Paraphrase of the Hard Texts of Scripture, Scripture 6
IOSHVA.
CAP. V.
9 I have this day rolled away the reproach of Aegypt off you.I Have taken away from you that your uncircumcision, which you have kept all this while, out of that irreligous carelesnesse which your fathers brought with them out of Aegypt.
14 Nay, but as Captaine of the host of th… Lord am I now comne.It is farre from me to be for thine adversaries; no, I am that Angell of the covenant who am comne to lead, and protect the troupes of Israel.
15 Loose thy shooe, &c.See Exodus 3.5.
CAP. VI.
17 The city shall bee accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the Lord.THe City shall be devoted to an absolute destruction, and all the living creatures that are in it; and sequestred to a revenge, and extirpation, from the Lord,
26 He shall lay the foundation thereof in his first borne, and in his yongest sonne shall he set up the gates of it.When he laies the first stone in the foundation, let his eldest sonne die, and when he hath finished it, and set up the gates, let his youngest sonne die; so let him be left utterly childlesse, that will goe about to reedifie that city, which God would have lie waste.
See 1 Kings. 16.34.
CAP. VII.
THey beganne to be dis-heartened,5 The hearts of the people melted, and became as water. and their courage and spirit beganne to faile them.
As thou hast offended, and dishonored God,19 My sonne, I pray thee give glory to the Lord, &c. by thy sinne, so now give honor to his omniscience and justice, who hath found thee out in thy sinne, by acknowledging this hainous offence, whereby thou hast provoked Gods anger against his people.
CAP. IX.
ANd the men tooke their relation upon trust,14 And the men tooke of their victualls, & asked not counsell at the mouth of the Lord. at the sight of their mouldy victualls; and did not consult with the High Priest, who in all doubtfull cases was to returne them the answers of the Lord.
Ye are of that nation, whom God amongst the rest hath cursed, and appointed to be rooted out;23 Now therefore yee are cursed. and besides you have deserved a just punishment of this your guile.
CAP. X.
O God,12 Sunne stand thou still upon Gibeon, & thou Moone in the vally of Ajalon. let it please thee to command the Sunne to stand still, whiles we are fighting in, and for Gibeon; that we may have light to do full execution upon thine enemies; and let the Moone forbeare to bring on the night upon us.
So Joshua smote all that part of the countrie,40 So Ioshua smote all the country of the hills, & of the South, and of the vale, and of the springs. which lay to the South; both those cities which were built on the hills, and those which were seated in the plaines.
CAP. XI.
AS for those cities which yeelded themselves up to Joshua,13 But as for the cities that stood still in their strength, Israel burnt none of them. ere they were defaced by a violence of a siege, Israel burnt none of them.
It was the wise counsell and just decree of the Almighty, that the inhabitants,20 For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battell. being left to their owne thoughts, should take up stubborne resolutions to stand out in battell against Israel.
CAP. XV.
19 Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a South-land, give me also springs of water.OVt of the bounty of a parent, give me this addition to my childs-part; thou hast already bestowed upon me a parcell of mountainous and dry land, give me also some other ground that lies low, and well watered.
CAP. XVII.
THou shalt take all the passages to, and from, and about it;18 And the out-goings of it shall be thine. and the bordering places adjoyning to it.
CAP. XXII.
17 Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us; frō which we are not cleansed untill this day, although there was a plague in the Congregation of the Lord?WAs it not enough wickednesse in us, that heretofore through the inticements of the Moabitish women, we were joyned to Baal-Peor, and were drawen into horrible Idolatrie, (the remainders of which sinne and judgement doe still sticke by us, although God sent a grievous plague amongst us, in regard thereof) but that ye must now againe this day,18 But that ye must turne away this day from following the Lord; &c. sinne against God, in a new point of will-worship, and Idolatry.
If there bee any taint of Idolatry in the very place, whereby it is made unholy,19 If the land of your possession be uncleane, thē passe ye over unto the land of the possession of the Lord, &c. and infectious; then leave that your possession beyond Jordan, which is separated from the rest of the inheritance of Gods people, and passe over hither to us.
CAP. XXIV.
12 And I sent the hornet before you.See Deut. 7.20.
HEe will no suffer your willing, and presumptuous sinnes to goe unpunished.19 He will not forgive your transgressions, nor your sinnes.
This stone shall bee a monument of this dayes covenant,27 Behold, this stone shall be a witnesse unto us, for it hath heard all the words of the Lord, &c. which you have renewed with the Lord, for as much as in the view, and presence thereof, ye have spoken the words of this Covenant, mutually agreed upon, betwixt God, and us.