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.

¶ The second boke of Samuel, otherwyse called the seconde boke of the kynges.

¶ The lamentacyon of Dauid for Saull and Ionathas.

CAPI. Primo.

AFter the death of Saull [unspec A] when Dauid was returned from the * 1.1 slaughter of the Amalecki∣tes, & had bene two dayes in Zik∣leg, Beholde, there came a mā the thyrde day out of the hoost from Saul, with his clothes rent, and earth vpon his head. And when he came to Dauid, he fell to the earthe and dyd obeysaunce. Dauid sayde vnto hym: whence comest thou? He sayde vnto hym: Out of the hoost of Israell am I escaped. And Dauid sayde vnto hym. And what is chaunced? tell me. He sayde: the people is ••••ed from the bat∣tayle: & many of the people are ouerthrowen, and deade: And Saull and Ionathas his sonne are deade also.

And Dauid sayd vnto the yong man that [unspec B] tolde hym these thynges. How knowest thou that Saul and Ionathas his sonne be dead? The yong man that tolde hym answered: I came by chaunce to mount Gilboa: And be∣holde, Saul leaned vpon his speare. For the charettes and companyes of horse men fo∣lowed harde after hym. And when he loked backe he sawe me, and called me. And I an∣swered: Here am I. And he sayde vnto me: What arte thou? I answered hym: I am an Amelekite. He answered vnto me agayne. Stand vpon me, and slee me: For anguyshe is come vpon me, though my lyfe be yet all in me. And so I stode vpon hym, & slue hym: for I was sure that he coulde not lyue, ☞ af∣ter that he had fallen. And I toke the crowne that was vpon his heade, and the Bracclet that was on his arme, & haue brought them hyther vnto my Lorde. Then Dauid toke holde on his clothes, * 1.2 and rent them, and so dyd al the men that were with hym. And they mourned, and wepte, & fasted vntyll euen, for Saul and Ionathas his son, & for the people of the lorde, & for the house of Israel, bycause they were ouerthrowen with the swerde.

And Dauid sayd vnto the yong man that [unspec C] brought hym these tydynges: Whence arte thou? And he answered. I am the son of an alyaunt an Amalekite. And Dauid sayd vn∣to hym: How is it that thou wast not afrayde to lay thyne hande on the Lordes anoynted, to destroye hym.

And Dauid called one of his yonge men and sayde: Go to, & run vpon hym. And he smote hym: that he dyed: thē sayd Dauid vnto hym. Thy blood be vpon thyne owne heade. * 1.3 For thyne owne mouth hath testified agaynst the saynge: I haue sleyne the Lordes anoynted.

And Dauid mourned with this lamenta∣cion ouer Saul and ouer Ionathas his son, & bad teache the chyldren of Israel the ☞ vse of the bowe. And beholde, it is wrytten in the boke of the ryghteous. ❀ (And he sayde. Con∣syder, O Israell, these that be deade and vvoun∣ded vpon thy hygh hylles.) ☞ O noble Israel the wounded are sleyne vpon thy hylles: Oh howe are the myghtye ouerthrowen. * 1.4 Tell it not in Gath: nor publysshe it in the streetes of Askalon: lest the doughters of the Philisti¦nes reioyse, and lest the doughters of the vn∣circumcised triumph. Ye mountaynes of Gil¦boa, vpon you be neyther dewe nor rayne, ☞ not vpon these feldes of offerynges. For there the shelde of the myghtie is cast downe: the shelde of Saull, as thoughe he had not [unspec D] bene anoynted with oyle. The bow of Iona∣thas and the swerde of Saul turned neuer backe agayne emptie, from the blood of the sleyne, and from the fat of the myghtye war∣ryours. Saul and Ionathas were louely & pleasaūt in theyr lyues, and in theyr deathes they were not deuyded. They were swyfter then Egles, and stronger then Lyons.

Ye doughters of Israel, wepe ouer Saull, whiche clothed you in purple with pleasures and hanged ornamentes of golde vpon your apparell. Howe were the myghtye sleyne in battayle? Ionathas is deade on the hygh hylles. Wo is me for the (my brother Iona∣thas) verye kynde hast thou bene vnto me.

Thy loue to me was wonderful, passyng the loue of women. ❀ (As a mother loueth her onely chylde, euen so dyd I loue the.) Oh howe are the myghtye ouerthrowen? and the wea∣pons of warre destroyed.

¶ Dauid is anoynted in Hebron. The battayle of the seruauntes of Dauid and Isboseth.

CAPI. II.

AFter this, it fortuned, that Dauid * 1.5 as∣ked [unspec A] counsayle at the Lorde, saynge: shal I go vp into any of the cities of Iuda? And the Lorde sayde vnto hym: go. And Da∣uid sayde agayne: Whyther shall I go? He answered: Unto Ebron. And so Dauid wente thyther with his two wyues, Ahinoam the Iesraelit, & Abigall Nabals wyfe the Carme¦lite. And the mē that were with hym, dyd Da∣uid cary vp also, euery man w^t his housholde And they dwelte in the townes of Hebron.

And the men of Iuda came, and there they anoynted Dauid kyng, ouer the house of Iu∣da. And they tolde Dauid, saynge: It is * 1.6 the men of Iabes in Gilead that buryed Saul.

And Dauid sent messengers vnto the men [unspec B] of Iabes in Gilead, & sayde vnto them: bles∣sed are ye vnto the lorde, that ye haue shewed suche kyndnesse vnto your Lorde Saul, and haue buryed hym. And now the Lorde shew mercye and truthe vnto you. And I wyll do you also suche kyndnesse as ye haue done in this thynge. Therfore nowe let your handes be strong, & play ye the mē: For your mayster Saul is dead. And they that are of the house of Iuda, haue anoynted me kyng ouer them. But Abner the sonne of Ner that was cap∣tayne [unspec C] of Sauls hoost, toke Isboseth the son of Saul, and brought hym to Mahanaim, and made hym kynge ouer Gilead, and ouer the Assurites, and ouer Iesrahel: Ephraim, Ben Iamin and ☞ ouer all Israel. And Is∣boseth Sauls sonne was fourtye yere olde, when he began to reygne ouer Israell, and reygned two yere. But the house of Iuda fo∣lowed Dauid. * 1.7 And the tyme whiche Dauid reygned in Hebron ouer the house of Iuda, was. vii. yere and syxe monethes. And Abner the sonne of Ner and the seruauntes of Is∣boseth the sonne of Saul wente out of Ma∣hanaim, to Gibeon. And Ioab the son of Zar∣uia and the seruauntes of Dauid went out, and met them by the poole of Gibeon. And they sat downe, the one on the one syde of the poole, and the other on the other syde. And Abner sayd to Ioab: let the yong men aryse, and ☞ play before vs. And Ioab sayde: Let them aryse.

Then there arose and went ouer twelue of [unspec D] Ben Iamin by nombre, whiche perteyned to Isboseth the sonne of Saul, & twelue of the seruauntes of Dauid. And euery one caught his felowe (that came agaynst hym) by the heade, & thrust his swerde in his syde, and so they fell downe togyther. Wherfore the place was called. The felde of the myghtye. And it is in Gibeon. And there began an excedynge cruel battayle that same day. For Abner & the men of Israell fell before the seruauntes of Dauid. And there were thre sonnes of Zar∣uia there: Ioab, Abisai & Asahel. And Asahel was as lyght of foote as a wylde Roo, and Asahel folowed after Abner, and * 1.8 turned neyther to the right hande nor to the lefte, frō Abner. Then Abner loked behynde him, and [unspec E] sayd: Art thou Asahel? he answered. Yea that I am. Abner sayde: turne the eyther to the ryght hande or to the lefte, & catche one of the

yonge men, and take the his weapons. But Asahel wolde not departe from hym. And Ab¦ner sayd agayne to Asahel, departe fro me. Wherfore shulde I smyte the to the grounde and not be able to holde vp my face to Ioab thy brother? Howbeit, when he wolde in no wyse departe, Abner with the hynder ende of the spere smote hym vnder * 1.9 the short rybbes, that the spere came out behynde hym, that he fell downe in the same place, and dyed there. And as many as came to the place where Asa [unspec F] hell fel downe and dyed, stode styll. Ioab also and Abisai folowed Abner. And the son went downe, when they were come to the hyll Ama that lyeth before Giah by the way that goeth thorowe the wyldernesse of Gibeon. And the children of Ben Iamin gathered them selues togyther on an heape, to Abner, and stode on the top of an hyl. Then Abner called to Ioab and sayde: shall the swerde deuoure styll for euer? knowest thou not, that it wyll be ☞ bit∣ternes in the latter ende? howe longe shall it be, or thou byd the people returne from fo∣lowynge theyr brethren?

And Ioab sayde: as truely as God lyueth ☞ yf thou haddest not spokē in the mornyng the people had ben departed, euery one from [unspec G] persecutyng his brother. And so * 1.10 Ioab blew a trompet, and all the people stode styl, & pur¦sued after Israel no more, neyther foughte they any more. And Abner and his men wal∣ked all that nyght thorowe the playne, and went ouer Iordan, & past thorowe all Beth∣horon tyll they came to Mahanaim.

And Ioab returned from persecutyng Ab¦ner. And when he had gathered all the people togyther, there lacked of Dauids seruauntes nynetene men, & Asahel. But the seruauntes of Dauid had sleyne of Ben Iamin & of Ab∣ners men, thre bundred & thre score men. And they toke vp Asahel and buryed hym in the Sepulchre of his father in Bethleem. And Ioab and his men went all nyght, vntyll the dawnynge of the day, and came to Hebron.

¶ 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. * 1.11 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 * 1.12 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? * 1.13 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: * 1.14 delyuer me my wyfe Michol, which I maried with * 1.15 an hundred foreskynnes of the Philistin{is}. And Isboseth sent, and toke her from her husbande * 1.16 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 * 1.17 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 * 1.18 sleyne theyr brother Asahel at Gibeō in battayle. And Dauid sayd to Ioab, & to all the people that were w^t hym. * 1.19 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.

¶ Baanath and Rechab slue Isboseth the son of Sauls.

CAPI. IIII.

WHen Sauls sonne herde that Abner [unspec A] was dead in Hebron, his handes were feble, & al the Israelites were afrayde.

And Sauls sonne had two men that were captaynes ouer the souldiours, the one cal∣led Baanah & the other Rechab, the sonnes of Rimmon a Berothite, of the chyldren of Ben Iamin: for Beroth was rekened to Ben Iamin. And these Berothites fled to G•••• thiam, and soiourned there vntyll the same tyme. * 1.20 And Ionathas Sauls sonne had a sonne that was lame on his feete.

And he was fyue yere olde, when the ty∣dynges [unspec B] came of Saul and Ionathas out of Israel. And his nurse toke hym vp, and s••ed away. And as she made hast to f••e, the childe fell, & began to halte, and his name was Mi∣phiboseth. And the sonnes of Rimmon the Berothite, Rechab and Baana went, & came in the heete of the day to the house of Isbo∣seth, whiche slepte on a bed at noone. ❀ (And the vvoman that vvas the keper of the dore, and clensed the vvheat, vvas a slepe) And they came into the mydd{is} of the house ❀ as though they wolde haue fetched wheate, and Rechab and Baana his brother smote him vnder the short [unspec C] rybbes, and fled. For when they came into the house, he slept on his bed in his resting cham her, and they smote hym, and slue hym, and beheaded hym, and toke his heade, and gat them away thorowe the playne all the nyght. And they brought the heade of Isboseth vn∣to Dauid to Hebron, and sayd to the kynge: beholde, there is the head of Isboseth Sauls sonne, thyne enemye, which sought after thy lyfe. And the lorde hath aduenged my Lorde the kynge this day, of Saul and of his seede.

And Dauid answerd Rechab and Baana [unspec D] his brother, the sonnes of Rimmon the Be∣rothite, and sayde vnto them: * 1.21 As surely as the Lorde lyueth, whiche hath delyuered my soule out of all aduersities: when one * 1.22 tolde

me and sayd that Saul was dead, thynkyng to haue brought good tydynges, I caughte hym, and slue hym in Zikleg: which thought that I wolde haue gyuen hym a rewarde for his tydynges bryngynge. Howe moche more when wycked men haue sleyne a ryghteous person, in his owne house and vpon his bed? Shal I not requyre his blood of your hande and take you from the earth? And Dauid cō∣maunded his yonge men, and they slue them and cut of theyr handes and fete, and hanged them vp ouer the poole in Hebron. But they toke the heade of Isboseth, and buryed it in the sepulchre of * 1.23 Abuer in Hebron.

¶ Dauid is yet agayne anoynted Kynge, and taketh the arke from Sion.

CAPI. V.

THen came all the trybes of Israell * 1.24 to [unspec A] Dauid, vnto Hebron and sayd. Beholde we are of thy bone and of thy flesshe. And in tyme past when Saul was out kyng thou leddest Israel in and out. And the lorde hath sayde to the: thou shalte fede my people Israell, and thou shalte be a captayne ouer Israell. And so all the elders of Israell came to the * 1.25 kynge to Hebron. And kynge Dauid made a couenaunt with them in Hebron be∣fore the Lorde. And they anoynted Dauyd kynge ouer Israell. Dauid was thyrtie yere olde, whē he began to reygne, and he reygned xl. yere. In Hebron he reygned ouer Iuda se∣uen yere and syxe monethes: And in Ierusa∣lem he reygned thyrtye and thre yeres ouer all Israel and Iuda.

