Joshua 9:19-27

¹⁹Then all the Princes said vnto all the Congregation, We haue sworne vnto them by the Lord God of Israel: nowe therefore we may not touch them.

²⁰But this we wil doe to them, and let them liue, least the wrath be vpon vs because of the othe which we sware vnto them.

²¹And the Princes sayd vnto them againe, Let them liue, but they shall hewe wood, and drawe water vnto all the Congregation, as the Princes appoint them.

²²Ioshua then called them, and talked with them, and sayd, Wherefore haue ye beguiled vs, saying, We are very farre from you, when ye dwel among vs?

²³Now 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.

²⁴And they answered Ioshua, and sayd, Because it was tolde thy seruants, that the Lord thy God had commanded his seruant Moses to giue you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land out of your sight, therefore we were exceeding sore afraid for our liues at the presence of you, and haue done this thing:

²⁵And beholde nowe, we are in thine hand: doe as it seemeth good and right in thine eyes to doe vnto vs.

²⁶Euen so did he vnto them, and deliuered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slewe them not.

²⁷And Ioshua appointed them that same day to be hewers of wood, and drawers of water for the Congregation, and for the altar of the Lord vnto this day, in the place which he should chuse.