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

CAP. II.

[verse 1] Forsothe the daies of Dauid neiȝiden, that he schulde die; and he comaundide to Salomon, his sone, and seide, Lo! [verse 2] Y entre in to the weie of al erthe [erthe, that is, to deth I.] ; be thou coumfortid, and be thou a strong man. [verse 3] And kepe thou the kepyngis and heestis [the heestis I.] of thi Lord God, that thou go in hise weies, and kepe hise cerymonyes, and hise heestis, and hise domes, and witnessyngis, as it is writun in the lawe of Moises; that thou vndurstonde alle thingis whiche thou doist, and whidur euer thou schalt turne thee. [verse 4] That the Lord conferme hise wordis, whiche the Lord spak of me, and seide, If thi sones kepen my weies, and goen bifor me in treuthe, in al her herte, and in al her soule, a man schal not be takun awei of thee fro the trone of Israel. [verse 5] Also thou knowist what thingis Joab, the sone of Saruye, dide [hath do I.] to me [dide to me; Rabi Salomon seith, that Joab schewide to othere men the priuy lettris of Dauyth to sle Vrie. Lire here. C.] ; what thingis he dide to twey princis of the oost of Israel, to Abner, sone [the sone I.] of Ner, and to Amasa, sone [the sone I.] of Jether, whiche he killide, and schedde the blood of batel [the blood of batel; that is, he schedde out in the tyme of pees mannus blood, that owith not to be sched out no but in batel. Lire here. C.] in pees; and puttide [he hath putt I.] the blood of batel in his girdil, that was aboute hise leendis, and in [Om. I.] his scho [schoyng I.] , that was in hise feet. [verse 6] Therfor thou schalt do by thi wisdom, and thou schalt not lede forth his hoor|nesse pesibli to hellis [to hellis; Ebreys seyen, to a dich, ether sepulcre, for Dauyth pur|poside not, that Joab schulde go doun to the helle of damp|ned men; ther|for that was o cause whi Da|uyth wolde, that he were pu|nyschid here, lest he were punyschid in helle, as Rabi Salomon seith; as it was seid of Achar in vii. c^o. of Josue. Lire here. C.] . [verse 7] But also thou schalt ȝelde grace to the sones of Bersellai of Galaad, and thei schulen be eetynge

in thi boord; for thei metten me, whanne Y fledde fro the face of Absolon, thi bro|ther. [verse 8] Also thou hast anentis thee Semey, sone [the sone I.] of Gera, sone [the sone I.] of Gemyny, of Bahu|rym, which [the which I.] Semei curside me bi the worste cursyng, whanne Y ȝede to `the castels [defensable placis I.] ; but for [for thi I.] he cam doun to me in to metyng [my metyng I.] , whanne Y passide Jordan, and Y swoor to him bi the Lord, and seide, Y [verse 9] schal not slee thee bi [with I.] swerd, nyle thou suffre hym to be vnpunyschid; forsothe thou art a wise man, and thou schalt wite what thou schalt do to hym, and thou schalt lede forth hise hoor heeris with blood to hellis. [verse 10] Sotheli [And I.] Dauid slepte with hise fadris, and was biriede in the citee of Dauid. [verse 11] Forsothe [And I.] the daies, in whiche Dauid regnede on [upon I.] Israel, ben fourti ȝeer; in Ebron he regned seuene ȝeer, in [and in CI.] Jerusalem [Israel N.] thre and thretti ȝeer. [verse 12] Forsothe Salomon sat on [upon I.] the trone of Dauid, his fadir, and his rewme was maad stidfast greetli. [verse 13] And Adonye, sone [the sone I.] of Agith, entride to Bersabee, modir [the modir I.] of Salomon; and sche seide to hym, Whether thin entryng is pesible? And he answer|ide, It is pesible. [verse 14] And he addide [addide to I.] , A word of me is to thee. `To whom [And I.] sche seide, Speke thou. [verse 15] And he seide, Thou knowist that [for BC.] the rewme was myn, and al Israel purposide to make me in to king to hem; but the rewme is translatid, and is maad my brotheris; for [for whi I.] of the Lord it is or|deyned to hym. [verse 16] Now therfor Y preye of the oon axyng; schende [confounde I.] thou not my face. And sche seide to hym, Speke thou. [verse 17] And he seide, Y preie, that thou seie to Salomon the king; for he may not denye ony thing to thee; that he ȝyue to [Om. I.] me Abisag of Sunam wijf [to wijf I.] . [verse 18] And Bersabee seide, Wel, Y schal speke for thee to the kyng. [verse 19] Therfor Bersabee cam to kyng [the kyng I.] Salomon, to speke to hym for Adonye; and the kyng roos aȝens the comyng of

