The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. IX.

[verse 1] And whanne these thingis weren herd, alle the kyngis biȝende Jordan, that lyued|en [dwelten I.] in the [Om. I.] hilly places, and in `the feeldi [playn I.] places, in the [Om. I.] coostis of the see, and in the brynke of the greet see, and thei that dwellen [dwelten I.] bisidis Liban, Ethei, and Ammor|rei, Cananei, and Feresey, Euey, and Je|busey, [verse 2] weren gaderid togidere to fiȝte aȝens Josue and Israel, with o wille, and the [with the I.] same sentence [acoord I.] . [verse 3] And thei that dwelten [dwellen AEFLNP.] in Gabaon, herden alle thingis [the thingis I.] whiche [that I.] Josue hadde do to Jerico, and to Hay; [verse 4] and thei thouȝten felli, and token [thei token I.] to hem silf [Om. I.] metis, and puttyden [thei puttiden I.] elde sackis on assis, and wyn botels brokun and sewid [pacchid I.] , [verse 5] and ful elde schoon, whiche [the whiche I.] weren sewid togidere with patchis [oolde patchis K.] , to `the schewyng of eldenesse [schewe her oldenesse I.] ; and thei [these men I.] weren clothid with elde [ful olde I.] clothis; also looues [the looues I.] , whiche thei baren for lijflode in the weie, weren harde and brokun in to [Om. C.] gobetis. [verse 6] And thei ȝeden to Josue, that dwellide thanne in tentis in Galgala; and thei seiden to hym, and to al Israel togidere, We comen [camen I.] fro a fer

lond, and coueyten [we coueyten I.] to make pees with ȝou. And the men of Israel answeriden [verse 7] to hem, and seiden [seiden to hem C.] , Lest perauenture ȝe dwellen in the lond, which [that I.] is due to vs bi eritage, and we moun not make bond of pees with ȝou. [verse 8] And thei seiden to Josue, We ben thi seruauntis. To whiche [whom I.] Josue seide, What men ben ȝe, and fro whennus camen ȝe? [verse 9] Thei answeriden, Thi ser|uauntis camen fro a ful fer lond in the name of thi Lord God, for we herden [han herd I.] the fame of his power, alle [and alle IS.] thingis whiche [verse 10] he dide in Egipt, and to twei [the two I.] kyngis of Ammorreis biȝendis Jordan; to Seon king [the king I.] of Esebon, and to Og kyng [the kyng I.] of Basan, that weren in Astroth. [verse 11] And the eldere men and alle the dwelleris of oure lond seiden to vs, Take ȝe metis in ȝoure hondis, for lengeste [the ful long I.] weie; and go ȝe to hem, and seie ȝe, We ben ȝoure seruauntis; make ȝe boond of pees with vs. [verse 12] And we token hoote looues, whanne we ȝeden out of oure housis to come to ȝou; now tho [thei I.] ben maad [verse 13] drye and brokun, for greet eldenesse [eelde I.] ; we filliden newe botels of wyn; now tho [thei I.] ben brokun and vndoon [vnsewid I.] ; the clothis and schoon, with whiche we ben clothid, and whiche we han `in the [on oure I.] feet, ben brokun [to broke I.] and almost [wel nyȝ I.] wastid, fro the lengthe of lengere [long I.] weie. [verse 14] Therfor [Thanne I.] `the sones of Is|rael [thei I.] token of the [Om. CI.] metis of hem [these men I.] , and thei axiden not `the mouth [counseil I.] of the Lord. [verse 15] And Josue made pees with hem. And whanne the boond of pees was maad, he [Josue I.] bihiȝte, that thei schulden not be slayn; and the princes of the multitude sworen to hem. [verse 16] Forsothe [And I.] aftir thre daies of the boond of pees maad, thei [the men of Israel I.] herden, that thei [tho men I.] dwell|iden in nyȝ place, and that thei schulden be [be soon I.] among hem [tho men I.] . [verse 17] And the sones of Israel mouyden tentis [her tentis I.] , and camen [thei camen I.] in the thridde dai in to the citees of hem [tho men I.] , of whiche citees these ben the names; Gabaon, and

Caphira, and [Om. I.] Beroth, and Cariathiarym. [verse 18] And thei [Israel I.] smytiden [destriede I.] not hem, for the princis of the multitude hadden swore to hem in the name of the Lord God of Is|rael. Therfor al the comyn puple grutch|ide [verse 19] aȝens the princis [puple EFGMNOPUX.] of Israel; whiche [and the princis I.] answeriden to hem, We sworen to hem in the name of the Lord God of Israel, and [verse 20] therfor we moun not touche hem; but we schulen do this thing to hem, sotheli [Om. I.] be thei reserued [kept I.] that thei lyue, lest the ire of the Lord be stirid aȝens vs, if we for|sweren [forsweren us DGIKMNOQSX.] [verse 21] to hem; but so lyue thei, that thei hewe trees, and bere watris, in to the vsis of al the multitude. And while thei [verse 22] spaken these thingis, Josue clepide Ga|bonytis [the men of Gabaon.] , and seide to hem, Whi wolden ȝe disseyue vs bi fraude, `that ȝe seiden [for to sey I.] , We dwellen ful fer fro ȝou, sithen ȝe ben [ben dwellinge I.] in the myddis of vs? [verse 23] Therfor ȝe schulen be `vndur cursyng [in thraldom I.] , and noon schal faile of ȝoure generacioun [lynage I.] , hewynge trees and berynge watris, in to the hows of my God. [verse 24] Whiche [The whiche I.] answeryden, It was told to vs thi seruauntis, that thi Lord God bihiȝte to Moises, his seruaunt, that he schulde bi|take to ȝou al the lond, and schulde [that he schulde I.] leese alle the dwelleris therof; therfor we dred|den greetli, and purueiden to oure lyues, and weren [we weren I.] compellid bi ȝoure drede, and we token this counsel. [verse 25] `Now forsothe [And now I.] we ben in `thin hond [thi power I.] ; do thou to vs that, that semeth riȝtful and good to thee. [verse 26] Therfor [Thanne I.] Josue dide, as he seide [bihiȝte hem I.] , and de|lyuerede [he delyuerede I.] hem fro the hondis of the sones of Israel, that thei schulden not be slayn. [verse 27] And in that dai Josue demyde hem to be in to the [Om. S.] seruyce of al the puple [puple of Israel I.] , and of the auter of the Lord, and to hewe trees, and to bere watris, `til in to present tyme [vn to the tyme that is now I.] , in the [that I.] place which the Lord hadde [hath I.] chose.