1And it came to pass, when all the kings that were beyond the Yarden, in the hill country, and in the Lowland, and on all the shore of the Great Sea in front of Levanon, the Khiti, and the Amori, the Kena’ani, the Perizi, the Khivi, and the Yevusi, heard thereof, 2that they gathered themselves together to fight with Yehoshua and with Yisra’el, with one accord.
3But when the inhabitants of Givon heard what Yehoshua had done unto Yerekho and to Ai, 4they also did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their donkeys, and wineskins, worn and rent and patched up; 5and worn shoes and clouted upon their feet, and worn garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and was become crumbs. 6And they went to Yehoshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Yisra’el, “We are come from a far country; now therefore make a covenant with us.” 7And the men of Yisra’el said unto the Khivi, “Perhaps you dwell among us; and how shall we make a covenant with you?” 8And they said unto Yehoshua, “We are your servants.” And Yehoshua said unto them, “Who are you, and from where do you come?” 9And they said unto him, “From a very far country your servants are come because of the Name of יהוה your Elohim; for we have heard the fame of Him, and all that He did in Mitzrayim, 10and all that He did to the two kings of the Amori, that were beyond the Yarden, to Sikhon king of Kheshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtarot. 11And our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take provision in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them, and say unto them, ‘We are your servants;’ and now make a covenant with us. 12This 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 is become crumbs. 13And these wineskins, which we filled, were new; and, behold, they are torn. And these our garments and our shoes are worn by reason of the very long journey’.” 14And the men took of their provision, and asked not counsel at the mouth of יהוה . And15 Yehoshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the princes of the assembly swore unto them. 16And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors, and that they dwelt among them. 17And B’nei Yisra’el journeyed, and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Givon, and Khefirah, and Be’erot, and Kiriyat-Ye’arim. 18And B’nei Yisra’el smote them not, because the princes of the assembly had sworn unto them by יהוה Elohei Yisra’el. And all the assembly murmured against the princes. 19But all the princes said unto all the assembly, “We have sworn unto them by יהוה Elohei Yisra’el; now therefore we may not touch them. 20This we will do to them, and let them live; lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we swore unto them.” 21And the princes said concerning them, “Let them live;” so they became hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the assembly, as the princes had spoken concerning them. 22And Yehoshua called for them, and he spoke unto them, saying, “Why have you beguiled us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you dwell among us? 23Now therefore you are cursed, and there shall never fail to be of you servants, both hewers of wood and drawers of water for Beit Elohai.” 24And they answered Yehoshua, and said, “Because it was certainly told your servants, how that יהוה your Elohim commanded His servant Moshe to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; therefore we were sore afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing. 25And now, behold, we are in your hand: as it seems good and right unto you to do unto us, do.” 26And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of B’nei Yisra’el, that they slew them not. 27And Yehoshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the assembly, and for the Mizbe’akh of יהוה , unto this day, in the place which He should choose.
אוַיְהִי כִשְׁמֹעַ כָּל הַמְּלָכִים אֲשֶׁר בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן בָּהָר וּבַשְּׁפֵלָה וּבְכֹל חוֹף הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל אֶל מוּל הַלְּבָנוֹן הַחִתִּי וְהָאֱמֹרִי הַכְּנַעֲנִי הַפְּרִזִּי הַחִוִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי. בוַיִּתְקַבְּצוּ יַחְדָּו לְהִלָּחֵם עִם יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְעִם יִשְׂרָאֵל פֶּה אֶחָד.