hir [his modir I.] , and worschipide hir, and `sat on [he sat upon I.] his trone; and a trone was set to the modir of the kyng, and sche sat at his riȝt side. [verse 20] And sche seide to hym, Y preie of thee o litil axyng; schende [confounde I.] thou not my face. And the kyng seide to hir, My modir, axe thou; for [forsothe I.] it is not leueful that Y turne awei thi [my I.] face. [verse 21] And sche seide, Abisag of Sunam [Abisag of Sunam; sche was wijf of Da|uyth, and therbi the queen; and so bi hir he hadde weye to come to the rewme, bi the help of Joab and of Abiathar, and of othere men fauoringe him. And Salomon, that was of scharpere wit than his modir, perseyuede this, and answeride, axe thou to him also the rewme, as [if] he seide, by this he pur|posith to come to the rewme. For Adonye spak this word aȝenus his liyf, for he ymagynede aȝenus thekyng, and for he axide the wiyf of his fadir aȝenus the lawe, in xviii. c<sup>o</sup>. of Leuyticy. Lire here. C.] be ȝouun wijf to Adonye, thi brother. [verse 22] And kyng Salomon answeride, and seide to his modir, Whi axist thou Abisag of Sunam to Adonye? Axe thou to hym also the rewme; for [certis I.] he is `my gretter [myn eldir I.] brothir, and he hath Abiathar, preest, and Joab, sone [the sone I.] of Saruye. [verse 23] Ther|for kyng Salomon swoor bi the Lord, and seide, God do to me these thingis, and adde these thinges [thingis to I.] , for Adonie spak [hath spoke I.] this word aȝens his lijf. [verse 24] And now the Lord lyueth, that confermede [hath confermed I.] me, and hath set me on [upon I.] the trone of my fadir, and that hath maad to me an hows, as he spak, for Adonye schal be slayn to dai. [verse 25] And kyng Salomon sente bi the hond of Banaie, sone [the sone I.] of Joiada; which [and I.] Banaie killide [slewȝe I.] Adonye, and he was deed. [verse 26] Also the kyng seide to Abiathar, preest [the preest I.] , Go thou in to Anatot, to thi feeld [to thi feeld; that is, to the place of thi possessioun; for prestis hadden citees assigned for her dwelling in xxxv. c^o. of Numeri and xxi. c^o. of Josue. Lire here. C.] ; and [Om. A.] sotheli thou art a man of deeth, `that is, worthi the [to EL.] deeth, for conspiryng aȝens me, and the ordynaunce of God, and of my fadir [that is, worthi of deth, for conspiring aȝens me and Dauid my fadir I marg.] ; but to dai Y schal not sle thee, for thou barist [hast bore I.] the arke of the Lord God bifor Dauid, my fadir, and thou suffridist trauele in alle thingis, in whiche my fadir trauelide. [verse 27] Therfor Salomon puttide out Abiathar, that he schulde not be preest [the preest A sec. m. I.] of the Lord, that the word of the Lord were fillid [fulfillid I.] , which [that I.] he spak on [upon I.] the hows of Heli, in Silo [in Silo; that he schulde be cast out fro presthod, as in I. book ii. c^o. Lire here. Aaron was maad hiȝeste prest bi Goddis chesing, in xxviii. c^o. of Exodi and in xvii. c^o. of Numeri. And he hadde ii. sones, Eliazar and Ythamar, that dwelliden, whanne ii. othere weren deed bifor the Lord, in x. c^o. of Leuitici; and thanne, bi God|dis wille, the presthod pass|ide to Eleazar and hise sones, in xx. c^o. of Numeri; of] . [verse 28] Forsothe [And I.] a messager cam to Salomon, that [and seide that I.] Joab hadde bowid aftir Adonye, and that he hadde not bowid after Salomon. Therfor Joab fledde in to the tabernacle of the Lord, and took

