they did something clever. They collected some provisions ¹  and put worn-out sacks on their donkeys, along with worn-out wineskins that were ripped and patched.

biblegateway Jos 9:4

they also acted craftily and set out as envoys, and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins worn-out and torn and mended,

they acted deceptively. They gathered provisions and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys and old wineskins, cracked and mended.

they devised a scheme. They posed as messengers. They took worn–out sacks on their donkeys. Their wineskins were old, split, and patched.

biblegateway Jos 9:4

they resorted to a ruse: They went as a delegation whose donkeys were loaded with worn-out sacks and old wineskins, cracked and mended.

they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended,

bibleoremus Jos 9:4

they on their part acted with cunning: they went and prepared provisions, and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended,

they resorted to a ruse: they set out after disguising themselves, with old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins split and mended,

biblegateway Jos 9:4

they worked craftily, and went and pretended to be ambassadors. And they took old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins torn and mended,

They did work wilily, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up;

biblegateway Jos 9:4

they did something clever. They collected some provisions ¹  and put worn-out sacks on their donkeys, along with worn-out wineskins that were ripped and patched.

¹ tc Heb “and they went and [?].” The root and meaning of the verb form יִצְטַיָּרוּ (yitstayyaru) are uncertain. The form is most likely a corruption of יִצְטַיָּדוּ (yitstayyadu), read by some Hebrew mss and ancient versions, from the root צוּד (tsud, “take provisions,” BDB 845 s.v. II צוד) which also occurs in v. 11. Note NRSV “they went and prepared provisions”; cf. NEB “They went and disguised themselves”; NIV “they went as a delegation.”