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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Chapters 1-7
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8-12 |
13-20 |
21-end |
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