Bible (Wycliffe)/1 Kings

Chapter 1

¹ `A man was of `Ramathym of Sophym, of the hil of Effraym, and his name was Elchana, the sone of Jeroboam, sone of Elyud, sone of Thau, sone of Suph, of Effraym.

² And Helchana hadde twei wyues; the name `to oon was Anna, and the `name of the secounde was Fenenna; and sones weren to Feuenna; forsothe fre children `weren not to Anna.

³ And thilke man styede fro his citee in daies ordeyned, to worschipe and offre sacrifice to the Lord of oostis in Silo. Forsothe twei sones of Heli weren there, Ophym and Fynees, preestis of the Lord.

⁴ Therfor the dai cam, and Helcana offride, and yaf partis to Fenenna, his wijf, and to alle hise sones and douytris;

⁵ forsothe he yaf soreufuly o part to Anna, for he louyde Anna; forsothe the Lord hadde closid hir wombe.

⁶ And hir enemy turmentide `hir, and angwischide greetly, in so myche that sche vpbreidide, that the Lord hadde closid hir wombe.

⁷ And so sche dide `bi alle yeeris, whanne `in tyme comynge ayen, thei stieden in to the hows of the Lord; and so sche terride Anna. Forsothe Anna wepte, and took not mete.

⁸ Therfor Helcana, hir hosebonde, seide to hir, Anna, whi wepist thou, and whi etist thou not, and whi is thin herte turmentid? Whether Y am not betere to thee than ben ten sones?

⁹ `Sotheli Anna roos, aftir that sche hadde ete and drunke in Silo. `And the while Hely was on his greet seete, bifor the postis of the `hows of the Lord,

¹⁰ whanne Anna was in bittere soule, sche preyede the Lord, and wepte largeli;

¹¹ and made a vow, and seide, Lord God of oostis, if thou biholdist, and seest the turment of thi seruauntesse, and hast mynde of me, and foryetis not thin handmayde, and yyuest to thi seruauntesse `a male kynde, Y schal yyue hym to the Lord in alle daies of his lijf, and a rasour schal not stie on his heed.

¹² Forsothe it was doon, whanne sche multipliede preieris bifor the Lord, that Ely aspiede hir mouth.

¹³ Forsothe Anna spak in hir herte, and oneli hir lippis weren mouyd, and outerly hir vois was not herd. Therfor Hely gesside hir drunkun,

¹⁴ and he seide to hyr, Hou longe schalt thou be drunkun? Difye thou a litil the wyn, `bi which thou art moist.

¹⁵ Anna answeride, and seide, Nay, my lord, for Y am `a wretchid womman greetli; Y `drank not wyn `and al thing that may make drunkun, but Y schedde out my soule in the `siyt of the Lord;

¹⁶ gesse thou not thin handmaide as oon of the douytris of Belyal, for of the multitude of my sorewe and morenyng Y spak `til in to present tyme.

¹⁷ Thanne Hely seide to hir, Go thou in pees, and God of Israel yyue to thee the axyng which thou preiedist hym.

¹⁸ And sche seide, `Y wolde that thin hondmayde fynde grace in thin iyen. And the womman yede in to hir weie, and eet; and hir cheris weren no more chaungid dyuersly.

¹⁹ And `thei ryseden eerly, and worschipiden bifore the Lord; and thei turneden ayen, and camen in to hir hows in Ramatha. Forsothe Helchana knew fleischli Anna, his wijf; and the Lord thouyte on hir.

²⁰ And it was doon after the cumpas of daies, Anna conseyuede, and childide a sone, and sche clepide his name Samuel; for sche hadde axid hym of the Lord.

²¹ Forsothe hir hosebonde Helcana stiede, and al his hows, to offre a solempne sacrifice, and his avow to the Lord.

²² And Anna stiede not, for sche hadde seid to hir hosebonde, Y schal not go, til the yonge child be wenyd, and til Y lede hym, and he appere bifor the `siyt of the Lord, and dwelle there contynueli.

²³ And Helcana, hir hosebonde, seide to hir, Do thou that that semeth good to thee, and dwelle thou til thou wene hym; and Y biseche, that the Lord fille his word. Therfor the womman dwellide, and yaf mylk to hir sone, til sche remouyde hym fro mylk.

²⁴ And sche brouyte hym with hir, aftir that sche hadde wened hym, with thre caluys, and thre buyschelis of mele, and amfore, `ether a pot, of wyn; and sche brouyte hym to the hows of the Lord in Silo. Forsothe the child was yit ful yonge.

²⁵ And thei sacrifieden a calf, and thei offriden the child to Hely.

²⁶ And Anna seide, My lord, Y biseche, that is, that this child be thi `disciple and seruaunt, thi soule lyueth; Y am that womman, that stood bifor thee here, and preiede the Lord;

²⁷ for this child Y preiede, and the Lord yaf to me myn axyng which Y axide hym;

²⁸ therfor Y haue youe hym to the Lord `in alle daies, in whiche he is youun to the Lord. And thei worschypiden there the Lord.

Chapter 2

¹ And Anna worschipide, and seide, Myn herte fulli ioiede in the Lord, and myn horn is reisid in my God; my mouth is alargid on myn enemyes, for Y was glad in thin helthe.

² Noon is hooli as the Lord is; `for noon other is, outakun thee, and noon is strong as oure God.

³ Nyle ye multiplie to speke hiye thingis, and haue glorie; elde thingis go awey fro youre mouth; for God is Lord of kunnyngis, and thouytis ben maad redi to hym.

⁴ The bouwe of strong men is ouercomun, and sijk men ben gird with strengthe.

⁵ Men fillid bifore settiden hem silf to hire for looues, and hungri men ben fillid; while the bareyn womman childide ful manye, and sche that hadde many sones, was sijke.

⁶ The Lord sleeth, and quikeneth; he ledith forth to hellis, and bryngith ayen.

⁷ The Lord makith pore, and makith riche; he makith low, and reisith.

⁸ He reisith a nedi man fro poudur, and `he reisith a pore man fro dryt, that he sitte with princes, and holde the seete of glorie; for the endis of erthe ben of the Lord, and he hath set the world on tho.

⁹ He schal kepe `the feet of hise seyntis, and wickid men schulen be stille to gidere in derknessis; for a man schal not be maad strong in his owne strengthe.

¹⁰ Aduersaries of the Lord schulen drede hym, and in heuenes he schal thundre on hem; the Lord schal deme the endis of erthe, and he schal yyue lordschip to his kyng, and he schal enhaunse the horn, `that is, power, of his Crist.

¹¹ And Helcana yede in to Ramatha, in to his hows; forsothe the child was seruaunt in the siyt of the Lord bifor the face of Ely the preest.

¹² Forsothe the sones of Hely weren sones of Belial,

¹³ and knewen not the Lord, nether the office of preestis to the puple; but who euer hadde offrid sacrifice, the child of the preest cam, while the fleischis weren in sething, and he hadde a fleischhook with thre teeth in his hond;

¹⁴ and he sente it in to the `grete vessel of stoon, ethir in to the caudrun, ethir in to the pot, ethir in to the panne; and what euer thing the fleischhook reiside, the preest took to hym silf; so thei diden to al Israel of men comynge in to Silo.

¹⁵ Yhe bifor that `the sones of Hely brenten the ynnere fatnesse, the `child of the preest cam, and seyde to the offerere, Yyue `thou fleisch to me, that Y sethe to the preest; for Y schal not take of thee sodun fleisch, but raw.

¹⁶ And `the offrere seide to hym, The ynnere fatnesse be brent first to day bi the custom, and take thou to thee hou myche euer thi soule desirith. Whiche answeride, and seide to hym, Nay, for thou schalt yyue now; ellis Y schal take bi violence.

¹⁷ Therfor the synne of the children was ful greuouse bifor the Lord; for thei withdrowen men fro the `sacrifice of the Lord.

¹⁸ `Forsothe Samuel, a child gird with a lynnun clooth, mynystride bifor the face of the Lord.

¹⁹ And his moder made to hym a litil coote, which sche brouyte in daies ordeyned, and stiede with hir hosebonde, that he schulde offre a solempne offryng, and his auow.

²⁰ And Heli blesside Helcana and his wijf; and Heli seide `to hym, The Lord yelde to thee seed of this womman, for the yifte which thou hast youe to the Lord. And thei yeden in to her place.

²¹ Therfor the Lord visitide Anna, and sche conseyuede, and childide thre sones and twei douytris. And the child Samuel was `magnyfied at the Lord.

²² Forsothe Hely was ful eld, and he herde alle `thingis whiche hise sones diden in al Israel, and hou thei slepten with wymmen, that awaitiden at the dore of the tabernacle.

²³ And he seide to hem, Whi doen ye siche thingis, the worste thingis whiche Y here of al the puple?

²⁴ Nyle ye, my sones; it is not good fame, which Y here, that ye make the `puple of the Lord to do trespas.

²⁵ If a man synneth ayens a man, God may be plesid to him; forsothe if a man synneth ayens the Lord, who schal preye for hym? And thei herden not the vois of her fadir, for God wolde sle hem.

²⁶ Forsothe the child Samuel profitide, and encreessyde, and pleside bothe God and men.

²⁷ Sotheli a man of God cam to Hely, and seide to hym, The Lord seith these thingis, Whether Y was not schewid apertli to the hows of thi fadir, whanne he was in Egipt, in the hows of Farao?

²⁸ And Y chees hym of alle lynagis of Israel `in to preest to me, that he schulde stie to myn auter, and schulde brenne encense to me, and that he schulde bere bifor me preestis cloth; and Y yaf to `the hows of thi fadir alle thingis of the sacrifices of the sones of Israel.

²⁹ Whi hast thou cast awey with the heele my sacrifice, and my yiftis, whiche Y comaundide to be offrid in the temple; and thou onouridst more thi sones than me, that ye eeten the principal partis of ech sacrifice of `Israel, my puple?

³⁰ Therfor the Lord God of Israel seith these thingis, Y spekynge spak, that thin hows and `the hows of thi fadir schulde mynystre in my siyt til in to with outen ende; `now forsothe the Lord seith, Fer be this fro me; but who euere onourith me, Y schal glorifie hym; forsothe thei that dispisen me, schulen be vnnoble.

³¹ Lo! daies comen, and Y schal kitte awei thin arm, and the arm of the hows of thi fadir, that an eld man be not in thin hows.

³² And thou schalt se thin enemy in the temple, in alle prosperitees of Israel; and an eld man schal not be in thin hows in alle daies.

³³ Netheles Y schal not outerli take awei of thee a man fro myn auter, but that thin iyen faile, and thi soule faile; and greet part of thin hows schal die, whanne it schal come to mannus age.

³⁴ Forsothe this schal be signe, that schal come to thi twei sones Ophym and Fynees, bothe schulen die in o dai.

³⁵ And Y schal reise to me a feithful preest, that schal do bi myn herte and my soule; and Y schal bilde to hym a feithful hows, and he schal go bifore my Crist in alle daies.

³⁶ Forsothe it schal come, that who euer dwellith in thin hows, he come that `me preie for him, and that he offre a peny of siluer, and a cake of breed, and seie, Y biseche, suffre thou me to o `part of the preest, that Y ete a mussel of breed.

Chapter 3

¹ Forsothe the child Samuel `mynystride to the Lord bifor Heli, and the word of the Lord was preciouse; in tho daies was noon opyn reuelacioun.

² Therfor it was doon in a dai, Heli lay in his bed, and hise iyen dasewiden, and he myyte not se the lanterne of God, bifor that it was quenchid.

³ Forsothe Samuel slepte in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.

⁴ And the Lord clepide Samuel; and he answeride and seide, Lo!

⁵ Y. And he ran to Hely, and seide to hym, Lo! Y; for thou clepidist me. Which Hely seide, Y clepide not thee; turne thou ayen and slepe.

⁶ And he yede and slepte. And the Lord addide eft to clepe Samuel; and Samuel roos, and yede to Hely, and seide, Lo! Y; for thou clepidist me. And Heli answeride, Y clepide not thee, my sone; turne thou ayen and slepe.

⁷ Forsothe Samuel knew not yit the Lord, nether the `word of the Lord was shewid to hym.

⁸ And the Lord addide, and clepide yit Samuel the thridde tyme; `which Samuel roos and yede to Heli,

⁹ and seide, Lo! Y; for thou clepidist me. Therfor Heli vndirstood, that the Lord clepide the child; and Heli seide to Samuel, Go and slepe; and if he clepith thee aftirward, thou schalt seie, Speke thou, Lord, for thi seruaunt herith. Therfor Samuel yede and slepte in his place.

¹⁰ And the Lord cam, and stood, and clepide as he hadde clepid the secunde tyme, Samuel, Samuel. And Samuel seide, Speke thou, Lord, for thi seruaunt herith.

¹¹ And the Lord seide to Samuel, Lo! Y make a word in Israel, which word who euer schal here, bothe hise eeris schulen rynge.

¹² In that dai Y schal reise ayens Heli alle thingis, whiche Y spak on his hows; Y schal bigynne, and Y schal ende.

¹³ For Y biforseide to hym, that Y schulde deme his hows with outen ende for wickidnesse; for he knew, that hise sones diden vnworthili, and he chastiside not hem.

¹⁴ Therfor Y swoor to the hows of Heli, that the wickidnesse of his hows schal not be clensid bi sacrifices and yiftis til in to with outen ende.

¹⁵ Forsothe Samuel slepte til the morewtid, and he openyde the doris of the hows of the Lord; and Samuel dredde to schewe the reuelacioun to Heli.

¹⁶ Therfor Heli clepide Samuel, and seide, Samuel, my sone. And he answeride and seide, Y am redi.

¹⁷ And Heli axide hym, What is the word which the Lord spak to thee? Y preye thee, hide thou not fro me; God do to thee `these thingis, and encreesse these thingis, if thou hidist fro me a word of alle wordis that ben seid to thee.

¹⁸ And Samuel schewide to hym alle the wordis, and `hidde not fro hym. And Heli answeride, He is the Lord; do he that, that is good in hise iyen.

¹⁹ Forsothe Samuel encreeside, and the Lord was with hym, and noon of alle hise wordis felde in to erthe.

²⁰ And al Israel fro Dan to Bersabee knew, that feithful Samuel was a profete of the Lord.

²¹ And the Lord addide `that he schulde appere in Silo, for the Lord was schewid to Samuel in Silo bi the `word of the Lord; and the word of Samuel cam to al Israel.

Chapter 4

¹ And it was doon in tho daies Filisteis camen to gidere in to batel; for Israel yede out ayens Filisteis in to batel, and settiden tentis bisidis the stoon of help. Forsothe Filisteis camen in to Aphet,

² and maden redi scheltrun ayens Israel. Sotheli whanne the batel was bigunnun, Israel turned backis to Filisteis; and as foure thousynde of men weren slayn in that batel `euery where bi feeldis; and the puple of Israel turnede ayen to tentis. And the grettere men in birthe of Israel seiden, Whi hath the Lord smyte vs to dai bifore Filisteis? Brynge we to vs fro Silo the arke of boond of pees of the Lord, and come it in to the myddis of vs, that it saue vs fro the hond of oure enemyes.

⁴ Therfor the puple sente in to Silo, and thei token fro thennus the arke of boond of pees of the Lord of oostis, `that sat on cherubyn. And Ophym and Fynees, twei sones of Heli, weren with the arke of boond of pees of the Lord.

⁵ And whanne the arke of boond of pees of the Lord hadde come in to the castels, al Israel criede with grete cry, and the erthe sownede.

⁶ And Filisteis herden the vois of cry, and seiden, What is this vois of greet cry in the castels of Ebrews? And thei knewen, that the arke of boond of pees of the Lord hadde come in to castels.

⁷ And Filisteis dredden, and seiden, God is come in to `the castels; and thei weiliden, and seiden, Wo to vs!

⁸ for so greet ful ioiyng was not yistirdai, and the thridde day passid; wo to vs! who schal kepe vs fro the hond of `these hiye goddis? these ben the goddis, that smytiden Egipt with al veniaunce in deseert.

⁹ Filisteis, be ye coumfortid, and be ye men, serue ye not Ebrews, as thei serueden vs; be ye coumfortid, and fiyte ye.

¹⁰ Therfor Filisteis fouyten, and Israel was slayn, and ech man flei in to his tabernacle; and a ful greet veniaunce was maad, and thretti thousynde of foot men of Israel felden doun.

¹¹ And the arke of God was takun; and, twei sones of Heli, Ophym and Fynees, weren deed.

¹² Sotheli a man of Beniamyn ran fro the scheltrun, and cam in to Silo in that dai, with his cloth torent and his heed bispreynt with dust; and whanne he was comen,

¹³ Heli sat `on an hiye seete, `and bihelde ayens the weie; for his herte was dredyng for the arke of the Lord. Sotheli aftir that thilke man entride, he telde to the citee, and al the citee yellide.

¹⁴ And Heli herde the soun of cry, and seide, What is this sown of this noise? And he hastide, and cam, and telde to Heli.

¹⁵ Forsothe Heli was of foure score yeer and eiytene, and hise iyen dasiwiden, and he myyte not se.

¹⁶ And he seide to Heli, Y am that cam fro batel, and Y am that flei to dai fro the scheltrun. To whom Ely seide, My sone, what is doon?

¹⁷ Forsothe he that telde answeride, and seide, Israel flei bifor Filisteis, and a greet fal is maad in the puple; ferthermore and thi twey sones, Ophym and Fynees, ben deed, and the arke of God is takun.

¹⁸ And whanne he hadde nemyd the arke of God, Hely felde fro `the hiye seete bacward bisidis the dore, and `was deed; for the nollis weren brokun. For he was an eld man, and of greet age; and he demyde Israel bi fourti yeer.

¹⁹ Forsothe his douyter in lawe, `the wijf of Finees, was with childe, and niy the child bering; and whanne `the message was herd that the arke of God was takun, and that hir fadir in lawe was deed, and hir hosebonde, sche bowide hir silf, and childide; for sodeyn sorewis felden in to hir.

²⁰ Sotheli in that moment of hir deeth, wymmen that stoden aboute hir, seiden to hir, Drede thou not, for thou hast childid a sone. And sche answeride not to hem, for nether `sche perseyuede.

²¹ And sche clepide the child Ichaboth, and seide, The glorie of the Lord is translatid fro Israel, for the arke of God is takun; and for hir fadir in lawe and for hir hosebonde sche seide,

²² The glorie of God is translatid fro Israel, for the arke of God is takun.

Chapter 5

¹ Forsothe Filisteis token the arke of God, and baren awey it fro the stoon of help in to Azotus.

² And Filisteis tokun the arke of God, and brouyten it to the temple of Dagon, and settiden it bisidis Dagon.

