Hebrew Servants^(A)(B)

² “If you buy a Hebrew servant,^(C) he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free,^(D) without paying anything. ³ If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him. ⁴ If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.

⁵ “But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’^{(E) 6} then his master must take him before the judges.^[a](F) He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce^(G) his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.^(H)

6 ^[a]The Lord said to Moses:

² “If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the Lord^(A) by deceiving a neighbor^(B) about something entrusted to them or left in their care^(C) or about something stolen, or if they cheat^(D) their neighbor,

⁴ when they sin in any of these ways and realize their guilt, they must return^(A) what they have stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to them, or the lost property they found, ⁵ or whatever it was they swore falsely about. They must make restitution^(B) in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day they present their guilt offering.^{(C) 6} And as a penalty they must bring to the priest, that is, to the Lord, their guilt offering,^(D) a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value.^{(E) 7} In this way the priest will make atonement^(F) for them before the Lord, and they will be forgiven for any of the things they did that made them guilty.”

³ However, when the people of Gibeon^(A) heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai,^{(B) 4} they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded^[a] with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended. ⁵ They put worn and patched sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. All the bread of their food supply was dry and moldy. ⁶ Then they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal^(C) and said to him and the Israelites, “We have come from a distant country;^(D) make a treaty^(E) with us.”

⁷ The Israelites said to the Hivites,^(F) “But perhaps you live near us, so how can we make a treaty^(G) with you?”

⁸ “We are your servants,^(H)” they said to Joshua.

But Joshua asked, “Who are you and where do you come from?”

⁹ They answered: “Your servants have come from a very distant country^(I) because of the fame of the Lord your God. For we have heard reports^(J) of him: all that he did in Egypt,^(K)

¹⁵ Then Joshua made a treaty of peace^(A) with them to let them live,^(B) and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.

¹⁶ Three days after they made the treaty with the Gibeonites, the Israelites heard that they were neighbors, living near^(A) them.

¹⁸ But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath^(A) to them by the Lord, the God of Israel.

The whole assembly grumbled^(B) against the leaders, ¹⁹ but all the leaders answered, “We have given them our oath by the Lord, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now. ²⁰ This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that God’s wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath^(C) we swore to them.” ²¹ They continued, “Let them live,^(D) but let them be woodcutters and water carriers^(E) in the service of the whole assembly.” So the leaders’ promise to them was kept.

²² Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you deceive us by saying, ‘We live a long way^(F) from you,’ while actually you live near^(G) us? ²³ You are now under a curse:^(H) You will never be released from service as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”

²⁴ They answered Joshua, “Your servants were clearly told^(I) how the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to wipe out all its inhabitants from before you. So we feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this. ²⁵ We are now in your hands.^(J) Do to us whatever seems good and right^(K) to you.”

²⁶ So Joshua saved them from the Israelites, and they did not kill them. ²⁷ That day he made the Gibeonites^(L) woodcutters and water carriers^(M) for the assembly, to provide for the needs of the altar of the Lord at the place the Lord would choose.^(N) And that is what they are to this day.

¹⁸ But the Israelites did not attack them, because the leaders of the assembly had sworn an oath^(A) to them by the Lord, the God of Israel.

The whole assembly grumbled^(B) against the leaders, ¹⁹ but all the leaders answered, “We have given them our oath by the Lord, the God of Israel, and we cannot touch them now. ²⁰ This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that God’s wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath^(C) we swore to them.” ²¹ They continued, “Let them live,^(D) but let them be woodcutters and water carriers^(E) in the service of the whole assembly.” So the leaders’ promise to them was kept.

²² Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you deceive us by saying, ‘We live a long way^(F) from you,’ while actually you live near^(G) us? ²³ You are now under a curse:^(H) You will never be released from service as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”

²⁴ They answered Joshua, “Your servants were clearly told^(I) how the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to wipe out all its inhabitants from before you. So we feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this. ²⁵ We are now in your hands.^(J) Do to us whatever seems good and right^(K) to you.”

²⁶ So Joshua saved them from the Israelites, and they did not kill them. ²⁷ That day he made the Gibeonites^(L) woodcutters and water carriers^(M) for the assembly, to provide for the needs of the altar of the Lord at the place the Lord would choose.^(N) And that is what they are to this day.