Kings III 1

1 And king David [was] old and advanced in days, and they covered him with clothes, and he was not warmed.

And kyng Dauid wax eld, and hadde ful many daies of age; and whanne he was hilid with clothis, he was not maad hoot.

2 And his servants said, Let them seek for the king a young virgin, and she shall wait on the king, and cherish him, and lie with him, and my lord the king shall be warmed.

Therfor hise seruauntis seiden to hym, Seke we to oure lord the kyng a yong wexynge virgyn; and stonde sche bifor the kyng, and nursche sche hym, and slepe in his bosum, and make hoot oure lord the kyng.

3 So they sought for a fair damsel out of all the coasts of Israel; and they found Abisag the Somanite, and they brought her to the king.

Therfor thei souyten a yong wexyng virgyn, fair in alle the coostis of Israel; and thei founden Abisag of Sunam, and thei brouyten hir to the kyng.

4 And the damsel was extremely beautiful, and she cherished the king, and ministered to him, but the king knew her not.

Forsothe the damysel was ful fair, and sche slepte with the kyng, and mynystride to hym; forsothe the king knew not hir fleischli.

5 And Adonias the son of Aggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king; and he prepared for himself chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.

Sotheli Adonye, sone of Agith, was reisid, and seide, Y schal regne. And he made to hym a chare, and knyytis, and fifti men, that runnen bifor hym.

6 And his father never at any time checked him, saying, Why have you done [thus]? and he was also very handsome in appearance, and his mother bore him after Abessalom.

Nether his fadir repreuyde hym ony tyme, and seide, Whi `didist thou this? Forsothe also he was ful fair, the secounde child aftir Absolon; and his word was with Joab,

7 And he conferred with Joab the son of Saruia, and with Abiathar the priest, and they followed after Adonias.

sone of Saruye, and with `Abiathar, preest, that helpiden the partis of Adonye.

8 But Sadoc the priest, and Banaeas the son of Jodae, and Nathan the prophet, and Semei, and Resi, and the mighty men of David, did not follow Adonias.

Sotheli Sadoch, the preest, and Banaie, sone of Joiada, and Nathan, the prophete, and Semey, and Cerethi, and Ferethi, and al the strengthe of the oost of Dauid, weren not with Adonye.

9 And Adonias sacrificed sheep and calves and lambs by the stone of Zoelethi, which was near Rogel: and he called all his brethren, and all the adult [men] of Juda, servants of the king.

Therfor whanne rammes weren offrid, and caluys, and alle fatte thingis, bisidis the stoon Zoelech, that was nyy the welle of Rogel, Adonye clepide alle hise britheren, sones of the kyng, and alle the men of Juda, seruauntis of the kyng.

10 But Nathan the prophet, and Banaeas, and the mighty [men], and Solomon his brother, he did not call.

Sotheli `he clepide not Nathan, the profete, and Banaie, and alle stronge men, and Salomon, his brothir.

11 And Nathan spoke to Bersabee the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast you not heard that Adonias the son of Aggith reigns, and our lord David knows it not?

Therfor Nathan seide to Bersabee, modir of Salomon, Whether thou herdist, that Adonye, sone of Agith, regnede, and oure lord Dauid knoweth not this?

12 And now come, let me, I pray, give you counsel, and you shall rescue your life, and the life of your son Solomon.

Now therfor come thou, take thou counsel of me, and saue thi lijf, and of Salomon thi sone.

13 Haste, and go in to king David, and you shall speak to him, saying, Hast not you, my lord, O king, sworn to your handmaid, saying, Your son Solomon shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then does Adonias reign?

Go thou, and entre to kyng Dauid, and seie thou to hym, Whether not thou, my lord the kyng, hast swore to me, thin handmaide, and seidist, that Salomon thi sone schal regne aftir me, and he schal sitte in my trone?

14 And behold, while you are still speaking there with the king, I also will come in after you, and will confirm your words.

Whi therfor regneth Adonye? And yit while thou schalt speke there with the kyng, Y schal come aftir thee, and `Y schal fille thi wordis.

15 So Bersabee went in to the king into the chamber: and the king was very old, and Abisag the Somanite was ministering to the king.

Therfor Bersabee entride to the kyng in the closet; forsothe the kyng was ful eeld, and Abisag of Sunam `mynystride to hym.

16 And Bersabee bowed, and did obeisance to the king; and the king said, What is your request?

Bersabee bowide hir silf, and worschipide the kyng; to whom the kyng seide, What wolt thou to thee?

17 And she said, My lord, you did swear by the Lord your God to your handmaid, saying, Your son Solomon shall reign after me, and shall sit upon my throne.

