| King James Bible | New International Version |
| 1And it came to pass, when all the kings which were on this side Jordan, in the hills, and in the valleys, and in all the coasts of the great sea over against Lebanon, the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, heard thereof; | 1Now when all the kings west of the Jordan heard about these things--the kings in the hill country, in the western foothills, and along the entire coast of the Mediterranean Sea as far as Lebanon (the kings of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites)-- |
| 2That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord. | 2they came together to wage war against Joshua and Israel. |
| 3And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai, | 3However, when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, |
| 4They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up; | 4they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. |
| 5And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy. | 5They put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy. |
| 6And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us. | 6Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and the Israelites, "We have come from a distant country; make a treaty with us." |
| 7And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you? | 7The Israelites said to the Hivites, "But perhaps you live near us, so how can we make a treaty with you?" |
| 8And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye? | 8"We are your servants," they said to Joshua. But Joshua asked, "Who are you and where do you come from?" |
| 9And they said unto him, From a very far country thy servants are come because of the name of the LORD thy God: for we have heard the fame of him, and all that he did in Egypt, | 9They answered: "Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt, |
| 10And all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, which was at Ashtaroth. | 10and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan--Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth. |
| 11Wherefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spake to us, saying, Take victuals with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your servants: therefore now make ye a league with us. | 11And our elders and all those living in our country said to us, 'Take provisions for your journey; go and meet them and say to them, "We are your servants; make a treaty with us."' |
| 12This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry, and it is mouldy: | 12This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy it is. |
| 13And these bottles of wine, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they be rent: and these our garments and our shoes are become old by reason of the very long journey. | 13And these wineskins that we filled were new, but see how cracked they are. And our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey." |
| 14And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD. | 14The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD. |
| 15And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them. | 15Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath. |
| 16And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbours, and that they dwelt among them. | 16Three days after they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were neighbors, living near them. |
| 17And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjathjearim. | 17So the Israelites set out and on the third day came to their cities: Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth and Kiriath Jearim. |
| 18And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes. | 18But 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, |
| 19But all the princes said unto all the congregation, We have sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them. | 19but all the leaders answered, "We have given them our oath by the LORD, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now. |
| 20This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them. | 20This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that God's wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them." |
| 21And the princes said unto them, Let them live; but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation; as the princes had promised them. | 21They 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. |
| 22And Joshua called for them, and he spake unto them, saying, Wherefore have ye beguiled us, saying, We are very far from you; when ye dwell among us? | 22Then 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? |
| 23Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen, and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God. | 23You are now under a curse: You will never be released from service as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God." |
| 24And they answered Joshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy servants, how that the LORD thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you, therefore we were sore afraid of our lives because of you, and have done this thing. | 24They 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. |
| 25And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do. | 25We are now in your hands. Do to us whatever seems good and right to you." |
| 26And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not. | 26So Joshua saved them from the Israelites, and they did not kill them. |
| 27And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation, and for the altar of the LORD, even unto this day, in the place which he should choose. | 27That 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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