גוְיֹשְׁבֵי גִבְעוֹן שָׁמְעוּ אֵת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לִירִיחוֹ וְלָעָי. דוַיַּעֲשׂוּ גַם הֵמָּה בְּעָרְמָה וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיִּצְטַיָּרוּ; וַיִּקְחוּ שַׂקִּים בָּלִים לַחֲמוֹרֵיהֶם וְנֹאדוֹת יַיִן בָּלִים וּמְבֻקָּעִים וּמְצֹרָרִים. הוּנְעָלוֹת בָּלוֹת וּמְטֻלָּאוֹת בְּרַגְלֵיהֶם וּשְׂלָמוֹת בָּלוֹת עֲלֵיהֶם; וְכֹל לֶחֶם צֵידָם יָבֵשׁ הָיָה נִקֻּדִים. ווַיֵּלְכוּ אֶל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶל הַמַּחֲנֶה הַגִּלְגָּל; וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו וְאֶל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֶרֶץ רְחוֹקָה בָּאנוּ וְעַתָּה כִּרְתוּ לָנוּ בְרִית. זויאמרו (וַיֹּאמֶר) אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל הַחִוִּי: אוּלַי בְּקִרְבִּי אַתָּה יוֹשֵׁב וְאֵיךְ אכרות (אֶכְרָת) לְךָ בְרִית. חוַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ עֲבָדֶיךָ אֲנָחְנוּ; וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם יְהוֹשֻׁעַ מִי אַתֶּם וּמֵאַיִן תָּבֹאוּ. טוַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו מֵאֶרֶץ רְחוֹקָהמְאֹד בָּאוּ עֲבָדֶיךָ לְשֵׁם יהוה אֱלֹהֶיךָ: כִּי שָׁמַעְנוּ שָׁמְעוֹ וְאֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה בְּמִצְרָיִם. יוְאֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לִשְׁנֵי מַלְכֵי הָאֱמֹרִי אֲשֶׁר בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן לְסִיחוֹן מֶלֶךְ חֶשְׁבּוֹן וּלְעוֹג מֶלֶךְ הַבָּשָׁן אֲשֶׁר בְּעַשְׁתָּרוֹת. יאוַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלֵינוּ זְקֵינֵינוּ וְכָל יֹשְׁבֵי אַרְצֵנוּ לֵאמֹר קְחוּ בְיֶדְכֶם צֵידָה לַדֶּרֶךְ וּלְכוּ לִקְרָאתָם; וַאֲמַרְתֶּם אֲלֵיהֶם עַבְדֵיכֶם אֲנַחְנוּ וְעַתָּה כִּרְתוּ לָנוּ בְרִית. יבזֶה לַחְמֵנוּ חָם הִצְטַיַּדְנוּ אֹתוֹ מִבָּתֵּינוּ בְּיוֹם צֵאתֵנוּ לָלֶכֶת אֲלֵיכֶם; וְעַתָּה הִנֵּה יָבֵשׁ וְהָיָה נִקֻּדִים. יגוְאֵלֶּה נֹאדוֹת הַיַּיִן אֲשֶׁר מִלֵּאנוּ חֲדָשִׁים וְהִנֵּה הִתְבַּקָּעוּ; וְאֵלֶּה שַׂלְמוֹתֵינוּ וּנְעָלֵינוּ בָּלוּ מֵרֹב הַדֶּרֶךְ מְאֹד. ידוַיִּקְחוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים מִצֵּידָם; וְאֶת פִּי יהוה לֹא שָׁאָלוּ. טווַיַּעַשׂ לָהֶם יְהוֹשֻׁעַ שָׁלוֹם וַיִּכְרֹת לָהֶם בְּרִית לְחַיּוֹתָם; וַיִּשָּׁבְעוּ לָהֶם נְשִׂיאֵי הָעֵדָה. טזוַיְהִי מִקְצֵה שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים אַחֲרֵי אֲשֶׁר כָּרְתוּ לָהֶם בְּרִית; וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ כִּי קְרֹבִים הֵם אֵלָיו וּבְקִרְבּוֹ הֵם יֹשְׁבִים. יזוַיִּסְעוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל עָרֵיהֶם בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי; וְעָרֵיהֶם גִּבְעוֹן וְהַכְּפִירָה וּבְאֵרוֹת וְקִרְיַת יְעָרִים. יחוְלֹא הִכּוּם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי נִשְׁבְּעוּ לָהֶם נְשִׂיאֵי הָעֵדָה בַּיהוה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל; וַיִּלֹּנוּ כָל הָעֵדָה עַל הַנְּשִׂיאִים. יטוַיֹּאמְרוּ כָל הַנְּשִׂיאִים אֶל כָּל הָעֵדָה אֲנַחְנוּ נִשְׁבַּעְנוּ לָהֶם בַּיהוה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל; וְעַתָּה לֹא נוּכַל לִנְגֹּעַ בָּהֶם. כזֹאת נַעֲשֶׂה לָהֶם וְהַחֲיֵה אוֹתָם; וְלֹא יִהְיֶה עָלֵינוּ קֶצֶף עַל הַשְּׁבוּעָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְנוּ לָהֶם. כאוַיֹּאמְרוּ אֲלֵיהֶם הַנְּשִׂיאִים יִחְיוּ; וַיִּהְיוּ חֹטְבֵי עֵצִים וְשֹׁאֲבֵי מַיִם לְכָל הָעֵדָה כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבְּרוּ לָהֶם הַנְּשִׂיאִים. כבוַיִּקְרָא לָהֶם יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וַיְדַבֵּר אֲלֵיהֶם לֵאמֹר: לָמָּה רִמִּיתֶם אֹתָנוּ לֵאמֹר רְחוֹקִים אֲנַחְנוּ מִכֶּם מְאֹד וְאַתֶּם בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ יֹשְׁבִים. כגוְעַתָּה אֲרוּרִים אַתֶּם; וְלֹא יִכָּרֵת מִכֶּם עֶבֶד וְחֹטְבֵי עֵצִים וְשֹׁאֲבֵי מַיִם לְבֵית אֱלֹהָי. כדוַיַּעֲנוּ אֶת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וַיֹּאמְרוּ כִּי הֻגֵּד הֻגַּד לַעֲבָדֶיךָ אֵת אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יהוה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת מֹשֶׁה עַבְדּוֹ לָתֵת לָכֶם אֶת כָּל הָאָרֶץ וּלְהַשְׁמִיד אֶת כָּל יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ מִפְּנֵיכֶם; וַנִּירָא מְאֹד לְנַפְשֹׁתֵינוּ מִפְּנֵיכֶם וַנַּעֲשֵׂה אֶת הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה. כהוְעַתָּה הִנְנוּ בְיָדֶךָ: כַּטּוֹב וְכַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֶיךָ לַעֲשׂוֹת לָנוּ עֲשֵׂה. כווַיַּעַשׂ לָהֶם כֵּן; וַיַּצֵּל אוֹתָם מִיַּד בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא הֲרָגוּם. כזוַיִּתְּנֵם יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא חֹטְבֵי עֵצִים וְשֹׁאֲבֵי מַיִם לָעֵדָה; וּלְמִזְבַּח יהוה עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחָר.
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 