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

CAP. XVIII.

[verse 1] Therfor Dauid, whanne the [his A sec. m. he had biholde his I.] puple `was biholdun [Om. I.] , ordeynede tribunes [chefteyns of thousyndis I.] and centu|riouns [of hundridus I.] on [upon I.] hem. [verse 2] And he ȝaf the thridde part of the puple vndur the hond of Joab; and the thridde part vndur the hond of Abisai, sone [the sone I.] of Saruye, brother [the brothir I.] of Joab; and the thridde part vndur the hond of Ethai, that was of Geth. And the kyng seide to the puple, Also Y schal go out [Y schal go out, etc., for he wolde be of the firste to trauel in perel. Lire here. C.] with ȝou. [verse 3] And the puple answeride, Thou schalt not go out; for whether we fleen, it schal not perteyne to hem bi greet werk [foors I.] of vs; whether half the part fallith [falle I.] doun of vs, thei schulen not recke ynow [myche I.] , for thou [thou oon I.] art rekynyd for ten thousynde; therfor it is betere, that thou be to vs in the citee in stronge hold [socour I.] . [verse 4] `To whiche [And I.] the kyng seide [seide to hem I.] , Y schal do this [that I.] , that semeth riȝtful to ȝou. Therfor the kyng stood bisidis the ȝate, and the puple ȝede out bi her cumpenyes, bi hundridis and bi thousyndis. [verse 5] And the king co|maundide

to Joab, and to Abisai, and Ethai [to Ethai I.] , and seyde, Kepe ȝe to me the child Absolon. And al the puple herde the kyng comaundinge to alle the princes for Ab|solon. [verse 6] Therfor the puple ȝede out in to the feeld aȝens Israel; and the [a I.] batel was maad in the forest of Effraym. [verse 7] And the puple of Israel was slayn there of the oost of Dauid, and a greet sleyng [slauȝter I.] of twenti thousynde was maad in that dai. [verse 8] For|sothe [And I.] the [Om. C.] batel was scaterid [sparpuylid I.] there on [upon I.] the face of al erthe [the loond I.] , and many mo weren of the puple whiche the forest wastide, than thei whiche the swerd deuourid in that dai. [verse 9] Sotheli it bifeld, that Absalon sittinge on [upon I.] a mule, cam aȝens the ser|uauntis of Dauid; and whanne the mule hadde entrid vndur a thicke ook, and greet [a greet I.] , the heed of Absolon cleuyde to the ook; and whanne he was hangid bitwixe heuene and erthe, the mule, on [upon I.] which [whom I.] he sat, passide [passide forth I.] . [verse 10] Sotheli [And I.] `sum man [a man IM.] siȝ this, and telde [tolde it I.] to Joab, and seide, Y siȝ Ab|solon hange on an ook. [verse 11] And Joab seide to the man that `hadde telde [tolde IKL.] to hym, If thou siȝest [siȝe him I.] , whi persidist [perschidist I.] thou not hym [hym thorouȝ I.] to the erthe, and Y schulde haue ȝoue `to thee [Om. G.] ten siclis of siluer, and a girdil? [verse 12] And he seide to Joab, Thouȝ thou paiedist in myn hondis a thousynde platis of siluer, Y nolde [wolde not I.] sende myn hond in to the sone of the king; for the [Om. I.] while we herden, the kyng comaundide to thee, and to Abisai, and to Ethai, and seide, Kepe ȝe to me the child Absolon. [verse 13] But and if [thouȝ I.] Y hadde do [do fool hardily I.] aȝens my lijf hardili [Om. I.] , this myȝte not be [haue be I.] hid fro the kyng, and thou woldist stonde on the contrarye side. [verse 14] And Joab seide, Not as thou wolt [woldest EL.] , `Absolon schal be kept [Om. I.] , but Y schal asaile hym bifor thee. Therfore Joab took thre speris in his hond, and fitchide [he fitchide I.] tho in the herte of Absolon. And whanne he spraulide, ȝit [verse 15] cleuynge in the ook, ten ȝonge squieris of

