1 Ὡς δ᾽ ἤκουσαν οἱ βασιλεῖς τῶν Αμορραίων οἱ ἐν τῷ πέραν τοῦ Ιορδάνου, οἱ ἐν τῇ ὀρεινῇ καὶ οἱ ἐν τῇ πεδινῇ καὶ οἱ ἐν πάσῃ τῇ παραλίᾳ τῆς θαλάσσης τῆς μεγάλης καὶ οἱ πρὸς τῷ Ἀντιλιβάνῳ, καὶ οἱ Χετταῖοι καὶ οἱ Χαναναῖοι καὶ οἱ Φερεζαῖοι καὶ οἱ Ευαῖοι καὶ οἱ Αμορραῖοι καὶ οἱ Γεργεσαῖοι καὶ οἱ Ιεβουσαῖοι, 2 συνήλθοσαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἐκπολεμῆσαι Ἰησοῦν καὶ Ισραηλ ἅμα πάντες.
2a Τότε ᾠκοδόμησεν Ἰησοῦς θυσιαστήριον κυρίῳ τῷ θεῷ Ισραηλ ἐν ὄρει Γαιβαλ, 2b καθότι ἐνετείλατο Μωυσῆς ὁ θεράπων κυρίου τοῖς υἱοῖς Ισραηλ, καθὰ γέγραπται ἐν τῷ νόμῳ Μωυσῆ, θυσιαστήριον λίθων ὁλοκλήρων, ἐφ᾽ οὓς οὐκ ἐπεβλήθη σίδηρος, καὶ ἀνεβίβασεν ἐκεῖ ὁλοκαυτώματα κυρίῳ καὶ θυσίαν σωτηρίου. 2c καὶ ἔγραψεν Ἰησοῦς ἐπὶ τῶν λίθων τὸ δευτερονόμιον, νόμον Μωυσῆ, ὃν ἔγραψεν ἐνώπιον υἱῶν Ισραηλ. 2d καὶ πᾶς Ισραηλ καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι αὐτῶν καὶ οἱ δικασταὶ καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς αὐτῶν παρεπορεύοντο ἔνθεν καὶ ἔνθεν τῆς κιβωτοῦ ἀπέναντι, καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ οἱ Λευῖται ἦραν τὴν κιβωτὸν τῆς διαθήκης κυρίου, καὶ ὁ προσήλυτος καὶ ὁ αὐτόχθων, οἳ ἦσαν ἥμισυ πλησίον ὄρους Γαριζιν, καὶ οἳ ἦσαν ἥμισυ πλησίον ὄρους Γαιβαλ, καθότι ἐνετείλατο Μωυσῆς ὁ θεράπων κυρίου εὐλογῆσαι τὸν λαὸν ἐν πρώτοις. 2e καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα οὕτως ἀνέγνω Ἰησοῦς πάντα τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ νόμου τούτου, τὰς εὐλογίας καὶ τὰς κατάρας, κατὰ πάντα τὰ γεγραμμένα ἐν τῷ νόμῳ Μωυσῆ· 2f οὐκ ἦν ῥῆμα ἀπὸ πάντων, ὧν ἐνετείλατο Μωυσῆς τῷ Ἰησοῖ, ὃ οὐκ ἀνέγνω Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὰ ὦτα πάσης ἐκκλησίας υἱῶν Ισραηλ, τοῖς ἀνδράσιν καὶ ταῖς γυναιξὶν καὶ τοῖς παιδίοις καὶ τοῖς προσηλύτοις τοῖς προσπορευομένοις τῷ Ισραηλ.
