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

CAP. XIX.

[verse 1] Forsothe it was teld to Joab, that the [verse 2] kyng wepte, and biweilide his sone; and the victorie in that dai was turned in to morenyng to al the puple; for the puple herde, that it was seid in that dai, The kyng makith sorewe on his sone. [verse 3] And the puple eschewide [ethchewide I.] to entre in to the citee in that dai, as the puple turned and fleynge fro batel [the batel A pr. m.] is wont to bowe awey. [verse 4] Sotheli [And I.] the kyng hilide his heed, and criede with greet vois, My sone, Absolon! [verse 5] Absolon, my sone! Therfor Joab entride to the kyng in to the hows, and seide, Thou hast schent to dai the cheris [cheer KX. cheere O.] of alle thi seruauntis, that han maad saaf thi lijf, and the lijf of thi sones and of thi douȝ|tris, and the lijf of thi wyues, and the lijf of thi [the ADM.] secoundarie wyues. [verse 6] Thou louest hem that haten thee, and thou hatist hem that louen thee; and thou schewidist [hast schewid I.] to dai that thou reckist not of thi duykis and of thi seruauntis; and verily Y haue knowe now, that [for plures.] if Absolon lyuede, and alle we hadden be deed, thanne it schulde plese thee. [verse 7] Now therfor ryse [ryse up I.] thou [Om. I.] , and go [go thou I.] forth, and speke thou, and make satis|faccioun to this eruauntis; for Y swere to thee bi the Lord, that if thou schalt not go out [forth I.] , sotheli [and I.] not o man schal dwelle with thee in this nyȝt; and this schal be worse to thee, than alle yuels [the yuels I.] that camen on thee fro thi ȝong wexynge age til in to present [this present IK.] tyme. [verse 8] Therfor the kyng roos [roos up I.] , and sat in the ȝate; and it was teld to al the puple, that the kyng sat in the ȝate, and al the multitude cam bifor the kyng. Forsothe Israel [al Israel E.] fledde in to hise [her IEL.] taber|naclis. [verse 9] And al the puple stryuede in al the lynagis of Israel, and seide, The kyng delyuerede [hath delyuered I.] vs fro the hond of alle oure enemyes, and he sauide vs fro the hond of Filisteis; and now `he fleeth [hath fled I.] fro the lond [he fleeth fro the lond; that is, fro the kingis citee, as if they seiden, it is vnworthi, that the king fle for Absolon. Lire here. C.]

for Absolon. [verse 10] Forsothe [Certis I.] Absolon, whom we anoyntiden on [upon I.] vs, is deed in batel; hou longe ben ȝe stille, `that is [Om. DKMSXC.] , fro [in R. Om. KS.] know|lechyng of synne, and fro axyng of forȝyuenesse [Gloss omitted in I.] , and bryngen not aȝen the kyng? And the counsel of al Israel cam to the kyng. [verse 11] Forsothe [And I.] kyng Dauid sente to Sadoch and to [Om. C.] Abiathar, preestis [the preestis I.] , and seide, Speke ȝe to the grettere men in birthe of Juda, and seie ȝe, Whi camen ȝe the [Om. I.] laste to brynge aȝen the kyng in to his hows? Sotheli [And I.] the word of al Israel cam to the kyng, that thei wolden brynge hym aȝen in to his hows. For the kyng seide, Ȝe schulen seie these thingis to the [verse 12] puple, Ȝe ben my britheren [ȝe ben my britheren; Dauyth sente to the men of Juda, that weren with Absolon, that they schulden be of the firste to lede him aȝen, for of this that thei weren of Juda, they weren ascham|ed to appere in his siȝt, for they hadden forfetid aȝenus him more than straungeris; and therfor Dauyth per|seyuede this, and sente for hem, that they schulden come sikirly, for he was redy to forȝyue. Lire here. C.] , ȝe ben my boon and my fleisch; whi the laste bryngen ȝe aȝens the kyng? [verse 13] And seie ȝe to Amasa, Whether thou art not my boon and my fleisch? God do these thingis to me, and adde these thingis [thingis to I.] [adde these thingis; that is, grettere yuels than Y suffride in the persecu|cioun of Abso|lon. Lire here. C.] , if thou schalt not be maistir of chyualrye bifore me in al tyme aftir Joab [aftir Joab; summe bokis han aftir Joab; that is, vndur Joab, for the Ebreu word here, is set sum tyme for vndur, and sum tyme it signefieth for; and the same sentence is, for Dauyth pur|poside not to remoue Joab fro his office, but that Amasa schulde fille his while in tyme and places where it semyde spede|ful. Lire here. C.] . [verse 14] And Dauid bowide [bowide to him I.] the herte of alle men of Juda as of o man; and thei senten to the kyng, and seiden, Turne thou aȝen, and alle thi seruauntis. [verse 15] And the kyng turnede aȝen, and cam `til to [vnto I.] Jordan; and al Juda cam til in to Galgala to mete the kyng, and lede [to lede I.] hym ouer Jordan. [verse 16] Forsothe [But I.] Semei, the sone of Gera, sone [the sone I.] of Gemyny, of Bahurym, hast|ide, and cam doun with the men of Juda [verse 17] in to the metyng of kyng Dauid, with a thousynde men of Beniamyn; and Siba, a [the I.] child of the hows of Saul, and fiftene sones of hym, and twenti seruauntis weren with hym; and thei braken in to Jordan, [verse 18] bifor the kyng, and passide [thei passide I.] the forthis [foordis IKR. fordes L.] , that thei schulden lede ouer the hows of the kyng, and schulden [Om. DIKMXC.] do bi the co|maundement [heest I.] of the kyng. Sotheli [Certis I.] Se|mei, the sone of Gera, knelide bifor the king, whanne he hadde passid now Jor|dan,

