1 Now when all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon--the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites--heard of this, 2 they gathered together with one accord to fight Joshua and Israel.
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But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,
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they on their part acted with cunning: they went and prepared provisions, 1 and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended,
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with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes; and all their provisions were dry and moldy.
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They went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the Israelites, "We have come from a far country; so now make a treaty with us."
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But the Israelites said to the Hivites, "Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a treaty with you?"
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They said to Joshua, "We are your servants." And Joshua said to them, "Who are you? And where do you come from?"
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They said to him, "Your servants have come from a very far country, because of the name of the
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But when three days had passed after they had made a treaty with them, they heard that they were their neighbors and were living among them.
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So the Israelites set out and reached their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.
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But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the
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Joshua summoned them, and said to them, "Why did you deceive us, saying, "We are very far from you,' while in fact you are living among us?
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Now therefore you are cursed, and some of you shall always be slaves, hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God."
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They answered Joshua, "Because it was told to your servants for a certainty that the