Joshua · Chapter 10

[ edit] The whiche þingis, whanne hadde herd Adonyſedech, kyng of Jeruſalem, þat is, þat Joſue hadde taak Hay, and hadde vndurturned it; forſoþe as he dide to Jericho and to þe kyng of it, ſo he dide to Hay and to þe kyng of it; and þat Gabonytis weren ouerflowen to Irael, and weren bounden in pees wiþ hem, he dradde greetly; forſoþe a greet cite was Gabaon, and oon of þe kyngis citees, and more þan þe burgh toun Hay, and alle þe fiȝters of it mooſt ſtronge.

Þanne ſente Adonyſedech, kyng of Jeruſalem, to Ocham, kyng of Ebron, and to Pharam, kyng of Herymoþ, and to Japhye, kyng of Lachis, and to Addabir, king of Eglon, ſeiynge, Stye ȝe vp to me, and bryngeþ help, and out fiȝte we Gabaon, for he is ouerflowen to Joſue, and to þe ſones of Yrael. Þanne þei gedrid ſtyeden vp, fyue kyngys of Amorreis, kyng of Jeruſalem, kyng of Ebron, kyng of Herymoþ, kyng of Lachis, kyng of Eglon, togidre wiþ her hooſtis; and þei ſettiden tentis about Gabaon aȝenfiȝtynge it.

Forſoþe þe dwellers of þe citee of Gabaon biſegid, ſenten to Joſue, þat þanne dwellide in tentis at Galgalam, and ſeide to hym, Ne wiþ drawe þou þin hoond fro þe help of þi ſeruauntis; ſty vp anoon, and delyuer vs, and bryng help; forſoþe þere ben comen to gidre aȝens vs alle þe kyngis of Ammorreis, þat dwellen in mounteyns. And Joſue ſtiede vp fro Galgalis, and al þe ooſt of fiȝters wiþ hym, mooſt ſtronge men. And þe Lord ſeide to Joſue, Drede þow not hem, forſoþe into þin hoondis Y haue taken hem; noon of hem to þee ſhal mowe aȝenſtoond.

And ſo Joſue felle on hem feerlich, al nyȝt ſtiynge vp fro Galgalis; and þe Lord diſtourbide hem fro þe face of Yrael, and defowlide bi a greet veniaunce in Gabaon; and purſuede hem bi weye of þe ſtiynge vp of Beþeron, and ſmoot vnto Azecha and Maceda. And whanne þei flowen þe ſones of Yrael, and weren in þe goynge doun of Beþoron, God ſente vpon hem greet ſtonus fro heuene, vnto Azecha; and ben deed manye mo wiþ ſtoonus of hawl, þan whom wiþ ſwerd had ſmytun þe ſones of Yrael. Þanne Joſue ſpak to þe Lord, in þe day þat he took Ammorre in þe ſiȝt of þe ſones of Yrael; and ſeide before hem, Sunne, aȝens Gabaon be þow not meued, and mone, aȝens þe valey of Haylon.

And þe ſunne and þe mone ſtoden, to þe tyme þat þe folk vengide hem ſelf of her enemyes. Is not þis wryten in þe book of riȝtwiſe men? And ſo ſtood þe ſunne in þe mydil of heuene, and hyede not to goo doun þe ſpace of o day; þere was not before ne afterward ſo loong a day; obeiſhynge þe Lord to þe voyce of man, and fiȝtynge for Yrael. And Joſue turnede aȝen, wiþ al Yrael, into þe tentis of Galgala. Forſoþe fyue kyngis flowen, and hidden hem in þe ſpelunk of þe citee of Maceda. And it is told to Joſue, þat þere weren foundun fyue kyngis lurkinge in þe ſpelunk of þe cite of Maceda.

Þe which comaundide to felawis, and ſeiþ, Ouerturne ȝe greet ſtoonus at þe mouþ of þe ſpelonk, and putte ȝe redi men, þat kepen hem cloſid; ȝe forſoþe wole ȝe not ſtoond, but purſue ȝe enemyes, and al þe eendis of hem fleynge ſleeþ; ne lette ȝe hem goon into þe ſocours of ȝoure citees, þe whiche þe Lord ȝoure God haþ taak into ȝoure hoondis. Slayn þanne þe aduerſaries wiþ a greet veniaunce, and vnto þe deeþ almeſt conſumpt, þilk þat fro Irael myȝten flee, wenten into þe ſtrengþid citees. And al þe ooſt turnede aȝen to Joſue, in Maceda, where þanne weren þe tentis, þei hoole and in hoole noumbre; and no man aȝens þe ſones of Yrael was hardy to grucche.