The kynge also and his men wente to [unspec B] Ierusalem, vnto the Iebusites, the enhabi∣tours of the lande. Whiche spake vnto Da∣uid sayenge: ☞ excepte thou take away the blynde and the lame, thou shalte not come in hyther. For they sayde. Thou arte not able to come in hyther. Neuerthelesse Dauid toke the stronge holde of Sion. The same is the citye of Dauid. And Dauid sayde the same daye. Who soeuer smyteth the Iebusites, and get∣teth vp to the gutters of the houses, and smy¦teth the lame and the blynde that hate ☞ Da∣uids soule? * 1.26 Wherfore: they sayd, the blynde & the lame shal not come in to the house. And so Dauid dwelte in the towre and called it the citye of Dauid, and buylte rounde aboute it from Millo inwarde. And Dauid prospered & grewe, and the Lorde God of hoostes was with hym. And Hiram kynge of Tire sente messengers to Dauid, and Cedar trees, and carpenters and masons for walles: and they buylte Dauid an house. And Dauid percey∣ued, that the lorde had stablysshed hym kyng ouer Israel, & that he had exalted his kyng∣dom for his people Israels sake.

And Dauid toke hym mo concubines and [unspec C] wyues out of Ierusalem, after he was come from Hebron, & mo sonnes & doughters were yet borne to Dauid. * 1.27 And these be the names of the sonnes that were borne vnto hym in Ierusalem: Sāmua, Sobab, Nathan, & Sa¦lomon, Iibhar also and Elisua, Nepheg, and Iaphia, Elisama Eliada, and Eliaphalet. But whē the Philistines herde, that they had anoynted Dauid kyng ouer Israel, they came all vp to seke Dauid. And as soone as Da∣uid herde of it, he gat hym to an holde▪ And when the Philistines came, they layde them along in the valey of Raphaim. And Dauid* 1.28 asked counsayle of the Lorde, saynge: shall I go vp to the Philistines? Wylte thou delyuer them in to my handes? And the Lorde answe¦red vnto Dauid: Go vp, for I wyll delyuer the Philistines in to thy handes.

And Dauid came to the playne of Perazim [unspec D] & smote them there, and sayd: the Lorde hath deuyded myn enemyes asundre before me, as waters be deuided asundre. And therfore, the name of the place was called: the playne of Perazim: And there they lefte theyr ymages, and Dauid & his men toke them vp. And the Philistines came yet agayne••, & layde them selues in the valey of Rephaim. And when Dauid asked at the Lorde: ❀ (Shall I go vp agaynst the Philistynes? and vvylt thou delyuer them in to my hande?) He answered: Thou shalte not go vp: but compasse them on the backesyde, & come vpon them ouer agaynst the Peretrees. And whē thou herest the noyse of a thyng goyng in the top of the Peretrees then remoue. For then shall the Lorde go out before the, to smyte the hoost of the Philisti∣nes. And Dauid dyd as the Lorde had com∣maunded hym, & smote the Philistines from Geba, vntyll thou come to Gazer.

¶ The Arke is brought forth of the house of Abinadab. Uza is stryken and dyeth, Dauid daun••eth before it, & is therfore despysed of his wyfe Mithol.

CAPI. VI.

AGayne, Dauid gathered togyther all [unspec A] the chosen men of Israell, euen thyrtye thousande, & arose, and wente with all the folke that were with hym of the men of Iuda, to fet ☞ away from thence, the arke of God: whose name is called the name of the Lorde of hoostes that dwelleth vpon it, by∣twene the cherubyns. And they put the arke of god vpon a newe carte, and brought it out * 1.29 of the house of Abinadab that was at Gi∣bea. And Uza and Ahio the sonnes of Abina∣bab draue the newe carte.

And when they brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was at Gibea, w^t the Arke of God. Ahio went before the arke. And Da∣uid, and all the house of Israel playde before the Lorde in sundrye instrumentes made of Cedre wood, with harpes, Psalteries, Tym∣brelles, fedyls, and Symbals.

And when they came to Nachons threshe∣ynge [unspec B] floore, Uza put his hande to the arke of God, and helde it, for the oxen stombled. And the Lorde was wroth with Uza, & God smote hym in the same place ☞ for his faulte, and there he dyed before the arke of god. And Da¦uid was dyspleased, bycause the Lorde had smytten Uza. And the name of the place was called: The renfynge of Uza, vntyl this day. And Dauid was then afrayde of the Lorde, and sayde: Howe shall the arke of the Lorde come to me? And so Dauid wolde not bryng the Arke of the lorde vnto hym in to the citye of Dauid. but Dauid caryed it in to the house of Obeth Edom a Gethite. And the Arke of the lorde contynued in the house of * 1.30 Obeth Edom the Gethite, thre monethes, and the Lorde blessed Obeth Edom and al his hous∣holde. And one tolde kynge Dauid, how that the Lorde had blessed the house of Obeth E∣dom and all that perteyned vnto hym, by∣cause of the arke of God. And Dauid wente and brought the arke of God from the house of Obeth Edom, into the citie of Dauid with gladnes. ❀ (And there vvere vvich Dauid vii. sortes of dauncers, and calues for Sacrifyce.

And when they that bare the Arke of the lorde, had gone syxe spaces, he offred an axe, [unspec C] & a fat shepe. And Dauid ❀ (played on harpe strynges, and) daunsed before the Lorde with al his myght, and was gyrded with a lynnen Ephod. So Dauid & all the house of Israell brought the Arke ❀ (of the couenaunt) of the lorde, with showtyng & trompet blowynge. And it fortuned, that as the arke of the lorde came in to the citye of Dauid, Michol Sauls doughter loked thorowe a wyndew, and saw kynge Dauid sprynge and daunce before the lorde, and she despysed hym in her herte. And when they brought in the arke of the Lorde, they set it in his place, euen in the myddes of the tabernacle that Dauid had pytched for it.

And Dauid offered burntofferynges and peace offerynges before the Lorde. And as soone as Dauid had made an ende of offryng burntoffrynges & peaceoffrynges, he blessed the people in the name of the Lorde of hoost{is} and gaue amonge all the folke, euen among the hole multitude of Israell, as well to the women as men, to euery one a Cake of bread and a pece of flesshe, and a flacket of drynke. And so al the peple departed euery one to his [unspec D] house. Then Dauid returned to ☞ blesse his houshold. And Michol the doughter of Saul came out to mete Dauid, & sayd: O howe glo¦rious was the kyng of Israel this day, which was vncouered to daye, in the eyes of the maydens of his seruauntes, as yf it had ben a lyght brayned felowe vncouered? And Da∣uid sayd vnto Michol, I thoughe to daunce before the Lorde, which chose me rather then thy father, and all his kyn, & cōmaunded me to be ruler ouer all the people of the Lorde, euen ouer Israel, And therfore wyll I playe before the Lorde. And wyll be yet more vyle then so, and wyl be meke in myne owne syght & of the very same mayde seruauntes whiche thou hast spoken of, shal I be had in honour. Therfore Michol the doughter of Saul had no chylde, vnto the day of her death.

¶ Dauid wolde buylde God an house: but is forbydden of God.

CAPI. VII.

IT fortuned, that as the kynge sat in his [unspec A] house (after that the lorde had gyuen hym rest rounde aboute from all his enemyes) he sayd vnto Nathan the prophet: beholde, I dwell nowe in an house of Cedar trees, but ☞ the arke of God dwelleth within the cur∣teyne. And Nathan sayde vnto the kynge: go and do all that is in thyne herte, for the lorde is with the. And it fortuned the same nyghte that the worde of the Lorde came vnto Na∣than, saynge: go and tell my seruaunt Dauid, thus sayth the Lorde: shalte thou buylde me an house to dwell in? For I haue not dwelte in any house, synce the tyme that I brought the chyldrē of Israel out of Egypt, vnto this day: but haue walked, in a tent & tabernacle. In al the places wherin I haue walked with all the chyldren of Israell, spake I one worde with any of the Tribes of Israell (☞ synce I cōmaunded the Iudgis to fede my people Israel) sayenge: Why buylde ye not me an house of Cedar trees?

Nowe therfore, so saye vnto my seruaunt [unspec B] Dauid, thus sayth the Lorde of hoostes. * 1.31 I toke the from the shepe coote (as thou waste folowynge shepe) that thou myghtest be ru∣ler ouer my people Israell. And I was with the in all that thou wentest to, and haue de∣stroyed all thyne enemyes out of thy syghte, and haue made the a great name, lyke vnto the name of the greate men that are in the worlde. And therfore, I wyll appoynte a place for my people Israell, and wyll plante it, that they maye dwelle in a place

of theyr owne, & moue no more, neyther shall wycked people trouble them any more, as they dyd at the begynnynge: synce the tyme that I set Iudges ouer my people Israell, & I wyl gyue the rest from all thyne enemyes. And the Lorde telleth the, that he wyll make the an house. And when thy dayes be fulfyl∣led, thou shalte ☞ slepe with thy fathers, and I wyll set vp thy seede after the, whiche shall pracede out of thy body, and wyll stablysshe his kyngdom. * 1.32 He shall buylde an house for my name, and I wyll stablysshe the seate of his kyngdom foreuer. * 1.33 I wyll be his father and he shall be my son: * 1.34 If he synne, I wyll chasten hym ☞ with suche a rod as men be chastened with, and with suche plages as the [unspec C] chyldren of men be plaged with. But my mer¦cye shall not departe awaye from hym, as I toke it from Saull, whom I put downe be∣fore the. And thyne house and thy kyngdom shall endure without ende after the, * 1.35 & thy seate shall be stablysshed foreuer.

Accordyng to all these wordes, and accor∣dynge to all this vision, byd Nathan speake vnto Dauid. Then wente Dauid in, and set hym downe before the lorde, and sayde: what am I, O lorde God? & what is my ☞ house? that thou shuldest haue brought me thus far forth? And this was yet a small thyng in thy syght: O lorde god, but thou hast spoken also of thy seruauntes house for a great whyle to come. For ☞ ❀ this is the vse of mā, O lorde god. And what can Dauid say more vnto the For thou Lorde God knowest thy seruaunt. Euen for thy wordes sake and ☞ accordyng to thyne owne herte hast thou done all these great thynges, to make them knowen vnto thy seruaunt. Wherfore thou arte great, O lorde God: for there is none lyke the, * 1.36 ney∣ther is there any God saue thou, accordynge to all that we haue herde with our eares. [unspec D]

* 1.37 And what one people in the earth is lyke thy people Israel, ❀ whose God, went & de∣lyuered them, that they myght be his people, and that he myght make hym a name, and to shewe great and terrible thyng{is} in the earth, for thy people * 1.38 whiche thou redemedst to the oute of Egypte, euen the people with theyr ☞ goddes. For thou hast ordeyned thy peo∣ple Israell, to be thy people foreuer.

And thou Lorde arte become theyr God. And nowe (Lorde God) the worde that thou hast spoken concernyng thy seruaunt & his house make it good foreuer, and do as thou haste sayd. For so shall thy name be magnified for¦euer, of men that shall say: the lorde of hoost{is} is the god of Israel: and the house of thy ser∣uaunt Dauid shall be stablysshed before the. For thou O Lorde of hoostes, God of Israel hast tolde in the eare of thy seruaunt saynge. ❀ I wyll buylde the an house. And therfore hath thy seruaunt foūde in his herte, to pray this prayer vnto the. * 1.39 Therfore nowe lorde God, thou arte God, and thy worde must be true, thou that hast tolde this goodnes vnto thy seruaunt. And nowe go to, and blesse the house of thy seruaunt, that it maye contynue foreuer before the. For thou Lorde God hast spoken it, & with thy blessyng shall the house of thy seruaunt be blessed foreuer.

¶ Dauid ouercōmeth the Philistines.

CAPI. VIII.

AFter this it fortuned that Dauid smote [unspec A] the Philistines, and subdued them, and toke the brydell of bondage out of the hande of the Philistines. * 1.40 And he smote the Moabites and ☞ measured them with a lyne, and cast them downe to the grounde. ☞ Euen with two lynes measured he them whom he slue, and the length of one lyne sa∣ued he a lyue. And so became the Moabites Dauids seruauntes, and payde tribute.

Dauid smote also, Hadadezar the sonne of Rehob kyng of Zoba as he went to recouer his brother at the ryuer Pherat. And Dauid toke a thousand and seuen hundred horsmen of his hoost, and twentie thousande fote men and destroyed all his charettes, reseruynge onely one hundred of them.

And when the Sirians of Damascon came [unspec B] to socoure Hadadezer kyng of Zoba, Dauid slue of the Sirians two and twentye thou∣sande men, and put souldyours in Siria Da¦mascon. And the Siriens became seruaun∣tes to Dauid, payenge tribute. And thus the Lorde saued Dauid, in al that he went vnto.

And Dauid toke the sheldes of golde that belonged to the seruauntes of Hadadezer, & brought them to Ierusalem. And out of Be∣ta and Berothai (cityes of Hadadezer) dyd Dauid brynge excedynge moche brasse. ❀ (vvherof Salomon made all the brasen vessell in the temple, and the brasen Lauatory, and the pyllers, and the aulter.)

* 1.41 When Thoi kyng of Hamath herde how [unspec C] Dauid had smytten all the hoost of Hadade∣zer, he sent Ioram his sonne vnto kyng Da∣uid, to salute hym with peace, and ☞ to blesse hym, bycause he had fought agaynst Hada∣dezer, and beaten hym: For Thoi had great warre w^t Hadadezer, which (Ioram) brought with hym vessels of syluer, vessels of golde, and vessels of Brasse: whiche brasse Kynge Dauid dyd dedicate vnto the lorde, with the

syluer and golde that he had consecrated of all nacyons, whiche he subdued: of Sirya of Moabites, and of the chyldren of Ammō, of the Philistines, & of Amalek, & of the spoyle of Hadadezer son of Rehob kynge of Zoba. And Dauid gat hym a name after that he re¦turned [unspec D] and had smyten of the Siriens in the valey of Salte. xviii. M. men. * 1.42 And he put kepers in Edō, euen thorowout al Edom put he soudyours, & al they of Edom became Da¦uids seruauntes. And the Lorde kept Dauid whatsoeuer he toke in hande. And Dauid reygned ouer all Israell, and executed ryght and Iustice vnto all his people. And * 1.43 Ioab the sonne of Zaruia was ouer the hooste, and Iehosaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder. And Sadoch the son of Ahitob, and Ahime∣lech the son of Abiathar were the Preestes, & Saraia was the Scrybe. And ❀ Banaiahu the son of Iehoiada was ouer ☞ the Cre∣thites and the Phelethites: & Dauids sonnes were cheyfe rulers.