And sche answeride, and seide, My lord the kyng, thou hast swore to thin handmaide bi thi Lord God, Salomon thy sone schal regne aftir me, and he schal sitte in my trone;

18 And now, behold, Adonias reigns, and you, my lord, O king, know [it] not.

and lo! Adonye hath regnede now, `while thou, my lord the kyng, knowist not;

19 And he has sacrificed calves and lambs and sheep in abundance, and has called all the king's sons, and Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander-in-chief of the host; but Solomon your servant he has not called.

he hath slayn oxis, and alle fatte thingis, and ful many rammes; and he clepide alle the sones of the king, also `Abiathar preest, and Joab, the prince of chyualri; but he clepide not Salomon, thi seruaunt.

20 And you, my lord, O king, —the eyes of all Israel [are] upon you, to tell them who shall sit upon the throne of my lord the king after him.

Netheles, my lord the kyng, the iyen of al Israel biholden in to thee, that thou schewe to hem, who owith to sitte in thi trone, my lord the kyng, aftir thee;

21 And it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and Solomon my son shall be offenders.

and it schal be, whanne my lord the kyng hath slepte with hise fadris, Y and my sone Salomon schulen be synneris.

22 And behold, while she was yet talking with the king, Nathan the prophet came. And it was reported to the king,

`While sche spak yit with the king, Nathan, the prophete, cam.

23 Behold, Nathan the prophet [is here]: and he came in to the king's presence, and did obeisance to the king with his face to the ground.

And thei telden to the kyng, and seiden, Nathan, the prophete, is present. And whanne he hadde entrid in the siyt of the kyng, and hadde worschipide hym lowli to erthe,

24 And Nathan said, My lord, O king, did you say, Adonias shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?

Nathan seide, My lord the kyng, seidist thou, Adonye regne aftir me, and sitte he on my trone?

25 For he has gone down today, and has sacrificed calves and lambs and sheep in abundance, and has called all the king's sons, and the chiefs of the army, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and they said, [Long] live king Adonias.

For he cam doun to dai, and offride oxis, and fatte thingis, and ful many wetheris; and he clepide alle the sones of the kyng, also Abiathar, preest; and whanne thei eten, and drunken bifor hym, and seiden, Kyng Adonye lyue;

26 But he has not invited me your servant, and Sadoc the priest, and Banaeas the son of Jodae, and Solomon your servant.

he clepide not me, thi seruaunt, and Sadoch, preest, and Banaie, sone of Joiada, and Salomon, thi sone.

27 Has this matter happened by the authority of my lord the king, and have you not made known to your servant who shall sit upon the throne of my lord the king after him?

Whether this word yede out fro my lord the kyng, and thou schewidist not to me, thi seruaunt, who schulde sitte on the trone of my lord the king after hym?

28 And king David answered and said, Call me Bersabee: and she came in before the king, and stood before him.

And kyng Dauid answeride, and seide, Clepe ye Bersabee to me. And whanne sche hadde entrid bifor the kyng, and hadde stonde bifor hym, the kyng swoor,

29 And the king swore, and said, [As] the Lord lives who redeemed my soul out of all affliction,

and seide, The Lord lyueth, that delyueryde my lijf fro al angwisch;

30 as I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel, saying, Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead, so will I do this day.

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.

31 And Bersabee bowed with her face to the ground, and did obeisance to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever.

And Bersabee, with the cheer cast doun in to erthe, worschipide the kyng, and seide, My lord the kyng Dauid lyue with outen ende.

32 And king David said, Call me Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Banaeas the son of Jodae: and they came in before the king.

And kyng Dauid seide, Clepe ye Sadoch, the preest, to me, and Nathan, the prophete, and Banaie, sone of Joiada. And whanne thei hadden entrid bifor the kyng,

33 And the king said to them, Take the servants of your lord with you, and mount my son Solomon upon my own mule, and bring him down to Gion.

the kyng seide to hem, Take with you the seruauntis of youre lord, and putte ye my sone Salomon on my mule, and lede ye hym in to Gyon.

34 And there let Sadoc the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him to be king over Israel, and do you sound the trumpet, and you shall say, Let king Solomon live.

And Sadoch, the preest, and Nathan, the profete, anoynte hym in to kyng on Israel and Juda; and ye schulen synge with a clarioun, and ye schulen seie, Lyue kyng Salomon!

35 And he shall sit upon my throne, and reign in my stead: and I have given charge that he should be for a prince over Israel and Juda.

Ye schulen stie aftir hym, and ye schulen come to Jerusalem; and he schal sitte on my trone, and he schal regne for me; and Y schal comaunde to hym, that he be duyk on Israel and on Juda.

36 And Banaeas the son of Jodae answered the king and said, So let it be: may the Lord God of my lord the king confirm [it].

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.

