Study Desk

And Joab felde on his face to erthe, and worschipide, and blesside the kyng; and Joab seide, Thi seruaunt hath vndirstonde to dai, that Y foond grace in thin iyen, my lord the kyng, for thou hast do the word of thi seruaunt.

and in as myche as `he clippide more the heeris, bi so myche thei wexiden more; forsothe he was clippid onys in the yeer, for the heer greuede him. And whanne he clippide the heeris, he weiyide `the heeris of his heed bi twei hundrid siclis with comyn weiyte.

for thi seruaunt vowynge vowide, whanne he was in Gessur of Sirie, and seide, If the Lord bryngith ayen me in to Jerusalem, Y schal make sacrifice to the Lord.

And Dauid seide to hise seruauntis that weren with hym in Jerusalem, Rise ye, and flee we; for noon ascaping schal be to us fro the face of Absolon; therfor haste ye to go out, lest he come, and ocupie vs, and fille on vs fallynge, and smyte the citee bi the scharpnesse of swerd.

Forsothe the kyng seide to Ethai of Geth, Whi comest thou with vs? Turne thou ayen, and dwelle with the kyng, for thou art a pilgrym, and thou yedist out fro thi place.

Thou camest yistirdai, and to dai thou art compellid to go out with vs. Sotheli Y schal go, whidur Y schal go; turne ayen, and lede ayen thi britheren with thee, and the Lord do mercy and treuthe with thee, for thou schewidist grace and feith.

And Ethai answeride to the kyng, and seide, The Lord lyueth, and my lord the kyng lyueth, for in what euer place thou schalt be, my lord the kyng, ether in deeth ethir in lijf, there thi seruaunt schal be.

The Lord hath yolde to thee al the blood of the hows of Saul, for thou rauyschedist the rewme fro hym; and the Lord yaf the rewme in to the hond of Absolon, thi sone; and lo! thin yuels oppressen thee, for thou art a man of blodis.

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?

if in hap the Lord biholde my turmentyng, and yelde good to me for this `cursyng of this dai.

And Chusi answeride to Absolon, Nay, for Y shal be seruaunt of hym, whom the Lord hath chose, and al this puple, and al Israel; and Y schal dwelle with him.

And Y schal falle on hym, for he is wery, and with vnboundun hondis Y schal smyte hym. And whanne al the puple fleeth which is with hym, Y schal smyte the kyng `desolat, ether left aloone.

And Y schal lede ayen al the puple, as o man is wont to turne ayen; for thou sekist o man, and al the puple schal be in pees.

And ech strongeste man, whos herte is as `the herte of a lioun, schal be discoumfortid for drede; for al the puple of Israel knowith, that thi fadir is strong, and that alle men ben stronge, that ben with him.

Forsothe Jonathas and Achymaas stoden bisidis the welle of Rogel; an handmaide yede, and telde to hem, and thei yeden forth to telle the message to kyng Dauid; for thei myyten not be seyn, nether entre in to the citee.

And whanne thei `that souyten hadden go, thei stieden fro the pit; and thei yeden, and telden to kyng Dauid, and seiden, Rise ye, passe ye soone the flood, for Achitofel yaf sich counsel ayens you.

Forsothe Absolon ordeynede Amasan for Joab on the oost; forsothe Amasan was the sone of a man that was clepid Jethra of Jeyrael, which entride to Abigail, douyter of Naas, the sistir of Saruye, that was the modir of Joab.

and botere, and scheep, and fatte calues. And thei yauen to Dauid, and to the puple that weren with hym, to ete; for thei supposiden the puple to be maad feynt for hungur and thirst in deseert.

And the puple answeride, Thou schalt not go out; for whether we fleen, it schal not perteyne to hem bi greet werk of vs; whether half the part fallith doun of vs, thei schulen not recke ynow, for thou art rekynyd for ten thousynde; therfor it is betere, that thou be to vs in the citee in stronge hold.

And the king comaundide to Joab, and to Abisai, and Ethai, and seyde, Kepe ye to me the child Absolon. And al the puple herde the kyng comaundinge to alle the princes for Absolon.