¶ Dauid restoreth all the feldes of Saull to Miphiboseth the sonne of Ionathas.

CAPI. IX.

ANd Dauid sayde: is there yet any man [unspec A] lefte of the house of Saull? For I wyll shewe hym mercye for Ionathas fake. And there was of the housholde of Saul a seruaunt whose name was Ziba. And when they had called hym vnto Dauid, the kynge sayde vnto hym: arte thou Ziba? He sayde: thy seruaunt is he. And the kynge sayde: re∣mayneth there yet any man of the house of Saull, whome I maye shewe the mercye of God vpon? Ziba answered the kynge: * 1.44 Io∣nathas hath yet a son: whiche is lame on his feete. The kynge sayde vnto hym: where is [unspec B] he? Ziba sayde vnto the kynge: beholde: he is in the house of Machir the son of Amiell of Lodeber. Then kynge Dauid sent, & fet hym out of the house of Machir the son of Amiel, out of Lodeber. Nowe when Miphiboseth the son of Ionathas, the sonne of Saull was come vnto Dauid, he fell on his face, & dyd reuerence. And the kyng sayd: Miphiboseth? He answered: Beholde thy seruaunte. Dauid sayde vnto hym: feare not, for I wyll surely shewe the kyndnesse for Ionathas thy Fa∣thers sake, and wyll restore the all the feldes of Saull thy father, & thou shalt eate breade [unspec C] on myne owne table contynually. And he bowed hymselfe, and sayde: what is thy ser∣uaunt, that thou shuldest vouchesafe to loke vpon soche a deade dog as I am? Then the kynge called vnto Ziba Sauls yonge man, and sayde vnto hym: I haue gyuen vnto thy maysters sonne, all that perteyned to Saull and to all his house. Se therfore that thou, and thy Sonnes and thy seruauntes tyll the lande, and brynge in, that * 1.45 thy maysters sonne maye haue foode to cate. But Miphi∣boseth thy maysters sonne shall eate breade alwaye vpon my table. For Ziba had fyftene sonnes, and twentye seruauntes.

Then sayde Ziba vnto the kynge: Accor∣dynge [unspec D] to all that my Lorde the Kynge hath commaunded his seruaunte, so shall thy ser∣uaunt do. Well (sayde the kynge) Miphi∣boseth shal eate vpon my table, as one of the kynges sonnes. Miphiboseth had a son that was yonge, named Micha, and all that dwel¦led in the house of Ziba were serua••ntes vn∣to Miphiboseth. And Miphiboseth dwelt in Ierusalem, for he dyd eate euer at the kyng{is} table, * 1.46 and was lame on bothe his feete.

¶ The messengers of Dauid are vyllaynously ••ntreated of the kynge of Moab.

CAPI. X.

IT happened after this, that the kynge of [unspec A] the chyldren of Ammon dyed, and Hanon his son reygned in his steade. Then sayde Dauid: I wyll shewe kyndnesse vnto Hanon the sonne of Nahas, as his father shewed kyndnesse vnto me. And Dauid sent to com∣forte hym by the hande of his seruauntes ouer ❀ (the death of) his father. And Dauids seruauntes came into the lande of the Chyl∣dren of Ammon, and the Lordes of the chyl∣dren of Ammō sayd vnto Hanon theyr lorde▪ thynkest thou that Dauid dothe honour thy father, that he hath sent confortours to the? Hath not Dauid rather sent his seruauntes vnto the, to searche the Citye, and to spye ▪ out, and to ouerthrowe it? Wherfore, Hanon toke Dauids seruauntes, and shaued of the one halfe of euery mannes beerde, and cut of theyr garmentes in the mydle, euen harde to the buttockes of them, and sent them away. When they tolde it vnto Dauid, he sent to mete them (for they were men excedyngly a shamed) and the kynge sayd: ••arye at Ierico vntyll your beerdes be growen, and then t••∣turne. [unspec B] And when the chyldren of Ammō saw that they stancke in the syght of Dauid, they sent and hyred the Siryans of the house of Rehob, and the Sirians of Zoba. x••. M. foote men, and of kynge Maacha a thousand men and of Istob twelue thousande men. And when Dauid herde of it, he sent Ioab and al the hooste of stronge men. And the Chyldren of Ammon came out, and set them in araye at the entrynge in of the gate, and the Siri∣ans of Zobah, & Rehob, Istob, and Maacah

were by themselues in the felde. When Io∣ab sawe that the front of the battayle was a∣gaynst hym before and behynde, he chose of all the fresshe yonge men of Israell, and put them in araye agaynst the Sirians. And the rest of the people he deliuered into the hande of Abisai his brother, that he might put them in araye agaynst the chyldren of Ammon.

And he sayde, yf the Siryans be stronger [unspec C] then I, thou shalte helpe me. But yf the chyl∣dren of Ammon be to stronge for the, I wyll come and succoure the. Therfore quyte the lyke a man, and let vs stande styffe for oure people, and for the cityes of oure God. And the Lorde do that which is good in his owne eyes. And Ioab proceded forth, & the people that was with hym, to fyght with the Siri∣ans: but they fled before hym. And when the chyldren of Ammon sawe that the Sirians were fled, then fled they also before Abisat / & entred into the citye. And so Ioab returned from the Chyldren of Ammon, and came to Ierusalem. And when the Siryans sawe that they were put to the worse before Israel, they gathered them togyther. And Hadade∣zer sent, & brought out the Sirians that were beyonde the ryuer.

And they came with theyr armye, and So∣bah [unspec D] the captayne of the hooste of Hadadezer went before them. And when it was shewed Dauid, he gathered all Israel togyther, and passed ouer Iordane, & came to Helam: And the Sirians set themselues in aray agaynst Dauid, and fought with hym: and the Siri∣ans fled before Israel. And Dauid destroyed seuen hundred charettes of the Sirians, and fourtye thousande horsemen, and smote So∣bah the captayne of theyr hooste, whiche also dyed there. And when all the kynges (that were seruauntes to Hadadezer) sawe, that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with them, & serued them. And so the Sirians feared to helpe the Chyldren of Ammon any more.

¶ The aduoutry of Dauid with Bethsabe, the wy••e of Urias. Urias is gyl••fully s••••yne.

CAPI. XI.

ANd it came to passe that (after the yere [unspec A] was expyred) in the tyme when kyng{is} ☞ vse to go forth to battayle. Dauid sent Ioab and his seruantes with hym, and all Israell, whiche * 1.47 destroyed the Chyldren of Ammon, and beseyged Raba. But Dauid taryed styll at Ierusalem. And it chaunced in an euenynge that Dauid arose out of his bed, & walked vpon the roofe of the kynges palace, and from the roofe he sawe a woman * 1.48 wasshynge herselfe, & the woman was ve∣ry bewtyfull to loke vpon. And he sent to en∣quyre what woman it shulde be, saynge: is it not Bethsabe the doughter of Eliam, & wyfe to Urias the Hethite? And Dauid sent mes∣sengers, & fet her. And she came in vnto hym * 1.49 & he laye with her. And ❀ (immediatly) she was ☞ purifyed from her vnclennesse, & re∣turned vnto her house. And the woman con∣ceyued, [unspec B] and sent and tolde Dauid, and sayd: I am with chylde. And Dauid sent to Ioab, (sayenge:) sende me Urias the Hethite. And Ioab sent Urias to Dauid. And whē Urias was come vnto hym. Dauid demaunded of hym: howe Ioab dyd, & howe the peple fared, & how the men of war prospered. And Dauid sayd to Urias: go downe to thyne house, and washe thy feete. And Urias departed out of the kyng{is} palace, & there folowed hym a ser∣uice from the kyng{is} table. But Urias slepte at the dore of the kyng{is} palace withal the ser¦uaūtes of his lorde, & went not downe to his house. Whiche when they had tolde Dauid (sayenge: Urias went not downe into his house). Dauid sayde vnto Urias: Camest y^• not frō the iourney? why dydest thou not go downe then vnto thyne house? Urias answe∣red Dauid: the arke & Israell & Iuda dwell in pauylyons, & my lorde Ioab & the seruaū∣tes of my lorde lye vpon the flat earth: & shal I then go into myne house, to eate, and to drynke, & lye with my wyfe? * 1.50 ☞ By the lyfe & by the lyfe of thy soule, I wyll not do this thynge. And Dauid sayd vnto Urias: * 1.51 tarye here this day also, & to morowe I wyll let the departe. And so Urias abode in Ierusalem that day, & the morow. And when Dauid had called hym, he dyd eate & drynke before hym, & he made hym dronke. And at euen he went out to lye on his couche with the seruauntes [unspec C] of his lorde, but went not downe to his house On the morow Dauid wrote a letter to Ioab & sent it by the hande of Urias. And he wrote thus in the letter, sayenge: put Urias in the forefront of the sharper battayle, and come ye backe from hym, that he maye be smytten and dye. So when Ioab beseyged the citye / he assygned Urias vnto a place, where he wyst that stronge men were. And the men of the citye came out, & fought with Ioab. And there were certeyne ouerthrowen of the peple and of the seruauntes of Dauid, and Urias the Hethite dyed also. Then Ioab sent, and tolde Dauid all the thynges concernyng the war, & charged the messenger, sayenge: when thou hast made an ende of tellynge the mat∣ters of the warre vnto the kynge, yf he begyn

to fume, and saye vnto the: wherfore appro∣ched ye so nygh vnto the citye, when ye dyd fyght? wyst ye not that they wolde hurle and [unspec D] shute from the wall? Who smote Abimelech sonne of ☞ Iereboseth? * 1.52 dyd not a woman cast a pece of a mylstone vpon hym from of the wall, and he dyed in Thebes? Why went ye nygh the wall? then saye thou? thy seruaūt Urias the Hethite is deade also. So the mes¦senger went, and came, and shewed Dauid al that Ioab had sent hym for, and the messen∣ger sayde vnto Dauid: the men preuayled a∣gaynst vs, & came out vnto vs into the felde, and we ❀ (vvith violence) stacke vnto them, euen vnto the entrynge of the gate. And the shuters shotte from the walles, vpon thy ser∣uauntes, and some of the kyng{is} seruauntes be deade. And thy seruaunte Urias the He∣thite is deade also. And Dauid sayd vnto the messenger: thus shalt thou saye vnto Ioab: let not that thynge trouble the. For ❀ (the chaunce of vvarre is dyuerse, and) the swerde deuoureth one as well as another: make thy battayle more stronge agaynst the Citye, to ouerthrowe it, & se that thou courage Ioab. And when the wyfe of Urias herde that her husbande was deade, she mourned for hym. And when the mournynge was past, Dauid sent and fet her to his house, and she became his wyfe, & bare hym a son. But this thynge that Dauid dyd, dyspleased the Lorde.

¶ Dauid is reproued for the slaughter of Urias. The ••hy••••s conceyued in aduoutrye dyeth. After it / is Salomon borne.

CAPI. XII.

ANd the Lorde sent Nathan vnto Da∣uid. [unspec A] And he came vnto hym and tolde hym: there were two men in one citye, the one ryche, and the other poore. The ryche man had excedynge many shepe, and oxen. But the poore had nothynge saue one lytle shepe, whiche he had bought, and norysshed vp. And it grewe vp with hym, and with his chyldrē also, and dyd eate of his owne meat, and dranke of his owne cup, and slept in his bosome, and was vnto him as his doughter. And there came a straunger vnto the ryche man. And he coulde not fynde in his herte to take of his owne shepe, & of his owne oxen / to dresse for the straunger that was come vn∣to hym. But toke the poore mannes shepe / & dressed it for the man that was come to hym.

And Dauid was excedyng wrothe with [unspec B] the man, and sayde to Nathan: as surely as the lorde lyueth, the man that hath done this thynge * 1.53 is ☞ the chylde of death. He shall restore the lambe * 1.54 foure folde, bycause he dyd this thynge, and had no petye.

And Nathan sayde to Dauid: thou arte the man. Thus saythe the Lorde God of Israel / * 1.55 I anoynted the kynge ouer Israell, and ryd the out of the hande of Saull. I gaue the thy maysters house, and ☞ thy maysters wyues into thy bosome, and gaue the, the house of Israell and of Iuda, and myght (yf that had ben to lytle) haue gyuen the so moch more. Wherfore then hast thou despysed the commaundement of the Lorde, to do wycked¦nesse in his syght? thou hast kylde Urias the Hethite with the swerde, and hast taken his wyfe to thy wyfe, and hast sleyne hym with the swerde of the chyldren of Ammon.

Nowe therfore, the swerde shall neuer de∣parte [unspec C] from thyne house, bycause thou hast despysed me, and taken the wyfe of Urias the Hethite, to be thy wyfe. Wherfore thus sayeth the Lorde: beholde, I wyll styrre vp euyll agaynst the, euen out of thyne owne house, and wyl * 1.56 take thy wyues before thyne eyes, and gyue them vnto thy nyghboure, & he shall lye with thy wyues ☞ in the syght of the sonne. For thou dydest it secretly. But I wyll do this thynge before all Israell, and in the open sonne lyght.

