New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Now when all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon—the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites—heard of this,
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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,
2 they gathered together with one accord to fight Joshua and Israel.
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Came together with one purpose, to make war against Joshua and Israel.
3 But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,
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And the men of Gibeon, hearing what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,
4 they on their part acted with cunning: they went and prepared provisions, and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended,
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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;
5 with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes; and all their provisions were dry and moldy.
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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.
6 They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the Israelites, "We have come from a far country; so now make a treaty with us."
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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.
7 But the Israelites said to the Hivites, "Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a treaty with you?"
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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?
8 They said to Joshua, "We are your servants." And Joshua said to them, "Who are you? And where do you come from?"
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And they said to Joshua, We are your servants. Then Joshua said to them, Who are you and where do you come from?
9 They said to him, "Your servants have come from a very far country, because of the name of the Lord your God; for we have heard a report of him, of all that he did in Egypt,
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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,
10 and of all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, King Sihon of Heshbon, and King Og of Bashan who lived in Ashtaroth.
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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.
11 So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, "Take provisions in your hand for the journey; go to meet them, and say to them, "We are your servants; come now, make a treaty with us." '
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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 Here is our bread; it was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey, on the day we set out to come to you, but now, see, it is dry and moldy;
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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 these wineskins were new when we filled them, and see, they are burst; and these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey."
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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 So the leaders partook of their provisions, and did not ask direction from the Lord.
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And the men took some of their food, without requesting directions from the Lord.
15 And Joshua made peace with them, guaranteeing their lives by a treaty; and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.
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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 But when three days had passed after they had made a treaty with them, they heard that they were their neighbors and were living among them.
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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 So the Israelites set out and reached their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.
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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 But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders.
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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 leaders said to all the congregation, "We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we must not touch them.
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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 let them live, so that wrath may not come upon us, because of the oath that we swore to them."
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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 The leaders said to them, "Let them live." So they became hewers of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, as the leaders had decided concerning them.
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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.
22 Joshua summoned them, and said to them, "Why did you deceive us, saying, "We are very far from you,' while in fact you are living among us?
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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?
23 Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall always be slaves, hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God."
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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.
24 They answered Joshua, "Because it was told to your servants for a certainty 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; so we were in great fear for our lives because of you, and did this thing.
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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.
25 And now we are in your hand: do as it seems good and right in your sight to do to us."
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And now we are in your hands: do to us whatever seems good and right to you.
26 This is what he did for them: he saved them from the Israelites; and they did not kill them.
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So he kept them safe from the children of Israel, and did not let them be put to death.
27 But on that day Joshua made them hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, to continue to this day, in the place that he should choose.
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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.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.