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

CAP. VIII.

[verse 1] Forsothe it is doon whanne Samuel wexe oold, he putte his sones domesmen of Yrael. [verse 2] And the name of his first geten sone was Joel, the name of the secounde Abya, domysmen in Bersabe. [verse 3] And the sones of hym wenten not in his weyes, but boweden aside after aueryce, and thei token ȝiftis, and thei peruert|iden doom. [verse 4] Thann alle the more thurȝ birth of Yrael gedrid, camen to Samuel in Ramatha. [verse 5] And thei seiden to hym, Loo! thou art waxen oold, and thi sones goon not in thi weyes; ordeyn to vs a kyng, that he deme vs, and as alle na|cyouns han. [verse 6] And the word displeside in the eyen of Samuel, forthi that thei had|den seid, Ȝif to vs a kyng, that he deme vs. And Samuel preide to the Lord. [verse 7] Forsothe the Lord seide to Samuel, Here the voys of the puple in alle thingis that thei speken to thee; forsothe thei han not throwun a wey thee, but me, lest Y regne vpon hem. [verse 8] Aftir alle her werkis that thei han doo, fro the day that Y ladde hem out of Egipt vnto this day, as thei forsoken me, and serueden to alien goddis, so thei doon also to thee. [verse 9] Nowe thanne here the voyce of hem; neuer|thelater take hem togidre to witnesse; and sey before to hem the riȝt of a kyng,

the which is to regne vpon hem. [verse 10] And so Samuel seide alle the wordis of the Lord to the puple, that askiden of him a kyng; [verse 11] and seith, This shal be the riȝt of a kyng, that is to comaunde to ȝou; ȝoure sonys he shal take, and putte in his charys; and he shal make to hym ryders, and before [verse 12] renners of his long cartis; and he shal ordeyn to hym rewlers of thowsandis, and rewlers of hundridis, and ereres of his feeldis, and repers of cornys, and smythis of aarmys, and of his charis. [verse 13] Forsothe ȝoure douȝtres he shal make to him oynement makers, and fier makers, and clothmakers. [verse 14] Forsothe ȝoure feeldis and vynes and olyues, the best he shal take, and ȝyue to his seruauntis. [verse 15] But and ȝoure cornys, and the rentis of vynes he shal tithe, that he ȝyue to geldyngis and to his seruauntis. [verse 16] Forsothe ȝoure seruauntis and hoondwymmen, and the best ȝonge men and assis he shal take awey, and putte in his werk. [verse 17] Forsothe ȝoure flockis he shal tithe, and ȝe shulen be to him seruauntis. [verse 18] And ȝe shulen crye in that day fro the face of ȝoure kyng, whom ȝe han chosun to ȝow; and the Lord shal not here ȝou in that day, for ȝe han askid to ȝou a kyng. [verse 19] Forsothe the puple wolden not here the vois of Samuel, but seiden, Nay, forsothe a kyng [verse 20] shal be vpon vs; and we forsothe shulen be as other folk of kynde, and oure kyng shal deme vs, and he shal go out before vs, and he shal fiȝt oure batayl for vs. [verse 21] And Samuel herde alle the wordis of the puple, and spak hem in the eeris of the Lord. [verse 22] Forsothe the Lord seide to Sa|muel, Here thow the voys of hem, and set vpon hem a kyng. And Samuel seith to the men of Yrael, Goo ech man into his cytee.