The Old Testament - The Middle Books - The New Testament with the Prophets

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God's Truth To Us

 

 

The Book of Josua

or Joshua

 

Chapters 1-7 | 8-12 | 13-20 | 21-end | Next Book


 

The 1st Chapter

      After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord: the Lord spake unto Josua the son of Nun Moses minister saying: Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore up and go over Jordan, both thou and all this people, unto the land the which I give unto the children of Israel. All the places that the soles of your feet shall tread upon, have I given you, as I said unto Moses: from the wilderness and this Libanon unto the great river Euphrates: and all the land of the Hethites, even unto the great sea toward the going down of the *son, shall be your coasts. There shall not a man be able to withstand thee all the days of thy life. For as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee and will neither leave thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and bold: for unto this people shalt thou divide the land which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
      Above all thing be strong and harden thyself, to observe and to do, according to all the laws which Moses my servant commanded thee. Turn therefrom neither to the right hand, nor to the left: that thou mayest have understanding in all thou takest in hand. Let not the book of this law depart out of thy mouth: but record therein day and night that thou mayest be circumspect to do according to all that is written therein. For then shalt thou make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have understanding. Behold, I have said unto thee, be strong and bold: neither fear, nor dread. For the Lord thy God is with thee whither so ever thou goest.
      Then Josua commanded the officers of the people saying, Go through the midst of the host, and command the people saying, prepare you victuals: for after three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go and enjoy the land which the Lord your God giveth you, to possess it.
      And unto the Rubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasses spake Josua saying: Remember that which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you saying: the Lord your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land. Let your wives, your children and your cattle remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan: But go ye before your brethren Armed, all that be men of war, and help them until the Lord hath given your brethren rest, as he hath you, and until they also have obtained, the land which the Lord your God giveth them. And then return unto the land of your possession and enjoy it, which land Moses the Lords servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the *son rising. And they answered Josua saying: All that thou biddest us, we will do, and whither so ever thou sendest us, we will go. According as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey thee, only the Lord thy God be with thee as he was with Moses. And whosoever disobey thy mouth, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, let him die: Only be strong and of good courage.

 

*son exact spelling sonne, elsewhere in the text sun is spelled sunne.

 

 

 

The 2nd Chapter

      Then Josua the son of Nun sent out of Settim two spies secretly saying: go and view the land and also Jericho. And they went, and came unto a harlots house named Rahab, and lodged there. And it was told the King of Jericho saying: Behold there came men in hither tonight, of the children of Israel, to spy out the country. And the King of Jericho sent unto Rahab saying: bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the land.
      And the woman took the two men and hid them. And said, indeed there came men unto me but I know not whence they were. And about the time of the shutting of the gate when it was dark, they went out, whither they went I know not: but follow after them quickly and ye shall take them. And she brought them up upon the roof of the house, and hid them under flax (yet in the stalks) which she had lying abroad upon the roof. And the men pursued after them, the way to Jordan even unto the passage, and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gates immediately.
      And or ever they were asleep, she came up unto them upon the roof, and said unto the men: I know that the Lord hath given you the land, both because that the fear of you is fallen upon us, and because that the inhabiters of the land faint at your coming. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the *redd sea before you, when you came out of Egypt, and what you did unto the two kings of the Amorites on the other side Jordan Sehon, and Og, which ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did faint. And there remained no more courage in any man for fear of your coming. For the Lord your God, he is the God in heaven above: and on the earth beneath.
      Now therefore swear unto me by the Lord because I have showed you mercy, that ye shall also show mercy unto my fathers house and give me a true token. And that ye shall save alive, both my father, and my mother, my brethren and my sisters, and all that pertain unto them. And that ye shall deliver our souls from death.
      And the men answered her, our lives for you to die, if you utter not this our communication. And so when the Lord hath given us the land, we will deal Mercifully and truly with thee. And then she let them down with a cord through the window. For her house stood in the town wall. And she dwelt in the town wall. And she said unto them, get you into the mountains, lest the followers meet you, and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned, and then may ye go your ways.
      And the men said unto her, we will be blameless of thy oath, which thou hast made us swear. Behold, when we come unto the land, thou shalt bind this purple threaded cord in the window, which thou lettest us down by. And thou shalt bring thy father, thy mother, thy brethren, and all thy fathers household, even into the house to thee. And then whosoever go out at the doors of thy house, into the street, his blood shall be upon his own head, and we guiltless. And whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood be upon our heads if any mans hand be upon him: And even so if thou utter these our words, we will be quit of thy oath which thou hast made us swear. And she said according unto your words so be it: and so sent them away, and they departed. And she bound the purple cord in the window.
      And they departed and got them into the mountains, and there abode three days until the pursuers were returned. And the pursuers sought throughout all the way and found them not. And the two men returned and descended from the mountain and passed over, and came to Josua the son of Nun, and told him all that had chanced them. And they said unto Josua the Lord hath delivered into our hands all the land, for all the inhabiters of the country faint for fear of us.

