The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. XXIII.

[verse 1] And thei [men I.] telden [telden, that is, men of Seila telden perel neiȝinge to hem. Lire here. C.] to Dauid, and seiden, Lo! Filisteis [the Filisteis I.] fiȝten aȝens Seila, and ra|uyschen [strien I.] the corn floris. [verse 2] Therfor [Thanne I.] Dauid councelide [counselide with I.] the Lord, and seide, Whether Y schal go [go out I.] , and smyte Filisteis [these Filisteis BC. the Filisteis I.] ? And the Lord seide to Dauid, Go thou [forth I.] , and thou schalt smyte Filisteis [the Filisteis I.] , and thou schalt saue Seila. [verse 3] And men, that weren with Dauid, seiden to him, Lo! we ben heere in Judee, and dredden [han dred I.] ; hou myche more,

if we schulen go in to Seila aȝens the cumpanyes of Filisteis. [verse 4] Therfor eft Dauid councelide [councelide with I.] the Lord; which [the which I.] answeride, and seide to Dauid, Rise thou [thou up I.] , and go `in to [in A.] Seila; for Y schal bitake Filisteis [the Filisteis I.] in [in to EL.] thin hond. [verse 5] Therfor [Thanne I.] Dauid ȝede [wente I.] , and hise men, in to Seila, and fauȝt aȝens Filisteis [the Filisteis I.] ; and he [Dauid I.] droof awey her werk beestis, and smoot hem with greet wounde; and Dauid sauyde the dwelleris of Seila. [verse 6] Forsothe [And I.] in that tyme, `wher ynne [in whiche I.] Abiathar, sone [the sone I.] of Achymelech [Abimelech ELP.] , fledde to Dauid in to Seile, he [Abiathar I.] cam doun [down thidere I.] , and hadde [he hadde I.] with hym `ephoth, that is [Om. I.] , the cloth [coope I.] of the hiȝeste preest [The whole gloss omitted in X.] [prest; wher|ynne was the racional of doom, in whiche the an|swering of the Lord apperide. Lire here. C.] . [verse 7] Forsothe [And I.] 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 [Om. I.] entride in to a [the I.] citee, in [is closid with ynne in I.] which [the which I.] ben ȝatis and lockis. [verse 8] And Saul comaundide to al the puple, that it schulde go doun to batel in to Seila, and bisege [bisege ȝe I.] Dauid and hise men. [verse 9] And whanne Dauid perceyuede, that Saul made redi yuel priueli to hym, he seide to Abiathar, preest [the preest I.] , Brynge hidur ephoth [the prestis coope I.] [ephoth; that is, clothe thee with ephoth, to councele the Lord. Lire here. C.] . [verse 10] And Dauid seide, Lord God of Israel, thi ser|uaunt `herde fame [hath herd sey I.] , that Saul disposith to come to Seila, that he distrie the citee for [verse 11] me; if the men of Seila schulen bitake me in to hise hondis, and if Saul schal come doun, as thi seruaunt herde [hath herd I.] , thou Lord God of Israel schewe [schewe it I.] to thi seruaunt? And the Lord seide, He schal come doun [he schal come doun; that is, if thou dwellist in the citee, he schal come doun. Lire here. C.] . [verse 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 [comith C.] thidur [Om. X. thee to Saul, if thou abijdist him there I.] . [verse 13] Therfor Dauid roos, and hise men, as [as a I.] sixe hundrid; and thei ȝeden out of Seila, and wandriden vncer|teyn hidur and thidur. And it was telde to Saul, that Dauid hadde fledde fro Seila,

