The Bible in Basic English BBE
Good News Translation GNT
1 Now on hearing the news of these things, all the kings on the west side of Jordan, in the hill-country and the lowlands and by the Great Sea in front of Lebanon, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites,
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The victories of Israel became known to all the kings west of the Jordan - in the hills, in the foothills, and all along the coastal plain of the Mediterranean Sea as far north as Lebanon; these were the kings of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
2 Came together with one purpose, to make war against Joshua and Israel.
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They all came together and joined forces to fight against Joshua and the Israelites.
3 And the men of Gibeon, hearing what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,
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But the people of Gibeon, who were Hivites, heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,
4 Acting with deceit, got food together as if for a long journey; and took old food-bags for their asses, and old and cracked wine-skins kept together with cord;
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and they decided to deceive him. They went and got some food and loaded their donkeys with worn-out sacks and patched-up wineskins.
5 And put old stitched-up shoes on their feet, and old clothing on their backs; and all the food they had with them was dry and broken up.
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They put on ragged clothes and worn-out sandals that had been mended. The bread they took with them was dry and moldy.
6 And they came to Joshua to the tent-circle at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, We have come from a far country: so now make an agreement with us.
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Then they went to the camp at Gilgal and said to Joshua and the Israelites, "We have come from a distant land. We want you to make a treaty with us."
7 And the men of Israel said to the Hivites, It may be that you are living among us; how then may we make an agreement with you?
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But the Israelites said, "Why should we make a treaty with you? Maybe you live nearby."
8 And they said to Joshua, We are your servants. Then Joshua said to them, Who are you and where do you come from?
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They said to Joshua, "We are at your service." Joshua asked them, "Who are you? Where do you come from?"
9 And they said to him, Your servants have come from a very far country, because of the name of the Lord your God: for the story of his great name, and of all he did in Egypt has come to our ears,
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Then they told him this story: "We have come from a very distant land, sir, because we have heard of the Lord your God. We have heard about everything that he did in Egypt
10 And what he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of Jordan, to Sihon, king of Heshbon, and to Og, king of Bashan, at Ashtaroth.
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and what he did to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan: King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth.
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.
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Our leaders and all the people that live in our land told us to get some food ready for a trip and to go and meet you. We were told to put ourselves at your service and ask you to make a treaty 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.
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Look at our bread. When we left home with it and started out to meet you, it was still warm. But look! Now it is dry and moldy.
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.
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When we filled these wineskins, they were new, but look! They are torn. Our clothes and sandals are worn out from the long trip."
14 And the men took some of their food, without requesting directions from the Lord.
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The Israelites accepted some food from them, but did not consult the Lord about it.
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.
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Joshua made a treaty of friendship with the people of Gibeon and allowed them to live. The leaders of the community of Israel gave their solemn promise to keep the treaty.
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.
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Three days after the treaty had been made, the Israelites learned that these people did indeed live nearby.
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.
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So the people of Israel started out and three days later arrived at the cities where these people lived: Gibeon, Chephirah, 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.
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But the Israelites could not kill them, because their leaders had made a solemn promise to them in the name of the Lord, Israel's God. All the people complained to the leaders about this,
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.
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but they answered, "We have made our solemn promise to them in the name of the Lord God of Israel. Now we cannot harm 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.
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We must let them live because of our promise; if we don't, God will punish us.
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.
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Let them live, but they will have to cut wood and carry water for us." This was what the leaders suggested.
22 Then Joshua sent for them, and said to them, Why have you been false to us, saying, We are very far from you, when you are living among us?
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Joshua ordered the people of Gibeon to be brought to him, and he asked them, "Why did you deceive us and tell us that you were from far away, when you live right here?
23 Now because of this you are cursed, and you will for ever be our servants, cutting wood and getting water for the house of my God.
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Because you did this, God has condemned you. Your people will always be slaves, cutting wood and carrying water for the sanctuary of my God."
24 And, answering Joshua, they said, Because it came to the ears of your servants that the Lord your God had given orders to his servant Moses to give you all this land, and to send destruction on all the people living in it, because of you; so, fearing greatly for our lives because of you, we have done this.
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They answered, "We did it, sir, because we learned that it was really true that the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to kill the people living in it as you advanced. We did it because we were terrified of you; we were in fear of our lives.
25 And now we are in your hands: do to us whatever seems good and right to you.
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Now we are in your power; do with us what you think is right."
26 So he kept them safe from the children of Israel, and did not let them be put to death.
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So this is what Joshua did: he protected them and did not allow the people of Israel to kill them.
27 And that day Joshua made them servants, cutting wood and getting water for the people and for the altar of the Lord, in the place marked out by him, to this day.
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But at the same time he made them slaves, to cut wood and carry water for the people of Israel and for the Lord's altar. To this day they have continued to do this work in the place where the Lord has chosen to be worshiped.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.