LAWTON CHURCH OF GOD, LAWTON, OKLAHOMA

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2^nd SAMUEL

Chapter 1

1 After ye death of Saul whan Dauid was come agayne from the slaughter of ye Amalechites, and had remayned two dayes at Siclag,
2 beholde, on the thirde daye there came a man out of Sauls hoost, with his clothes rente, and earth vpon his heade. And whan he came vnto Dauid, he fell downe to the grounde, and worshipped.
3 Dauid sayde vnto him: Whence commest thou? He sayde vnto him: Out of the hoost of Israel am I fled.
4 Dauid sayde vnto him: Tell me, what is the matter? He sayde: the people is fled from the battayll, and many of the people are fallen: Yee and Saul also is deed and his sonne Ionathas.
5 Dauid sayde vnto the yonge ma that brought him this worde: How knowest thou that Saul and Ionathas his sonne are deed?
6 The yonge man yt tolde him this, sayde: I came by chaunce vnto mount Gelboa , and beholde, Saul leaned vpon his speare, & the charettes and horsme folowed harde after him:
7 and he turned him aboute, and sawe me, and called me. And I sayde: Here, am I.
8 And he sayde vnto me: What art thou? I sayde vnto him: I am an Amalechite.
9 And he saide vnto me: Come to me, and kyll me, for anguysh hath gotten holde of me: for my life is yet whole within me.
10 Then stepte I to him, and slewe him, for I knowe well that he coulde not lyue after his fall. And I toke the crowne from his heade, and the armelet fro his arme, and haue broughte it here vnto ye my lorde.
11 Then toke Dauid holde of his clothes, and rente them, and so dyd all the me that were with him,
12 & mourned, and wepte, and fasted vntyll the euen, ouer Saul & Ionathas his sonne, and ouer the people of the LORDE, and ouer the house of Israel, because they were fallen thorow the swerde.
13 And Dauid sayde to the yonge man that broughte him worde: What art thou? He sayde: I am ye sonne of a straunger an Amalechite.
14 Dauid sayde: How happeneth it that thou wast not afrayed to laye thine hade vpon the LORDES anointed to destroye him?
15 And Dauid sayde vnto one of his yonge men: Come hither, and slaye him. And he smote him that he dyed.
16 Then sayde Dauid vnto him: Thy bloude be vpon thyne owne heade. For thy mouth hath spoken against thyselfe and sayde: I haue slayne the anoynted of the LORDE.
17 And Dauid mourned this lamentacion ouer Saul and Ionathas his sonne,
18 and commaunded to teach the childre of Iuda the bowe. Beholde, it is wrytten in the boke of the righteous.
19 The Eldest in Israel are slayne vpon the heigth of the. How are the Worthies falle?
20 Tell it not at Gath: speake not of it in ye stretes at Ascalon: lest the doughters of ye Philistynes reioyse, lest the doughters of ye vncircumcysed tryumphe.
21 Ye mountaynes of Gelboa, nether dew ner rayne come vpo you, nether lode be wherof commeth Heueofferynges: for there is ye shylde of the Worthies smytten downe, the shylde of Saul, as though he had not bene anoynted with oyle.
22 The bowe of Ionathas fayled not, and the swerde of Saul came not agayne voyde from the bloude of the slayne, and fro the fat of the giauntes.
23 Saul and Ionathas louely and pleasaut in their lyfe, and in their deeth were not parted asunder: lighter then Aegles, and stronger then lyons .
24 Ye doughters of Israel wepe ouer Saul which clothed yow with purple in pleasures, and decked you with Iewels of golde on youre garmentes.
25 How are the Worthies fallen so in the battayll? Ionathas is slayne vpon ye heigth of the.
26 I am sory for the my brother Ionathas: thou hast bene very louely vnto me: Thy loue hath bene more speciall vnto me, then the loue of wemen.
27 How are the Worthies fallen, and ye weapens destroyed?

Chapter 2

1 After these actes Dauid axed at the LORDE, and sayde: Shall I go vp in to one of the cities of Iuda? And the LORDE sayde vnto him: Go vp. Dauid sayde: Whither? He sayde: Vnto Hebron.
2 So Dauid wente thither with his two wyues, Ahinoam the Iesraelitisse, and Abigail Nabals wyfe of Carmel .
3 And Dauid broughte vp the men that were him also, euery one with his housholde, and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron .
4 And ye men of Iuda came, and there they anointed him kynge ouer the house of Iuda. And wha it was tolde Dauid, that they of Iabes in Gilead had buried Saul,
5 he sent messaungers vnto them, sayenge: Blessed be ye of the LORDE, that ye haue done soch mercy vpon youre lorde Saul, and haue buried him.
6 The LORDE therfore shewe mercy now and faithfulnes vpon you. And because ye haue done this, I also wyll do you good.
7 Let youre hade now therfore be comforted, and be ye stronge: for though Saul youre lorde be deed, yet hath the house of Iuda chosen me to be kynge ouer them.
8 But Abner the sonne of Ner, which was Sauls chefe captayne, toke Isboseth the sonne of Saul, and broughte him thorow the hoost,
9 and made him kynge ouer Gilead, Assuri, Iesrael, Ephraim, Ben Iamin and ouer all Israel.
10 And Isboseth the sonne of Saul was fourtye yeare olde, whan he was made kynge of Israel , & he raigned two yeares. But the house of Iuda helde with Dauid:
11 The tyme yt Dauid was kynge at Hebron ouer the house of Iuda, was seuen yeare and sixe monethes longe.
12 And Abner the sonne of Ner wete forth with the seruauntes of Isboseth the sonne of Saul, out of ye hoost vnto Gibeon .
13 And Ioab the sonne of Zeru Ia wete forth with Dauids seruauntes, and they met together by the pole at Gibeon , and these laye on the one syde of the pole, the other on the other syde.
14 And Abner sayde vnto Ioab: Let the yonge me get them vp, and playe before vs. Ioab sayde: Let them aryse.
15 Then gat they them vp, & wente in nombre twolue of Ben Iamin on Isboseth Sauls sonnes syde, and twolue of Dauids seruauntes.
16 And euery one gat another by the heade, and thrust his swerde in his syde, and fell together: therfore is the place called Helkath hazurim (that is, the felde of the Worthies) which is at Gibeon .
17 And there arose a sore harde battayll the same daye. But Abner and the men of Israel were put to flighte of Dauids seruauntes.
18 Thre sonnes of Zeru Ia were there, Ioab, Abisai & Asahel. As for Asahel, he was lighte of fete as a Roo in ye felde,
19 & folowed after Abner, and turned not asyde nether to the righte hande ner to ye lefte from Abner.
20 Then Abner turned him aboute, and sayde: Art thou Asahel? He sayde: Yee.
21 Abner sayde vnto him: Go thy waye ether to the righte hande or to the lefte, and get the one of ye yonge men, and take his harnesse from him. Neuertheles he wolde not leaue of fro him.
22 Then sayde Abner agayne to Asahel: Get the awaye fro me, why wilt thou that I smyte the to the grounde? and how darre I lifte vp my face before yi brother Ioab?
23 Howbeit he wolde not go his waye. Then Abner thrust him in with a speare in to his bely, so that the speare wete out behynde him. And there he fell and dyed before him: and who so came to the place where Asahel laye deed, stode styll there.
24 But Ioab and Abisai folowed vpon Abner, till the sonne wente downe. And whan they came to ye hyll of Amma, which lieth before Giah, by ye waye to the wildernes of Gibeon ,
25 the children of Ben Iamin gathered them selues together behynde Abner, and grewe to a multitude, and stode vpon the toppe of an hyll.
26 And Abner called vnto Ioab, and sayde: Shal the swerde the deuoure without ende? Knowest thou not, that it wyll be bytter at the last? How longe wil it be or thou saie vnto the people, that they leaue of from their brethre:
27 Ioab sayde: As truly as God lyueth yf thou haddest sayde thus daye in the morninge, the people had ceassed euery one from his brother.
28 And Ioab blewe the trompet, & all the people stode still, and folowed nomore vpon Israel , nether foughte they eny more.
29 Abner and his men wente all that same night ouer the playne felde, and passed ouer Iordane, & walked thorow all Bithron, and came to the tentes.
30 Ioab turned him from Abner, and gathered all ye people together. And of Dauids seruauntes there myssed nynetene men, and Asahel.
31 But Dauids seruautes had smytten so amonge Ben Iamin and the men of Abner, that thre hundreth and thre score men were deed.
32 And they toke vp Asahel, and buried him in his fathers graue at Bethleem. And Ioab with his men wete all that nighte: and at the breake of the daie they came vnto Hebron .

Chapter 3

1 And there was a longe battayll betwene the house of Saul and the house of Dauid. But Dauid wente and increased, and the house of Saul wente and mynished.
2 And vnto Dauid were children borne at Hebron . His firstborne sonne Ammon of Ahinoam the Iesraelitisse:
3 the seconde Chileab of Abigail the wyfe of Nabal of Carmel: the thirde Absalon the sonne of Maacha the doughter of Thalmai kynge of Gessur:
4 the fourth Adonia the sonne of Hagith: the fyfth Saphatia the sonne of Abital:
5 ye sixte Ierhream of Egla Dauids wife. These were borne vnto Dauid at Hebron .
6 Now whan it was warre betwene the house of Saul & the house of Dauid, Abner strengthed Sauls house.
7 And Saul had a concubyne, whose name was Rispa the doughter of Aia. And Isboseth sayde vnto Abner: Wherfore liest thou with my fathers concubyne?
8 Then was Abner very wroth at these wordes of Isboseth, and sayde: Am I a dogges heade then, that I agaynst Iuda do mercy vnto the house of Saul thy father, and vnto his brethren and kynsfolkes? and haue not delyuered the into ye hande of Dauid, and thou layest a trespace to my charge this daye for a womans sake?
9 God do Abner this and that, yf I do not as the LORDE hath sworne vnto Dauid,
10 that the kyngdome maye be taken fro the house of Saul, and ye seate of Dauid set vp ouer Israel and Iuda, from Dan vnto Berseba.
11 Then coulde he not answere him one worde agayne, he feared him so.
12 And Abner sent messaungers vnto Dauid, sayenge: Whose is the londe? And sayde: Make thy couenaunt with me. Beholde, my hande shall be with the, to turne all Israel vnto the.
13 He sayde: Wel, I wyll make a couenaunt with the, but one thynge I desyre of the, that thou se not my face, excepte thou brynge me first Michol Sauls doughter, whan thou commest to se my face.
14 Dauid sent messaungers also vnto Isboseth the sonne of Saul, sayenge: Geue me my wyfe Michol, whom I maried with an hundreth foreskinnes of the Philistynes.
15 Isboseth sent, and caused for to take her from the man Palthiel the sonne of Lais.
16 And hir husbande wente with her, and wepte behynde her vnto Bahurim. Then sayde Abner vnto him: Turne backe agayne, and go thy waye. And he turned backe agayne.
17 And Abner talked with the Elders in Israel, and sayde: Youre myndes haue bene set afore tyme and longe a goo vpon Dauid, that he mighte be kynge ouer you,
18 do it now therfore, for ye LORDE hath sayde of Dauid: I wil delyuer my people of Israel by the hade of Dauid my seruaunt, from the hande of the Philistynes, and from the hande of all their enemies.
19 Abner spake also before the eares of Ben Iamin, and wente to speake before the eares of Dauid at Hebron all that Israel and the whole house of Ben Iamin was contente withall.
20 Now whan Abner came to Hebron vnto Dauid, and twety men with him, Dauid made them a feast.
21 And Abner sayde vnto Dauid: I wyll get me vp, and go gather all Israel together to my lorde the kynge, and that they maye make a couenaunt with the, that thou mayest be kynge, at thy soules desyre. So Dauid let Abner go from him in peace.
22 And beholde, Dauid seruautes and Ioab came from the men of warre, and broughte a greate spoyle with them. And Abner was not now with Dauid at Hebron , for he had sent him from him, so that he was gone his waye in peace.
23 But whan Ioab and all the hoost with him was come, it was tolde him that Abner the sonne of Ner came to the kynge, and how he had sent him fro him, so that he was gone his waye in peace.
24 Then wente Ioab in to the kynge, and sayde: What hast thou done? Beholde, Abner came to the, why hast thou sent him from the, that he is gone his waye?
25 Knowest thou not Abner the sonne of Ner? For he came to the to disceaue the, that he mighte knowe thy outgoynge, and ingoynge, and to spie out all that thou doest.
26 And whan Ioab wente out from Dauid, he sent messaugers after Abner, to fetch him agayne from Boharsira, and Dauid knewe not therof.
27 Now whan Abner came agayne vnto Hebron, Ioab brought him in to ye middes vnder ye gate, to talke wt him secretly, and thrust him there in to ye bely that he dyed, because of his brother Asahels bloude.
28 Whan Dauid knewe of it therafter, he sayde: I am vngiltye, and so is my kyngdodome for euer before the LORDE concernynge the bloude of Abner ye sonne of Ner:
29 but vpon the heade of Ioab fall it, and vpon all his fathers house, and in the house of Ioab there ceasse not one to haue a renninge yssue and a leprosy, and to go vpon a staffe, and fall thorow the swerde, and to haue scarnesse of bred.
30 Thus Ioab and his brother Abisai slewe Abner, because he had slayne their brother Asahel in the battaill at Gibeon .
31 Dauid sayde vnto Ioab and to all ye people yt was with him: Rente youre clothes, and gyrde sack cloth aboute you, and make lamentacion for Abner. And the kynge wente after the Bere.
32 And whan they buryed Abner at Hebron , the kynge lifte vp his voyce, and wepte besyde Abners graue, and all the people wepte also.
33 And the kynge mourned for Abner, and sayde: Abner is not deed as a foole dyeth.
34 Thy handes were not bounde, thy fete were not vexed with fetters, thou art fallen as a man falleth before wicked vnthriftes. Then all the people bewayled him yet more.
35 Now whan all the people came in to eate with Dauid, whyle it was yet hye daye, Dauid sware, and sayde: God do this and that vnto me, yf I taist ether bred or oughte els afore the Sone go downe.
36 And all ye people knewe it, and it pleased them well all that ye kynge dyd in the sighte of all the people.
37 And all the people and all Israel perceaued the same daye, that it came not of the kynge, that Abner the sonne of Ner was slayne.
38 And the kynge sayde vnto his seruauntes: Knowe ye not that this daye a prynce and a greate man is fallen in Israel ?
39 As for me, I am yet but tender and anoynted kynge. But the men the children of Zeru Ia are to harde for me. The LORDE recompence him that doth euell, acordinge to his wickednes.

