The Byble in Englyshe that is to saye, the content of all the holye scrypture, bothe of the olde and newe Testament, truly translated after the veryte of the Hebrue and Greke textes, by the diligent studye of dyuers excellent lerned [men e]xperte in the fore[saide] tongues.

¶ Abner cōmeth to Dauid and bryngeth hym his wyse Michol. Ioab kylleth Abner.

CAPI. III.

THere was longe war bytwene the house [unspec A] of Saul and the house of Dauid. But Dauid waxed stronger and stronger, & the houe of Saul weyker and weyker. * 1.1 And vnto Dauid were ❀ (syxc) chyldren borne in Hebron: his eldest sonne also was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Iezrahelite: the seconde Che∣leab, of Abigail the wyfe of Nabal the Car∣melite: the thyrde Absalom, the son of Maa∣chah the doughter of Thalmai the kynge of Gessur: the fourth Adonai, the son of Hagith the fyfte, Sephatia the sonne of Abitall: the syxte, Iethream by Egla Dauids wyfe. These were borne to Dauid in Hebron. And it fortuned that whyle there was warre by∣twene the house of Saul & the house of Da∣uid, Abner helde vp the house of Saul. And Saul had a concubyne named Rizpa, the doughter of Ahia.

And Isboseth sayde to Abner: wherfore [unspec B] hast thou ☞ gone into my fathers cōcubine? Then was Abner very wroth for the wordes of Isboseth, and sayde: Am I not a * 1.2 dogges heade, whiche agaynst Iuda do shewe mercy this daye vnto the house of Saul thy father, and to his brethrē and frendes, and haue not delyuered the into the hande of Dauid: and thou fyndest a faute in me this daye for this woman? * 1.3 So and so do God to Abner. For as the Lorde hath sworne to Dauid, so wyll I be on his syde, to bryng the kyngdome frō the house of Saul, that the throne of Dauid may be stablysshed ouer Israel & ouer Iuda euen from Dan to Bersabe. And he coulde gyue Abner neuer a worde to answere, by∣cause he feared hym.

And Abner sent messengers to Dauid ❀ se∣cretly, [unspec C] sayenge. whose is the lande? Make a bonde with me, & beholde, my hande is with the, to brynge all Israel vnto the: He sayde, It is good that I make a bonde with the. But one thyng I requyre of the, that thou se not my face, excepte thou fyrst bryng Michol Sauls doughter, whē thou comest to se me.

And Dauid sent messengers to Isboseth Sauls son, sayenge: * 1.4 delyuer me my wyfe Michol, which I maried with * 1.5 an hundred foreskynnes of the Philistin{is}. And Isboseth sent, and toke her from her husbande * 1.6 Pal∣••iel the son of Lais. And her husbande went with her, and came wepyng behynde her, tyll they came to Bahurim. Then sayde Abner vnto hym, go and returne. And he returned. And Abner had cōmunicacion w^t the elders of Israell, sayenge: Ye sought for Dauid in tymes past, that he myght be your hynge. Nowe then do it: for the Lorde hath sayde of Dauid: By the hande of my seruaunt Dauid I wyll saue my people Israel, out of the han¦des of the Philistines, & out of the hande of all theyr enemyes. And Abner spake in the [unspec D] eares of Ben Iamin, & went to tel in the ear{is} of Dauid in Hebron, all that Israel was con∣tent with and the hole house of Ben Iamin. And so Abner came to Dauid to Hebron, ha∣uyng twentye men with hym, & Dauid made hym and the men that were with hym a feast.

And Abner sayde vnto Dauid: I wyll [unspec D] vp and go gather all Israell vnto my Lorde the kynge, that they may make an appoynt∣ment with the, & that thou mayst cōmaunde all as thyne herre desyreth. And when Dauid had let Abner departe, he went in peace.

And beholde, the seruauntes of Dauid, & Ioab came from chasynge the robbers, and brought a great pray with them. But Abner was not with Dauid in Hebron: for he had sent hym away to depart in peace. Whē Ioab & al the hoost that was with hym were come, men tolde Ioab sayenge: Abner the sonne of Ner came to the kyng••, and he hath sent hym awaye, that he is gone in peace. Then Ioab came to the kyng, and sayde: what hast thou done? Beholde, Abner came vnto the, & why hast thou sent hym away, that he shuld scape quyte? Thou knowest Abner the son of Ner, [unspec E] for he came to deceyue the, and to knowe thy out goyng & in goynge, and to know all that thou doest. And when Ioab was come oute from Dauid, he sent messengers after Abner whiche brought hym agayne from the well of Sira, vnknowyng to Dauid. And when Abner was come agayne to Hebron, Ioab toke hym asyde in the gate * 1.7 to speake with hym secretly, & smote hym vnder the shorte rybbes that he dyed, ☞ for the blood of Asa∣hel his brother. And whē afterwarde it•• came to Dauids eare, he sayde. I & my kyngdome are gyltlesse before the lorde for euer, concer∣nyng the blood of Abner the son of Ner. Let the blood remayne on the head of Ioab & on [unspec F] all his fathers house: that the house of Ioab be neuer without one▪or other that hath run∣nyng issues or leper, & that leaneth on a staffe & that doth fal on the swerde, & lacketh bread. And the cause why Ioab & Abisai slue Abner was, that Abner had * 1.8 sleyne theyr brother Asahel at Gibeō in battayle. And Dauid sayd to Ioab, & to all the people that were w^t hym. * 1.9 Rent your clothes, & put on sacke cloth, & mourne before Abner. And kyng Dauid hym selfe folowed the corse. And when they buried Abner in Hebron, the kyng lyft vp his voyce and wepte besyde the sepulchre of Abner, & so dyd all the people. And the kynge lamented ouer Abner, and sayde: ☞ dyed Abner as a foole dyeth? Thy handes were not bounde, nor thy feete brought in to cheynes: but as a man falleth before wycked Chyldren, so fel∣lest thou. And al they that were of the people wepte yet more ouer hym.

And whē al the people came to eate meate [unspec G] with Dauid, whyle it was yet daye, Dauid sware, saynge: So and so do god to me▪ yf I tast breade or ought els, tyl the son be downe. And the people wyst it, and it pleased them. And what soeuer the kyng dyd, it pleased all the people. For all the people and all Israell vnderstode that day, how that it was not the kynges dede, that Abner the son of Ner was sleyne. And the kyng sayd vnto his seruaun∣tes: knowe ye not, howe that there is a Lorde and a great man fallen this day in Israell? And I am this day tender, & anoynted kyng.

And these men the sonnes of Zaruia be to harde for me. The Lorde rewarde the doer of euyll, accordyng to his wyckednesse.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1. Par. iii. c
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  1. Regū. ••••••
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  Rut••▪ ••••
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• * 1.8

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• * 1.9

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