Joshua

Adventures from The Book of

with Paul + Lisa and friends

in World English Bible (WEB) illustrated by Joshua Chung

The Gibeonites Deceive Joshua

Joshua 9

When all the kings who were beyond the Jordan, in the hill country, and in the lowland, and on all the shore of the great sea in front of Lebanon, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard of it they gathered themselves together to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord. But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, they also resorted to a ruse, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks on their donkeys, and old, torn-up and bound up wine skins, and old and patched shoes on their feet, and wore old garments. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy.

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They went to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, We have come from a far country. Now therefore make a covenant with us. The men of Israel said to the Hivites, What if you live among us. How could we make a covenant with you? They said to Joshua, We are your servants. Joshua said to them, Who are you? Where do you come from? They said to him, Your servants have come from a very far country because of the name of Yahweh your God; for we have heard of his fame, all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth. Our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, Take supplies in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them. Tell them, We are your servants. Now make a covenant with us. This our bread we took hot for our supplies out of our houses on the day we went out to go to you; but now, behold, it is dry, and has become moldy. These wine skins, which we filled, were new; and behold, they are torn. These our garments and our shoes have become old because of the very long journey.

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The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord. Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.

Three days after they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were neighbors, living near them.

So the Israelites set out and on the third day came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim.

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But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. The whole assembly grumbled against the leaders, but all the leaders answered, We have given them our oath by the Lord, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now.

This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that Gods wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them. They continued, Let them live, but let them be woodcutters and water carriers in the service of the whole assembly.

So the leaders promise to them was kept. Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, Why did you deceive us by saying, We live a long way from you, while actually you live near us? You are now under a curse: You will never be released from service as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.

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They answered Joshua, Your servants were clearly told how the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to wipe out all its inhabitants from before you. So we feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this.

We are now in your hands. Do to us whatever seems good and right to you. So Joshua saved them from the Israelites, and they did not kill them. That day he made the Gibeonites woodcutters and water carriers for the assembly, to provide for the needs of the altar of the Lord at the place the Lord would choose. And that is what they are to this day.

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