[verse 19] and seide to the kyng, My lord the [Om. I.] kyng, arette thou not wickidnesse to me, nether haue thou mynde of the wrongis of thi seruaunt in the dai, in which thou, my lord the [Om. I.] kyng, ȝedist out of Jerusalem, nether sette thou, kyng, in [tho wrongis in I.] thin herte; [verse 20] for Y thi seruaunt knoleche my synne; and therfor to dai Y cam the firste of al the hows of Joseph, and Y cam doun in to the meetyng of my lord the [Om. I.] kyng. [verse 21] Forsothe [And I.] Abisai, the sone of Saruye, an|sweride and seide, Whether Semei, that curside the crist of the Lord, schal not be slayn for these wordis? [verse 22] And Dauid seide, What is to me and to ȝou, ȝe [the I.] sones of Saruye? Whi ben ȝe maad to me to dai in to Sathan [in to Sathan; that is, aduer|sarie. C.] ? Therfor whether a man schal be slayn to dai in Israel? Whether Y knowe not me maad kyng to dai on [in BC. upon I.] Israel? [verse 23] And the kyng seide to Semey, Thou schalt not die [thou schalt not die; for if Dauyth hadde suffrid Semey to be slayn anoon, othere men that weren with Absolon in pursuynge Dauyth, wolden haue dred to hem silf, and thei that had|den not come ȝit, wolden haue go abak, and in hap summen that hadden come thanne, wolden haue go awey priuely; and so the sleyng of Semey myȝte haue be occa|sioun of greet dissencioun, and of greet yuel aȝenus Dauyth. Lire here. C] ; and the kyng swoor to hym. [verse 24] Also Myphibosech, sone [the sone I.] of Jo|nathas, sone [the sone I.] of Saul [sone of Saul; summe bokis han here, the sone of Jona|thas, sone of Saul, but the truthe of Ebreu and oure bokis amendid, han not so. Lire here. C.] , cam doun with vnwaischun feet, and with berd [his berd I.] vnclip|pid, in to the comyng of the kyng. And Mysphibosech hadde not waische hise clothis, fro the dai in which the kyng ȝede out of Jerusalem til to the dai of his turnyng [comyng I.] aȝen in pees. [verse 25] And whanne at Jerusalem he hadde come to the kyng, the kyng seide to him, Myphibosech, whi camest thou not [not forth I.] with me? [verse 26] And he an|sweride and seide, My lord the [Om. I.] kyng, my seruaunt dispiside me; and Y thi seruaunt seide to hym, that he schulde sadle [haue sadlid I.] the [an I.] asse to me, and Y schulde stie [haue stied up I.] , and Y schulde [haue I.] go with the king; for [Om. I.] Y thi ser|uaunt am crokid [halt I.] . [verse 27] More ouer and he accuside me, thi seruaunt, to thee, my lord the [Om. I.] kyng; forsothe [but I.] thou, my lord `the kyng [Om. I.] , art as the aungel of God; do thou that, that is plesaunt to thee. [verse 28] For [Certis ne ther I.] the hows of my fadir was not [Om. I.] no but gilti of [to I.] deeth to my lord the kyng; so|theli [and I.] thou hast set me thi seruaunt among

the gestis of thi boord [table I.] ; what therfor haue Y of iust pleynt, ether what may Y more crye to the kyng? [verse 29] Sotheli [And I.] the kyng seide to hym, What spekist thou more? that that Y haue spoke is stide|fast; thou and Siba depart possessyouns [the possessyouns I.] [thou and Ciba, departe possessiouns; here Dauyth grauntide vniustly to the seruaunt of Myphibosech, the half of the eritage of My|phibosech, wherfor the rewme was departid aftir|ward, in the tyme of Ro|boam sone of his sone, as it was seide pleynliere in I. book xx. c^o. Here it is to perseyue, hou myche flater|eris and bac|biteris ben perelouse to princes, for Dauyth so hooly and iust, was takun and disseyued bi the wordis of Ciba, flaterere and bacbitere, that he graunt|ide to Siba the eritage of My|phibosech his lord, in the absence of My|phibosech, and while he herde not; and that is worse, aftir that he herde Myphibosech, verily excus|inge him silf, he withdrow not al his vniust seiyng, but he made the worste ser|uaunt euene with his lord, and netheles he ouȝte to haue hanged thilke ser|uaunt, for the fals accusing of his lord of tresoun aȝenus the kingis mageste. Lire here. C.] . [verse 30] And Myphibosech answeride to the kyng, Ȝhe, take he alle thingis, aftir that my lord the [Om. I.] kyng turnede [is turned I.] aȝen pesibli in to his hows. [verse 31] Also Berzellai of Galaad, a ful eld man, cam doun fro Rogelym, and ledde the kyng ouer Jordan, redi also to sue hym ouer [biȝonde I.] the flood. [verse 32] Forsothe [And I.] Berzellai of Galaad was ful eld, that is, of foure score ȝeer, and he ȝaf metis to the kyng, whanne the kyng dwellyde in cas|tels; for Berzellai was a ful riche man. [verse 33] Therfor [And so I.] the kyng seide to Berzellai, Come thou with me, that thou reste si|kirli with me in Jerusalem. [verse 34] And Ber|zellai seide to the kyng, Hou manye ben the daies [hou many ben the dayes, etc.; as if he seyde, it is tyme that Y thenke of deth, not of onours ether of delices, and this is aȝenus elde now that preessen forth hem silf to the courtis of grete men. Lire here. C.] of ȝeeres of my lijf, that Y stie [stie up I.] with the kyng in to Jerusalem? [verse 35] Y am of foure score ȝeer to dai; whether my wittis ben quike to deme swete thing ethir bittir, ether mete [wher mete I.] and drynk may delite thi seruaunt, ether may Y here more the vois of syngeris ether of syng|sters? Whi is thi seruaunt to charge to my lord the [Om. I.] kyng? [verse 36] Y thi seruaunt schal go forth a litil fro Jordan with thee, Y [verse 37] haue no nede to this ȝeldyng; but Y bi|seche [biseche thee I.] , that Y thi seruaunt turne aȝen, and die in my citee, and be biried bisidis the sepulcre of my fadir and of my modir; forsothe [but I.] Chamaam is [Om. I.] thi seruaunt, my lord the [Om. I.] kyng, go he with thee, and do thou to hym that that semeth good to thee. [verse 38] Therfor the kyng seide to hym [Bar|zellay I.] , Chamaam passe [go forth I.] with me; and Y schal do to hym what euer thing plesith thee, and thou schalt gete al thing, which [that I.] thou axist of me. [verse 39] And whanne al the puple and the kyng hadden passid Jordan, the kyng abood; and `the kyng [Om. EL.] kisside Ber|zellai,

and blesside hym; and he turnede aȝen in to his place. [verse 40] Therfor [Thanne I.] the kyng passide [passide forth I.] in to Galgala, and Chamaam with hym. Sotheli [And I.] al the puple of Juda hadde ledde the kyng ouer, and the half part oneli of the puple of Israel was present. [verse 41] Therfor alle the men of Israel camen to|gidere to the king, and seiden to hym, Whi han oure britheren, the men of Juda, stole thee, and han led [led forth I.] the kyng and his hows ouer Jordan, and alle the men of Dauid with hym? [verse 42] And ech man of Juda answeride to the men of Israel, For the kyng is neer to me; whi art thou wrooth on [upon I.] this thing? Whether we han ete ony thing of the kyng, ether ȝiftis ben ȝouun to vs? [verse 43] And a man of Israel answeride to the men of Juda, and seide, Y am grettere bi ten partis at [to I.] the kyng, and Dauith perteyneth more to me than to thee; whi hast thou do wrong to me, and `it was [whi was it I.] not teld [schewid I.] to `me the formere [me that I am formere I.] , that Y schulde brynge aȝen my kyng? Forsothe [And I.] the men of Juda answeryden hardere to the men of Israel.