¶ The Lorde courageth Iosue to inuade the lande or promysse, and commaundeth him contynually to reade deuteronomye.
CAPI. I.
[ A] AFter the deth of Mo¦ses the seruaunte of the Lorde: the Lorde spake vnto Iosua the sonne of Nun, Moses seruaunt, saying: Moses my ser∣uaunt is deed. Nowe therfore aryse & go ouer Iordan, bothe thou and all this people vnto the lande whiche I gyue vn to the chyldren of Israel.* 1.1 All the places that the soles of your fete shall trede on, haue I gyuen you, as I said vnto Moses: from the wyldernesse & Libanon, vnto the great ryuer Euphrates: and all the land of the Hethites euen vnto the greate see towarde the goynge downe of the sonne, shall be youre boundes. [ B] There shall not a man be hable to withstande the, all the dayes of thy lyfe.* 1.2 For as I was with Moses, so wyll I be with the* 1.3 and wyl neyther leaue the, nor forsake the* 1.4 Be strong and bold: for vnto this people shalt thou dis∣pose the land by lot, which I sware vnto their fathers to gyue them.
Be stronge, and harden thy selfe to obserue and to do, accordynge to all the lawes which Moses my seruaunte commaunded the.* 1.5 Tourne from them neyther to the ryght hand nor left: that thou mayst haue vnderstanding in all thou takest in hande,* 1.6 let not the boke [ C] of this lawe departe out of thy mouthe: But studye therin daye and nyght,* 1.7 that thou mayst perfourme and kepe al that is wrytten therin. For then shalte thou make thy waye prospe∣rous, and then thou shalte haue vnderstan∣dyng. Beholde, I haue sayd vnto the, be strong and bolde: neyther feare nor dreade. For the Lorde thy God is with the, whyther so euer thou goest.
Then Iosua commaunded the offycers of the people, sayinge. Go thorowe the myddes of the hoste, and commaunde the people, say∣i••••, prepare you vitayles: for after thre dayes ye shall passe ouer this Iordan, to go and en∣ioye the lande, which the Lorde your God gy∣ueth you to possesse it.
And vnto the Rubenites, Gadites, and halfe the trybe of Manasses spake Iosua, say∣inge: Remembre that, whiche Moses the ser¦uaunt of the Lorde commaunded you sayinge. the Lorde your God hath gyuen you rest, and all this lande. Let your wyues, your chyldren and your catell remayne in the lande whiche [ D] Moses gaue you on this syde Iordan: But go ye before your brethren armed, all that be men of warre, and fyghte for them, tyll the Lorde haue gyuen your brethren reste, as he hathe you, and tyll they also haue obteyned the lande which the Lorde your God gyueth them. And then retourne vnto the lande of youre possession and enioye it,* 1.8 whiche Moses the Lordes seruaunte gaue you on this syde Iordan, towarde the sonne rysynge. And they answered Iosua, sayinge:* 1.9 All that thou byddest vs we wyll doo, and whyther so euer thou sendest vs, we wyll go. Accordyng as we obeyed Moses in all thynges, so we wyll obeye the. Onely the Lorde thy God be with the, as he was with Moses. And who so euer disobeye thy mouthe, and wyll not her∣ken vnto thy wordes in all thou commaundest hym, lette him dye. Onely be stronge and of good courage.