Chapter 4

1 Whan Sauls sonne herde yt Abner was deed at Hebron , his hades were feble, & all Israell was sory.
2 But there were two men captaynes ouer the soudyers vnder the sonne of Saul, the one was called Baena, the other Rehob, sonnes of Rimon ye Berothite, of the childre of Ben Iamin: for Beroth was couted also in Ben Iamin.
3 And the Berothites were fled vnto Gethaim, & were straugers there vnto this daye.
4 Ionathas also the sonne of Saul had a sonne which was lame on his fete, & was fyue yeare olde whan the rumoure of Saul and Ionathas came from Iesrael. And his norse toke him, and fled. And whyle she made haist and fled, he fell, and was lame: And his name was Mephiboseth.
5 Then wente the sonnes of Rimon ye Berothite, Rehob & Baena, & came to the house of Isboseth, in the heate of the daye, & he laye vpo his bed at the noone daie.
6 And they came in to the house to fetch wheate, & thrust him in the bely, & gat them awaye.
7 For wha they came into ye house, he laye vpo his bed in his chamber, & they stickte him to death, & smote of his heade, and toke his heade, and departed by the waye of the playne felde all that nighte,
8 and broughte the heade of Isboseth to Dauid vnto Hebron, and sayde vnto the kynge: Beholde, there is the heade of Isboseth the sonne of Saul thine enemye, which layed wayte for thy soule. This daye hath the LORDE auenged my lorde the kynge of Saul and his sede.
9 Then answered Dauid vnto Rehob and Baena his brother, ye sonnes of Rimon ye Berothite, & sayde: As truly as the LORDE lyueth, which hath deliuered my soule out of all trouble,
10 I toke him yt brought me worde and sayde: Saul is deed, and he thoughte he had bene a good messaunger, and at Siclag I put him to death, vnto whom I shulde haue geuen a rewarde for his message.
11 And these vngodly personnes haue slayne a righteous man in his owne house vpon his bed. Yee shulde not I requyre his bloude of youre handes, and take you awaye from ye earth?
12 And Dauid commaunded his yonge men, which slewe them, and smote of their handes and fete, and hanged them vp by ye pole at Hebron. But the heade of Isboseth toke they, and buried it in Abners graue at Hebron .

Chapter 5

1 And all the trybes of Israel came to Dauid vnto Hebron , and sayde: Beholde, we are thy bone and thy flesh.
2 And afore tyme wha Saul was kynge ouer vs, thou leddest Israel out and in. So the LORDE hath sayde: Thou shalt kepe my people of Israel , and shalt be the duke ouer Israel .
3 And all the Elders in Israel came to ye kynge vnto Hebron . And kynge Dauid made a couenaunt with them at Hebron before ye LORDE. And they anoynted Dauid to be kynge ouer Israel .
4 Thyrtie yeare olde was Dauid whan he was made kynge, and reigned fortye yeares.
5 At Hebron raigned he seue yeares and sixe monethes ouer Iuda: but at Ierusalem he reigned thre and thirtie yeares ouer all Israel and Iuda.
6 And the kynge wente with his men to Ierusalem, agaynst the Iebusites, which dwelt in the londe. Neuertheles they sayde vnto Dauid: Thou shalt not come hither but the blynde and lame shal dryue ye awaie. (They thoughte planely, that Dauid shulde not come in.)
7 Howbeit Dauid wanne the castell of Sion, which is the cite of Dauid.
8 Then sayde Dauid the same daye: Who so euer smyteth the Iebusites, and optayneth the perquellies, the lame & the blynde, which (Iebusites) Dauids soule hateth. Herof cometh the prouerbe: Let no blynde ner lame come in to the house.
9 So Dauid dwelt in ye castell, and called it the cite of Dauid. And Dauid builded roude aboute fro Millo and within.
10 And Dauid grewe, & the LORDE the God Zebaoth was with him.
11 And Hiram the kynge of Tyre sent messaungers vnto Dauid, and Ceder trees for walles, and Carpenters, and Masons, to builde Dauid an house.
12 And Dauid knewe, that the LORDE had confyrmed him kynge ouer Israel , and exalted his kingdome for his people of Israels sake.
13 And Dauid toke yet mo wyues and concubynes at Ierusalem, after he was come from Hebron , and there were yet mo sonnes & doughters borne vnto him.
14 And these are the names of them that were borne vnto him at Ierusalem: Samma Sobab, Nathan, Salomon,
15 Iebehar, Elisua, Nepheg, Iaphia,
16 Elisama, Eliada, Eliphalet.
17 And whan the Philistines herde that Dauid was anoynted kinge ouer Israel , they wete vp all to seke Dauid. Whan Dauid perceaued that, he wete downe in to a castell.
18 But the Philistynas came and scatered them selues beneth in the valley of Rephaim .
19 And Dauid axed at the LORDE, and sayde: Shal I go vp agaynst the Philistynes? and wylt thou delyuer them in to my hande? The LORDE sayde vnto Dauid: Go vp, I wyll delyuer the Philistynes in to thy hande.
20 And Dauid came vnto Baal Prazim, and smote the there, and sayde: The LORDE hath deuyded myne enemies, euen as the waters parte asunder: therfore is the same place called Baal Prazim.
21 And they lefte their ymages there, but Dauid and his men caried the awaye.
22 Neuerthelesse the Philistynes wente vp agayne, and scatered them selues beneth in the valley of Rephaim .
23 And Dauid axed at the LORDE. The LORDE sayde: Thou shalt go vp, but compase them behinde, that thou mayest be vpon them ouer agaynst the Peertrees:
24 and whan thou hearest vpon the toppe of the Peertrees, the sounde of the goinge be bolde, for then is the LORDE gone forth before the, to smyte the hoost of the Philistines
25 Dauid dyd as the LORDE commaunded him and smote the Philistynes from Geba, tyll thou commest vnto Gaser.

Chapter 6

1 And Dauid gathered agayne all the yonge chosen men in Israel, euen thre thousande,
2 and gat him vp, and wente with all the people that was with him of the citesins of Iuda, to fetch vp the Arke of God from thence: whose name is: The name of the LORDE Zebaoth dwelleth theron betwene the Cherubins
3 And they caused the arke of God to be caried vpo a new cart, and fetched it out of ye house of Abinadab, which dwelt at Gibea. Vsa and Ahio the sonnes of Abinadab droue ye new cart.
4 And whan they broughte it with the Arke from the house of Abinadab which dwelt at Gibea, Ahio wente before the Arke:
5 and Dauid and all the house of Israel played before the LORDE, with all maner of instrumentes of Pine tre, with harpes, and Psalteries, and tabrettes, and belles, and Cymbals.
6 And whan they came to the barnefloore of Nahon, Vsa stretched out his hande, and helde the Arke of God, for the oxen wete out asyde.
7 Then waxed the wrath of the LORDE fearce agaynst Vsa, and God smote him there because of his presumpcio, so that he dyed there besyde the Arke of God.
8 Then was Dauid sory, because the LORDE had made soch a rente vpon Vsa, and he called the same place Perez Vsa vnto this daye.
9 And Dauid feared the LORDE the same daie, and sayde: How shall the Arke of the LORDE come vnto me?
10 And he wolde not let it be broughte to him in to the cite of Dauid, but caused it be brought in to ye house of Obed Edom the Gathite.
11 And whan the Arke of the LORDE had contynued thre monethes in the house of Obed Edom the Gathite, the LORDE blessed him and all his house.
12 And it was tolde kynge Dauid, that the LORDE had blessed the house of Obed Edo and all that he had because of the Arke of God. Then wente he, and fetched vp the Arke of God out of ye house of Obed Edom in to the cite of Dauid with ioye.
13 And wha they were gone sixe steppes in with the Arke of the LORDE, they offered an oxe and a fat shepe.
14 And Dauid daunsed wt all his mighte before the LORDE, and was girded with an ouerbody cote of lynne.
15 And Dauid withall Israel brought vp ye Arke of the LORDE with tabrertes and trompettes.
16 And whan the Arke of the LORDE came into the cite of Dauid, Michol the doughte of Saul loked out at a window, and sawe kynge Dauid leapynge, sprynginge and dausynge before the LORDE, and despysed him in hir hert.
17 But whan they brought in ye Arke of the LORDE, they set it in hir place in the myddes of the Tabernacle, which Dauid had pitched for it. And Dauid offred burntofferynges and deedofferyges before ye LORDE.
18 And whan Dauid had made an ende of offerynge the burntofferynges and deedofferynges, he blessed the people in the name of the LORDE Zebaoth,
19 and dealte out vnto all the people, and to the multitude of Israel, both to man & woma, vnto euery one a cake of bred, and a pece of flesh, and a meece of potage. Then wente all the people their waye, euery one vnto his house.
20 Whan Dauid came agayne to blesse his house, Michol the doughter of Saul wente forth to mete him, and sayde: How glorious hath the kynge of Israel bene to daye, which hath vncouered himselfe before the maydes of his seruauntes, like as the rascall people discouer them selues.
21 But Dauid saide vnto Michol: I wil playe before ye LORDE, which hath chosen me afore yi father, and afore all his house, because he hath commaunded me to be the prynce ouer the people of the LORDE, euen ouer Israel,
22 and yet wyl I be vyler then so, and wyll be lowe in myne owne sighte: and with the maydens wherof thou hast spoken, wyll I be honoured.
23 As for Michol the doughter of Saul, she had no childe vnto the daye of hir death.

Chapter 7

1 Now whan the kynge sat in his house, and the LORDE had geuen him rest from all his enemies on euery syde,
2 he sayde vnto the prophet Nathan: Beholde, I dwell in a house of Cedre, and the Arke of God dwelleth amonge the curtaynes.
3 Nathan sayde vnto the kynge: Go thy waye, what so euer thou hast in thine hert, yt do: for the LORDE is wt the.
4 But the same nighte came ye worde of the LORDE vnto Nathan, & sayde:
5 Go & speake to my seruaut Dauid: Thus sayeth ye LORDE: Shalt thou buylde me an house to dwell in?
6 I haue dwelt in no house sence the daye that I broughte the children of Israel vnto this daye, but haue walked in the Tabernacle and Habitacion,
7 whither so euer I wente with the children of Israel . Dyd I euer speake to eny of the trybes of Israel (whom I commaunded to kepe my people of Israel ) & sayde: Wherfore do ye not buylde me an house of Ceder wodd?
8 So shalt thou speake now vnto my seruaunt Dauid: Thus sayeth the LORDE Zebaoth: I toke the from the pasture whan thou wentest behynde the shepe, yt thou shuldest be ye prynce ouer my people of Israel,
9 & haue bene wt the whither so euer thou wentest, & haue roted out all thine enemies before the, & haue made the a greate name, acordinge to the name of the greate men vpon earth.
10 And for my people of Israel I wyll appoynte a place, and wyll plante them, that they maye remayne there, nomore to be remoued, and yt the childre of wickednes oppresse them nomore, like as afore,
11 and sence the tyme that I ordeyned Iudges ouer my people of Israel . And I wyll geue the rest from all thine enemies. And the LORDE sheweth the, that the LORDE wyl make the a house.
12 Now whan yi tyme is fulfylled yt thou shalt slepe wt thy fathers, I wil after ye rayse vp thy syde, which shal come of thy body: his kyngdome wyl I stablishe,
13 he shal buylde an house for my name, and I wyll stablyshe ye seate of his kyngdome for euer.
14 I wyll be his father, and he shall be my sonne. Whan he doth a trespace, I wyll reproue him with the rodd of men and with the plages of ye childre of men:
15 But my mercy shal not be withdrawen fro him, as I haue withdrawe it fro Saul, who I haue take awaye before the.
16 As for yi house & thy kyngdome, it shal be stablished for euer before the, & thy seate shal endure fast for euermore.
17 Whan Nathan had tolde all these wordes & all this vision vnto Dauid,
18 kynge Dauid came and sat him downe before the LORDE, and sayde: O LORDE God, who am I? and what is my house, yt thou hast broughte me thus farre?
19 This O LORDE God hast thou thoughte to litle also, but hast spoken of the house of thy seruaunt yet loge for to come. O LORDE God, is that the lawe of men?
20 And what shall Dauid speake vnto the? thou knowest thy seruaunt O LORDE God,
21 for thy wordes sake and acordinge to yi hert hast thou done all these greate thinges, yt thou mightest shewe the vnto thy seruaunt.
22 Therfore art thou greatly magnified O LORDE God: for there is none like the, & there is no God but thou, acordinge vnto all that we haue herde with or eares.
23 For where is there a people vpon earth as thy people of Israel ? For whose sake God wente to delyuer him a people, and to make him selfe a name, and to do them soch greate and terrible thinges in thy lode before yt people, whom thou hast delyuered vnto thy selfe fro Egipte, from the people, and from their goddes.
24 And thy people of Israel hast thou prepared the to be a people vnto thyne owne selfe for euer, and thou O LORDE art become their God.
25 Stablish now ye worde therfore for euer (O LORDE God) which thou hast spoke ouer thy seruaunt & ouer his house, & do acordinge as thou hast sayde.
26 So shall thy name be greate for euer, so that it shal be sayde: The LORDE Zebaoth is the God ouer Israel , & the house of thy seruaunt Dauid shal be made sure before the.
27 For thou LORDE Zebaoth, thou God of Israel hast opened the eare of thy seruaunt, and sayde: I wil buylde the an house. Therfore hath yi seruaunt founde his hert, to praye this prayer vnto the.
28 Now LORDE God thou thy selfe art God, & thy wordes shal be the trueth. Thou hast spoken soch good ouer thy seruaunt.
29 Begynne now therfore, and blesse yi seruauntes house, that it maye be before the for euer, for thou LORDE God thine awne selfe hast spoken it: and with thy blessynge shal thy seruauntes house be blessed for euer.

