Content

CAP 7
1 Forsothe the sones of Israel braken `the comaundement, and mystoken of the halewid thing; for Achar, the son of Charmy, sone of Zabdi, sone of Zare, of the lynage of Juda, toke sum thing of the halewid thing; and the Lord was wrooth ayens the sones of Israel.
2 And whanne Josue sente men fro Jerico ayens Hai, which is bisidis Bethauen, at the eest coost of the citee Bethel, he seide to hem, Stie ye, and aspie ye the lond. Whiche filliden `the comaundementis, and aspieden Hay;
3 and thei turneden ayen, and seiden to hym, `Not al the puple stie, but twey ether thre thousynde of men go, and do awei the citee; whi schal al the puple be trauelid in veyn ayens feweste enemyes?
4 Therfor thre thousynde of fiyteris stieden, whiche turneden the backis anoon,
5 and weren smytun of the men of Hay; and sixe and thretti men of hem `felden doun; and aduersaries pursueden hem fro the yate til to Saberym; and thei felden doun fleynge bi lowe places. And the herte of the puple dredde, and was maad vnstidefast at the licnesse of watir.
6 Sotheli Josue torente hise clothis, and felde lowe to the erthe bifor the arke of the Lord, `til to euentid, as wel he, as alle the elde men of Israel; and thei castiden powdir on her heedis.
7 And Josue seide, Alas! alas! Lord God, what woldist thou lede this puple ouer the flood Jordan, that thou schuldist bitake vs in the hond of Ammorrey, and schulde leese vs? Y wolde, that as we bygunnen, we hadden dwellid biyondis Jordan.
8 My Lord God, what schal Y seie, seynge Israel turnynge the backis to hise enemyes?
9 Cananeys, and alle dwelleris of the lond schulen here, and thei schulen be gaderid togidere, and schulen cumpas vs, and schulen do awei oure name fro erthe; and what schalt thou do to thi grete name?
10 And the Lord seide to Josue, Rise thou; whi liggist thou low in the erthe?
11 Israel synnede, and brak my couenaunt; and thei token of the halewid thing, and thei han stole, and lieden, and hidden among her vessels.
12 And Israel may not stonde bifore hise enemyes, and Israel schal fle hem, for it is defoulid with cursyng; Y schal no more be with you, til ye al to breke hym which is gilti of this trespas.
13 Rise thou, halewe the puple, and seie thou to hem, Be ye halewid ayens to morewe; for the Lord God of Israel seith these thingis, A! Israel! cursyng is in the myddis of thee; thou schalt not mowe stonde bifor thin enemyes, til he that is defoulyd bi this trespas, be doon awei fro thee.
14 And ye schulen come eerli, alle men bi youre lynagis; and whateuer lynage the lot schal fynde, it schal come bi hise meynees; and the meynee schal come bi housis, and the hous schal come bi men.
15 And whoeuer schal be takun with this trespas, he schal be brent bi fier with al his catel, for he brak the couenaunt of the Lord, and dide vnleueful thing in Israel.
16 Therfor Josue roos eerly, and settide in ordre Israel, bi hise lynagis; and the lynage of Juda was foundun;
17 and whanne that lynage was brouyt forth bi hise meynees, the meyne of Zare was foundun. And Josue brouyte forth it bi men, ethir housis, and foond Zabdi;
18 whos hows he departide in to alle men bi hemsilf; and he foond Achar, the sone of Charmy, sone of Zabdi, sone of Zare, of the lynage of Juda.
19 And he seide to Achar, My sone, yyue thou glorie to the Lord God of Israel, and knowleche thou, and schew to me what thou hast do; hide thou not.
20 And Achar answeryde to Josue, and seide to hym, Verily, Y synnede bifor the Lord God of Israel, and Y dide `so and so;
21 for among the spuylis Y siy a reed mentil ful good, and two hundrid siclis of siluer, and a goldun reule of fifti siclis; and Y coueytide, and took awei, and hidde in the erthe, ayens the myddis of my tabernacle; and Y hilide the siluer with erthe doluun.
22 Therfor Josue sente mynystris, whyche runnen to his tabernacle, and foundun alle thingis hid in the same place, and the siluer togidere; and thei token awei fro the tente,
23 and brouyten `tho thingis to Josue, and to alle the sones of Israel; and thei castiden forth bifor the Lord.
24 Therfor Josue took Achar, the sone of Zare, and the siluer, and the mentil, and the goldun reule, and hise sones, and douytris, oxun, assis, and scheep, and the tabernacle `it silf, and al the purtenaunce of household, and al Israel with Josue; and thei ledden hem to the valei of Achar;
25 where Josue seide, For thou disturblidist vs, the Lord schal disturble thee in this dai. And al Israel stonyde hym; and alle thingis that weren hise, weren wastid bi fier.
26 And thei gaderiden on hym a greet heep of stoonys, whiche dwellen til in to present day. And the strong veniaunce of the Lord was turned awei fro hem; and the name of that place was clepid the valey of Achar `til to day.