³ And whanne men of Azotus hadden rise eerli in the todir dai, lo! Dagon lay low in the erthe bifor the arke of the Lord. And thei token Dagon, and restoriden hym in his place.

⁴ And eft thei risiden eerli in the tothir day, and founden Dagon liggynge on his face on the erthe bifor the arke of the Lord. Forsothe the heed of Dagon, and twei pawmes of his hondis weren kit of on the threisfold;

⁵ certis the stok aloone of Dagon lefte in his place. For this cause the preestis of Dagon, and alle that entren in to his temple, treden not on the threisfold of Dagon in Azotus til in to this dai.

⁶ Forsothe the hond of the Lord was maad greuouse on men of Azotus, and he distriede hem, and he smoot Azotus and the coostis therof in the priuyere part of buttokis; and townes and feeldis in the myddis of that cuntrey buyliden out, and myis camen forth; and greet confusioun of deth was maad in the citee.

⁷ Sotheli men of Azotus sien siche a veniaunce, and seiden, The arke of God of Israel dwelle not at vs; for his hond is hard on vs, and on Dagon oure god.

⁸ And thei senten, and gaderiden alle the wise men, `ether princes, of Filisteis `to hem, and seiden, What schulen we do of the arke of God of Israel? And men of Geth answeriden, The arke of God of Israel be led aboute; and thei ledden aboute the arke of God of Israel.

⁹ Forsothe while thei ledden it aboute, the hond of the Lord `of ful greet sleyng was maad on alle citees; and he smoot men of ech citee fro a litil man til to `the more, and the lowere entraylis `of hem wexiden rotun, and camen forth; and men of Geth token counsel, and maden to hem seetis of skynnes, ethir cuyschuns.

¹⁰ Therfor thei senten the arke of the Lord in to Accoron. And whanne the arke of the Lord hadde come in to Accoron, men of Accoron crieden, and seiden, Thei han brought to vs the arke of God of Israel, that he sle vs and oure puple.

¹¹ Therfor thei senten, and gaderiden alle the wise men, `ethir princes, of Filisteis; whiche seiden, Delyuere ye the arke of God of Israel, and turne it ayen in to his place, and sle not vs with oure puple.

¹² For dreed of deeth was maad in alle citees, and the hond of the Lord was `greuouse greetli. Also the men, that weren not deed, weren smytun in the priuy part of buttokis, and the yelling of ech citee stiede in to heuene.

Chapter 6

¹ Therfor the arke of the Lord was in the cuntrei of Filisteis bi seuene monethis;

² and aftir these thingis Filisteis clepiden preestis and false dyuynours, and seiden, What schulen we do of the arke of God? Shewe ye to vs, hou we schulen sende it in to his place.

³ Whiche seiden, If ye senden ayen the arke of God of Israel, nyle ye delyuere it voide, but yelde ye to hym that, that ye owen for synne; and thanne ye schulen be heelid, and ye schulen wite, whi `his hond goith not awei fro you.

⁴ And thei seiden, What is it, that we owen to yelde to hym for trespas?

⁵ And thei answeriden to hem, Bi the noumbre of prouynces of Filisteis ye schulen make fyue goldun ersis, and fyue goldun myis; for o veniaunce was to alle you and to youre `wise men, ether princes. And ye schulen make the licnesse of youre ersis, and the licnesse of myis that distriede youre lond; and ye schulen yyue glorie to God of Israel, if in hap he withdrawe his hond fro you, and fro youre goddis, and fro youre lond.

⁶ Whi maken ye heuy youre hertis, as Egipt, and Farao `made heuy his herte? Whether not after that he was smytun, thanne he delyuerede hem, and thei yeden forth?

⁷ Now therfor take ye, and make o newe wayn, and ioyne ye twei kien hauynge caluys, on whiche kyen no yok was put; and close ye her calues at hoome.

⁸ And ye schulen take the arke of the Lord, and ye schulen sette in the wayn; and ye schulen put in a panyere at the side therof the goldun vessels, whiche ye payeden to hym for trespas; and delyuere ye the arke, that it go.

⁹ And ye schulen biholde, and sotheli if it stieth ayens Bethsames bi the weie of `hise coostis, `he dide to you this greet yuel; but if nay, we schulen wite `for his hond touchide not vs, but `if it bifelde bi hap.

¹⁰ Therfor thei diden in this manere; and thei token twei kien that yauen mylk to caluys, and ioyneden to the wayn; and thei closiden her caluys at hoome.

¹¹ And thei puttiden the arke of God on the wayn, and `thei puttiden the panyere, that hadde the goldun myis, and the licnesse of ersis `on the wayn.

¹² Sotheli the kien yeden streiytli bi the weie that ledith to Bethsames; and tho yeden in o weie goynge and lowynge, and bowiden not nether to the riyt side nether to the left side; but also the wise men of Filisteis sueden `til to the termes of Bethsames.

¹³ Forsothe men of Bethsames repiden whete in the valey, and thei reisiden the iyen, and sien the arke, and thei weren ioyful, whanne thei hadden sien `the arke.

¹⁴ And the wayn cam in to the feelde of Josue of Bethsames, and stood there. Forsothe a greet stoon was there; and thei kittiden `the trees of the wayn, and puttiden the kien `on tho trees, a brent sacrifice to the Lord.

¹⁵ Sotheli dekenes token doun the arke of God, and the panyere, that was bisidis it, where ynne the goldun vessels weren; and thei settiden on the greet stoon. Forsothe the men of Bethsames offriden brent sacrifices, and offriden slayn sacrifices in that dai `to the Lord.

¹⁶ And fyue princes of Filisteis sien, and turneden ayen in to Accoron in that dai.

¹⁷ Sotheli these ben the goldun ersis, whiche the Filisteis yeldiden to the Lord for trespas; Azotus yeldide oon; Gaza yeldide oon; Ascolon yeldide oon; Geth yeldide oon; Accaron yeldide oon;

¹⁸ and Filisteis yeldiden golden myis bi the noumbre of `citees of Filisteis of fyue prouynces, fro a wallid citee `til to `a town that was with out wal, and `til to the greet Abel, `on which thei puttiden the arke of the Lord, that was there `til in that dai in the feeld of Josue of Bethsames.

¹⁹ Forsothe the Lord smoot of the men of Bethsames, for thei hadden seyn the arke of the Lord, and he smoot of the puple seuenti men, and fifty thousynde of the porail. And the puple morenyde, for the Lord hadde smyte `the puple with greet veniaunce.

²⁰ And men of Bethsames seiden, Who schal now stonde in the siyt of the Lord God of this hooli thing, and to whom schal it stie fro vs?

²¹ And thei senten messangeris to the dwelleris of Cariathiarym, and seiden, Filisteis han brouyt ayen the arke of the Lord; come ye doun, and lede it ayen to you.

Chapter 7

¹ Therfor men of Cariathiarym camen, and ledden ayen the arke of the Lord, and brouyten it in to the hows of Amynadab in Gabaa. Sotheli thei halewiden Eleazar his sone, that he schulde kepe the ark of the Lord.

² And it was doon, fro which dai `the arke of the Lord dwellide in Caryathiarym, daies weren multiplied; for the twentithe yeer was now, after that Samuel bigan to teche the puple; and al Israel restide aftir the Lord.

³ Forsothe Samuel spak to al the hows of Israel, and seide, If in al youre herte ye turnen ayen to the Lord, do ye awei alien goddis, Balym and Astaroth, fro the myddis of you; and make ye redi youre hertis to the Lord, and serue ye hym aloone; and he schal delyuere you fro the hond of Filisteis.

⁴ Therfor the sones of Israel diden awey Baalym and Astoroth, and serueden the Lord aloone.

⁵ Forsothe Samuel seide, Gadere ye al Israel in to Masphat, that Y preie the Lord for you.

⁶ And thei camen togidere in to Masphat, and thei drowen watir, and shedden out in the `siyt of the Lord; and thei fastiden in that day, and seiden, Lord, we synneden to thee. And Samuel demyde the sones of Israel in Masphat.

⁷ And Filisteis herden that the sones of Israel weren gaderid in Masphat; and the princes of Filisteis stieden to Israel. And whanne the sones of Israel hadden herd this, thei dredden of the face of Filisteis.

⁸ And `thei seiden to Samuel, Ceesse thou not to crye for vs to oure Lord God, that he saue vs fro the `hoond of Filisteis.

⁹ Forsothe Samuel took o soukynge lomb, and offride that hool in to brent sacrifice to the Lord. And Samuel criede to the Lord for Israel; and the Lord herde hym.

¹⁰ Forsothe it was doon, whanne Samuel offryde brent sacrifice, that Filisteis bigunnen batel ayens Israel. Sotheli the Lord thundride with greet thundur in that dai on Filisteis, and made hem aferd; and thei weren slayn of the sones of Israel.

¹¹ And the sones of Israel yeden out of Masphat, and pursueden Filisteis, and smytiden hem `til to the place that was vndur Bethachar.

¹² Forsothe Samuel took o stoon, and puttide it bitwixe Masphat, and bitwixe Sen; and he clepide the name of that place The stoon of help. And he seide, Hidir to the Lord helpide vs.

¹³ And Filisteis weren maad low, and addiden no more to come in to the termes of Israel. And so the `hond of the Lord was maad on Filisteis in alle the daies of Samuel.

¹⁴ And the citees whiche the Filisteis token fro Israel, weren yoldun to Israel, fro Accaron `til to Geth and `hise termes; and the Lord delyuerede Israel fro the hond of Filisteis; and pees was bitwixe Israel and Ammorrey.

¹⁵ Also Samuel demyde Israel in alle the daies of his lijf, that is, `til to the ordeynyng `and confermyng of Saul;

¹⁶ and he yede bi `alle yeeris, and cumpasside Bethel, and Galgal, and Masphat, and he demyde Israel in the forseid places.

¹⁷ And he turnede ayen in to Ramatha, for his hows was there; and he demyde Israel there, and he bildide there also an auter to the Lord.

Chapter 8

¹ Forsothe it was don, whanne Samuel hadde wexide eld, he settide hise sones iugis on Israel.

² And the name of his firste gendrid sone was Johel, and the name of the secounde was Abia, iugis in Bersabee.

³ And hise sones yeden not in `the weies of hym, but thei bowiden after aueryce, and thei token yiftis, and peruertiden doom.

⁴ Therfor alle the grettere men in birthe of Israel weren gaderid, and camen to Samuel in to Ramatha.

⁵ And thei seiden to hym, Lo! thou hast wexid eld, and thi sones goen not in thi weies; ordeyne thou a kyng to vs, `that he deme vs, as also alle naciouns han.

⁶ And the word displeside in the iyen of Samuel, for thei hadden seid, Yyue thou to vs a kyng, that he deme vs. And Samuel preiede to the Lord.

⁷ Forsothe the Lord seide to Samuel, Here thou the vois of the puple in alle thingis whiche thei speken to thee; for thei han not caste awey thee, but me, that Y regne not on hem.

⁸ Bi alle her werkis whiche thei diden, fro the day in whiche Y ledde hem out of Egipt `til to this dai, as thei forsoken me, and seruyden alien goddis, so thei doon also to thee.

⁹ Now therfor here thou her vois; netheles witnesse thou to hem; biforseie thou to hem the riyt of the kyng, that schal regne on hem.

¹⁰ Therfor Samuel seide alle the wordis of the Lord to the puple, that hadde axid of him a king; and he seide,

¹¹ This schal be the `riyt of the kyng, that schal comaunde to you; he schal take youre sones, and schal sette in hise charis;

¹² and he schal make hem `to hym silf rideris, and biforegoeris of hise cartis; and he schal ordeyne to hym tribunes, `that is, souereyns of a thousynd, and centuriouns, `that is, souereyns of an hundrid, and eereris of hise feeldis, and reperis of cornes, and smythis of hise armeris, and charis.

¹³ Also he schal make youre douytris makeris of `oynementis to hym silf, and fueris, and bakeris.

¹⁴ And he schal take youre feeldis and vyneris and the beste places of olyues, and schal yyue to hise seruauntis.

¹⁵ But also he schal take the tenthe part of youre cornes, and rentis of vyneris, that he yyue to his chaumberleyns and seruauntis.

¹⁶ Sotheli he schal take awey youre seruauntis and handmaydes, and beste yong men, and assis, and schal sette in his werk.

¹⁷ Also he schal take the tenthe part of youre flockis, and ye schulen be `seruauntis to hym.

¹⁸ And ye schulen crye in that dai fro the face of youre kyng, whom ye han chose to you; and the Lord schal not here you in that dai; for ye axiden a kyng to you.

¹⁹ Sotheli the puple nolde here the vois of Samuel, but thei seiden, Nay for a kyng schal be on vs;

²⁰ and we also schulen be as alle folkis, and oure kyng schal deme vs, and he schal go out bifor vs, and he schal fiyte oure batel for vs.

²¹ And Samuel herde alle the wordis of the puple, and `spak tho in the eeris of the Lord.

²² Forsothe the Lord seide to Samuel, Here thou `the vois of hem, and ordeyne thou a kyng on hem. And Samuel seide to the men of Israel, Ech man go in to his citee.

Chapter 9

¹ And `a man was of Beniamyn, `Cys bi name, the sone of Abiel, sone of Seor, sone of Bethor, sone of Aphia, sone of the man Gemyny, strong in bodili myyt.

² And to hym was a sone, Saul bi name, chosun and good; and no man of the sones of Israel was betere than he; fro the schuldur and aboue he apperide ouer al the puple.

³ Sotheli the femal assis of Cys, the fadir of Saul, perischyden. And Cys seide to Saul his sone, Take with thee oon of the children, and rise thou, and go, and seke the femal assis. And whanne thei hadden go bi the hil of Effraym,

⁴ and bi the lond of Salisa, and hadden not foundun, thei passiden also bi the lond of Salym, and tho weren not there; but also 'thei passiden bi the lond of Gemyny, and founden not.

⁵ Sotheli whanne thei hadden come in to the lond of Suph, and hadden not founde, Saul seide to his child that was with hym, Come thou, and turne we ayen; lest perauenture my fadir hath lefte the femal assis, and is bisy for vs.

⁶ Which child seide to hym, Lo! the man of God is in this citee, a noble man; al thing that he spekith, cometh with out doute. Now therfor go we thidir, if perauenture he schewe to vs of oure weie, for which we camen.

⁷ And Saul seide to his child, Lo! we schulen go; what schulen we bere to the man of God? Breede failide in oure scrippis, and we han no present, that we yyue to the man of God, `nether ony othir thing.

⁸ Eft the child answeride to Saul, and seide, Lo! the fourthe part of `a stater, that is, a cicle, of siluer is foundun in myn hond; yyue we to the man of God, that he schewe to vs oure weie.

⁹ Sumtyme in Israel ech man goynge to counsel God spak thus, Come ye, and go we to the seere; for he, that is seid `to dai a profete, was clepid sumtyme a seere.

¹⁰ And Saul seide to his child, `Thi word is the beste; come thou, go we. And thei yeden in to the citee, `in which the man of God was.

¹¹ And whanne thei stieden in to the hiynesse of the citee, thei founden damesels goynge out to drawe watir, and thei seiden to the dameselis, Whether the seere is here?

¹² Whiche dameselis answeriden, and seiden to hem, He is here; lo! he is bifor thee; `haste thou now, for to day he cam in to the citee; for to dai is sacrifice of the puple in the hiy place.

¹³ Ye schulen entre in to the citee, and anoon ye schulen fynde hym, bifor that he stie in to the hiy place to ete; for the puple schal not ete til he come, for he schal blesse the sacrifice, and afterward thei schulen ete that ben clepid. Now therfor stie ye, for to day ye schulen fynde hym.

¹⁴ And thei stieden in to the citee. And whanne thei yeden in the myddis of the citee, Samuel apperide goynge out ayens hem, that he schulde stie in to the hiy place.

¹⁵ Forsothe the Lord `hadde maad reuelacioun in the eere of Samuel `bifor o dai, that Saul cam, and seide,

¹⁶ In this same our which is now to morewe, Y schal sende to thee a man of the lond of Beniamyn, and thou schalt anoynte hym duyk on my puple Israel, and he schal saue my puple fro the hond of Filisteis; for Y haue biholde my puple, for `the cry of hem cam to me.

¹⁷ And whanne Samuel hadde biholde Saul, the Lord seide to Samuel, Lo! the man, whom Y seide to thee; this man schal be lord of my puple.

¹⁸ Forsothe Saul neiyede to Samuel in the myddis of the yate, and seide, Y preye, schewe thou to me, where is the hows of the seere?

¹⁹ And Samuel answeride to Saul, and seide, Y am the seere; stie thou bifor me in to the hiy place, that thou ete with me to dai, and Y schal delyuere thee in the morewtid, and Y schal schewe to thee alle thingis that ben in thin herte.

²⁰ And be thou not bisy of the femal assis, whiche thou lostist the thridde dai agoon, for tho ben foundun; and whose schulen be alle the beste thingis of Israel, whether not to thee, and to al the hows of thi fader?

²¹ Sotheli Saul answeride, and seide, Whether Y am not a sone of Gemyny, of the leeste lynage of Israel, and my kynrede is the laste among alle the meynees of the lynage of Beniamyn? Whi therfor hast thou spoke to me this word?

²² Therfor Samuel took Saul, and his child, and ledde hem in to the chaumbur of thre ordris, and he yaf to hem a place in the bigynnyng of hem that weren clepid; for thei weren as thretti men.

²³ And Samuel seide to the cook, Yyue thou the part, which Y yaf to thee, and comaundide, that thou schuldist kepe bi it silf anentis thee.

²⁴ Sotheli the cook reiside the schuldir, and settide bifor Saul. And Samuel seide, Lo! that, that lefte, `sette thou bifor thee, and ete; for of purpos it was kept to thee, whanne Y clepide the puple. And Saul eet with Samuel in that dai.

²⁵ And thei camen doun fro the hiy place in to the citee; and Samuel spak with Saul in the soler, and Saul `araiede a bed in the soler, and slepte.

²⁶ And whanne thei hadden rise eerli, and `now it bigan to be cleer, Samuel clepide Saul in to the soler, and seide, Rise thou, that Y delyuere thee. And Saul roos, and bothe yeden out, that is, he, and Samuel.

²⁷ And whanne thei yeden doun in the laste part of the citee, Samuel seide to Saul, Seie thou to the child, that he go bifor vs, and passe; forsothe stonde thou a litil, that Y schewe to thee the word of the Lord.