 

*redd: exact spelling ; old English meaning to clean up, clear out , rescue to save, save from burning, to free from or out of , to put in order, to bring out from disorder.

 

 

 

The 3rd Chapter

      And Josua rose early: And they removed from Settim, and came to Jordan, both he and all the children of Israel, and sojourned there before they went over. And after three days the officers went throughout the host, and commanded the people saying: when ye see the ark of the testament Lord your God, and the priests that are Levites bearing it: then depart ye from your places and follow after it. So yet that there be a space between you and it, about a *two thousand cubits by measure. And come not nigh unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not gone by it in times past. And Josua said unto the people, purify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord shall show wonders among you.
      Then Josua spake unto the priests saying: Take up the ark of the testament, and go before the people. And they took up the ark of the testament, and went before the people.
      And the Lord said unto Josua: this day will I begin to magnify thee, in the sight of`all Israel, that they may know how that as I was with Moses, so will I be with thee. And command thou the priests that bear the ark of the testament, saying: when ye are entered a little into the water of Jordan then stand still in it.
      Then spake Josua to the children of Israel, saying: come hither and hear the words of the Lord your God. And Josua said: Hereby ye shall know, that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail cast out before you, the Cananites, the Hethites, the Hevites, the Pheresites, the Gergesites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. Behold, the ark of the appointment of the Lord of all the world shall go before you into Jordan. And now take you twelve men of the children of Israel, of every tribe a man. And as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of Jehovah (the Lord of all the world) tread in the water of Jordan, the water of Jordan shall divide itself and the waters that cometh from above shall stand still upon an heap. And when the people were departed from their tents to go over Jordan, (the priests bearing the ark of the appointment before the people) as soon as they that bare the ark came unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water. Jordan being full over all his banks all the time of harvest: the water that came down from above did stop and stood upon an heap, a great way from Adam, a city beside Zarethan. And the water that went down vanished into the sea of the wilderness called the salt sea as soon as it was divided: and the people went right over against Jericho. And the priests that bare the ark of the appointment of the Lord stood still upon dry land, until all the people were clean over Jordan.

 

(3000'; cubit = about 18") Yet if the cubit was of the measurement of giants it would be much larger; for the measurement is commonly refered to as the length from finger tip to elbow.

 

 

 

The 4th Chapter

     And as soon as the people were all gone over Jordan, the Lord spake unto Josua saying: Take you twelve men out of the people, of every tribe a man. And command you them saying: take you hence out of the midst of Jordan even out of the place where the priests stood in a readiness, twelve stones. And take ye them away with you and put them in the place where you lodge at night. And Josua called unto the twelve men which he had prepared of the children of Israel, of every tribe a man, and said unto them: get you before the ark of the Lord your God even into the midst of Jordan, and take up every man a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, that this may be a sign among you. And when your children ask their fathers in time to come saying: what mean ye with these stones? then say unto them, how that the water of Jordan divided at the presence of the ark of the appointment of the Lord: even while it went over Jordan, the water of Jordan divided. And these stones shall be a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.
      And the children of Israel did even so as Josua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the Lord said unto Josua according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them away with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. And thereto Josua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the testament stood.
      And there they be even unto this day. For the priests that bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until all was finished that the Lord commanded Josua to say unto the people, according to all that Moses charged Josua. And the people hasted and went over. When all the people were clean over, then went over the ark of the Lord, and also the priests before the people. And the children of Ruben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasses went before the children of Israel armed, as Moses charged them. Upon a forty thousand trimmed for war, went before the Lord unto battle, even unto the wild fields of Jericho. That day the Lord magnified Josua in the sight of all Israel and they feared him, as they feared Moses all the days of his life.
      And the Lord spake unto Josua saying: command the priests that bear the ark of witness to come up out of Jordan. And Josua commanded the priests saying: Ascend up out of Jordan. And when the priests that bare the ark of the appointment of the Lord were ascended out of Jordan: as soon as the soles of the priests feet were brought to dry land, the water of Jordan returned again to his place and went over all his banks as he did before. And the people came up out of Jordan the tenth day of the first month and pitched in Galgall even in the east borders of Jericho.
      And the twelve stones which they took out of Jordan, Josua pitched in Galgall. And he spake unto the children of Israel saying: when your children ask you in time to come saying: what mean these stones? show your children and say: Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. For the Lord your God dried up the water of Jordan before you, until ye were over, as the Lord your God did unto the red sea, which he dried up before us till we were over, that all the people of the world may know the hand of the Lord how mighty it is, and that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever.