And Dauid sayd vnto Nathan * 1.57 I haue synned agaynst the lorde. And Nathan sayd [unspec D] vnto Dauid: the Lorde also hath put awaye thy syn, thou shalt not dye. Howbeit, bycause in doyng this dede, thou hast gyuen the ene∣myes of the lorde a cause to rayle, the chylde that is borne vnto the, shall surelye dye. And Nathan departed vnto his house. And the lorde stroke the chylde that Urias wyfe bare vnto Dauid, & it syckened sore. Dauid ther∣fore besought God for the chylde, and fasted and went in, & laye all nyght vpon the earth. And the elders of his house arose and went to hym, to take hym vp from the earth. But he wolde not, neyther dyd he eate meat with them. And it happened the seuenth daye, that [unspec E] the chylde dyed. And the seruaūtes of Dauid durst not tell hym, that the chylde was dead. For they sayd: beholde, whyle the chylde was yet alyue, we spake vnto hym, and he wolde not herken vnto oure voyce. Howe wyll he then vexe hymselfe, yf we tell hym: that the chylde is deade? But Dauid seynge his ser∣uauntes whysperynge, perceyued, that the chylde was deade, and Dauid sayde vnto his seruauntes: is the chylde deade? They sayde: yea. And Dauid arose from the earth, & was∣shed, & anoynted hymselfe, & chaunged his apparell, & came into the house of the lorde / and worshypped, & afterwarde came to his owne house and bad that they shulde ☞ set

breade before hym, & he dyd cate. Then sayd [unspec F] his seruauntes vnto hym: what thynge is this, that thou h••••st done? Thou dyddest fast and wepe for the chylde, whyle it was a lyue, and as soone as it was deade, thou dyddest ryse vp, and eate meate. He sayde, whyle the chylde was yet alyue, I fasted & wepte. For this I thought: who can tell whyther God wyll haue mercye on me, that the chylde may Iyue. * 1.58 But nowe, seynge it is deade, wher∣fore shulde I fast? can I bryng hym agayne any more? I shall go to hym, rather then he shall come agayne to me. And Dauid comfor¦ted Bethsabe his wyfe, & went in vnto her, & laye with her, & she bare a son, and called his name * 1.59 * 1.60 Salomon, & the lorde loued hym. And he sent by the hande of Nathan the pro∣phete, and called his name * 1.61 Iedidia, of the lordes behalfe. Ioab fought agaynst Raba the citye of the chyldren of Ammon, and toke the ☞ citye of the kyngdom: And Ioab sente messengers to Dauid sayenge: I haue made [unspec G] assaute to Ra••••, and haue taken ☞ the citye with waters. Nowe therfore gather the rest of the people togyther, and beseyge the citye, that thou mayest take it: leest I take it, and call it after my name. And Dauid gathered all the people togyther, & went agaynst Ra∣ba, & beseyged it, & gat it. * 1.62 And he toke theyr kynges crowne from of his heade, whiche wayed an hundred weyght of golde, and in it were precyous stoones. And ☞ it was set on Dauids head. And he brought out the spoyle of the citye in excedynge greate abundance. And he caryed out the peple thas was therin and ☞ put them vpon sawes and vpon yron harowes, & vpon ar̄es of yron, & thrust them in to the Tylekele. Thus dyd he with all the cityes of the chyldren of Ammon. And so Da∣uid & all the people returned to Ierusalem.

¶ Amnen Dauids sonne desyleth his systet Thamae. Absalom therfore hylleth Amnon.

CAPI. XIII.

AFter this it chaūced that Absalom the [unspec A] son of Dauid had a fayre syster, named Thamar, whome Amnon the sonne of Dauid loued. And he was so fore vered, that he fell sycke for the loue of his syster Tha∣mar: for she was a virgyn, and he thought it herde for hym to haue his purpose of her. But Amnon had a frende, called Ionadab / the sonne of Simeah Dauids brother: and ☞ Ionadab was a very wyse man. And he sayde vnto hym: howe cōmeth it, that thou beynge the kyng{is} sonne, arte thus consumed euery daye? Wylt thou not tell me? Amnon answered hym: I loue Thamar my brother Absaloms syster. Ionadab sayde vnto hym: laye the downe on thy bed, & make thy selfe sycke. And when thy father is come to se the / saye vnto hym: Oh lette my syster Thamar come, & gyue me meat, & dresse it in my syght, that I maye se it and eate it of her hande.

And so Amnon laye downe, & made hym [unspec B] selfe sycke. And when the kynge was come to se hym, Amnon sayd vnto hym: Oh let Tha∣mar my syster come, and make me a couple of frytters in my syght, that I maye eate of her hande. Then Dauid sent home to Tha∣mar, sayenge: go nowe to thy brother Am∣nons house, & dresse hym meat. So Thamar went to her brother Amnons house, & he was layde downe. And she toke floure, and made paste, and dressed frytters in his syght, & dyd bake them, & toke a platter, & powred them out before hym, but he wolde not cate. And Amnon sayde: Haue out all men from me. And they went all out from hym. And Am∣non sayde vnto Thamar: brynge the meate into the chambrē, that I maye eate of thyne hande. And Thamar toke the frytters which she had made, & brought them into the cham¦bre to Amnō her brother. And when she had set them before hym, to cate, he toke her, and sayde vnto her: come lye with me my syster.

And she answered hym: nay my brother / do [unspec C] not force me, for there hath no such thyng ben done in Israell: do not thou this ab ho∣minacyon. For whyther shall I be able to go with my shame? And thou shalt be as one of the fooles in Israel. O speake vnto the kyng and he shall not denye me vnto the. Now be••t he wolde not herken vnto her voyce but toke her, and * 1.63 forced her, and laye with her. And then Amnon hated her excedynglye: so that the hate wher with he hated her, was greater then the loue with which he before loued her. And Amnon sayde vnto her: vp, and get the hence. She answered hym. Thou hast no cause. This euyll that thou puttest me away is greater then the other that thou dydest vn to me. Neuerthelesse he wolde not heare her, but called his boye that serued hym, & sayde: put awaye this woman from me, & bolte the dore after her. And she had a kyrtell of dy∣uerse colours vpon her: for with soche were the kynges doughters (that were virgyns) apparelled. Then his seruaunt brought her [unspec D] out, and locked the dore after her. And Tha∣mar toke and put asshes on her heade, & rent her gaye kyrtell that was on her, & la•• de her hande on her heade, and so went, and as she went, cryed. And Absalom her brother sayde vnto her: hath Amnon thy brother ben with

the? Now yet be styll my syster: he is thy bro∣ther. Let not this thynge greue thyne herte. And so thamar remayned desolate in her bro¦ther Absaloms house. But whē kyng Dauid herde of all these thyng{is}, he was very wroth. ❀ (And he vvolde not vexe the spiryte of Am∣non his son for he loued hym, bycause he vvas his fyrst borne.) And Absalom sayd vnto his brother Amnon neyther good nor bad. Nowe be it Absalom hated Amnon bycause he had [unspec E] forced his syster Thamar. And it happened after two yeare, that Absalom had * 1.64 shepe shearers in the playne of Nazor, besyde the trybe of Ephraim, and bad all the kynges sonnes, and came to the kynge, & sayde: be∣holde, thy seruaunt hath shepe shearers, let the kyng with his seruaūtes come to thy ser∣uaunt. The kynge answered Absalom: naye my sonne. We wyll not go al, nor be charge∣able vnto the. And Absalom laye sore vpon hym: howbeit he wolde not go, but blessed hym. Then sayde Absalom: Yf thou wylt not come, then let my brother Amnō go with vs. And the kynge answered hym: what nedeth it, that he go with the? But Bvsalom made soche instance that he let Amnon, and all the kyng{is} chyldren go with hym. Now had Ab∣salom cōmaunded his yonge men sayenge: marke when Amnons herte is mery w^t wyne and when I byd you smyte Amnon, then kyl hym: & feare not, haue not I bydden you? be holde therfore, & play the men. And the yong [unspec F] men of Absalom dyd vnto Amnon euen as Absalom had cōmaunded. And all the kyng{is} sonnes arose, & euery man gat hym vp, vpon his Mule, & fled. And it fortuned, that whyle they were yet in the waye, tydynges came to Dauid sayenge: Absalom hath steyne all the kynges sonnes, & ther is none lefte alyue. Then Dauid arose, & * 1.65 tare his garmentes / & laye alonge on the earth: & all his seruaun∣tes stode by with theyr clothes rent. And Io∣nadah the son of Simeah Dauids brother / answered, and sayd: let not my lorde suppose that they haue sleyne all the yonge men / the kynges sonnes, saue Amnon onely is deade. For that hath ben determyned in Absaloms mynde, sence he forced his syster Thamar. Now therfore, let not my lorde the kyng take [unspec G] the thynge so greuouslye, to thynke that all the kyng{is} sonnes are dead, but Amnon only is deade. But Absalom fled. And the yonge man that kepte the watche, lyfte vp his eyes and loked: And beholde, there came moche peple by a way that was behynde his backe / alonge by an hylles syde. And Ionadab sayd vnto the kynge: beholde, the kynges sonnes come: As thy seruaunte sayd, so it is. And as soone as he had lefte speakynge: beholde, the kynges sonnes came, & lyfte vp theyr voyces and wepte. The kynge also and all his ser∣uauntes wepte excedynglye. But Absalom escaped, & went to Thalmai the son of Ami∣hur kynge of Gesur. And Dauid mourned for his son euery daye. And so Absalom esca∣ped & went to Gesur, & was there thre yeres. And kynge Dauid desyred to go forth vnto Absalom: For where as Amnon was deade / he was comforted ouer hym.

¶ By the wysdom of the woman of Thekoa, Absalom is called.

CAPI. XIIII.

IOab the sonne of Zaruia perceyued, that [unspec A] the kynges herte was towarde Absalom / he sent to Thekoa, and fet thence a wyse woman, and sayd vnto her: fayne thy selfe to be a mourner, and put on mournynge appa∣rell. And anoynt not thy selfe with oyle. But be as a woman that had longe ••yme mour∣ned for some deade bodye. And come to the kynge, and speake of this maner vnto hym. And so Ioab taught her what she shulde say And when the woman of Thekoa had fall•••••• on her face to the grounde, and done obey∣saunce: she sayde vnto the kynge: helpe me O kynge. The kynge sayde vnto her: what [unspec B] ayleth the? She answered: I am a wedowe, and myne husbande is deade. And thy hand mayde had two sonnes, and they two fought togyther in the felde, (where was no man to go bitwene them) but the one smote the other and slewe hym. And beholde, the hoole kyn∣red is rysen agaynst thy handmayde, & they sayde: * 1.66 delyuer vs hym that smote his bro∣ther: that we maye kyll hym ☞ for the soule of his brother whome he slew. We wyll de∣stroye the heyre also. And so they shal quench my sparkle which is lefte, that he shall styrte vp (to my husbande) neyther name nor yssue vpon the earth. And the kynge sayde vnto [unspec C] the woman: go home to thyne house, I wyll gyue a charge for the. And the woman of Thekoa sayde vnto the kynge: My Lorde O kynge, this trespasse be on me, and on my fathers house, and the Kynge & his seate be gyltlesse. And the kynge sayde: yf any man saye ought vnto the, brynge hym to me, and he shall hurte the no more. Then sayde she: ☞ let the kyng remembre his lorde god, that the aduenger of the blood gather not on hea∣pes togyther to destroye, and that they sleye not my son. And he answered: as sure as the Lorde lyueth, * 1.67 there shall not one heere of thy son fall to the earth.

The woman sayde: let thyne handmayde [unspec D] speake one worde more vnto my Lorde the kynge. And he sayde: saye on. The woman sayde: Wherfore then hast thou determyned suche a thynge agaynst the people of God? For the kynge doth speake this thyng as one which is fautye, that he shulde not fet home agayne his banysshed. For we must nedes dye, & peryshe as water spylt on the ground / whiche can not be gathered vp ☞ agayne: Neyther doth God spare any soule. Let the kyng therfore fynde the meanes, that his ba∣nysshed be not vtterlye expelled from hym. Nowe therfore am I come, to speake of this thynge vnto the kynge my Lorde. For they that be of the people, wyll feare me. And thy handmayde sayd: Nowe wyll I speake vnto the kynge, peraduenture the kynge wyll per∣fourme the request of his handmayde.

And the kyng shal heare his handmayd / [unspec E] to delyuer her out of the hande of the man, that wolde haue destroyed me, & also my son out of the enheritaunce of god. And thyne handmayde sayd: the worde of my Lorde the kynge shal nowe be cōfortable. For my lorde the kynge is as an angell of god, in hearyng of good & bad: therfore the Lorde thy god be with the. Then the kynge answered, & sayde vnto the woman: hyde not from me (I praye the) the thyng that I shall aske the. And the woman sayde: Let my lorde the kynge nowe saye on. And the kynge sayde: Is not ☞ the hande of Ioab with the in al this matter? the woman answered, & sayde: * 1.68 As sure as thy soule lyueth my lorde kynge, there is els no man (on the ryght hande nor on the lefte) but as my lorde the kynge hath spoken, thy ser∣uaunt Ioab: He bad me, and he put all these wordes in the mouth of thyne handmayde.