3 Καὶ οἱ κατοικοῦντες Γαβαων ἤκουσαν πάντα, ὅσα ἐποίησεν κύριος τῇ Ιεριχω καὶ τῇ Γαι. 4 καὶ ἐποίησαν καί γε αὐτοὶ μετὰ πανουργίας καὶ ἐλθόντες ἐπεσιτίσαντο καὶ ἡτοιμάσαντο καὶ λαβόντες σάκκους παλαιοὺς ἐπὶ τῶν ὄνων αὐτῶν καὶ ἀσκοὺς οἴνου παλαιοὺς καὶ κατερρωγότας ἀποδεδεμένους, 5 καὶ τὰ κοῖλα τῶν ὑποδημάτων αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ σανδάλια αὐτῶν παλαιὰ καὶ καταπεπελματωμένα ἐν τοῖς ποσὶν αὐτῶν, καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν πεπαλαιωμένα ἐπάνω αὐτῶν, καὶ ὁ ἄρτος αὐτῶν τοῦ ἐπισιτισμοῦ ξηρὸς καὶ εὐρωτιῶν καὶ βεβρωμένος. 6 καὶ ἤλθοσαν πρὸς Ἰησοῦν εἰς τὴν παρεμβολὴν Ισραηλ εἰς Γαλγαλα καὶ εἶπαν πρὸς Ἰησοῦν καὶ Ισραηλ Ἐκ γῆς μακρόθεν ἥκαμεν, καὶ νῦν διάθεσθε ἡμῖν διαθήκην. 7 καὶ εἶπαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ πρὸς τὸν Χορραῖον Ὅρα μὴ ἐν ἐμοὶ κατοικεῖς, καὶ πῶς σοι διαθῶμαι διαθήκην; 8 καὶ εἶπαν πρὸς Ἰησοῦν Οἰκέται σού ἐσμεν. καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς Ἰησοῦς Πόθεν ἐστὲ καὶ πόθεν παραγεγόνατε; 9 καὶ εἶπαν Ἐκ γῆς μακρόθεν σφόδρα ἥκασιν οἱ παῖδές σου ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ σου· ἀκηκόαμεν γὰρ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ καὶ ὅσα ἐποίησεν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ 10 καὶ ὅσα ἐποίησεν τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν τῶν Αμορραίων, οἳ ἦσαν πέραν τοῦ Ιορδάνου, τῷ Σηων βασιλεῖ Εσεβων καὶ τῷ Ωγ βασιλεῖ τῆς Βασαν, ὃς κατῴκει ἐν Ασταρωθ καὶ ἐν Εδραϊν. 11 καὶ ἀκούσαντες εἶπαν πρὸς ἡμᾶς οἱ πρεσβύτεροι ἡμῶν καὶ πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες τὴν γῆν ἡμῶν λέγοντες Λάβετε ἑαυτοῖς ἐπισιτισμὸν εἰς τὴν ὁδὸν καὶ πορεύθητε εἰς συνάντησιν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐρεῖτε πρὸς αὐτούς Οἰκέται σού ἐσμεν, καὶ νῦν διάθεσθε ἡμῖν διαθήκην. 12 οὗτοι οἱ ἄρτοι, θερμοὺς ἐφωδιάσθημεν αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, ᾗ ἐξήλθομεν παραγενέσθαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς, νῦν δὲ ἐξηράνθησαν καὶ γεγόνασιν βεβρωμένοι· 13 καὶ οὗτοι οἱ ἀσκοὶ τοῦ οἴνου, οὓς ἐπλήσαμεν καινούς, καὶ οὗτοι ἐρρώγασιν· καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια ἡμῶν καὶ τὰ ὑποδήματα ἡμῶν πεπαλαίωται ἀπὸ τῆς πολλῆς ὁδοῦ σφόδρα. 14 καὶ ἔλαβον οἱ ἄρχοντες τοῦ ἐπισιτισμοῦ αὐτῶν καὶ κύριον οὐκ ἐπηρώτησαν. 15 καὶ ἐποίησεν Ἰησοῦς πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἰρήνην καὶ διέθετο πρὸς αὐτοὺς διαθήκην τοῦ διασῶσαι αὐτούς, καὶ ὤμοσαν αὐτοῖς οἱ ἄρχοντες τῆς συναγωγῆς. — 16 καὶ ἐγένετο μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας μετὰ τὸ διαθέσθαι πρὸς αὐτοὺς διαθήκην ἤκουσαν ὅτι ἐγγύθεν αὐτῶν εἰσιν, καὶ ὅτι ἐν αὐτοῖς κατοικοῦσιν. 17 καὶ ἀπῆραν οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ καὶ ἦλθον εἰς τὰς πόλεις αὐτῶν· αἱ δὲ πόλεις αὐτῶν Γαβαων καὶ Κεφιρα καὶ Βηρωθ καὶ πόλις Ιαριν. 18 καὶ οὐκ ἐμαχέσαντο αὐτοῖς οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ, ὅτι ὤμοσαν αὐτοῖς πάντες οἱ ἄρχοντες κύριον τὸν θεὸν Ισραηλ· καὶ διεγόγγυσαν πᾶσα ἡ συναγωγὴ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἄρχουσιν. 19 καὶ εἶπαν οἱ ἄρχοντες πάσῃ τῇ συναγωγῇ Ἡμεῖς ὠμόσαμεν αὐτοῖς κύριον τὸν θεὸν Ισραηλ καὶ νῦν οὐ δυνησόμεθα ἅψασθαι αὐτῶν· 20 τοῦτο ποιήσομεν, ζωγρῆσαι αὐτούς, καὶ περιποιησόμεθα αὐτούς, καὶ οὐκ ἔσται καθ᾽ ἡμῶν ὀργὴ διὰ τὸν ὅρκον, ὃν ὠμόσαμεν αὐτοῖς· 21 ζήσονται καὶ ἔσονται ξυλοκόποι καὶ ὑδροφόροι πάσῃ τῇ συναγωγῇ, καθάπερ εἶπαν αὐτοῖς οἱ ἄρχοντες. 