Content

CAP 1
1 And it was doon aftir the deeth of Moyses, seruaunt of the Lord, that the Lord spak to Josue, sone of Nun, the mynystre of Moyses, and seide to hym, Moises, my seruaunt, is deed;
2 rise thou, and passe this Jordan, thou, and al the puple with thee, in to the lond which Y schal yyue to the sones of Israel.
3 Y schal yyue to you ech place which the step of youre foot schal trede, as Y spak to Moyses,
4 fro the deseert and Liban til to the greet flood Eufrates; al the lond of Etheis, `til to the greet see ayens the goyng doun of the sunne, schal be youre terme.
5 Noon schal mow ayenstonde you in alle the daies of thi lijf; as Y was with Moises, so Y schal be with thee; Y schal not leeue, nether Y schal forsake thee.
6 Be thou coumfortid, and be thou strong; for thou schalt departe bi lot to this puple the lond, for which Y swoor to thi fadris, that Y schulde yyue it to hem.
7 Therfor be thou coumfortid, and be thou ful strong, that thou kepe and do al the lawe, which Moyses, my seruaunt, comaundide to thee; bowe thou not fro it to the riyt side, ether to the left side, that thou vndirstonde alle thingis whiche thou doist.
8 The book of this lawe departe not fro thi mouth, but thou schalt thenke therynne in daies and nyytis, that thou kepe and do alle thingis that ben writun therynne; thanne thou schalt dresse thi weie, and schalt vndirstonde it.
9 Lo! Y comaunde to thee; be thou coumfortid, and be thou strong; nyle thou drede `withoutforth, and nyle thou drede withynne; for thi Lord God is with thee in alle thingis, to whiche thou goost.
10 And Josue comaundide to the princis of the puple, and seide, Passe ye thoruy the myddis of the castels; and comaunde `ye to the puple, and seie ye, Make ye redi metis to you,
11 for after the thridde dai ye schulen passe Jordan, and ye schulen entre to welde the lond, which youre Lord God schal yyue to you.
12 Also he seide to men of Ruben, and `to men of Gad, and to the half lynage of Manasses, Haue ye mynde of the word which Moises,
13 the `seruaunt of the Lord, comaundide to you, and seide, Youre Lord God hath youe to you reste and al the lond;
14 youre wyues and youre sones and beestis schulen dwelle in the lond which Moises yaf to you biyende Jordan; but passe ye armed, `alle strong in hond, bifor youre britheren; and fiyte ye for hem,
15 til the Lord yyue reste to youre britheren, as `he yaf also to you, and `til also thei welden the lond which youre Lord God schal yyue to hem; and so turne ye ayen in to the lond of youre possessioun, and ye schulen dwelle in that lond which Moises, `seruaunt of the Lord, yaf to you ouer Jordan, ayens the `rysyng of the sunne.
16 And thei answeriden to Josue, and seiden, We schulen do alle thingis whiche thou comaundidist to vs, and we schulen go, whidir euer thou sendist vs;
17 as we obeieden in alle thingis to Moises, so we schulen obeie also to thee; oneli thi Lord God be with thee, as he was with Moyses.
18 Die he that ayenseith thi mouth, and obeieth not to alle thi wordis, whiche thou comaundist to hym; oneli be thou coumfortid, and do thou manli.