For to the intent that I shulde alter my com∣municacyon, hath thy seruaunt Ioab done this thynge. And my Lorde is wyse, euen as an angel of god, to vnderstande all thynges that are in the earth. And the kynge sayd vn∣to Ioab: beholde, I am content to do this thynge. Go, & ••et home the chylde Absalom agayne. And Ioab fell to the grounde on his [unspec F] face, & bowed hym selfe, & ☞ blessed the kyng And Ioab sayd: now thy seruaunt knoweth / that I haue founde grace in thy syght (my lorde O kynge) in that the kynge hath ful∣fylled the request of his seruaunt. And so Io∣ab arose, & went to Gesur, & brought Absalō to Ierusalem. And the kynge sayde: let hym turne to his owne house, and not se my face. And so Absalom returned to his owne house & sawe not the kyng{is} face. But in all Israell there was not so goodlye a man as Absalom for he was very beautyfull: in so moche that frō the sole of his fole to the top of his heade, there was no blemesh in hym. And when he shaued his heade (for at euery yeres ende he shaued it, bicause the heere was heuy on him & must nedes shaue it) the heere of his head wayed. CC. syeles after the kynges weyght. And this Absalō had thre sonnes borne hym [unspec G] & one doughter, named Thamar, which was a fayre woman to loke vpō. So Absalō dwelt two yere in Ierusalem, & sawe not the kyng{is} face. Therfore Absalō sent for Ioab, to haue sent him to the kyng. But he wolde not come to hym. And when he sent agayne, he wolde not come. Therfore he sayd vnto his seruaū∣tes: behold, Ioab hath a parcell of lande fast by my place, and he hath barlye therin. Go / & set it on fyre. And Absaloms seruauntes set it on fyre. ❀ And Ioabs seruauntes came vvith theyr garmentes rent, and sayde. Absaloms ser∣uauntes haue burnt the pece of lande vvith fyre.

Then Ioab arose & came to Absalom vn∣to his house, & sayd vnto hym: wherfore hath thy seruaūtes burnt my felde with fyre. And Absalom answered Ioab: beholde, I sent for the, desyrynge the to come, bycause I wolde haue sent the to the kynge, for to saye: wher∣fore am I come from Gesur. It had ben bet∣ter for me / to haue ben there styll. Now ther∣fore wolde I se the kynges face. And yf there be any trespasse in me, kyll thou me. And so Ioab came to the kynge, & tolde hym: whiche when he had sent for Absalō, he came to the kynge, and fel to the grounde on his face be∣fore hym. And the kynge kyssed Absalom.

¶ Absalom maketh insurrection agaynst his father. Dauid is fayne to flee for feare of hym.

CAPI. XV.

AFter this it fortuned, that Absalom gat [unspec A] hym charettes & horses, & fyftye men to run before hym. And he rose vp earlye in the mornyng, & stode in the place of the en∣trynge in of the gate. And euery man that had any matter & came to the kyng for iudge¦ment, hym dyd Absalō call vnto hym, & sayd: of what citye arte thou? He answered, thy ser∣uaunt is of one of the trybes of Israell. And Absalom sayde vnto hym: se, thy matter is good & ryghteous, but there is no man de∣puted of the kynge to heare the. Absalō sayde moreouer: Oh, that I were made iudge in the lande, that euery man whiche hath any plee and matter in the lawe, myght come to me, & that I myght do hym Iustice? And whē any man came nygh to hym, and dyd hym obey∣saunce, he put forth his hande & toke hym to

hym, & kyssed hym. And on this maner dyd [unspec B] Absalom to all Israell that came to the kyng for Iudgement, and ☞ he stale the hertes of the men of Israel. And ☞ after fourtye yeres it fortuned that Absalō sayd vnto the kynge: let me go nowe ☞ to Hebron, & pay my vowe whiche I haue vowed vnto the lorde: for thy seruaunt vowed a vowe * 1.69 (when I was in Gesur in the lande of Siria) sayenge: yf the lorde shall brynge me agayne to Ierusalem / I wyll serue the Lorde. And the kynge sayde vnto hym: go in peace. And so he arose, and went to Hebron. But Absalō sent spyes tho∣rowout all the trybes of Israell sayenge: as soone as ye heare the voyce of the trompet blowe, ye shall saye: Absalom reygneth kyng in Hebron. And w^t Absalom went. CC. men [unspec C] out of Ierusalem, that were called. And they went with pure hertes, not knowyng of any thynge. And Absalom sent also for Ahitho∣phell the Gilonite Dauids coūseller, that he shulde come out of his citye Gilo, whyle he offered sacrifyces. And there was wrought stronge treason. For the peope went & increa¦sed with Absalom in multitude. And there came a messenger to Dauid, and sayde: the hertes of the men of Israell are turned after Absalom. And Dauid sayd vnto all his ser∣uauntes that were with hym at Ierusalem: vp, that we may be gone, for we shall not els escape from Absalō. Make spede to departe: lest he come sodenly, & catche vs, and brynge some myscheyfe vpon vs, & smyte the citye w^t the edge of the swerde. And the kyng{is} seruaū¦tes sayde vnto hym: beholde, thy seruauntes are redye, to do whatsoeuer my lord the kyng shal appoynt. And the kynge & all his house∣holde [unspec D] departed a foote. And he lefte behynde hym * 1.70 ten ☞ concubynes, to kepe the house. And so the kynge & all the people went out a fote, & taryed in a place that was far of. And all his seruauntes went about hym. And all the Cerethites & all the Phelethites, and all the Gethites ❀ (myghtye men of vvar) (euen vi. C. men whiche were come a fote frō Geth) went before the kynge. Then sayd the kynge to * 1.71Ithai the Gethite, wherfore cōmest thou with vs? Returne & abyde with the kyng, for thou arte a straunger, & arte remoued from thyne owne place. Thou camest but yester∣daye, and shulde I vnquyet the to day to go with vs? I wyll go whyther I can. Therfore returne thou, and carye agayne thy brethren. Mercye and trueth ❀ (shall the Lorde shevve vnto the.) And Ithai answered the kynge, & sayde: as trulye as the Lorde lyueth, in what place my Lorde the kynge shall be, whyther in death or lyfe, euen there also wyll thy ser∣uaunt be. And Dauid the kynge sayde to I∣thai: come then, and go forwarde. And Ithai the Gethite went forth, and all his men, and all the chyldren that were with hym. And all the countrey wepte with a loude voyce, and so dyd all the people that went forth.

The kynge also hym selfe passed ouer the [unspec E] broke Cydron. And all the people went to∣warde the waye that leadeth to the wylder∣nesse. And Sadock and al the Leuytes were with hym, and bare the arke of the appoynt∣ment of God. And there they set downe the arke of God. And Abiathar ☞ went vp, vn∣tyll the people were all come ouer, out of the citye. And the kynge sayde vnto Sadocke: Carye the arke of god agayne in to the citye.

Yf I shall fynde fauoure in the eyes of the Lorde, he wyll brynge me agayne, and shewe me bothe it, & the tabernacle therof. But and yf the Lorde thus saye: I haue no lust vnto the, beholde, here am I, let hym do with me / what semeth good in his eyes.

The kynge sayde also vnto Sadocke the [unspec F] preest: Arte not thou a * 1.72 Sear? Returne into the citye in peace. And take your two sonnes with you: Ahimaaz thy son, & Ionathas the son of Abiathar. Beholde, I wyll tarye in the feldes of the wyldernesse, vntyll there come some word from you to be tolde me. Sadock therfore and Abiathar caryed the arke of god agayne to Ierusalem, and they taryed there. And Dauid went vp on mount olyuete, and wepte as he went, and had his heade couered and went barefoote. And all the people that was with hym, had euery man his heade co∣uered, and as they went vp, they wepte also. And one tolde Dauid, sayenge: Ahithophell is one of them that haue conspyred with Ab∣salom: And Dauid sayd: O Lorde, turne the counsayle of Ahithophell in to folyshnesse.

When Dauid was come to the top of the [unspec G] mount ☞ he worshypped God: and beholde, Husai the Arachite came agaynst hym with his coote torne, and hauynge earth vpon his heade. Unto whome Dauid sayd: yf thou go with me, thou shalte be a burthen vnto me.

But yf thou returne to the Citye, and saye vnto Absalom: I wyll be thy seruaunt O kyng: (as I haue thus longe ben thy fathers seruaunt, so am I nowe thy seruaunt) thou mayst for my sake destroye the counsayle of * 1.73 Ahithophell. And thou hast there with the, Sadocke, and Abiathar the Preestes, vnto whome thou shalte shewe all that thou canst heare out of the kynges house. And beholde, they haue there with them theyr two sonnes,

Ahimaaz Sadockes sonne, and Ionathas Abiathers sonne: By them also shal ye sende me all that ye can heare. And so * 1.74 Husai Da∣uids frende gat hym to the citye. And Absa∣lom also entred into Ierusalem.

¶ ziba bryngynge presentes to Dauid / doth falsely ac∣cuse Miphiboseth. Semei curseth Dauid, and hur∣leth stones at hym. Absatom (by the counsell of Ahi∣thophell) lyeth with his fathers concubynes.

CAPI. XVI.

ANd when Dauid was a lytle paste the [unspec A] top of the hyll: beholde, Ziba the ser∣uaunte of Miphiboseth came to mete hym with a couple of Asses sadled, and vpon them two hundred loues / and one hundred bunches of reasyns, and an hundred frayles of dryed fygges, and a bottell of wyne. And the kynge sayde vnto Ziba: what meanest thou with these? And Ziba sayde: They be Asses ☞ for the kynges housholde to ryde on, and breade and fruyte for the yonge men to eate, and wyne: that such as be faynt in the wyldernesse, may drynke. And the kynge sayde: where is thy maysters Sonne? Ziba answered vnto the kynge: behold, he taryeth styll at Ierusalem. For he sayd: this day shal the house of Israell restore me the kyngdom of my father. Then sayde the kynge to Ziba, beholde, thyne are all that perteyned vnto * 1.75 Miphiboseth. And Ziba sayde: I beseche the that I may fynde grace in thy syght, my Lorde, O kynge.

And when kynge Dauid came to Bahu∣rim: [unspec B] beholde, thence came out a man of the kynted of the house of Saull, named * 1.76 Se∣mei the son of Gera, & he came out cursynge. And he cast stones at Dauid, and at all the seruauntes of kynge Dauid: All the people also & all the men of war were on his ryght hande, and on his lefte. And thus sayde * 1.77 Se∣mei when he cursed: come forthe, come forthe thou bloodsheder, and thou man of Belyall.

The Lorde hath brought vpon the all the bloode of the house of Saull, in whose steade thou hast reygned, and the Lorde hath dely∣uered the kyngdome into the hande of Absa∣lom thy sonne. And beholde thou arte come to thy mischeyfe, bycause thou arte a blood∣sheder. Then sayde Abisai, the sonne of Zar∣uia vnto the kynge: why dothe this deade dog curse my lorde the kynge? let me go now and take of the heade of hym.

And the kynge sayde: what haue I to do [unspec C] with you ye sonn{is} of Zaruia: Let hym curse: for the Lorde hath byden hym curse Dauid. Who dare then say: wherfore hast thou done so? And Dauid sayd to Abisai, and to all his seruauntes, beholde, my son whiche came of myne owne bodye, seketh my lyfe. How moch more then maye this Sonne of Iemini do it? Suffre hym to curse, * 1.78 for the Lorde hath bydden hym: haplye the Lorde wyll loke on my wretchednes, and do me good for his cur∣synge this daye. And as Dauid and his men went by the waye, Semei went alonge on the hylles syde ouer agaynst hym, and cursed as he went, & threwe stones at hym, and cast dust. And the Kynge and all that were with hym came werye, and refresshed them selues ☞ * 1.79 there. And Absalom and all the people of the men of Israel came to Ierusalem, and Ahithophell was with hym.

And as soone as Husai the Arachite Da∣uids frende was come vnto Absalō, he sayde vnto hym: God saue the kynge, God saue the kynge. And Absalom sayd agayne to Husai: is this the kyndnes thou owest to thy frend? Why wentest thou not with hym? Husai an∣swered vnto Absalom: nay not so, but whom the Lorde and this people and all the men of Israell chose, his wyll I be, and with hym wyll I dwell. Moreouer, vnto whome shall I do seruice, but euen to his sonne? And as I was seruaunt before with thy father, euen so shall I be with the. Then spake Absalom to Ahithophell: gyue counsayle, what is best for vs to do. And Ahithophell sayde vnto Absa∣lom: get the in vnto thy Fathers * 1.80 concubi∣nes whiche he hath lefte to kepe the house. And all Israell shall heare, that thou ☞ arte cast out of thy father: then shall the handes of all that are w^t the, be stronge. And so they pytched Absalom a tent vpon the ☞ top of the house. And he went in vnto his Fathers concubynes in the syght of all Israell.

And the counsayle of Ahithophell whiche he councelled in those dayes, was as a man had asked counsayle of God: euen so was all the counsayle of Ahithophell, both with Da∣uid and with Absalom.

¶ Ahithophell, seynge his counsell disalowed of ••us•••• and forsaken, hangeth hym selfe.

CAPI. XVII.

AHithophel sayde vnto Absalom: let me [unspec A] chose out nowe. xii. M. men. And I wyl vp, & folow after Dauid by nyght. And I wyl come vpon hym, whyle he is werye & weyke handed, & wyll feare hym. And all the people that are w^t hym, shal flee. And so wyl I smyte the kynge onlye, and wyll brynge agayne all the people vnto the, ❀ euen as easely as yf I wolde brynge any other thyng. And when I haue sleyn the man whom thou sekest, al the peple shall haue rest. And the saynge pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israell.

Then sayd Absalom: call also Husai the Ara∣chite, and let vs heare his counsayle. When Husai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake vnto hym, sayenge: Ahithophell hath gyuen suche counsell: Shal we do after his saynge, or no? tell thou.

Husai answered vnto Absalom: the coun∣sayle that Ahithophel hath gyuē, is not good [unspec B] at this tyme. For (sayd Husai) y^u knowest thy father, & his men howe that they be stronge? And yf they be chaufed in theyr myndes, they are euen as a * 1.81 Beare robbed of her whelpes in the feelde. Thy father is a man also practi¦sed in warre, & maketh no taryenge with the people: beholde, he lurketh now in some caue or in some other place. And though some of his me be ouerthrowen at the fyrst brunt, yet they that heare it wyll saye: The people that foloweth Absalom, be put to the worse. And the best men thou haste, whose hertes are as the hertes of Lyons, shal shrynke therat. For al Israel knoweth, that thy father is a migh∣tye man, and they which be with hym are all men of warre.

