The Deceit of the Gibeonites

1Now whan all the kynges that were beyonde Iordane vpon the mountaynes, and in the lowe countrees, & in all the hauens of the greate see, and besyde mount Libanus, herde this (namely, ye Hethites, Amorites, Cananites, Pheresites, Heuites and Iebusytes) 2they gathered the selues together with one acorde, to fighte agaynst Iosua, and agaynst Israel.

3But whan the inhabiters of Gibeon herde, what Iosua had done with Iericho and Hai, 4they dealte craftely, wete on their waie, and made a message, and toke olde sackes vpon their asses, and olde rente wyne botels, 5and olde mended shues vpon their fete, and put on olde and peced garmentes, and all ye bred of their vytayles was harde and moulde, 6and they wente vnto Iosua in to ye hoost at Gilgall, and sayde vnto him, and to euery man in Israel: We are come out of a farre countre, therfore make now a couenaunt wt vs. 7Then sayde euery man in Israel vnto ye Heuyte: Peraduenture thou dwellest amonge vs, how can I then make a couenaunt with the? 8They saide vnto Iosua: We are yi seruautes. Iosua sayde vnto them: What are ye, & whence come ye? 9They sayde: Thy seruauntes are come out of a very farre countre, because of the name of the LORDE thy God: for we haue herde the reporte of him, and all that he dyd in Egipte, 10and all that he dyd vnto the two kynges of the Amorites beyode Iordane, Sihon the kynge at Hesbo, and Og the kynge of Basan, which dwelt at Astaroth. 11Therfore sayde oure Elders and all the inhabiters of oure countre: Take fode with you for youre iourney, and go mete them, and saye vnto them: We are youre seruautes, therfore make now a bonde with vs: 12This oure bred that we toke out of oure houses for oure foode, was new whan we toke or iourney towarde you: but now lo, it is harde & moulde. 13And these bottels fylled we new, and lo, they are rete. And these oure clothes and shues are waxed olde, by ye reason of the sore longe iourney. 14Then the captaynes toke their vytayles, and axed not the mouth of the LORDE. 15And Iosua made peace with them, and set vp a couenaunt with them, that they shulde be saued alyue, and the rulers of the congregacion sware vnto them.

16But thre dayes after that they had made a couenaunt with them, they herde, that they were their neghbours, and dwelt amonge them: 17For as the children of Israel wente forth on their iourney, they came on the thirde daye vnto their cities, which are called Gibeon, Caphira, Beeroth, and Cirath Iearim, 18and smote the not, because that the rulers of the congregacisn had sworne vnto them by the name of the LORDE the God of Israel. But whan all the congregacion murmured agaynst the rulers, 19all the rulers sayde vnto the whole congregacion: We haue sworne vnto them by the LORDE the God of Israel, therfore maye we not touch them. 20But this wil we do vnto them: Let them lyue, that there come no wrath vpon vs, because of the ooth that we haue made vnto them. 21And the rulers sayde vnto them: Let them lyue, that they maye be hewers of wodd and bearers of water for the whole congregacion, as the rulers haue sayde vnto them.

22Then Iosua called them, and commened with them, and sayde: Wherfore haue ye disceaued vs, and sayde, that ye were farre from vs, where as ye dwell amonge vs? 23Therfore shall ye be cursed, so that of you there shall not ceasse seruauntes to hew wodd and to beare water for the house of my God. 24They answered Iosua, & sayde: It was tolde thy seruauntes, that the LORDE thy God commaunded Moses his seruaunt, that he shulde geue you the whole lode, and that he wolde destroye all the inhabiters of the londe before you: therfore were we sore afrayed of oure lyues before you, and thus haue we done. 25But now lo, we are in thy handes: loke what thou thinkest good and righte to do vnto vs, that do. 26And he dyd euen so vnto them, and delyuered them from the children of Israels hade, that they shulde not slaye them. 27So vpo the same daye Iosua made them hewers of wodd and water bearers for the congregacion, and for the altare of the LORDE vnto this daye, in the place that he shall chose.