Joshua · Chapter 9

[ edit] The whiche þingis herd, alle þe kyngis biȝond Jordan, þat dwelten in mountens, and in þe wilde feeldis, and in þe ſee ſydes, and in þe brenke of þe greet ſee, and þes þat dwelten biſide Liban, Eþe, and Amorre, Chanane, and Phareze, and Euee, and Jebuſe, ben gedryd togidre for to fiȝt aȝens Joſue and Irael, wiþ oon inwit, and wiþ þe ſame accord.

And þei þat dwelten in Gabaon, herynge alle þingis þat Joſue hadde doo to Jerycho and to Hay, and fellich þenkynge, token to hem meetis, olde ſackis to þe aſſis on puttynge, and rent wyn botels and ſowed, and ful olde ſhoon, þe whiche to þe doom of oldnes ben ſowid wiþ patchis; þei cloþiden wiþ oold cloþes; forſoþe þe looues, þat þei beeren for lyuelood bi þe weye, weren hard and in gobetis broken. And þei wenten to Joſue, þat þanne dwellide in þe tentis of Galgale, and ſeiden to hym, and to al Yrael togidre, Fro a long loond we han comen, pees coueytynge to make wiþ ȝow.

And þe men of Irael anſwerden to hem, and ſeiden, Leſt perauenture in þe loond, þat to vs is owed bi lot, ȝe dwellen, and we mowen not make boond of pees wiþ ȝow. And þei to Joſue, Þi ſeruauntis, þei ſeyn, we ben. To whom Joſue forſoþe, Who, he ſeiþ, ben ȝe, and whens ben ȝe comen? Þei anſwerden, Fro a ful ferre cuntre þi ſeruauntis ben comen in þe name of þe Lord þi God, we han herd þe loos of his power, alle þingis þat he haþ doo in Egipt, and to þe two kyngis of Ammorreis biȝonde Jordan; to Seon þe kyng of Eſebon, and to Og þe kyng of Baſan, þat weren in Aſtaroþ.

And ſeiden to vs þe elders and alle þe dwellers of oure loond, Takiþ in ȝoure hoondis meetis for þe mooſt long weye; and aȝen come ȝe to hem, and ſeie ȝe, Ȝoure ſeruauntis we ben; boond of pees make ȝe wiþ vs. And loo! þe looues, whanne we wenten out of oure howſis for to come to ȝow, we token hoote, nowe þei ben maad drye, and of greet eeld to breek; þe botels of wyn newe we fulfilliden, nowe þei ben brooke and looſid; cloþis and ſhoon, wiþ þe whiche we ben cloþid, and þe whiche we han in feet, for þe lengþ of lenger weye ben to troden, and almeeſt wered. Þei token þanne of þe meetis of hem, and þe mouþ of þe Lord þei aſkeden not. And Joſue wiþ hem made pees.

And þe boond of pees goon yn he bihiȝte, þat þei ſhulden not be ſlayn; forſoþe þe princes of þe multitude ſworen to hem. Forſoþe after þree daies of þe goon yn couenaunt, þei herden, þat in nyȝ þei dwelten, and þei weren to comen among hem. And þe ſones of Yrael meueden tentis, and camen into þe citees of hem þe þridde day, of þe whiche þes ben þe names, Gabaon, and Saphyra, and Beroþ, and Charyaþiarym. And þei ſmyten not hem, forþi þat þe princis of þe multitude hadden ſworn to hem in þe name of þe Lord God of Yrael.

And ſo grutchide al þe comoun aȝens þe princis; þe whiche anſwerden to hem, We han ſworn to hem in name of þe Lord God of Yrael, and þerfor we mowen not hem towche; but þis we ſhulen doo to hem, be þei reſerued forſoþe þat þei lyuen, leſt aȝens vs þe wraþþe of þe Lord be ſtyrid, if we forſweren vs to hem; but ſo lyue þei, þat in to þe vſes of al þe multitude, trees þei kutten, and watris þei beren. Þe whiche ſpekynge þes þingis, Joſue clepide Gabonytis, and ſeide to hem, Whi wolden ȝe diſſeyue vs bi gijl, for to ſeie, Ful ferre we dwellen fro ȝow, ſiþ in þe mydil of vs ȝe ben?

And ſo vnder curſynge ȝe ſhulen be, and þere ſhal not fayl of ȝour lynage, kyttynge trees, and watris berynge, in to þe hows of my God. Þe whiche anſwerden, It is told to vs þi ſeruauntis, þat þe Lord þi God hadde bihoot to Moyſes, his ſeruaunt, þat he ſhulde taak to ȝow al þe loond, and ſcatre alle þe dwellers of it; we þerfor moyche dredden, and purueiden to oure lyues, conſtreyned wiþ ȝoure dreed, and þis counſeil we maden. Forſoþe nowe in þin hoond we ben; þat to þee ryȝt and good is ſeen, do þow to vs. Þan Joſue dide, as he ſeide, and delyuerde hem fro þe hoondis of þe ſones of Irael, þat þei weren not ſlayn.

And Joſue demyde in þat day hem to be into ſeruyſe of al þe puple, and of þe auter of þe Lord, kuttynge trees and watres berynge, vnto þe tyme þat is nowe, in þe place þat þe Lord haþ choſun.