Joab runnen, and smytiden [smoten I. smiten E.] , and killiden hym. [verse 16] Sotheli [And I.] Joab sownede [trumpide I.] with a clarioun, and withhelde [helde with him I.] the puple, lest it pursuede Israel fleynge, and he wolde spare the multitude. [verse 17] And thei [men I.] token Absolon, and castiden [threwen I.] forth him in to a greet dich in the forest, and baren [thei baren I.] to|gidere a ful greet heep of stoonys on [upon I.] hym; forsothe [and I.] al Israel fledde in to his [her I.] tabernaclis. [verse 18] Forsothe [And I.] Absolon, while he lyuyde ȝit, hadde reisid to hym a me|morial, which [that I.] is in the valey of the kyng; for he seide, Y haue no sone, and this schal be the mynde of my name; and he clepide `the memorial [that token of mynde I.] bi his name, and it is clepid the Hond, `that is, werk [Om. I.] , of Ab|solon `til to [vnto I.] this dai. [verse 19] Forsothe [And I.] Achy|maas, sone [the sone I.] of Sadoch, seide, Y schal renne, and Y schal telle to the kyng, that the Lord hath maad doom to hym of the hond of hise enemyes. [verse 20] To whom Joab seide, Thou schalt not be messanger [a messanger A sec. m.] in this dai, but thou schalt telle [telle this I.] in another dai; I nyle [wil not I.] that thou telle [telle this I.] to dai, for the sone of the kyng is deed. [verse 21] And Joab seide to Chusi [Joab seide to Chusi; this Chusy was a simple man of the puple, and was not that Chusi that was frend and councelour of Dauyth, of whom it is seid in xv. and xvii. c<sup>o</sup>. Lire here. C.] , Go thou, and telle to the kyng tho thingis that thou hast seyn. Chusi worschypide Joab, and ran. [verse 22] Eft [forth. And eft I.] Achy|maas, sone [the sone I.] of Sadoch, seide to Joab, What lettith, if also Y renne aftir Chusi? And Joab seide to hym, What wolt thou renne, my sone? Come thou hidur, thou schalt not be a berere of good message. Which [The which I.] answeride, [verse 23] `What sotheli if [But what I.] Y schal renne? And Joab seide to hym, Renn thou. Therfor Achymaas ran bi the weie of schortnesse, `and sped [Om. I.] , and passide [he passide I.] Chusi. [verse 24] Forsothe [And I.] Dauid sat bi|twixe twei ȝatis; sotheli [and I.] the spiere [waiter I.] , that was in the hiȝnesse of the ȝate on the wal, reiside [reiside up.] the [his I.] iȝen, and siȝ [he sawȝe I.] a man [verse 25] aloone rennynge; and the spiere [biholder I.] criede, and schewide to the kyng. And the kyng seide to hym, If he is aloone, good mes|sage

is in his mouth. [verse 26] Sotheli [But I.] while he hastide, and neiȝede neer, the spiere [waiter an hiȝe I.] siȝ another man rennynge [come rennynge I.] ; and the spiere criede `in the hiȝnesse [an hiȝe I.] , and seide, Another man rennynge aloone apperith to me. And the kyng seide to hym, And this man is a good messanger. [verse 27] Sotheli [And I.] the spiere [waiter I.] seide, Y biholde the rennyng of the for|mere, as the rennyng of Achymaas, sone [the sone I.] of Sadoch. And the kyng seide, He is a good man, and he cometh bryngynge a [Om. I.] good message. [verse 28] Forsothe [And I.] Achymaas criede, and seide to the kyng, Heil kyng! And he worschipide the kyng lowli bifor hym to erthe [the erthe I.] , and seide, Blessid be thi [the A.] Lord God, that closide [hath closid I.] togidere the men, that reisyden [reisiden to gidre I.] her hondis aȝens my lord the [Om. I.] kyng. [verse 29] And the kyng seide, Whe|ther pees is to the child Absolon? And Achymaas seide, Y siȝ [siȝ a gret biriel A sec. m. marg. sawȝe a biriel I.] , `that is, Y herde, a great noise [Om. I.] , whanne Joab, thi seruaunt, thou [oo I.] kyng, sente [sende I.] me thi seruaunt [seruaunt to thee I.] ; Y kan [knowe I.] noon othir thing. [verse 30] To whom the kyng seide, Passe thou [ouer I.] , and stonde here. And whanne he hadde passid, and stood, [verse 31] Chusi apperide; and he cam and seide, My lord the [Om. I.] kyng, Y brynge good mes|sage; for [certis I.] the Lord hath demed to dai for thee of the hond of alle men that risiden [risen E. han risen I.] aȝens thee. [verse 32] Forsothe [And I.] the kyng seide to Chusi, Whether pees is to the child Abso|lon? To whom Chusi answeride, and seide, The enemyes of my lord the [Om. I.] kyng, and alle men that risiden [resen ILP. risen E.] aȝens hym in to yuel, be [be thei I.] maad as the child. [verse 33] Therfor the kyng was sory, and stiede [stiede up I.] in to the soler of the ȝate, and wepte [he wepte I.] , and spak thus goynge [and wepte, and spak thus goyng; Dauith biwailide the goostly deth of Absalon, for he diede in dedly synne, in pursuynge in dede his fadir; and ther|for this word Absolon my sone, is set six sithis here, and in xix. c^o. for vi. condi|ciouns of the peyne of helle; for peyne of harm, that is, of wanting of blis, and the peyne of feel|ing is there, gnasting of teth and wep|ing, outermere derknessis, and during with outen ende, ben in helle. Lire here. C.] , My sone, Absolon! Absolon, my sone! who ȝyueth to me, that Y die for thee? Absolon [Absolon; goostly: Abso|lon that pur|sueth Dauyth and hise men, signefieth a tiraunt op|pressere of sim|ple men; whos heed cleueth to an ook, in desiringe hiȝe thingis of the world; he is persid with iii. speris, in as|sentinge to thre maner coueitise; he is cast forth in to a dich, in goinge doun to helle. Lire here. C.] , my sone! my sone, Ab|solon!