Joshua · Chapter 5

[ edit] After þanne þat alle þe kyngis of Amorreis, þat dwelten biȝonde Jordan at þe weſt cooſt, and alle þe kyngis of Chanaan, þat þe niȝ places weeldiden of þe greet ſee, herden, þat þe Lord hadde dryed þe flodis of Jordan before þe ſones of Yrael, to þe tyme þat þei weren goon ouere, þe herte of hem is diſcoumfortid, and abood not in hem ſpiryte of hem, dredynge þe entre of þe ſones of Yrael. Þat tyme ſeiþ þe Lord to Joſue, Maak to þee ſtonen knyues, and circumcide þe ſecounde tyme þe ſones of Yrael. He dide þat þe Lord comaundide, and circumcydide þe ſones of Yrael in þe hil of mens ȝerdis.

Forſoþe þis is þe cauſe of þe ſecounde circumcicioun; al þe puple þat wente out of Egipte of maal kynde, alle þe men fiȝters, ben deed in deſeert bi mooſte longe enuyrounyngis of weye, þe whiche alle weren circumcidid. Forſoþe þe puple þat is bore in deſeert bi fourti ȝeer, in þe weye of mooſt wyde wilderneſſe, were vncircumcidid to þe tyme þat þei weren waſtid, þat han not herd þe voyce of þe Lord, and to whom before he ſwore, þat he wold ſhewe hem þe loond flowynge mylk and hony. Of þes þe ſones camen after into ſtede of þe faders, and ben circumſidid of Joſue; þe whiche, as þei weren born, weren in hoolnes of her ȝerdes, ne hem in þe weie eny man circumcidide.

Forſoþe after þat alle ben circumcidid, þei dwelten in þe ſame place of her tentis, to þe tyme þat þei weren helid. And þe Lord ſeide to Joſue, To day I haue taak aweye þe reproof of Egipt fro ȝowe. And þe name of þat place is clepid Galgala, vnto þe day þat is nowe. And þe ſones of Yrael dwelten in Galgalis, and diden paſk þe fourtenþe day of þe moneþ at euen, in þe wilde feeldys of Jerycho; and þei eeten of þe fruytis of þe erþe þat oþer day, þerf looues, and corn powned of þe ſame ȝeer. And manna faylide after þat þei eeten of þe fruitis of þe erþe; ne þe ſones of Yrael vſeden na more þat meet, but eten of þe fruytis of þe preſent ȝeer of þe loond of Chanaan.

Forſoþe whanne Joſue were in þe feeld of þe cytee of Jerycho, he reryde þe eyen, and ſawȝ a man aȝens hym ſtondynge, and holdynge a drawen out ſwerd; and he wente to hym, and ſeiþ, Oure þou art, or of þe aduerſaries? Þe which anſwerde, Nay, but I am prince of þe ooſt of þe Lord, and nowe Y come. Joſue felle redi into þe erþe, and onowrynge, ſeiþ, What þing my Lord ſpekiþ to his ſeruaunt? Lowſe, he ſeiþ, þe ſho fro þi feet; forſoþe þe place, in þe which þow ſtondiſt, is hooli. And Joſue dide, as to hym was comaundid.