Joshua · Chapter 7

[ edit] The ſones forſoþe of Yrael han ouerpaſſid þe maundement, and han myſtakun of þe curſe; for Achor, þe ſone of Charmy, ſone of Zabdi, ſone of Zare, of þe lynage of Juda, took ſum what of þe curſe; and wrooþ is þe Lord aȝens þe ſones of Yrael. And whanne Joſue wolde ſend fro Jericho men aȝens Hay, þat is biſide Beþauen, at þe eeſt cooſt of þe burȝ town Beþel, he ſeide to hem, Stieþ vp, and aſpye ȝe þe loond. Þe whiche fulfillynge þe heeſtis, aſpieden Hay; and turned aȝen þei ſeiden to hym, Stye not vp al þe puple, but two þowſandis or þre of men goon, and doon a wey þe cytee; whi al þe puple in veyn is traueyld aȝens mooſt fewe enemyes?

Styeden þanne vp þre þowſand of fiȝtynge men, þe whiche anoon turnynge backis, ben ſmyten of þe men of þe cytee of Hay; and fellen down of hem þretti and ſixe men; and þe aduerſaryes purſueden hem fro þe ȝate vnto Sabarym; and þei fellen bi lowe and ſhort weyes fleynge. And þe herte of þe puple myche dredde, and at þe lickeneſſe of water is molten. Forſoþe Joſue kitte his cloþis, and redi felle doun into þe erþe before þe arke of þe Lord, vnto euen, as wel he as alle þe aldren of Yrael; and þei putten powdre vpon her heedes. And Joſue ſeide, Alas! alas! Lord God, what woldiſt þow þis puple brynge ouer Jordan flood, for to taak vs in þe hoond of Amorrei, and for to leeſe?

Wolde God, as we bigunnen, we hadden dwellid biȝonde Jordan. My Lord God, what ſhal Y ſeye, ſeynge Yrael to his enemyes backis turnynge? Chananees ſhulen here, and alle þe dwellers of þe loond and togidre gedryd þei ſhulen enuyroun vs, and doon awey oure name fro þe loond; and what ſhal þou doo to þi greet name? And þe Lord ſeide to Joſue, Ryſe, whi lijſt þow bowid in þe erþe? Yrael haþ ſynned, and haþ broken my couenaunt; and þei han taak of þe corſe, and han ſtoln, and liȝed, and han hidde among her veſſels.

Ne Yrael ſhal mowe ſtoond before her enemyes, and hem he ſhal flee, for he is polut wiþ þe curs; I ſhal not be more wiþ ȝou, to þe tyme þat ȝe han alto troden hym þat is gilti of þat hidows treſpas. Ryſe, halwe þe puple, and ſey to hem, Be ȝe halwid aȝen to morwe; forſoþe þes þingis ſeiþ þe Lord God of Yrael, Curſynge is in þe mydil of þee, Irael; þow ſhalt not mowe ſtoond before þin enemyes, to þe tyme þat he be doon awey fro þee, þat is defoulid wiþ þis hidows gilt. And ȝe ſhulen come eerly eche bi ȝoure lynagis; and what euer lynage þe lot fynde, he ſhal come bi his kynredis, and kynrede bi howſis, and hows bi men.

And ſo euer he in þat gilt were taak, he ſhal be brent wiþ fier wiþ al his ſubſtaunce, for he haþ brokun þe couenaunt of þe Lord, and haþ do ſacrilege in Yrael. And ſo Joſue ryſynge eerly, ſette Irael bi her lynagis; and it is founden þe lynage of Juda; which, whanne after his meynees was offred, it is founden þe meynee of Zare; forſoþe þilk bi men offrynge he foonde Zabdi; whos hows in ſondry men dyuydyng, he foonde Achor, þe ſone of Charmy, ſone of Zabdi, ſone of Zare, of þe lynage of Juda. And he ſeide to Achor, My ſone, ȝif glorye to þe Lord God of Yrael, and knowlech, and ſhewe to me, what þow haſt doon; ne hyde þou.

And Achor anſwerde to Joſue, and ſeide to hym, Trewly, Y haue ſynned before þe Lord God of Yrael, and þus and þus Y haue do; Y ſawȝ forſoþe among þe ſpuylis a ful good reed mantil, and two hundreþ ſiclis of ſiluer, and a goldun rewle of fifti ſiclis; and coueytynge took a wey, and hidde in þe erþe, aȝens þe myddil of my tabernacle; forſoþe þe ſiluer Y couerde wiþ þe doluen erþe. Sente þanne Joſue ſeruauntis, þe whiche rennynge to þe tabernacle of hym, þei founden alle þingis hid in þe ſame place, and þe ſiluer togidre; and þei takynge a wey fro þe tent token þe þingis to Joſue, and to alle þe ſones of Yrael; and þrewen forþ before þe Lord.

And ſo Joſue takynge Achor, þe ſone of Zare, and þe ſiluer, and þe mantil, and þe golden rewle, and ſones and douȝtres of hym, oxen, and aſſes, and ſheep, and þilk tabernacle, and al þe purtenaunce, and al Yrael wiþ hym, ladden hem to þe valey of Achor; where ſeide Joſue, For þow haſt diſturblid vs, out ſtourbe þee þe Lord in þis day. And al Irael ſtonede hym; and alle þingis, þat his weren, ben waſtid wiþ fier. And þei gedreden vpon hym a greet heep of ſtonus, þe which abidiþ ſtil vnto þe day þat is nowe. And þe wodeneſſe of þe Lord is turned awey fro hem; and þe name of þe place is clepid unto þis day þe valey of Achor.