High among the hills of the Promised Land lay a town called Gibeon. Men who ran away from the defeat at Ai came straggling into Gibeon, and told the news. “The Children of Israel,” they said, “are coming with a great army. They have destroyed Jericho and Ai, and are on the march for Gibeon.” Then the Gibeonites held a council and considered what to do. And they took men and dressed them in the oldest clothes which they could find, all rags and tatters, and put upon their feet the oldest shoes, all holes and patches, and gave them baskets in which were loaves of dry and mouldy bread. And they said, “Go down now to the camp of Israel and find Joshua and tell him thus and so.” So down they went, and came into the camp, walking very slowly, as if their feet were sore after a long journey, and as if they were too tired to go another step. And they said, “We come from a far country to ask you to make a league of peace with us.” And the men of Israel said, “How do we know that you are telling us the truth? It may be that you are our neighbors.” And they brought them to Joshua, and Joshua said, “Who are you, and from whence do you come?” And the men of Gibeon answered, “From a very far country. Why, these shoes we put on new the day we came away; and see them now. These clothes we had made for this journey, and we have worn them out on the way. This bread was fresh baked; it was taken hot out of the oven as we started; and now it is all dry and mouldy. The land where we live is over the hills and far away, but even there we have heard about you, and we have come to ask you to give us a promise of peace.” Then Joshua believed that what they said was true, and he made them a solemn promise that there should be peace between the men of Israel and the men of Gibeon. So they journeyed on together and after three days they came to a town among the hills, and Joshua said, “What town is this?” And the men of Gibeon answered, “This is Gibeon, where we live. But you have promised that you will be at peace with us. You must not destroy Gibeon as you destroyed Jericho and Ai.” And the Children of Israel were very angry, and they said, “Come, let us kill them, and let us burn their city, for they lied to us.” But Joshua answered, “No, we have given them our promise, and we must do as we said.” So they let them live; but they made them their servants, to cut wood and draw water.