 

 

 

The 5th Chapter

      And when all the kings of the Amorites which are on this side Jordan to the seaward, and all the kings of the Cananites which lie on the sea heard, how the Lord had dried up the water of Jordan before the children of Israel, until they were over, their hearts fainted in them. And there was no spirit in them any more, for fear of the coming of the children of Israel. That same time the Lord said unto Josua: Make thee knives of stone, and go to again and circumcise the children of Israel the second time. And Josua made him knives of stone and circumcised the children of Israel in the hill of foreskins. And this is the cause why Josua circumcised. All the people that came out of Egypt that were males, all that were men of war, died in the wilderness by the way after they came out of Egypt. Now all the people that came out were circumcised. But all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way after they came out of Egypt, they circumcised not. For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people of men of war that came out of Egypt were consumed, which hearkened not unto the voice of God, so that the Lord sware, that he would not show them the land which the Lord sware unto their fathers, that he would give us, even a land that floweth with milk and honey. And their children he set up in their stead: them Josua circumcised: for they were uncircumcised, because they circumcised them not by the way.
      And when all the people were full circumcised, they abode still in their places in the host till they were whole. And the Lord said unto Josua, this day I have taken away the shame of Egypt from you: and called the name of the same place Galgall unto this day. And the children of Israel pitched their tents in Galgall, and held the feast of passover the fourteenth day of the month at even in the fields of Jericho. And they ate of the corn of the land on the morrow after passover, sweet cakes and parched corn in the selfsame day. And Manna ceased on the morrow, after they had eaten of the corn of the land, neither had the children of Israel Manna any more, but did eat of the fruits of the land of Canaan that year.
      And when Josua was come to Jericho, he lift up his eyes and looked: and behold there stood a man before him with his sword drawn in his hand. And Josua went unto him and said unto him, art thou on our side or on our adversaries? And he answered, Nay, but I am the captain of the host of the Lord and am now come. And Josua fell on his face to the earth and did reverence, and said unto him, what saith my Lord unto his servant. And the captain of the Lords host said unto Josua: do thy shoes off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Josua did so.

 

 

 

The 6th Chapter

      And Jericho shut in her people, and was shut for fear of the children of Israel, so that no man went out or in. And the Lord said into Josua: behold, I have given into thine hand, Jericho and her king and the men of war. And ye shall compass the city, all that be men of war, and go round about it once: and so shall you do six days. And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams horns before the ark. And the seventh day, ye shall compass the city seven times and the priests shall blow with their trumpets. And when there is a long blast blown with the rams horn, as soon as ye hear the sound of the horn, let all the people shout a mighty shout. And then shall the walls of the city fall down, and the people shall ascend up, every man straight before him. And Josua the son of Nun, called unto the priests and said unto them: take up the ark of the appointment, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams horns before the ark of the Lord. And he said unto the people, go and compass the city: And let the men of arms go before the ark of the Lord. And when Josua had spoken unto the people, the seven priests that bare the seven trumpets of rams horns before the ark of the Lord, went forth and blew with the horns, and the ark of the testament of the Lord followed after them. And the men of arms went before the priests that blew with the horns, and the common people came after the ark: and as they went, they blew with the horns. And Josua commanded the people saying, shout not nor let your voice be heard, or any word proceed out of your mouths, until the day I bid you shout: and then shout.
       And so the ark of the Lord compassed the city and went about it once: and then they returned unto the host and lodged there. And Josua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord, and seven priests bare seven trumpets of rams horns before the ark of the Lord, and as they went, blew with the horns. And the men of arms went before them, and the common people came after the ark of the Lord: and as they went, they blew with the horns. And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned again into the host, and so they did six days long.
      And the seventh day they rose early: even with the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only that they compassed the city seven times.
      And at the seventh time, the priests blew with the horns, and Josua said unto the people, shout for the Lord hath given you the city. But the city shall be excommunicate, both it and all that is therin, unto the Lord: only Rahab the harlot shall live, both she and all that is with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. And in any wise beware of the excommunicate things, lest ye make yourselves excommunicate. For if you take of the excommunicate things, so shall you make the host of Israel excommunicate and shall trouble it. But of the silver, gold, vessels of brass and iron shall be holy unto the Lord and shall go into his treasury.
      And the people cried, and blew with horns: for when the people heard the sound of the horns, they shouted a great shout: and the walls fell down, and the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and took the city. And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, ox, sheep and Ass, with the edge of the sword.
      Then Josua said to the two men that went to spy out the country: go into the harlots house, and bring out thence, both the woman and all that pertaineth to her, as ye sware to her. And the young men that were spies went in and brought out Rahab, and her father, and mother, and all the brethren and all that she had. And they brought out all her household and put them without the host of Israel.
      And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therin. Only the silver, the gold, and the things of brass and iron they put unto the treasure of the house of the Lord. And Josua saved Rahab the harlot, and her fathers household and all that pertained unto her, and she dwelt in Israel, even unto this day, because she hid the messengers which Josua sent to spy out Jericho.
       And Josua cursed at that time, saying, cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: so that he lay the foundation with the death of his eldest son, and with the death of his youngest set up the gates. And the Lord was with Josua, and his fame was heard, throughout all lands.