And Joſue comaundyde, ſeiynge, Opyn þe mouþ of þe ſpelonk, and bryngiþ to me fyue kyngis þat in it lorken. And þe ſeruauntis diden, as to hem was comaundid; and þei brouȝten to hym fyue kyngis fro þe ſpelonk; þe kyng of Jeruſalem, þe kyng of Ebron, þe kyng of Hermoþ, þe kyng of Lachis, þe kyng of Eglon. And whanne þei weren brouȝt out to hym, he clepide alle þe men of Yrael, and ſeiþ to þe pryncis of þe ooſt, þat wiþ hym weren, Goþ, and puttiþ ȝoure feet vpon þe neckis of þes kyngis.

Þe which whanne þei hadden goon, and troden þe neckis of hem ſuget wiþ þe feet, eft he ſeiþ to hem, Wole ȝe not drede, ne be ȝe afeerd, take ȝe coumfort, and be ȝe ſtronge; forſoþe ſo þe Lord ſhal doo to alle ȝoure enemyes, aȝens whom ȝe ſhulen fiȝt. And Joſue ſmoot, and ſlewȝ hem, and hongide vpon fyue ſtokkis; and þei weren hongid vnto þe euen. And whanne þe ſunne cam down, he comaundide to felows, þat þei doon hem doun fro þe gibetis; þe whiche doon doun, þei þrewen hem into þe ſpelonk, in þe which þei lorkiden; and þei puttiden vpon þe mouþ of it greet ſtoonus, þat abiden ſtil to þe tyme þat is nowe.

Forſoþe þe ſame day Joſue took Maceda, and ſmoot in mouþ of ſwerd; and þe kyng of it, and alle his dwellers he ſlewȝ; and he lefte not in it, nameli, litil relikis; and he dide to þe king of Maceda as he dide to þe kyng of Jericho. He wente wiþ al Yrael fro Maceda into Lebna, and he fauȝt aȝens it, þe which þe Lord took, wiþ his kyng, in þe hoond of Irael; and þei ſmyten þe cite in þe mouþ of ſwerd, and alle þe dwellers of it, and þei leften not in it eny relikis; and þei diden to þe kyng of Lebna as þei diden to þe kyng of Jericho. Fro Lebna he paſſide into Lachis, wiþ al Yrael; and þe ooſt diſpoſid bi enuyroun, aȝenfauȝt it.

And þe Lord took Lachis in þe hoond of þe ſones of Yrael; and he took it þat oþer day, and ſmoot in mouþ of ſwerd, and eche lijf þat was in it, as he dide to Lebna. Þat tyme ſtiede vp Yram, þe kyng of Gazer, for to helpe Lachis; whom Joſue ſmoot wiþ al his puple vnto þe deþ. And wente fro Lachis vnto Eglon, and enuyrounde, and out fauȝt it þe ſame day; and ſmoot in mouþ of ſwerd alle þe lyues þat weren in it, after alle þingis þat he dide to Lachis.

Forſoþe he ſtiede wiþ al Yrael fro Eglon vnto Ebron, and fauȝt aȝens it, and took, and ſmoot in mouþ of ſwerd; þe kyng forſoþe of it, and alle þe burgh touns of þat regioun, and alle þe lyues þat dwelliden in it; he lafte not in it eny relikis; as he dide to Eglon ſo he dide to Ebron, al þingis þat in it he foond waſtynge wiþ ſwerd. Þens turned aȝen into Dabyr, he took it, and waaſtid; þe kyng forſoþe of it, and alle þe burȝ towns bi enuyroun he ſmoot in mouþ of ſwerd; he lafte not in it eny relikis; as he dide to Ebron, and Lebna, and to þe kyngis of hem, ſo he dide to Dabir and to þe kyng of it.

And ſo Joſue ſmoot al þe mounteyn loond, and ſouþ, and feeldi, and Aſſedoch wiþ his kyngis; and he lafte not in it eny relikys, but alle þat myȝten breeþ he ſlowȝ, as þe Lord God of Yrael comaundide to hym; fro Cades Barne vnto Gazam, and al þe loond of Joſſon vnto Gabaon, alle þe kyngis and regiouns of hem, wiþ o feerſnes he took, and waſtide; forſoþe þe Lord God of Iſrael fauȝt for him. And he turnede aȝen wiþ al Yrael to þe place of þe tentis in Galgala.