Chapter 10

¹ Forsothe Samuel took `a vessel of oyle, and schedde out on the heed of Saul, and kisside hym, and seide, Lo! the Lord hath anoyntid thee in to prince on hys eritage; and thou schalt delyuere his puple fro the hond of his enemyes, that ben `in his cumpas. And this a tokene to thee, that the Lord hath anoyntid thee in to prince;

² whanne thou schalt go fro me to day, thou schalt fynde twei men bisidis `the sepulcre of Rachel, in `the endis of Beniamyn, in myddai, clensynge grete dichis; and thei schulen seie to thee, The femel assis ben foundun, whiche thou yedist to seke; and while the assis ben lefte, thi fadir is bisy for you, and seith, What schal Y do of my sone?

³ And whanne thou hast go fro thennus, and hast passid ferthere, and hast come to the ook of Tabor, thre men, stiynge to God in to Bethel, schulen fynde thee there, o man berynge thre kydis, and another man berynge thre kakis of breed, and an other man berynge a galoun of wyn.

⁴ And whanne thei han gret thee, thei schulen yyue to thee twei loues, and thou schalt take of `the hond of hem.

⁵ After these thingis thou schalt come in to the `hil of the Lord, where is the stondyng, that is, forselet, of Filisteis; and whanne thou schalt entre in to the citee, there thou schalt haue metynge thee the flok of prophetis comynge doun fro the hiy place, and a sautree, and tympane, and pipe, and harpe bifor hem, and hem prophesiynge.

⁶ And the Spirit of the Lord schal skippe in to thee, and thou schalt prophecie with hem, and thou schalt be chaungid in to another man.

⁷ Therfor whanne alle thesse signes bifallen to thee, do thou, what euer thingis thin hond fyndith, `that is, dispose thee to regne comelili and myytily, for the Lord is with thee.

⁸ And thou schalt go doun bifor me in to Galgala; for Y schal come doun to thee, that thou offre an offryng, and offre pesible sacrifices; bi seuene daies thou schalt abide, til I come to thee, and shewe to thee what thou schal do.

⁹ Therfor whanne Saul hadde turnede awei his schuldre to go fro Samuel, God chaungide another herte to Saul, and alle these signes camen in that dai.

¹⁰ And thei camen to the forseid hil, and lo! a cumpeny of prophetis metynge hym; and the Spirit of the Lord `scippide on hym, and he propheciede in the myddis of hem.

¹¹ Sotheli alle men, that knewen hym yisterdai and the thrid dai ago, sien that he was with the prophetis, and that he prophesiede, and thei seiden togidere, What thing bifelde to the sone of Cys? Whether also Saul is among prophetis?

¹² And o man answeride to another man, and seide, And who is `his fadir? Therfor it was turned in to a prouerbe, Whether also Saul is among prophetis?

¹³ Forsothe Saul ceside to prophesie, and he cam to an hiy place.

¹⁴ And the brothir of `the fadir of Saul seide to hym, and to his child, Whidur yeden ye? And thei answeriden, To seke the femal assis; and whanne we founden `not thoo, we camen to Samuel.

¹⁵ And the brother of his fadir seide to hym, Schewe thou to me what Samuel seide to thee.

¹⁶ And Saul seide to `the brother of hys fadir, He schewide to vs, that the femal assis weren foundun. Sotheli Saul schewide not to hym of the word of rewme, `which word Samuel spak to hym.

¹⁷ And Samuel clepide togidere the puple to the Lord in Masphat;

¹⁸ and he seide to the sones of Israel, The Lord God of Israel seith these thingis, Y ledde Israel out of the lond of Egipt, and Y delyuerede you fro the hond of Egipcians, and fro the hond of alle kyngis that turmentiden you.

¹⁹ Forsothe to day ye han caste awei youre Lord God, which aloone sauyde you fro alle youre yuelis and tribulaciouns; and ye seiden, Nay, but ordeyne thou a kyng on vs. Now therfor stonde ye bifor the Lord bi youre lynagis, and bi meynees.

²⁰ And Samuel settide to gidere alle the lynages of Israel, and lot felde on the lynage of Beniamyn.

²¹ And he settide togidere the lynage of Beniamyn, and the meynees therof; and lot felde on the meynees of Mathri, and it cam `til to Saul, the son of Cys. Therfor thei souyten hym, and he was not foundun there.

²² And aftir these thingis thei counseliden the Lord, whether Saul schulde come thidur. And the Lord answeride, Lo! he is hid at hoom.

²³ Therfor thei runnen, and token hym fro thennus; and he stood in the myddil of the puple, and was hiyere than al the puple fro the schulder and `aboue.

²⁴ And Samuel seide to al the puple, Certis ye seen whom the Lord hath chose; for noon in al the puple is lijk hym. And al the puple cryede, and seide, Lyue the kyng!

²⁵ Forsothe Samuel spak to the puple the lawe of rewme, and wroot in a book, and puttide vp bifor the Lord. And Samuel dilyuerede al the puple, ech man in to his hows;

²⁶ but also Saul yede in to his hous in to Gabaath; and the part of the oost yede with hym, whose hertis God hadde touchid.

²⁷ Forsothe the sones of Belyal seiden, Whether this man may saue vs? And thei dispisiden hym, and brouyten not yiftis, `that is, preisyngis, to him; forsothe he `dissymelide hym to here.

Chapter 11

¹ And it was don as aftir a monethe, Naas of Amon stiede, and bigan to fiyte ayens Jabes of Galaad. And alle the men of Jabes seiden to Naas, Haue thou vs boundun in pees, and we schulen serue thee.

² And Naas of Amon answeride to hem, In this Y schal smyte boond of pees with you, that Y putte out the riyt iyen of alle you, and that Y sette you schenschip in al Israel.

³ And the eldere men of Jabes seiden to him, Graunte thou to vs seuene daies, that we senden messangeris to alle the termes of Israel; and if noon be that defende vs, we schulen go out to thee.

⁴ Therfor messangeris camen in to Gabaad of Saul, and spaken these wordis, `while the puple herde; and al the puple reiside her vois, and wepte.

⁵ And lo! Saul cam, `and suede oxis fro the feeld; and he seide, What hath the puple, for it wepith? And thei telden to hym the wordis of men of Jabes.

⁶ And the Spirit of the Lord skippide in to Saul, whanne he hadde herd these wordis, and his woodnesse was `wrooth greetli.

⁷ And he took euer either oxe, and kittide in to gobetis, and sente in to alle the termes of Israel, bi the hondis of messangeris; and seide, Who euer goith not out, and sueth not Saul and Samuel, so it schal be don to hise oxun. Therfor the drede of the Lord asailide the puple, and thei yeden out as o man.

⁸ And he noumbride hem in Besech; and thre hundrid thousynd weren of the sones of Israel; forsothe of the men of Juda weren thretti thousynde.

⁹ And thei seiden to the messangeris that camen, Thus ye schulen seie to the men that ben in Jabes of Galaad, To morew schal be helthe to you, whanne the sunne is hoot. Therfor the messangeris camen, and telden to the men of Jabes; whiche weren glad,

¹⁰ and seiden, Eerli we schulen go out to you, and ye schulen do to vs al that plesith you.

¹¹ And it was don, whanne the morewe dai cam, Saul ordeynede the puple in to thre partis; and he entride in to the myddil tentis `in the wakyng of the morewtid, and he smoot Amon til the dai `was hoot; `forsothe the residues weren scaterid, so that tweyne togidere weren not left in hem.

¹² And the puple seide to Samuel, Who is this, that seide, Saul schal not regne on vs? Yyue ye the men, and we schulen sle hem.

¹³ And Saul seide, No man schal be slayn in this dai, for to dai the Lord made helthe in Israel.

¹⁴ Forsothe Samuel seide to the puple, Come ye, and go we in to Galgala, and renule we there the rewme.

¹⁵ And al the puple yede in to Galgala, and there thei maden Saul kyng bifor the Lord `in Galgala; and thei offriden pesible sacrifices bifor the Lord. And Saul was glad there, and alle the men of Israel greetli.

Chapter 12

¹ Forsothe Samuel seide to al Israel, Lo! Y herde youre vois bi alle thingis whiche ye spaken to me, and Y ordeynede a kyng on you;

² and now the king goith bifor you. Sotheli Y wexide eld and hoor; forsothe my sones ben with you; therfor Y lyuyde bifor you fro my yong wexynge age `til to this dai. And lo!

³ Y am redi; speke ye to me bifor the Lord, and bifor `the crist of hym; whether Y took `the oxe of ony man, ether the asse; if Y falsly chalengide ony mon; yf Y oppresside ony man; if Y took yifte of `the hond of ony man; and Y schal `dispise it to dai, and Y schal restore to you.

⁴ And thei seiden, Thou hast not falsly chalengid vs, nether hast oppressid vs, nether hast take ony thing of `the hond of ony man.

⁵ And he seide to hem, The Lord is witnesse ayens you, and his crist is witnesse in this day; for ye han not founde ony thing in myn hond. And thei seiden, Witnesse.

⁶ And Samuel seide to the puple, The Lord, that made Moises and Aaron, and ledde youre fadris out of the lond of Egipt, is present;

⁷ now therfor stonde ye, that Y stryue bi doom ayens you bifor the Lord, of alle the mercyes of the Lord, whiche he dide with you, and with youre fadris.

⁸ Hou Jacob entride in to Egipt, and youre fadris crieden to the Lord; and the Lord sente Moises and Aaron, and ledde youre fadris out of Egipt, and settide hem in this place.

⁹ Whiche foryaten her Lord God; and he bitook hem in the hond of Sisara, maystir of the chyualrie of Asor, and in the hond of Filisteis, and in the hond of the kyng of Moab; and thei fouyten ayens hem.

¹⁰ Sotheli afterward thei crieden to the Lord, and seiden, We synneden, for we forsoken the Lord, and seruyden Baalym and Astroth; now therfor delyuere thou vs fro `the hond of oure enemyes, and we schulen serue thee.

¹¹ And the Lord sente Gerobaal, and `Bedan, that is, Sampson, and Barach, and Jepte, and Samuel, and delyuerede you fro the hond of youre enemyes bi cumpass; and ye dwelliden tristili.

¹² Forsothe ye sien, that Naas, kyng of the sones of Amon, cam ayens you; and ye seiden to me, counseilynge to axe noon other kyng than God, Nay, but a kyng schal comaunde to vs; whanne `youre Lord God regnede in you.

¹³ Now therfor youre kyng is redi, whom ye han chose and axid; lo! the Lord yaf to you a kyng.

¹⁴ If ye dreden the Lord, and seruen hym, and heren his vois, and wraththen not the `mouth of the Lord; ye and youre kyng, that comaundith to you, schulen sue youre Lord God.

¹⁵ Forsothe if ye heren not the vois of `the Lord, but wraththen his word, the hond of the Lord schal be on you, and on youre fadris.

¹⁶ But also now stonde ye, and se this gret thing which the Lord schal make in youre siyt.

¹⁷ Whether heruest of whete is not `to dai? I schal inwardli clepe the Lord, and he schal yyue voices, `that is, thundris, and reynes; and ye schulen wite, and schulen se, for ye axynge a kyng on you han do greuouse yuel to you in the siyt of the Lord.

¹⁸ And Samuel criede to the Lord, and the Lord yaf voices and reynes in that dai.

¹⁹ And al the puple dredde greetli the Lord and Samuel; and al the puple seide to Samuel, Preye thou for thi seruauntis to thi Lord God, that we die not; for we addiden yuel to alle oure synnes, that we axiden a kyng to vs.

²⁰ Forsothe Samuel seide to the puple, `Nyle ye drede; ye han do al this yuel; netheles `nyle ye go awey fro the bak of the Lord, but serue ye the Lord in al youre herte;

²¹ and nyle ye bowe aftir veyn thingis, that schulen not profite to you, nether schulen delyuere you; for tho ben veyn thingis.

²² And the Lord schal not forsake his puple for his grete name; for the Lord swoor to make you a puple to hym silf.

²³ Forsothe this synne be fer fro me in the Lord, that Y ceesse to preye for you; and Y schal teche you a riytful weie and good.

²⁴ Therfor drede ye the Lord, and `serue ye hym in treuthe, and of al youre herte; for ye sien tho grete thingis, whiche he `dide in you;

²⁵ that if ye contynuen in malice, bothe ye and youre kyng schulen perische to gidere.

Chapter 13

¹ Saul was a child of o yeer whanne he bigan to regne; forsothe he regnede on Israel twei yeer.

² And Saul chees to hym thre thousynde of Israel, and twei thousynde weren with Saul in Machynas, in the hil of Bethel; forsothe a thousynde weren with Jonathas in Gabaath of Beniamyn; sotheli he sente ayen the tother puple ech man in to `hise tabernaclis.

³ And Jonathas smoot the stacioun of Filisteis, that was in Gabaa. And whanne Filisteis hadden herd this, Saul sownede with a clarioun in al the lond, and seide, Ebreys here.

⁴ And al Israel herde siche a fame, Saul smoot the stacioun of Filisteis; and Israel reiside hym silf ayens Filisteis; therfor the puple criede after Saul in Galgala.

⁵ And Filisteis weren gaderid to fiyte ayens Israel; `of Filisteis weren thretti thousynde of charis, and sixe thousynde of knyytis, and the tother comyn puple, as grauel `which is ful myche in the brynke of the see; and thei stieden, and settiden tentis in Machynas, at the eest of Bethauen.

⁶ And whanne men of Israel hadden seyn this, that thei weren set in streiytnesse, for the puple was turmentid, thei hidden hem silf in dennes, and in priuey places, and in stonys, and in dychis, and in cisternes.

⁷ Sotheli Ebreis passiden Jordan in to the lond of Gad and of Galaad. And whanne Saul was yit in Galgala, al the puple was aferd that suede hym.

⁸ And seuene daies he abood Samuel bi couenaunt, and Samuel cam not in to Galgala; and the puple yede a wei fro Saul.

⁹ Therfor Saul seide, Brynge ye to me brent sacrifice, and pesible sacrifices; and he offride brent sacrifice.

¹⁰ And whanne he hadde endid offrynge brent sacrifice, lo! Samuel cam; and Saul yede out ayens hym, to greete Samuel.

¹¹ And Samuel spak to hym, What hast thou do? Saul answeride, For Y siy that the puple yede awei fro me, and thou camest not bi the daies of couenaunt; certis Filisteis weren gaderid in Machynas;

¹² Y seide, Now Filisteis schulen come doun to me in to Galgala, and Y haue not plesyd the face of the Lord; Y was compellid bi nede, and Y offryde brent sacrifice to the Lord.

¹³ And Samuel seide to Saul, Thou hast do folili, and thou `keptist not the heestis of thi Lord God, whiche he comaundide to thee; and if thou haddist not do this thing, riyt now the Lord hadde maad redi thi rewme on Israel with outen ende;

¹⁴ but thi rewme schal not rise ferthere. The Lord hath souyt a man to hym silf after his herte; and the Lord comaundide to hym, that he schulde be duyk on his puple, for thou keptist not tho thingis whiche the Lord comaundide.

¹⁵ Forsothe Samuel roos, and stiede fro Galgala in to Gabaa of Beniamyn; and the `residue puplis stieden after Saul ayens the puple which fouyten ayens hem; and thei camen fro Galgala in to Gabaa, in the hil of Beniamyn. And Saul noumbride the puple, that weren foundun with hym as sixe hundrid men.

¹⁶ And Saul, and Jonathas his sone, and the puple that was foundun with hem, was in Gabaa of Beniamyn; forsothe Filisteis saten togidere in Machynas.

¹⁷ And thre cumpanyes yeden out of the `castels of Filisteis to take prey; o cumpany yede ayens the weie of Effraym to the lond of Saul;

¹⁸ sothely an other cumpeny entride bi the weie of Bethoron; forsothe the thridde cumpenye turnede it silf to the weie of the terme in the lond of Sabaa; and that terme neiyeth to the valey of Seboym ayens the deseert.

¹⁹ Forsothe `no smyyth of yrun was foundun in al the lond of Israel; for Filisteis `weren war, ether eschewiden, lest perauenture Ebreis maden a swerd ether a spere.

²⁰ Therfor al Israel yede doun to Filisteis, that ech man schulde scharpe his schar, and picoise, and ax, `and sarpe;

²¹ `and so alle egis weren bluntid `of scharris, and of picoisis, and of `forkis of thre teeth, and of axis, `til to a pricke to be amendid.

²² And whanne the dai of batel cam, no swerd and spere was foundun in the hond of al the puple that was with Saul and Jonathas, outakun Saul, and Jonathas his sone.

²³ Forsothe the stacioun of Filisteis yede out, that it schulde passe in to Machynas.

Chapter 14

¹ And it bifelde in a day, that Jonathas, the sone of Saul, seide to his squyer, a yong man, Come thou, and passe we to the staciouns of the Filisteis, which is biyende that place; `sotheli he schewide not this same thing to his fadir.

² Sotheli Saul dwellide in the laste part of Gabaa, vndur a pumgarnarde tre, that was in the feeld of Gabaa; and the puple as of sixe hundrid men was with hym.

³ And Achias, sone of Achitob, brother of Icaboth, sone of Fynees, that was gendrid of Ely, preest of the Lord in Silo, bar ephod, `that is, the preestis cloth; but also the puple wiste not whidur Jonathas hadde go.

⁴ Sotheli bitwixe the stiyngis, bi whiche Jonathas enforside to passe to the stacioun of Filisteis, weren stonys stondynge forth on euer either side, and scarris brokun bifore bi the maner of teeth on ech syde; name to oon was Boses, and name to `the tother was Sene;

⁵ o scarre was stondynge forth to the north ayens Machynas, and the tother scarre to the south ayens Gabaa.

⁶ Forsothe Jonathas seide to his yong squyer, Come thou, passe we to the stacioun of these vncircumcisid men, if in hap the Lord do for vs; for it is not hard to the Lord to saue, ethir in manye ethir in fewe.

⁷ And his squyer seide to hym, Do thou alle thingis that plesen thi soule; go whidur thou coueitist, Y schal be with thee, where euer thou wolt.

⁸ And Jonathas seide, Lo! we passen to these men; and whanne we apperen to hem,

⁹ if thei speken thus to vs, Dwelle ye, til we comen to you; stonde we in oure place, and stie we not to hem.

¹⁰ Sotheli if thei seien, Stye ye to vs; stie we, for the Lord hath bitake hem in oure hondis; this schal be a signe to vs.

¹¹ `Therfor euer either apperide to the stacioun of Filisteis; and Filisteis seiden, Lo! Ebreis goen out of caues, in whiche thei weren hid.

¹² And men of the stacioun spaken to Jonathas and to his squyer, and seiden, Stie ye to vs, and we schulen schewe to you a thing. And Jonathas seide to his squyer, `Stie we, sue thou me; for the Lord hath bitake hem in to the hondis of Israel.

