1It came about that when all the kings who were beyond the Jordan, in the hill country, in the Shephelah, and along the entire coast of the Great Sea opposite Lebanon—the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite—heard,2they assembled together to wage war against Joshua and against Israel with one accord.3When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,4they also acted with craftiness. They went and took provisions and took old sackcloth for their donkeys and old wineskins that were broken and tied up,5and old patched sandals on their feet and old garments upon them, and all the food of their provision was withered and had become crumbs.6They came to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a distant land; now therefore make a covenant with us."7The man of Israel said to the Hivite, "Perhaps you dwell in our midst; how then can I cut a covenant for you?"8They said to Joshua, "We are your servants." Joshua asked them, "Who are you, and where have you come from?"9They answered him, "Your servants have come from a very distant land because of the name of the LORD your God, for we have heard the report of him and of all that he did in Egypt,10and of all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who lived beyond the Jordan, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan who lived in Ashtaroth.11Our elders and all the inhabitants of our land instructed us, saying, 'Take provision in your hand for the way and walk to meet them, and say to them, "We are your servants; now cut a covenant for us."'12This our food was hot when we provisioned it from our houses on the day we came out to walk to you, but now behold, it is withered and has become crumbs.13And these wineskins of the wine that we filled were new, yet behold, they have broken up, and these our garments and our sandals have become old from the abundance of the way, very much."14So the men took some of their provisions, but they did not inquire of the LORD.15Joshua made peace for them and cut a covenant for them to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.16It happened at the end of three days after they had cut a covenant for them that they heard that they were near to him and that they dwelt in his midst.17So the sons of Israel set out and reached their cities on the third day. Their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.18The sons of Israel did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. Yet the whole congregation grumbled against the leaders.19All the leaders replied to the whole congregation, "We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and therefore we cannot touch them now.20This we will do to them: we will keep them alive, so that wrath may not be upon us on account of the oath that we swore to them."21The leaders said to them, "They shall live." So they became woodcutters and water carriers for the entire congregation, just as the leaders had promised them.22Joshua called to them and spoke to them, saying, "Why have you deceived us, saying, 'We are very distant from you,' when you dwell in our midst?23And now you are cursed, and a servant shall never be cut off from you—neither woodcutters nor water-drawers for the house of my God."24They answered Joshua, "Because your servants were clearly told that the LORD your God commanded his servant Moses to give you all this land and to destroy all its inhabitants before you, we feared greatly for our lives and did this thing.25And now, look, we are in your hand; do to us what is good and right in your eyes."26He did exactly that: he delivered them from the hand of the sons of Israel, and they were not killed.27On that day Joshua assigned them to be woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, and they have continued in that role to this day at the place the LORD would choose.