Chapter 8

1 And it fortuned after this, yt Dauid smote ye Philistynes, and discomfited them, and toke the brydell of bondage out of the Philistynes hande.
2 He smote the Moabites also to the grounde, so that he broughte two partes of them to death, and let one parte lyue. Thus the Moabites were subdued vnto Dauid, so yt they broughte him giftes.
3 Dauid smote Hadad Eser also the sonne of Rehob kynge of Zoba, whan he wete to fetch his power agayne at ye water Euphrates .
4 And of them toke Dauid a thousande & seuen hundreth horsmen, and twenty thousande fote men, and lamed all the charettes, saue an hundreth which he kepte behynde.
5 But the Siryans came from Damascon to helpe Hadad Eser kynge of Zoba. And Dauid smote two and twentye thousande men of the Syrians,
6 and layed people vnto Damascus in Syria . Thus was Syria subdued vnto Dauid, so that they broughte him giftes: for ye LORDE helped Dauid whither so euer he wente.
7 And Dauid toke ye shyldes of golde, which Hadad Esers seruauntes had, and broughte them to Ierusalem.
8 But from Bethah & Berothai ye cities of Hadad Eser toke Dauid very moch brasse.
9 Whan Thoi the kynge of Hemath herde, that Dauid had smytten all the power of Hadad Eser,
10 he sent his sonne Ioram vnto Dauid to salute him frendly, & to blesse him, because he had foughten with Adad Eser and smytten him (for Thoi had warre with Hadad Eser) and had Iewels with him of syluer, of golde, and of brasse:
11 which kynge Dauid halowed also vnto ye LORDE, with the syluer and golde which he sanctified vnto the LORDE from all the Heythe, whom he subdued,
12 from Siria, fro Moab, from the childre of Ammon, from the Philistynes, fro Amalek, from the spoyle of Hadad Eser ye sonne of Rehob kynge of Zoba.
13 Dauid gat him selfe a name also whan he came, and smote eightene thousande of ye Sirians in ye Salt valley.
14 And he layed people in all Edomea, and all Edem was subdued vnto Dauid: for the LORDE helped Dauid, whither so euer he wente.
15 Thus was Dauid kynge ouer all Israel . And he executed iudgmente and righteousnes vnto all ye people.
16 Ioab ye sonne of Zeru Ia was captayne ouer the hoost. Iosaphat the sonne of Ahilud was Chaunceler.
17 Zadok the sonne of Achitob, & Ahimelech the sonne of Abiathar were prestes. Seraia was Scrybe.
18 Benaia the sonne of Ioiada was ouer ye Chrethians & Plethians. And the sonnes of Dauid were prestes.

Chapter 9

1 And Dauid sayde: Remayneth there yet eny man of Sauls house, that I maye do mercy vpon him for Ionathas sake?
2 There was a seruaunt of Sauls house, named Siba, whom they called vnto Dauid, & the kynge sayde vnto him: Art thou Siba? He sayde: Yee thy seruaunt.
3 The kynge sayde: Is there yet eny man of Sauls house, yt I maye do the mercy of God vpon him? Siba sayde vnto the kynge: There is yet a sonne of Ionathas, lame on his fete.
4 The kynge sayde vnto him: Where is he? Siba sayde vnto ye kynge: Beholde, he is at Ladober in ye house of Machir ye sonne of Ammuel.
5 The sent kynge Dauid thither, & caused for to fetch him from Lodaber out of ye house of Machir the sonne of Ammuel.
6 Now whan Mephiboseth the sonne of Ionathas the sonne of Saul came vnto Dauid, he fell vpon his face, & worshiped him. Dauid sayde: Mephiboseth. He sayde: Here am I thy seruaunt.
7 Dauid sayde vnto him: Feare not, for I wyll do mercy vpon the for thy father Ionathas sake, and wil restore vnto the all the londe of thy father Saul: but thou shalt eate bred daylie at my table.
8 He worshiped and sayde: Who am I thy seruaunt, that thou turnest the to a deed dogg as I am?
9 Then the kynge called Siba ye seruaunt of Saul, and sayde vnto him: All yt hath belonged vnto Saul & to all his house,
10 haue I geuen to thy lordes sonne. Tyll his londe for him therfore, thou & thy children & seruauntes, & brynge it in, yt it maye be bred for yi lordes sonne, and yt he maye enioye it: but Mephiboseth yi lordes sonne shal eate bred daylie at my table. Siba had fyftene sonnes & twentye seruauntes.
11 And Siba sayde vnto ye kynge: Acordinge vnto all as my lorde the kynge hath commaunded his seruaunt, so shal his seruaunt do. And let Mephiboseth (sayde Dauid) eate at my table, as one of the kynges owne children.
12 And Mephiboseth had a yoge sonne, whose name was Micha. But all yt dwelt in the house of Siba, serued Mephiboseth.
13 As for Mephiboseth him selfe, he dwelt at Ierusalem: for he ate daylie at the kynges table and was lame on both his fete.

Chapter 10

1 And it fortuned after this, that ye kynge of the children of Ammon dyed, & his sonne Hanun was kynge in his steade.
2 Then sayde Dauid: I wyll do mercy vpon Hanun the sonne of Nahas, as his father dyd mercy vpon me. And so he sent, and comforted him by his seruautes ouer his fathers death. Now whan Dauids seruautes came into the londe of the children of Ammon,
3 the mightie men of the children of Ammon sayde vnto Hanun their lorde: Thynkest thou it is for the honor of yi father in yi sighte, yt Dauid hath sent comforters vnto the? Hath he not sent his seruauntes vnto ye (thynkest thou) to spye and search out the cite and to ouerthrowe it?
4 Then toke Hanun the seruauntes of Dauid, and shoue of the one halue of their beerdes, and cut of the halfe of their garmetes euen by the girdell, and so let them go.
5 Wha this was tolde Dauid, he sent to mete them: for the men were put to greate shame. And the kynge caused to saye vnto them: Abyde at Iericho, tyll youre beerdes be growne, & then come agayne.
6 Whan the childre of Ammon sawe that they stynked in the sighte of Dauid, they sent and hyred the Sirians of the house of Rehob, and the Sirians at Zoba euen twentye thousande fote men, and from the kynge of Maecha a thousande men, and from Istob twolue thousande men.
7 Whan Dauid herde that, he sent Ioab with all the hoost of ye men of warre.
8 And the children of Ammon wente forth, and prepared them selues to ye battayll before the intraunce of the gate. But the Siryans of Soba, of Rehob, of Istob and of Maecha were alone in the felde.
9 Now whan Ioab sawe that the battayll was set vpo him before and behynde, he chose of all the best yonge men in Israel , & prepared him selfe agaynst the Syrians.
10 And the resydue of the people put he vnder the hande of his brother Abisai, that he mighte prepare him agaynst the childre of Ammon.
11 And sayde: Yf ye Syrians be to mightie for me, helpe thou me: but yf the children of Ammon be to mightie for the, I shal helpe the.
12 Take a good corage vnto the, and let vs be stronge for oure people, and for ye cite of oure God: neuertheles the LORDE do what pleaseth him.
13 And Ioab made him forth with the people that was with him, to fighte agaynst the Syrians: and they fled before him.
14 And whan the children of Ammon sawe that the Syrians fled, they fled also before Abisai, & wente in to the cite. So Ioab turned agayne from the children of Ammon, & came to Ierusalem.
15 And whan the Syrians sawe yt they were smytten before Israel , they came together.
16 And Hadad Eser sent & broughte out ye Syrians beyonde the water, and conueyed their power in, & Sobath the chefe captayne of Hadad Eser wente before the.
17 Whan this was tolde Dauid, he gathered all Israel together, & wente ouer Iordane, and came to Helam, & the Syrians prepared them selues against Dauid to fighte with him,
18 howbeit the Syrians fled before Israel. And Dauid slewe of the Syrians seue hundreth charettes, & fortye thousande horsme, & Sobath the chefe captayne smote he also, so that he dyed there.
19 Whan the kynges which were vnder Adad Eser, sawe, that they were smytten before Israel , they made peace with Israel , and were subdued vnto them. And the Syrians were afrayed to helpe the children of Ammon enymore.

Chapter 11

1 And whan ye yeare came aboute what tyme as ye kynges vse to go forth, Dauid sent Ioab and his seruautes with him, and all Israel , to destroye the children of Ammon, and to laye sege vnto Rabba: but Dauid abode at Ierusalem.
2 And aboute the euetyde it fortuned that Dauid arose from his restinge place, & wente vp to ye toppe of the kynges palace, and from ye toppe he sawe a woman wasshinge hir selfe, and the woman was of a very fayre bewtye.
3 And Dauid sent, and caused to axe what woman it was, and sayde: Is not that Bethseba the doughter of Eliam the wife of Vrias the Hethite?
4 And Dauid sent messaugers, and caused for to fetch her. And wha she was come in vnto him, he laye with her. Neuertheles she halowed hir selfe from hir vnclennes, and turned agayne vnto hir house.
5 And the woma was with childe, and sent, and caused to tell Dauid and to saye: I am with childe.
6 Dauid sent vnto Ioab (sayege:) Sende me Vrias ye Hethite. And Ioab sent Vrias vnto Dauid.
7 And whan Vrias came to him, Dauid axed him yf it stode well with Ioab, and with the people and with the battayll.
8 And Dauid sayde to Vrias: Go downe in to thy house, and wash thy fete. And whan Vrias wente out of the kynges palace, the kynges gifte folowed him.
9 And Vrias layed him downe to slepe before the kynges palace gate, where all his lordes seruauntes laye, & wente not downe in to his house.
10 Whan worde came to Dauid: Vrias is not gone downe in to his house, Dauid sayde vnto him: Camest thou not ouer the felde? Why wentest thou not downe in to thy house?
11 Vrias sayde vnto Dauid: The Arke and Israel & Iuda abyde in the tentes: And Ioab my lorde and my lordes seruauntes lye in ye felde, and shal I go in to my house to eate and drynke, and to lye with my wife? As truly as thou lyuest, and as truly as thy soule lyueth, I wyll not do this thinge.
12 Dauid sayde vnto Vria: Abyde here then to daye, tomorow wil I let the go. So Vrias abode at Ierusalem the same daye, and the nexte also.
13 And Dauid called him to eate & drynke before him, & made him dronken. And at euen he wente to lye him downe for to slepe vpon his couche with his lordes seruauntes, and wente not downe in to his house.
14 On the morow wrote Dauid a letter vnto Ioab, & sent it by Vrias.
15 After this maner wrote he in the letter: Set Vrias in ye forest parte of ye batayll, & turne you behynde him, yt he maye be slayne.
16 Now wha Ioab layed sege to the cite, he set Vrias in ye place, where he knewe yt the mightiest men of Armes were.
17 And whan the men of the cite fell out and foughte agaynst Ioab, there fell certayne of ye people of Dauids seruauntes. And Vrias the Hethite dyed also.
18 Then sent Ioab, and caused to tell ye kynge all the matter concernynge the battayll,
19 and comaunded the messaunger, and sayde: Whan thou hast tolde ye kynge all the matter concernynge the batayll,
20 and seist that he is wroth, and yf the kynge saye vnto the: Wherfore came ye so nye the cite with the batayll? Knowe ye not how they vse to shute from the wall?
21 Who smote Abimelech the sonne of Ierubaall? Dyd not a woma cast a pece of a mylstone vpo him from the wall, so that he dyed at Thebez? Why came ye so nye the wall? Then shalt thou saye: Thy seruaunt Vrias the Hethite is deed also.
22 The messaunger wente his waye, and came and tolde Dauid all together, wherfore Ioab had sent him.
23 And the messaunger sayde vnto Dauid: The men preuayled against vs, and fell out vnto vs in to ye felde: and we were vpon them harde at the dore of ye porte.
24 And the archers shot from the wall vpon thy seruauntes, and slewe certayne of the kynges seruauntes: and thy seruaunt Vrias the Hethite is deed also.
25 Dauid sayde vnto the messaunger: Thus shalt thou saye vnto Ioab: Let not yt vexe the, for the swerde consumeth now one now another. Go forth with the battayll against the cite, that thou mayest destroye it, and coforte the men.
26 And whan Vrias wife herde that Vrias was deed, she mourned for hir husbande.
27 But wha she had made an ende of mournynge, Dauid sent, and caused her be fetched vnto his palace, and she became his wyfe, and bare him a sonne. Neuertheles this dede yt Dauid dyd, displeased the LORDE.