¹³ Forsothe Jonathas stiede crepynge on hondis and feet, and his squyer after hym; and whanne thei hadden seyn the face of Jonathas, summe felden doun bifor Jonathas, his squier killed othere, and suede hym.

¹⁴ And the firste wounde was maad, which Jonathas and his squyer smoot, as of twenti men, in `the myddil part of lond which a peire of oxun was wont to ere in the dai.

¹⁵ And a myracle was don in the castels, and bi the feeldis, but also al the puple of the `stacioun of hem that yeden out to take prey, dredde, and `the castels weren disturblid; and it bifelde as a myracle of God.

¹⁶ And aspyeris of Saul bihelden, that weren in Gabaa of Beniamyn, and lo! a multitude cast doun, and fleynge awei hidur and thidur.

¹⁷ And Saul seide to the puple that weren with hym, Seke ye, and se ye, who yede awei fro vs. And whanne thei hadden souyt, it was foundun, that Jonathas and his squyer weren not present.

¹⁸ And Saul seide to Achias, Brynge the arke of the Lord; for the arke of God was there in that dai with the sones of Israel.

¹⁹ And whanne Saul spak to the preest, a grete noise roos in the castelis of Filisteis; and it encresside litil and litil, and sownede cleerliere. And Saul seide to the preest, Withdraw thin hond.

²⁰ Therfor Saul criede, and al the puple that was with hym; and thei camen `til to the place of batel, and, lo! the swerd of ech man was turned to his neiybore, and a ful grete sleynge was.

²¹ But also Ebreis that weren with Filisteis yistirday and the thridde dai ago, and hadde stied with hem in castels, turneden ayen to be with Israel, that weren with Saul and Jonathas.

²² Also alle men of Israel, that hadden hid hem silf in the hil of Effraym, herden that Filisteis hadden fled; and thei felouschipiden hem silf with her men in batel, and as ten thousynde of men weren with Saul.

²³ And the Lord sauyde Israel in that day. Sotheli the batel cam til to Bethauen.

²⁴ And men of Israel weren felouschipid to hem silf in that dai; forsothe Saul swoor to the puple, and seide, Cursid be the man, that etith breed `til to euentid, til `Y venge me of myn enemyes.

²⁵ And al the puple ete not breed. And al the comyn puple of the lond cam in to a forest, in which was hony on the `face of erthe.

²⁶ And so the puple entride in to the forest, and flowynge hony apperide; and no man puttide hond to his mouth, for the puple dredde the ooth.

²⁷ Forsothe Jonathas herde not, whanne his fadir swoor to the puple; and he helde forth the ende of a litil yerde, whiche he hadde in the hond, and dippide in to `a coomb of hony; and he turnede his hond to his mouth, and hise iyen weren liytned.

²⁸ And oon of the puple answeride, and seide, Thi fader boond the puple with an ooth, and seide, Cursid be the man that etith breed to dai. Forsothe the puple was feynt.

²⁹ And Jonathas seide, My fadir hath disturblid the lond; ye sien, that myn iyen ben liytned, for Y tastide a litil of this hony;

³⁰ hou myche more if the puple hadde ete the prey of hise enemyes, which `prey it foond; whether not gretter veniaunce hadde be maad in Filisteis?

³¹ Therfore thei smytiden Filisteis in that dai fro Machynas `til in to Hailon. Forsothe the puple was maad ful wery;

³² and the puple turnede to prey, and took scheep and oxun, and calues; and thei killiden in the erthe; and the puple eet with blood.

³³ And thei telden to Saul, and seiden, that the puple etynge with blood hadde synned to the Lord. And Saul seide, Ye han trespassid; walewe ye to me `riyt now a greet stoon.

³⁴ And Saul seyde, `Be ye spred abrood in to the comyn puple, and seie ye to hem, that ech man brynge to me his oxe and ram; and sle ye on this stoon, and ete ye, and ye schulen not do synne to the Lord, `and ete with blood. Therfor al the puple brouyte ech man an oxe in his hond `til to nyyt, and thei killiden there.

³⁵ Sotheli Saul bildide an auter to the Lord; and thanne firste he bigan to bilde an auter to the Lord.

³⁶ And Saul seide, Falle we on the Filisteis in the nyyt, and waste we hem til the morewtid schyne; and leeue we not of hem a man. And the puple seide, Do thou al thing that semeth good to thee in thin iyen. And the preest seide, Neiye we hidur to God.

³⁷ And Saul counselide the Lord, and seide, Whether Y schal pursue Filisteis? whether thou schalt bitake hem in to the hondis of Israel? And the Lord answeride not to him in that dai.

³⁸ And Saul seide, Brynge ye hidur alle the corneris of the puple, and wite ye, and se, bi whom this synne bifelde to dai.

³⁹ The Lord sauyour of Israel lyueth; for if `it is don bi Jonathas my sone, he schal die with out ayen drawyng. At which ooth no man of al the puple ayenseide hym.

⁴⁰ And he seide to al Israel, Be ye departid in to o part, and Y with my sone Jonathas schal be in the tothir part. And the puple answeride to Saul, Do thou that, that semeth good in thin iyen.

⁴¹ And Saul seide to the Lord God of Israel, Lord God of Israel, yyue thou doom, what is, that thou answerist not to dai to thi seruaunt? If this wickidness is in me, ether in Jonathas my sone, yyue thou schewyng; ether if this wickidnesse is in thi puple, yyue thou hoolynesse. And Jonathas was takun, and Saul; forsothe the puple yede out.

⁴² And Saule seide, Sende ye lot bitwixe me and Jonathas my sone. And Jonathas was takun `bi lot.

⁴³ Forsothe Saul seide to Jonathas, Schewe thou to me, what thou didist. And Jonathas schewide to hym, and seide, Y tastynge tastide a litil of hony `in the ende of the yerde, that was in myn hond; and lo!

⁴⁴ Y die. And Saul seide, God do to me these thingis, and adde `these thingis, for thou, Jonathas, schalt die bi deeth.

⁴⁵ And the puple seide to Saul, `Therfor whethir Jonathas schal die, that dide this greet helthe in Israel? this is vnleueful; the Lord lyueth; noon heer of his heed schal falle in to erthe; for he wrouyte with God to dai. Therfor the puple delyuerede Jonathas, that he diede not.

⁴⁶ And Saul yede a wey, and pursuede not Filisteis; sotheli Filisteys yeden in to her places.

⁴⁷ And Saul, whanne the rewme was `confermyd on Israel, fauyt bi cumpas ayens alle hise enemyes, ayens Moab, and the sones of Amon, and Edom, and ayens the kyngis of Soba, and ayens Filisteis; and whidur euer he turnede hym, he ouercam.

⁴⁸ And whanne the oost was gaderid, he smoot Amalech; and delyuerede Israel fro the hond of hise distrieris.

⁴⁹ Forsothe the sones of Saul weren Jonathas, and Jesuy, and Melchisua; the names of hise twei douytris, name of the firste gendrid douyter was Merob, and name `of the lesse douyter was Mycol.

⁵⁰ And name of `the wijf of Saul was Achynoem, the douytir of Achymaas; and the name of the prince of his chyualrye was Abner, sone of Ner, brother of the fadir of Saul.

⁵¹ Forsothe Cys was the fadir of Saul; and Ner, the sone of Abiel, was fadir of Abner.

⁵² Sotheli myyti batel was ayens Filisteis in alle the daies of Saul; for whom euere Saul siy a strong man and schapli to batel, Saul felouschipide to him silf that man.

Chapter 15

¹ And Samuel seide to Saul, The Lord sente me, that Y schulde anoynte thee in to `kyng on his puple Israel; now therfor here thou the vois `of the Lord.

² The Lord of oostis seith thes thingis, Y haue rikenyd what euer thingis Amalech dide to Israel; hou Amalech ayenstood Israel in the weie, whanne he stiede from Egipt.

³ Now therfor go thou, and sle Amalech, and distruye thou alle `thingis of hym; spare thou not hym, and coueyte thou not ony thing of hise thingis; but sle thou fro man `til to womman, and a litil child, and soukynge, an oxe, and scheep, and camel, and asse.

⁴ Therfor Saul comaundide to the puple, and he noumbride hem as lambren twei hundrid thousynde of foot men, and ten thousynde of men of Juda.

⁵ And whanne Saul cam to the citee of Amalech, he made redi buyschementis in the stronde.

⁶ And Saul seide to Cyney, Go ye, departe ye, and go ye awei fro Amalech, lest perauenture Y wlappe thee in with hem; for thou didist mercy with alle the sones of Israel, whanne thei stieden fro Egipt. And Cyney departide fro the myddis of Amalech.

⁷ And Saul smoot Amalech fro Euila, til thou come to Sur, which is ayens Egipt.

⁸ And he took Agag quyke, the kyng of Amalech; sotheli he killide bi the scharpnesse of swerd alle the comyn puple.

⁹ And Saul and the puple sparide Agag, and the beste flockis of scheep, and of grete beestis, and clothis, and rammes, and alle thingis that weren faire; and thei nolden destrie tho; sotheli what euer thing was vijl, and repreuable, thei distrieden this.

¹⁰ Forsothe the word of the Lord was maad to Samuel,

¹¹ and seide, It repentith me, that Y made Saul kyng; for he forsook me, and fillide not my wordis in werk. And Samuel was sory, and he criede to the Lord in al the nyyt.

¹² And whanne Samuel hadde rise bi nyyt to go eerly to Saul, it was teld to Samuel, that Saul hadde come in to Carmel, and hadde reisid to hym a signe of victorye; and that he hadde turned ayen, and hadde passid, and hadde go doun in to Galgala. Therfor Samuel cam to Saul, and Saul offride brent sacrifice to the Lord of the cheef thingis of preies, whiche he hadde brouyt fro Amalech.

¹³ And the while Samuel cam to Saul, Saul seide to hym, Blessid be thou of the Lord, Y haue fillid the `word of the Lord.

¹⁴ And Samuel seide, And what is the vois of flockis, that sowneth in myn eeris, and of grete beestis, whiche Y here?

¹⁵ And Saul seide, Thei brouyten tho fro Amalech, for the puple sparide the betere scheep and grete beestis, that tho schulden be offrid to thi Lord God; sotheli we killiden the tothere beestis.

¹⁶ Forsothe Samuel seide to Saul, Suffre thou me, and Y schal schewe to thee what thingis the Lord spak to me in the nyyt. And he seide to Samuel, Speke thou.

¹⁷ And Samuel seide, Whether not, whanne thou were litil in thin iyen, thou were maade heed in the lynages of Israel, and the Lord anoyntide thee in to kyng on Israel;

¹⁸ and the Lord sente thee in to the weie, and seide, Go thou, and sle the synneris of Amalech, and thou schalt fiyte ayens hem `til to sleyng of hem.

¹⁹ Whi therfor herdist thou not the vois of the Lord, but thou were turned to prey, and didist yuel in the `iyen of the Lord?

²⁰ And Saul seide to Samuel, Yhis, Y herde the `vois of the Lord, and Y yede in the weie, bi which the Lord sente me, and Y haue brouyt Agag, the kyng of Amalech, and Y killide Amalech.

²¹ Forsothe the puple took of the prey, scheep and oxun, the firste fruytis of tho thingis, that ben slayn, that thei make sacrifice to her Lord God in Galgalis.

²² And Samuel seide, Whether the Lord wole brent sacrifices, ethir slayn sacrifices, and not more that me obeie to the vois of the Lord? For obedience is betere than sacrifices, and to `herkene Goddis word is more than to offre the ynnere fatnesse of rammes;

²³ for it is as the synne of mawmetrie to `fiyte ayens Goddis heest, and it is as the wickidnesse of ydolatrie to nyle `ascente to Goddis heest. Therfor for that, that thou castidist awey the word of the Lord, the Lord castide thee awei, that thou be not kyng.

²⁴ And Saul seide to Samuel, Y synnede, for Y brak the word of the Lord, and thi wordis; `and Y dredde the puple, `and obeiede to `the vois of hem; but now,

²⁵ Y biseche, bere thou my synne, and turne thou ayen with me, that Y worschipe the Lord.

²⁶ And Samuel seide to Saul, Y schal not turne ayen with thee, for thou castidist awey the word of the Lord, and the Lord castide awei thee, that thou be not king on Israel.

²⁷ And Samuel turnede to go a wey; sotheli Saul took the ende of the mentil of Samuel, which also was to-rent.

²⁸ And Samuel seide to hym, The Lord hath kit the rewme of Israel fro thee to dai, and yaf it to thi neiybore betere than thou;

²⁹ certis the ouercomere in Israel schal not spare, and he schal not be bowid bi repentaunce; for he is not man, `that is, chaungeable, that he do repentaunce.

³⁰ And Saul seide, Y synnede; but now onoure thou me bifor the eldere men of my puple, and bifor Israel, and turne thou ayen with me, that Y worschipe thi Lord God.

³¹ Therfor Samuel turnede ayen, and suede Saul, and Saul worschipide the Lord.

³² And Samuel seide, Brynge ye to me Agag, the kyng of Amalech. And Agag `moost fat tremblynge was brouyt to hym. And Agag seide, Whether thus departith bitter deeth?

³³ And Samuel seide, As thi swerd made wymmen with out fre children, so thi modir schal be with out fre children among wymmen. And Samuel kittide hym in to gobetis bifor the Lord in Galgalis.

³⁴ Forsothe Samuel yede in to Ramatha; sotheli Saul stiede in to his hows in Gabaa.

³⁵ And Samuel siy no more Saul `til to the dai of his deeth; netheles Samuel biweilide Saul, for it repentide the Lord, that he hadde ordeyned Saul kyng on Israel.

Chapter 16

¹ And the Lord seide to Samuel, Hou long biweilist thou Saul, sithen Y castide hym awey, that he regne not on Israel; fille thin horn with oile, and come, that Y sende thee to Ysay of Bethleem; for among hise sones Y haue purueide a king to me.

² And Samuel seide, Hou schal Y go? for Saul schal here, and he schal sle me. And the Lord seide, Thou schalt take a calf of the droue in thi hond, and thou schalt seye, Y cam to make sacrifice to the Lord.

³ And thou schalt clepe Ysay to the sacrifice, and Y schal schewe to thee, what thou schalt do; and thou schalt anoynte, whom euere Y schal schewe to thee.

⁴ Therfor Samuel dide, as the Lord spak to hym; and he cam in to Bethleem, and the eldere men of the citee wondriden, and camen to hym, and seiden, Whether thin entryng is pesible?

⁵ And he seide, It is pesible; Y cam to make sacrifice to the Lord; be ye halewid, and come ye with me, that Y make sacrifice. Therfor he halewide Ysai, and hise sones, and clepide hem to the sacrifice.

⁶ And whanne thei hadden entrid, he siy Eliab, and seide, Whether bifor the Lord is his crist?

⁷ And the Lord seide to Samuel, Biholde thou not his cheer, nethir hiynesse of his stature; for Y castide hym awei, and Y demyde not bi `the siyt of man; for a man seeth tho thingis that ben opyn, but the Lord biholdith the herte.

⁸ And Ysai clepide Amynadab, and brouyte hym bifor Samuel; which seide, Nether the Lord hath chose this.

⁹ Forsothe Isay brouyte Samma; of whom Samuel seide, Also the Lord hath not chose this.

¹⁰ Therfor Isai brouyte hise seuene sones bifor Samuel; and Samuel seide to Ysai, The Lord hath `not chose of these.

¹¹ And Samuel seide to Isai, Whether thi sones ben now fillid? And Isai answeride, Yit `another is, a litil child, and lisewith scheep. And Samuel seide to Isai, Sende thou, and brynge hym; for we schulen not sitte to mete, bifor that he come hidur.

¹² Therfor Ysai sente, and brouyte hym; sotheli he was rodi, and fair in siyt, and of semely face. And the Lord seide, Rise thou, and anoynte hym; for it is he.

¹³ Therfor Samuel took the horn of oyle, and anoyntid hym in the myddis of his britheren; and the Spirit of the Lord was dressid in to Dauid fro that day `and afterward. And Samuel roos, and yede in to Ramatha.

¹⁴ And so the Spirit of the Lord yede awei fro Saul, and a wickid spirit of the Lord trauelide Saul.

¹⁵ And the seruauntis of Saul seiden to hym, Lo! an yuel spirit of the Lord traueilith thee;

¹⁶ oure lord the kyng comaunde, and thi seruauntis that ben bifore thee, schulen seke a man, that kan synge with an harpe, that whanne the yuel spirit of the Lord takith thee, he harpe with his hond, and thou bere esiliere. And Saul seide to hise seruauntis, Puruey ye to me sum man syngynge wel, and brynge ye hym to me.

¹⁸ And oon of the children answeride and seide, Lo! Y siy the sone of Ysai of Bethleem, kunnynge to synge, and `strongeste in myyt, and `a man able to batel, and prudent in wordis, and a feir man; and the Lord is with hym.

¹⁹ Therfor Saul sente messangeris to Ysay, and seide, Sende thou to me Dauid thi sone, `which is in the lesewis.

²⁰ Therfor Isai took an asse `ful of looues, and a galoun of wyn, and a `kyde of geet; and sente bi the hond of Dauid his sone to Saul.

²¹ And Dauid cam to Saul, and stood bifor hym; and Saul louyde hym greetli, and he was maad `his squyer.

²² And Saul sente to Isay, and seide, Dauid stonde in my siyt, for he foond grace in myn iyen.

²³ Therfor whanne euer the wickid spirit of the Lord took Saul, Dauid took the harpe, and smoot with his hond, and Saul was coumfortid, and he hadde liytere; for the wickid spirit yede awey fro hym.

Chapter 17

¹ Forsothe Filisteis gaderiden her cumpenyes in to batel, and camen togidere in Socoth of Juda, and settiden tentis bitwixe Socoth and Azecha, in the coostis of Domyn.

² Sotheli Saul and the men of Israel weren gaderid, and camen in to the valey of Terebynte, and dressiden scheltrun to fiyte ayens Filisteis.

³ And Filisteis stoden aboue the hil on this part, and Israel stood on the hil on the tother part of the valey, that was bitwixe hem. And a man, `sone of a widewe, whos fadir was vncerteyn, yede out of the `castels of Filisteis, Goliath bi name of Geth, of sixe cubitis heiy and a spanne; and a brasun basynet on his heed;

⁵ and he was clothid with `an haburioun hokid, ether mailid; forsothe the weiyte of his haburioun was fyue thousynde siclis of bras;

⁶ and he hadde `bootis of bras in the hipis, and a `scheld of bras hilide hise schuldris.

⁷ Forsothe `the schaft of his spere was as the beem of webbis; forsothe thilke yrun of his spere hadde sixe hundrid siclis of yrun; and his squier yede bifor hym.

