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and seist to Absolon, Y am thi seruaunt, kyng, suffre thou me to lyue; as Y was the seruaunt of thi fadir, so Y schal be thi seruaunt; thou schalt distrye the counsel of Achitofel.

Sotheli Semey spak so, whanne he curside the kyng, Go out, go out, thou man of bloodis, and man of Belial!

And the kyng seide, Ye sones of Saruye, what is to me and to you? Suffre ye hym, that he curse; for the Lord comaundide to hym, that he schulde curse Dauid; and who is he that dare seie, Whi dide he so?

And so `Dauid the king cam, and al the puple weery with hym, and thei weren refreischid there.

But that Y seie also this, to whom schal Y serue? whethir not to the sone of the kyng? as Y obeiede to thi fadir, so Y schal obeie to thee.

Sotheli the counsel of Achitofel, which he yaf in tho daies, was as if a man counselide God; so was al the counsel of Achitofel, bothe whanne he was with Dauid, and whanne he was with Absolon.

Forsothe a womman took, and spred abrood an hilyng of the mouth of the pit as driynge `barli with the pile takun a wey, and so the thing was hid.

And eft sche seide, A word was seid in eld prouerbe, Thei that axen, axe in Habela; and so thei profitiden.

The thing hath not so it silf; but a man of the hil of Effraym, Siba, sone of Bochri, bi surname, reiside his hond ayens kyng Dauid; bitake ye him aloone, and we schulen go awei fro the citee. And the womman seide to Joab, Lo! his heed schal be sent to thee bi the wal.

Whiche seiden to the king, We owen to do awei so the man, that `al to brak ethir defoulide vs, and oppresside wickidli, that not oon sotheli be residue of his generacioun in alle the coostis of Israel.

And myn hows is not so greet anentis God, that he schulde make with me euerlastynge couenaunt, stidefast and maad strong in alle thingis; for al myn helthe hangith of him, and al the wille `that is, al my desir, goith in to hym, and no thing is therof, that makith not fruyt.

for as Y swore to thee bi the Lord God of Israel, and seide, Salomon, thi sone, schal regne after me, and he schal sitte on my trone for me, so Y schal do to dai.

And Banaie, sone of Joiada, answeride to the kyng, and seide, Amen, `that is, so be it, ether verili, ether feithfuli; so speke the Lord God of my lord the kyng.

As the Lord was with my lord the kyng, so be he with Salomon, and make he the trone of Salomon heiyere than the trone of my lord the kyng Dauid.

And Semei seide to the kyng, The word of the kyng is good; as my lord the kyng spak, so thi seruaunt schal do. Therfor Semey dwellide in Jerusalem in many daies.

Y haue do to thee vpe thi wordis, and Y haue youe to thee a wyse herte and vndirstondynge, in so myche that no man bifor thee was lijk thee, nether schal rise aftir thee.

The tother womman answeride, It is not so as thou seist, but thi sone is deed; forsothe `my sone lyueth. Ayenward sche seide, Thou liest; for my sone lyueth, and thi sone is deed. And bi this maner thei stryueden bifore the kyng.

And `Salomon sente hem in to the Liban, ten thousynde bi ech monethe bi whilis, so that in twei monethis bi whilis thei weren in her howsis; and Adonyram was on sich a summe.

Sotheli in the hiynesse of the foundement was sum roundenesse, of o cubite and an half, so maad craftili, that the waischyng vessel myyte be set aboue, hauynge his purtreiyngis, and dyuerse grauyngis of it silf.

Now therfor, Lord God of Israel, kepe thou to thi seruaunt Dauid, my fadir, tho thingis whiche thou spakist to hym, and seidist, A man of thee schal not be taken awei bifor me, which man schal sitte on the trone of Israel, so netheles if thi sones kepen thi weye, that thei go bifor me, as thou yedist in my siyt.