Chapter 12

1 And the LORDE sent Nathan vnto Dauid. Whan he came to him, he tolde him: There were two men in one cite, the one riche, the other poore.
2 The riche man had very many shepe and oxen:
3 but the poore man had nothinge saue one litle shepe, which he had boughte, and norished it, so that it grewe vp with him and his children together. It ate of his bred, and dranke of his cuppe, and slepte in his lappe, and he helde it as a doughter.
4 But whan there came a straunger vnto the riche man, he spared to take of his awne shepe & oxen (to prepare oughte for the straunger that was come vnto him) and toke the poore mans shepe, and prepared it for the man that was come vnto him.
5 The was Dauid wroth with greate displeasure agaynst that man, and sayde vnto Nathan: As truly as the LORDE lyueth, the man that hath done this, is the childe of death.
6 The shepe also shal he make good foure folde, because he hath done soch a thinge, and not spared it.
7 Then sayde Nathan vnto Dauid: Thou art euen the man. Thus sayeth the LORDE the God of Israel: I haue anoynted the to be kynge ouer Israel, and delyuered the out of the hande of Saul,
8 and haue geuen the yi lordes house, and his wyues into thy lappe, and the house of Israel and Iuda haue I geuen the: and yf that be to litle, I wyl yet do this and that for the also.
9 Wherfore hast thou then despysed the worde of the LORDE, to do soch euell in his sighte? Vrias the Hethite hast thou slayne with the swerde: His wife hast thou taken to be thy wyfe, but him hast thou slayne with ye swerde of the children of Ammon.
10 Now therfore shal not ye swerde departe from thy house for ouer, because thou hast despysed me, and taken the wife of Vrias the Hithite, to be thy wife.
11 Thus sayeth the LORDE: Beholde, I wyll rayse vp euell of thyne awne house, and wyll take thy wyues before thyne eyes, and wyl geue them vnto thy neghboure, so that he shall lye with thy wyues by Sonnelighte.
12 For thou hast done it secretly, but I wyl do this in the sighte of all Israel , and by Sonne lighte.
13 Then sayde Dauid vnto Nathan I haue synned vnto the LORDE. Nathan sayde vnto Dauid: So hath the LORDE also taken awaye thy synne, thou shalt not dye.
14 But for so moch as thou thorow this dede hast caused the enemies of the LORDE to blaspheme, ye sonne that is borne vnto the, shall dye the death.
15 And Nathan wente home. As for the childe which Vrias wife bare vnto Dauid, the LORDE smote it, so that it was deedsicke.
16 And Dauid besoughte God for the childe, and fasted, and wente in, and laie all nighte vpon the earth.
17 Then rose the Elders of his house, and wolde haue taken him vp fro the grounde: neuertheles he wolde not, nether ate he wt them.
18 Vpon the seuenth daye ye childe dyed. And Dauids seruauntes durst not tell him that the childe was deed. For they thoughte: Beholde, whan the childe was yet alyue, we spake vnto him, and he herkened not vnto oure voyce, How moch more shall it greue him, yf we saye: The childe is deed?
19 And Dauid sawe that his seruauntes made a whisperinge together, and perceaued that the childe was deed, and sayde vnto his seruauntes: Is the childe deed? They sayde: Yee.
20 Then rose Dauid vp from the earth, and wasshed him selfe, and anoynted him, and put on other garmentes, & wente in to the house of the LORDE, and worshipped. And whan he came agayne, he commaunded to set bred before him, and ate.
21 Then sayde his seruauntes vnto him: What maner of thinge is this that thou doest? Whan the childe was alyue, thou fastedst and weptest: but now that it is deed, thou stodest up and eatest?
22 He sayde: I fasted and wepte for the childe whan it was yet a lyue, for I thoughte: Who knoweth, peraduenture the LORDE maye be gracious vnto me, that the childe maye lyue.
23 But now that it is deed, wherfore shulde I fast? Can I fetch it agayne. I shal go vnto it, but it shall not come agayne vnto me.
24 And whan Dauid had comforted Bethseba his wife, he wente in vnto her, and laye with her. And she bare a sonne, whom he called Salomon. And the LORDE loued him.
25 And he put him vnder the hade of Nathan ye prophet, which called him Iedidia because of the LORDE.
26 So Ioab foughte agaynst Rabba of ye children of Ammon, and wanne the kynges cite,
27 & sent messaugers vnto Dauid, & caused to saye vnto him: I haue foughte against Rabba, and haue wonne the water cite also.
28 Gather thou therfore the residue of the people together, and laye sege to ye cite, and wynne it, that I wynne it not, and haue the name therof.
29 So Dauid gathered all ye people together, and wente, & foughte agaynst Rabba, and wanne it,
30 and toke their kynges crowne fro his heade (which in weight had a talente of golde, and precious stones) and was set vpon Dauids heade, and very moch spoyle caried he out of the cite.
31 As for the people that was therin, he broughte the forth, and layed them vnder yron sawes and hokes and wedges of yron, and burned the in tyle ouens. Thus dyd he vnto all the cities of the children of Ammon. Then returned Dauid and all the people vnto Ierusalem agayne.

Chapter 13

1 And it fortuned after this, that Absalom ye sonne of Dauid had a fayre sister, whose name was Thamar, & Ammon the sonne of Dauid loued her.
2 And Ammon was in greate combraunce, in so moch that he was euen sicke, because of Thamar his sister. For she was a virgin, and Ammon thoughte it shulde beharde for him to do eny thinge vnto her.
3 But Ammon had a frede, whose name was Ionadab the sonne of Simea Dauids brother, And the same Ionadab was a very wyse man,
4 which sayde vnto him: Why art thou so leane (thou kynges sonne) from daye to daye? Mayest thou not tell me? Then sayde Ammon vnto him: I loue Thamar my brother Absaloms sister exceadingly.
5 Ionadab sayde vnto him: laye the downe vpon thy bedd, and make the sicke. And whan thy father commeth to loke how thou doest, saye vnto him: Oh let my sister Thamar come, that she maye fede me, and make a meece of meate before me, that I maye se it, & eate it of hir hande.
6 So Ammon layed him downe, and made him sicke. Now wha the kynge came in to loke how he dyd, Ammon sayde vnto the kynge: Oh let my sister Thamar come, and make me a syppynge or two, and that I maye eate it of hir hande.
7 Then sent Dauid for Thamar in to the house, and sayde vnto her: Go thy waye to thy brother Ammons house, & make him a meece of meate.
8 Thamar wente vnto hir brother Amons house, but he laye in his bed. And she toke floure, and mixte it, and dighte it before his eyes, and made him a syppynge.
9 And she toke the meece of meate, and poured it out before him: but he wolde not eate.
10 And Ammon saide: Put forth euery man fro me. And euery man wete forth from him. Then sayde Ammon vnto Thamar: Brynge me that meece of meate in to the chamber, that I maye eate it of thy hande. Then toke Thamar ye syppynge that she had made, and broughte it vnto Ammon hir brother into the chamber.
11 And whan she broughte it vnto him yt he mighte eate, he toke holde of her, & sayde vnto her: Come my sister, lye with me.
12 Neuertheles she saide: Oh no my brother, force me not: for so do they not in Israel , do not thou soch foly.
13 Whither shal I go with my shame? And thou shalt be as one of the vnwyse in Israel . But speake vnto the kynge, he shal not withholde me from the.
14 Howbeit he wolde not herken vnto her, and ouercame her, forced her, and laye with her.
15 And Ammon hated her exceadingly, so that the hate was greater then the loue was before. And Ammon sayde vnto her: Vp, and get the hence.
16 She saide vnto him: This euell that thou thrustest me out, is greater then the other, that thou hast done vnto me. Neuertheles he herkened not vnto her,
17 but called his boye that serued him, and sayde: Put awaye this woman fro me, and locke the dore after her.
18 And she had a partye garment on: for soch garmentes wayre ye kynges doughters whyle they were virgins. And wha his seruaunt had put hir forth, & lockte the dore after her,
19 Thamar strowed asshes vpon hir heade, and rente the partye garment which she had vpon her, and layed hir hande vpon hir heade, and wente on, and cryed.
20 And hir brother Absalom sayde vnto her: Hath thy brother Ammon bene with the? Now holde thy peace my sister, it is thy brother, and take not the matter so to hert. So Thamar remayned a wyddowe in brother Absaloms house.
21 And whan kynge Dauid herde of all this, he was very sory.
22 As for Absalom, he spake nether euell ner good to Ammon: but Absalom hated Ammon, because he had forced his sister Thamar.
23 After two yeares had Absalom shepe clyppers at Baal Hazor, which lyeth by Ephraim. And Absalom called all the kynges children,
24 and came to the kynge, and sayde: Beholde, thy seruaunt hath shepe clyppers, let it please ye kynge with his seruauntes to go with his seruaunte.
25 But the kynge sayde vnto Absalom: No my sonne, let vs not all go, lest we be to chargeable vnto the. And he wolde nedes haue had him to go, howbeit he wolde not, but blessed him.
26 Absalom sayde: Shall my brother Ammon go with vs then? The kynge sayde vnto him: Wherfore shall he go with the?
27 Then was Absalom so importune vpon him, that he let Ammon and all the kynges childre go with him.
28 But Absalom commaunded his yongemen, and sayde: Take hede whan Ammon is mery with wyne (and I saye vnto you: Smyte Ammon, and slaye him) that ye be not afrayed: for I haue commaunded you, be stronge, and playe the men.
29 So Absaloms yonge men dyd vnto Ammon, as Absalom had commaunded them. Then stode all the kynges children vp, and euery one gat him vp vpo his Mule, and fled.
30 And whyle they were yet on their waye, the rumoure came to kynge Dauid, that Absalom had slayne all the kynges children, so that not one of them was lefte.
31 Then stode the kynge vp, and rente his clothes, & layed him downe vpon the earth, and all his seruautes that stode aboute him, rente their clothes.
32 Then answered Ionadab ye sonne of Simea Dauids brother, and sayde: Let not my lorde thynke that all the yonge men the kynges children are deed, but yt Ammon is deed onely: for Absalom hath kepte it in him selfe sence the daie that he forced his sister Thamar.
33 Therfore let not my lorde the kynge take it so to hert, that all the kynges children shulde be deed, but that Ammon is deed onely.
34 As for Absalom, he fled. And the yongeman that kepte the watch, lifte vp his eyes, and loked, and beholde, A greate people came in the waye one after another by the hill syde.
35 Then sayde Ionadab vnto the kynge: Beholde, the kynges children come. Euen as thy seruaunt sayde, so is it happened.
36 And whan he had ended his talkynge, the kynges children came, and lifte vp their voyce, and wepte. The kynge and all his seruauntes wepte also very sore.
37 But Absalom fled, and wente vnto Thalmai the sonne of Ammihud kynge of Gesur. As for Dauid, he mourned for his sonne euery daye.
38 Whan Absalom was fled and gone vnto Gesur, he was there thre yeare.
39 And kynge Dauid ceassed from goinge out agaynst Absalom, for he had comforted him selfe ouer Ammon that he was deed.

