1And it came to pass, when kol hamelachim which were beyond the Yarden, in the har, and in the Shefelah, and in all the coasts of the Yam Hagadol ⁷over against the Levanon, the Chitti, and HaEmori, the Kena'ani, the Perizzi, the Chivi, and the Yevusi, heard thereof;

2That they gathered themselves together, to make war with Yehoshua and with Yisroel, with one peh (mouth). ⁸

3And when the inhabitants of Giv'on heard what Yehoshua had done unto Yericho and to Ai,

4They did work in a cunning, crafty manner, ⁹and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sakkim (sacks) upon their donkeys, and skins of yayin, old, and cracked, and mended;

5And sandals old and patched upon their feet, and selamot ballot (old garments) upon them; and all the lechem of their food supply was dry and moldy.

6And they went to Yehoshua unto the machaneh at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the Ish Yisroel, We are come from an eretz rechokah (far country); now therefore cut ye a brit with us.

7And the Ish Yisroel said unto the Chivi (Hivites), Perhaps ye dwell among us; how then shall we cut a brit with you?

8And they said unto Yehoshua, We are thy avadim. And Yehoshua said unto them, Who are ye? And from where do ye come?

9And they said unto him, From an eretz rechokah me'od thy avadim are come because of the Shem of Hashem Eloheicha; for we have heard the report of Him, and all that He did in Mitzrayim,

10And all that He did to the two melachim of HaEmori, that were beyond the Yarden, to Sichon Melech Cheshbon, and to Og Melech HaBashan, which was at Ashtarot.

11Therefore Zekeinenu and all the inhabitants of Artzeinu spoke to us, saying, Take food supplies with you for the derech, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your avadim; therefore now cut ye a brit with us.

12This our lechem we packed cham (hot) for our provision out of our batim (houses) on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, hinei, it is dry, and it is moldy;

13And these skins of yayin, which we filled, were chadashim; and, hinei, they are cracked; and these our garments and our sandals are become worn out by reason of the derech me'od.

14And the anashim took of their food supplies, and asked not counsel at the pi Hashem(mouth of Hashem).

15And Yehoshua made shalom with them, and cut a brit with them, to let them live; and the Nasi'im of the Edah so ratified by oath unto them.

16And it came to pass at the end of shloshet yamim after they had cut a brit with them, that they heard that they were their kerovim (neighbors), and that they dwelt near them.

17And the Bnei Yisroel journeyed, and came unto their towns on the yom hashelishi. Now their towns were Giv'on, and Kephirah, and Be'erot, and Kiryat-Ye'arim.

18And the Bnei Yisroel did not strike them down, because the Nasi'im of the Edah had sworn unto them by Hashem Elohei Yisroel. And Kol HaEdah murmured against the Nasi'im.

19But all the Nasi'im said unto Kol HaEdah, We have sworn unto them by Hashem Elohei Yisroel; now therefore we may not touch them.

20This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest ketzef (wrath) be upon us, because of the shevu'ah (oath) which we swore unto them.

21And the Nasi'im said unto them, Let them live; but let them be woodcutters and water carriers unto Kol HaEdah; as the Nasi'im had promised them.

22And Yehoshua called for them, and he spoke unto them, saying, Why have ye beguiled us, saying, Rechokim anachnu from you when ye dwell near us?

23Now therefore ye are arurim, and there shall none of you be yikaret (be cut off) from being eved, and woodcutters and water carriers for the Bais Elohai.

24And they answered Yehoshua, and said, Because it was certainly told thy avadim, how that Hashem Eloheicha commanded His Eved Moshe to give you kol HaAretz, and to destroy all the inhabitants of HaAretz from before you, therefore we were greatly afraid for nafshoteinu because of you, so we have done this thing.

25And now, behold, we are in thine yad; as it seemeth tov and yashar unto thee to do unto us, do.

26And so did he unto them, and saved them out of the yad of the Bnei Yisroel, that they slaughtered them not.

27And Yehoshua made them that day woodcutters and water carriers for the Edah, and for the Mizbe'ach of Hashem, even unto this day, in the makom which He would choose.