,a ~,k'l tet'l w{D.b;[ ? a'ryiN;w ~,kyen.Pim #,r'a'h yeb.v{y -l'K -t,a ? r'b'D;h -t,a hef][;N;w ~,kyen.Pim .Wnyet{v.p;n.l d{a.m ? h,Z;h
25
"Now behold, we are in your
hands;
do as it seems
good and
right in your
sight to
do to us."
'$y,nye[.B r'v'Y;k.w bw{J;K '$,d'y.b .Wn.nih h'T;[.w ? hef][ .Wn'l tw{f][;l
26
Thus he
did to them, and
delivered them from the
hands of the
sons of
Israel, and they did not
kill them.
lea'r.fIy -yen.B d;Yim ~'tw{a leC;Y;w !eK ~,h'l f;[;Y;w ? ~.Wg'r]h a{l.w
27
But
Joshua made them that
day hewers of
wood and
drawers of
water for the
congregation and for the
altar of the
LORD, to
this day, in the
place which He would
choose.
~yice[ yeb.j{x a.Wh;h ~w{Y;B ;[Uvw{h.y ~en.TiY;w ? ~w{Y;h -d;[ h'wh.y x;B.zim.l.W h'de['l ~Iy;m yeb]a{v.w ? r'x.bIy r,v]a ~w{q'M;h -l,a h,Z;h