Joshua 9:6
And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us. And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us.
The verse records Gibeonite ambassadors coming to Joshua and to the men of Israel at the camp at Gilgal. They claimed to have come from a far country and asked Israel to make a league or treaty with them. Their worn clothing and supplies made their claim believable, but they were actually Israel's neighbors acting to preserve their own lives.
The Gibeonites lived in the midst of Canaan. They were a numerous people. They renounced heathenism. They acknowledged Israel's God. They united with Israel and shared in the blessings of the covenant. The treaty Israel made with them was unwise and brought punishment because Israel neglected to ask counsel of God.