Joshua 3
Joshua chapter 3 from the John Wycliffe Bible (c.1395)
1 And the Lord seide to Josue, To dai Y schal bigynne to enhaunse thee bifor al Israel, that thei wite, that as Y was with Moises, so Y am also with thee.
2 Forsothe comaunde thou to preestis, that beren the arke of bond of pees, and seie thou to hem, Whanne ye han entrid in to a part of the watir of Jordan, stonde ye therynne.
3 And Josue seide to the sones of Israel, Neiye ye hidur, and here ye the word of youre Lord God.
4 And eft he seide, In this ye schulen wite that the Lord God lyuynge is in the myddis of you; and he schal distrye in youre siyt Cananey, Ethei, Euey, and Feresei, and Gergesei, and Jebusei, and Amorrei.
5 Lo! the arke of boond of pees of the Lord of al erthe schal go bifor you thorouy Jordan.
6 Make ye redi twelue men of the twelue lynagis of Israel, bi ech lynage o man.
7 And whanne the preestis, that beren the arke of boond of pees of the Lord God of al erthe, han set the steppis of her feet in the watris of Jordan, the watris that ben lowere schulen renne doun, and schulen faile; forsothe the watris that comen fro aboue schulen stonde togidere in o gobet.
8 Therfor the puple yede out of her tabernaclis to passe Jordan; and the preestis that baren the arke of boond of pees yeden bifor the puple.
9 And whanne the preestis entriden in to Jordan, and her feet weren dippid in the part of watir; forsothe Jordan hadde fillid the brynkis of his trow in the tyme of ripe corn;
10 the watris yeden doun, and stoden in o place, and wexiden grete at the licnesse of an hil, and apperiden fer fro the citee that was clepid Edom, til to the place of Sarthan; sotheli the watris that weren lowere yeden doun in to the see of wildirnesse, which is now clepid the deed see, til the watris failiden outirli.
11 Forsothe the puple yede thorouy Jordan; and the preestis, that baren the arke of the boond of pees of the Lord, stoden gird on the drie erthe in the myddis of Jordan, and al the puple passide thorouy the drie trow.
13 And whanne thei weren passid ouer, the Lord seide to Josue,
14 Chese thou twelue men,
15 by ech lynage o man, and comaunde thou to hem, that thei take fro the myddis of the trow of Jordan, where the `feet of preestis stoden, twelue hardiste stoonys; whiche thou schalt sette in the place of castels, where ye schulen sette tentis in this nyyt.
16 And Josue clepide twelue men, whiche he hadde chose of the sones of Israel, of ech lynage o man;
17 and he seide to hem, Go ye bifore the arke of youre Lord God to the myddis of Jordan, and bere ye fro thennus in youre schuldris ech man o stoon, bi the noumbre of the sones of Israel,