⁸ And he stood, and cried ayens the cumpenyes of armed men of Israel, and seide to hem, Why camen ye redi to batel? Whether Y am not a Filistei, and ye ben the seruauntis of Saul? Chese ye a man of you, and come he doun to syngulere batel;

⁹ if he may fiyte with me, and sleeth me, we schulen be `seruauntis to you; forsothe if Y haue the maystry, and sle hym, ye schulen be boonde, and `ye schulen serue vs.

¹⁰ And `the Filistei seide, Y haue `seyd schenschip to dai to the cumpenyes of Israel; yyue ye a man, and bigynne he `synguler batel with me.

¹¹ Sotheli Saul and alle men of Israel herden siche wordis of `the Filistey, and thei weren astonyed, and dredden greetli.

¹² Forsothe Dauid was `the sone of a man of Effrata, of whom it is `biforseid, of Bethleem of Juda, to `which man the name was Isay, which hadde eiyte sones; and `the man was eld in the daies of Saul, and of greet age among men.

¹³ Sotheli thre grettere sones of Ysai yeden after Saul in to batel; and the names of hise thre sones, that yeden to batel, Heliab, the firste gendryd, and the secounde, Amynadab, and the thridde, Samma.

¹⁴ Forsothe Dauid was the leeste. Therfor while thre grettere sueden Saul, Dauid yede,

¹⁵ and turnede ayen fro Saul, that he schulde kepe the floc of his fadir in Bethleem.

¹⁶ Forsothe the Filistey cam forth in the morewtid, and euentid; and stood `bi fourti daies.

¹⁷ Sotheli Ysai seide to Dauid his sone, Take thou to thi britheren meete maad of meele, the mesure of ephi, and these ten looues, and renne thou in to the castels to thi britheren;

¹⁸ and thou schalt bere to the tribune these ten `litil formes of chese; and thou schalt visite thi britheren, whether thei doon riytli, and lurne thou, with whiche men thei ben ordeyned.

¹⁹ Forsothe Saul, and thei, and alle the sones of Israel in the valei of Terebynte fouyten ayens Filisteis.

²⁰ Therfor Dauid roos eerli, and bitook the floc to the kepere, and he yede chargid, as Ysai `hadde comaundid to hym; and he cam to the place Magala, and to the oost, which oost yede out to the batel, and criede in `the batel.

²¹ For Israel hadde dressid scheltrun; `but also Filisteis weren maad redi `euen ayens.

²² Therfor Dauid lefte the vessels, whiche he hadde brouyt, vndur the hond of a kepere `at the fardels, and he ran to the place of batel, and he axyde, if alle thingis weren `doon riytli anentis hise britheren.

²³ And whanne he spak yit to hem, thilke bastard apperide, Goliath bi name, a Filistei of Geth, and stiede fro the castels of Filisteis; and `while he spak these same wordis, Dauid herde.

²⁴ And whanne alle men of Israel hadden seyn `the man, thei fledden fro his face, and dredden hym greetli.

²⁵ And ech man of Israel seide, Whether thou hast seyn this man that stiede? for he stiede to seie schenship to Israel; therfor the kyng schal make riche with greet richessis `the man that sleeth thilke Filistei; and the kyng schal yyue his douyter to that man, and schal make the hows of his fader with out `tribut in Israel.

²⁶ And Dauyd spak to the men that stoden with hym, and seide, What schal be youun to the man that sleeth this Filistei, and doith awei schenschip fro Israel? for who is this Filistei vncircumcidid, that dispiside the scheltruns of God lyuynge?

²⁷ Forsothe the puple tolde to hym the same word, and seide, These thingis schulen be youun to the man that sleeth hym.

²⁸ And whanne Heliab, `his more brother, had herd this, while he spak with othere men, he was wrooth ayens Dauid, and seide, Whi camest thou, and whi `leftist thou tho fewe scheep in deseert? Y knowe thi pride, and the wewardnesse of thin herte; for thou camest doun to se the batel.

²⁹ And Dauid seide, What haue Y do? Whether it is not a word?

³⁰ And Dauid bowide a litil fro hym to another man; and Dauid seide the same word, and the puple answeride to hym al word as bifore.

³¹ Forsothe these wordis weren herd, whiche Dauid spak, and weren teld `in the siyt of Saul.

³² And whanne Dauyd was brouyt to Saul, Dauyd spak to hym, The herte of ony man falle not doun for `that Filistei, Y thi seruaunt schal go, and `Y schal fiyte ayens the Filistei.

³³ And Saul seide to Dauid, Thou maist not ayenstonde this Filistei, nether fiyte ayens hym, for thou art a child; forsothe this man is a werriour fro his yong wexynge age.

³⁴ And Dauid seide to Saul, Thi seruaunt kepte `the floc of his fadir, and a lioun cam, ether a bere, and took awei a ram fro the myddis of the floc;

³⁵ Y pursuede, and killide hem, and rauyschide fro `the mouth of hem; and thei risiden ayens me, and I took the nether chaule `of hem, and Y stranglide, and killide hem.

³⁶ For Y thi seruaunt killide bothe a lioun and a bere; therfor and this Filistei vncircumcidid schal be as oon of hem. Now Y schal go, and Y schal do awey the schenschip of the puple; for who is this Filistei vncircumcidid, that was hardi to curse the oost of God lyuynge?

³⁷ And Dauid seide, The Lord that delyuerede me fro the `mouth of the lioun, and fro the `hond, that is, power, of the bere, he schal delyuere me fro the hond of this Filistei. Forsothe Saul seide to Dauid, Go thou, and the Lord be with thee.

³⁸ And Saul clothide Dauid with hise clothis, and puttide a brasun basynet on his heed, and clothide hym with an haburioun.

³⁹ Therfor Dauid was gird with his swerd on his cloth, and bigan to asaie if he myyte go armed; for he hadde not custom. And Dauid seide to Saul, Y may not go so, for Y haue not vss. And Dauid puttide awei tho,

⁴⁰ and he took his staaf, which he hadde euere in the hondis. And he chees to hym fyue clereste stonys, that is, harde, pleyn, and rounde, of the stronde; and he sente tho in to the schepherdis scrippe, which he hadde with hym; and he took the slynge in the hond, and yede forth ayens the Filistei.

⁴¹ Sotheli the Filistei yede, `goynge and neiyyng ayens Dauid; and his squyer yede bifor hym.

⁴² And whanne `the Filistei hadde biholde Dauid, and hadde seyn hym, he dispiside Dauid; forsothe Dauid was a yong wexynge man, rodi, and feir in siyt.

⁴³ And `the Filistei, seide to Dauid, Whether Y am a dogge, for thou comest to me with a staf? And `the Filistei curside Dauid in hise goddis; and he seide to Dauid,

⁴⁴ Come thou to me, and Y schal yyue thi fleischis to the `volatilis of heuene, and to the beestis of erthe.

⁴⁵ Sotheli Dauid seide to `the Filistei, Thou comest to me with swerd, and spere, and scheeld; but Y come to thee in the name of the Lord God of oostis, of God of the cumpanyes of Israel, to whiche thou seidist schenschip to dai.

⁴⁶ And the Lord schal yyue thee in myn hond, and Y schal sle thee, and Y schal take awey thin heed fro thee; and I schal yyue the deed bodies of the castels of Filisteis `to day to the volatils of heuene, and to the beestis of erthe; that al the erthe wite, that the Lord God is in Israel,

⁴⁷ and that al this chirche knowe, that the Lord saueth not in swerd nether in spere; for the batel is his, and he schal bitake you in to oure hondis.

⁴⁸ Therfor whanne the Filistei hadde rise, and cam, and neiyede ayens Dauid, Dauid hastide, and ran to batel ayens `the Filistei.

⁴⁹ And Dauid putte his hond `in to his scrippe, and he took o stoon, and he castide with the slynge, `and ledde aboute, and smoot `the Filistei in the forheed; and the stoon was fastned in his forheed, and he felde doun in to his face on the erthe.

⁵⁰ And Dauid hadde the maistrie ayens `the Filistei `in a slyng and stoon, and he killide `the Filistei smytun. And whanne Dauid hadde no swerd in the hond,

⁵¹ he ran, and stood on `the Filistei, and took his swerd; and Dauid drow out the swerd of his schethe, and `killide him, and kittide awei his heed. Forsothe the Filisteis sien, that the strongeste of hem was deed, and thei fledden.

⁵² And the sones of Israel and of Juda risiden to gidere, and crieden, and pursueden Filisteis, `til the while thei camen in to the valei, and `til to the yate of Accaron. And woundid men of Filisteis felden in the weye of Sarym, and `til to Geth, and `til to Accaron.

⁵³ And the sones of Israel turneden ayen, aftir that thei hadden pursuede Filisteis, and thei assailiden `the tentis of hem.

⁵⁴ Forsothe Dauid took the heed of `the Filistei, and brouyte it in to Jerusalem; sotheli he puttide hise armeris in the `tabernacle of the Lord.

⁵⁵ Forsothe in that tyme in which Saul siy Dauid goynge out ayens `the Filistei, he seide to Abner, prince of his chiualrie, Abner, of what generacioun `cam forth this yong waxynge man? And Abner seide, Kyng, thi soule lyueth, I knowe not.

⁵⁶ And the kyng seide, Axe thou, whos sone this child is.

⁵⁷ And whanne Dauid hadde come ayen, whanne `the Filistei was slayn, Abner took Dauid, and brouyte hym in, hauynge in the hond the heed of `the Filistei, `bifor Saul.

⁵⁸ And Saul seide to hym, Of what generacioun art thou, yong waxynge man? And Dauid seide, Y am the sone of thi seruaunt, Isai of Bethleem.

Chapter 18

¹ And it was doon, whanne Dauid `hadde endid to speke to Saul, the soule of Jonathas was glued togidre to the soule of Dauid, and Jonathas louyde hym as his owne soule.

² And Saul took Dauid in that dai, and grauntide not `to hym, `that he schulde turne ayen in to `the hows of his fadir.

³ Forsothe Jonathas and Dauid maden boond of pees, `that is, swerynge euerlastynge frenschip; for Jonathas louyde Dauid as his owne soule;

⁴ for whi Jonathas dispuylide him silf fro the coote `in which he was clothid, and yaf it to Dauid, and hise othere clothis, `til to his swerd and bouwe, and `til to the girdil.

⁵ Also Dauid yede out to alle thingis, to what euer thingis Saul `hadde sent hym, and he gouernede hym silf prudentli; and Saul settide hym ouer the men of batel, and `he was acceptid, `ether plesaunt, in the iyen of al the puple, and moost in the siyt of `the seruauntis of Saul.

⁶ Forsothe whanne Dauid turnede ayen, whanne `the Filistei was slayn, and bar the heed of `the Filistei in to Jerusalem, wymmen yeden out of alle the citees of Israel, and sungen, and ledden queris, ayens the comyng of king Saul, in tympans of gladnesse, and in trumpis.

⁷ And the wymmen sungen, pleiynge, and seiynge, Saul smoot a thousynde, and Dauid smoot ten thousynde.

⁸ Saul was wrooth greetli, and this word displeside `in his iyen; and he seide, Thei yauen ten thousynde to Dauid, and `thei yauen a thousynde to me; what leeueth to hym, no but the rewme aloone?

⁹ Therfor Saul bihelde Dauid not with `riytful iyen, `fro that dai and afterward.

¹⁰ Sotheli aftir the tother dai a wickid spirit of God asailide Saul, and he propheciede in the myddis of his hows.

¹¹ Forsothe Dauid harpide with his hond, as bi alle daies; and Saul helde a spere, and caste it, and gesside that he myyte prene Dauid with the wal, that is, perse with the spere, so that it schulde passe til to the wal; and Dauid bowide `fro his face the secounde tyme.

¹² And Saul dredde Dauid, for the Lord was with hym, and hadde go awei fro him silf.

¹³ Therfor Saul remouide Dauid fro hym silf, and made hym tribune on a thousynde men; and Dauid yede out and entride in `the siyt of the puple.

¹⁴ And Dauid dide warli in alle hise weies, and the Lord was with hym;

¹⁵ and so Saul siy that Dauid was ful prudent, and he bigan to be war of Dauid.

¹⁶ Forsothe al Israel and Juda louyden Dauid; for he entride and yede out bifor hem.

¹⁷ And Saul seide to Dauid, Lo! `my more douytir Merob, Y schal yiue her wijf to thee; oneli be thou a strong man, and fiyte thou the `batels of the Lord. Forsothe Saul `arettide, and seide, Myn hond be not in hym, but the hond of Filisteis be on hym.

¹⁸ Sotheli Dauid seide to Saul, Who am Y, ether what is my lijf, ether the meynee of my fadir in Israel, that Y be maad the `sone in lawe of the kyng?

¹⁹ Forsothe the tyme `was maad whanne Merob, the douyter of Saul, `ouyte to be youun to Dauid, sche was youun wijf to Hadriel Molatite.

²⁰ Forsothe Dauid louide Mychol, the douytir of Saul; and it was teld to Saul, and it pleside hym.

²¹ And Saul seide, Y schal yyue hir to hym, that it be to hym in to sclaundir, and the hond of Filisteis be on hym. Therfor Saul seide to Dauid, In `twei douytris thou schalt be my sone in lawe to dai.

²² And Saul comaundide to hise seruauntis, Speke ye to Dauid, while it `is hid fro me, and seie ye, Lo! thou plesist the king, and alle hise seruauntis louen thee; now therfor be thou hosebonde of the `douytir of the kyng.

²³ And the seruauntis of Saul spaken alle these wordis in the eeris of Dauid. And Dauid seide, Whether it semeth litil to you `to be sone in lawe of the kyng? Forsothe Y am a pore man, and a feble.

²⁴ And the seruauntis telden to Saul, and seiden, Dauid spak siche wordis.

²⁵ Sotheli Saul seide, Thus speke ye to Dauid, The kyng hath no nede to yiftis for spowsails, no but onely to an hundrid prepucies, `that is, mennus yerdis vncircumcidid, `of Filisteis, that veniaunce be maad of the kyngis enemyes. Certis Saul thouyte to bitake Dauid in to the hondis of Filisteis.

²⁶ And whanne the seruauntis of Saul hadden teld to Dauid the wordis, whiche Saul hadde seid, the word pleside `in the iyen of Dauid, that he schulde be maad the kyngis son in lawe.

²⁷ And aftir a fewe daies Dauid roos, and yede in to Acharon, with the men that weren with hym, and he killide of Filisteis twei hundrid men; and brouyte `the prepucies of hem, and noumbride tho to the kyng, that he schulde be the kyngis sone in lawe. And so Saul yaf Mycol, his douyter, wiif to hym.

²⁸ And Saul siy, and vndirstood, that the Lord was with Dauid.

²⁹ Forsothe Mychol, `the douyter of Saul, louide Dauid, and Saul bigan more to drede Dauid; and Saul was maad enemye to Dauid in alle daies.

³⁰ And the princes of Filisteis yeden out; forsothe fro the bigynnyng of her goyng out Dauyd bar hym silf more warli than alle the men of Saul; and the name of Dauid was maad ful solempne.

Chapter 19

¹ Forsothe Saul spak to Jonathas, his sone, and to alle hise seruauntis, that thei schulden sle Dauid; certis Jonathas, the sone of Saul, louyde Dauid greetli.

² And Jonathas schewide to Dauid, and seide, Saul, my fadir, sekith to sle thee, wherfor, Y biseche, kepe `thou thee eerli; and thou schalt dwelle priueli, and thou schalt be hid.

³ Sotheli Y schal go out, and stonde bisidis my fadir in the feeld, where euer he schal be; and Y schal speke of thee to my fadir, and what euer thing Y shal se, Y schal telle to thee.

⁴ Therfor Jonathas spak good thingis of Dauid to Saul, his fadir, and seide to hym, Kyng, do thou not synne ayens thi seruaunt Dauid, for he `synnede not to thee, and hise werkis ben ful good to thee;

⁵ and he puttide his lijf in his hond, and he killide the Filistei. And the Lord made greet heelthe to al Israel; thou siy, and were glad; whi therfor synnest thou in giltles blood, and sleest Dauid, which is with out gilt?

⁶ And whanne Saul hadde herd this, he was plesid with the vois of Jonathas, and swoor, `The Lord lyueth, `that is, bi the Lord lyuynge, for Dauid schal not be slayn.

⁷ Therfor Jonathas clepide Dauid, and schewide to hym alle these wordis. And Jonathas brouyte in Dauid to Saul, and he was bifor hym as `yistirdai and the thridde dai ago.

⁸ Forsothe batel was moued eft; and Dauyd yede out, and fauyt ayens Filisteis, and he smoot hem with a greet wounde, and thei fledden fro his face.

⁹ And the yuel spirit of the Lord was maad on Saul; sotheli he sat in his hows, and helde a spere; certis Dauid harpide in his hond.

¹⁰ And Saul enforside to prene with the spere Dauid in the wal; and Dauid bowide fro `the face of Saul; forsothe the spere `with voide wounde was borun in to the wal; and Dauid fledde, and was saued in that niyt.

¹¹ Therfor Saul sente hise knyytis in the nyyt in to the hows of Dauid, that thei schulden kepe hym, and that he `schulde be slayn in the morewtide. And whanne Mychol, the wijf of Dauid, hadde teld this to Dauid, and seide, If thou sauest not thee in this nyyt, thou schalt die to morew;

¹² sche puttide hym doun bi a wyndow. Forsothe he yede, and fledde, and was sauyd.

¹³ Sotheli Mychol took an ymage, and puttide it on the bed, and puttide `an heeri skyn of geet at the heed therof, and hilide it with clothis.

¹⁴ Forsothe Saul sente sergeauntis, `that schulden rauysche Dauid, and it was answeride, that he was sijk.

¹⁵ And eft Saul sente messangeris, that thei schulden se Dauid, and he seide, Brynge ye hym to me in the bed, that he be slayn.

¹⁶ And whanne the messangeris hadden come, `a symylacre was foundun on the bed, and `skynnes of geet at the heed therof.

¹⁷ And Saul seide to Mychol, Whi scornedist thou me so, and `delyueredist myn enemy, that he fledde? And Mychol answeride to Saul, For he spak to me, and seide, Delyuere thou me, ellis Y schal slee thee.

¹⁸ Forsothe Dauid fledde, and was sauyd; and he cam to Samuel in to Ramatha, and telde to hym alle thingis which Saul hadde do to hym; and he and Samuel yeden, and dwelliden in Naioth.

¹⁹ Forsothe it was teld to Saul of men, seiynge, Lo! Dauid is in Naioth in Ramatha.

