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

CAP. XVII.

[verse 1] Therfor [Thanne I.] Achitofel seide to Absolon, Y schal chese [chese to me I.] twelue thousynde of men `to me [Om. I.] , and Y schal rise [rise up I.] , and pursue Dauid in this nyȝt. [verse 2] And Y schal falle on hym, for he is wery, and with vnboundun hondis Y schal smyte hym. And whanne al the puple fleeth which [that I.] is with hym, Y schal smyte the kyng `desolat, ether [Om. I.] left aloone. [verse 3] And Y schal lede aȝen al the puple, as o man is wont to turne [be turned I.] aȝen; for [for Absolon I.] thou sekist o man, and al the puple schal be in pees. [verse 4] And the word of him [Achitofel I.] plesyde Ab|solon, and alle the grete [grettere BC.] men in birthe of Israel. [verse 5] Forsothe [And I.] Absolon seide, Clepe ȝe also Chusy of Arath, and here we what also he seith. And whanne Chusi hadde [verse 6] come to Absolon, Absolon seide to hym, Achitofel spak [hath spoke I.] siche a word; owen we do [do theraftir I.] , ethir nay? what counsel ȝyuest thou? [verse 7] And Chusi seide to Absolon, This is not good counsel, which [that I.] Achitofel ȝaf [hath ȝoue I.] in this tyme. [verse 8] And eft Chusi seide, Thou knowist, that thi fadir, and the men that ben with him, ben moost [ful I.] stronge, and in bitter soule [will I.] , as if a femal [schue I.] bere is fers in the [a I.] forest, whanne the [hir I.] whelpis ben rauyschid [rauyschid fro hir I.] ; but also thi fader is a man werriour, and he schal not dwelle with the puple. [verse 9] In hap now he is hid [ether lurketh X sec. m. marg.] in the [Om. plures.] dichis, ethir in

o place, in which he wole [wole hide him I.] ; and whanne ony man fallith in the bigynnyng, who euer schal here [here it I.] , he schal here, and schal [Om. I.] seie, Wounde [Veniaunce I. ether vengeaunce X sec. m. marg.] is maad [don I.] in the puple that suede Absolon. [verse 10] And ech strongeste [ful strong I.] man, whos herte is as `the herte [Om. I.] of a lioun, schal be discoumfortid for drede; for al the puple of Israel knowith, that thi fadir is strong, and that alle men [the men I.] ben stronge, that ben with him. [verse 11] But this semeth to me to be riȝtful counsel; al Israel be gaderid to thee, fro Dan `til to [vnto I. til E.] Bersabee, vnnoum|brable as the [Om. I.] soond [soont A.] of the see; and thou schalt be in the myddis of hem. [verse 12] And we schulen falle on [upon I.] hym, in what euer place he is foundun, and we schulen hile hym, as dew is wont to falle on [upon I.] the [Om. KX.] erthe; and [and sothely I.] we schulen not leeue of [oon of I.] the men that ben with hym [Dauid I.] , `sotheli not oon [Om. I.] . [verse 13] `That if he [And if he that I.] entrith in to ony citee, al Israel schal cumpasse that citee [al Israel schal cumpasse that citee; Chusi spekith bi figuratiyf speche, and this is the sentence; we schulen so distrie al that citee, that noon aȝen stonding schal be; wher|for in Ebreu it is had thus, al Israel schal ȝyue felou|schipis of armed men aboute that citee, to distrie al. Lire here. C.] with roopis, and we schulen drawe it in to the stronde, that [ȝhe that I.] no thing be foundun, sotheli [Om. I.] not a litil stoon therof [be founden therof I.] . [verse 14] And Absolon seide, and alle the men of Israel, The counsel of Chusi of Arath is betere than the counsel of Achitofel; sotheli [and I.] the profitable counsel [the profitable councel; that is, spedeful for the entent of Ab|solon. C.] of Achitofel was destried bi Goddis wille, that the Lord schulde brynge in yuel on Absolon. [verse 15] And Chusi seide to Sadoch and to Abiathar, preestis [the preestis I.] , Achitofel ȝaf coun|sel to Absolon, and to the eldere men of Israel in this and this maner, and Y ȝaf sich and sich counsel. [verse 16] Now therfor sende ȝe soone, and telle ȝe to Dauid, and seie ȝe, Dwelle thou not this [in this C.] nyȝt in the [Om. I.] feeldi places of deseert [the deseert I.] , but passe thou [thou forth I.] with out delay [tariyng I.] ; lest perauenture the kyng be destried [the kyng be distried; `Da|uyth be sopun vp bi the coun|cel of Achitofel, parformed of Absalon in ab|sence of Chusi; and therfor in Ebreu it is, lest it be coun|celid to the king, that is, to Ab|solon, that he do the councel of Achitofel. Lire here. C] , and al the puple which [that I.] is with hym. [verse 17] Forsothe [And I.] Jonathas and Achymaas stoden bisidis the welle of Rogel; an [and an I.] handmaide ȝede [ȝede forth I.] , and telde to hem, and thei ȝeden forth to telle the