Therfore my counsayle is, that all Israel [unspec C] be gathered vnto the, from Dan to Beerseba (which are as the sande of the see in nombre) and that thou go to battayle in thyne owne person. For so shal we come vpon hym in one place or other, where we shal fynde hym, and we wyll fall vpon hym, euen as thycke as the dewe falleth on the grounde. And of all the men that are with him, we shal not leaue him one. Moreouer, yf he be gotten into a towne, then shall all the men of Israel bryng ropes to that citye, and we wyl drawe it into the ry∣uer, vntyll there be not one stone foūde there. And Absalom and al the men of Israel sayd: the counsayle of Husai the Arachite is better then the counsell of Ahithophel. * 1.82 For it was euen the lordes determinacion to destroy the good counsayle of Ahithophel: that the lorde myght bryng euyll vpon Absalom. [unspec D]

Then sayd * 1.83 Husai vnto Sadocke & Abia that the preestes: of this and that maner dyd Ahithophel and the elders of Israell coun∣sayle Absalom. And thus and thus haue I counsayled. Nowe therfore sende quyckely, and shewe Dauid, saynge: tary not all nyght in the feldes of the wyldernesse, but get the ouer, lest the kyng be deuoured & all the peo∣ple that are with hym. Nowe Ionathas and Ahimaaz abode by the well Rogell: (for they myght not be sene to come into the citie.) And a wenche went & tolde them. And they wente, and shewed kynge Dauid.

Neuerthelesse a lad sawe them, and tolde [unspec E] it to Absalom. But they wente bothe of them away quyckly, and came to a mannes house in Bahurim, whiche had a wel in his yearde, into the whiche they went downe. And a wo∣man toke & spred a couerlet ouer the welles mouth, and strawed furmenty corne theron. And the thyng was not spyed. And when Ab¦saloms seruaūt{is} cam to the wife, to the house they sayde. Where is Ahimaaz & Ionathas? The woman answered them: they be gone ouer the lytell broke of water. And when they had sought them and coulde not fynde them, they returned to Ierusalem. And as soone as [unspec F] they were departed, the other came out of the well, & went and tolde kynge Dauid, & sayde vnto hym: vp, & get you quyckly ouer the wa¦ter, for suche counsayle hath Ahithophel gy∣uen, agaynst you. Then Dauid arose, and al the peple that were w^t hym, & they were come ouer Iordan by that it was day: so that there lacked not one of them, that was not come o∣uer Iordan. And when Ahithophel saw, that his counsayle was not folowed, he sadled his Asse, & arose, and gat hym home to his owne house, & to his owne citye, and put his house holde in order, & hanged hym selfe, & dyed, & was buryed in the sepulthre of his father.

Then Dauid came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed ouer Iordan, he and all the [unspec G] men of Israel with hym. And Absalom made Amasa captayn of the hoost in stede of Ioab whiche Amasa was a mannes sonne named Iethra an Israelite, that went in to Abigail the doughter of Nahas, syster to Zeruia Io∣abs mother. So Israel & Absalō pytched in the lande of Gilead. And when Dauid was come to Mahanaim, Sobi the son of Nahas out of * 1.84 Rabba the citie of the chyldrē of Am∣mon, & Machir the son of Ammiel out of Lo∣deber, & * 1.85 Berzela•• the Geliadite out of Ro∣glim, brought bedd{is}, basyns, earthen vessels, wheat & barly, floure, & parched corne, beenes rice, ootemele, hony, butter, shepe, & chese of kyne, for Dauid & al the people that were w^t him, to eate. For they sayd: the people is hun∣grye, werye, and thrystye in the wyldernesse.

¶ 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.

CAPI. XVIII.

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 w^t 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, & * 1.86 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 w^t 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 * 1.87 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.

¶ Dauid is restored to his kyngdom, and brought agayne to Ierusalem.

CAPI. XIX.

AND it was tolde Ioab: beholde, the [unspec A] kyng wepeth & mourneth for Absalom. And the victory of that day was turned in to mournyng vnto all the people. For the people herde say that day, howe the kyng so∣rowed for his son. And the people stale away that day from goynge in to the citye, as peo∣ple cōfounded steale away, when they flee in battayle. But the kynge hyd his face, & cryed with a loude voyce. O my son Absalom, O Absalom my son, my son. And Ioab came in to the house to the kynge, and sayd: thou hast shamed this day the faces of al thy seruaunt{is} which this day haue saued thy lyfe, & the ly∣ues of thy son{is} & of thy doughters, & the liues of thy wyues, and of thy concubines, in that thou louest thyne enemyes, & hatest thy fren∣des. For thou hast declared this daye, that y^u regardest neyther thy ••ordes nor seruauntes.

And this daye I do perceyue, that yf Ab∣salom [unspec B] had lyued, & all we had dyed this daye, that had pleased the well. Nowe therfore vp, and come out, and speake kyndely vnto thy seruauntes. For I swere by the lorde, excepte thou come out, there wyll not tary one man with the this nyght. And that wyll be worse vnto the, then all the euyl that fell on the frō thy youth vnto this houre. Then the kynge arose, & sat downe in the gate. And they tolde vnto al the people, saynge. Beholde, the king doth syt in the gate. And all the people came before the kyng▪ But Israel fled, euery man to his tent. And it fortuned that al the people were at stryfe thorowout all the tribes of Is∣rael, sayenge: The kynge saued vs out of the hande of our enemyes, he delyuered vs out of the hande of the Philistines, and nowe he is fled out of the lande for Absalom. But Ab∣salom whom we anoynted ouer vs: is deade in battayle. Therfore, why are ye so styl, that ye brynge not the kynge agayne.

And kynge Dauid sent to Sadocke and [unspec C] Abiathar the preestes, sayeng: Speake vnto the elders of Iuda & say: why are ye behynde to bryng the kyng agayne to his house, seing that suche tydynges is come from all Israel vnto the kynge euen to his house? ❀ (For the kyng had sayd. Thus shal ye say vnto the people of ••uda.) Ye are my brethren, my bones & my fleshe: wherfore thē are ye the last that bryng the kyng home agayn? And say ye to Amasa: art thou not of my bone & of my flesshe? God do so and so to me, yf thou be not captayne of the hoost to me for euer in the roume of Ioab

And he bowed the hertes of all the men of Iuda, euen as the herte of one man: so that they sent this worde to the kynge: Returne y^u with all thy seruauntes. So the kyng retur∣ned, and came to Iordan. And Iuda came to Gilgal, for to go downe to mete the kynge & to conuay hym ouer Iordā. And S••mei * 1.88 the sonne of Gera, the sonne of Gemini, whiche was of Bahurim, hasted, and came with the men of Iuda to mete kyng Dauid, and there were a thousande mē of Beniamin with hym & * 1.89 Ziba the seruaunt of the house of Saul & his. xv. sonnes and twentye seruauntes with hym. And they wente quyckely ouer Iordan before the kyng. And there went ouer a boote that caryed ouer the kynges housholde, and they dyd hym pleasure.

And S••mei the sonne of Gera fell before [unspec D] the kyng (as he was come ouer Iordan) and sayd vnto hym: let not my lorde impute wyc∣kednesse vnto me, nor remembre the thynges (that thy seruaunt dyd wyckedlye when my Lorde the kyng departed out of Ierusalem) that the kynge shulde take it to herte. For thy seruaunt doth knowe, how that I haue done amysse. And therfore beholde, I am the fyrst this day ☞ of all the house of Ioseph, that am come to go downe, to mete my Lorde the kyng. But Abisat the sonne of Zeruia answe¦red, and sayd: shall not Semei dye for this, bycause he cursed the Lordes anoynted? And Dauid sayd: What matter is bytwene you & me ye sonnes of Zeruia? For this daye ye be aduersaries vnto me. Shall there any man dye this day in Israel? Do not I know that I am this day kyng ouer Israel? And ther∣fore the kynge sayd vnto Semei: thou shalte not dye, and the kyng sware vnto hym.

And Miphiboseth the son of Saul came [unspec E] also to mete the kyng, & had neyther wasshed his fete, nor shauen his beerde, nor wasshed his cloth{is} frō the tyme the kyng departed, vn¦tyl he came agayne in peace. And it fortuned that when he was come to Ierusalem, & met

the kyng, the kyng sayd vnto hym: wherfore wentest thou not with me Miphiboseth? He answered: My lorde, O kynge, my seruaunt deceyued me. For thy seruaunt sayd, I wolde haue myne Asse sadled to ryde theron, for to go to the kyng, bycause thy seruaunt is lame. And Ziba hath falsly reported of thy seruaūt vnto my lorde the kynge. And my Lorde the kyng is as an angel of god: do therfore what semeth good in thyne eyes. For al my fathers house were but dead men before my lorde the kyng: and yet dydest thou put thy seruaunt amonge them that dyd eate at thyne owne table. What ryght therfore haue I yet, to cry any more vnto the kyng? And the kyng sayd vnto hym: Why speakest thou yet in thyne owne cause? ❀ (It is determyned, that) I haue sayd, thou & Ziba deuyde the landes bytwene you. And Miphiboseth sayd vnto the kyng: yea let hym take all: for so moche as my lorde the kynge is come agayne in peace vnto his owne house.

And Berselai the Gileadite came downe [unspec F] from Roglim, and wente ouer Iordan with the kyng, to conuay hym ouer Iordan. Berse¦lai was a very aged man, euen. iiii score yere olde, and prouyded the kyng of sustenaunce. whyle he lay at Mahanaim: for he was a mā of very great substaunce. And the kyng sayd vnto Berselai: come thou with me, and I wyl fede the with me in Ierusalem. And & Ber∣selai* 1.90 sayd vnto the kynge: I am thus olde, & howe am I able to go vp with the kyng vn∣to Ierusalem? I am this day foure score yere olde: and ☞ can I descerne bytwene good & euyll? Hath thy seruaunt any taste in that he eateth or drynketh? Can he heare anye more the voyce of syngynge men & women? Wher∣fore then shuld thy seruaunt be yet a burthen vnto my Lorde the kyng? Thy seruaunt wyl go a lytell way ouer Iordan with the kynge: and why wyl the king recompence it me with suche a rewarde? Oh, let thy seruaunt turne backe agayne that I may dye in myne owne citye, & (be buryed) in the graue of my father & of my mother. Beholde, here is thy seruaūt ☞ Chimean: let hym go with my Lorde the kynge, and do to hym, what shall please the.

And the kyng answered: Chimean shal go [unspec G] with me. And I wyll do to hym that y^u shalte be content with. And what soeuer thou shalte requyre of me, that same wyll I do for the. And all the people wente ouer Iordan. And when the kyng was come ouer Iordā, he kys∣sed Berselai, and ☞ blessed hym, & he wente backe agayne vnto his owne place. And then the kyng went to Gilgal, and Chimean went with hym, and so dyd all the people of Iuda, and brought ouer the kynge, and there were but halfe the men of Israel.

And beholde, all the men of Israell came to the kynge, and sayd vnto hym: why haue our brethren the mē of Iuda stolne the away and haue brought the kyng & his housholde and al Dauids men with hym ouer Iordan•• And all the men of Iuda answered the men of Israel: the kynge is nere of kyn to vs. wherfore be ye angry for that mattter? thinke ye that we eate of the kynges cost, or that we take vs any gyftes? And the men of Israell answered the men of Iuda, & sayd: We haue ten partes in the kynge, & haue therto more ryght to Dauid then ye. Why then dyd ye de∣spyse vs, that our aduyse shulde not be fyrst had in restorynge our kyng agayne? And the word{is} of the men of Iuda were fearcer, then the wordes of the men of Israel.

¶ Seba the sonne Bichri cayseth Israel agaynst Dauid. Ioab kylleth Amasa trayterously. The heade of Seba is delyuered to Ioab. Dauids receyuers are nombred.

CAPI. XX.

WHen there came thyther a certayne mā [unspec A] of Belial (named Seba, the son of Bi¦chri, a man of Gemini) he blew a trom∣pet & sayd: we haue no parte in Dauid, ney∣ther haue we enheritaunce in the son of Isai, let the men of Israell depart vnto theyr cen∣tes. And so euery man of Israell went from Dauid, and folowed Seba the son of Bichri. But the men of Iuda claue fast vnto theyr kyng, from Iordan to Ierusalem. And Da∣uid came to his house to Ierusalem, * 1.91 & toke the ten women his concubines, that he had lefte behynde hym to kepe the house, and put them in warde, and fed them: but lay no more w^t them. And so they were enclosed vnto the day of theyr death, lyuyng in wydowhode.

Then sayde the kynge ••o Amasa: Cal me [unspec B] the men of Iuda togyther agaynst the thyrde day, & be thou here also. And so Amasa went to gather the men of Iuda togyther: but ta∣ryed longer, then the tyme whiche he had ap∣poynted hym. And Dauid sayde to Abisai: Nowe shall Seba the sonne of Bichri do vs more harme, then dyd Absalom. Take thou therfore ☞ thy lordes seruauntes, & folowe after hym: lest he get hym walled cityes, and escape vs. And there wente out after hym Ioabs men, and the Crethites and the Phe∣lethites, and al the myghtyest men. And they departed out of Ierusalem to folowe after Seba the sonne of Bichri. And when they were at the greate stone in Gibeon, Amasa went before them.

And Ioabs garment (that he had aboute [unspec C] hym) was gyrde vnto hym, and he had gyr∣ded theron, a knyfe, whiche was ioyned fast to his loynes, in suche a shethe, that (as he went) it fell some tymes out. And Ioab sayd to Amasa: art thou in helth my brother? And Ioab toke Amasa by the chyn with the ryght hande, to * 1.92 kysse hym. But Amasa toke no hede to the knyfe that was in Ioabs hande, for therwith he smote hym * 1.93 in the shorte ryb¦bes, and shed out his bowels to the grounde, and thrust at hym no more, and he dyed.