and was saued; wherfor Saul dissymylide [feynede I.] to go out. [verse 14] Forsothe [But I.] Dauid dwellide in the [Om. EIKL.] deseert, in strongeste [ful stronge I.] places, and he dwellide in the hil of wildirnesse of Ziph, in a derk hil [hil of wode I.] ; netheles Saul souȝte hym in alle daies, and the Lord bitook not hym in to the hondis of Saul. [verse 15] And Dauid siȝ, that Saul ȝede out, that he schulde [wolde I.] seke his lijf. Forsothe [And I.] Dauid was in the [Om. EL.] deseert of Ziph, in a wode. [verse 16] And Jonathas, the sone of Saul, roos [roos up I.] , and ȝede to Dauid in to the wode, and coumfortide [he coumfortide I.] hise hondis in God. [verse 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. [verse 18] Therfor euer eithir smoot boond of pees bifor the Lord. And Dauid dwellide in the wode; forsothe [and I.] Jonathas turnede aȝen in to his hows. [verse 19] Forsothe [Certis I.] men of Ziph stieden [stieden up I.] to Saul in Gabaa, and seiden, Lo! whether not [Om. D. now EL.] Dauid is hid at [in D. anentis I.] vs in the sikireste [ful siker I.] places of [in I.] the wode [thicke wode I.] , in the hille of Achille, which [that I.] is at the riȝt syde of deseert? [verse 20] Now therfor come thou doun, as thi soule desiride, that thou schuldist come doun; forsothe it schal be oure [oure doyng I.] , that we bitake hym [Dauid I.] in to the hondis of the kyng. [verse 21] And Saul seide, Blessid be ȝe of the Lord, for ȝe sorewiden [han serewid I.] `for my stide [my while I.] . [verse 22] Therfor, Y preie [preie ȝou I.] , go ȝe, and make [makith I.] redi more diligentli, and do ȝe more curiousli ether intentifli, and biholde ȝe swiftly, where his foot is, ethir who siȝ hym there, where ȝe seiden; for he thenkith on me, that felli Y aspie hym. [verse 23] Biholde ȝe, and se [se ȝe I.] alle his hidyng places, in whiche he is hid, and [and thanne I.] turne ȝe aȝen to me at a certeyn thing, that Y go with ȝou; that if he closith [schal close I.] hym silf ȝhe in to [the I. Om. DKMOSb.] erthe, Y schal seke hym with [in I.] alle the thousyndis of Juda. [verse 24] And thei risiden [resen up I. risen ELP.] , and ȝeden in to

Ziph bifor Saul. Forsothe [And I.] Dauid and hise men weren in the deseert of Maon, in the [Om. IK.] feldi places, at the riȝt half of Jesy|myth. [verse 25] Therfor Saul ȝede and hise felowis to seke Dauid, and it was teld to Dauid; and anoon he [Dauid I.] ȝede 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. [verse 26] And Saul ȝede and hise men at the side of the hil `on o [the too K.] part; forsothe [and I.] Dauid and hise men weren [wenten I.] in [at I.] the side of the hil on the tother part; sotheli [forsothe BC.] Dauid dispeiride [Dauyth dis|peiride; Da|uyth dispeiride not to ascape in his owne persoone, for he was certeyn of the filling of Goddis biheest, that he schulde be kyng aftir Saul, but he despeiride to ascape with out batel with Saul, of which batel he hadde hi|dousnesse and dredde, for the deth of hise men, and of summen that weren with Saul, and su|eden him more aȝenus her wille, than wilfuly. Lire here. C.] , that he myȝte ascape fro the face of Saul. And so Saul and hise men cumpassiden bi the maner of a coroun [coroun round aboute I.] Dauid and hise men, that thei schulden take hem. [verse 27] And a messanger cam to Saul, and seide, Haste thou, and come, for Filisteis [the Filisteis I.] han spred hem silf on the lond. [verse 28] Therfor Saul turnede aȝen, and ceesside to pursue Dauid; and ȝede [he ȝede I.] aȝens the comyng of Filisteis. For this thing [for this thing; that is, for the oost of Saul was departid there, fro the pursuyng of Dauyth. Lire here. C.] thei clepen [clepiden DEFGIKLMNOPQRSUWXb.] that place the Stoon De|partynge [of Departyng EIPX.] .