An Abridgeme[n]t of all the Canonical books of the olde Testament ::

As God afore had Moyses calld
his people for to guide:
So Iosue to supply his room,
the Lord set him on side.
For to be strong the Lord him bad,
and manly for to fight:
And from the lawes of God the Lord,
to turn to left nor right.

The ii. chapiter.

Before were serchers sent to spie,
to Ierico they yede:
A harlots house they lodged in,
by whom then they were hid.
Shee made them promise her to saue
when spoild should be the land:
And they agreed to knowe her house,
by purple cord or band.

The iii. chapiter.

Care to Iosua did belong,
the people for to guide:
Remooue he did from Settim ground,
and came to Iordane side:
Then was the Lord disposde to shew,
the honour of his name.

He caused Iordain waters yeeld,
and part a sunder twain.

The iiij. Chapiter.

Decree did God that his good woork
should not be out of minde:
And causd eche tribe to rear a stone,
as monumentes behinde.
And if their children axt the cause,
why these twelue stones stood there:
Then should they tel what God had doon
to make his name appeere.

The v. chapiter.

Eche one of all the Cananites,
were fraid when they hard tel
How Iordane brook did part in two,
whiles ouer went Israel.
Then God commaunded Iosue,
to circumcise them all:
And all the males wt sharp stone kniues,
were cut bothe great and small.

The vj. chapiter.

Fearful then were the Cananites,
of Israels power and might:
At seauen dayes end as God had said,
the walles did fall down quite.

Consumde was all with swoord and fire,
saue vessels few reserude:
And Rahab saued with all her kin,
whiche wel shee had deserude.

The vii. chapiter.

God then was angry with his flock,
at Ai took they the foile:
Because that Acan Carmies sonne,
had borne away some spoile.
A garment gay with siluer muche,
a rung of golde therto:
Because it was forbid of God,
he had death with stones enow.

The viii. chapiter.

Haue you no fear said God but go
and fight against Ai:
Thou shalt it take and haue some spoile,
and all the rest destroy.
So Iosue went as God him bad,
and fought, but fled a while:
The rest did set the town on fire,
so them they did begile:

The ix. chapiter.

Immediatly the Cananites,
with all the heathen Kinges:

They came to fight as soon as they,
of Iosua had tidings.
The Gabanites dissembling partes
with Israel they did play:
Because the heads had sworne to them,
they were not made away.

The x. chapiter.

Kings that were in number fiue
with Israel they did fight:
At Gabaon siege with all their hostes
there were they put to flight.
The Sun stood stil a whole day length
and haile did beat them down:
Fiue kings were slain and hanged vp,
so wan they town by town.

The xi. chapiter.

Like hap had all the other kings,
and sudainly were slain:
And Hezor burnt and none but it
that stood aboue the plain.
Not one woord then was left vndoon
as Moyses had him wild:
But Iosua did fulfil it all,
were hee in town or field.

The xii. chapiter.

Many battails Israel fought,
ere Iordane they did passe:
To two whole tribes, and halfe a one,
their land appointed was.
The kings are tolde and numbred all,
that Iosua did subdue.
Thirtie and one in number iust,
whom they bothe took and slue,

The xiii. chapiter.

Note out the land as Iosua wild,
by lots it to deuide:
He beeing agde so god him bad,
to set and point eche tribe.
Ruben and Gad, and halfe the tribe,
of Manasses by name:
Were pointed plats for to posses,
by Moyses set in frame.

The xiiij. chapiter.

Of Iosua Caleb did require,
the Cittie Hebron walld:
Whiche was possest by Enakes kinde
a Giant was he calld.
Foure score yeeres and fiue he was,
when he requirde his ground:
And yet he said he was as strong,
as when the land he found.

The xv. chapiter.

Pointed out was Iuda his lot,
the Citties tolde ful straight:
The villages not named out,
but townes fiue score and eight.
For killing of a Giant great,
a man did mary a wife:
The Iebusites among the folke,
did stil lead on their life.

The xvj. chapiter.

Quickly Ephraim so had his lot
in length and bredth assignde:
Euen as a tribe he had his part,
according to his minde.
And tribute paid the Cananites,
and with them did they dwel:
Although the Lord had said afore,
that they should them expel.

The xvii. chapiter.

Right as afore that Ephraim,
had out his part of land:
Euen so Manasses had his lot,
where he and his should stand,
And certain women had likewise,
as they did it require:

And Iosephs house would haue more land
but had not their desire

The xviii. chapiter.

Seuen tribes agreed to send their spies
as Iosue had them wild:
Of eche tribe three went foorth to see,
the Citties and the feeld.
And in a book in seuen partes writ
to Iosua brought they woord:
And he apointed them their plats,
by lots afore the Lord.

The xix. chapiter.

To Zabulon and Izachar,
and Aser beeing tenth:
To Nepthali and Dan the last,
was pointed bredthe and length.
So Iosua with Eleaser,
and all the Lords and heds:
Did make an end of casting lots,
and pointing out their stedes.

The xx. chapiter.

When they had doon and cast their lots
then God to Iosue said:
For him that killes a man vnwares,
point Citties for their aid.

And they therin to dwel and liue,
til the hie preest dooth die:
The swoord of blood not him to touche,
if thyther he doo flee.

The xxj. chapiter.

And then the heads of the Leuites,
their porcion did require:
And so they had their whole request
euen as they did desire.
Fortie and eyght in Citties iust,
their whole tale came therto
So God them gaue the land and rest,
as he them plight to doo.

The xxii. chapiter.

Bothe of the tribes and eke the halfe
rode back as they were sent:
Ruben, Gad with Manasses,
to their possession went.
An aulter made, and Israel flockt
against them for to fight:
When they heard tel why it was built,
they said the deed was right.

The xxiii. chapiter.

Cast in age was Iosua tho,
and Israel he did call:

And shewed thē what the Lord had doon,
and tolde it to them all.
Muche more he said that God would doo
if in his wil they bide:
If not he tolde them plain afore,
that they should be destroyd.

The xxiiii. chapiter.

Declare on forthe he did at large
what God had for them wrought
And bad them serue the Lord alone
whiche thither had them brought.
So speke they did with often voice,
the only Lord to fear:
And Iosua dide and Iosephs bones,
were earth and buried there.

Iosua now is ended quite,
the book hath run his race:
The book of Iudges now beginnes,
in like to take his place.

University of Virginia Library

Iosue.

The j. Chapiter.