 

 

 

The 7th Chapter

      But yet the children of Israel trespassed in the excommunicate things: for Acan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zareh of the tribe of Juda, took of the excommunicate things. And the wrath of the Lord waxed hot against the children of Israel.
      Then Josua sent men from Jericho to Ai which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them saying, get you up and view the country. And the men went up and spied out Ai. And returned unto Josua and said unto him, let not all the people go up, but let as it were a two or three thousand men go up and destroy Ai, and make not all the people to labor thither, for they are but few.
      And so there went up thither about a three thousand men, which fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai smote of them upon a thirty and six men, and chased them before the gates even unto Gabarim, and smote them in the going down. And the hearts of the people were discouraged and melted like water. And Josua rent his clothes and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until the eventide, both he and the elders of Israel, and put earth upon their heads.
      And Josua said, Ah, Lord Jehovah, wherefore hast thou brought this people over Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us: would to God we had adventured and dwelt on the other side Jordan. Oh Lord what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies: Moreover the Cananites, and all the inhabiters of the land shall hear of it, and shall come about us and destroy the name of us out of the world. And then what wilt thou do unto thy mighty name?
      And the Lord said unto Josua, get thee up, wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned and also transgressed mine appointment, which I commanded them, and have taken of the excommunicate things, and have stolen and hid them, and also put them unto their own stuff: And therefore the children of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They shall turn their backs before their enemies, because they be excommunicate. Neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the excommunicate from among you.
      Up and sanctify the people and bid them to sanctify themselves against the morrow: for so saith the Lord God of Israel, the excommunication is among you Israel, and therefore ye cannot stand before your enemies, until ye have put the excommunication from among you. Tomorrow morning ye shall come by your tribes. And the tribe which the Lord shall find guilty, shall come by kindreds. And the kindred which the Lord shall find guilty, shall come by households. And the household which the Lord shall find faulty, shall come man by man. And he that is found in the excommunication shall be burnt with fire, both he and all that pertaineth unto him, because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.
      And so Josua rose up early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes: and the tribe of Juda was caught. Then he brought the kindreds of Juda, and found the kindred of the Zarehites guilty. And he brought the kindred of the Zarehites by householders, and Zabdi was caught. And he brought his household man by man, and Acan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zareh in the tribe of Judah was caught.
      And Josua said unto Acan: my son, give glory to the Lord God of Israel, and give him praise, and shew me what thou hast done, and hide it not from me. And Acan answered Josua and said: of a truth I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and so and so have I done. I saw among the spoil a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred sickles of silver, and a tongue of gold of fifty sickles weight: and I coveted them, and I took them. And behold they lie hid in the earth in my tent and the silver thereunder.
      And then Josua sent messengers which ran unto the tent. And behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver thereunder. And they took them out of the midst of his tent and brought them unto Josua and unto all the children of Israel, and poured them out before the Lord.
      And Josua took Acan the son of Zareh, and the silver, and the garment, and the tongue of gold, and his sons and his daughters, his oxen, asses, sheep, his tent and all that he had, and all Israel with him, and brought them unto the valley of Acor.
      And Josua said: Inasmuch as thou hast troubled us: the Lord shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burnt them with fire, and overwhelmed them with stones. And they cast upon him a great heap of stones that remaineth unto this day. And so the Lord turned from his fierce wrath. Wherefore the name of the place is called the valley of Acor unto this day.

 

Chapters 1-7 | 8-12 | 13-20 | 21-end | Next Book


 

The Old Testament - The Middle Books - The New Testament with the Prophets

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