Joshua · Chapter 2

[ edit] Sente þanne Joſue, þe ſone of Nun, fro Sechym two men, aſpies in hidlis, and ſeide to hem, Gooþ, and biholdiþ þe loond, and þe cyte of Jerycho. Þe whiche goynge ȝeden into an hows of a womman ſtrumpet, Raab bi name, and þei reſtiden anentis hir. And it is told to þe kyng of Jerycho, and ſeid, Loo! men ben goon yn hyþir bi nyȝt, of þe ſones of Yrael, for to aſpye þe loond. And þe kyng of Jericho ſente to Raab þe ſtrumpet, ſeiynge, Bryng out þe men, þat camen to þee, and ben comen into þin hows; forſoþe aſpies þei ben, and al þe loond to bihold þei comen.

And þe womman takynge þe men hidde, and ſeiþ, Y knowleche, þat þei camen to me, but Y knewe not whens þei weren; and whanne þe ȝate was cloſid in derkneſſis, and þei togidrys ȝeden out, Y note whidir þei wenten; purſue ȝe anoon, and ȝe ſhulen atake hem. Forſoþe ſhe made þe men to ſtye vp into þe ſoler of hir hows, and couerde hem wiþ ſtuble of flaxe, þat was þere. Forſoþe þei, þat weren ſent, folweden hem bi þe weye þat lediþ to þe foordis of Jordan; and hem goon out, anoon þe ȝate was cloſid.

And not ȝit þei hadden ſlept, þat weren hid, and loo! þe womman ſtyede vp to hem, and ſeiþ, Y haue knowe þat þe Lord ſhal taak to ȝow þe loond; forſoþe ȝoure gaſtnes is faln into vs, and alle þe dwellers of þe loond ben abaſſhid. We han herd, þat þe Lord haþ dryed vp þe watres of þe Reed See at ȝoure incomynge, whanne ȝe weren goon out of Egipte; and what ȝe han doon to þe two kyngis of Amorreis, þat weren biȝonde Jordan, Seon and Og, þe whiche ȝe han ſlayn; and þes þingis herynge we dredden, and oure herte baſſhede, ne ſpiryt bood in vs at ȝoure yncomynge; forſoþe þe Lord ȝoure God he is God in heuene aboue, and in erþe byneþe.

Nowe þerfor ſwere ȝe to me bi þe Lord ȝoure God, þat what maner wiſe Y mercy haue doo wiþ ȝow, ſo and ȝe doo wiþ þe hows of my fader; and ȝife ȝe to me a verrey tokne, þat ȝe ſauen my fader and moder, and broþer, and my ſiſters, and alle þat of hem ben, and ȝe delyueren oure ſoulis fro deþ. Þe whiche anſwerden to hir, Oure ſoule be for ȝou into deþ, if neuerþelater þow bitraye vs not; and whanne þe Lord haþ taak to vs þe loond, we ſhulen do in þee merci and treuþ. She þanne lafte hem bi a coord out of a wyndowe; forſoþe þe hows of hir cleuede to þe wal.

And ſhe ſeide to hem, To þe mounteyns ſtye ȝe, leſt perauenture þei turnynge aȝens aȝens comen to ȝow; þere be ȝe hid þre days, to þe tyme þat þei turnen aȝen; and ſo ȝe ſhulen goo bi ȝoure weye.

Þe whiche ſeiden to hyr, Gyltles we ſhulen be fro þis ooþ, wiþ þe which þow haſt wiþ ooþ boundun vs, yf, we comynge into þe loond, þis reed litil coord were not a tokne, and þow byndiſt it in þe windowe, bi þe which þow haſt late vs go; and þi fader and moder, breþeren and al þi kynne þow gederiſt in þin hows; he þat þe dore of þin hows were goon out, þe blood of hym ſhal be into his heed, and we ſhulen be alien; forſoþe þe blood of alle þat wiþ þee weren in þe hows, ſhal rebound into oure heed, if hem eny man towchiþ. And if vs þou wolt bitraye, and þis word brynge forþ into þe mydil, we ſhulen be clene fro þis ooþ, wiþ þe which þou haſt made vs ſwere.

And ſhe anſwerde, As ȝe han ſpokun, ſo be it doon. And letynge hem þat þei wente forþ, ſhe hongide a litil reed coord in hir wyndowe. Forſoþe þei goynge camen to þe mounteyns, and dwellyden þere þre dais, to þe tyme þat þei weren comen aȝen þat purſueden; forſoþe ſechynge bi al þe weie, þei fonden hem not. Þe whiche comynge into þe cyte, ben comen aȝen, and þe ſpies deſcendiden fro þe hil; and ouerpaſſid Jordan þei camen to Joſue, þe ſone of Nun; and þei tolden to hym alle þingis þat fellen to hem, and ſeiden, Þe Lord haþ taken al þis loond into oure hoondis, and þurȝ drede ben þrowe down alle þe dwellers of it.