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

CAP. XXVI.

[verse 1] And Zipheis [men of Zephei I.] camen to Saul in to Ga|baa, and seiden, Lo! Dauid is hidde in the hille of Achille, which [that I.] is `euene aȝens [anentis I.] the wildirnesse. [verse 2] And Saul roos [roos up I.] , and ȝede doun in to deseert [the deseert I.] of Ziph, and with hym thre thousynde of men of the chosun of Israel, that he schulde seke Dauid in the desert of Ziph. [verse 3] And Saul settide tentis [his tentis I.] in Gabaa of Achille, that was euen aȝens the wildirnesse in the weie. Sotheli [And I.] Dauid dwellide in deseert [the deseert CI.] . Forsothe Da|uid siȝ [Dauyth siȝ, that is, knew bi a messanger. Lire here. C.] that Saul hadde come aftir hym [verse 4] in to deseert; and Dauid [he I.] sente aspieris, and lernede [he lernede I.] moost certeynli, that Saul hadde come thidur. [verse 5] And Dauid roos [roos up I.]

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 chyual|rye, and Saul slepynge in the [his I.] tente, and the tother comyn puple bi his cumpas, [verse 6] Dauid seide to Achymelech, Ethey, and to Abisai, sone [the sone I.] of Saruye, the brother of Joab, `and seide [seijng K.] , Who schal go doun with me to Saul in to `the castels [his tentis I.] ? And Abisai seide, Y schal go doun with thee. [verse 7] Therfor Da|uid and Abisai camen to the puple in the nyȝt, and thei founden Saul lyggynge and slepynge in `the tente [his tentis I.] , and a spere sette faste in the erthe at his heed; `forsothe thei founden [and also I.] Abner and the puple slep|ynge in his cumpas. [verse 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 [the I.] spere onys in the erthe, and `no nede [mouyd BC.] schal be the secounde tyme. [verse 9] And Dauid seide to Aby|sai, Sle thou not hym, for who schal holde forth his hond into the crist of the Lord, and schal be innocent? [verse 10] And Dauid seide, The Lord lyueth, for no [Om. I.] but the Lord smyte hym [Saul I.] , ether his dai come that he die, ether he go doun in to batel and [verse 11] perische; the Lord be merciful to me, that Y holde not forth myn hond in to the crist of the Lord; now [Om. I.] therfor take thou the spere, which [that I.] is at his heed, and `take thou [Om. I.] the cuppe of watir, and go we a wei. [verse 12] Dauid [Thanne Dauid I.] took the spere, and the cuppe of watir, that was at the heed of Saul, and thei ȝeden forth, and no man was that siȝ, and vndirstood, and wakide, but alle men slepten; for the sleep of the Lord [the sleep of the Lord; that is, a greuouse sleep sent of God. hadde feld on hem, that so Dauyth schulde go awey with out perel, and that bi the spere takun, and the vessel of water, he schulde de|clare his inno|cence anentis Saul, and schulde con|uycte ether ateynte him of wickidnesse. Lire here. C.] `hadde feld [was fallen I. hadde fallen L. hadde falle EMP.] on hem. [verse 13] And whanne Dauid hadde passid [passid forth I.] euene aȝens [ouer aȝens hem I.] , and hadde stonde on [afer upon I.] the cop of the [an I.] hil afer [Om. I.] , [verse 14] and a greet space was bitwixe hem, Dauid criede to the puple, and to Abner, the sone of Ner, and seide, Abner, whether thou

schalt [wolt I.] not answere? And Abner an|sweride, and seide, Who art thou, that criest, and disesist the kyng? [verse 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 [hast thou not kept I.] thi lord the kyng? `For o [Certis a I.] man of the cum|panye entride, that he schulde sle thi lord [verse 16] the kyng; this that thou hast doon, is not good; the Lord lyueth, for ȝe ben sones of deeth, that kepten not ȝoure lord, the crist [anoyntid I.] of the Lord. Now therfor se thou, where is the spere of the kyng, and where is the cuppe of watir, that weren [was I.] at his heed. [verse 17] Forsothe Saul knew the vois of Dauid, and seide, Whether this vois is thin, my sone Dauid? And Dauid seide, My lord the [Om. I.] kyng, it is my vois. [verse 18] And Dauid seide [seide eft I.] , For what cause pursueth my lord his seruaunt? What haue Y do, ether what yuel is in myn hond? Now [verse 19] therfor, my lord the [Om. I.] kyng, Y preye, here the wordis of thi seruaunt; if the Lord stirith thee aȝens me, the sacrifice be smellid [the sacrifice be smellid; that is, my pacience in this pursu|yng be ac|ceptid bifor God, as if Y offrede brent sacrifice at his auter. if the sones of men, bringe thee herto, as Doech and hise fe|lowis doen. thei ben cursid, whiche han cast me out to day, that is, in pre|sent tyme. that Y dwelle not, etc.; that is, that Y dwelle not pesibly in the lond of biheste, where Goddis wor|chiping was quyk, that Y myȝte go thi|dur, and offre due sacrifices. and seyen, in dede. go thou, serue thou alien goddis, for thei that ben compellid for persecu|cioun, to entre in to a lond suget to idola|trie, be set forth to the synne of idola|trie, for liȝtly they ben en|clyned herto of idolatrours, and sum tyme they ben com|pellid bi vio|lence of peyne. Lire here. C.] ; forsothe [and I.] if sones of men stiren thee, thei ben cursid in the siȝt of the Lord, whiche han cast me out `to dai [now I.] , that Y dwelle not in the erytage of the Lord, and seien, Go thou, serue thou alien goddis. [verse 20] And now my blood be not sched out [ouȝte L.] in the erthe bifor the Lord; for the kyng of Israel ȝede [hath gon I.] out, that he seke a quike fle, as a partrich is pursuede in hillis. [verse 21] And Saul seide, Y synnede [haue synned I.] ; turne [turne thou I.] aȝen, my sone Dauid, for [forsothe I.] Y schal no more do yuel to thee, for my lijf [lord G.] was precious to day in thin iȝen; for [Om. I.] it semeth [apperith BCDFGHKLMNOPQRSUWb.] , that [forsothe that I.] Y dide [haue don I. die N. do M.] folili, and Y vnknew [haue unknowe I.] ful many thingis. [verse 22] And Dauid answeride and seide, Lo! the spere of the kyng, oon of the `children of the kyng [kyngis children I.] passe [passe ouer hidere I.] , and take it; forsothe the Lord schal ȝelde to ech man [verse 23] bi [aftir I.] his riȝtfulnesse and feith [his feith I.] ; for [certis I.] the

Lord bitook thee to dai in to myn hond, and Y nolde [wolde not I.] holde forth myn hond in to [verse 24] the crist of the Lord; and as thi lijf is magnified to dai in myn iȝen, so my lijf be magnyfied in the iȝen of the Lord [Lord God I.] , and delyuere he me fro al angwisch. [verse 25] Therfor Saul seide to Dauid, Blessid be thou, my sone Dauid; and sotheli thou doynge schalt do, and thou myȝti schalt be myȝti. Therfor [Thanne I.] Dauid ȝede [ȝede forth I.] in to his weie, and Saul turnede aȝen in to his place.