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

CAP. XIII.

[verse 1] Forsothe [And I.] it was doon aftir these thingis, that Amon, the sone of Dauid, louyde the faireste [ful fair I.] sistir, Thamar bi name, of Absolon, sone [the sone CDIKMOWXç.] of Dauid. [verse 2] And Amon perischide [peiride I.] greetli for hir, so that he was sijk for `the loue of hir [hir loue I.] . For whanne [sith I.] she was a virgyn, it semyde hard to hym, that he schulde do ony thing vnonestli with hir. [verse 3] Forsothe [But ther was I.] a freend [freend to Amon I.] , Jonadab bi name, sone [the sone I.] of Semmaa, bro|ther [the brothir I.] of Dauid, `was to Amon [Om. I.] ; Jonadab [and Jonadab I.] was a ful prudent man. [verse 4] Which [The which I.] seide to Amon, Sone of the kyng, whi art thou maad feble so bi leenesse bi alle daies? whi schewist thou not to me [me thin herte I.] ? And Amon seide to him, Y loue Thamar, the sister of my brother Absolon. [verse 5] And Jona|dab answeride to hym, Li thou on [upon I.] thi bed, and feyne thou sikenesse; and whanne thi fadir cometh, that he visyte thee, seie thou to hym, Y preye [biseeche I.] , come Thamar, my sister, that sche ȝyue mete to me, and make [make sche I.] a seew, that Y ete [ete it I.] of hir hond. [verse 6] Therfor [Thanne I.] Amon lay doun, and `bigan as [feynede I.] to be sijk. And whanne the kyng hadde come to visite him, Amon seide to the kyng, Y biseche, come Thamar, my sistir, that sche make twei [two maner I. two L.] soupyngis bifor my iȝen, and that Y take of hir hond meete [the meete I.] maad redi. [verse 7] Therfor Dauid sente to the hows of Thamar, and seide, Come thou in to the hows of Amon, thi brother, and make thou [Om. A.] seew [a seew I.] to hym. [verse 8] And Thamar cam in to the hows of Amon [Om. I.] , hir brother. Sotheli [And I.] he lai [lai doun I.] ; and sche took mele, and

medlide [medlide to gidre I.] , and made [sche made it I.] moist bifor hise iȝen, [verse 9] and sethide [sche sethide I.] soupyngis [soupinge metis I.] ; and sche took that, that sche hadde sode, and helde [heelde it I.] out, and settide [sette it I. sette E.] byfor hym, and he nolde [wolde not I.] ete. And Amon seide, Putte ȝe out alle men fro me. And whanne thei hadden put out [verse 10] alle men, Amon seide to Thamar, Bere the mete in to the closet, that Y ete of thin hond. Therfor Thamar took the soup|ingis [soupynge mete I.] whiche [that I.] sche hadde maad, and brouȝte in to Amon, hir brother, in the closet. [verse 11] And whanne sche hadde proferid mete [the mete I.] to hym, he took hir, and seide, Come thou, my sistir, li [and lie A pr. m. I.] thou with me. [verse 12] And sche answeride to hym, My brother, nyle thou, nyle thou oppresse me, for [certis I.] this [this thing I.] is not leueful in Israel; nyle thou do this foli. [verse 13] For [Forsothe I.] Y schal not mow bere my schen|schip, and thou schalt be as oon of the vnwise men in Israel; but rather speke thou to the kyng, and he schal not denye [he schal not denye, etc. Rabi Salomon seith, that sche was not the kyndly douȝter of Dauyth, for whanne Da|uyth took in batel hir modir, sche was with childe bi hir formere hose|bonde, and aftirward Da|uyth weddide hir, bi licence of the lawe, therfor Thamar myȝte be wed|did to Amon. Lire here. C.] me to thee. [verse 14] Sotheli [But I.] he nolde [wolde not I.] assente to hir preieris; but he was strengere in myȝtis, and oppresside [he oppresside I.] hir, and lay with hir. [verse 15] And `Amon hadde hir hateful bi ful grete haterede [thanne with ful grete hatred Amon hatide hir I.] , so that the hatrede was gretter, bi which he hatide hir, than the loue bi which he louyde hir bifor. And Amon seide to hir, Rise thou, and go [go henns I.] . [verse 16] And sche answeride to hym, This yuel is more which [that I.] thou doist now aȝens me, and puttist me out, than that, that thou didist bifore. And he nolde [wolde not I.] here hir; [verse 17] but whanne the child was clepide, that mynystride [seruide I.] to hym, he seide, Putte thou out this womman fro me, and close thou the dore aftir hir. [verse 18] And sche was clothid with a coote doun to the heele; for the kyngis douȝtris virgyns vsiden siche clothis. Therfor [Thanne I.] the mynystre [seruaunt I.] of Amon puttide [putte IX.] hir out [forth I.] , and closide the dore aftir hir. [verse 19] And sche spreynte aische [asken EL. aiȝsshis K.] to

