8
But they answered Y'hoshua, "We are your servants." Y'hoshua asked, "Who are you, and where do you come from?"
9
They answered him, "Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the reputation of ADONAI your God. We have heard reports about him - everything he did in Egypt,
10
and everything he did to the two kings of the Emori across the Yarden, Sichon king of Heshbon and 'Og king of Bashan at 'Ashtarot.
11
So our leaders and all the people living in our country said to us, "Take provisions with you for the journey, go to meet them, and say to them, 'We are your servants, and now make a covenant with us.'
12
Here is the bread which we took for our provisions. It was still warm when we took it out of our homes the day we left to come to you. Now look at it! It's dry and turned to crumbs!
13
And these wineskins were new when we filled them, but look, now they're torn. Likewise these clothes of ours and our shoes are worn out because of the very long journey."
14
The men sampled some of their food but didn't seek the advice of ADONAI,
15
so Y'hoshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them to spare their lives, and the leading officials of the community swore to them.
16
But three days later, after they had made the covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors, that they lived there with them.
17
The people of Isra'el traveled and arrived at their cities on the third day. Their cities were Giv'on, K'firah, Be'erot and Kiryat-Ye'arim.
18
The people of Isra'el did not attack them, because the leading officials of the community had sworn to them by ADONAI, the God of Isra'el; but all the community grumbled against the leaders.