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Therfor Dauid roos fro the erthe, and was waischid, and anoyntid; and whanne he hadde chaungid cloth, he entride in to the hows of the Lord, and worschipide, and cam in to his hows; and he axide, that thei schulden sette breed to hym, and he eet.

Sothely his seruauntis seiden to hym, What is the word which thou hast do? Thou fastidist, and weptist for the yong child, whanne he lyuede yit; sotheli whanne the child was deed, thou risidist and etist breed?

And Dauid coumfortid Bersabee, his wijf; and he entride to hir, and slepte with hir. And sche gendride a sone, and Dauid clepide his name Salomon; and the Lord louyde hym.

And he sente Salomon in the hond of Nathan, the prophete; and he clepide his name Amyable to the Lord, for the Lord louyde hym.

And he took the diademe of the kyng of hem fro his heed, bi weiyte a talent of gold, hauynge preciouseste peerlis; and it was put on the heed of Dauid, `that is, aftir that it was weldid and purgid bi fier; but also Dauid bar awey ful myche prey of the citee.

Also he ledde forth the puple therof, and sawide, and `dide aboute hem `yrun instrumentis of turment, and departide with knyues, and `ledde ouer bi the licnesse of tijl stoonus; so he dide to alle the citees of the sones of Amon. And Dauid turnede ayen, and al his oost, in to Jerusalem.

Forsothe whanne `kyng Dauid hadde herd these wordis, he was ful sori, and he nolde make sore the spyrit of Amon, his sone; for he louyde Amon, for he was the firste gendrid `to hym.

Forsothe Absolon spak not to Amon, nether yuel nether good; for Absolon hatide Amon, for he hadde defoulid Thamar, his sistir.

And he cam to the kyng, and seide to hym, Lo! the scheep of thi seruaunt ben schorun; Y preye, come the king with hise seruauntis to his seruaunt.

Therfor the children of Absolon diden ayens Amon, as Absolon hadde comaundide to hem; and alle the sones of the kyng risiden, and stieden ech on his mule, and fledden.

Sotheli Jonadab, sone of Semmaa, brother of Dauid, answeride and seide, My lord the kyng, gesse not, that alle the children, and sones of the kyng, ben slayn; Amon aloone is deed, for he was set in hatrede to Absolon, fro the day in which he oppresside Thamar, his sistir.

Now therfor, my lord the kyng, set not this word on his herte, and seie, Alle the sones of the kyng ben slayn; for Amon aloone is deed.

And whanne he hadde ceessid to speke, also the sones of the kyng apperiden; and thei entriden, and reisiden her vois, and wepten; but also the kyng and alle his seruauntis wepten bi ful greet wepyng.

Forsothe Absolon fledde, and yede to Tholmai, sone of Amyur, the kyng of Gessur. Therfor Dauid biweilide his sone Amon in many daies.

And lo! al the kynrede risith ayens thin handmayde, and seith, Yyue thou hym that killide his brothir, that we sle hym for the lijf of his brother whom he killide, and that we do awei the eir; and thei seken to quenche my sparcle whych is lefte, that name dwelle not to myn hosebonde, and relikis, `ethir remenauntis, be not to him on erthe.

And the womman of Thecua seide to the kyng, My lord the kyng, this wickidnesse be on me, and on the hows of my fadir; forsothe the kyng and his trone be innocent.

And sche seide, The kyng haue mynde on his Lord God, and the nexte men of blood to take veniaunce be not multiplied, and `thei schulen not sle my sone. And the kyng seide, The Lord lyueth, for noon of the heeris of thi sone schal falle on the erthe.

And the womman seide, Whi `thouytist thou sich a thing ayens the puple of God? and the kyng spak this word, that he do synne, and brynge not ayen his sone cast out?

Now therfor come thou, that Y speke to my lord the kyng this word, while the puple is present; and thin handmaide seide, Y schal speke to the kyng, if in ony maner the kyng do the word of his handmayde.

And the kyng herde the wordis, that he schulde delyuere his handmayde fro the hondis of alle men, that wolden do awei me, and my sone to gidere, fro the eritage of the Lord.