3. The people of Gibeon had also heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai.
4. So they decided that some of their men should pretend to be messengers to Israel from a faraway country. The men put worn-out bags on their donkeys and found some old wineskins that had cracked and had been sewn back together.
5. Their sandals were old and patched, and their clothes were worn out. They even took along some dry and crumbly bread.
6. Then they went to the Israelite camp at Gilgal, where they said to Joshua and the men of Israel, “We have come from a country that is far from here. Please make a peace treaty with us.”
9. We are your servants, and we live far from here. We came because the Lord your God is so famous. We heard what the Lord did in Egypt
16-17. A couple of days later, the Israelites found out that these people actually lived in the nearby towns of Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-Jearim. So the Israelites left the place where they had camped and arrived at the four towns two days later.
18. But they did not attack the towns, because the Israelite leaders had sworn in the name of the Lord that they would let these people live.The Israelites complained about their leaders' decision not to attack,
19-21. but the leaders reminded them, “We promised these people in the name of the Lord God of Israel that we would let them live, so we must not harm them. If we break our promise, God will punish us. We'll let them live, but we'll make them cut wood and carry water for our people.”
22. Joshua told some of his soldiers, “I want to meet with the Gibeonite leaders. Bring them here.”When the Gibeonites came, Joshua said, “You live close to us. Why did you lie by claiming you lived far away?
23. Now you are under a curse, and your people will have to send workers to cut wood and carry water for the place of worship.”
24. The Gibeonites answered, “The Lord your God told his servant Moses that you were to kill everyone who lives here and take their land for yourselves. We were afraid you would kill us, and so we tricked you into making a peace treaty. But we agreed to be your servants,
25. and you are strong enough to do anything to us that you want. We just ask you to do what seems right.”
26. Joshua did not let the Israelites kill the Gibeonites,
27. but he did tell the Gibeonites that they would have to be servants of the nation of Israel. They would have to cut firewood and bring it for the priests to use for burning sacrifices on the Lord's altar, wherever the Lord decided the altar would be. The Gibeonites would also have to carry water for the priests. And that is still the work of the Gibeonites.