Joshua · Chapter 22

[ edit] The ſame tyme Joſue clepide Rubenytis, and Gadditis, and half þe lynage of Manaſſe, and ſeide to hem, Ȝe han doo alle þingis þat to ȝou comaundide Moyſes, þe ſeruaunt of þe Lord, and to me in alle þingis ȝe han obeiſhid; ne ȝe han left youre briþeren long tyme vnto þe preſent day, kepynge þe heeſt of þe Lord ȝoure God.

For þanne þe Lord ȝour God haþ ȝeue to ȝoure briþeren reſt and pees, as he haþ bihoot, turne ȝe aȝen, and gooþ yn to ȝour tabernaclis, into þe loond of ȝoure poſſeſſioun, þat took to ȝow Moyſes, þe ſeruaunt of þe Lord, biȝond Jordan; ſo oonli þat ȝe kepen attentifly, and in dede fulfil, and þe maundement and þe lawe, þat comaundide to ȝow Moyſes, þe ſeruaunt of þe Lord; þat ȝe louen þe Lord ȝoure God, and goon in alle his weies, and kepe wel þe heeſtis of hym, and drawe to hym, and ſerue in al herte, and in alle ȝoure ſoule. And Joſue bleſſide to hem, and lafte hem, þe whiche ben turned aȝen into her tabernaclis.

And Moyſes ȝaf to þe half lynage of Manaſſe poſſeſſioun in Baſan; and þerfor to þe half þat lefte ouere, Joſue ȝaf lot among his oþer briþeren biȝond Jordan, at þe weſt cooſt. And whanne he ſhulde leeue hem into her tabernaclis, and hadde bleſſid hem, he ſeide to hem, In myche ſubſtaunce and rytches turne ȝe aȝen to ȝoure ſeetis; wiþ ſiluer, and gold, and bras, and yren, and manyfold cloþinge; deuyde ȝe þe praye of enemyes wiþ ȝoure briþeren.

And þe ſones of Ruben, and þe ſones of Gad, and þe half lynage of Manaſſe turneden aȝen, and wenten fro þe ſones of Yrael fro Silo, þat is ſet in Chanaan, þat þei goon into Galaad, þe loond of her poſſeſſioun, þat þei hadden after þe heeſt of þe Lord in þe hoond of Moyſes. And whanne þei weren comen to þe mynde hyllis of Jordan, into þe loond of Chanaan, þei bildiden biſide Jordan an auter of mychilnes wiþ out meſure.

Þe which whanne þe ſones of Yrael hadden herd, and to hem certeyn meſſangeris hadden toold, þe ſones of Ruben, and of Gad, and þe half lynage of Manaſſe to haue bilde an auter in þe loond of Chanaan, vpon Jordans mynde hillis, aȝens þe ſones of Yrael, alle þei camen togidre in Cylo, þat þei ſtien vp, and fiȝten aȝens hem. And in þe mene tyme þei ſenten to hem into þe loond of Galaad, Phynees, þe ſone of Eleazar, preeſt, and ten princes wiþ hym; eche of eche lynages. Þe whiche camen to þe ſones of Ruben, and of Gad, and of þe half lynage of Manaſſe, vnto þe loond of Galaad, and ſeiden to hem, Þes þingis ſendiþ al þe puple of þe Lord; What is þis tranſgreſſioun?

Whi han ȝe forſakun þe Lord God of Yrael, bildynge a ſacrilege auter, and fro þe heriynge of hym goynge a wey? Wheþer litil it is to ȝou þat ȝe ſynneden in Belphegor, and vnto þe day þat is nowe þe ſpot of þis hidows gilt in ȝou dwelliþ, and many of þe puple han faln doun? And ȝe to day han forſakun þe Lord, and to morwe in to al Iſrael þe wraþ of hym ſhal wexe wood. And if ȝe wenen þe loond of ȝoure poſſeſſioun to be vnclene, gooþ to þe loond, in þe which is þe tabernacle of þe Lord, and dwelle ȝe among vs, oonly þat fro þe Lord ȝe goon not awei, and fro oure felawſhip, an auter bilden vp biſide þe auter of þe Lord oure God.

Wheþer not Achor, þe ſone of Zare, paſſide biſide þe heeſt of þe Lord, and vpon al þe puple of Yrael þe wraþ of hym felle? And he was o man; and wolde God he alone hadde periſhid in his hidows gilt.

And þe ſones of Ruben, and of Gad, and of þe half lynage of Manaſſe, anſwerden to þe princes of þe meſſage of Yrael, Þe mooſt ſtrong Lord God of Iſrael he haþ knowun, and Yrael togidre ſhal vndurſtoond; if bi inwit of treſpaſſynge þis auter we han maad vp, keep he vs not, but punyſhe nowe; and if bi þat mynde we han doon, þat brent ſacrifices, and ſacrifice, and peſible ſlayn offryngis vpon it we han put, he ſeche, and deme; and not more bi þat þenkynge and treet þat we ſhulen ſay, To morwe ſhulen ſeye ȝoure ſones to oure ſones, What to ȝow and to þe Lord God of Yrael?

Þe Lord haþ put a teerme bitwix vs and ȝow, O ſones of Ruben and ſones of Gad, Jordan flood; and þerfor ȝe han no part in þe Lord; and bi þis occaſioun ȝoure ſones ſhulen turne a wey oure ſones fro þe dreed of þe Lord. And ſo we troweden better, and ſeiden, Make we out to vs an auter, not into brent ſacrifices, ne to ſlayn offryngis to be offrid, but into witneſſynge bitwix vs and ȝow, and ȝoure children and progenye and oure, þat we ſeruen to þe Lord, and of oure riȝt ben to offre brent ſacrificis, and ſlayn offringis, and peſible ooſtis; and ȝoure ſones ſeyn not to morwe to oure ſones, Þere is not paart to ȝou in þe Lord.

And if þei wolen ſeye, þei ſhulen anſwere to hem, Loo! þe auter of þe Lord, þat maden oure fadres, not into brent ſacrificis, ne into ſacrifices, but into oure and ȝoure witneſſynge euerlaſtynge. God ſhilde fro vs þis hidows gilt, þat we goon a weye fro þe Lord, and his ſteppis we forſaken, an auter made out to brent ſacrificis, and ſacrificis, and ſlayn offryngis to ben offred, biſide þe auter of þe Lord oure God, þat is maad out before þe tabernacle of hym. Þe whiche þingis herd, Phinees, þe preeſt, and princis of þe meſſage of Yrael, þat weren wiþ hym, ben pleſid; and þe wordis of þe ſones of Ruben, and of Gad, and of half lynage of Manaſſe gladli þei token.

And Phynees, þe ſone of Eleazar, preeſt, ſeide to hem, Now we witen, þat wiþ ȝou is þe Lord; for alien ȝe ben fro þis treſpas, and ȝe han delyuerd þe ſones of Yrael fro þe hoond of þe Lord. And he turned aȝen wiþ þe princis fro þe ſones of Ruben and of Gad, fro þe loond of Galaad of þe cooſtis of Chanaan, to þe ſones of Yrael; and tolde to hem. And þe word pleſide to alle men herynge; and þe ſones of Yrael preyſiden God, and ſeiden, þat no more þei ſhulden goo vp aȝens hem, and fiȝte, and do aweie þe loond of þe poſſeſſioun of hem. And þe ſones of Ruben and þe ſones of Gad clepen þe auter, þat þei hadden maad, Oure Witneſſynge, þat þe Lord he be God.