²⁰ Therfor Saul sente sleeris, that thei schulden rauysche Dauid; and whanne thei hadden seyn the cumpeny of profetis profeciynge, and Samuel stondynge ouer hem, the Spirit of the Lord, `that is, the spirit of deuocioun, was maad in hem, and thei also bigunnen to prophecie.

²¹ And whanne this was teld to Saul, he sente also othere messangeris; `sotheli and thei profesieden. And eft Saul sente the thridde messangeris, and thei prophecieden. And Saul was wrooth `with irefulnesse;

²² and he also yede in to Ramatha, and he cam `til to the greet cisterne, which is in Socoth, and he axide, and seide, In what place ben Samuel and Dauid? And it was seid to hym, Lo! thei ben in Naioth in Ramatha.

²³ And he yede in `to Naioth in Ramatha; and the Spirit of the Lord was maad also on him; and he `yede, and entride, and propheciede, `til the while he cam `in to Naioth in Ramatha.

²⁴ And `he also dispuylide him silf of hise clothis, and propheciede with othere men bifor Samuel, and he profeciede nakid in al that dai and nyyt. Wherfor `a prouerbe, that is, a comyn word, yede out, Whether and Saul among prophetis?

Chapter 20

¹ Forsothe Dauid fledde fro Naioth, which is in Ramatha, and cam and spak bifor Jonathas, What haue Y do? what is my wickidnesse, and what is my synne ayens thi fadir, for he sekith my lijf?

² And Jonathas seide to hym, Fer be it fro thee, thou schalt not die, for my fadir schal not do ony thing greet ether litil, `no but he schewe firste to me; therfor my fadir kepte preuy fro me this word oneli, forsothe it schal not be.

³ And eft he swoor to Dauid. And Dauid seide, Treuli thi fadir woot, that Y haue founde grace `in thin iyen, and he schal seie, Jonathas wite not this, lest perauenture he be sory; certis the Lord lyueth, `and thi soule lyueth, for, that Y seie so, Y and deeth ben departid oneli bi o degree.

⁴ And Jonathas seide to Dauid, What euer thing thi soule schal seie to me, Y schal do to thee.

⁵ And Dauid seide to Jonathas, Lo! calendis ben to morewe, and bi custom Y am wont to sitte bi the kyng to ete; therfor suffre thou me, `that Y be hid in the feeld `til to euentid of the thridde dai.

⁶ If thi fadir biholdith, and axith me, thou schalt answere to hym, Dauid preiede me, that he schulde go swiftli into Bethleem, his citee, for solempne sacrifices ben there to alle the men of his lynage.

⁷ If he seith, Wel, pees schal be to thi seruaunt; forsothe if he is wrooth, wite thou, that his malice is fillid.

⁸ Therfor do thou mercy in to thi seruaunt, for thou madist me thi seruaunt to make with thee the boond of pees of the Lord; sotheli if ony wickidnesse is in me, sle thou me, and brynge thou not in me to thi fadir.

⁹ And Jonathas seide, Fer be this fro me, for it mai not be doon, that Y telle not to thee, if Y knowe certeynli, that the malice of my fadir is fillid ayens thee.

¹⁰ And Dauid answeride to Jonathas, Who schal telle to me, if in caas thi fadir answerith harde ony thing of me?

¹¹ And Jonathas seide to Dauid, Come thou, and go we forth in to the feeld. And whanne bothe hadden go in to the feeld,

¹² Jonathas seide to Dauid, Lord God of Israel, if Y enquere the sentence of my fadir to morewe, ether in the nexte dai aftir, and ony `thing of good is of Dauid, and Y sende not anoon to thee,

¹³ and make knowun to thee, God do these thingis to Jonathas, and `adde these thingis. Forsothe if the malice of my fadir contynueth ayens thee, Y schal schewe to thin eere, and Y schal delyuere thee, that thou go in pees; and the Lord be with thee, as he was with my fadir.

¹⁴ And if Y lyue, do thou the mercies of the Lord to me;

¹⁵ forsothe if Y am deed, `thou schalt not take awei thi mercy fro myn hows `til in to with outen ende; `and yif Y do it not, whanne the Lord schal drawe out bi the roote the enemyes of Dauid, ech man fro the lond, take he awei Jonathas fro his hows, and seke the Lord of the hond of the enemyes of Dauid.

¹⁶ Therfor Jonathas made boond of pees with the hows of Dauid, and the Lord souyte of the hond of enemyes of Dauid.

¹⁷ And Jonathas addide to swere stedfastli to Dauid, for he louyde Dauid; for he louyde so Dauid, as his owne soule.

¹⁸ And Jonathas seide to hym, `Calendis ben to morewe, and thou schalt be souyt;

¹⁹ for thi sittyng schal be souyt til after to morewe. Therfor thou schalt go doun hastili, and thou schalt come in to the place, where thou schalt be hid in the day, whanne it is leueful to worche; and thou schalt sitte bisidis the stoon, `to which the name is Ezel.

²⁰ And Y schal sende thre arowis bisidis that stoon, and Y schal caste as `excercisynge ether pleiynge me at a signe.

²¹ Y schal sende also and my child, and Y schal seie to hym, Go thou, and brynge to me the arewis.

²² If Y seie to the child, Lo! the arewis ben `with ynne thee, take thou tho; come thou to me, for pees is to thee, and no thing is of yuel, the Lord lyueth. Sotheli if Y speke thus to the child, Lo! the arowis ben biyende thee; go thou in pees, for the Lord deliuerede thee.

²³ Forsothe of the word, which thou and Y han spoke, the Lord be bitwixe me and thee til in to with outen ende.

²⁴ Therfor Dauid was hid in the feeld; and the `calendis camen, and the kyng sat to ete breed.

²⁵ And whanne the kyng hadde seete on his chaier bi custom, `which chaier was bisidis the wal, Jonathas roos, and sat `aftir Abner, and Abner sat at the side of Saul, and the place of Dauid apperide voide.

²⁶ And Saul spak not ony thing in that dai; for he thouyte, that `in hap it bifelde to hym, that he was not clene `nether purified.

²⁷ And whanne the secounde dai aftir the calendis hadde schyned, eft the place of Dauid apperide voide. And Saul seide to Jonathas his sone, Whi cometh not the sone of Isai, nether yisterdai, nether to dai to ete?

²⁸ And Jonathas answeride to Saul, He preiede me mekeli, that he schulde go in to Bethleem;

²⁹ and he seide, Suffre thou me, for solempne sacrifice is in my citee; oon of my britheren clepide me; now therfor if Y foond grace `in thin iyen, Y schal go soone, and `Y schal se my britheren; for this cause he cometh not to the `table of the kyng.

³⁰ Forsothe Saul was wrooth ayens Jonathas, and seide to hym, Thou sone of a womman `rauyschynge at her owne wille a man, whether Y woot not, that thou louest the sone of Ysay in to thi confusioun, and in to the confusioun of thi schendful modir?

³¹ For in alle the daies in whiche the sone of Isai lyueth on erthe, thou schalt not be stablischid, nether thi rewme; therfor `riyt now sende thou, and brynge hym to me, for he is the sone of deeth.

³² Sotheli Jonathas answeride to Saul his fadir, and seide, Whi schal he die? what hath he do?

³³ And Saul took the spere, that he schulde smyte hym, and Jonathas vndirstood, that it was determynd of his fadir, that Dauid schulde be slayn.

³⁴ Therfor Jonathas roos fro the table in `the ire of woodnesse, and he ete not breed in the secounde dai of calendis; for he was sori on Dauid, for his fadir hadde schent him.

³⁵ And whanne the morewtid `hadde schyned, Jonathas cam in to the feeld, and a litil child with hym, bi the couenaunt of Dauid.

³⁶ And Jonathas seide to his child, Go thou, and brynge to me the arowis whiche Y caste. And whanne the child hadde runne, he castide another arowe biyende the child.

³⁷ Therfor the child cam to the place of the arowe which Jonathas hadde sent; and Jonathas criede bihynde the `bak of the child, and seide, Lo! the arowe is not there, certis it is biyende thee.

³⁸ And Jonathas criede eft bihynde the bak of the child, `and seide, Haste thou swiftli, stonde thou not. Therfor the child gaderide the arowis of Jonathas, and brouyte to his lord,

³⁹ and outerli he wiste not what was doon; for oonli Jonathas and Dauid knewen the thing.

⁴⁰ Therfor Jonathas yaf hise armeris to the child, and seide to hym, Go thou, bere in to the citee.

⁴¹ And whanne the child hadde go, Dauid roos fro the place that `yede to the south; and he felde low `in to the erthe, and worschipide the thridde tyme, and thei kissiden hem silf to gidere, and `wepten to gidere; forsothe Dauid wepte more.

⁴² Therfor Jonathas seide to Dauid, Go thou in pees; what euer thingis we bothe han swoore in the `name of the Lord, `and seiden, `The Lord be bitwixe me and thee, and bitwixe my seed and thi seed til in to with outen ende, `be stidfast. And Dauid roos, and yede, but also Jonathas entride in to the citee.

Chapter 21

¹ Forsothe Dauid cam in to Nobe to Achimelech preest; and Achymelech wondrid, for Dauid `hadde come; and he seide to Dauid, Whi art thou aloone, and no man is with thee?

² And Dauid seide to Achymelech preest, The kyng comaundide to me a word, and seide, No man wite the thing, for which thou art sent fro me, and what maner comaundementis Y yaf to thee; for Y seide also to children, that thei schulden go in to that `and that place;

³ now therfor if thou hast ony thing at hond, ether fyue looues, yyue thou to me, ether what euer thing thou fyndist.

⁴ And the preest answeride to Dauid, and seide to hym, Y haue `not lewid, `that is, comyn, looues at hoond, but oneli hooli breed; whether the children ben clene, and moost of wymmen?

⁵ And Dauid answeride to the preest, and seide to hym, And sotheli if it is doon of wymmen, we absteyneden vs fro yistirdai and the thridde dai ago, whanne we yeden out, and the `vessels, that is, bodies, of the children weren cleene; forsothe this weie is defoulyd, but also that schal be halewid to dai in the vessels.

⁶ Therfor the preest yaf to hym halewid breed, for noon other breed was there, no but oneli looues of settyng forth, that weren takun awey fro the face of the Lord, that hoote looues schulen be set.

⁷ Forsothe sum man of the seruauntis of Saul was there with ynne in the tabernacle of the Lord; and his name was Doech of Ydumee, the myytiest of the scheepherdis, `that is, iugis, of Saul.

⁸ Forsothe Dauid seide to Achymelech, If thou hast `here at hond spere, ether swerd, yyue to me; for Y took not with me my swerd and myn armeris; for the `word of the kyng constreynede me.

⁹ And the preest seide, Lo! here the swerd of Goliath Filistei, whom thou killidst in the valey of Terebynte, is wlappid in a cloth aftir ephoth; if thou wolt take this, take thou; for here is noon other outakun that. And Dauid seide, Noon other is lijk this, yyue thou it to me.

¹⁰ Therfor Dauid roos, `and fledde in that dai fro the face of Saul, and cam to Achis, the kyng of Geth.

¹¹ And the seruauntis of Achis seiden to hym, whanne thei hadden seyn Dauid, Whether this is not Dauid, kyng of the lond? Whether thei sungen not to hym bi queeris, and seiden, Saul smoot a thousynde, and Dauid smoot ten thousynde?

¹² Sotheli Dauid puttide these wordis `in his herte, and he dredde greetli of the face of Achis, kyng of Geth.

¹³ And Dauid chaungide his mouth bifor Achis, and felde doun bitwixe her hondis, and he hurtlide ayens the doris of the yate, and his drauelis, `that is, spotelis, flowiden doun in to the beerd.

¹⁴ And Achis seide to hise seruauntis, Seen ye the wood man? why brouyten ye hym to me? whether wood men failen to vs? whi han ye brouyt in hym, that he schulde be wood, while Y am present? Delyuere ye hym fro hennus, lest he entre in to myn hows.

Chapter 22

¹ Therfor Dauid yede fro thennus, and fledde in to the denne of Odollam; and whanne hise britheren, and al the hows of his fadir hadden herd this, thei camen doun thidur to hym.

² And alle men that weren set in angwisch, and oppressid with othere mennus dette, and in bittir soule, camen togidere to hym; and he was maad the prince `of hem, and as foure hundrid men weren with hym.

³ And Dauid yede forth fro thennus in to Masphat, which is of Moab; and he seide to the kyng of Moab, Y preye, dwelle my fadir and my modir with you, til Y wite what thing God schal do to me.

⁴ And he lefte hem bifor the face of the kyng of Moab; and thei dwelliden at hym in alle daies, `in whiche Dauid was in `the forselet, ether stronghold.

⁵ And Gad, the profete, seide to Dauid, Nyle thou dwelle in `the forselet; go thou forth, and go in to the lond of Juda. And Dauid yede forth, and cam in to the forest of Areth.

⁶ And Saul herde, that Dauid apperide, and the men that weren with hym. Forsothe whanne Saul dwellide in Gabaa, and was in the wode which is in Rama, and `helde a spere in the hond, and alle hise seruauntis stoden aboute hym,

⁷ he seide to hise seruauntis that stoden nyy hym, The sones of Gemyny, here me now; whether the sone of Ysai schal yyue to alle you feeldis and vyneris, and schal make alle you tribunes and centuriouns?

⁸ For alle ye han swore, ether conspirid, togidere ayens me, and noon is that tellith to me; moost sithen also my sone hath ioyned boond of pees with the sone of Ysai; noon is of you, that sorewith `for my stide, nether that tellith to me, for my sone hath reisid my seruaunt ayens me, settynge tresoun to me `til to dai.

⁹ Sotheli Doech of Ydumye answeride, that stood nyy, and was the firste among `the seruauntis of Saul, and seide, Y siy `the sone of Ysai in Nobe, at Achymelech, preest, the sone of Achitob;

¹⁰ which counseilide the Lord for Dauid, and yaf meetis `to hym, but also he yaf to Dauid the swerd of Goliath Filistei.

¹¹ Therfor the kyng sente to clepe Achymelech, the preest, `the sone of Achitob, and al the hows of his fadir, of preestis that weren in Nobe; whiche alle camen to the kyng.

¹² And Saul seide to Achymelech, Here, thou sone of Achitob.

¹³ Which answeride, Lord, Y am redi. And Saul seide to hym, Whi hast thou conspirid ayens me, thou, and the sone of Ysai, and yauest looues and a swerd to hym, and councelidist the Lord for hym, that he schulde rise ayens me, and he dwellith a tretour `til to dai?

¹⁴ And Achymelech answeride to the kyng, and seide, And who among alle thi seruauntis is as Dauid feithful, and the sone in lawe `of the kyng, and goynge at thi comaundement, and gloriouse in thin hows?

¹⁵ Whether Y bigan to dai to counsele the Lord for hym? Fer be this fro me; suppose not the kyng ayens his seruaunt `siche a thing in al `the hows of my fadir; for thi seruaunt knew not ony thing, ether litil ethir greet, of this cause.

¹⁶ And the kyng seide, Achymelech, thou schalt die bi deeth, thou, and al the hows of thi fadir.

¹⁷ And the kyng seide to men able to be sent out, that stoden aboute hym, Turne ye, and sle the preestis of the Lord, for the hond of hem is with Dauid; and thei wisten that he fledde, and thei schewiden not to me. Sotheli the seruauntis of the kyng nolden holde forth her hond in to the preestis of the Lord.

¹⁸ And the kyng seide to Doech, Turne thou, and hurle in to the preestis of the Lord. And Doech of Ydumee turnede, and hurlide in to the preestis, and stranglide in that dai foure score and fyue men, clothid with `ephoth of lynnun cloth.

¹⁹ Forsothe he smoot Nobe, the citee of preestis, by the scharpnesse of swerd, men and wymmen, litle children and soukynge, and oxe, and asse, and sheep, bi the scharpnesse of swerd.

²⁰ Forsothe o sone of Achymelech, sone of Achitob, ascapide, of which sone the name was Abiathar; and he fledde to Dauid,

²¹ and telde to hym that Saul hadde slayn the preestis of the Lord.

²² And Dauid seide to Abiathar, Sotheli Y wiste, `that is, Y coniectide, ether dredde, in that dai, that whanne Doech of Ydumee was there, he wolde telle with out doute to Saul; Y am gilti of alle the lyues of thi fadir.

²³ Dwelle thou with me, drede thou not; if ony man sekith thi lijf, he schal seke also my lijf, and thou schalt be kept with me.

Chapter 23

¹ And thei telden to Dauid, and seiden, Lo! Filisteis fiyten ayens Seila, and rauyschen the corn floris.

² Therfor Dauid councelide the Lord, and seide, Whether Y schal go, and smyte Filisteis? And the Lord seide to Dauid, Go thou, and thou schalt smyte Filisteis, and thou schalt saue Seila.

³ And men, that weren with Dauid, seiden to him, Lo! we ben heere in Judee, and dredden; hou myche more, if we schulen go in to Seila ayens the cumpanyes of Filisteis.

⁴ Therfor eft Dauid councelide the Lord; which answeride, and seide to Dauid, Rise thou, and go `in to Seila; for Y schal bitake Filisteis in thin hond.

⁵ Therfor Dauid yede, and hise men, in to Seila, and fauyt ayens Filisteis; and he droof awey her werk beestis, and smoot hem with greet wounde; and Dauid sauyde the dwelleris of Seila.

⁶ Forsothe in that tyme, `wher ynne Abiathar, sone of Achymelech, fledde to Dauid in to Seile, he cam doun, and hadde with hym `ephoth, that is, the cloth of the hiyeste preest.

⁷ Forsothe it was teld to Saul, that Dauid hadde come in to Seila; and Saul seide, The Lord hath take hym in to myn hondis, and he `is closid, and entride in to a citee, in which ben yatis and lockis.

⁸ And Saul comaundide to al the puple, that it schulde go doun to batel in to Seila, and bisege Dauid and hise men.

⁹ And whanne Dauid perceyuede, that Saul made redi yuel priueli to hym, he seide to Abiathar, preest, Brynge hidur ephoth.

¹⁰ And Dauid seide, Lord God of Israel, thi seruaunt `herde fame, that Saul disposith to come to Seila, that he distrie the citee for me;

¹¹ if the men of Seila schulen bitake me in to hise hondis, and if Saul schal come doun, as thi seruaunt herde, thou Lord God of Israel schewe to thi seruaunt? And the Lord seide, He schal come doun.

¹² And Dauid seide eft, Whether the men of Seila schulen bitake me, and the men that ben with me, in to the hondis of Saul? And the Lord seide, Thei schulen bitake, `that is, if thou dwellist in the citee, and Saul come thidur.

