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

CAP. XX.

[verse 1] If thow gost out to batail aȝens thin enemyes, and seest rydinge, and charys, and more multitude of the aduersarye oost than thow hast, thow shalt not drede hem; for the Lord thi God is with thee, that hath lad thee out of the loond of Egipt. [verse 2] And neyȝinge now batayl, the preest shal stoond bifore the poynt, and [verse 3] thus he shal spek to the puple, Here, Yrael, ȝe to day aȝens ȝoure enemyes doon fiȝt; drede not ȝoure herte, wol ȝe not be feerd; wole ȝe not ȝyue sted, ne drede [verse 4] ȝe hem; for the Lord ȝoure God is in the myddil of ȝow, and for ȝow aȝens the ad|uersaryes `shal fiȝt [he fyȝteth E pr. m.] , that he delyuer ȝow fro perel [perels A sec. m.] . [verse 5] The [of F.] leders forsothe bi alle companyes, herynge the oost, shal crye, Who is the man that hath bild a newe hows, and hath not parformed it? goo he, and turne he aȝen into his hows, lest perauenture he dye in the [Om. C.] bateyl, and another parfourme it. [verse 6] Who is that [the E.] man that hath plauntid a vyn, and ȝit not hath maad it comoun, and of the which it is leeueful to alle men to eete? go he, and turn he aȝen into his hows, lest perauen|ture he dye in bateil, and another man his office vse. [verse 7] Who is a man that hath spousid a wijf, and hath not taak hir? goo he, and turn he aȝen into his hows, lest perauenture he dye in bateil [the bateil F sec. m.] , and another man take hir. [verse 8] Thes thingis seid, thei [he E pr. m.] shulen adde other thinges, and spek to the puple, Who is a man dreedful, and

with feerd herte? goo he, and turn aȝen into his hows, lest he make to [Om. E pr. m.] drede the hertis of his britheren, and [Om. E pr. m.] as he by dreed is gast. [verse 9] And whanne the duykis of the oost ben stil, and the eende of spekynge han doon, echon [eche C.] his companyes shal make redi to fiȝtynge [fiȝte C.] . [verse 10] If eny tyme thow comest nyȝ to a citee to be ouer|comen, first thow shalt offre to it pees. [verse 11] If he resseyue, and open to thee the ȝatis, al the puple that is in it shal be saued, and shal serue to thee vndur tribute. [verse 12] Forsothe if thei [he E pr. m.] wolen not make coue|naunt of pees, and bigynnen aȝens thee batayl, thow shalt fiȝt aȝens it. [verse 13] And whanne the Lord thi God hath take it to thee in thin hoond, thow shalt smyit al that is in it of maal kynde in mouth of [verse 14] the [Om. C.] swerd, with outen wymmen, and litil children, and beestis, and other that ben in the cytee. Al the praye thow shalt dyuyde to the oost, and thou shalt eete of the spuyles of thin enemyes, that the Lord thi God hath ȝeue to thee. [verse 15] Thus thow shalt doo to alle cytees, that fro thee ben ful fer, and ben not of thes cytees that thow art to take into posses|syoun. [verse 16] Forsothe of thes cytees that shal be ȝeue to thee, no man thow shalt suffre [verse 17] to lyue, but thow shalt slee in the mouth of swerd; Ethee, that is, and Amorre, and Chananee, and Phereze, Eue, and Jebusee, as the Lord thi God hath co|maundid [verse 18] to thee; lest perauenture thei techen ȝow to doon alle abhomynacyouns, that thei han wrouȝt to her goddis, and ȝe synnen aȝens the Lord ȝoure God. [verse 19] Whanne thow besegist a citee myche tyme, and with waardis enuyrounnyst that thow ouercome it, thow shalt not kyt down trees, of the [Om. C.] whiche may be eeten, ne bi enuyroun with axes thow shalt waast the regioun; for a tree it is

and no man, ne yt may encrees the noumbre of men fiȝtynge aȝens thee. [verse 20] Forsothe if eny trees ben [bet B. beth DEFH.] not berynge applis, but wijlde, and able into other vses, kit doun, and mak engynes, to the tyme that thow taak the cytee that fiȝtith aȝens thee.