UST JOS Chapter 9

◄ JOS 9 ► ║ ═ ©

9 All the kings on the west side of the Jordan River heard about what the Israelites had done at Ai. These kings lived in the hilly region, in the western foothills, and along all the coast of the Mediterranean Sea as far as Lebanon. They were the kings of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Once these kings heard about what Israel had done to Ai, 2 they all agreed to gather their armies together to fight against Joshua and the Israelite army. 3 However, when the people who lived in the city of Gibeon heard that Joshua’s army had killed all the people of Jericho and Ai, 4 they decided to act differently toward the Israelites than the other kings had. The Gibeonites decided to trick the Israelites. They sent some of their men to be ambassadors for their people. These men gathered old packs and old leather wine bags that people had mended after they had cracked. Then they put these on the backs of their donkeys. 5 They put on old sandals that people had patched, and they wore old, ragged clothes. They took along bread that was hard and had become crumbled. 6 They went to where Joshua and the other Israelites had set up their tents at Gilgal. They said to Joshua and the Israelite leaders, “We have traveled from a land that is far away. We want you to make a treaty with us.” 7 The Israelite leaders said to these Hivite men, “You might actually live close by us. If you do, we certainly cannot make a treaty with you, because if we did, then we would be disobeying Yahweh’s command to dispossess all the people-groups who live near us!” 8 But they replied to Joshua, “We are willing to become your subjects.” But Joshua answered, “What people-group do you belong to, and from what place did you come from?” 9 The men from Gibeon answered him, “We have come here from a faraway country because Yahweh your God has become famous. People have told us about all the miraculous things he did for you in Egypt. 10 We have also heard that he helped you defeat the two Amorite kings who were on the east side of the Jordan River. These kings were Sihon, who ruled in the city of Heshbon, and Og, who ruled in the city of Ashtaroth in the region of Bashan. 11 So our leaders and the rest of our people said to us, ‘Take some food with you and go to talk with the Israelites. Tell them, “We are willing to become your subjects. So make a peace agreement with us.” ’ 12 When we left our homes to come to you, we packed this bread fresh from the oven. But see how it is now dry and has become hard and crumbled. 13 And when we left our homes to come to you, these leather wine bags were new. But look at them now! They are old and cracked. Our clothes have become ragged and our sandals have become worn because of our long journey here.” 14 The Israelite leaders looked at the food that the men from Gibeon had brought with them to see if it was old as they claimed. But the Israelite leaders did not ask Yahweh what they should do. 15 Then Joshua agreed to make a treaty with the men from Gibeon. He promised that the Israelites would not kill the Gibeonites. The Israelite leaders made the same promise to the men from Gibeon. 16 A whole day went by after Joshua and the Israelite leaders made this treaty with the men from Gibeon. On the day after that, the Israelites learned that they actually lived close by them. 17 So they travelled to see where the Gibeonites lived. They left Gilgal on one day, traveled for another whole day, and on the day after that arrived at the city of Gibeon and the surrounding towns of Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim. 18 But the Israelites still did not kill the Gibeonites even after seeing that they lived nearby. That was because their leaders had made a solemn vow by Yahweh their God promising them that they would not kill them. All the people of Israel grumbled against their leaders for making this treaty. 19 But all the leaders replied, “We made a solemn vow by Yahweh our God promising them that we would not kill them. So now we may not kill them. 20 What we must do to the Gibeonites is let them live. If we kill them, God will be angry with us and punish us because we did not keep our promise to them.” 21 Then the leaders announced this decision to all of the Israelites: “We must allow them to live.” But they also told the Israelites that they could make the Gibeonites slaves who would cut wood and get water for all of them. So the Israelites obeyed the instructions of their leaders. 22 Joshua summoned the men from Gibeon and said to them, “Tell me why you lied to us by saying that you live very far from here, when in fact you actually live nearby! 23 Because you did that, Yahweh has cursed you. You will always be our slaves. We will make you cut wood and carry water for the place where we worship our God.” 24 The Gibeonites answered, “We lied to you because we were very afraid that you would kill us. We had heard that your God Yahweh instructed his servant Moses to give you all this land and kill everyone who lives in it. 25 So now, you have control over us. Do to us what you think is the right thing to do.” 26 So Joshua saved the lives of the Gibeonites and did not permit the army of Israel to kill them. 27 But from that day on, Joshua forced the Gibeonites to become the Israelites’ slaves. They cut wood and carried water for the Israelites. They also cut wood and carried water for Yahweh’s altar, at whatever place he was going to choose for them to build it. They still cut wood and carry water at this present time.

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