Content

CAP 6
1 Forsothe Jerico was closid and wardid, for the drede of the sones of Israel, and no man durste entre, ethir go out.
2 And the Lord seide to Josue, Lo! Y yaf in to thin hondis Jerico, and the king therof, and alle strong men.
3 Alle ye fiyteris, cumpasse the citee onys bi the day; so ye schulen do in sixe daies.
4 Forsothe in the seuenthe dai the preestis schulen take seuene clariouns, of whiche `the vss is in iubile; and thei schulen go bifor the arke of boond of pees; and seuen sithes ye schulen cumpasse the citee, and the preestis schulen trumpe with clariouns.
5 And whanne the vois of the trumpe schal sowne lengere, and more bi whiles, and schal sowne in youre eeris, al the puple schal crie togidere with gretteste cry; and the wallis of the citee schulen falle alle doun, and alle men schulen entre bi the place, ayens which thei stonden.
6 Therfor Josue, the sone of Nun, clepide preestis, and seide to hem, Take ye the ark of boond of pees, and seuene othere preestis take seuene clariouns of iubile yeeris, and go thei bifor the arke of the Lord.
7 Also Josue seide to the puple, Go ye, and cumpasse ye the citee, and go ye armed bifor the arke of the Lord.
8 And whanne Josue hadde endid the wordis, and seuene preestis trumpiden with seuen clariouns bifor the arke of boond of pees of the Lord,
9 and al the puple armed yede bifore, the tothir comyn puple of fiyteris suede the arke, and alle thingis sowneden with clariouns.
10 Sotheli Josue comaundide to the puple, and seide, Ye schulen not crye, nethir youre vois schal be herd, nethir ony word schal go out of youre mouth, til the dai come, in which Y schal seie to you, Crye ye, and make ye noyse.
11 Therfor the arke of the Lord cumpasside the citee onys bi day, and turnede ayen in to the castels, and dwellide there.
12 Therfor while Josue roos bi nyyt, preestis tooken the arke of the Lord;
13 and seuene of the preestis token seuen clariouns, of whiche `the vss is in iubilee, and yeden bifor the arke of the Lord, `and yeden, and trumpiden; and the puple yede armed bifor hem. Sotheli the tother comyn puple suede the arke, and sownede with clariouns.
14 And thei cumpassiden the citee in the secunde dai onys, and turneden ayen in to the castels; so thei dyden in sixe daies.
15 Sotheli in the seuenthe dai thei risiden eerli, and cumpassiden the citee, as it was disposid, seuen sithis.
16 And whanne in the seuenthe cumpas preestis sowneden with clariouns, Josue seide to al Israel, Crie ye, for the Lord hath bitake the citee to vs;
17 and this citee be cursid, ethir distried, and alle thingis that ben therynne be halewid to the Lord. Raab the hoor aloone lyue, with alle men that ben with hir in the hows; for sche hidde the messangeris whiche we senten.
18 Forsothe be ye war, lest ye touchen ony thing of these that ben comaundid to you, and ye ben gilti of trespassyng; and alle the castels of Israel be vndur synne, and be troblid.
19 Sotheli what euer thing is of gold, and of siluer, and of brasun vessels, and of yrun, be halewid to the Lord, and be kept in hise tresoris.
20 Therfor while al the puple criede, and the trumpis sowneden, aftir that the sowne sownede in the eeris of the multitude, the walles felden doun anoon; and ech man stiede bi the place that was ayens hym. And thei token the citee,
21 and killiden alle thingis that weren therynne, fro man `til to womman, fro yong child `til to eld man; also thei smytiden bi the scharpnesse of swerd, oxun, and scheep, and assis.
22 Forsothe Josue seide to twei men, that weren sent aspieris, Entre ye in to the hows of the womman hoore, and brynge ye forth hir, and alle thingis that ben herne, as ye maden stedfast to hir bi an ooth.
23 And the yonge men entriden, and ledden out Raab, and her fadir, and modir, and britheren, and al the purtenaunce of houshold, and the kynrede `of hir; and maden to dwelle without the castels of Israel.
24 Sotheli thei brenten the citee, and alle thingis that weren foundun therynne, without gold, and siluer, and brasun vesselis, and yrun, which thei halewiden in to the `treserie of the Lord.
25 Sotheli Josue made Raab the hoore to lyue, and `the hows of hir fadir, and alle thingis that sche hadde; and thei dwelliden in the myddis of Israel, `til in to present dai; for sche hidde the messangeris, whiche he sente to asspie Jerico. In that tyme Josue preiede hertli,
26 and seide, Cursid bifor the Lord be the man, that reisith and bildith the citee of Jerico! Leie he the foundementis therof in his firste gendrid sone, and putte he the yatis therof in the laste of fre children.
27 Therfor the Lord was with Josue, and his name was pupplischid in ech lond.