Judges · Chapter 2

[ edit] And þe aungel of þe Lord ſtiede vp fro Galgala to þe place of wepers, and ſeiþ, I haue ladde ȝou out of Egipt, and brouȝt into þe loond, for þe which Y ſwore to ȝoure faders, and haue bihoot, þat Y ſhulde not maak in veyn my couenaunt wiþ ȝow into wiþ outen eend; ſo oonly þat ȝe ſmyten no boond of pees wiþ þe dwellers of þis loond, and þat ȝe turnen vpſedoun þe auters of hem; and ȝe wolden not here my vois. Why þes þingis han ȝe doon? Wheþer for Y wolde not do awey hem fro ȝoure face, þat ȝe han enemyes, and þe goddis of hem ben to ȝou into fallynge.

And whanne þe aungel of þe Lord hadde ſpoken þes wordis to alle þe ſones of Yrael, þei rereden vp her vois, and wepten; and þe name of þat place is clepid, of wepers, or of terys; and þei offerden her ooſtis to þe Lord. Joſue þanne lefte þe puple; and þe ſones of Yrael wenten a wey, echoon into his poſſeſſioun, þat þei holden it. And þei ſerueden to þe Lord alle þe days of Joſue, and of þe eldren þat loong tyme after hym lyueden, and knewe alle þe greet werkis of þe Lord, þe whiche he dide wiþ Yrael.

And Joſue, þe ſeruaunt of þe Lord, þe ſone of Nun, of an hundrid and ten ȝeer died; and þei birieden hym in þe eendis of his poſſeſſioun, in Thanaþſare, in þe hil of Effraym, fro þe norþ cooſt of þe hil of Gaas. And al þat generacioun is gedrid to her fadris; and oþer riſen, þat knewen not þe Lord, and þe werkis þat he dide wiþ Yrael. And þe ſones of Yrael diden yuel in þe ſiȝt of þe Lord, and ſerueden to Baalym, and Aſtaroþ; and laften þe Lord God of her fadris, þat ladde hem out of þe loond of Egipt, and folweden alien goddis, goddis of þe puple þat dwelten in þe viroun of hem; and þei honourden hem, and to wraþ ſtiriden þe Lord, leuynge hym, and ſeruynge to Baal and to Aſtaroþ.

And þe Lord, wrooþ aȝens Irael, took hem into þe hoondis of deſtruyers, þe whyche token hem, and ſolden to enemyes, þat dwelten bi enuyroun; ne þei myȝten aȝenſtoond her aduerſaries; but whidir euere þei wolden goo, þe hoond of þe Lord was vpon hem, as he ſpak and ſwore to hem; and hugely þei ben tourmentid. And þe Lord areride iugis, þat ſhulden delyuer hem fro þe hoondis of waſters, but and hem þei wolden not here, doynge fornycacioun wiþ alien goddis, and honourynge hem. Soone þei forſoken þe wey, bi þe which þe faders of hem wenten; and herynge þe heeſtis of þe Lord, alle þingis þei diden contrarie.

And whanne þe Lord hadde reryd iugys in þe dais of hem, he was bowid bi mercy, and he herde þe weilyngis of þe tourmentid, and he delyueride hem fro þe deeþ of waſters. Forſoþe after þat þe iuge was deed, þei turneden aȝen, and manye þingis diden more þan diden þe faders of hem, folwynge alien goddis, and ſeruynge to hem, and honourynge hem; þei laften not her fyndyngis, and þe mooſt hard weye bi þe which þei weren wonyd to goo.

And þe woodnes of þe Lord is wrooþ aȝens Irael, and ſeiþ, For þis folk haþ maad at nouȝt my couenaunt þat Y couenauntide wiþ þe faders of hem, and my vois he diſpyſide to here; and Y ſhal not doo awey þe Gentilis, þe whiche Joſue lafte, and is deed; þat in hem Y haue knoulechynge of Yrael, wheþir þei kepen þe weie of þe Lord, and goon in it, as kepten þe faders of hem, or noon. Þanne þe Lord lafte alle þeſe naciouns, and wold not anoon ouerturne, ne took into þe hoondis of Joſue.