Joshua 9:3
9:3 When the residents of Gibeon heard what Joshua did to Jericho and Ai,
Joshua 9:17-23
9:17 So the Israelites set out and on the third day arrived at their cities – Gibeon, Kephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath Jearim.
9:18 The Israelites did not attack them because the leaders of the community had sworn an oath to them in the name of the
Lord God of Israel.
The whole community criticized
the leaders,
9:19 but all the leaders told the whole community, “We swore an oath to them in the name of
the
Lord God of Israel. So now we can’t hurt
them!
9:20 We must let them live so we can escape the curse attached to the oath we swore to them.”
9:21 The leaders then added,
“Let them live.” So they became
woodcutters and water carriers for the whole community, as the leaders had decided.
9:22 Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said to them, “Why did you trick us by saying, ‘We live far away from you,’ when you really live nearby?
9:23 Now you are condemned to perpetual servitude as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”