¹³ Therfor Dauid roos, and hise men, as sixe hundrid; and thei yeden out of Seila, and wandriden vncerteyn hidur and thidur. And it was telde to Saul, that Dauid hadde fledde fro Seila, and was saued; wherfor Saul dissymylide to go out.

¹⁴ Forsothe Dauid dwellide in the deseert, in strongeste places, and he dwellide in the hil of wildirnesse of Ziph, in a derk hil; netheles Saul souyte hym in alle daies, and the Lord bitook not hym in to the hondis of Saul.

¹⁵ And Dauid siy, that Saul yede out, that he schulde seke his lijf. Forsothe Dauid was in the deseert of Ziph, in a wode.

¹⁶ And Jonathas, the sone of Saul, roos, and yede to Dauid in to the wode, and coumfortide hise hondis in God.

¹⁷ And he seide to Dauid, Drede thou not; for the hond of Saul my fadir schal not fynde thee, and thou schalt regne on Israel, and Y schal be the secounde to thee; but also Saul my father woot this.

¹⁸ Therfor euer eithir smoot boond of pees bifor the Lord. And Dauid dwellide in the wode; forsothe Jonathas turnede ayen in to his hows.

¹⁹ Forsothe men of Ziph stieden to Saul in Gabaa, and seiden, Lo! whether not Dauid is hid at vs in the sikireste places of the wode, in the hille of Achille, which is at the riyt syde of deseert?

²⁰ Now therfor come thou doun, as thi soule desiride, that thou schuldist come doun; forsothe it schal be oure, that we bitake hym in to the hondis of the kyng.

²¹ And Saul seide, Blessid be ye of the Lord, for ye sorewiden `for my stide.

²² Therfor, Y preie, go ye, and make redi more diligentli, and do ye more curiousli ether intentifli, and biholde ye swiftly, where his foot is, ethir who siy hym there, where ye seiden; for he thenkith on me, that felli Y aspie hym.

²³ Biholde ye, and se alle his hidyng places, in whiche he is hid, and turne ye ayen to me at a certeyn thing, that Y go with you; that if he closith hym silf yhe in to erthe, Y schal seke hym with alle the thousyndis of Juda.

²⁴ And thei risiden, and yeden in to Ziph bifor Saul. Forsothe Dauid and hise men weren in the deseert of Maon, in the feldi places, at the riyt half of Jesymyth.

²⁵ Therfor Saul yede and hise felowis to seke Dauid, and it was teld to Dauid; and anoon he yede doun to the stoon, and lyuyde in the deseert of Maon; and whanne Saul hadde herd this, he pursuede Dauid in the deseert of Maon.

²⁶ And Saul yede and hise men at the side of the hil `on o part; forsothe Dauid and hise men weren in the side of the hil on the tother part; sotheli Dauid dispeiride, that he myyte ascape fro the face of Saul. And so Saul and hise men cumpassiden bi the maner of a coroun Dauid and hise men, that thei schulden take hem.

²⁷ And a messanger cam to Saul, and seide, Haste thou, and come, for Filisteis han spred hem silf on the lond.

²⁸ Therfor Saul turnede ayen, and ceesside to pursue Dauid; and yede ayens the comyng of Filisteis. For this thing thei clepen that place the Stoon Departynge.

Chapter 24

¹ Therfor Dauid stiede fro thennus, and dwellide in the sykireste places of Engaddi.

² And whanne Saul turnede ayen, aftir that he pursuede Filisteis, thei telden to hym, and seiden, Lo! Dauid is in the deseert of Engaddi.

³ Therfor Saul took three thousinde of chosun men of al Israel, and yede to seke Dauid and hise men, yhe on moost brokun rochis, that ben `able to weie to wield geet aloone.

⁴ And he cam to the fooldis of scheep, that offriden hem silf to the wei goere. And there was a denne, in to which denne Saul entride, that he schulde purge the wombe; forsothe Dauid and hise men weren hid in the ynnere part of the denne.

⁵ And the seruauntis of Dauid seiden to hym, Lo! the dai of which the Lord spak to the, Y schal bitake to thee thin enemy, that thou do to hym as it plesith in thin iyen. Therfor Dauid roos, and kittide the hemme of the mentil of Saul priuely.

⁶ Aftir these thingis Dauid smoot his herte, for he hadde kit awei the hemme of the mentil of Saul.

⁷ And Dauid seide to hise men, The Lord be merciful to me, lest Y do this thing to my lord, the crist of the Lord, that Y sende myn hond `in to hym, for he is the crist of the Lord. The Lord lyueth, for no but the Lord smyte hym, ether his dai come, that he die, ether he go doun in to batel and perische, the Lord be merciful to me, that Y sende not myn hond in to the crist of the Lord.

⁸ Forsothe Saul roos out of the denne, and yede in the weie bigunnun.

⁹ Sotheli Dauid roos aftir hym, and he yede out of the denne, and criede aftir the bak of Saul, and seide, My lord, the kyng! And Saul bihelde bihinde him silf; and Dauid bowide hym silf lowe to the erthe, and worschipide.

¹⁰ And he seide to Saul, Whi herist thou the wordis of men spekynge, Dauid sekith yuel ayens thee?

¹¹ Lo! to dai thin iyen siyen, that the Lord bitook thee in myn hond in the denne, and Y thouyte that Y wolde sle thee, but myn iye sparide thee; for Y seide, Y schal not holde forth myn hond in to my lord, which is the crist, `that is, anoyntid, of the Lord.

¹² But rathere, my fadir, se thou, and knowe the hemme of thi mentil in myn hond, for whanne Y kittide aweie the hemme of thi mentil, Y nolde holde forth myn hond in thee; perseyue thou, and see, for nether yuel nether wickidnesse is in myn hond, nether Y synnede ayens thee; but thou aspiest my lijf, that thou do it awei.

¹³ The Lord deme bitwixe me and thee, and the Lord venge me of thee; but myn hond be not in thee,

¹⁴ as it is seid also in eld prouerbe, Wickidnesse schal go out of wickid men; therfor myn hond be not in thee.

¹⁵ `Whom pursuest thou, kyng of Israel, whom pursuest thou? Thou pursuest a deed hound, and a quyk fle.

¹⁶ The Lord be iuge, and the Lord deme bitwixe me and thee, and se, and deme my cause, and delyuere me fro thin hond.

¹⁷ Sotheli whanne Dauid hadde fillid spekynge siche wordis to Saul, Saul seide, Whether this is thi vois, my sone Dauid? And Saul reiside his vois, and wepte.

¹⁸ And he seide to Dauid, Thou art more iust than Y; for thou yauest goodis to me; forsothe Y yeldide yuelis to thee.

¹⁹ And thou schewidist to me to dai, what goodis thou hast do to me, how the Lord bitook me in thin hond, and thou killidist not me.

²⁰ For who, `whanne he fyndith his enemy, schal delyuere hym in good weie? But the Lord yelde to thee this while, for that, that thou wrouytist to dai in me.

²¹ And now, for Y woot, that thou schalt regne moost certeynli, and schalt haue in thin hond the rewme of Israel, swere thou to me in the Lord,

²² that thou do not a wei my seed aftir me, nether take a wey my name fro the hows of my fadir.

²³ And Dauid swoor to Saul. Therfor Saul yede in to his hows, and Dauid and hise men stieden to sikire placis.

Chapter 25

¹ Forsothe Samuel was deed; and al Israel was gaderid to gidere, and thei biweiliden hym greetly, and birieden hym in his hows in Ramatha. And Dauid roos, and yede doun in to deseert of Faran.

² Forsothe a `man was in Maon, and his possessioun was in Carmele, and thilke man was ful greet, and thre thousynde scheep and a thousynde geet `weren to hym; and it bifelde that his flocke was clippid in Carmele.

³ Forsothe the name of that man was Nabal, and the name of his wijf was Abigail; and thilke womman was moost prudent and fair; forsothe hir hosebond was hard and ful wickid and malicious; sotheli he was of the kyn of Caleph.

⁴ Therfor whanne Dauid hadde herde in deseert, that Nabal clippide his floc,

⁵ he sente ten yonge men, and seide to hem, Stie ye in to Carmele, and ye schulen come to Nabal, and ye schulen grete hym of my name pesibli;

⁶ and ye schulen seie thus, Pees be to my britheren and to thee, and pees be to thin hows, and pees be to alle thingis, `what euer thingis thou hast.

⁷ Y herde that thi scheepherdis, that weren with vs in deseert, clippiden thi flockis; we weren neuere diseseful to hem, nether ony tyme ony thing of the floc failide to hem, in al time in which thei weren with vs in Carmele;

⁸ axe thi children, and thei schulen schewe to thee. Now therfor thi children fynde grace in thin iyen; for in a good dai we camen to thee; what euer thing thin hond fyndith, yyue to thi seruauntis, and to thi sone Dauid.

⁹ And whanne the children of Dauid hadden come, thei spaken to Nabal alle these wordis in the name of Dauid, and helden pees.

¹⁰ Forsoth Nabal answeride to the children of Dauid, and seide, Who is Dauith? and who is the sone of Isai? To dai seruauntis encreesiden that fleen her lords.

¹¹ Therfor schal Y take my looues and my watris, and the fleischis of beestis, whiche Y haue slayn to my schereris, and schal Y yyue to men, whiche Y knowe not of whennus thei ben?

¹² Therfor the children of Dauid yeden ayen bi her weie; and thei turneden ayen, and camen, and telden to hym alle wordis whiche Nabal hadde seid.

¹³ Thanne Dauid seide to hise children, Ech man be gird with his swerd. And alle men weren gird with her swerdis, and Dauid also was gird with his swerd; and as foure hundrid men sueden Dauid, forsothe two hundrid leften at the fardels.

¹⁴ Forsothe oon of hise children telde to Abigail, wijf of Nabal, and seide, Lo! Dauid sente messangeris fro deseert, that thei schulden blesse oure lord, and he turnede hem awey;

¹⁵ these men weren good ynow, and not diseseful to vs, and no thing perischide `in ony tyme in al the tyme in which we lyueden with hem in deseert;

¹⁶ thei weren to vs for a wal, bothe in niyt and in dai, in alle daies in whiche we lesewiden flockis at hem.

¹⁷ Wherfor biholde thou, and thenke, what thou schalt do; for malice is fillid ayens thin hosebonde, and ayens `thin hows; and he is the sone of Belial, so that no man may speke to him.

¹⁸ Therfor Abigail hastide, and took two hundrid looues, and two vessels of wyn, and fyue whetheris sodun, and seuene buyschelis and an half of flour, and an hundrid bundles of dried grape, and two hundrid gobetis of dried figus; and puttide on assis,

¹⁹ and seide to hir children, Go ye bifor me; lo! Y schal sue you `aftir the bak. Forsothe sche schewide not to hir hosebonde Nabal.

²⁰ Therfor whanne sche hadde stied on the asse, and cam doun `at the roote of the hil, and Dauid and hise men camen doun in to the comyng `of hir; whiche also sche mette.

²¹ And Dauid seide, Verili in veyn Y haue kept alle thingis that weren of this Nabal in the deseert, and no thing perischide of alle thingis that perteyneden to hym, and he hath yolde to me yuel for good.

²² The Lord do these thingis, and adde these thingis to the enemyes of Dauid, if Y schal leeue of alle thingis that perteynen to him til the morewe a pisser to the wal.

²³ Sotheli whanne Abigail siy Dauid, sche hastide, and yede doun of the asse; and sche fel doun bifor Dauid on hir face, and worschipide on the erthe.

²⁴ And sche felde doun to hise feet, and seide, My lord the kyng, this wickydnesse be in me; Y biseche, speke thin handmayden in thin eeris, and here thou the wordis of thi seruauntesse;

²⁵ Y preie, my lord the kyng, sette not his herte on this wickid man Nabal, for bi his name he is a fool, and foli is with hym; but, my lord, Y thin handmayde siy not thi children, whiche thou sentist.

²⁶ Now therfor, my lord, the Lord lyueth, and thi soule lyueth, which Lord forbeed thee, lest thou schuldist come in to blood, and he sauede thi soule to thee; and now thin enemyes, and thei that seken yuel to my lord, be maad as Nabal.

²⁷ Wherfor resseyue thou this blessyng, which thin handmaide brouyte to thee, my lord, and yyue thou to the children that suen thee, my lord.

²⁸ Do thou awey the wickidnesse of thi seruauntesse; for the Lord makynge schal make a feithful hows to thee, my lord, for thou, my lord, fiytist the batels of the Lord; therfor malice be not foundun in thee in alle dais of thi lijf.

²⁹ For if a man risith ony tyme, and pursueth thee, and sekith thi lijf, the lijf of my lord schal be kept as in a bundel of lyuynge trees, at thi Lord God; forsothe the soule of thin enemyes schal be hurlid round aboute as in feersnesse, and sercle of a slynge.

³⁰ Therfor whanne the Lord hath do to thee, my lord, alle these goode thingis, whiche he spak of thee, and hath ordeyned thee duyk on Israel,

³¹ this schal not be in to siyyng and in to doute of herte to thee, my lord, that thou hast sched out giltles blood, ether that thou hast vengid thee. And whanne the Lord hath do wel to thee, my lord, thou schalt haue mynde on thin handmaide, and thou schalt do wel to hir.

³² And Dauid seide to Abigail, Blessid be the Lord God of Israel, that sente thee to dai in to my comyng, and blessid be thi speche;

³³ and blessid be thou, that hast forbede me, lest Y yede to blood, and vengide me with myn hond;

³⁴ ellis the Lord God of Israel lyueth, which forbeed me, `lest Y dide yuel to thee, if thou haddist not soone come in to `metyng to me, a pissere to the wal schulde not haue left to Nabal til to the morewe liyt.

³⁵ Therfor Dauid resseyuede of hir hond alle thingis whiche sche hadde brouyt to hym; and he seide to hir, Go thou in pees in to thin hows; lo! Y herde thi vois, and Y onouride thi face.

³⁶ Forsothe Abigail cam to Nabal; and, lo! a feeste was to him in his hows, as the feeste of a kyng; and the herte of Nabal was iocounde, for he was `drunkun greetli; and sche schewide not to hym a word litil ether greet til the morewe.

³⁷ Forsothe in the morewtid, whanne Nabal hadde defied the wiyn, his wijf schewide to hym alle these wordis; and his herte was almest deed with ynne, and he was maad as a stoon.

³⁸ And whanne ten daies hadden passid, the Lord smoot Nabal, and he was deed.

³⁹ Which thing whanne Dauid hadde herd, Nabal deed, he seide, Blessid be the Lord God, that vengide the cause of my schenschip of the hond of Nabal, and kepte his seruaunt fro yuel, and the Lord yeldide the malice of Nabal in to the heed of hym. Therfor Dauid sente, and spak to Abigail, that he wolde take hir wijf to hym.

⁴⁰ And the children of Dauid camen to Abigail in to Carmele, and spaken to hir, and seiden, Dauid sente vs to thee, that he take thee in to wijf to hym.

⁴¹ And sche roos, and worschipide lowe to erthe, and seide, Lo! thi seruauntesse be in to an handmayde, that sche waische the feet of the seruauntis of my lord.

⁴² And Abigail hastide, and roos, and stiede on an asse; and fyue damesels, sueris of hir feet, yeden with hir, and sche suede the messangeris of Dauid, and was maad wijf to hym.

⁴³ But also Dauid took Achynoem of Jezrael, and euer eithir was wijf to hym;

⁴⁴ forsothe Saul yaf Mycol his douytir, wijf of Dauid, to Phalti, the sone of Lais, that was of Gallym.

Chapter 26

¹ And Zipheis camen to Saul in to Gabaa, and seiden, Lo! Dauid is hidde in the hille of Achille, which is `euene ayens the wildirnesse.

² And Saul roos, and yede doun in to deseert of Ziph, and with hym thre thousynde of men of the chosun of Israel, that he schulde seke Dauid in the desert of Ziph.

³ And Saul settide tentis in Gabaa of Achille, that was euen ayens the wildirnesse in the weie. Sotheli Dauid dwellide in deseert. Forsothe Dauid siy that Saul hadde come aftir hym in to deseert;

⁴ and Dauid sente aspieris, and lernede moost certeynli, that Saul hadde come thidur.

⁵ And Dauid roos priueli, and cam to the place where Saul was. And whanne Dauid hadde seyn the place, wher ynne Saul slepte, and Abner, the sone of Ner, the prince of his chyualrye, and Saul slepynge in the tente, and the tother comyn puple bi his cumpas, Dauid seide to Achymelech,

⁶ Ethey, and to Abisai, sone of Saruye, the brother of Joab, `and seide, Who schal go doun with me to Saul in to `the castels? And Abisai seide, Y schal go doun with thee.

⁷ Therfor Dauid and Abisai camen to the puple in the nyyt, and thei founden Saul lyggynge and slepynge in `the tente, and a spere sette faste in the erthe at his heed; `forsothe thei founden Abner and the puple slepynge in his cumpas.

⁸ And Abisay seide to Dauid, God hath closid to dai thin enemy in to thin hondis; now therfor Y schal peerse hym with a spere onys in the erthe, and `no nede schal be the secounde tyme.

⁹ And Dauid seide to Abysai, Sle thou not hym, for who schal holde forth his hond into the crist of the Lord, and schal be innocent?

¹⁰ And Dauid seide, The Lord lyueth, for no but the Lord smyte hym, ether his dai come that he die, ether he go doun in to batel and perische;

¹¹ the Lord be merciful to me, that Y holde not forth myn hond in to the crist of the Lord; now therfor take thou the spere, which is at his heed, and `take thou the cuppe of watir, and go we awei.

¹² Dauid took the spere, and the cuppe of watir, that was at the heed of Saul, and thei yeden forth, and no man was that siy, and vndirstood, and wakide, but alle men slepten; for the sleep of the Lord `hadde feld on hem.

¹³ And whanne Dauid hadde passid euene ayens, and hadde stonde on the cop of the hil afer, and a greet space was bitwixe hem,

¹⁴ Dauid criede to the puple, and to Abner, the sone of Ner, and seide, Abner, whether thou schalt not answere? And Abner answeride, and seide, Who art thou, that criest, and disesist the kyng?

¹⁵ And Dauith seide to Abner, Whether thou art not a man, and what other man is lijk thee in Israel? whi therfor `kepist thou not thi lord the kyng? `For o man of the cumpanye entride, that he schulde sle thi lord the kyng;

¹⁶ this that thou hast doon, is not good; the Lord lyueth, for ye ben sones of deeth, that kepten not youre lord, the crist of the Lord. Now therfor se thou, where is the spere of the kyng, and where is the cuppe of watir, that weren at his heed.