22 καὶ συνεκάλεσεν αὐτοὺς Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Διὰ τί παρελογίσασθέ με λέγοντες Μακρὰν ἀπὸ σοῦ ἐσμεν σφόδρα; ὑμεῖς δὲ ἐγχώριοί ἐστε τῶν κατοικούντων ἐν ἡμῖν· 23 καὶ νῦν ἐπικατάρατοί ἐστε, οὐ μὴ ἐκλίπῃ ἐξ ὑμῶν δοῦλος οὐδὲ ξυλοκόπος ἐμοὶ καὶ τῷ θεῷ μου. 24 καὶ ἀπεκρίθησαν τῷ Ἰησοῖ λέγοντες Ἀνηγγέλη ἡμῖν ὅσα συνέταξεν κύριος ὁ θεός σου Μωυσῇ τῷ παιδὶ αὐτοῦ, δοῦναι ὑμῖν τὴν γῆν ταύτην καὶ ἐξολεθρεῦσαι ἡμᾶς καὶ πάντας τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐπ᾽ αὐτῆς ἀπὸ προσώπου ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐφοβήθημεν σφόδρα περὶ τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν ἀπὸ προσώπου ὑμῶν καὶ ἐποιήσαμεν τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο. 25 καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ ἡμεῖς ὑποχείριοι ὑμῖν· ὡς ἀρέσκει ὑμῖν καὶ ὡς δοκεῖ ὑμῖν, ποιήσατε ἡμῖν. 26 καὶ ἐποίησαν αὐτοῖς οὕτως· καὶ ἐξείλατο αὐτοὺς Ἰησοῦς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἐκ χειρῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ, καὶ οὐκ ἀνεῖλον αὐτούς. 27 καὶ κατέστησεν αὐτοὺς Ἰησοῦς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ξυλοκόπους καὶ ὑδροφόρους πάσῃ τῇ συναγωγῇ καὶ τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ τοῦ θεοῦ· διὰ τοῦτο ἐγένοντο οἱ κατοικοῦντες Γαβαων ξυλοκόποι καὶ ὑδροφόροι τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου τοῦ θεοῦ ἕως τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας καὶ εἰς τὸν τόπον, ὃν ἐὰν ἐκλέξηται κύριος.
1 And 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; 2 That they gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord.
3 ¶ And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai, 4 They 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; 5 And old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and mouldy. 6 And 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. 7 And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, Peradventure ye dwell among us; and how shall we make a league with you? 8 And they said unto Joshua, We are thy servants. And Joshua said unto them, Who are ye? and from whence come ye? 9 And 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, 10 And 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. 11 Wherefore 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. 12 This 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: 13 And 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. 14 And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.
15 And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.
16 ¶ And 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. 17 And the children of Israel journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjath-jearim. 18 And 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. 19 But 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. 20 This 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. 21 And 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.
22 ¶ And 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? 23 Now 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. 24 And 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. 25 And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do. 26 And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not. 27 And 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.