Scriptures

New King James Version (NKJV)

Joshua 9
²² Then Joshua called for them, and he spoke to them, saying, "Why have you deceived us, saying, ’We are very far from you,’ when you dwell near us?
²³ Now therefore, you are cursed, and none of you shall be freed from being slaves--woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God."
²⁴ So they answered Joshua and said, "Because your servants were clearly told that the Lord your God commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; therefore we were very much afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.
²⁵ And now, here we are, in your hands; do with us as it seems good and right to do to us."
²⁶ So he did to them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, so that they did not kill them.
²⁷ And that day Joshua made them woodcutters and water carriers for the congregation and for the altar of the Lord, in the place which He would choose, even to this day.
Joshua 10
¹ Now it came to pass when Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai and had utterly destroyed it--as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king--and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them,
² that they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty.
³ Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying,
⁴ "Come up to me and help me, that we may attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel."
⁵ Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they and all their armies, and camped before Gibeon and made war against it.