¹⁷ Forsothe Saul knew the vois of Dauid, and seide, Whether this vois is thin, my sone Dauid? And Dauid seide, My lord the kyng, it is my vois.

¹⁸ And Dauid seide, For what cause pursueth my lord his seruaunt? What haue Y do, ether what yuel is in myn hond? Now therfor,

¹⁹ my lord the kyng, Y preye, here the wordis of thi seruaunt; if the Lord stirith thee ayens me, the sacrifice be smellid; forsothe if sones of men stiren thee, thei ben cursid in the siyt of the Lord, whiche han cast me out `to dai, that Y dwelle not in the erytage of the Lord, and seien, Go thou, serue thou alien goddis.

²⁰ And now my blood be not sched out in the erthe bifor the Lord; for the kyng of Israel yede out, that he seke a quike fle, as a partrich is pursuede in hillis.

²¹ And Saul seide, Y synnede; turne ayen, my sone Dauid, for Y schal no more do yuel to thee, for my lijf was precious to day in thin iyen; for it semeth, that Y dide folili, and Y vnknew ful many thingis.

²² And Dauid answeride and seide, Lo! the spere of the kyng, oon of the `children of the kyng passe, and take it; forsothe the Lord schal yelde to ech man bi his riytfulnesse and feith;

²³ for the Lord bitook thee to dai in to myn hond, and Y nolde holde forth myn hond in to the crist of the Lord;

²⁴ and as thi lijf is magnified to dai in myn iyen, so my lijf be magnyfied in the iyen of the Lord, and delyuere he me fro al angwisch.

²⁵ Therfor Saul seide to Dauid, Blessid be thou, my sone Dauid; and sotheli thou doynge schalt do, and thou myyti schalt be myyti. Therfor Dauid yede in to his weie, and Saul turnede ayen in to his place.

Chapter 27

¹ And Dauid seide in his herte, Sumtyme Y schal falle in o dai in the hond of Saul; whether it is not betere, that Y fle, and be sauyd in the lond of Filisteis, that Saul dispeire, and cesse to seke me in alle the endis of Israel; therfor fle we hise hondis.

² And Dauid roos, and yede, he and sixe hundrid men with hym, to Achis, the sone of Maoth, kyng of Geth.

³ And Dauid dwellide with Achis in Geth, he, and hise men, and his hows; Dauid, and hise twei wyues, Achynoem of Jezrael, and Abigail, the wijf of Nabal of Carmele.

⁴ And it was teld to Saul, that Dauid fledde in to Geth; and he addide no more `that he schulde seke Dauid.

⁵ Forsothe Dauid seide to Achis, If Y haue founden grace in thin iyen, a place be youun to me in oon of the citees of this cuntrey, that Y dwelle there; for whi dwellith thi seruaunt in the citee of the kyng with thee?

⁶ Therfor Achis yaf to hym Sichelech in that dai, for which cause Sichelech was maad in to the possessioun of the kyngis of Juda `til in to this dai.

⁷ Forsothe the noumbre of daies, in whiche Dauid dwellide in the cuntrei of Filisteis, was of foure monethis.

⁸ And Dauid stiede, and hise men, and token preies of Gethsuri, and of Gethri, and of men of Amalech; for these townes weren enhabitid bi eld tyme in the lond, to men goynge to Sur, `til to the lond of Egipt.

⁹ And Dauid smoot al the lond of hem, and lefte not man `lyuynge and womman; and he took scheep, and oxun, and assis, and camels, and clothis, and turnede ayen, and cam to Achis.

¹⁰ Sotheli Achis seide to hym, `In to whom `hurliden ye to dai? Dauid answeride, Ayens the south of Juda, and ayens the south of Hiramel, and ayens the south of Ceney.

¹¹ Dauid left not quik man and womman, nether brouyte `in to Geth, and se ide, Lest perauenture thei speken ayens vs. Dauid dide these thingis, and this was his doom, in alle daies in whiche he dwellide in the cuntrei of Filisteis.

¹² Therfor Achis bileuyde to Dauid, and seide, Forsothe he wrouyte many yuelis ayens his puple Israel, therfor he schal be euerlastynge seruaunt to me.

Chapter 28

¹ Forsothe it was doon in tho daies, Filisteis gaderiden her cumpenyes, that thei schulden be maad redi ayens Israel to batel. And Achis seide to Dauid, Thou witynge `wite now, for thou schalt go out with me in castels, thou and thi men.

² And Dauid seide to Achis, Now thou schalt wyte what thingis thi seruaunt schal do. And Achis seide to Dauid, And Y schal sette thee kepere of myn heed in alle dayes.

³ Forsothe Samuel was deed, and al Israel biweilide hym, and thei birieden hym in Ramatha, his citee. And Saul dide awey fro the lond witchis and fals dyuynours, `and he slouy hem that hadden `charmers of deuelis `in her wombe.

⁴ And Filisteis weren gaderid, and camen, and settiden tentis in Sunam; sotheli and Saul gaderide al Israel, and cam in to Gelboe.

⁵ And Saul siy the castels of Filisteis, and he dredde, and his herte dredde greetli.

⁶ And he counselide the Lord; and the Lord answeride not to hym, nether bi preestis, nether bi dremes, nether bi profetis.

⁷ And Saul seide to hise seruauntis, Seke ye to me a womman hauynge a feend spekynge in the wombe; and Y schal go to hir, and Y schal axe bi hir. And hise seruauntis seiden to hym, A womman hauynge a feend spekynge in the wombe is in Endor.

⁸ Therfor Saul chaungide his clothing, and he was clothid with othere clothis; and he yede, and twei men with hym; and thei camen to the womman in the nyyt. And he seyde, Dyuyne thou to me in a fend spekynge in the wombe, and reise thou to me whom Y schal seie to thee.

⁹ And the womman seide to hym, Lo! thou woost hou grete thingis Saul hath do, and hou he dide awei fro the lond witchis, and fals dyuynours; whi therfor settist thou tresoun to my lijf, that Y be slayn?

¹⁰ And Saul swoor to hir in the Lord, and seide, The Lord lyueth; for no thing of yuel schal come to thee for this thing.

¹¹ And the womman seide to hym, Whom schal Y reise to thee? And he seide, Reise thou Samuel to me.

¹² Sotheli whanne the womman hadde seyn Samuel, sche criede with greet vois, and seide to Saul, Whi hast thou disseyued me? for thou art Saul.

¹³ And the kyng seide to hir, Nyl thou drede; what hast thou seyn? And the womman seide to Saul, Y siy goddis stiynge fro erthe.

¹⁴ And Saul seide to hir, What maner forme is of hym? And sche seide, An eld man stieth, and he is clothid with a mentil. And Saul vndirstood that it was Samuel; and Saul bowide hym silf on his face to the erthe, and worschipide.

¹⁵ Sotheli Samuel seide to Saul, Whi hast thou disesid me, that Y schulde be reisid? And Saul seide, Y am constreyned greetli; for Filisteis fiyten ayens me, and God yede awei fro me, and he nolde here me, nether bi the hond of profetis, nether bi dremes; therfor Y clepide thee, that thou schuldist schewe to me what Y schal do.

¹⁶ And Samuel seide, What axist thou me, whanne God hath go awei fro thee, and passide to thin enemy?

¹⁷ For the Lord schal do to thee as he spak in myn hond, and he schal kitte awey thi rewme fro thin hond, and he schal yyue it to Dauid, thi neiybore;

¹⁸ for thou obeiedist not to the vois of the Lord, nether didist the `ire of hys strong veniaunce in Amalech. Therfor the Lord hath do to thee to day that that thou suffrist;

¹⁹ and the Lord schal yyue also Israel with thee in the hond of Filisteis. Forsothe to morewe thou and thi sones schulen be with me; but also the Lord schal bitake the castels of Israel in the hond of Filistiym.

²⁰ And anoon Saul felde stretchid forth to erthe; for he dredde the wordis of Samuel, and strengthe was not in hym, for he hadde not ete breed in al that dai and al nyyt.

²¹ Therfor thilke womman entride to Saul, and seide; for he was disturblid greetli; and sche seide to hym, Lo! thin handmayde obeiede to thi vois, and Y haue put my lijf in myn hond, and Y herde thi wordis, whiche thou spakist to me.

²² Now therfor and thou here the vois of thin handmaide, and Y schal sette a mussel of breed bifor thee, and that thou etynge wexe strong, and maist do the iourney.

²³ And he forsook, and seide, Y schal not ete. Sothely hise seruauntis and the womman compelliden hym; and at the laste, whanne the vois of hem was herd, he roos fro the erthe, and sat on the bed.

²⁴ Sotheli thilke womman hadde a fat calf in the hows, and `sche hastide, and killide hym; and sche took mele, and meddlide it, and made therf breed;

²⁵ and settide bifor Saul and bifor hise seruauntis, and whanne thei hadden ete, thei risiden, and walkiden bi al that nyyt.

Chapter 29

¹ Therfor alle the cumpenyes of Filisteis weren gaderid in Aphec, but also Israel settide tentis aboue the welle that was in Jezrael.

² And sotheli the princis of Filisteis yeden in cumpenyes of an hundrid, and in thousyndis; forsothe Dauid and hise men weren in the laste cumpenye with Achis.

³ And the princes of Filisteis seiden to Achis, What wolen these Ebreis to hem silf? And Achis seide to the princes of Filisteis, Whether ye knowen not Dauid, that was the seruaunt of Saul, kyng of Israel? and he was with me in many daies, `ether yeeris, and Y foond not in hym ony thing, fro the dai, in which he fledde to me `til to this dai.

⁴ Sotheli the princes of Filisteis weren wrooth ayens hym, and seiden to hym, The man turne ayen, and sitte in his place, in which thou hast ordened hym, and come he not down with vs in to batel, lest he be maad aduersarie to vs, whanne we han bigunne to fiyte; for hou mai he plese his lord in other maner, no but in oure heedis?

⁵ Whether this is not Dauid, to whom thei sungen in daunsis, and seiden, Saul smoot in thousyndis, and Dauid smoot in hise ten thousyndis?

⁶ Therfor Achis clepide Dauid, and seide to hym, The Lord lyueth; for thou art riytful, and good in my siyt, and thi goyng out and `thin entryng is with me in castels, and Y `foond not in thee ony thing of yuel, fro the day in which thou camest to me til to this dai; but thou plesist not the princis.

⁷ Therfor turne thou ayen, and go in pees, and offende thou not the iyen of princis of Filisteis.

⁸ And Dauid seide to Achis, Forsothe what `dide Y, and what hast thou founde in me thi seruaunt, fro the dai in which Y was in thi siyt til in to this dai, that Y come not, and fiyte ayens the enemyes of my lord the kyng?

⁹ Forsothe Achis answeride, and spak to Dauid, Y woot that thou art good, and as the aungel of God in my iyen; but the princes of Filisteis seyden, He schal not stie with vs in to batel.

¹⁰ Therfor rise thou eerli, thou, and thi seruauntis that camen with thee; and whanne ye han ryse bi nyyt, and it bigynneth to be cleer, go ye.

¹¹ Therfor Dauid roos bi nyyt, he and hise men, that thei schulden go forth eerli, and turne ayen to the lond of Fylisteis; sotheli Filisteis stieden in to Jezrael.

Chapter 30

¹ And whanne Dauid and hise men hadden come `in to Sichelech in the thridde dai, men of Amalech hadden maad asauyt on the south part in Sichelech; and thei smytiden Sichelech, and brenten it bi fier.

² And thei ledden the wymmen prisoneris fro thennus, fro the leeste `til to the grete; and thei hadden not slayn ony, but thei ledden with hem, and yeden in her weie.

³ Therfor whanne Dauid and hise men hadde come to the citee, and hadden founde it brent bi fier, and that her wyues, and her sones, and douytris weren led prisoneris,

⁴ Dauid and the puple that was with hym reisiden her voices, and weiliden, til teeris failiden in hem.

⁵ Forsothe also twei wyues of Dauid weren led prisoneris, Achynoem of Jezrael, and Abigail, the wijf of Nabal of Carmele.

⁶ And Dauid was ful sori; forsothe al the puple wold stone hym, for the soule of ech man was bittir on her sones and douytris. Forsothe Dauid was coumfortid in his Lord God.

⁷ And he seide to Abiathar, preest, the sone of Achymelech, Bringe thou ephoth to me. And Abiathar brouyte ephoth to Dauid; and Dauid councelide the Lord,

⁸ and seide, Schal Y pursue, ether nay, `these theues? and schal Y take hem? And the Lord seide to hym, Pursue thou; for with out doute thou schalt take hem, and thou schalt take awey the prey.

⁹ Therfor Dauid yede, he and sixe hundrid men that weren with hym, and thei camen `til to the stronde of Besor; and sotheli the wery men abididen.

¹⁰ Forsothe Dauid pursuede, he and foure hundrid men; for twei hundrid abididen, that weren weeri, and myyten not passe the stronde of Besor.

¹¹ And thei founden a man of Egipte in the feeld, and thei brouyten hym to Dauid; and thei yauen `breed to hym, that he schulde ete, and `schulde drynke watir;

¹² but also thei yauen to hym a gobet of a bundel of drye figis, and twei byndyngis of dried grapis. And whanne he hadde ete tho, his spirit turnede ayen, and he was coumfortid; for he hadde not ete breed, nether hadde drunk watir in thre daies and thre nyytis.

¹³ Therfor Dauid seide to hym, Whos man art thou, ethir fro whennus and whidur goist thou? And he seide, Y am a child of Egipt, the seruaunt of a man of Amalech; forsothe my lord forsook me, for Y bigan to be sijk the thridde dai ago.

¹⁴ Sotheli we braken out to the south coost of Cerethi, and ayens Juda, and to the south of Caleb, and we brenten Sichelech bi fier.

¹⁵ And Dauid seide to hym, Maist thou lede me to this cumpeny? Which seide, Swere thou to me bi God, that thou schalt not sle me, and schalt not bitake me in to the hondis of my lord; and Y schal lede thee to this cumpeny. And Dauid swoor to hym.

¹⁶ And whanne the child hadde ledde hym, lo! thei saten at the mete, on the face of al the erthe, etynge and drynkynge, and as halewynge a feeste, for al the prey and spuylis whiche thei hadden take of the lond of Filisteis, and of the lond of Juda.

¹⁷ And Dauid smoot hem fro euentid `til to euentid of the tothir dai, and not ony of hem escapide, no but foure hundrid yonge men, that stieden on camels, and fledden.

¹⁸ Forsothe Dauid delyuerede alle thingis whiche the men of Amalech token, and he delyuerede hise twei wyues;

¹⁹ nether ony of hem failide fro litil `til to greet, as wel of sones as of douytris, and of spuylis; and what euer thingis thei hadden rauyschid, Dauid ledde ayen alle thingis;

²⁰ and he took alle flockis and grete beestis, and droof bifor his face. And thei seiden, This is the prey of Dauid.

²¹ Forsothe Dauid cam to twei hundrid men, that weren weeri, and abididen, and myyten not sue Dauid; and he hadde comaundid hem to sitte in the stronde of Besor; whiche yeden out ayens Dauid, and the puple that was with hym. Forsothe Dauid neiyede to the puple, and grette it pesibli.

²² And o man, the werste and vniust of the men that weren with Dauid, answeride, and seide, For thei camen not with vs, we schulen not yyue to hem ony thing of the prey, which we rauyschiden, but his wijf and children `suffice to ech man; and whanne thei han take hem, go thei awei.

²³ Forsothe Dauid seide, My britheren, ye schulen not do so of these thingis, whiche the Lord yaf to vs, and kepte vs, and yaf the theues, that braken out ayens vs, in to oure hondis;

²⁴ nether ony man schal here vs on this word. For euene part schal be of him that goith doun to batel, and of hym that dwellith at the fardelis; and in lijk maner thei schulen departe.

²⁵ And this was maad a constitucioun and doom fro that dai and afterward, and as a lawe in Israel til in to this dai.

²⁶ Therfor Dauid cam in to Sichelech, and sente yiftis of the prey to the eldere men of Juda, hise neiyboris, and seide, Take ye blessyng of the prey of enemyes of the Lord;

²⁷ to hem that weren in Bethel, and that weren in Ramoth, at the south,

²⁸ and that weren in Jether, and that weren in Aroer, and that weren in Sephamoth, and that weren in Escama, and that weren in Rethala,

²⁹ and that weren in the citees of Jeramel, and that weren in the citees of Ceny,

³⁰ and that weren in Arama, and that weren in Lautuasam, and that weren in Athec,

³¹ and that weren in Ebron, and to othere men, that weren in these places, in whiche Dauid dwellide and hise men.

Chapter 31

¹ Forsothe Filisteis fouyten ayens Israel, and the men of Israel fledden bifor the face of Filisteis, and felden slayn in the hil of Gelboe.

² And Filisteis hurliden on Saul, and on hise sones, and smytiden Jonathas, and Amynadab, and Melchisua, sones of Saul.

³ And al the weiyte of batel was turned `in to Saul; and men archeris pursueden hym, and he was woundid greetli of the archeris.

⁴ And Saul seide to his squyer, Drawe out thi swerd, and sle me, lest perauenture these vncircumcidid men come, and sle me, and scorne me. And his squyer nolde, for he was aferd bi ful grete drede; therfor Saul took his swerd, and felde theronne.

⁵ And whanne his squyer hadde seyn this, `that is, that Saul was deed, also he felde on his swerd and was deed with hym.

⁶ Therfor Saul was deed, and hise thre sones, and his squyer, and alle his men in that dai togidere.

⁷ Forsothe the sones of Israel, that weren biyendis the valei, and biyendis Jordan, sien that the men of Israel hadden fled, and that Saul was deed, and hise sones, and thei leften her citees and fledden; and Filisteis camen, and dwelliden there.

⁸ Forsothe in `the tother dai maad, Filisteis camen, that thei schulden dispuyle the slayn men, and thei founden Saul, and hise thre sones, liggynge in the hil of Gelboe; and thei kittiden awei the heed of Saul,

⁹ and dispuyliden hym of armeris; and senten in to the lond of Filisteis bi cumpas, that it schulde be teld in the temple of idols, and in the puplis.

¹⁰ And thei puttiden hise armeris in the temple of Astoroth; sotheli thei hangiden his bodi in the wal of Bethsan.

¹¹ And whanne the dwellers of Jabes of Galaad hadden herd this, what euer thingis Filisteis hadden do to Saul,

¹² alle the strongeste men risiden, and yeden in al that nyyt, and token the deed bodi of Saul, and the deed bodies of hise sones fro the wal of Bethsan; and the men of Jabes of Galaad camen, and brenten tho deed bodies bi fier.

¹³ And thei token the boonus of hem, and birieden in the wode of Jabes, and fastiden bi seuene daies.

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