So Ioab and Abisai his brother folowed [unspec D] after Seba the sonne of Bichri. And one of Ioabs men ☞ stode by hym, and sayde: He that beareth any fauoure to Ioab, or good wyll to Dauid, let hym go after Ioab? And Amasa lay walowed of blood, in the myddes of the way. And there was a man, which whē he saw that * 1.94 al the people stode styl, he rolled Amasa out of the way in to the felde, and cast a cloth vpon him, bycause he sawe that euery one that came, stode styl by hym. And as sone as he was tombled out of the way, al the peo¦ple went after Ioab, to folowe after Seba the sonne of Bichri.

And he went thorowe all the tribes of Is∣rael [unspec E] vnto Abel, and to Bethmaacha and all the places of Barim. And they gathered to∣gyther, & went after him. And they came and beseyged hym in Abell and in Bethmaacha.

And they cast vp a banke agaynst the citye that stode in the valley. Al the peple that was with Ioab, thrust at the wal to ouerthrow it. Then cryed a wyse woman oute of the cytie, heare, heare, byd Ioab come hyther, that I may speake with him. When Ioab was come vnto her, the woman sayde: arte thou Ioab? He answered: I am he. She sayd vnto hym: heare the wordes of thy handmayde? And he answered: I do heare. And she sayd agayne.

❀ They speake in the olde tyme, sayenge: [unspec F] ☞ men must aske of Abel & so haue they con¦tynuid hytherto: I am one of them that are peaceable & faythfull in Israel. And y^• goest aboute to destroy a citye and a mother in Is∣rael. Why wyite y^• deuoure the enheritaunce of the lorde? And Ioab answered, and sayde: God forbyd, God forbyd it me, that I shulde eyther deuoure or destroy. The matter is not so, but a man of mount Ephraim (Seba the son of Bichri by name) hath ☞ lyfte vp his hande agaynst the kyng, euē agaynst Dauid. Delyuer vs him onely, & I wyl departe from the citye. And the woman sayde vnto Ioab: Beholde, his heade shalbe throwen vnto the, ouer the wall. And then the womā went vnto all the people ☞ with her wysdom. And they smote of the head of Seba the son of Bichri, [unspec G] & cast it out to Ioab. * 1.95 And he blewe a trom∣pet, and they scattered from the citye, euery man to his tente. And Ioab returned to Ie∣rusalem, vnto the kynge. ☞ Ioab was ouer all the hoost of Israell. And Banaia the son of Iehoiada was ouer the Crethites & Phe∣lethites. And Aduram was ouer the tribute. And Iehosaphat the sonne of Ahilud was recorder. Seua was scribe. And Sadocke & Abiathar were the preestes. And Ira the Iai∣rete ☞ was Dauids preest.

¶ Thre deare yeares. The vengeaūce of the synnes of Saul lyghteth on his seuen sonnes, which are hanged. Foure great battayles••, which Dauid had agaynst the Philistines.

CAPI. XXI.

THen there fell an hunger in the dayes of Dauid, thre yeres togyther, And Dauid [unspec A] ••••quired of the lorde. And the Lorde answe∣red: it is for Saul, and the house of blood, by¦cause he slue the * 1.96 Gibaonites. And the kyng called the Gibaonites, and sayde vnto them. (Now the Gibaonites were not of the * 1.97 chyl∣dren of Israel, but a remenaunt of the Amo∣rites, and the chyldren of Israell sware vnto them: And Saull sought to sley them, for a zelle that he had to the chyldren of Israel and of Iuda.) wherfore Dauid sayd vnto them what shall I do for you, & wherwith shall I make the attonement, that ye may ☞ blesse the enheritaunce of the Lorde▪ The Gibao∣nites answered hym: we wyll haue no syluer▪ nor golde, of Saul nor of his house, neyther is it our mynde, that thou shuldest kyll any man in Israel. He sayd: what say ye th••n that I shall do for you? They answered the kyng:

The man that consumed vs, and ymage∣ned [unspec B] to brynge vs to nought, hym wyl we de∣stroy, that nought of hym contynue in any of the coostes of Israel. Let seuen men of his sonnes be delyuered vnto vs, & we wyl hang them vp vnto the Lorde, in Gibeah of Saul whom the Lorde dyd chose. And the kynge sayde: I wyll gyue them you.

But the kynge had compassyon on Miphi∣boseth the sonne of Ionathas, the sonne of Saull bycause of the Lordes othe that was bytwene them: euen bytwene Dauid and Io¦nathas the sonne of Saul. But he toke the two sonnes of Rizpa the doughter of Aia, (whom she bare vnto Saul) euen Armoni & Miphiboseth, and the .v. sonnes of Michol, (the doughter of Saul) whome she bare to Adriel the son of Barselai the Meholathite. And he delyuered them vnto the handes of the Gibeonites, whiche hanged them in the hyll before the Lorde.

And they fell all seuen togyther, and were sleyne in the dayes of haruest: euē in the fyrst dayes & in the begynnyng of barley haruest.

And Rizpa the doughter of Aia toke sacke cloth and ☞ hanged it vp for them vpon the rocke, euen from the begynnynge of haruest vntyl rayne dropped vpon them out of heuē: and suffered neyther the byrdes of the ayre to fall on them by day, nor beastes of the felde by night. And it was tolde Dauid what Rizpa [unspec C] the doughter of Aia the concubyne of Saul had done: and Dauid went, & toke the bones of Saul and of Ionathas his son, from the men of Iabes in Gilead (whiche had stolen them from the strete of Bethsan, where the Philistines had hanged them when the Phi∣listines had sleyne Saul in Gilboa.) And he brought thence the bones of Saul, & the bo∣nes of Ionathas his sonne, and they toke vp the bones of them that were hanged. And the bones of Saul and Ionathas his sonne bu∣ried they in the coūtrey of Beniamin in Zela, in the sepulchre of Cis his father. And when they had performed al that the king cōmaun¦ded. God was then at one with the lande.

It fortuned, that the Philistines had yet war agayne with Israel. And Dauid went downe & his seruauntes with hym, & fought agaynst the Philistines. And Dauid waxed fayntie, & Iesbi of Nob one of the sonnes of the gyaūtes (the yron of whose speare wayed ☞ thre hundred sycles, & he beyng gyrded w^t a newe swerde) thought to haue sleyne Da∣uid. * 1.98 But Abisaia the son of zaruia socoured hym, and smote the Philistine, & kylled hym. [unspec D] Then the seruauntes of Dauid sware vnto hym, saynge: Thou shalte go no more out w^t vs to battayle, that thou quenche not ☞ the lyght of Israel. And yet after this, there was a battayle with the Philistines at Nob, and then Sibbechat the Husathite slue Saph, which was one of the sonnes of the gyaūtes.

And there was yet an other battayle in * 1.99 Nob with the Philistines, where Eihanā the son of the Iaere Orgim, a Bethleemite slue one Goltath a gethite: the staffe of whose spere was as great as a weuers cloth beame And there was yet an other battayle in Geth where was a man of a great stature, & had on euery hande. vi. fyngers, and on euery foote vi. toes xxiiii. in al. And was borne also of the kynred of the giauntes in Geth. And wen he defyed Israell, Ionathas the son of Simea the brother of Dauid, slue hym. These foure giauntes were borne in Geth, and fell in to the hande of Dauid and in to the handes of his seruauauntes.

¶ The songe of Dauid for his delyueraunce from his enemyes.

CAPI. XXII.

ANd Dauid spake the wordes of this [unspec A] song vnto the lorde, what tyme the lord had delyuered hym out of the hande of all his enemyes, & out of the hande of Saul. And he sayd: the lorde is ☞ my rocke and my castel, & my delyuerer. God is my strength, in hym wyl I trust: he is my shelde, & the horne of my saluacyon: my worshyp & my refuge: my sauiour, thou shalt saue me from wrong. * 1.100 I wyll prayse and call on the Lorde, and so shall I be saued from myne enemyes. For the corrupcyons of death closed me aboute: the floudes of Beliall put me in feare. The so∣rowes of hel compassed me about: the snares of death ouertoke me. In my tribulaciō wyl I call vpon the lorde, & crye to my god. And he shal heare my voyce out of his temple, & my crye shall entre into his eares. The earth trembled & quaked: ☞ the foundacyons of heuen moued & shoke, when he was angrye.

Smoke went vp in his wrath, and consu∣ming fyre out of his mouth, coles were kend∣led therof. And he bowed heuen, and came [unspec B] downe, & there was darkenes vnder his fete. And he sat vpon Cherub and dyd flye, ☞ he was sene caried vpon the wyng{is} of the wynd He made darkenesse a tabernacle rounde a∣boute hym, with waters gathered togyther in thycke cloudes. Thorowe the bryghtnesse of his presence were the fyre coles kyndled.

God thundred from heuen, and he that is moost hygh, doth put out his voyce. He shot arowes, & scattered them: he hurled lyghte∣nyng, and dyscomfyted them. The flowyng{is} of the see appeared, & the foundacions of the worlde were sene, by the reason of the rebu∣kynge of the lorde, & thorowe the blastyng of the breth of his nose thryls. He shal sende frō heuen, & fet me, he shal plucke me out of ma∣ny waters. He shal deliuer me frō my myghty aduersary, & fro myne enmyes, for they are to strong for me. When they had ouertaken me in the day of my tribulacion, the lorde stayed me vp: for he brought me out into roumth, he delyuered me, bicause he had a loue vnto me.

* 1.101 The Lorde wyl rewarde me accordynge to my ryghteousnesse: accordyng to the pure∣nesse [unspec C] of my handes wyll he recompence me. For I haue kepte the wayes of the Lorde, & done no wyckednes agaynst my god. For all his lawes are in my syght, and his statutes wyll not I put awaye fro me. In his syght also haue I bene vndefyled, & ☞ haue kepte me fro myne iniquite.

And the Lorde dyd to me agayne, accor∣dyng to my ryghteousnes, euen after my pu∣renesse in his eye syght. With the godly thou shalte be godly, and with the man that is vn¦corrupte, thou shalt be vncorrupte. With the pure, thou shalte be pure: and with the fro∣warde, thou shalt be frowarde.

And the people that are in aduersyte, thou shalte helpe. And on the proude shalte thou cast thyne eyes. Thou arte my lyght O lorde the Lorde shall lyght my darknesse. For w^t thy helpe I wyll run thorowe an hoost of mē, and in ☞ my God wyl I spryng ouer a wal. ☞ God is vncorrupte in his way: the worde of the Lorde is tryed in the fyre, he is the de∣fender of al them that trust in hym. For who is a God, saue the Lorde? & who is myghtye, saue our god? God strengtheth me w^t power, and ☞ ryddeth the way cleare before me. He maketh my feete lyke hartes feete, & setteth me fast vpon my hye holde. * 1.102 He teacheth my handes to fyght, that euen a bowe of stcle is to weake for myne armes.

Thou hast gyuen me the shelde of thy sal∣uacion, [unspec D] and with thy louyng mekenesse thou doest multiplie me. Thou shalte make me space to walke in, & my legges shall not fayle me. I wyll folowe vpon myne enemyes and destroy them, and turne not agayne vntyll I haue consumed them. I wyll waste them and smyte them, that they shal not be able to arise Yea, they shall fal vnder my fete. Thou hast gyrded me about with myght to battayle, & them that arose agaynst me, hast y^• subdued vnder me. And thou madest myne enemyes (& them that hated me) to turne theyr backes to me, that I myght destroy them. They loke for helpe, but there is none to saue them: Yea euen vnto the Lorde do they crye, but he hea∣reth them not. I wyll beate them as small as the duste of the earth: I wyll stampe them as the dyrte of the streete, and wyll spreade them abrode. Thou shalte delyuer me from the dyscencion of my people: thou shalt kepe me to be an heade ouer nacions: the peple which I knewe not, shall serue me.

Straunge chyldren dissemble withme: At the hearynge of the eare they obey me.

Straunge chyldren wyll shrynke away / and they shall be smytten with feare in theyr preuye chambre. God is alyue, and blessed be my maker: magnified be God, my moost stronge saluacion. It is god that aduengeth me, & bryngeth downe the people vnder me. He delyuereth me from myne enemyes, thou also shalte lyfte me vp on hyghe frome them that ryse agaynst me, thou shalte delyuer me from the wycked men. And therfore I wyll prayse the (O lorde) amonge the nacyons, & wyll synge vnto thy name. Whiche sheweth great saluacion for his kyng, & dealeth mer∣cyfully with his anoynted: euen with Dauid and with his seede for euermore.

¶ The last cōmunicatyon of Dauid, and the descryptyo•• of the myghtye men to hym belongynge.

CAPI. XXIII.

THese be ☞ the last sayenges of Dauid. [unspec A] Dauid the son of Isai sayd. And the mā (which was made the anoynted of the god of Iacob, & the noble Psalmist of Israel) sayde: the spirite of the lord spake by me, & his word was in my tonge. The God of Israell spake ☞ of me, euen the moost myghtye of Israel, sayde: he that beareth rule ouer men, oughte to rule iustly in the feare of God. And as the mornyng lyght when the sonne is vp, a mor∣nyng in which are no cloud{is} to let the bright∣nesse, and as the grasse of the earth is by the vertue of the rayne. ☞ Is not my house so with God? * 1.103 For he hath made with me an euerlastyng couenaunt, perfyte, and sute in all poyntes: and this is truely all my he••che and all my desyre that it growe. But the vn∣godly man of Belial shalbe as a thorne clene plucked vp, whiche can not be taken w^t han∣des: But the mā that shall touche them, must haue yron, or a longe helue: * 1.104 Or els muste they be burnt with fyre in the same place.

