¶ The Lorde courageth Iosua to inuade the lande of promesse: and cōmaundeth hym contynually to rede Deuteronomium.
CAPI. Primo.
AFter the death of Moses [unspec A] the seruaunt of the lorde, it hap∣pened also that the Lorde spake vnto Iosua the Sonne of Nun, Moses minister saynge: Moses my seruaūt is deade. Nowe therfore vp and go ouer Ior∣dan: thou and all this people, vnto the lande the which I gyue vnto the chyldrē of Israel.
* 1.1 All the places that the sooles of youre feete shall treade vpon haue I gyuen you, as I sayde vnto Moses: from the wyldernesse and this Libanon vnto the great ryuer Eu∣phrates: all the lande of the Hethites, euen vnto the great see towarde the goyng downe of the sonne, shall be your cooste. There shal not a man be able to withstande the, all the dayes of thy lyfe. * 1.2 For as I was with Mo∣ses, so wyll I be with the * 1.3 and wyl not fayll the, nor forsake the. [unspec B]
* 1.4 Be stronge therfore and bolde: for vn∣to this people shalte thou deuyde the lande whiche I sware vnto theyr Fathers to gyue them. Onely be thou strong and as bolde as thou canst, that thou mayest obserue and do accordynge to all the lawe, which Moses my seruaunt cōmaunded the. * 1.5 Turne therfrom neyther to the ryght hande, nor to the lefte: that thou mayest do wysely in all thou takest in hande: * 1.6 let not the booke of this lawe de∣parte out of thy mouthe: But recorde therin daye and nyght that thou mayst obserue / & do accordynge to all that is wrytten therin.
For then shalte thou make thy waye pro∣sperous, [unspec C] & then thou shalte do wysely. Haue not I cōmaūded the to be stronge and bolde. and that thou shuldest not feare nor be faynt herted? For I the lorde thy god am with the, whyther so euer thou goest. Then Iosua cō∣maunded the officers of the people, sayenge: Go thorowe the myddes of the hoost, and cō∣maunde the people, sayenge: prepare you vi∣tayles: for after thre dayes ye shal passe ouer this Iordane, to go in and enioye the lande, whiche the Lorde youre God gyueth you, to possesse it. And vnto the Rubenites, Gadites and halfe the trybe of Manasses spake Io∣sua, saynge: * 1.7 Remember ☞ the word, which Moses the seruaunt of the Lorde cōmaūded you, sayenge: the Lorde youre God hath gy∣uen you rest, and hath gyuen you this lande.
Your wyues, youre Chyldren, and youre [unspec D] cattell shal remayne in the lande which Mo∣ses gaue you on this syde Iordane: But ye shall go before your brethren armed, all that be men of war, & helpe them vntyll the lorde haue gyuē your brethren rest, as he hath you, and vntyl they also haue obteyned the land, whiche the Lorde your God gyueth them.
And then shall ye returne vnto the lande of your possessyon and enioye it, whiche lande Moses the Lordes seruaūt gaue you on this syde Iordan towarde the sonne rysynge. And they answered Iosua, saynge: * 1.8 All that thou hast cōmaunded vs, we wyl do, and whyther soeuer thou sendest vs / we wyll go. Accor∣dynge as we obeyed Moses in all thynges, so wyll we obey the: onely the Lorde thy god be with the, as he was wt Moses. And whoso¦euer he be that doth dysobeye thy mouth, and wyll not herken vnto thy wordes, in all that thou cōmaundest hym, let hym dye: Only be stronge / and of good courage.