Chapter 14

1 Ioab the sonne of Ieru Ia perceaued yt the kynges hert was agaynst Absalom,
2 and sent vnto Thecoa, and caused to fetch from thence a prudent woman and saide vnto her: Make lametacion, and weere mournynge garmentes, & anoynte the not with oyle: but fayne thy selfe as a woman which hath mourned longe ouer a deed,
3 and thou shalt go in to the kynge, and speake for so vnto him. And Ioab tolde her what she shulde saye.
4 And whan the woman of Thecoa wolde speake with the kynge, she fell vpon hir face to the grounde, and worshipped, and sayde: Helpe me O kynge.
5 The kynge sayde vnto her: What ayleth the? She sayde: I am a wedowe, a woman that mourneth, and my husbade is deed.
6 And thy handmayde had two sonnes, which stroue together in the felde: and whyle there was noman to parte the a sunder, the one smote the other, and slewe him.
7 And beholde, all the whole kynred ryseth vp agaynst thy handmayden, and saye: Delyuer him which hath smytten his brother, that we maye kyll him, for the soule of his brother whom he hath slayne, and that we maye destroye the heyre also. And thus are they mynded to put out my sparke, which yet is lefte, that there shulde no name ner eny thinge els remayne ouer vnto my husbade vpon earth.
8 The kynge sayde vnto the woman: Go ye waye home, I wil geue a comaudemet for ye.
9 And the woman of Thecoa saide vnto ye kynge: The trespace be vpon me (my lorde ye kynge) and vpon my fathers house: but the kynge and his seate be vngiltye.
10 The kynge sayde: He that speaketh agaynst the, brynge him vnto me, so shall he touch the nomore.
11 She sayde: Let the kynge thynke vpon the LORDE his God, that there be not to many auengers of bloude to destroye, and that they brynge not my sonne to naught. He sayde: As truly as the LORDE lyueth, there shall not one heer of thy sonne fall vpon the earth.
12 And the woman sayde: Let thy handmayde speake somwhat to my lorde the kynge. He sayde: speake on.
13 The woman sayde: Wherfore hast thou deuised soch a thinge agaynst the people of God? And how happeneth it that the kynge speaketh soch, to make himselfe giltie, and causeth not his outlawe to be broughte agayne?
14 For we all dye the death, and as the water that sinketh in to the earth, which is not taken vp. And God will not take awaye the lyfe, but vnbethynketh himselfe, yt euen the very outlawe be not cleane thrust out from him.
15 Thus am I come also to speake this to my lorde the kynge in the presence of the people, for thy handmayden thoughte: I wyll speake to the kynge, peraduenture he shall do that his handmayden sayeth,
16 for he shall heare his handmayden, to delyuer me from the hande of all them, that wolde destroye me with my sonne from the enheritaunce of God.
17 And thy handmayden thoughte, ye worde of my lorde the kynge shall be as a meatofferynge, for my lorde the kinge is as an angell of God, so that he can heare good and euell, therfore shall the LORDE thy God be with the.
18 The kynge answered and sayde vnto the woman: Kepe nothynge fro me that I axe the. The woman sayde: Let my lorde the kinge speake on.
19 The kynge sayde: Is not the hande of Ioab with the in all this? The woman answered and sayde: As truly as thy soule lyueth (my lorde O kynge,) there is els noman nether at the righte hande ner at ye lefte, but euen as my LORDE the kynge hath sayde, for thy seruaunt Ioab hath commaunded me, and he himselfe hath taughte thy handmayden all these wordes,
20 that I shulde turne this matter of this fasshio, this hath Ioab thy seruaunt done. But my lorde is wyse, as the wysdome of an angell of God, so that he knoweth all thynges vpon earth.
21 Then sayde the kynge vnto Ioab: Beholde, I haue done this: go thy waye therfore and brynge the childe Absalom agayne.
22 Then fell Ioab vpon his face vnto the grounde, and worshipped, and thanked the kynge, and sayde: This daye doth thy seruaunt perceaue, that I haue founde grace in thy syghte my lorde the kynge, in that the kynge doth as his seruaunt hath sayde.
23 So Ioab gat him vp, and wente vnto Gesur, and broughte Absalom to Ierusalem.
24 But the kinge sayde: Let him go againe in to his house, and not se my face. Thus Absalom came agayne to his house, and sawe not ye kynges face.
25 But in all Israel there was not so fayre, and so maruelous goodly a man, as Absalom. From the sole of his fote vnto the toppe of his heade there was not one blemysh in him.
26 And whan his heade was rounded (that was comonly euery yeare, for it was to heuy for him, so that it must nedes haue bene rounded) the heer of his heade weyed two hudreth Sicles after ye kynges weight.
27 And vnto Absalom there were borne thre sonnes and one doughter, whose name was Thamar, and she was a woman of a fayre bewtye:
28 So Absalom abode two yeare at Ierusalem, and sawe not the kynges face.
29 And Absalom sent for Ioab, that he mighte sende him to the kynge. And he wolde not come to him. But he sent the seconde tyme, yet wolde he not come.
30 Then sayde he vnto his seruauntes: Ye knowe Ioabs pece of londe that lyeth by myne, and he hath barlye theron: go youre waye therfore and set fyre vpon it. So Absaloms seruauntes sett fyre vpon Ioabs pece of londe.
31 Then Ioab gat him vp, and came to Absalom in to the house, and sayde vnto him: Wherfore haue thy seruauntes set fire vpon my pece of londe?
32 Absalo sayde vnto Ioab: Beholde, I sent for the, and caused to saye vnto the: Come hither, that I maye sende the to the kynge, and to saye: Wherfore came I from Gesur? It were better for me that I were there yet. Let me therfore se the kynges face. But yf there be eny trespace in me, then put me to death.
33 And Ioab wente in to the kynge, and tolde him. And he called Absalom, to come in to the kynge, and he worshipped vpon his face to the grounge before the kynge. And the kynge kyssed Absalom.

Chapter 15

1 And after this it fortuned that Absalom caused to prepare himselfe chearettes and horses, and fyftye men, which were his fote me.
2 And Absalo gat him vp allwaye early in the mornynge, and stode in the waye by the porte: and whan eny man had a matter which shulde come to the kynge for iudgment, Absalom called vnto him and sayde: Of what cite art thou? Yf he sayde then: thy seruaunt is of one of the trybes of Israel ,
3 then sayde Absalom vnto him: Beholde, thy matter is righte and plaine: but there is noman appoynted ye of the kynge to heare the.
4 And Absalom sayde: O who setteth me to be iudge in ye londe, that euery man which hath a plee or matter to do in ye lawe, might come to me, that I might helpe him to right
5 And whan eny man came to him to do worshippe & to do him obeisaunce, he put forth his hade, and helde him & kyssed him.
6 After this maner dyd Absalom vnto all Israel whan they came to the lawe vnto the kynge, and so dyd he steale awaye the hert of ye men of Israel .
7 After fortye yeares sayde Absalom vnto the kynge: I wil go and perfourme my vowe at Hebron , which I made vnto the LORDE.
8 For thy seruaunt made a vowe, whan I dwelt at Gesur in Siria, and saide: Whan ye LORDE bryngeth me agayne to Ierusalem, I shal do a Gods seruyce vnto the LORDE.
9 The kynge sayde vnto him: Go thy waye in peace. And he gat him vp, and wente vnto Hebron .
10 But Absalom had sent out spyes in all the trybes of Israel , sayenge: Whan ye heare the noyse of the trompe, saye: Absalom is made kynge at Hebron .
11 There wente with Absalom two hundreth men called from Ierusalem, but they wente on symply, and knewe not of the matter.
12 Absalom sent also for Achitophel (the Gilonyte) Dauids counceler, out of his cite Gilo. Now whan he did the sacrifice, the conspiracion was mightie and the people ranne together, and multyplied with Absalom.
13 Then came one which tolde Dauid, and sayde, that the hert of euery man in Israel folowed Absalom.
14 Dauid sayde vnto all his seruauntes that were with him at Ierusalem: Vp, let vs fle, for here shall be no escapynge for vs before Absalom. Make haist that we maye be goynge, lest he ouertake vs and catch vs, and dryue some mysfortune vpon vs, and smyte the cyte with the edge of the swerde.
15 Then sayde the kynges seruauntes vnto him: Loke what my LORDE ye kinge choseth, beholde, here are thy seruauntes.
16 And the kynge wente forth on fote wt all his housholde. But ten concubynes lefte he to kepe the house.
17 And whan the kynge and all the people came forth on fote, they wete farre from home,
18 and all his seruauntes wente by him, and all the Chrethians and Plethians, and all the Gethites (euen sixe hundreth men) which were come on fote from Gath , wente before the kynge.
19 And the kynge sayde vnto Ithai ye Gethite: Why goest thou also with vs? Turne backe, and byde with the kynge, for thou art a straunger: get the hence agayne vnto thy place.
20 Thou camest yesterdaye, and to daye thou iuperdest to go with vs: As for me, I wyl go whither I can: turne thou backe agayne, and mercy and faithfulnes happen vnto thy brethren with the.
21 Ithai answered, and sayde: As truly as the LORDE lyueth, and as truly as my lorde the kynge lyueth, loke in what place my lorde the kynge shalbe, (whether it chaunce to life or death) there shal thy seruaunt be also.
22 Dauid sayde vnto Ithai: Then come, and go with vs. So wente Ithai the Gethite and all his men, and the whole multitude of the children that were with him.
23 And all the lande wepte with loude voyce, and all the people with them. And the kynge wete ouer the broke Cedron, and all the people wente ouer by the waye that goeth to the wyldernes.
24 And beholde, Sadoc was there also, and all the Leuites that were with them, & they bare ye Arke of the couenuat of God, and set it there. And Abiathar wente vp, tyll all the people came out of the cite.
25 But the kynge sayde vnto Sadoc: Brynge the Arke of God into the cite agayne. Yf I shal fynde grace before the LORDE, he shall fetch me agayne, and shall let me se it, and the house of it.
26 But yf he saye thus: I haue no pleasure to ye, beholde, here am I, let him do with me as it pleaseth him.
27 And the kynge saide vnto Sadoc ye prest: O thou Seer, turne agayne to ye cite with peace, and Ahimaas thy sonne with the and Ionathas the sonne of Abiathar:
28 beholde, I wyl tary in the playne of the wyldernes, tyll the message come from you, and tell me.
29 So Sadoc and Abiathar broughte the Arke of God agayne to Ierusalem, and remayned there.
30 But Dauid wente vp to mount Olyuete and wepte, & his heade was couered. And all the people that was with him, had euery man his heade couered and wente on and wepte.
31 And whan it was tolde Dauid, that Achitophel was in the cofederacy with Absalom, he sayde: LORDE turne thou Achitophels councell to foolishnes.
32 And whan Dauid came vp to the toppe of the mount, where the vse was to worshippe God, Chusai the Arachite met him with his cote rent, and earth vpon his heade.
33 And Dauid sayde vnto him: Yf thou go with me, thou shalt be chargeable vnto me:
34 but yf thou goest agayne in to the cite, and sayest vnto Absalom: I am thy seruaunt O kynge euen as I was thy fathers seruaunt, so wyll I now be thy seruaunt, Then shalt thou brynge Achitophels councell to naughte.
35 So is Sadoc and Abiathar ye prestes with the, and all that thou hearest out of the kynges house, tell it vnto Sadoc and Abiathar the prestes.
36 Beholde, their two sonnes are with the: Ahimaas the sonne of Sadoc, and Ionathas the sonne of Abiathar, by them mayest thou sende me worde what thou hearest.
37 So Chusai Dauids frende came in to the cite. And Absalom came to Ierusalem.

Chapter 16

1 And whan Dauid was gone a lytle by from the toppe of the mount, beholde, Siba the seruaut of Mephiboseth met him with a couple of asses sadled, wheron were two hundreth loaues of bred, and an hundreth quantities of rasyns and an hudreth quantities of fygges, and a bottell of wyne.
2 Then sayde the kynge vnto Siba: What wilt thou do herewith? Siba sayde: The asses shalbe for the kynges housholde to ryde vpon, and the loaues and fygges for the yonge men to eate, and the wyne shallbe for them to drynke whan they are weery in the wyldernes.
3 The kynge sayde: Where is thy lordes sonne? Siba sayde vnto the kynge: Beholde, he abyde that Ierusale, for he saide: To daye shal ye house of Israel restore my fathers kigdome vnto me.
4 The kynge saide vnto Siba: Beholde, all that Mephiboseth hath, shalbe thine. Siba sayde with reuerence, Let me finde grace in thy sight my lorde O kynge.
5 But whan kynge Dauid came to Bahurim, beholde, there wente out a man of the kynred of the house of Saul, whose name was Semei the sonne of Gera, which wente forth and cursed,
6 and cast stones at Dauid, and at all kynge Dauids seruauntes and all the people and all the mightie men men were at his righte hande and at his lefte.
7 Thus sayde Semei whan he cursed: Get the forth, get the forth thou bloudy hounde, thou man of Belial.
8 The LORDE hath rewarded the for all the bloude of the house of Saul, yt thou becamest kynge in his steade. Now hath the LORDE geuen the kyngdome into ye hande of Absalom thy sonne, and beholde, now stickest thou in thine owne myschefe, for thou art a bloudy hounde.
9 But Abisai the sonne of Zeru Ia sayde vnto the kynge: Shall this deed dogg curse my lorde the kynge? I wyl go and take the heade awaye from him.
10 The kynge saide: Ye children of Zeru Ia , what haue I to do wt you? Let him curse on, for the LORDE hath commaunded him: Curse Dauid. Who can saye now: Why doest thou so?
11 And Dauid sayde vnto Abisai and to all his seruauntes: Beholde, my sonne which came of my body, seketh after my lyfe, how moch more now the sonne of Iemini? Let him curse on, for the LORDE hath commaunded him:
12 peraduenture the LORDE shall consydre my aduersyte, and recompence me good for his cursynge this daye.
13 So Dauid wente on his waye with his men. But Semei wente on by the mount besyde him, and cursed, and cast stones at him, & threwe clottes of earth.
14 And the kynge came in and all the people that was with him, weery, and refreshed him selfe there.
15 But Absalom and all the people of the men of Israel came to Ierusalem and Achitophel with him.
16 Whan Chusai the Arachite Dauids frende came into Absalom, he sayde vnto Absalom: God saue the kynge God saue the kynge.
17 Absalom sayde vnto Chusai: Is this thy mercy vnto thy frende? Why art thou not gone with thy frende?
18 Chusai sayde vnto Absalom: Not so, but loke whom the LORDE choseth, and this people, and all the men in Israel , his wyl I be, and byde with him.
19 Secondly, whom shulde I serue? Shulde I not do seruyce before his sonne? Like as I haue serued in the presence of thy father, so wyll I do seruyce before the also.
20 And Absalom sayde vnto Achitophel: Geue vs youre councell what we shal do?
21 Achitophel sayde vnto Absalom: Go lye with thy fathers concubynes, whom he hath lefte to kepe the house, so shall all Israel heare that thou hast made thy father to stynke, and the hande of all them that are with ye, shal be the bolder.
22 Then made they a tente vnto Absalom vpon the house toppe. And Absalom laye with his fathers concubynes in the sighte of all Israel .
23 At that tyme whan Achitophel gaue a councell, that was euen as yf a man axed councell at God: So were all the councels of Achitophel both with Dauid and with Absalom.

