19. But the leaders answered, “We have given our promise before the Lord, the God of Israel. We cannot attack them now.
20. This is what we must do. We must let them live. We cannot hurt them, or God’s anger will be against us. We would be breaking the promise we made to them.
21. So let them live. But they will cut wood and carry water for our people.” So the leaders kept their promise of peace to them.
22. Joshua called for the Gibeonites. He said, “Why did you lie to us? Your land was near our camp. But you told us you were from a far country.
23. Now, you will be placed under a curse. You will be our slaves. You will have to cut wood and carry water for the people of the house of God.”
24. The Gibeonites answered Joshua, “We lied to you because we were afraid you would kill us. We heard that God commanded his servant Moses to give you all of this land. And God told you to kill all the people who lived in the land. That is why we did this.
25. Now you can decide what to do with us. You can do anything to us that you think is right.”
26. So Joshua saved their lives. He did not allow the Israelites to kill them.
27. But Joshua made the Gibeonites slaves to the Israelites. They cut wood and carried water for the Israelites. And they did it for the altar of the Lord—wherever he chose it to be. They are still doing this today.