91 Now it came about when all the kings who were beyond the Jordan , in the hill country and in the lowland and on all the coast of the Great Sea toward e Lebanon , the Hittite and the Amorite , the Canaanite , the Perizzite , the Hivite and the Jebusite , heard of it, 2 that they gathered themselves together with one accord to fight with Joshua and with Israel .
3 When the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai , 4 they also acted craftily and set out as envoys , and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys , and wineskins worn-out and torn and mended , 5 and worn-out and patched sandals on their feet , and worn-out clothes on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and had become crumbled . 6 They went to Joshua to the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel , "We have come from a far country ; now therefore, make a covenant with us." 7 The men of Israel said to the Hivites , "Perhaps you are living within our land ; how then shall we make a covenant with you?" 8 But they said to Joshua , " We are your servants ." Then Joshua said to them, "Who are you and where do you come from?" 9 They said to him, "Your servants have come from a very far country because of the fame of the Lord your God ; for we have heard the report of Him and all that He did in Egypt , 10 and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan , to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan who was at Ashtaroth . 11 "So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying , 'Take provisions in your hand for the journey , and go to meet them and say to them, " We are your servants ; now then, make a covenant with us."' 12 "This our bread was warm when we took it for our provisions out of our houses on the day that we left to come to you; but now behold , it is dry and has become crumbled . 13 "These wineskins which we filled were new , and behold , they are torn ; and these our clothes and our sandals are worn out because of the very long journey ." 14 So the men of Israel took some of their provisions , and did not ask for the counsel of the Lord .
15 Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live ; and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them. 16 It came about at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were neighbors and that they were living within their land . 17 Then the sons of Israel set out and came to their cities on the third day . Now their cities were Gibeon and Chephirah and Beeroth and Kiriath-jearim . 18 The sons of Israel did not strike them because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord the God of Israel . And the whole congregation grumbled against the leaders . 19 But all the leaders said to the whole congregation , "We have sworn to them by the Lord , the God of Israel , and now we cannot e touch them. 20 "This we will do to them, even let them live , so that wrath will not be upon us for the oath which we swore to them." 21 The leaders said to them, "Let them live ." So they became hewers of wood and drawers of water for the whole congregation , just as the leaders had spoken to them.
22 Then Joshua called for them and spoke to them, saying , "Why have you deceived us, saying , 'We are very far from you,' when you are living within our land ? 23 "Now therefore, you are cursed , and you shall never cease being slaves , both hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God ." 24 So they answered Joshua and said , " Because it was certainly told your servants that the Lord your God had commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land , and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before e you; therefore we feared greatly for our lives because e of you, and have done this thing . 25 "Now behold , we are in your hands ; do as it seems good and right in your sight to do to us." 26 Thus he did to them, and delivered them from the hands of the sons of Israel , and they did not kill them. 27 But Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord , to this day , in the place which He would choose .
31 Then Joshua rose early in the morning ; and he and all the sons of Israel set out from Shittim and came to the Jordan , and they lodged there before they crossed . 2 At the end of three days the officers went through the midst of the camp ; 3 and they commanded the people , saying , "When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God with the Levitical priests carrying it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. 4 "However , there shall be between you and it a distance of about 2,000 cubits by measure . Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you shall go , for you have not passed this way before e ." 5 Then Joshua said to the people , " Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you." 6 And Joshua spoke to the priests , saying , "Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over ahead of the people ." So they took up the ark of the covenant and went ahead of the people .
7 Now the Lord said to Joshua , "This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel , that they may know that just as I have been with Moses , I will be with you. 8 "You shall, moreover, command the priests who are carrying the ark of the covenant , saying , 'When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan , you shall stand still in the Jordan .' " 9 Then Joshua said to the sons of Israel , "Come here , and hear the words of the Lord your God ." 10 Joshua said , "By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will assuredly dispossess from before you the Canaanite , the Hittite , the Hivite , the Perizzite , the Girgashite , the Amorite , and the Jebusite . 11 "Behold , the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over ahead of you into the Jordan . 12 "Now then, take for yourselves twelve e men from the tribes of Israel , one man for each e tribe . 13 "It shall come about when the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the Lord , the Lord of all the earth , rest in the waters of the Jordan , the waters of the Jordan will be cut off , and the waters which are flowing down from above e will stand in one heap ."
14 So when the people set out from their tents to cross the Jordan with the priests carrying the ark of the covenant before the people , 15 and when those who carried the ark came into the Jordan , and the feet of the priests carrying the ark were dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows e all its banks all the days of harvest ), 16 the waters which were flowing down from above e stood and rose up in one heap , a great distance away at Adam , the city that is beside e Zarethan ; and those which were flowing down toward the sea of the Arabah , the Salt Sea , were completely cut off . So the people crossed opposite Jericho . 17 And the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground , until e all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan .
