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

CAP. XX.

[verse 1] Also it bifelde, that a man of Belial was there, Siba bi name, the sone of Bothri, a man of the generacioun of Ge|myny; and he sownede with a clarioun [trumpe I.] , and seide, No part is to vs in Dauid, nether eritage in the sone of Ysai; thou, Israel, turne aȝen in to thi tabernaclis. [verse 2] And al Israel was departid fro Dauid [and Israel was departid fro Dauyth; at a tyme that Dauyth were punyschid so; for tresoun aȝenus Urie, and that Siba schulde be slayn for his malice. Lire here. C.] , and suede Siba, the sone of Bothri; for|sothe [and I.] the men of Juda cleuyden to her kyng, fro Jordan `til to [vnto I.] Jerusalem. [verse 3] And whanne the kyng hadde come in to his hows in Jerusalem, he took ten wymmen, hise secundarie wyues, whiche he hadde left to kepe the [his I.] hous, and he bitook [took A.] hem in to keping, and ȝaf mete to hem; and he [Dauid I.] entride not to hem; but thei weren closid `til to [vnto I.] the dai of her deeth, and lyueden

in widewehed. [verse 4] Forsothe [And I.] Dauid seide to Amasa, Clepe thou to gidere to me alle the men of Juda in to the thridde dai, and be thou present. [verse 5] Therfor Amasa ȝede [ȝede forth I.] , that he clepe to gidere the puple of Ju|da; and he dwellide ouer the couenaunt [couenaunt tyme I.] , which [that I.] the kyng hadde set to hym. [verse 6] So|theli [And I.] Dauid seide to Abisai, Now Siba, the sone of Botri, schal turmente vs more than Absolon dide [Om. I.] ; therfor take [take thou I.] the ser|uauntis of [of Joab I.] thi lord, and pursue hym, lest in hap he fynde strengthid citees, and ascape vs. [verse 7] Therfor the men of Joab ȝeden [wenten I.] [men of Joab ȝeden, etc.; that is, that weren wont to go out with Joab, and obeye to him. Lire here. C.] out with Abisai, and Cerethi and Ferethi [arblasters and archers I marg.] , and alle stronge [the stronge C.] men ȝeden out of Jerusalem to pursue Siba, the sone of Bochry. [verse 8] And whanne thei weren bisidis the greet stoon, which [that I.] is in Gabaon, Amasa cam, and ran to hem; forsothe [and I.] Joab was clothid with a streit coote at the mesure of his abit [schap I.] , and was [he was I.] gird aboue with a swerd, `ether dagger [Om. IKX.] , hang|ynge doun `til to [vnto I.] the [his I.] entrayls in a schethe, `which swerd [and it was I. which swerd ether dagger K.] maad `craftily myȝte go out [to drawe out I.] [myȝte go out; in Ebren it is, and it ȝede out, and felde doun; Raby Salomon seith, that Joab disposide so of purpos, that it felde doun to the erthe fro the schethe, that Amasa schulde bileue so, that Joab reisede the swerd fro erthe to putte aȝen in the schethe, and not to smyte him; therfor it sueth, forsothe Amasa kepte not the swerd, that is, kepte not him silf, for smyt|ing of the swerd. Lire here. C.] bi liȝt touchyng, and smyte [to smyte I.] . Ther|for [And so I.] [verse 9] Joab seide to Amasa, Heil, my bro|ther! And he [Joab I.] helde with the [his I.] riȝt hond the chyn of Amasa, as kissinge him. [verse 10] For|sothe [And I.] Amasa took not [no I.] kepe of [to I.] the swerd [knyif I.] , `which swerd [that I.] Joab hadde, and Joab smoot Amasa in the side, and schedde out his entrailis in to the erthe, and Ama|sa was deed; and Joab addide not `the se|counde [to an other I.] wounde. Forsothe [And I.] Joab and Abi|sai, his brother, pursueden Siba, the sone of Bochri. [verse 11] In the meene tyme whanne `sum men [summe L.] of the children of Dauid, of the felowis of Joab, hadden [hadde] stonde bisidis the deed bodi of Amasa, thei seiden, Lo! he that wolde [wolde haue I.] be the felowe of Dauid for Joab. [verse 12] Forsothe [And I.] Amasa was bispreynt with blood, and lay in the myddil of the weie. Sum [A I.] man siȝ this, that al the pu|ple abood to se Amasa, and he remouyde

Amasa fro the weie in to the feeld, and he hilide Amasa with a cloth, lest men passynge schulden abide for hym. [verse 13] Therfor whanne he was remouyd fro [for BC.] the weie, ech man passide [passide forth I.] suynge Joab to pursue Siba, the sone of Bochri. [verse 14] Forsothe [Certis I.] Siba hadde passide bi alle the lynagis [bi alle the lynagis; and he excitide hem to make him silf king. Lire here. C.] of Israel til in to Habela, and in to Bethmacha; and alle chosun [the chosun I.] men weren gaderid to hym. [verse 15] Therfor thei [the oost of Joab I marg.] camen, and fouȝten aȝens hym [Siba I.] in Habela, and in Bethmacha, and cumpassiden the citee with strengthingis; and the citee was bisegid. Sotheli [And I.] al the cumpany, that was with Joab, enforside to distrie the wallis. [verse 16] And a wijs wom|man of the citee criede an [on K. a EL.] hiȝ, Here ȝe! here ȝe! seie ȝe to Joab, Neiȝe thou hidur, and Y schal speke with thee. [verse 17] And whanne he hadde neiȝed to hir, sche seide to hym, Art thou Joab? And he answeride, Y am. To whom sche spak thus, Here thou the wordis [word CE.] of thin handmayde. Which [Om. I.] Joab answeride, Y here. [verse 18] And eft sche seide, A word was seid in eld prouerbe, Thei that axen, axe in Habela; and so thei pro|fitiden. [verse 19] Whethir Y am [wher Y am; the womman spekith in the persoone of the cytee, as if sche seide, This citee helde euere truthe and feith to the king; and ther|for in Ebreu it is thus, Y am oon of pe|sible and trewe, that is, oon of the noumbre of citees pesible and trewe to the kyng. Lire here. C.] not, that answere treuthe to Israel? and sekist thou to dis|trie a citee, and to distrie [do awey I.] a modir citee in Israel [a modir citee in Israel; for ech citee is mo|dir of the pu|ple borun and nurschid there. In sum bokis it is set in, of citees, but it is not of the text; for nether it is in Ebreu, ne|ther in bokis amendid. Lire here. C.] ? whi castidist [throwist I.] thou doun the eritage of the Lord? [verse 20] And Joab answeride, and seide, Fer be [be this fro me I.] , fer be this fro me; Y `caste not doun [destrie not the citee I.] , nether Y distrye [waste it I.] . [verse 21] The thing hath not so it silf; but a man of the hil of Effraym, Siba, sone [the sone I.] of Bochri, bi surname, reiside his hond aȝens kyng Dauid; bitake ȝe him aloone [aloone to us I.] , and we schulen go awei fro the citee. And the womman seide to Joab, Lo! his heed schal be sent to thee bi the wal. [verse 22] Therfor [Thanne I.] the womman entride [wente yn I.] to al the puple, and sche spak to hem wiseli; whiche [and thei I.] `castiden forth [threwen I.] to Joab the heed of Siba, sone [the sone I.] of Bochri, gird of. And Joab sownede with a trumpe, and thei departiden fro the citee, ech man

in to hise tabernaclis; forsothe [and I.] Joab turnede aȝen to Jerusalem to the kyng. [verse 23] Therfor [And so I.] Joab was on [upon I.] al the oost of Is|rael; forsothe [and I.] Benanye, sone [the sone I.] of Joiada, [verse 24] was on [upon I.] Cerethi [scheeters I.] and Ferethi [up arblasters I.] ; forsothe [and I.] Adhuram was on [upon I.] tributis [the tributis I.] ; forsothe [and I.] Jo|saphat, sone [the sone I.] of Achilud, was chaunceler; [verse 25] forsothe [and I.] Siba was scryueyn; forsothe [but I.] Sadoch and Abiathar weren preestis [prestis of Dauyth; that is, a greet man among iugis and princes anentis Da|uyth. Lire here. C.] ; [verse 26] forsothe [and I.] Hira of Hiarith was preest [the preest I.] of Dauid.