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And it was, when all the kings that were across the Jordan, on◦ the mountain, and in the lowland, and on◦ all the coast of the great sea, next··to Lebanon—the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite—heard of it,
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that they came··together as··one to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord*.
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And they who dwelt··in Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai;
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and they did it, even they◦, with cunning, and went and sent··an··embassy, and took worn··out sacks upon their donkeys, and wine bottles*, worn··out and ripped and bundled,
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and shoes worn··out and spotted on◦ their feet, and worn··out raiment on them; and all the bread of their provision was dried··up and speckled.
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And they went to▵ Joshua to▵ the camp of Gilgal, and said to▵ him and to▵ the men◦ of Israel, From a land far··off have we come; and now, cut a covenant with us.
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And the men◦* of Israel said unto▵ the Hivite, Perhaps you◦ dwell among us, and how◦ shall we cut a covenant with thee?
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And they said unto▵ Joshua, We◦ are thy servants. And Joshua said unto▵ them, Who are you and from whence◦ do you come?
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And they said unto▵ him, From a land very far··off thy servants are come, because◦ of the name of Jehovah thy God; for we have heard His fame and all that He did in Egypt,
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and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorite who were across the Jordan, to Sihon, king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who was in Ashtaroth.
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And our elders and all they who dwell in our land said unto▵ us, saying, Take provisions in your hand for the way, and go to meet them, and say unto▵ them, We◦ are your servants; and now cut ye a covenant with us.
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This our bread we took· hot ·for· our ·provision from our houses on◦ the day we went··out to go to▵ you, and now, behold, it is··dried··up and become moldy;
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and these wine bottles, which we filled were new; and behold, they are ripped; and these our raiment and our shoes have worn··out from the very great◦ way.
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And the men◦ took from their provisions, and asked not at the mouth of Jehovah.
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And Joshua made peace with them, and he cut a covenant with them, to let· them ·live; and the chiefs of the congregation made··a··promise unto them.
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And it was at the end of three days, after they had cut a covenant with them, that they heard that they were neighbors unto▵ them◦, and that they dwelt among them◦.
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And the sons of Israel journeyed, and came unto▵ their cities on the third day. And their cities were Gibeon, and Kephirah, and Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.
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And the sons of Israel smote them not, for the chiefs of the congregation had promised unto them by Jehovah, the God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the chiefs.
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And all the chiefs said unto▵ all the congregation, We◦ have promised unto them by Jehovah, the God of Israel; and now we cannot touch them.
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This we will do unto them and let· them ·live, lest there be rage upon us, because of the promise which we promised unto them.
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And the chiefs said unto▵ them, Let· them ·live; and let them be hewers of wood and drawers◦ of water unto all the congregation, as◦ the chiefs had spoken unto them.
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And Joshua called unto them and said unto▵ them, and said, Why have you deceived us, saying, We◦ are very far from you; and you◦ dwell among us?
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And now you◦ are cursed, and it shall not be cut··off from you to be a servant, and hewers of wood, and drawers◦ of water for the house of my God.
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And they answered Joshua and said, Because◦ telling it was··told to thy servants what Jehovah thy God commanded Moses His servant, to give you all the land, and to blot··out all those who dwell··in the land from before you; and we feared exceedingly for our souls on··account··of◦ you, and we did this thing.
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And now, behold, we are in thy hands; as it is good and upright in thine eyes to do to us, do.
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And so he did unto them, and rescued them out of the hand of the sons of Israel, and they killed them not.
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And Joshua made them on that day hewers of wood and drawers◦ of water for the congregation, and for the altar of Jehovah to◦ this day, in the place which He should choose.
