Joshua 9:8-24

⁸But they said to Josue: We are thy servants. Josue said to them: Who are you? and whence came you?

⁹They answered: From a very far country thy servants are come in the name of the Lord thy God. For we have heard the fame of his power, all the things that he did in Egypt.

¹⁰And to the two kings of the Amorrhites that were beyond the Jordan, Sehon king of Hesebon, and Og king of Basan, that was in Astaroth:

¹¹And our ancients, and all the inhabitants of our country said to us: Take with you victuals for a long way, and go meet them, and say: We are your servants, make ye a league with us.

¹²Behold, these leaves we took hot, when we set out from our houses to come to you, now they are become dry, and broken in pieces, by being exceeding old.

¹³These bottles of wine when we filled them were new, now they are rent and burst. These garments we have on, and the shoes we have on our feet, by reason of the very long journey are worn out, and almost consumed.

¹⁴They took therefore of their victuals, and consulted not the mouth of the Lord.

¹⁵And Josue made peace with them, and entering into a league promised that they should not be slain: the princes also of the multitude swore to them.

¹⁶Now three days after the league was made, they heard that they dwelt nigh, and they should be among them.

¹⁷And the children of Israel removed the camp, and came into their cities on the third day, the names of which are Gabaon, and Caphira, and Beroth, and Cariathiarim.

¹⁸And they slew them not, because the princes of the multitude had sworn in the name of the Lord the God of Israel. Then all the common people murmured against the princes.

¹⁹And they answered them: We have sworn to them in the name of the Lord the God of Israel, and therefore we may not touch them.

²⁰But this we mill do to them: Let their lives be saved, lest the wrath of the Lord be stirred up against us, if we should be forsworn.

²¹But so let them live, as to serve the whole multitude in hewing wood, and bringing in water. As they were speaking these things,

²²Josue called the Gabaonites and said to them: Why would you impose upon us, saying: We dwell far off from you, whereas you are in the midst of us?

²³Therefore you shall be under a curse, and your race shall always be hewers of wood, and carriers of water unto the house of my God.

²⁴They answered: It was told us thy servants, that the Lord thy God had promised his servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants thereof. Therefore we feared exceedingly and provided for our lives. compelled by the dread we had of you and we took this counsel.