To whiche Josue seide, Hou longe faden ye `bi cowardise, `ethir slouthe, and entren not to welde the lond, which the Lord God of youre fadris yaf to you?
A slow hond hath wrouyt nedynesse; but the hond of stronge men makith redi richessis. Forsothe he that enforsith to gete `ony thing bi leesyngis, fedith the wyndis; sotheli the same man sueth briddis fleynge.
Worche ye not mete that perischith, but that dwellith in to euerlastynge lijf, which mete mannys sone schal yyue to you; for God the fadir hath markid hym.
Chese ye of ech lynage thre men, that Y sende hem, and thei go, and cumpasse the lond; and that thei discryue `the lond bi the noumbre of ech multitude, and brynge to me that, that ye han discriued.
Be thou coumfortid, and be thou strong; for thou schalt departe bi lot to this puple the lond, for which Y swoor to thi fadris, that Y schulde yyue it to hem.
Josue was eld and of greet age; and the Lord seide to him, Thou hast woxe eld, and art of long tyme; and largeste lond is left, which is not yit departid bi lot;