previously on the chosen people.

Tell me, Nicarmadi, where are you from, and why have you sought out our camp?

We are your servants. We have traveled here to make a treaty and swear an oath before your God.

Would we go through all that trouble if we were your enemies?

Please, Joshua, allow us to be your servants. We ask for

no land or wealth, just to be in your midst and under your protection in exchange for service.

I will honor your request. I will take you to the tabernacle, but we will establish our peace

and swear the oath you seek.

Once it is done, you can rest here to regain your strength before you return to your elders

and tell them of our treaty.

Those men, the ones we just made a treaty with, their far away country is not so far away

as it turns out.

They are Hivites. The men you met are from the city of

Gibbyan. They live only 20 miles from here. You're sure. How did you learn this?

I overheard them speaking to one another, and if that wasn't enough, when I drew closer to confirm my guess,

I heard them congratulating themselves over a lie well-spun.

We have been deceived, General Joshua. Those men were not who they claimed to be.

We have sworn an oath to you by the Lord, the God of Israel. We cannot harm you. This is how it will be.

You will live, so no wrath will fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to you.

But why did you deceive us, claiming you live far away when you were actually our neighbors?

Because of this, you are cursed and will always be slaves.

Woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God. We feared for our lives. That's why we deceived you. Now we are in your hands.

...