Judges 2

¹ And thei serueden the Lord in alle the daies of Josue, and of eldere men that lyueden aftir hym in long tyme, and knewen alle the grete werkis of the Lord, whiche he hadde do with Israel. ² Forsothe Josue, sone of Nun, seruaunt of the Lord, was deed of an hundrid yeer and ten; ³ and thei birieden hym in the endis of his possessioun, in Thannath of Sare, in the hil of Effraym, at the north coost of the hil Gaas. ⁴ And al that generacioun was gaderid to her fadris; and othere men riseden, that knewen not the Lord, and the werkis whiche he hadde do with Israel. 5 And the sones of Israel diden yuel in the siyt of the Lord, and thei serueden Baalym and Astaroth; 6 and forsoken the Lord God of her fadris, that ledden hem out of the lond of Egipt; and thei sueden alien goddis, the goddis of puplis, that dwelliden in the cumpasse of hem, and worschipeden tho goddis, and excitiden the Lord to greet wraththe, and forsoken hym, ⁷ and serueden Baal and Astoroth. ⁸ And the Lord was wrooth ayens Israel, and bitook hem in to the hondis of rauyscheris, whiche rauyscheris token hem, and seelden to enemyes, that dwelliden bi cumpas; and thei myyten not ayenstonde her aduersaries; 9 but whidir euer thei wolden go, the hond of the Lord was on hem, as he spak and swoor to hem; and thei weren turmentid greetli. 10 And the Lord reiside iugis, that delyueriden hem fro the hondis of destrieris, but thei nolden here hem, ¹¹ and thei diden fornycacioun, that is, idolatrie, with alien goddis, and worschipiden hem. Soone thei forsoken the weie, bi which the fadris of hem entriden; and thei herden the comaundementis of the Lord, and diden alle thingis contrarie. 12 And whanne the Lord reiside iugis in the daies of hem, he was bowid bi mercy, and he herde the weilyngis of hem turmentid, and he delyuerede hem fro the sleyng of wasteris. ¹³ Sotheli aftir that the iuge was deed, thei turneden ayen, and diden many thingis grettere in yuel than her fadris diden; and thei sueden alien goddis, and serueden hem, and worschipiden hem; thei leften not her owne fyndyngis, and the hardeste weie bi which thei weren wont to go. ¹⁴ And the strong veniaunce of the Lord was wrooth ayens Israel, and he seide, For this puple hath maad voide my couenaunt which Y couenauntide with her fadris, and dispiside to here my vois; also Y schal not do a wey folkis, ¹⁵ whiche Josue lefte, and was deed; 16 that in hem Y asaie Israel, whether thei kepen the weie of the Lord, and goen ther ynne, as her fadris kepten, ether nay. 17 Therfor the Lord lefte alle these naciouns, and nolde destrie soone, nethir bitook in to the hondis of Josue. 19 These ben the folkis whiche the Lord lefte, that in hem he schulde teche Israel, and alle men that knewen not the batels of Cananeis; 20 and that aftirward the sones of hem schulden lerne to fiyte with enemyes, ²¹ and to haue custom of batel He lefte fyue princes of Filistees, and al Cananei, and the puple of Sidon, and Euey that dwelliden in the hil Liban, fro the hil Baal Hermon til to the entryng of Emath. 22 And he lefte hem, that in hem he schulde asaie Israel, whethir thei wolden here the heestis of the Lord, whiche he comaundide to her fadris bi the hond of Moises, ethir nai. ²³ And so the sones of Israel dwelliden in the myddis of Cananei, of Ethei, and of Ammorrei, and of Feresei, and of Euey,