Joshua · Chapter 4

[ edit] The which ouergoon, þe Lord ſeide to Joſue, Chees twelue men, eche bi eche lynagis, and comaund to hem, þat þei taken fro þe mydil of Jordans trowȝ, where ſtoden þe feet of þe preeſtis, twelue hardeſt ſtonus; þe whiche ȝe ſhulen ſet in þe place of tentis, where ȝe þis nyȝt fitchen tentis. And Joſue clepide twelue men, whom he chees of þe ſones of Irael, eche of eche lynagis; and ſeiþ to hem, Gooþ bifore þe arke of þe Lord ȝoure God to þe mydil of Jordan, and bere ȝe þens eche eche ſtonus in ȝoure ſhuldres, after þe noumbre of þe ſones of Irael, þat it be a tokne bitwixe ȝow.

And whanne þe ſones of Irael aſken ȝow to morwe, ſeiynge, What to hem wolen þes ſtonus? ȝe ſhulen anſwere to hem, Þe watrys of Jordan han failid before þe arke of þe boond of pees of þe Lord, whanne he paſſide it; þerfor þes ſtonus ben ſet into þe mynd of þe ſones of Yrael, vnto wiþ outen ende. Þanne þe ſones of Yrael diden as Joſue comaundide to hem, berynge fro þe mydil of Jordanus trowȝ twelue ſtonus, as to hym þe Lord comaundide, after þe noumbre of þe ſones of Yrael, vnto þe place in þe which þei ſetten tentis; and þere þei puttiden hem.

Forſoþe oþer twelue ſtonus putte Joſue in þe mydil of Jordans trowȝ, where ſtoden preeſtis, þat beren þe ark of þe boond of pees of þe Lord; and ben þere vnto þe day þat is nowe. Forſoþe þe preeſtis, þat beren þe arke, ſtoden in þe mydil of Jordan, to þe tyme þat alle þingis weren fulfillid, þat þe Lord comaundide to Joſue, for he ſhulde ſpeke to þe puple, as Moiſes had ſeide to hym. And þe puple hyede, and paſſide forþ. And whanne alle weren goon ouere, ȝede ouere and þe arke of þe Lord, and þe preeſtis wenten before þe puple. Forſoþe þe ſones of Ruben, and Gad, and half þe lynage of Manaſſe, aarmed wenten before þe ſones of Irael, as to hem comaundide Moyſes.

And fourti þowſand of fiȝtynge men bi companyes and ooſtis wenten vpon þe pleyn and wijld feeldis of þe cyte of Jericho. In þat day þe Lord magnyfiede Joſue before al Yrael, for þei ſhulden drede hym, as þei dredden Moyſes, ȝit while he lyuede. And he ſeide to hym, Comaund to þe preeſtis þat beren þe arke of þe boond of pees, þat þei ſtyen vp fro Jordan. Þe which comaundide to hem, ſeynge, Stye vp fro Jordan. And whanne þei weren goon vp, berynge þe arke of þe boond of pees of þe Lord, and þe drye erþe hadden bigunne to treed, þe watris ben turned into his trowȝ, and floweden, as bifore þei weren woned.

Forſoþe þe puple fro Jordan ſtiede þe tenþe day of þe firſte moneþ, and ſettiden tentis in Galgalis, aȝens þe eſte cooſt of þe cyte of Jericho.

Forſoþe þe twelue ſtonus, þe whiche þei token fro Jordans trowȝ, Joſue putte in Galgalis; and ſeide to þe ſones of Irael, Whanne ȝoure ſones aſken to morwe her fadres, and ſeyn to hem, What to hem wolen þes ſtonus? ȝe ſhulen teche hem, and ſeye, Bi þe drye trowȝ we paſſiden þis Jordan, þe Lord oure God driynge þe watris of it in oure ſiȝt, to þe tyme þat we weren ouerpaſſid, as he dide bifore in þe Reed See, þe which he dryede to þe tyme þat we weren ouerpaſſed, þat alle þe puplis of loondis leeren þe mooſt ſtrong hoond of þe Lord, and þat ȝe dreden þe Lord ȝoure God al tyme.