Joshua 9:14-23

¹⁴The men sampled their provisions, and didn’t ask counsel from Yahweh’s mouth.

¹⁵Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live. The princes of the congregation swore to them.

¹⁶At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they lived among them.

¹⁷The children of Israel traveled and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim.

¹⁸The children of Israel didn’t strike them, because the princes of the congregation had sworn to them by Yahweh, the God of Israel. All the congregation murmured against the princes.

¹⁹But all the princes said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by Yahweh, the God of Israel. Now therefore we may not touch them.

²⁰We will do this to them, and let them live; lest wrath be on us, because of the oath which we swore to them.”

²¹The princes said to them, “Let them live.” So they became wood cutters and drawers of water for all the congregation, as the princes had spoken to them.

²²Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you live among us?

²³Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you will never fail to be slaves, both wood cutters and drawers of water for the house of my God.”