These be the names of the myghtye men [unspec B] whom Dauid had: ☞ one that sat in the seat of wysdome, beyng cheyfest among thre▪ plea¦saunt was he and strong: he slue eyght hun∣dred at one tyme. After hym was Eleazar the son of Dodi the son of Ahohi, one of the thre worthyes with Dauid, which defied the Phi∣listines that were there gathered togyther to battayle: Whē the men of Israell were gone vp, he arose & layde on the Philistines, vntyl his hande was wery, & claue vnto the swerde And the Lorde gaue great victorye the same day. And the people ❀ (vvhiche had fled) retur¦ned, & went after hym to run to the spoyle. After hym was Sāma the son of Age the Ha¦rarite: & the Philistines gathered togyther besyde a towne (where was a parcell of lande ful of rice) & the people fled from the Philisti¦nes. But he stode in the myddes of the groūd and defended it, & slue the Philistines. And the lorde gaue great victory.

* 1.105 These thre (whiche were of the thyrtie cheyfe captaynes) went downe to Dauid in the haruest tyme vnto the caue Adullā, & the hoost of the Philistines abode in the valey of Gyauntes. And Dauid was then in an holde.

And the souldiours of the Philistines were [unspec C] in Bethleem. And Dauid longed, and sayde. Oh, that I had of the water that is in the wel by the gate of Bethleem, for to drynke. And the thre myghtye brake thorowe the hoost of the Philistines, and fet water out of the well of Bethleem that was by the gate and toke & brought it to Dauid: Neuerthelesse he wolde not drynke therof, but offred it vnto the lorde and sayde: the Lorde forbyd that I shulde do so. Is not this the blood of the mē that went in ieoperdye of theyr lyues? and therfore he wolde not drynke it. And these thynges dyd these thre myghtye men. * 1.106 Abisai the brother of Ioab, the sonne of Seruiah, was cheyfe among the thre, and he lyfte vp his speare a∣gaynst thre hundred, and slue them, and had the name among the thre. For he was nobler man then the thre, and was theyr captayne.

Howbeit he atteyned not vnto ❀ (the fyrst) thre. And Banaiahu the sonne of Iehoiada (the son of a myghty man) valyaunt in actes, of Kabzeel, slue two strong lyons, euen lyons of Moab. He went downe also, & slue a lyon in a pyt in tyme of snowe. And he slue an E∣gyptian, a goodly byg man, whiche had a speare in his hande. But he went downe to him with a staffe, and plucked the speare out of the Egyptians hande, and slue hym with his owne speare: These thynges dyd Bana∣tahu [unspec D] the son of Iehoiada, and had the name among the thre worthyes. He was honoura∣ble among thirtie, but he atteyned not to the (fyrst) thre. And Dauid made hym of his coū∣sell. Asahel the brother of Ioab also was one of the thyrtie. Thē Elhanam the son of Dodo of Bethleem: Sāma the Haronite: Elica the Harodite: Helez the Paltite: Ira the sonnes Akes the Thekoite: Abiezer of Anathoth: Meobnal the Husathite: zelmon an Ahohite: Maharai the Netophathite: Heleb the sonne of Baanah an Netophathite: Ithai the son of Ribai out of an hyl of the chyldren of Ben¦iamin: Banaiahu the Phirathonite: Hedai, of the ryuer of Gaas: Abialbon the Arba∣••hice: Asmaueth a Barhumite: Elihaba a Sa¦albonite: & the sonnes of Iasen, Ionathas. Sāma the Hararite: Ahiam the son of Sa∣rer an Hararite: Eliphelet the son of Aisbai, the son of a Maachathite: Eliam the son of Aithophel the Gilonite: Hezrai y^• Carmelite: Paarai the arbite: Igall the son of Nathan of Zoba: Banithe Gadite, Zelec an Amonite Naharai a Berothite, which was the harnes bere•• of Ioab the sonne of Zaruia: Ira the Iethrite: Gareb the Iethrite: Uria the Hethit thyrtye and seuen in all.

¶ Dauid causeth the people to be nombred, and therfore is Israell plaged with Pestilence, so that in thre dayes there dyed. ixi. thousande.

CAPI. XXIIII.

ANd agayne, the Lorde was wrothe a∣gaynst [unspec A] Israell, and ☞ Dauid moued hym agaynst them, in that he sayd: * 1.107 go and nombre Israel and Iuda. For the kyng sayde to Ioab the captayne of his hoost: go thou abrode nowe, thorowout all the trybes of Israell, euen from Dan to Beer seba, and nombre ye the people, that I maye knowe the nombre of them. And Ioab sayde vnto the kyng. I beseche the Lorde thy God, to make the people as many mo as they be: yea & an C. tymes so many mo, & that the eyes of my lorde the kyng may se them. And what is the cause that my Lorde the kynge hath a lust to this thynge? Notwithstandynge the kynges worde preuayled agaynst Ioab and agaynst the captaynes of the hoost. And Ioab & the captaynes of the hoost went out from the pre¦sence of the kyng, to nombre the people of Is¦rael. And they passed ouer Iordan, & pytched in Aroer on the ryght syde of the Citye that lyeth in the myddes of the valey of Gad, ouer agaynst Iazer. And thē they came to Gilead, & to the nether lande (where was a newe ha∣bitacion,) & from thence they came to Dan [unspec B] Iaan aboute to Sidon, & came to the strong holde of Tyre, and to all the cityes of the He∣uites & of the Cauanites, & then went out to the south of Iuda, euen to Beer seba. And so when they had bene abrode thorowout al the lande, they returned to Ierusalem agayne, after the ende of. ix. monethes and. xx. dayes.

And Ioab delyuered vp the nombre & sūme of the people vnto the kyng. And there were in Israel. ix. C. thousande mē of myght that drewe swerdes. And the men of Iuda were fyue. C. thousande men. And Dauids herte smote hym, after that he had nombred the people. And Dauid sayde vnto the Lorde: I haue synned excedyngly in that I haue done

And nowe Lorde take away the trespasse of thy seruaunt, for I haue done very folysshly.

And when Dauid was vp in a mornynge, the worde of the lorde came vnto the prophet Gad Dauids sear, saynge: Go and say vnto Dauid, thus sayth the Lorde: I offer the thre thynges, chose the, whiche of them I shal do vnto the.

So Gad came to Dauid, and shewed him [unspec C] & sayd vnto hym: Wylte thou haue ☞ seuen yeres hunger to come in thy lande, or wylte thou flee. iii. monethes before thyne enemyes they folowyng the, or that there be. iii. dayes pestylence in thy lande? Now therfore aduise

the, and se, what answere I shal gyue to hym that sent me. And Dauid sayd vnto Gad: I am in extreme trouble. * 1.108 We wyll fall nowe into the hande of the Lorde, for moche is his mercye, and let me not fall in to the hande of man. And the Lorde sent a pestylence in Is∣raell, from the mornynge vnto the tyme ap∣poynted. And there dyed of the people from Dan to Beerseba seuentye thousande men.

And when the angell stretched out his hande vpon Ierusalem to destroye it, the lorde had cōpassyon to do that euyll, and sayde to the angell that destroyed the people: it is nowe sufficyent: holde thyne hande. And the angell of the lorde was by the thresshynge place of Aresna the Iebusyte. And Dauid spake vn∣to the Lorde (when he sawe the angell that smote the people) and sayde: loo, it is I that haue synned, and I that haue done wyckedly But these shepe, what haue they done? Let thyne hande (I praye the) be agaynst me, & agaynst my fathers house. And Gad came the same day to Dauid, and sayd vnto hym: go vp and reare an aulter vnto the Lorde in the threshynge floore of Aresna the Iebusite. And Dauid (accordyng to the sayng of Gad) went vp, as the lorde cōmaunded.

And Aresna loked, and sawe the kyng and [unspec D] his seruauntes cōmynge towarde hym. And Aresna went out, and bowed him selfe before the kynge flat on his face vpon the ground / and Aresna sayde: wherfore is my Lorde the kynge come to his seruaūt? Dauid answered: to bye the thresshynge floore of the, and to make an aulter vnto the lorde, that the plage maye cease from the people. And Aresna sayd vnto Dauid: let my lorde the kyng take and offre what semeth hym good in his eyes: Be∣holde, here be oxen for burntsacrifyce, & sled∣des and the other instrumentes of the oxen for woode. All these thyng{is} dyd Aresna gyue vnto the kynge, and sayd moreouer vnto the kynge: the lorde thy God accept the. And the kynge sayde vnto Aresna: not so, but I wyll bye it of the at a pryce, and wyl not offre Sa∣crifyce vnto the Lorde my god of that which doth cost me nothyng. And so Dauid bought the thresshynge floore, and the oxen ☞ for fyftye sycles of syluer. And Dauid buylde there an aulter vnto the Lorde, and offered hurt sacrifyces and peaceofferynges. And so the lorde was intreated for the land. And the plage ceased from Israell.

¶ The ende of the seconde boke of Samuell: otherwyse called the se∣conde of the Kynges.

Notes

• * 1.1

  i Regū. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••
• * 1.2

  ii. Reg. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and x••••••.
• * 1.3

  Math. ••i••. c ••he, xix. d
• * 1.4

  ••••••he. i. e
• * 1.5

  ••. Reg. 23. a Regū. 5. ••
• * 1.6

  i. Regū. 31. e
• * 1.7

  ••••. Reg. ••. ••
• * 1.8

  Gene. 24. ••.
• * 1.9

  •• Regū. xx c
• * 1.10

  ••. Reg. xx. ••
• * 1.11

  1. Par. iii. c
• * 1.12

  1. Regū. ••••••
• * 1.13

  Rut••▪ ••••
• * 1.14

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.15

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.16

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.17

  〈…〉〈…〉.
• * 1.18

  〈…〉〈…〉.
• * 1.19

  〈…〉〈…〉. b
• * 1.20

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.21

  1. Reg. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. b
• * 1.22

  11. Regū. ••••
• * 1.23

  ii. Reg. iii. f
• * 1.24

  i. Para. x. a
• * 1.25

  ii. Reg. ii. ••.
• * 1.26

  Leuit. xx••. d
• * 1.27

  i. Pat. ii••. ••
• * 1.28

  1 Reg〈…〉〈…〉 2. Reg〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.29

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.30

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. 1••. a
• * 1.31

  1. Reg. xvi▪
• * 1.32

  11. Reg. v. a Psal. 132. d
• * 1.33

  ••••bru••. i b.
• * 1.34

  111. Reg. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. •• Psal. 89. d.
• * 1.35

  Iere. 33. ••
• * 1.36

  Deut. vii. ••
• * 1.37

  Deut. iiii. a
• * 1.38

  Exodi. 14. d
• * 1.39

  Deui••. ••••
• * 1.40

  Num. ••••
• * 1.41

  i. 〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.42

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••4. b
• * 1.43

  1 Reg 〈◊〉〈◊〉. b
• * 1.44

  1 Reg. 4. b
• * 1.45

  Micha.
• * 1.46

  11. Reg. ••. ••
• * 1.47

  •• Par. xx. a
• * 1.48

  Exodi. i•• ••
• * 1.49

  Reu••ti. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••
• * 1.50

  ii. Reg. ••••••
• * 1.51

  Iudi. 〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.52

  ••••di. ix. ••
• * 1.53

  ••. Regū xx. f
• * 1.54

  ••••••di. 22. ••
• * 1.55

  i Regū 16 ••
• * 1.56

  Deuit. ••8. ••
• * 1.57

  E••••••. 〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.58

  Eccle. 38. ••.
• * 1.59

  p••ateable
• * 1.60

  mata. 1. a 1. Pat. iii. b
• * 1.61

  Beloued of the lorde
• * 1.62

  1. Par. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. b
• * 1.63

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.64

  E••••te. 3••. c. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. xx•• viii
• * 1.65

  ••••. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. l. b and. iii. f.
• * 1.66

  Deut. ••i••. ••
• * 1.67

  1. Reg. 14. ••
• * 1.68

  ••••. Reg. xi. b
• * 1.69

  ••. Re. xv. ••.
• * 1.70

  •• Re. xvi. d and. ix. a
• * 1.71

  •• Reg. 18. b
• * 1.72

  i Regū. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••
• * 1.73

  ii. Reg. xvii a, b, c.
• * 1.74

  ••••••. xvii. d
• * 1.75

  ••••. Reg. ix. b
• * 1.76

  ii. Re. xix. ••
• * 1.77

  Exobi. 22. d
• * 1.78

  3. Regū. ii ••
• * 1.79

  •••• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.80

  •••• Reg. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •• and. 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ ••
• * 1.81

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. 17 b
• * 1.82

  Esai. xix. ••.
• * 1.83

  •• Reg. xv. g
• * 1.84

  ••••. Reg. x••. ••
• * 1.85

  ••••. Reg. x•••• •• 3. Reg. 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.86

  ••••. Reg. 16. d
• * 1.87

  ••. Reg 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ ••▪
• * 1.88

  ••••. Re•• x••••. ••
• * 1.89

  ••••. R••••. ••6 .••
• * 1.90

  ••••. ••e. 57. g.
• * 1.91

  ii Reg•••• and. ••••••••
• * 1.92

  〈…〉〈…〉. 27••
• * 1.93

  ••••gū. ii f
• * 1.94

  Reg. ii. g
• * 1.95

  11. Reg. ii. g.
• * 1.96

  •• Reg. 〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.97

  ••. 〈…〉〈…〉 〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.98

  2 Regū. 23 c
• * 1.99

  i. Pa. xxi. a
• * 1.100

  Psel. ••••••
• * 1.101

  Roma 〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.102

  ••sel. 144 a
• * 1.103

  ii. Reg. 7▪ ••
• * 1.104

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.105

  i. Pat▪ xii. ••
• * 1.106

  ii. Reg. xxi d
• * 1.107

  Exodi. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.108

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••