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

CAP. XX.

[verse 1] It felle forsothe, that there was a man of Belial, Syba bi name, the sone of Botry, a `man of Gemyny [double man E pr. m.] ; and he songe with a trumpe, and seith, There is not to vs paart in Dauid, ne heritage in the sone of Isay; turn aȝen into thi taber|naclis [tabernacle A.] , Irael. [verse 2] And al Irael ys seuered fro Dauid, and folwide Ciba, the sone of Botri; the men forsothe of Juda cleueden to her kyng, fro Jordan vnto Jerusalem. [verse 3] And whanne the kyng was comen into his hows into Jerusalem, he took the wymmen, and his ten secoundarie wyues, the whiche he hadde laft to the hows to be kept, and he took hem into waard, ȝyuynge foodis to hem; and he wente not into hem, but thei weren closid vnto the dai of her [his E pr. m.] deth, lyuynge in widewheed.

[verse 4] Forsothe the kyng seide to Amase, Cleep to me alle the men of Juda into the thridde dai, and thou be to present. [verse 5] Thanne Amasa wente for to clepe Juda; and he dwelte out of the couenaunt [plesid E pr. m. couenauntid CE sec. m.] tyme that the kyng ordeynde to hym. [verse 6] For|sothe Dauid seith to Abisai, Now more Siba, the sone of Botri, is to tourment vs than Absolon; tak therfor the seruauntys of thi lord, and pursue hym, lest perauen|ture he fynde the citee strengthid, and flee awey fro vs. [verse 7] Thanne wente out with hym the men of Joab, Cerethi for|sothe and Pherethi, and alle the stroonge men wenten out of Jerusalem to pursue Siba, the sone of Botri. [verse 8] And whanne thei weren biside the greet stoon, that is in Gabaon, Amasa comynge aȝen cam to hem; forsothe Joab was clothid with a strait coote at the mesure of his shap, and there aboue gird with a knyif hong|ynge vnto the reyn gottys in the sheethe, the which forgid with liȝt meuynge myȝt goon out, and smyte. [verse 9] And so Joab seide to Amasan, Heyl, my brother! And he heelde with the riȝt hoond the chyn of Amase, as kyssynge hym. [verse 10] Forsothe Ama|sa weytide not wel the knyif that Joab hadde, the which smoot hym in the side, and shedde out the gottis of hym into the erthe, and is deed; ne the secounde wounde he putte to. Forsothe Joab and Abisay, his brother, pursueden Siba, the sone of Botry. [verse 11] There among sum men of the children of Dauid, whanne thei had|den `seen and [Om. E pr. m.] stonden biside the careyn of Amase, of the felawis of Joab, seiden, Loo! that wolde be for Joab, leder of Dauid. [verse 12] Forsothe Amasa spreynd [sprengd CE.] with blood laye in the myddil weye. That sawȝ a man, that al the puple stood stille to seen hym, and meuede a wey Amasa fro the weye into the feelde, and couerde hym with a clooth, lest the goers shulden

abide stille for hym. [verse 13] Thanne hym meued fro the weie, eche man folowynge Joab wente to pursue Siba, the sone of Botri. [verse 14] But he passide thurȝ out alle the lynagis of Yrael vnto Hebelam, and into Beth|macha; and alle the chosen men weren gedrid to hym. [verse 15] And so thei camen, and setten aȝens hym in Habela, and in Beth|macha, and enuyrounden the citee with strengthis; and the citee is bisegid. For|sothe al the puple, that was with Joab, enforside to destrie the wallis. [verse 16] And a wyse womman criede out fro the citee, Herith! herith! seith [she seith A.] to Joab, Neiȝ hidir, and I shal speke with thee. [verse 17] The whych whanne he hadde neiȝid to hire, she seide to hym, Thou ert Joab? And he answerde, I. To whom thus she spake, Here the wordis of thin hoond womman. The which answerde, I here. [verse 18] And eft she, A word, she seith, was seide in olde prouerbe, Who [Whoso E pr. m.] aske, asken thei in Habela; and so thei profiteden [wentyn forth E.] . [verse 19] Whe|ther I am not, the which answere the trewthe of Yrael? and thou sechist to turne vpsedoun the citee, and to doon awey the moder of citees in Irael? whi berist thou doun the herytage of the Lord? [verse 20] And Joab answerynge seith, Aweie be, aweie be this fro me; I bere not doun, ne destrie. [verse 21] Not so the thing hath hym; but a man of the hil of Ef|fraym, bi name Siba, the sone of Botri, reride his hoond aȝens kyng Dauid; takith hym alone, and we shulen goo awey fro the citee. And the womman seith to Joab, Loo! his heed shal be sente to thee bi the walle. [verse 22] Thanne she wente into al the puple, and spak to hem wiseli; the which the gird of heed of Siba, the sone of Botri, casten forth to Joab. And he songe with the trompe, and thei wenten a wey fro the citee, echon into her tabernaclis; forsothe Joab turnyde aȝen

to Jerusalem to the kyng. [verse 23] Thanne Joab was vpon al the oost of Irael; forsothe Bananyas, the sone of Joiade, vpon Cere|theis [verse 24] and Pheretheis; Adhuram forsothe vpon the tributis; but Josaphat, the [verse 25] sone of Achilud, the chaunselere; Siba forsothe a scribe; forsothe Sadoch and [verse 26] Abiathar prestis; forsothe Hira Hiracte was the preest of Dauid.