message to kyng Dauid; for [certis I.] thei myȝten not be seyn, nether entre in to the citee. [verse 18] Forsothe [And I.] a child siȝ hem, and he schew|ide [schewide it I.] to Absolon; sotheli [and I.] thei entriden with swift goyng in to the hows of `sum man [a man IM.] in Bahurym, that hadde a pit [putt I.] in his place, and thei ȝeden doun in to that pit. [verse 19] For|sothe [And I.] a womman took, and spred abrood an hilyng of [ouer I.] the mouth of the pit as driynge `barli with the pile takun a wey [pild barli I.] , and so the thing was hid. [verse 20] And whanne the seruauntis of Absolon hadde come in to the hows, thei seiden to the womman, Where is Achymaas and Jonathas? And the womman answeride to hem, Thei [And thei K.] passiden [passidin forth I.] hastily, whanne `watir [whanne watir, etc., in Ebreu it is, they passiden the ryuer of watris, that is, Jordan, as Ebrews seyen. Lire here. C.] was tastid a litil [thei hadden taasted a litil watir I.] . And whanne thei that souȝten hem hadden not founde [founde hem I.] , thei turneden aȝen in to Jerusalem. [verse 21] And whanne thei `that souȝten [Om. I.] hadden go [go forth I.] , thei stieden [stieden up I.] fro the pit; and thei ȝeden, and telden to kyng Dauid, and seiden, Rise `ȝe, passe ȝe [ȝe up and passeth I.] soone the flood, for Achitofel ȝaf [hath ȝoue I.] sich counsel aȝens ȝou. [verse 22] Therfor Dauid roos [roos up I.] , and al the puple that was with hym, and thei passiden Jordan, til it was cleer dai, bifor that the word was pupplischid; and sotheli not oon [oo man I.] was left, that `passide not [ne he passide I.] the flood. [verse 23] Forsothe [And I.] Achitofel siȝ, that his counsel was not doon, and he sadlide his asse, and roos [roos up I.] , and ȝede in to his hows, and in to his citee; and whanne his hows was dis|posid, he perischide bi hangyng [hangyng him selff I.] [bi hangyng; by him silf he hangide him silf for indigna|cioun, that his councel was not doon, and for by the foly of Absalon and of his puple, he perseyuede and helde for cer|teyn, that Da|uyth schulde haue the mais|try, and turne aȝen in to the rewme; wher|for he dredde to be slayn of him bi foul deth and peyneful, and therfor he wolde haste his deth bi an other weye. Lire here. C.] , and he was biried in the sepulcre of his fadir. [verse 24] Sotheli [And I.] Dauid cam in to the [Om. I.] castels, and Absolon passide Jordan, he and alle the [Om. I.] men of Israel with hym. [verse 25] Forsothe [And I.] Ab|solon ordeynede Amasan for Joab on [upon I.] the [his I.] oost; forsothe [and I.] Amasan was the sone of a man that was clepid Jethra of Jeȝrael, which [the which I.] entride to Abigail, douȝ|ter [the douȝtir I.] of Naas, the sistir of Saruye, that was

the modir of Joab. [verse 26] And Israel settide tentis with Absolon in the lond of Galaad. [verse 27] And whanne Dauid hadde come in to cas|tels [the castels I.] , Sobi, the sone of Naas of Rabath, of the sones of Amon, and Machir, the sone of Amyel, of Lodobar, and Berzellai, [verse 28] of Galaad, of Rogelym, brouȝten to hym [Dauid I.] beddyngis [beddyng I.] , and tapitis, and erthun vessels, wheete [and wheete I.] , and barli, and mele, and flour, and benys, and lente [fetchis I.] , and fried chichis [thing that is clepid cycer I. fried chichis, that is, gadering of cornys that is clepid cicer X sec. m. marg.] , [verse 29] and hony, and botere, and scheep, and fatte calues. And thei ȝauen [ȝauen tho I.] to Dauid, and to the puple that weren with hym, to ete; for thei supposiden the puple to be maad feynt for hungur and thirst in deseert.