the horn of the auter. [verse 29] And it was teld to [which Eleazar this Sadoch cam doun. So|theli Heli cam doun of Ytha|mar; and whanne Heli was iuge of the puple, he took to him the presthod, as it was seid in I. book of Kingis ii. c^o.; and of him cam doun this Abiathar, whom Salomon castide out, in puttinge Sa|doch in his stide. Lire here. C.] kyng Salomon, that Joab hadde fledde in to the tabernacle of the Lord, and was bisidis the auter; and Salomon sente Banaie, sone [the sone I.] of Joiada, and seide, Go thou, and sle hym. [verse 30] And Banaie cam to the tabernacle of the Lord, and seide to Joab, The kyng seith these thingis, Go thou out. And he [Joab I.] seide, Y schal not go out, but Y schal die here. Banaie telde the word to the kyng, and seide, Joab spak thes thingis, and an|sweride these thingis to me. [verse 31] And the kyng seide to Banaie, Do thou as he spak [hath spoke I.] [Do thou as he spak; seiynge, Y schal die, for he was drawun awey violently fro the auter, and so was slayn, as it is bedun in xxi. c^o. of Exody. Lire here. C.] , and sle thou hym, and birie him [Om. IS.] ; and thou schalt remoue the innocent blood, that was [is I.] sched out of Joab, fro me, and fro the hows of my fadir. [verse 32] And the Lord ȝelde on [upon I.] his [Joabs I.] heed his blood, for he killide twei iust men, and [Om. I.] betere than hym silf, and he killide hem bi [with I.] swerd, while [Om. I.] Dauid, my fadir, `wiste not [vnwiting it I.] , Abner, the sone of Ner, the prince of the chyualrie of Israel, and Amasa, sone [the sone I.] of Jether, the [Om. I.] prince of the oost of Juda. [verse 33] And the blood of hem schal turne aȝen in to the heed of Joab, and in to the heed of his seed with outen ende; forsothe [but I.] pees be of the Lord til in to with outen ende to Dauid, and to his seed, and to the hous and trone of hym. [verse 34] Therfor Banaie, sone [the sone I.] of Joiada, stiede [stiede up I.] , and asailide [asailide Joab I.] , and killide Joab [him I.] ; and Joab was biried in his hows in de|seert [Joab was biried in his hows in desert; Rabi Salomon seith, that he made in desert a spitele for pore men; wherfore Ebreys seyen, that he is sauyd, and that temporal deth was ȝouun to him, in to clensing of hise synnes. Lire here. C.] . [verse 35] And the kyng ordeynede Banaie, sone [the sone I.] of Joiada, on [upon I.] the oost for hym [Joab I.] ; and the kyng puttide [putte I.] Sadoch preest [the preest I.] for Abiathar. [verse 36] Also the kyng sente, and cle|pide Semey, and seide to hym, Bilde to thee an hows in Jerusalem, and dwelle thou there, and thou schalt not go out fro [verse 37] thennus [Jerusalem I.] hidur and thidur; sotheli [for I.] in what euer dai thou goist out, and passist the stronde of Cedron, wite thou thee worthi to be slayn; thi blood schal be on thin heed. [verse 38] And Semei seide to the kyng,

The word of the kyng is good; as my lord the [Om. I.] kyng spak, so thi seruaunt schal do. Therfor [And so I.] Semey dwellide in Jeru|salem in [Om. I.] many daies. [verse 39] Forsothe [But I.] it was doon after thre ȝeer, that the seruauntis of Semei fledden to Achis, sone [the sone I.] of Maa|cha, the [Om. I.] kyng of Geth; and it was teld to Semey, that hise seruauntis hadden [weren I.] go in to Geth. [verse 40] And Semey roos [roos up I.] , and sadlide his asse, and ȝede to Achis, in to Geth, to seke hise seruauntis; and brouȝte [he brouȝte I.] hem aȝen fro Geth. [verse 41] Forsothe [And I.] it was teld to kyng Salomon, that Semey hadde go [goon out I.] to Geth fro Jerusalem, and hadde come aȝen. [verse 42] And Salomon sente, and clepide hym, and seide to hym, Whether Y witnessede not to thee bi the Lord, and bifor seide to thee, In what euer dai thou schalt go out hidur and thidur, wite thou that thou schalt die; and thou answeridist to me, The word is good, which [that I.] Y herde [haue herd of thee I.] ? [verse 43] Whi therfor keptist thou not the ooth of the Lord, and the comaundement [heest I.] which [that I.] Y comaundide to thee? [verse 44] And the kyng seide to Semei, Thou knowist al the yuel, of which [the which I.] thin herte is gilti to thee [thi selff I.] , which yuel thou didist [hast do I.] to my fadir; the Lord hath ȝolde thi malice in to thin heed. [verse 45] And kyng Salomon schal be blessid; and the trone of Dauid schal be stable bifor the Lord til in to with outen ende. [verse 46] Therfor the kyng comaundide [comaunde A.] to Banaie, sone [the sone IS.] of Joiada; and he assailide [assailede Semey I.] , and smoot Semey [him I.] , and he was deed.