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¶ Absalom is ouercome in battayle. He haugeth by the head in an Oke. He is kylled, and put in a dytche. Dauid is so so∣rowfull for the death of Absalom that he wepeth.
AND Dauid nombred the people that [unspec A] were with hym, and set captaynes of thousandes, & of hundredes ouer them. And Dauid sent forth one parte of the peo∣ple vnder the hande of Ioab, and an other parte vnder the hande of Abisai the sonne of Zeruia Ioabs brother, and the thyrde parte
vnder the hande of Itha••, the Gethite. And the kyng sayd vnto the people: I wyl go wt you also. And the people answered. Thou shalte not go forth: for yf we flee, our aduer∣saries wyll not care for vs: neyther shal they regarde vs, though halfe of vs were sleyne. But thou arte worth ten thousande of vs. Wherfore it is better, that thou soccoure vs o••te of the citye. And the kynge sayde vnto them: what semeth you best, that wyll I do.
And the kyng stode by the gate syde, & all the people came out by hundreds / & by thou∣sandes. [unspec B] And the kynge cōmaunded Ioab & Abisai, & * 1.1 Itha••, saynge: entreate the yonge man Absalom gentylly for my sake. And all the people herde, that the kynge gaue all the captaynes charge concernyng Absalom. And so the people went out into the felde agaynst Israel, and the battayle was in the wood of Ephraim: where the people of Israell were put to the worse before the seruaūtes of Da∣uid, & there was a great slaughter that daye, euen of. xx. M, mē. For the felde was fought there in dyuerse places, all abrode vpon the earth. And ☞ the wood deuoured mo people that day, then dyd the swerde. And Absalom came before the seruauntes of Dauid rydyng vpon a Mule, whiche caryed hym vnder the thic••e bowes of a great oke. And ☞ his head was caught of the oke, & he was lyfte vp by∣twene heuen & earth: & the Mule that was vn¦der hym, went his way. And one that sawe it [unspec C] tolde Ioab, saynge: beholde, I saw Absalom hange man Oke: & Ioab sayd vnto the man that tolde hym. If thou dydest se hym, why dydest not y• there smyte hym to the grounde & I wolde haue gyuen the ten sycles of syluer and a gyrdle? The man sayde vnto Ioab: though thou woldest lay a thousande sycles of syluer in my hande, yet wolde I not stretch out myne hande agaynst the kynges sonne. For we herde with our ••ares when the kynge charged the, and Abisai and Ithai, sayenge: Beware, that none touche the yong man Ab¦salom. Moreouer, yf I had done it, I shulde haue done agaynst myne owne lyfe: for there is no matter hyd f••ō the kyng: yea & thou thy self woldest haue bene agaynst me. Thē sayd Ioab: I may not stand thus taryeng wt the.
And he toke thre speares in his hande, and [unspec D] thrust them thorowe Absalom whyle he was yet alyue on the body of the tree. And ten ser∣uauntes that bare Ioabs wrapons, turned, and smote Absalom and slue hym. And whē Ioab blew the trompet the people returned from folowyng Israell: for Ioab spared the people. And they toke Absalom, and cast him into a great pyt in the wood, & layde a mygh∣tye great heape of stones vpon hym. And all Israel fled to theyr tentes. And this Absalom yet in his lyfe tyme * 1.2 toke & ••eared vp a pyl∣ler, whiche is in kynges dale. For he sayde: I haue no son. And therfore to kepe my name in remembraunce do I it. And he called the pyller after his owne name. And it is called vnto this day: Absaloms pyller.
Then sayd Ahimaaz the son of Sadocke [unspec E] let me run nowe, and beare the kyng tydyng•• howe that the Lorde hath iudged hym quyte of the hande of his enemyes. And Ioab sayd vnto hym: thou arte no man to beare tydyn∣ges to day: y• shalte beare tydynges an other tyme: but to day thou shalte beare none, by∣cause the kynges sonne is deade. Then sayd Ioab to Chusi: go and tell the kynge, what thou hast sene: And Chusi bowed hym selfe vnto Ioab, and ran. Then sayd Ahimaaz the son of Sadocke agayne to Ioab: come what come wyll, let me also run after Chusi. And Ioab sayde: Wherfore wylte thou run my sonne? seyng that for the tydynges thou shalt haue no rewarde: well (sayde he) come what wyll, let me run. He sayd vnto hym: run. Thē Ahimaaz ran by the playne waye, and came before Chusi.
And Dauid sat bytwene the two gates. [unspec F] And the watchmā went vp to the roofe ouer the gate vnto the wall, and lyfte vp his eyes and sawe: and beholde, there came a man run nynge alone. And the watchman cryed, and tolde the kyng. And the kynge sayde: yf he be alone, there is good tydynges in his mouth. And he came, & drew nygh. And the watchmā sawe an other man runnynge, and he called vnto the porter, and sayd: beholde, there com¦meth an other man runnyng alone. And the kyng sayde: he is also a tydynges brynger. And the watchman sayd: me thynke the run∣nynge of the formost is lyke the runnynge of Ahimaaz the sonne of Sadocke. The kynge sayde: he is a good man & cometh with good tydynges. And Ahimaaz called, and sayd vn to the kyng: good tydynges, & he fell downe flat to the earth vpō his face before the king, & sayde: blessed be the Lorde thy God, whiche hath ☞ shut vp the men that lyfte vp theyr handes agaynst my lorde the kynge.
And the kynge sayde: is the yonge man [unspec G] Absalom safe. Ahimaaz answered: When Ioab sent (Chusi) the kynges seruaunt, and me thy seruaunt, I sawe moche a do. But I wote not what it was. And the kynge sayde vnto hym: turne and stande here. And he tur∣ned, and stode styll.
And beholde, Chusi came also, & sayde: Good tydynges my Lorde the kynge, for the Lorde hath quytte the this daye out of the hande of al them that rose agaynst the. And the kynge sayd vnto Chusi: is the yonge man Absalom safe? Chusi answered: the enmyes of my lord the kyng, and all that ryse agaynst the, to do the hurte, be as that yonge man is. And the kyng was moued, and went vp to a chambre ouer the gate, & wepte. And as he went, thus he sayde: O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom, wolde God I had dyed for the: O Absalom my sonne, my sonne.
••••. Reg. 16. d
••. Reg 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ ••▪