Parallel Bible results for "joshua 9"

Joshua 9

New Living Translation NLT

1 Now all the kings west of the Jordan River heard about what had happened. These were the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who lived in the hill country, in the western foothills, and along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea as far north as the Lebanon mountains.

2 These kings combined their armies to fight as one against Joshua and the Israelites.

3 But when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,

4 they resorted to deception to save themselves. They sent ambassadors to Joshua, loading their donkeys with weathered saddlebags and old, patched wineskins.

5 They put on worn-out, patched sandals and ragged clothes. And the bread they took with them was dry and moldy.

6 When they arrived at the camp of Israel at Gilgal, they told Joshua and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land to ask you to make a peace treaty with us.”

7 The Israelites replied to these Hivites, “How do we know you don’t live nearby? For if you do, we cannot make a treaty with you.”

8 They replied, “We are your servants.” “But who are you?” Joshua demanded. “Where do you come from?”

9 They answered, “Your servants have come from a very distant country. We have heard of the might of the LORD your God and of all he did in Egypt.

10 We have also heard what he did to the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River—King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan (who lived in Ashtaroth).

11 So our elders and all our people instructed us, ‘Take supplies for a long journey. Go meet with the people of Israel and tell them, “We are your servants; please make a treaty with us.”’

12 “This bread was hot from the ovens when we left our homes. But now, as you can see, it is dry and moldy.

13 These wineskins were new when we filled them, but now they are old and split open. And our clothing and sandals are worn out from our very long journey.”

14 So the Israelites examined their food, but they did not consult the LORD .

15 Then Joshua made a peace treaty with them and guaranteed their safety, and the leaders of the community ratified their agreement with a binding oath.

16 Three days after making the treaty, they learned that these people actually lived nearby!

17 The Israelites set out at once to investigate and reached their towns in three days. The names of these towns were Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.

18 But the Israelites did not attack the towns, for the Israelite leaders had made a vow to them in the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. The people of Israel grumbled against their leaders because of the treaty.

19 But the leaders replied, “Since we have sworn an oath in the presence of the LORD, the God of Israel, we cannot touch them.

20 This is what we must do. We must let them live, for divine anger would come upon us if we broke our oath.

21 Let them live.” So they made them woodcutters and water carriers for the entire community, as the Israelite leaders directed.

22 Joshua called together the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you lie to us? Why did you say that you live in a distant land when you live right here among us?

23 May you be cursed! From now on you will always be servants who cut wood and carry water for the house of my God.”

24 They replied, “We did it because we—your servants—were clearly told that the LORD your God commanded his servant Moses to give you this entire land and to destroy all the people living in it. So we feared greatly for our lives because of you. That is why we have done this.

25 Now we are at your mercy—do to us whatever you think is right.”

26 So Joshua did not allow the people of Israel to kill them.

27 But that day he made the Gibeonites the woodcutters and water carriers for the community of Israel and for the altar of the LORD —wherever the LORD would choose to build it. And that is what they do to this day.

The Message Bible MSG

1 All the kings west of the Jordan in the hills and foothills and along the Mediterranean seacoast north toward Lebanon - the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, Girgashites, and Jebusites - got the news.

2 They came together in a coalition to fight against Joshua and Israel under a single command.

3 The people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai

4 and cooked up a ruse. They posed as travelers: their donkeys loaded with patched sacks and mended wineskins,

5 threadbare sandals on their feet, tattered clothes on their bodies, nothing but dry crusts and crumbs for food.

6 They came to Joshua at Gilgal and spoke to the men of Israel, "We've come from a far-off country; make a covenant with us."

7 The men of Israel said to these Hivites, "How do we know you aren't local people? How could we then make a covenant with you?"

8 They said to Joshua, "We'll be your servants." Joshua said, "Who are you now? Where did you come from?"

9 They said, "From a far-off country, very far away. Your servants came because we'd heard such great things about God, your God - all those things he did in Egypt!

10 And the two Amorite kings across the Jordan, King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan, who ruled in Ashtaroth!

11 Our leaders and everybody else in our country told us, 'Pack up some food for the road and go meet them. Tell them, We're your servants; make a covenant with us.'

12 "This bread was warm from the oven when we packed it and left to come and see you. Now look at it - crusts and crumbs.

13 And our cracked and mended wineskins, good as new when we filled them. And our clothes and sandals, in tatters from the long, hard traveling."

14 The men of Israel looked them over and accepted the evidence. But they didn't ask God about it.

15 So Joshua made peace with them and formalized it with a covenant to guarantee their lives. The leaders of the congregation swore to it.

16 And then, three days after making this covenant, they learned that they were next-door neighbors who had been living there all along!

17 The People of Israel broke camp and set out; three days later they reached their towns - Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim.

18 But the People of Israel didn't attack them; the leaders of the congregation had given their word before the God of Israel. But the congregation was up in arms over their leaders.

19 The leaders were united in their response to the congregation: "We promised them in the presence of the God of Israel. We can't lay a hand on them now.

20 But we can do this: We will let them live so we don't get blamed for breaking our promise."

21 Then the leaders continued, "We'll let them live, but they will be woodcutters and water carriers for the entire congregation." And that's what happened; the leaders' promise was kept.

22 But Joshua called the Gibeonites together and said, "Why did you lie to us, telling us, 'We live far, far away from you,' when you're our next-door neighbors?

23 For that you are cursed. From now on it's menial labor for you - woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God."

24 They answered Joshua, "We got the message loud and clear that God, your God, commanded through his servant Moses: to give you the whole country and destroy everyone living in it. We were terrified because of you; that's why we did this.

25 That's it. We're at your mercy. Whatever you decide is right for us, do it."

26 And that's what they did. Joshua delivered them from the power of the People of Israel so they didn't kill them.

27 But he made them woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and for the Altar of God at the place God chooses. They still are.