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CAP 2
1 Therfor Josue, the sone of Nun, sente fro Sethym twei men, aspieris in hiddlis, and seide to hem, Go ye, and biholde ye the lond, and the citee of Jerico. Whiche yeden, and entriden into the hous of a womman hoore, `Raab bi name, and restiden at hir.
2 And it was teld, `and seid to the kyng of Jerico, Lo! men of the sones of Israel entriden hidir bi nyyt, to aspie the lond.
3 Therfor the kyng of Jerico sente to Raab the hoore, and seide, Brynge out the men, that camen to thee, and entriden in to thin hous; for thei ben aspieris, and thei camen to biholde al the lond.
4 And the womman took the men, and hidde hem, and seide, Y knowleche, thei camen to me, but Y wiste not of whenus thei weren;
5 and whanne the yate was closid in derknessis, and thei yeden out to gidire, Y noot whidur thei yeden; pursue ye soone, and ye schulen take hem.
6 Forsothe sche made the men to stie in to the soler of hir hows, and hilide hem with stobil of flex, that was there.
7 Sotheli thei, that weren sent, sueden hem bi the weie that ledith to the fordis of Jordan; and whanne thei weren goon out, anoon the yate was closid.
8 Thei that weren hid, slepten not yit, and lo! the womman stiede to hem, and seide,
9 Y knowe that the Lord hath bitake to you this lond; for youre feerdfulnesse felde in to vs, and alle the dwelleris of the lond `weren sike.
10 We herden, that the Lord driede the watris of the Reed See at youre entryng, whanne ye yeden out of Egipt; and what thingis ye diden to twei kyngis of Ammorreis, that weren biyende Jordan, to Seon and Og, whiche ye killiden;
11 and we herden these thingis, and we dredden, and oure herte `was sike, and spirit dwellide not in vs at youre entryng; for youre Lord God hym silf is God in heuene aboue, and in erthe bynethe.
12 Now therfor swere ye to me bi the Lord God, that as Y dide merci with you, so and ye do with the hows of my fadir; and yyue ye to me a veri signe,
13 that ye saue my fadir and modir, and my britheren and sistris, and alle thingis that ben herne, and dilyuere oure lyues fro deeth.
14 Whiche answeriden to hir, Oure lijf be for you in to deeth, if netheles thou bitraiest not vs; and whanne the Lord hath bitake to vs the lond, we schulen do mercy and treuthe in thee.
15 Therfor sche let hem doun fro the wyndow bi a corde; for hir hows cleuyde to the wal.
16 And sche seide to hem, Stie ye to the hilli places, lest perauenture men turnynge ayen meete you; and be ye hidde there three daies, til thei comen ayen; and so ye schulen go bi youre weie.
17 Whiche seiden to hir, We schulen be giltles of this ooth, bi which thou hast chargid vs,
18 if, whanne we entren in to the lond, this reed corde is not a signe, and thou byndist it not in the wyndow, bi which thou lettist vs doun; and thou gaderist not in to thi hows thi fadir and modir, and britheren, and al thi kynrede; the blood of hym schal be on his heed,
19 that goith out at the dore of thin hows, and we schulen be alien, that is, giltles; forsothe the blood of alle men that ben in the hows with thee, schal turne in to oure heed, if ony man touchith hem.
20 `That if thou wolt betraie vs, and brynge forth in to the myddis this word, we schulen be cleene of this ooth, bi which thou hast chargid vs.
21 And sche answeride, As ye han spoke, so be it doon. And sche lefte hem, that thei schulden go, and sche hangide a reed corde in her wyndow.
22 Sotheli thei yeden, and camen to the hilli places, and dwelliden there three daies, til thei turneden ayen that pursueden; for thei souyten bi ech weie, and founden not hem.
23 And whanne the sekeris entriden in to the citee, the spieris turneden ayen, and camen doun fro the hille; and whanne thei hadde passid Jordan, thei camen to Josue, the sone of Nun;
24 and thei telden to hym alle thingis that bifelden to hem, and seiden, The Lord hath bitake al the lond in to oure hondis, and alle the dwelleris thereof ben casten doun bi drede.