| New American Standard Bible 1995 | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Now it came about when all the kings who were beyond the Jordan, in the hill country and in the lowland and on all the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, heard of it, | 1When all the kings heard about Jericho and Ai, those who were west of the Jordan in the hill country, in the Judean foothills, and all along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea toward Lebanon--the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites-- |
| 2that they gathered themselves together with one accord to fight with Joshua and with Israel. | 2they formed a unified alliance to fight against Joshua and Israel. |
| 3When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, | 3When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, |
| 4they also acted craftily and set out as envoys, and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins worn-out and torn and mended, | 4they acted deceptively. They gathered provisions and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys and old wineskins, cracked and mended. |
| 5and worn-out and patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and had become crumbled. | 5They wore old, patched sandals on their feet and threadbare clothing on their bodies. Their entire provision of bread was dry and crumbly. |
| 6They went to Joshua to 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." | 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." |
| 7The men of Israel said to the Hivites, "Perhaps you are living within our land; how then shall we make a covenant with you?" | 7The men of Israel replied to the Hivites, "Perhaps you live among us. How can we make a treaty with you?" |
| 8But they said to Joshua, "We are your servants." Then Joshua said to them, "Who are you and where do you come from?" | 8They said to Joshua, "We are your servants." Then Joshua asked them, "Who are you and where do you come from?" |
| 9They said to him, "Your servants have come from a very far country because of the fame of the LORD your God; for we have heard the report of Him and all that He did in Egypt, | 9They replied to him, "Your servants have come from a far away land because of the reputation of the LORD your God. For we have heard of His fame, and all that He did in Egypt, |
| 10and 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. | 10and all that He did to the two Amorite kings beyond the Jordan--Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan, who was in Ashtaroth. |
| 11"So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, 'Take provisions in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them and say to them, "We are your servants; now then, make a covenant with us."' | 11So our elders and all the inhabitants of our land told us, 'Take provisions with you for the journey; go and meet them and say, "We are your servants. Please make a treaty with us."' |
| 12"This our bread was warm when we took it for our provisions out of our houses on the day that we left to come to you; but now behold, it is dry and has become crumbled. | 12This bread of ours was warm when we took it from our houses as food on the day we left to come to you. But take a look, it is now dry and crumbly. |
| 13"These wineskins which we filled were new, and behold, they are torn; and these our clothes and our sandals are worn out because of the very long journey." | 13These wineskins were new when we filled them, but look, they are cracked. And these clothes and sandals of ours are worn out from the extremely long journey." |
| 14So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the LORD. | 14Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions, but did not seek the LORD's counsel. |
| 15Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them. | 15So Joshua established peace with them and made a treaty to let them live, and the leaders of the community swore an oath to them. |
| 16It came about at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were neighbors and that they were living within their land. | 16Three days after making the treaty with them, they heard that the Gibeonites were their neighbors, living among them. |
| 17Then the sons of Israel set out and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon and Chephirah and Beeroth and Kiriath-jearim. | 17So the Israelites set out and reached the Gibeonite cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. |
| 18The sons of Israel did not strike them because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD the God of Israel. And the whole congregation grumbled against the leaders. | 18But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the community had sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. Then the whole community grumbled against the leaders. |
| 19But all the leaders said to the whole congregation, "We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them. | 19All the leaders answered them, "We have sworn an oath to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we cannot touch them. |
| 20"This we will do to them, even let them live, so that wrath will not be upon us for the oath which we swore to 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." |
| 21The leaders said to them, "Let them live." So they became hewers of wood and drawers of water for the whole congregation, just as the leaders had spoken to them. | 21They also said, "Let them live." So the Gibeonites became woodcutters and water carriers for the whole community, as the leaders had promised them. |
| 22Then Joshua called for them and spoke to them, saying, "Why have you deceived us, saying, 'We are very far from you,' when you are living within our land? | 22Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said to them, "Why did you deceive us by telling us you live far away from us, when in fact you live among us? |
| 23"Now therefore, you are cursed, and you shall never cease being slaves, both hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God." | 23Therefore you are cursed and will always be slaves--woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God." |
| 24So they answered Joshua and said, "Because it was certainly told your servants 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 before you; therefore we feared greatly for our lives because of you, and have done this thing. | 24The Gibeonites answered him, "It was clearly communicated to your servants 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 before you. We greatly feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this. |
| 25"Now behold, we are in your hands; do as it seems good and right in your sight to do to us." | 25Now we are in your hands. Do to us whatever you think is right." |
| 26Thus he did to them, and delivered them from the hands of the sons of Israel, and they did not kill them. | 26This is what Joshua did to them: he delivered them from the hands of the Israelites, and they did not kill them. |
| 27But Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, to this day, in the place which He would choose. | 27On that day he made them woodcutters and water carriers--as they are today--for the community and for the LORD's altar at the place He would choose. |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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