Chapter 17

1 And Achitophel sayde vnto Absalom: I wil chose out twolue thousande me, and wyl get me vp, and persue Dauid by nighte,
2 and fall vpo him whan he is feble and weery: When I vexe him the, so that all the people which is by him, flieth, I wil smite the kynge onely,
3 and brynge all the people vnto the agayne. So whan euery man is brought vnto the as thou desyrest, then shal all the people be in peace.
4 Absalom thought that good, and so dyd all the Elders in Israel .
5 But Absalom sayde: I praye you call Chusai the Arachite also, and let vs heare what he sayeth therto.
6 And wha Chusai came in to Absalom, Absalom saide vnto him: Thus hath Achitophel spoken, Saye thou now, shal we do it or not?
7 Then sayde Chusai vnto Absalom: It is no good councell yt Achitophel hath geuen at this tyme.
8 And Chusai sayde morouer: Thou knowest thy father well and his men, that they are stronge and of a wrothfull stomack, euen as a Beer that is robbed of hir yonge ones in the felde, Thy father also is a man of warre, and wyl not be necliget with the people.
9 Beholde, he hath now peraduenture hyd hymselfe in some caue or in some place. Yf it came to passe then that it chaunced euell at the first, & there shulde come a rumor and saye: There is a slaughter done in the people that folowed Absalo:
10 the shulde euery man be discoraged, which els is valeaunt, & hath a hert like a lyo: for all Israel knoweth that thy father is stronge, and that all they which be with him, are mightie men.
11 But this is my coucell, that thou gather together all Israel from Dan vnto Berseba in nombre as the sonde of the See, and go thou thine owne person amonge them,
12 then wil we fall vpon him in what place we finde him, and wyll ouerwhelme him euen as the dew falleth vpon the earth, so that we shal not leaue one of him and of all his men.
13 But yf he resorte in to a cite, then shal all Israel cast roapes aboute the same cite, and drawe it in to the riuer, so that there shal not one stone of it be founde
14 Then sayde Absalom and euery man in Israel : The councell of Chusai the Arachite is better then Achitophels councell. But the LORDE broughte it so to passe, that ye good councell of Achitophel was hyndred, that the LORDE mighte brynge euell vpon Absalom.
15 And Chusai sayde vnto Sadoc & Abiathar the prestes: Thus and thus hath Achitophel counceled Absalom and the Elders in Israel: but so and so haue I counceled.
16 Sende now therfore in all the haist, and tell Dauid, and saye: Abyde not all nighte in the playne felde of the wyldernes, but get the ouer, that the kynge be not swalowed vp, and all the people that is with him.
17 As for Ionathas and Ahimaaz, they stode by the well of Rogel, and a damsell wente thither and tolde them. They wente on their waye, and tolde kynge Dauid, for they durst not be sene to come in to the cite.
18 But a lad sawe them, and tolde Absalom. Neuertheles they wente on their waye, and came to a mans house at Bahurim, which had a well in his courte, and they wete downe in to it.
19 And the woman toke and spred a couerynge ouer the welles mouth, & strowed firmentye corne theron, that it was not perceaued.
20 Now whan Absaloms seruauntes came to the woman in to the house, they sayde: where is Ahimaaz and Ionathas? The woma sayde vnto them: They are gone ouer the litle water. And wha they soughte and founde them not, they wente agayne to Ierusalem.
21 And whan they were gone, they clymmed vp out of the well, and wente their waye, and tolde Dauid ye kynge, and sayde vnto Dauid: Get you vp, and go soone ouer ye water, for thus and thus hath Achitophel geuen councell agaynst you.
22 Then Dauid gat him vp, and all the people that was with him, and passed ouer Iordane tyll it was cleare mornynge. And there was not one, but he wente ouer Iordane.
23 Whan Achitophel sawe that his coucell wente not forth, he sadled his asse, gat him vp, and wete home in to his cite and put his house to poynte, and hanged him selfe, and dyed, and was buried in his fathers graue.
24 And Dauid came to Mahanaim, and Absalom wente ouer Iordane, & all the men of Israel wt him.
25 And Absalom had set Amasa ouer the hoost in Ioabs steade. Amasa was the sonne of a man, whose name was Iethra a Iesraelite, which laye with Abigail the doughter of Nahas the sister of Zeru Ia Ioabs mother.
26 But Israel and Absalom pitched in Gilead .
27 Whan Dauid was come to Mahanaim, Nahas of Rabbath of the childre of Ammon, and Machir the sonne of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barsillai a Gileadite of Roglim
28 broughte bedstuffe, tapestrie worke, basens, earthen vessell, whete, barly, meel, parched corne, beenes, otemeell, ryse,
29 hony, butter, shepe and fat oxen vnto Dauid, and to ye people that was with him, for to eate: for they thought, The people shall be hongrie, weerye and thirstye in the wyldernes.

Chapter 18

1 And Dauid mustred the people yt was with him, and set captaynes ouer the, ouer thousandes and ouer hundreds.
2 And sent out of the people one thirde parte vnder Abisai the sonne of Zeru Ia Ioabs brother, and one thirde parte vnder Ithai the Gethite. And the kynge sayde vnto the people: I wyll go forth with you also.
3 Neuertheles the people sayde: Thou shalt not go forth, for though we fle, or die halfe of vs they shal not regarde vs. For thou art as ten thousande of vs. Therfore is this better that thou mayest helpe vs out of the cite.
4 The kynge sayde: Loke what ye are content withall, that wyl I do. And the kynge stode in the gate, and all the people wente forth by hundreds and by thousandes.
5 And ye kinge comaunded Ioab and Abisai, and Ithai, and sayde: Intreate me the yonge man Absalom gently. And all the people herde it, wha the kynge comaunded all the captaynes concernynge Absalom.
6 And whan the people were come forth in to the felde agaynst Israel , the battayll beganne in the wod of Ephraim.
7 And the people of Israel were smitten there before Dauids seruauntes, so that there was a greate slaughter the same daye, of twentye thousande men.
8 And the battaill was scatred abrode there in the londe. And the wod consumed moch more people the same daye, then the swerde consumed.
9 And Absalom met Dauids seruauntes, and rode vpon a Mule. And whan the Mule came vnder a greate thicke Oke tre, his heade toke holde on the Oke, and so hanged he betwene heauen and earth, but the Mule ranne awaye from vnder him.
10 Whan a certayne man sawe that, he tolde Ioab, and saide: Beholde, I sawe Absalom hange vpo an Oke tre.
11 And Ioab saide vnto the ma yt tolde it him: Beholde, sawest thou that, why smotest thou him not there to the groude? so wolde I haue geuen the of myne awne behalfe ten syluerlynges and a gyrdell.
12 The man sayde vnto Ioab: Yf thou haddest weyed me a thousande syluerlynges in my handes, yet wolde I not haue layed my handes on the kynges sonne. For the kynge commaunded the and Abisai and Ithai before oure eares, and sayde: Kepe me the yonge man Absalom.
13 Or yf I had dyssembled vpon the ioperdy of myne owne soule (for so moch as nothinge shulde be hyd from ye kinge) thou thy selfe shuldest haue stode against me.
14 Ioab sayde: Not so, I wil vpon him before thy face. Then toke Ioab thre speares in his hande, and thrust Absalom thorow ye hert, while he was yet alyue vpon the Oke.
15 And ten yoge men Ioabs weapenbearers, came aboute him, and smote him to death.
16 Then blewe Ioab the trompe, and broughte the people agayne, that they shulde folowe nomore vpon Israel . For Ioab wolde fauoure the people.
17 And they toke Absalom, and cast him in the wod in to a greate pytt, and layed a greate heape of stones vpon him. And all Israel fled, euery one vnto his tente.
18 Absalom had set him vp a piler whyle he was yet alyue, which stode in the kynges valley, for he sayde: I haue no sonne, therfore shall this be a remembraunce of my name: and he called the piler after his owne name. And vnto this daie it is yet called Absaloms place.
19 Ahimaas the sonne of Sadoc sayde: Let me runne now, and brynge the kynge worde, that the LORDE hath gotten him righte fro the hande of his enemies.
20 But Ioab sayde: Thou shalt bringe no good tidinges to daie another daye shalt thou brynge him worde, and not to daye, for the kynges sonne is deed
21 But vnto Chusi sayde Ioab: Go thou thy waye, and tell the kynge what thou hast sene. And Chusi did his obeysauce vnto Ioab, and ranne.
22 Ahimaas the sonne of Sadoc saide agayne vnto Ioab: What and I ranne also? Ioab sayde: What wilt thou runne my sonne? Come hither, thou shalt brynge no good tydinges. (He answered:) What and I ranne yet.
23 He saide vnto him: Renne on yi waye then. So Ahimaas ranne the straight waye, and came before Chusi.
24 As for Dauid, he sat betwene the two gates. And the watchman wente vp to ye toppe of the porte vpon the wall, and lifte vp his eyes, and sawe a man renninge alone,
25 and cryed, and tolde the kinge. The kynge sayde: Yf he be alone, then is there good tydinges in his mouth. And as the same wente and came forth,
26 the watchman sawe another man rennynge, and cryed in the porte and sayde: Beholde, there renneth a man alone. The kinge sayde: The same is a good messaunger also.
27 The watchman sayde: I se the rennynge of the first as it were the rennynge of Ahimaas the sonne of Sadoc. And the kynge sayde: He is a good man, and bryngeth good tidinges.
28 Ahimaas cryed, and sayde vnto ye kinge: Peace, and worshipped before the kynge vpon his face to the grounde, and sayde: Praised be the LORDE thy God, which hath geuen ouer ye men that lifte vp their handes agaynst my LORDE the kynge.
29 The kynge sayde: Goeth it well with the yonge man Absalom? Ahimaas sayde: I sawe a greate vproure, whan Ioab the kynges seruaunt sent me thy seruaunt, and I wote not what it was.
30 The kynge sayde: Go aboute, and stonde here. And he wente aboute and stode there.
31 Beholde, then came Chusi and sayde: I brynge good tydinges my lorde the kynge: The LORDE hath executed righte for the this daye, from the hande of all them that rose vp agaynst the.
32 But the kynge sayde vnto Chusi: Goeth it well with the yonge man Absalom? Chusi sayde: Euen so go it wt all the enemyes of my lorde the kynge, and with all them that ryse vp agaynst the to do euell, as it goeth with the yonge man.
33 Then was the kynge soroufull, and wente vp in to the perler vpon the gate, and wepte, and as he wente, he sayde thus: O my sonne Absalo, my sonne, my sonne Absalom, wolde God yt I shulde dye for the. O Absalom my sonne, my sonne.

