< 2 Samuel 21 >

1 During the reign of David there was a famine for three successive years, and David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, “It is because of the blood shed by Saul and his family, because he killed the Gibeonites.”
Also hungur was maad in the lond of Israel in the daies of Dauid, bi thre yeer contynueli. And Dauid counselide the answere of the Lord; and the Lord seide, For Saul, and his hows, and blood, for he killide men of Gabaon.
2 At this, David summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not Israelites, but a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had taken an oath concerning them, but in his zeal for Israel and Judah, Saul had sought to kill them.)
Therfor whanne Gabaonytis weren clepid, the kyng seide to hem; sotheli Gabaonytis ben not of the sones of Israel, but thei ben the relikys of Ammorreis; and the sones of Israel hadden swore to hem, `that is, that thei schulden not `be slayn, and Saul wolde smyte hem for feruent loue, as for the sones of Israel and of Juda;
3 So David asked the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? How can I make amends so that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD?”
therfor Dauid seide to Gabaonytis, What schal Y do to you, and what schal be youre amendis, that ye blesse the eritage of the Lord?
4 The Gibeonites said to him, “We need no silver or gold from Saul or his house, nor should you put to death anyone in Israel for us.” “Whatever you ask, I will do for you,” he replied.
And Gabaonytis seiden to hym, No questioun is to vs on gold and siluer, but ayens Saul, and ayens his hows; nether we wolen, that a man of Israel be slayn. To whiche the kyng seide, What therfor wolen ye, that Y do to you?
5 And they answered the king, “As for the man who consumed us and plotted against us to exterminate us from existing within any border of Israel,
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.
6 let seven of his male descendants be delivered to us so that we may hang them before the LORD at Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the LORD.” “I will give them to you,” said the king.
Seuene men of hise sones be youun to vs, that we `crucifie hem to the Lord in Gabaa of Saul, sum tyme the chosun man of the Lord. And the kyng seide, Y schal yyue.
7 Now the king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath before the LORD between David and Jonathan son of Saul.
And the kyng sparide Myphibosech, sone of Jonathas, sone of Saul, for the ooth of the Lord, that was bitwixe Dauid and bitwixe Jonathas, sone of Saul.
8 But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons whom Rizpah daughter of Aiah had borne to Saul, as well as the five sons whom Merab daughter of Saul had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite.
Therfor the kyng took twei sones of Respha, douyter of Ahira, whiche sche childide to Saul, Armony, and Mysphibosech; and he took fyue sones of Mychol, douyter of Saul, whiche sche gendride to Adriel, sone of Berzellai, that was of Molaty.
9 And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill before the LORD. So all seven of them fell together; they were put to death in the first days of the harvest, at the beginning of the barley harvest.
And he yaf hem in to the hondis of Gabaonytis, whiche crucifieden tho sones in the hil bifor the Lord; and these seuene felden slayn togidere in the daies of the firste rep, whanne the repyng of barli bigan.
10 And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest until the rain from heaven poured down on the bodies, she did not allow the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.
Forsothe Respha, douytir of Ahia, took an heire, and `araiede to hir silf a place aboue the stoon, fro the bigynnyng of heruest til watir droppide `on hem fro heuene; and sche suffride not briddis to tere hem bi dai, nether beestis bi nyyt.
11 When David was told what Saul’s concubine Rizpah, daughter of Aiah, had done,
And tho thingis whiche Respha, secoundarie wijf of Saul, douytir of Ahia, hadde do, weren teld to Dauid.
12 he went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan where the Philistines had hung the bodies after they had struck down Saul at Gilboa.
And Dauid yede, and took the boonys of Saul, and the boonys of Jonathas, his sone, of the men of Jabes of Galaad; that hadden stole tho boonys fro the street of Bethsan, in which street the Filisteis hadden hangid hem, whanne thei hadden slayn Saul in Gelboe.
13 So David had the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan brought from there, along with the bones of those who had been hanged.
And Dauid bar out fro thennus the boonys of Saul, and the boonys of Jonathas, his sone; and thei gaderiden the boonys of hem that weren crucified, and birieden tho with the boonys of Saul and of Jonathas, his sone, in the lond of Beniamyn, in the side of the sepulcre of Cys, fadir of Saul.
14 And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in Zela in the land of Benjamin, in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish. After they had done everything the king had commanded, God answered their prayers for the land.
And thei diden al thingis, what euer thingis the kyng comaundide; and the Lord dide mercy to the lond aftir these thingis.
15 Once again the Philistines waged war against Israel, and David and his servants went down and fought against the Philistines; but David became exhausted.
Forsothe batel of Filisteis was maad eft ayens Israel; and Dauid yede doun, and hise seruauntis with hym, and fouyten ayen Filisteis.
16 Then Ishbi-benob, a descendant of Rapha, whose bronze spear weighed three hundred shekels and who was bearing a new sword, resolved to kill David.
Sotheli whanne Dauid failide, Jesbydenob, that was of the kyn of Arapha, that is, of giauntis, and the yrun of his spere peiside thre hundrid ouncis, and he was gird with a newe swerd, enforside to smyte Dauid.
17 But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You must never again go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel may not be extinguished.”
And Abisai, sone of Saruye, was in help to Dauid; and he smoot and killide the Filistei. Than the men of Dauid sworen, and seiden, Now thou schalt not go out with vs in to batel, lest thou quenche the lanterne of Israel.
18 Some time later at Gob, there was another battle with the Philistines. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha.
Also the secounde batel was in Gob ayens Filisteis; thanne Sobothai of Osothai smoot Zephi, of the generacioun of Arapha, of the kyn of giauntis.
19 Once again there was a battle with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
Also the thridde batel was in Gob ayens Filisteis; in which batel a man youun of God, the sone of forest, a broiderer, a man of Bethleem, smoot Golyath of Geth, whos `schaft of spere was as a beem of webbis.
20 And there was still another battle at Gath, where there was a man of great stature with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He too was descended from Rapha,
The fourthe batel was in Geth; where ynne was an hiy man, that hadde sixe fyngris in the hondis and feet, that is, foure and twenti; and he was of the kyn of Arapha;
21 and when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of David’s brother Shimei killed him.
and he blasfemyde Israel; sotheli Jonathan, sone of Samaa, brother of Dauid, killide hym.
22 So these four descendants of Rapha in Gath fell at the hands of David and his servants.
These foure weren borun of Arapha in Geth, and thei felden doun in the hond of Dauid, and of hise seruauntis.

< 2 Samuel 21 >