Joshua
Chapter 9
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Leningrad Codex, through the Open Scriptures Westminster Leningrad Codex. The written consonants are printed. A Masoretic reading is footnoted when it differs. No Dead Sea reading was substituted unless it was read from a fragment. The Greek, Syriac, and Latin versions are witnesses, not the default.
A dotted word is a harder one. Point at it, or tap it, for a short definition.
1When all the kings who were beyond the Jordan heard, those in the hill country, in the Shephelah, and along the whole coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite,
2they gathered together to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one mouth.
3The inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,
4and they too acted with cunning. They went and took provisions, and they took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and worn-out wineskins, split and tied up,
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- Translation
Yitztayyaru is the verb for taking provisions for a journey. The sacks, skins, sandals, and bread are the show they put on.
5and worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes on them, and all the bread of their provisions was dry. It had become crumbs.
6They went to Joshua, to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, We have come from a far land. Now cut a A solemn agreement that binds God and people. with us.
7They said, the men of Israel, to the Hivite, Perhaps you are living in my midst. How then can I cut a A solemn agreement that binds God and people. with you?
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- Text
The written consonants are ויאמרו, “they said.” The Masoretic reading is ויאמר, “he said.” The written “they said” is printed. The written form of “I cut” is אכרות, with an extra vav. The Masoretic reading is אכרת. The sense is the same. The written form is printed.
8They said to Joshua, We are your servants. Joshua said to them, Who are you, and where do you come from?
9They said to him, Your servants have come from a very far land, because of the name of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. your God, for we heard the report of him, and all that he did in Egypt,
10and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorite who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan, who was in Ashtaroth.
11Our elders and all the inhabitants of our land said to us, saying, Take provisions in your hand for the road, and go to meet them, and say to them, We are your servants. Now cut a A solemn agreement that binds God and people. with us.
12This bread of ours was hot when we took it as provision from our houses on the day we set out to come to you. Now look, it is dry, and it has become crumbs.
13These wineskins, which we filled, were new, and look, they have split. These clothes of ours and our sandals have worn out from the very long road.
14The men took some of their provisions, and they did not ask the mouth of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary..
15Joshua made peace with them and cut a A solemn agreement that binds God and people. with them, to let them live, and the chiefs of the congregation swore to them.
16At the end of three days, after they had cut a A solemn agreement that binds God and people. with them, they heard that they were near to him and that they were living in his midst.
17The sons of Israel set out and came to their cities on the third day. Their cities were Gibeon, the Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim.
18The sons of Israel did not strike them, because the chiefs of the congregation had sworn to them by God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., the God of Israel. The whole congregation grumbled against the chiefs.
19All the chiefs said to the whole congregation, We ourselves swore to them by God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., the God of Israel. Now we cannot touch them.
20This is what we will do to them. We will let them live, so that there will not be wrath on us because of the oath that we swore to them.
21The chiefs said to them, They shall live. So they became woodcutters and water-drawers for the whole congregation, as the chiefs had said to them.
22Joshua called for them and spoke to them, saying, Why did you deceive us, saying, We are very far from you, when you are living in our midst?
23Now you are cursed, and a servant shall not be cut off from you, woodcutters and water-drawers for the house of my God.
24They answered Joshua and said, Because it was told, yes told, to your servants what God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary. your God commanded Moses his servant, to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you. We were very afraid for our lives because of you, and we did this thing.
25Now, look, we are in your hand. Do to us whatever is good and right in your eyes to do.
26He did so to them. He rescued them from the hand of the sons of Israel, and they did not kill them.
27Joshua made them, on that day, woodcutters and water-drawers for the congregation and for the altar of God’s own name. The Hebrew writes YHWH. See the glossary., to this day, at the place that he will choose.