37 As the Lord was with my lord the king, so let him be with Solomon, and let him exalt his throne beyond the throne of my lord king David.

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.

38 And Sadoc the priest went down, and Nathan the prophet, and Banaeas son of Jodae, and the Cherethite, and the Phelethite, and they mounted Solomon upon the mule of king David, and led him away to Gion.

Therfor Sadoch, the preest, yede doun, and Nathan, the prophete, and Banaie, sone of Joiada, and Cerethi, and Ferethi; and thei puttiden Salomon on the mule of Dauid, the kyng, and thei brouyten hym in to Gion.

39 And Sadoc the priest took the horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon, and blew the trumpet; and all the people said, Let king Solomon live.

And Sadoch, the preest, took an horn of oile of the tabernacle, and anoyntide Salomon; and thei sungen with a clarioun; and al the puple seide, Lyue kyng Salomon!

40 And all the people went up after him, and they danced in choirs, and rejoiced with great joy, and the earth quaked with their voice.

And al the multitude stiede after hym, and the puple of men syngynge with pipis, and `of men beynge glad with greet ioye, `stiede aftir hym; and the erthe sownede of the cry of hem.

41 And Adonias and all his guests heard, and they had [just] left off eating: and Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, and said, What [means] the voice of the city in tumult?

Forsothe Adonye herde, and alle that weren clepid of hym to feeste; and thanne the feeste was endid. But also Joab seide, whanne the vois of trumpe was herd, What wole it to it silf the cry of the citee makynge noise?

42 While he was yet speaking, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came in: and Adonias said, Come in, for you are a mighty man, and [you come] to bring glad tidings.

Yit the while he spak, Jonathan, sone of Abiathar, the preest, cam; to whom Adonye seide, Entre thou, for thou art a strong man, and tellynge goode thingis.

43 And Jonathan answered and said, Verily our lord king David has made Solomon king:

And Jonathan answeride to Adonye, Nay; for oure lord the kyng Dauid hath ordeyned Salomon kyng;

44 and the king has sent with him Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Banaeas the son of Jodae, and the Cherethite, and the Phelethite, and they have mounted him on the king's mule;

and Dauid sente with Salomon Sadoch, the preest, and Nathan, the prophete, and Banaie, sone of Joiada, and Cerethi, and Ferethi; and thei puttiden Salomon on the mule of the kyng.

45 and Sadoc the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him in Gion, and have gone up thence rejoicing, and the city resounded: this [is] the sound which you have heard.

And Sadoch, the preest, and Nathan, the prophete, anoyntiden hym kyng in Gion; and thei camen doun fro thennus beynge glad, and the citee sownede; this is the vois which ye herden.

46 And Solomon is seated upon the throne of the kingdom.

But also Salomon sittith on the trone of rewme;

47 And the servants of the king have gone in to bless our lord king David, saying, God make the name of Solomon better than your name, and make his throne greater than your throne; and the king worshipped upon his bed.

and the seruauntis of the kyng entriden, and blessiden oure lord the kyng Dauid, and seiden, God make large the name of Salomon aboue thi name, and magnyfye his trone aboue thi trone. And kyng Dauid worschipide in his bed;

48 Moreover thus said the king, Blessed [be] the Lord God of Israel, who has this day appointed one of my seed sitting on my throne, and my eyes see it.

and ferthermore he spak these thingis, Blessid be the Lord God of Israel, that yaf to dai a sittere in my trone, while myn iyen seen.

49 And all the guests of Adonias were dismayed, and every man went his way.

Therfor alle, that weren clepid of Adonye to feeste, weren aferd, and risiden, and ech man yede in to his weie.

50 And Adonias feared because of Solomon, and arose, and departed, and laid hold on the horns of the altar.

Sotheli Adonye dredde Salomon, and roos, and yede in to the tabernacle of the Lord, and helde the horn of the auter.

51 And it was reported to Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonias fears king Solomon, and holds the horns of the altar, saying, Let Solomon swear to me this day, that he will not kill his servant with the sword.

And thei telden to Salomon, and seiden, Lo! Adonye dredith the kyng Salomon, and holdith the horn of the auter, and seith, Kyng Salomon swere to me to dai, that he schal not sle his seruaunt bi swerd.

52 And Solomon said, If he should be a valiant man, there shall not a hair of his fall to the ground; but if evil be found in him, he shall die.

And Salomon seide, If he is a good man, sotheli not oon heer of hym schal falle in to erthe; but if yuel be foundun in hym, he schal die.

53 And king Solomon sent, and they brought him away from the altar; and he went in and did obeisance to king Solomon: and Solomon said to him, Go to your house.

Therfor kyng Salomon sente, and ledde `hym out fro the auter; and he entride, and worschipide kyng Salomon; and Salomon seide to hym, Go in to thin hows.