Joshua · Chapter 3

[ edit] Therfor Joſue, fro nyȝt aryſynge, meuede þe tentis; and þei goynge fro Sechym camen to Jordan, he and alle þe ſones of Yrael, and dwelten þere bi þre dais. Þe which ouerpaſſid, wenten bedels bi þe mydil of þe tentis, and bigunnen to crye, Whanne ȝe ſeen þe ark of þe boond of pees of þe Lord oure God, and preſtis of þe lynage of Leuy berynge it, forſoþe ȝe togidre riſeþ, and folwe ȝe þe forgoers; and be þere betwixe ȝou and þe ark a ſpace of cubitis two þowſand, þat aferre ȝe mowen ſe, and knowe bi what weye ȝe goon, for bifore ȝe han not goon bi it; and be war, þat ȝe neȝen not to þe ark. And Joſue ſeide to þe puple, Be ȝe halwid; forſoþe to morwe þe Lord ſhal do amonge ȝow merueyls.

And he ſeiþ to þe preſtis, Takiþ þe ark of þe boond of pees of þe Lord, and gooþ before þe puple. Þe whiche þe heeſtis fulfillynge token, and wenten before hem. And þe Lord ſeide to Joſue, To day Y ſhal bigynne to enhaunce þee before all Yrael, þat þei knowen, þat as I was wiþ Moyſes, ſo and I am wiþ þee. Forſoþe þow comaund to þe preeſtis, þat beren þe ark of þe boond of pees, and ſey þou to hem, Whanne ȝe weren goon in a paart of þe watre of Jordan, ſtoondiþ in it. And Joſue ſeide to þe ſones of Yrael, Comeþ hidre, and heriþ þe word of þe Lord oure God.

And eft, In þis, he ſeiþ, ȝe ſhulen wyte þat þe Lord God lyuynge in þe mydil of ȝow is; and he ſhal ſcatre in ȝoure ſiȝt Chanane, Eþe, Euee, and Phereſe, Gergeſe forſoþe, and Jebuſe, and Amorre. Loo! þe arke of þe boond of pees of þe Lord of al erþe ſhal goo before ȝow þurȝ Jordan. Makiþ redy twelue men of twelue lynagis of Irael, eche bi eche lynagis. And whanne han put þe ſteppis of her feet þe preeſtis, þat beren þe arke of þe boond of pees of þe Lord God of al erþe, in þe watres of Jordan, þe watres þat ben neþermore ſhulen renne, and fayle; forſoþe þo þat camen fro aboue ſhulen ſtoond togidre in o glob.

Þanne wente out þe puple fro her tabernaclis, þat þei paſſen ouer Jordan; and þe preeſtis þat beren þe arke of þe boond of pees ȝeden before hym. And hem goon into Jordan, and þe feet of hem wet yn paart of þe water; Jordan forſoþe fulfillide þe brenkis of his trowȝ in tyme of herueſt; þe watris deſſendynge ſtoden in o place, and at liknes of an hil mych ſwellynge þei apereden ferre fro þe cyte þat was clepid Edom, vnto þe place Sarþan; forſoþe þoo þat weren neþermore, into þe ſee of wildernes, þat now is clepid deed, deſſendiden, forto þei vtterly failiden.

Forſoþe þe puple wente aȝen Jordan; and þe preeſtis, þat beren þe arke of þe boond of pees of þe Lord, ſtoden gyrd vpon þe drye erþe in þe middil of Jordan, and al þe puple paſſide ouere þurȝ þe drye trowȝ.