| Berean Study Bible | English Standard Version |
| 1Now when news of this reached all the kings west of the Jordan—those in the hill country, the foothills, and all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon (the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites)— | 1As soon as 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, |
| 2they came together to wage war against Joshua and Israel. | 2they gathered together as one to fight against Joshua and Israel. |
| 3But the people of Gibeon, having heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, | 3But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, |
| 4acted deceptively and set out as envoys, carrying on their donkeys worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. | 4they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, |
| 5They put worn, patched sandals on their feet and threadbare clothing on their bodies, and their whole supply of bread was dry and moldy. | 5with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly. |
| 6They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant land; please make a treaty with us.” | 6And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us.” |
| 7But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you dwell near us. How can we make a treaty with you?” | 7But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?” |
| 8“We are your servants,” they said to Joshua. Then Joshua asked them, “Who are you and where have you come from?” | 8They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?” |
| 9“Your servants have come from a very distant land,” they replied, “because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard the reports about Him: all that He did in Egypt, | 9They said to him, “From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the LORD your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, |
| 10and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites beyond the Jordan—Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. | 10and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth. |
| 11So the elders and inhabitants of our land told us, ‘Take provisions for your journey; go to meet them and say to them: We are your servants. Please make a treaty with us.’ | 11So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, “We are your servants. Come now, make a covenant with us.”’ |
| 12This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But take a look, it is now dry and moldy. | 12Here 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, behold, it is dry and crumbly. |
| 13These wineskins were new when we filled them, but look, they are cracked. And these clothes and sandals are worn out from our very long journey.” | 13These wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they have burst. And these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.” |
| 14Then the men of Israel sampled their provisions, but did not seek the counsel of the LORD. | 14So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the LORD. |
| 15And Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them. | 15And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them. |
| 16Three days after they had made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites learned that they were neighbors, living among them. | 16At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors and that they lived among them. |
| 17So the Israelites set out and on the third day arrived at their cities—Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. | 17And the people of Israel set out and reached their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. |
| 18But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. And the whole congregation grumbled against the leaders. | 18But the people of Israel 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. |
| 19All the leaders answered, “We have sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them. | 19But all the leaders said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them. |
| 20This is how we will treat them: We will let them live, so that no wrath will fall on us because of the oath we swore to them.” | 20This we will do to them: let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath that we swore to them.” |
| 21They continued, “Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers for the whole congregation.” So the leaders kept their promise. | 21And the leaders said to them, “Let them live.” So they became cutters of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, just as the leaders had said of them. |
| 22Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you deceive us by telling us you live far away from us, when in fact you live among us? | 22Joshua summoned them, and he said to them, “Why did you deceive us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you dwell among us? |
| 23Now therefore you are under a curse and will perpetually serve as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.” | 23Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall never be anything but servants, cutters of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God.” |
| 24The Gibeonites answered, “Your servants were told clearly that the LORD your God had commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land and wipe out all its inhabitants before you. So we greatly feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we have done this. | 24They 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 from before you—so we feared greatly for our lives because of you and did this thing. |
| 25Now we are in your hands. Do to us whatever seems good and right to you.” | 25And now, behold, we are in your hand. Whatever seems good and right in your sight to do to us, do it.” |
| 26So Joshua did this and delivered them from the hands of the Israelites, and they did not kill the Gibeonites. | 26So he did this to them and delivered them out of the hand of the people of Israel, and they did not kill them. |
| 27On that day he made them woodcutters and water carriers, as they are to this day for the congregation of the LORD and for the altar at the place He would choose. | 27But Joshua made them that day cutters of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, to this day, in the place that he should choose. |
| The Berean Bible (Berean Study Bible (BSB) © 2016, 2018 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
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