hir heed, whanne the coote to `the heele [hir long coote I.] was to-rent, and whanne [Om. I.] the [hir I.] hondis weren [Om. I.] put on hir heed, and [Om. I.] sche ȝede entrynge and criynge. [verse 20] Forsothe [And I.] Absolon, hir brother, seide to hir, Whether Amon, thi brothir, hath leyn with thee? But `now, sister, be stille [thou now stille, sistir I.] ; he is thi brother, and turmente [turmente thou I.] not thin herte for this thing. Therfor Thamar dwellide moren|ynge in the hows of Absolon, hir brothir. [verse 21] Forsothe [And I.] whanne `kyng Dauid [the kyng Dauid I.] hadde herd these wordis, he was ful sori, and he nolde [wolde not I.] make sore the spyrit of Amon [he nolde make sori the spirit of Amon; for that tyme, for he was feble, siyk, and soreuful for the dede, but he repreuyde Amon aftir|ward in due tyme; and he killide not Amon for this violence, for it was not preued, and he compellide not Amon to wedde hir, for the hatrede, and for drede of deth. Lire here. C.] , his sone; for he louyde Amon, for he was the [his I.] firste gendrid [bygoten sone I.] `to hym [Om. I.] . [verse 22] Forsothe [And I.] Absolon spak not to Amon, nether yuel nether [ne EILP.] good; for Absolon hatide Amon, for he hadde defoulid Thamar, his sistir. [verse 23] Forsothe [And I.] it was doon aftir the tyme of twei ȝeer, that the scheep of Absolon weren shorun in Baalasor, which [that I.] is bi|sidis Effraym. And Absolon clepide alle the sones of the kyng. [verse 24] And he cam to the kyng, and seide to hym, Lo! the scheep of thi seruaunt ben schorun; Y preye, come the king with hise seruauntis to his seruaunt. [verse 25] And the kyng seide to Absolon, Nyle thou, my sone, nyle thou preye, that alle we come, and greeue [charge I.] thee. Forsothe [And I.] whanne he constreynede [he constreyn|ede, etc.; that is, mekely preyede his fadir. Lire here. C.] Dauid, and he nolde [wolde not I.] go, he blesside Absolon. [verse 26] And Absolon seide to Dauid, If thou nylt [wilt not I.] come, Y byseche [byseche thee I.] , come nameli Amon, my brother, with vs. And the kyng seide to hym, It is no nede, that he go with thee. [verse 27] Therfor Absolon constreynede hym [Dauid I.] ; and he delyuerede with him Amon, and alle the sones of the kyng. And Absolon hadde maad a feeste as the feeste of a kyng. [verse 28] Sotheli [And I.] Absolon comaundide to hise children, and seide, Aspie ȝe, whanne Amon is drunkun of wyn, and Y [whanne Y I.] seie to ȝou, Smyte ȝe, and sle [sleeth I.] hym. Nyle ȝe drede, for Y am that comaunde [Y am that comaunde; as if he seide, Y take the dede on me, and Y schal de|fende ȝou. Lire here. C.] to ȝou; be ȝe

strengthid, and be ȝe stronge men. [verse 29] Ther|for the children of Absolon diden aȝens Amon, as Absolon hadde comaundide to hem; and alle the sones of the kyng risiden [resen up I. resen E.] , and stieden ech on [upon I.] his mule, and fledden. [verse 30] And whanne thei ȝeden ȝit in the weie, fame cam [cam therof I.] to the kyng, and seide [it was seid I.] , Absolon hath kild [sleyn I.] alle the sones of the king, and `nameli not oon lefte [he hath not left nameli oon I.] of hem. [verse 31] Therfor the kyng roos [roos up I.] , and to|rente hise clothis, and felde doun on [upon I.] the erthe; and alle hise seruauntis that stoden nyȝ to hym, to-renten her clothis. [verse 32] Sotheli [But I.] Jonadab, sone [the sone I.] of Semmaa, brother of Da|uid, answeride and seide, My lord the [Om. I.] kyng, gesse [gesse thou I.] not, that alle the children, and sones of the kyng, ben slayn; Amon aloone is deed, for he was set in hatrede to Ab|solon, fro the day in which he oppresside Thamar, his sistir. [verse 33] Now therfor, my lord the [Om. I.] kyng, set [set he I.] not this word on [upon I.] his herte, and seie, Alle the sones of the kyng ben slayn; for Amon aloone is deed. Forsothe [Certis I.] Absolon fledde. [verse 34] And a child aspiere [spiere A pr. m. DIMPX sec. m. bç.] reiside [reiside up I.] hise iȝen, and bihelde, and lo! myche puple cam bi a weye out of the comyn weie bi the side of the [an I.] hil. [verse 35] And Jonadab seide to the kyng, Lo! the sones of the kyng comen; bi [aftir I.] the word of thi seruaunt, so it is doon. [verse 36] And whanne he hadde ceessid to speke, also the sones of the kyng apperiden; and thei entriden, and reisiden [reisiden up I.] her vois, and wepten; but also the kyng and alle his seruauntis wepten bi [with I.] ful greet wepyng. [verse 37] Forsothe [And I.] Absolon fledde, and ȝede [he ȝede I.] to Tholmai, sone [the sone I.] of Amyur, the kyng of Gessur. Therfor Dauid biweilide his sone Amon in many daies. [verse 38] Forsothe [And I.] Absolon, whanne he hadde fled, and hadde come in to [Om. I.] Ges|sur, was [he was I.] there thre ȝeer. [verse 39] And Dauid ceesside to pursue Absolon, for he was coumfortid on [upon I.] the deeth of Amon.