Chapter 19

1 And it was tolde Ioab: beholde, ye kinge wepeth & mourneth for Absalom.
2 And so out of ye victory of yt daye there came a mourninge amonge all the people. For the people had herde the same daye, yt the kynge toke on heuely because of his sonne.
3 And ye people stale awaye the same daye, so that they came not in to the cite: as a people that is put to shame, pycketh them selues awaye, whan they are fled in a battayll.
4 As for the kynge, he had couered his face, and cryed loude, and sayde: Oh my sonne Absalom, Absalom my sonne, my sonne.
5 But Ioab came to the kynge in to the house, and sayde: This daye hast thou shamed all thy seruauntes (which haue delyuered thy soule this daye, and the soules of thy sonnes, of thy doughters, of thy wyues, and of thy cocubynes)
6 in that thou louest them that hate the, and hatest those that loue ye. For to daye thou shewest thy selfe, that thou carest not for the captaynes and seruauntes: For I perceaue this daye, that yf Absalom onely were alyue, and we all deed this daye, thou woldest thynke it were well.
7 Get the vp now therfore, and go forth, and speake louyngly vnto thy seruauntes. For I sweare vnto the by ye LORDE, yf thou go not forth, there shall not be lefte the one man this nighte: this shalbe worse vnto ye, then all the euell that happened the sence yi youth vp hither to.
8 The the kynge gat him vp, and sat in the gate. And it was sayde vnto the people: beholde, the kynge sytteth in the gate. Then came all the people before ye kynge. But Israel was fled euery one vnto his tent.
9 And all the people stroue in all the trybes of Israel , and sayde: The kynge ryd vs from the hande of oure enemies, and delyuered vs from the hande of the Philistynes, and was fayne to fle out of the lode for Absalom.
10 So Absalom whom we had anoynted ouer vs, is deed in the battayll. Why are ye so styll now, that ye fetch not the kynge agayne?
11 The kynge sent vnto Sadoc & Abiathar the prestes, & caused to saye vnto the: Speake to the Elders of Iuda, & saye: Why wyl ye be the last to fetch the kynge agayne vnto his house? (for ye sayenge of all Israel was come before the kynge into his house)
12 ye are my brethren, my bone, and my flesh. Wherfore wyl ye then be the last to brynge the kynge agayne?
13 And saye vnto Amasa: Art not thou my bone and my flesh? God do this & that vnto me, yf thou shalt not be the chefe captayne before me in Ioabs steade, as longe as thou lyuest.
14 And he bowed the hert of all the men of Iuda as of one man. And they sent vnto ye kynge: Come agayne, thou and all thy seruauntes:
15 So the kynge came agayne. And whan he came vnto Iordane, ye men of Iuda were come to Gilgal, for to go downe to mete the kynge, that they mighte brynge ye kynge ouer Iordane.
16 And Semei the sonne of Gera the sonne of Iemini, which dwelt at Bahurim, made haist, and wente downe with ye men of Iuda to mete kynge Dauid,
17 and there were with him a thousande me of Ben Iamin. Siba also the seruaunt of the house of Saul with his fyftene sonnes and twenty seruauntes, & gat them thorow Iordane and passed ouer ye fery,
18 that they mighte brynge ouer the kynges housholde, and to do him pleasure. But Semei the sonne of Gera fell downe before the kynge, whan he passed ouer Iordane,
19 and sayde vnto the kynge: O my lorde, laye not the trespace vnto my charge, & thynke not vpon it that thy seruaunt vexed the, in the daye whan my lorde the kynge wente out of Ierusalem: and let not ye kynge take it to hert,
20 for thy seruaunt knoweth that he hath synned. And beholde, this daye am I come the first amonge all the house of Ioseph, for to go downe to mete my lorde the kynge.
21 Neuertheles Abisai the sonne of Zeru Ia answered and sayde: And shulde not Semei dye therfore, seynge he hath cursed ye anoynted of ye LORDE?
22 But Dauid sayde: What haue I to do with you ye children of ZeruIa, that ye wyll become Sathan vnto me this daye? Shulde eny man dye this daye in Israel ? Thynkest thou that I knowe not, yt I am become kynge ouer Israel this daye?
23 And ye kynge sayde vnto Simei: Thou shalt not dye? And the kynge sware vnto him.
24 Mephiboseth the sonne of Saul came downe also to mete the kynge. And he had not made cleane his fete ner combde his beerde, nether had he wasshed his clothes from the daye that the kynge was gone awaye, vntyll the daye that he came agayne in peace.
25 Now wha he came to Ierusalem for to mete the kynge, the kynge sayde vnto him: Mephiboseth, wherfore wentest thou not with me?
26 And he sayde: My lorde O kynge, my seruaut hath dealte vnrighteously with me: for thy seruaunt thoughte: I wyl saddell an asse and ryde theron, and go vnto the kynge: for thy seruaunt is lame,
27 and he hath accused thy seruaunt before my lorde ye kynge. But my lorde ye kynge is an angell of God, and thou mayest do what pleaseth the.
28 For all my fathers house was nothinge, but people of death before my lorde ye kynge. And yet hast thou set thy seruaunt amonge them that eate at yi table. What other righteousnes haue I, that I shulde crye eny more vnto the kynge?
29 The kynge sayde vnto him: What speakest thou yet more of thy matter? I haue sayde: Thou and Siba parte the londe betwene you.
30 Mephiboseth sayde vnto the kynge: Let him take it all, in as moch as my lorde ye kynge is come home in peace.
31 And Barsillai the Gileadite came downe from Roglim, and broughte the kynge ouer Iordane, that he mighte coueye him in Iordane.
32 And Barsillai was very olde, so good as foure score yeare olde, the same had prouyded ye kynge of fode whyle he was at Mahanaim, for he was a very noble man.
33 And the kynge sayde vnto Barsillai: Thou shalt go ouer with me, I wyll take care for the wt myne awne selfe at Ierusalem.
34 But Barsillai sayde vnto the kynge: What haue I yet to lyue, that I shulde go vp to Ierusalem wt the kynge?
35 This daye am I foure score yeare olde. How shulde I knowe what is good or euell, or taist what I eate or drynke, or heare what the Musicians do synge? Why shulde thy seruaunt be chargeable first vnto my lorde the kynge?
36 thy seruaunt shall go a litle with the kynge ouer Iordane. Why wil the kynge recompence me after this maner?
37 Let thy seruaunt turne backe agayne, that I maye dye in my cite besyde my father and my mothers graue. Beholde, there is thy seruaunt Chimeam, let him go ouer with my lorde the kynge, and do vnto him what pleaseth the.
38 The kynge sayde: Chimeam shal go ouer with me, and I wyll do for him what liketh the: and what so euer thou desyrest of me, that wyll I do for the also.
39 And whan all ye people was gone ouer Iordane and the kynge likewyse, the kynge kyssed Barsillai and blessed him, and he turned vnto his place.
40 And ye kynge passed ouer vnto Gilgal, and Chimeam wente with him. And all the people of Iuda broughte the kynge ouer, howbeit there was but halfe of the people of Israel there.
41 And beholde, the came all the men of Israel vnto the kynge, & sayde vnto him: Why haue oure brethren the men of Iuda stollen the awaye, and haue conueyed ye kynge and his housholde ouer Iordane, and all Dauids men with him?
42 Then answered they of Iuda vnto them of Israel : The kynge is of oure nye kynred, why are ye angrie therfore? Thynke ye that we haue receaued eny fode or giftes of the kynge?
43 Then answered they of Israel vnto them of Iuda, & sayde: We haue ten tymes more with the kynge and with Dauid, the thou, why hast thou regarded me then so lightly, that oures were not the first to fetch oure kynge agayne? But they of Iuda spake harder then they of Israel .

Chapter 20

1 There was a famous man of Belial there, whose name was Seba ye sonne of Bichri, a ma of Iemini, which blewe the trompe, and sayde: We haue no porcion in Dauid, ner inheritaunce in ye sonne of Isai: let euery get him to his tent, O Israel.
2 Then fell euery man in Israel from Dauid, and folowed Seba the sonne of Bichri. But the men of Iuda cleued vnto their kynge from Iordane vnto Ierusale.
3 Whan Dauid came home to Ierusalem, he toke the ten concubynes (whom he had lefte to kepe the house) and put them in a holde to be kepte, and made prouysion for them: but he laye not with them, and so were they shut vp vnto their death, and lyued wedowes.
4 And ye kynge sayde vnto Amasa: Call me all the men of Iuda together agaynst the thirde daye, & be thou here present also.
5 And Amasa wete to call Iuda together. And he was slacke to come at ye tyme which he had appoynted him.
6 And Dauid sayde vnto Abisai: Now shall Seba the sonne of Bichri do vs more harme then Absalom. Take thou yi lordes seruauntes, and folowe vpon him, yt he fynde not some stroge cities for him, and so escape out of oure sighte.
7 Then wente Ioabs me forth after him, and the Chrethians and Plethians, and all the mightie me: and they wete out of Ierusalem to folowe vpon Seba the sonne of Bichri.
8 But whan they were by the greate stone at Gibeon , Amasa came before them. As for Ioab, he was gyrded aboue his garment which he had on, and vpon it he had a swerde gyrded, which hanged by his thye in the sheeth, and wente easely out and in, and fell fro him.
9 And Ioab sayde vnto Amasa: Peace be with the my brother. And Ioab toke Amasa by the beerde with his righte hade, to kysse him.
10 And Amasa toke no hede vnto ye swerde in Ioabs hande, and he thrust him therwith in to the bely, yt his bowels ranne out vpon the earth, and he thrust at him nomore. And so he dyed. Ioab & his brother Abisai folowed vpon Seba ye sonne of Bichri.
11 And one of Ioabs seruauntes stode by him, and sayde: What is he this yt wolde be agaynst Ioab to please Dauid, and to be with Dauid in Ioabs steade?
12 As for Amasa, he laye rolled in the bloude in ye myddes of the strete. But wha one sawe that all the people stode there still, he remoued Amasa from the strete vnto the felde, and cast a clothe vpon him, for so moch as he sawe, that who so euer came by him, stode styll.
13 Now whan he was put out of the waye, euery man wete after Ioab, to folowe vpon Seba the sonne of Bichri.
14 And he wente thorow all ye trybes of Israel vnto Abel Beth Maacha, and all the best chosen men gathered them selues together, & folowed after him,
15 and came and beseged him at Abel Beth Maacha, and made a banke aboute to cite harde on ye wall. And all the people that was with Ioab, layed to their ordynaunce, and wolde haue cast downe the wall.
16 Then cried there a wyse woma out of ye cite: Heare, heare, saye vnto Ioab that he come hither, I wyl speake with him.
17 And wha he came to her, the woman sayde: Art thou Ioab? He sayde: Yee. She sayde vnto him: Heare the wordes of thy handmayden. He sayde: I heare.
18 She sayde: The comonsayenge was somtyme: Who so wyll axe, let him axe at Abel, and so came it to a good ende.
19 This is ye noble and faithfull cite in Israel , and wilt thou destroye the cite and the mother in Israel ? Why wilt thou swalowe vp the enheritaunce of the LORDE?
20 Ioab answered and sayde: That be farre, that be farre fro me, that I shulde swalowe vp and destroye.
21 The matter is not so, but a certayne man of mount Ephraim named Seba the sonne of Bichri, hath lifte vp him selfe agaynst kynge Dauid, delyuer him onely, and I wyl departe from the cite. The woman sayde vnto Ioab: Beholde, his heade shal be cast vnto the ouer the wall.
22 And the woman came in to all the people with hir wysdome. And they smote of the heade of Seba the sonne of Bichri, and cast it vnto Ioab. Then blewe he the trompe, and they departed from the cite, euery one vnto his tent. But Ioab came agayne to Ierusalem vnto the kynge.
23 Ioab was captayne ouer all the hoost of Israel : Benaia ye sonne of Ioiada was ouer the Chrethians and Plethians:
24 Adoram was rent gatherer: Iosaphat the sonne of Ahilud was Chaunceler:
25 Seia was the scrybe: Sadoc and Abiathar were the prestes:
26 Ira also ye Iairite was Dauids prest.

Chapter 21

1 There was a derth also in Dauids tyme thre yeares together. And Dauid soughte the face of ye LORDE. And the LORDE sayde: Because of Saul and because of that bloudy housholde yt he slewe the Gibeonites.
2 Then the kynge caused for to call the Gibeonites, and spake vnto them. (As for the Gibeonites, they were not of ye children of Israel , but a remnaunt of the Amorites: howbeit the children of Israel had sworne vnto the, and Saul soughte for to smyte them in his gelousy, for the childre of Israel and Iuda.)
3 Then sayde Dauid to the Gibeonites: What shal I do vnto you? And where withall shal I make the attonement, that ye maye blesse ye enheritaunce of ye LORDE?
4 The Gibeonites sayde vnto him: It is not for golde and syluer that we haue to do wt Saul and his house, nether haue we oughte to do for to slaye eny ma in Israel . He sayde: What saye ye then, that I shal do vnto you?
5 They sayde vnto ye kynge: The man that hath destroyed vs and broughte vs to naughte, shulde we destroye, that nothinge be lefte him in all the coastes of Israel .
6 Let there be geuen vs seuen men of his sonnes, that we maye hange them vp vnto the LORDE at Gibea of Saul the chosen of the LORDE. The kynge sayde: I wyll geue them.
7 Howbeit the kynge spared Mephiboseth ye sonne of Ionathas ye sonne of Saul, because of the ooth of the LORDE yt was betwene them: namely, betwene Dauid & Ionathas the sonne of Saul.
8 But the two sonnes of Rispa ye doughter of Aia, whom she had borne vnto Saul, Armoni & Mephiboseth, And the fyue sonnes of Michol the doughter of Saul, whom she bare vnto Adriel the sonne of Barsillai the Mahalothite,
9 dyd the kynge take, and gaue them in to the handes of ye Gibeonites, which hanged the vp vpo the mount before the LORDE. So these seuen fell at one tyme, and dyed in the tyme of the first haruest, whan ye barly haruest begynneth.
10 Then toke Rispa the doughter of Aia a sack cloth, & spred it vpon the rock in the begynnynge of the haruest, tyll the water from the heauen dropped vpo them, and suffred not the foules of the heauen to rest on them on the daye tyme, nether the wylde beestes of the felde on the nighte season.
11 And it was tolde Dauid what Rispa the doughter of Aia Sauls concubyne had done.
12 And Dauid wente and toke the bones of Saul and the bones of Ionathas his sonne from ye citesens at Iabes in Gilead (which they had stollen from ye strete at Bethsan, where ye Philistynes had hanged the, what tyme as the Philistynes had smytten Saul vpon mount Gilboa)
13 and broughte them vp from thence, and gathered them together wt the bones of them that were hanged.
14 And the bones of Saul and of his sonne Ionathas buried they in ye londe of Ben Iamin, besyde ye graue of his father Cis. So after this was God at one with the londe.
15 But there arose warre agayne of ye Philistynes agaynst Israel . And Dauid wente downe & his seruauntes with him, & foughte agaynst the Philistynes. And Dauid was weery,
16 & Iesbi of Nob (which was one of the children of Rapha, and the weight of his speare was thre C. weight of brasse, and had a new harnesse vpon him) thoughte to smyte Dauid.
17 Neuertheles Abisai the sonne of Zeru Ia helped him, & smote the Philistyne to death. Then sware Dauids men vnto him, & sayde: Thou shalt nomore go forth with vs vnto the warre, that the lanterne in Israel be not put out.
18 Afterwarde there arose yet warre at Nob with the Philistynes. Then Sibechai the Husathite smote Saph, which also was one of the childre of Rapha.
19 And there arose yet warre at Gob with the Philistynes. Then Elhanan the sonne of Iaere Orgim a Bethleemite smote Goliath the Gethite, which had a speare, whose shaft was like a weeuers lome .
20 And there arose yet warre at Gath, where there was a cotencious man, which had sixe fyngers on his handes, and sixe toes on his fete, that is foure and twety in the nombre, and he was borne also of Rapha.
21 And whan he spake despitefully vnto Israel , Ionathas ye sonne of Simea Dauids brother smote him.
22 These foure were borne vnto Rapha at Gath , and fell thorow the hande of Dauid and of his seruauntes.

