8. And they said unto Yehoshua, We are thy avadim. And Yehoshua said unto them, Who are ye? And from where do ye come?
9. And they said unto him, From an eretz rechokah me'od thy avadim are come because of the Shem of Hashem Eloheicha; for we have heard the report of Him, and all that He did in Mitzrayim,
10. And all that He did to the two melachim of HaEmori, that were beyond the Yarden, to Sichon Melech Cheshbon, and to Og Melech HaBashan, which was at Ashtarot.
11. Therefore Zekeinenu and all the inhabitants of Artzeinu spoke to us, saying, Take food supplies with you for the derech, and go to meet them, and say unto them, We are your avadim; therefore now cut ye a brit with us.
12. This our lechem we packed cham (hot) for our provision out of our batim (houses) on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, hinei, it is dry, and it is moldy;
13. And these skins of yayin, which we filled, were chadashim; and, hinei, they are cracked; and these our garments and our sandals are become worn out by reason of the derech me'od.
14. And the anashim took of their food supplies, and asked not counsel at the pi Hashem (mouth of Hashem).
15. And Yehoshua made shalom with them, and cut a brit with them, to let them live; and the Nasi'im of the Edah so ratified by oath unto them.
16. And it came to pass at the end of shloshet yamim after they had cut a brit with them, that they heard that they were their kerovim (neighbors), and that they dwelt near them.
17. And the Bnei Yisroel journeyed, and came unto their towns on the yom hashelishi. Now their towns were Giv'on, and Kephirah, and Be'erot, and Kiryat-Ye'arim.
18. And the Bnei Yisroel did not strike them down, because the Nasi'im of the Edah had sworn unto them by Hashem Elohei Yisroel. And Kol HaEdah murmured against the Nasi'im.
19. But all the Nasi'im said unto Kol HaEdah, We have sworn unto them by Hashem Elohei Yisroel; now therefore we may not touch them.
20. This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest ketzef (wrath) be upon us, because of the shevu'ah (oath) which we swore unto them.