Chapter 22

1 And Dauid spake the wordes of this songe before the LORDE, what tyme as the LORDE had delyuered him fro the hande of all his enemies, and from the hande of Saul,
2 and he sayde. The LORDE is my stony rock, & my castell, and my delyuerer.
3 God is my strength, in him wyl I put my trust: my shylde & the horne of my saluacion, my defence & my refuge, my Sauioure, thou shalt helpe me from violent wronge.
4 I wil call vpon the LORDE with prayse, so shal I be delyuered fro myne enemies.
5 For the sorowes of death copased me, and the brokes of Belial made me afrayed.
6 The paynes of hell came aboute me, and the snares of death had ouertaken me.
7 Wha I was in trouble, I called vpo the LORDE, yee euen my God called I vpon, & so he herde my voyce fro his holy temple, & my coplaynte (came) into his eares.
8 The earth trembled and quaked, the foundacions of the heauen shoke and moued, because he was wroth.
9 Smoke wente vp from his nose, and consumynge fyre out of his mouth, coles were kyndled therof.
10 He bowed the heauens and came downe, and it was darke vnder his fete.
11 He sat vpon Cherub and dyd flye, and appeared vpon the fethers of the wynde.
12 He made darknes his pauylion rounde aboute him, thicke water in the cloudes of ye ayre.
13 At the brightnesse of him were the fyre coles kyndled.
14 The LORDE thondered from heaue, and the Hyest put forth his voyce.
15 He shot his arowes, and scatered them: he lightened, and discomfited them.
16 The pourynges out of the See were sene, and the foundacions of the earth were discouered at the chydinge of the LORDE, & at the breth of the sprete of his wrath.
17 He sent downe from aboue, and receaued me, and drue me out of many waters.
18 He delyuered me fro my stronge enemye, from them that hated me, for they were to mightie for me.
19 They ouertoke me in the tyme of my trouble, but the LORDE was my succoure.
20 He broughte me forth in to liberty: he delyuered me, because he had a fauoure vnto me.
21 The LORDE shal rewarde me after my righteousnes, and acordinge to the clennes of my handes shal he recompence me.
22 For I haue kepte ye waye of the LORDE, & haue not bene vngodly agaynst my God.
23 For I haue an eye vnto all his lawes, and haue not put his ordinaunces fro me.
24 Therfore wil I be perfecte vnto him, and wyl eshue myne awne wickednes.
25 So shal ye LORDE rewarde me after my righteousnes, acordinge to the clenes of my handes in his eye sighte.
26 With the holy shalt thou be holy, and wt the perfecte thou shalt be perfecte.
27 With the cleane thou shalt be cleane, and with the frowarde thou shalt be frowarde.
28 For thou shalt saue the poore oppressed people, and shalt set thine eyes agaynst the proude to brynge them downe.
29 For thou O LORDE art my lanterne. The LORDE shal lighte my darknesse.
30 For in ye I shal discofite an hoost of men, & in my God I shal leape ouer the wall.
31 The waye of God is perfecte: ye wordes of the LORDE are tryed in the fyre: he is a shylde for all the that put their trust in him.
32 For where is there a God, excepte ye LORDE? Or who hath eny strength without oure God?
33 God hath stregthed me with power, and made playne a perfecte waye for me.
34 He hath made my fete like hartes fete, & hath set me vp an hye.
35 He teacheth my handes to fighte, and bendeth the stele bowe with myne armes.
36 And thou hast geuen me the shylde of yi health, and with yi louynge correccion shalt thou multiplye me.
37 Thou hast enlarged my goinge vnder me, and myne ankles haue not slyded.
38 I wyl folowe vpon myne enemies, and destroye the: and wyl not turne backe agayne, tyll I haue broughte them to naught.
39 I wil cosume them and thrust them thorow, that they come not vp: they shal fall vnder my fete.
40 Thou hast girded me with strength to ye battayll, and hast subdued them vnder me yt rose vp agaynst me.
41 Thou hast made myne enemies to turne their backes vpo me, that I might destroye them that hate me.
42 They shal crye, but there shalbe no Sauioure: yee euen vnto the LORDE, but he answereth them not.
43 I wil beate them as small as the dust of the earth: euen as ye claye of the stretes wil I make them thynne, and sprede them out abrode.
44 But me shalt thou delyuer from the stryuynges of the people, and shalt kepe me to be ye heade of the Heythen: A people whom I haue not knowne, shal serue me.
45 The straunge children haue denyed me: at the hearynge of the eare shal they herke vnto me.
46 The straunge children are waxen olde, & are shut vp in their presons.
47 The LORDE lyueth, and blessed be my God, and magnified be the strength of my health.
48 God seyth that I be auenged, and subdueth the people vnto me.
49 He bryngeth me out fro myne enemies: & from them yt ryse vp agaynst me, shalt thou exalte me, and from ye cruell man shalt thou delyuer me.
50 For this cause wyl I geue thankes vnto the amonge the Heythen, and synge prayses vnto thy name.
51 Which doth greate health for his kynge, & sheweth mercy vnto Dauid his anoynted, and to his sede for euermore.

Chapter 23

1 These are the last wordes of Dauid: Dauid the sonne of Isai sayde. The man, that was set vp to be ye anoynted of the God of Iacob, & a pleasaunt dyter of songes of Israel , sayde:
2 The sprete of the LORDE hath spoken by me, and the vtteraunce therof is done thorow my tunge.
3 He sayde: The God of Israel hath spoke vnto me, the strength of Israel , the gouernoure amonge men, the righteous gouernoure in the feare of God.
4 As the lighte is in ye mornynge whan the Sonne aryseth, so that for the brightnesse therof no cloude remayneth: and as the grasse loketh vpon the earth thorow the rayne,
5 euen so shal my house be with God. For he hath made an euerlastinge couenaunt with me, well appoynted on euery syde and sure. For this is all my health & pleasure, that it shal growe.
6 But the Belial shalbe vtterly & cleane roted out as the thornes, which me take not in their hades.
7 And they yt touch them, shal destroye them wt yrons & speares: & in the fyre shal they be brent, that they maye be broughte to naught.
8 These are the names of Dauids Worthies: Iasabeam ye sonne of Hachmoni, the chefest amonge thre, which lifte vp his speare, & slewe eight hundreth at one tyme.
9 After him was Eleasar the sonne of Dodi the sonne of Ahohi amonge the thre Worthies with Dauid, whan they spake despytefully to the Philistynes, and were gathered together to the battayll, and the men of Israel wente vp.
10 Then stode he vp and smote the Philistynes, tyll his hande was so weery that it crompled with the swerde. And the LORDE gaue a greate victory at the same tyme, so that the people turned after him to spoyle.
11 After him was Samma the sonne of Age ye Hararite. Wha the Philistynes had gathered themselues in a company, and in the same place there was a pece of lode full of small corne, and the people fled before the Philistynes,
12 the stode he in the myddes of ye pece of londe, & delyuered it, & smote ye Philistynes. And God gaue a greate victory.
13 And these thre pryncipall amonge thirtie, came downe in the haruest vnto Dauid, into the caue of Adullam, & the hoost of ye Philistynes laye in ye valley of Rephaim .
14 But Dauid was at the same tyme in the castell, and ye Philistynes people laye at Bethleem.
15 And Dauid was desyrous, and sayde: Wolde God yt some man wolde fetch me a drynke of water out of the well at Bethleem vnder the gate.
16 The brake the thre Worthies into the hoost of the Philistynes, and drue of the water out of the well at Bethleem vnder ye gate, & caried it & broughte it vnto Dauid: neuertheles he wolde not drynke it, but offred it vnto the LORDE,
17 & sayde: The LORDE let this be farre fro me, that I shulde do it. Is it not the bloude of the men that ioperded their lyues, and wente thither? And he wolde not drynke it. This dyd the thre Worthies.
18 Abisai ye brother of Ioab the sonne of Zeru Ia was one also chefe amoge thre. He lifte vp his speare & smote thre hundreth, & was an awncient man amoge thre,
19 & the noblest amonge thre, & was their ruler. But he came not vnto the thre.
20 And Benaia the sonne of Ioiada, the sonne of Ishail (a man of greate actes of Cabzeell) smote two mightie giautes of ye Moabites, & wete downe, & slewe a lyon at a well in the snowe tyme.
21 He smote also a fayre goodly man of Egipte, which had a speare in his hande. But he wete downe to him with a staffe, and toke the speare out of the Egipcians hande by violence, and slewe him with his owne speare.
22 This dyd Benaia the sonne of Ioiada, and was a famous man amoge thre Worthies,
23 and more honorable then the thirtie, but he came not vnto the thre. And Dauid made him of his secrete coucell.
24 Asahel the brother of Ioab is amonge ye thirtie: Elham his vncles sonne at Bethleem.
25 Samma the Haradite, Elika the Haradite,
26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the sonne of Tekoite,
27 Abiser the Anthothite, Mebunai the Husathite,
28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maherai the Netophatite,
29 Ithai the sonne of Ribai of Gibea of the childre of Ben Iamin,
30 Benaia the Pirgathonite, Hidai of the broke of Gaas,
31 Abialbon the Arbathite, Asmaueth the Bahumite,
32 Eliaheba the Baalbonite. The children of Iasen and Ionathas:
33 Samma the Hararite,
34 Eliphelet the sonne of Ahasbai ye sonne of Maechathi, Eliam the sonne of Achitophel ye Gilonite,
35 Hesrai of Carmel, Paerai the Arbite,
36 Iegael the sonne of Nathan of Soba, Bani the Gadite,
37 Zeleg the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, the weapen bearer of Ioab the sonne of Zeru Ia,
38 Ira the Iethrite, Gareb the Iethrite,
39 Vrias the Hethite. These are alltogether seuen and thirtie.

Chapter 24

1 And the LORDE was wrothfully displeased of ye new agaynst Israel , and moued Dauid amonge them, because he saide: Go, nombre Israel and Iuda.
2 And the kynge sayde vnto Ioab ye chefe captayne of his hoost: Go aboute in all the trybes of Israel , from Dan vnto Berseba, and nombre the people, that I maye knowe how many they be.
3 Ioab sayde vnto the kynge: The LORDE thy God adde vnto this people an hundreth tymes as moch as it is now, that my lorde the kynge maye se his eyes lust theron. But why hath my lorde the kynge a desyre to this thinge?
4 Neuertheles the kynges worde preuayled agaynst Ioab and the captaynes of the hoost. So Ioab and ye captaynes of the hoost wente forth from the kynge, to nombre the people of Israel,
5 and passed ouer Iordane, and pitched at Aroer, at the righte hande of the cite which lyeth in ye ryuer of Gad, and at Iaseer,
6 & came to Gilead, and in the lowe countre of Hadsi, and came vnto Dan Iaan, and aboute Sidon,
7 and came to the stronge cite of Tyrus, and all the cities of the Heuites and Cananites, and came forth to the south parte of Iuda vnto Berseba,
8 and wete rounde aboute that countre, and after nyne monethes and twenty daies they came to Ierusalem.
9 And Ioab delyuered vnto ye kynge the summe of the people that was nombred. And in Israel there were eight C. thousande stronge men, that drue out the swerde: and in Iuda fyue hundreth thousande men.
10 And after that the people was nombred, Dauids hert smote him selfe. And Dauid sayde vnto ye LORDE: I haue synned sore, that I haue done this. And now LORDE take awaie the trespace of thy seruaunt. For I haue done very vnwysely.
11 And whan Dauid rose vp in the mornynge, the worde of the LORDE came vnto the prophet Gad, Dauids Seer, & sayde:
12 Go & speake vnto Dauid. Thus sayeth the LORDE: I brynge the thre thinges, chose the one of them, that I maye do it vnto the.
13 Gad came vnto Dauid, and tolde him, and sayde vnto him: Wilt thou that seuen yeare derth shall come in to thy londe? Or that thou be fayne to flye before thine aduersaries thre monethes, and they to persecute the? Or that there be pestilence thre dayes in the londe? Take aduysement therfore and se, what answere I shal bringe agayne vnto him yt sent me.
14 Dauid sayde vnto Gad: I am in extreme trouble. Neuertheles (yf it maye be) let me rather fall in to ye handes of the LORDE (for his mercy is greate) I wyll not fall in to the handes of men.
15 So the LORDE sent pestilece in to Israel from the morow vnto the tyme appoynted, so that there dyed of the people from Dan vnto Berseba, thre score and ten thousande men.
16 And whan the angel stretched his hande ouer Ierusalem to destroye it, the LORDE repented ouer the euell, and sayde vnto the angell: It is ynough, holde now thy hande. The angell of the LORDE was besyde the barne of Arafna the Iebusite.
17 But whan Dauid sawe the angell that smote the people, he sayde vnto the LORDE: beholde, It is I that haue synned, I haue done the trespace: As for these shepe, what haue they done? Oh let thy hade be agaynst me and agaynst my fathers house.
18 And Gad came to Dauid at the same tyme, and saide vnto him: Go vp, and set vp an altare vnto the LORDE in ye barne of Arafna the Iebusite.
19 So Dauid wete vp as Gad sayde, and as the LORDE had commaunded.
20 And wha Arafna loked aboute him, he sawe the kynge with his seruauntes goinge vnto him, and he worshipped vpon his face to the grounde,
21 and sayde: Wherfore commeth my lorde ye kynge vnto his seruaunt? Dauid sayde: To bye the barne of the, and to buylde an altare vnto the LORDE, that the plage maye ceasse from the people.
22 But Arafna sayde vnto Dauid: Let my lorde the kynge take it, and offre what pleaseth him. Beholde, there is an oxe for a burntofferynge, and sleddes, and vessels of oxen to the wodd.
23 All this gaue Arafna vnto the kynge. And Arafna sayde vnto ye kynge: The LORDE thy God make the accepted vnto him.
24 Neuertheles ye kynge sayde vnto Arafna: Not so, but I wyll bye it of the for as moch as it is worth. For I wyl not offre burntofferynges vnto ye LORDE, of yt which I haue for naughte. So Dauid boughte the barne and the oxe for fiftye Sicles of syluer,
25 and buylded an altare there vnto the LORDE, and offred burntofferynges & deedofferynges. And the LORDE was mercifull vnto ye londe, and ye plage ceassed from the people of Israel .