2 Samuel 1
1 Now it happened that, after Saul died, David returned from the slaughter of Amalek, and he remained for two days at Ziklag.
Forsothe it was doon, after that Saul was deed, that Dauid turnede ayen fro the sleyng of Amalech, and dwellide twei daies in Sichelech.
2 Then, on the third day, a man appeared, arriving from the camp of Saul, with his garments torn and dust sprinkled on his head. And when he came to David, he fell on his face, and he reverenced.
Forsothe in the thridde dai a man apperide, comynge fro the castels of Saul with the cloth to-rent, and his heed spreynt with dust; and as he cam to Dauid, he felde on his face, and worschipide.
3 And David said to him, “Where have you come from?” And he said to him, “I have fled from the camp of Israel.”
And Dauid seide to hym, Fro whennus comest thou? Which seide to Dauid, Y fledde fro the castels of Israel.
4 And David said to him: “What is the word that has happened? Reveal it to me.” And he said: “The people have fled from the battle, and many of the people have fallen and died. Moreover, Saul and his son Jonathan have passed away.”
And Dauid seide to hym, What is the word which is doon; schewe thou to me. And he seide, The puple fledde fro the batel, and many of the puple felden, and ben deed; but also Saul, and Jonathas, his sonne, perischyden.
5 And David said to the youth who was reporting to him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan have died?”
And Dauid seide to the yong man, that telde to hym, Wherof woost thou, that Saul is deed, and Jonathas, his sonne?
6 And the youth, who was reporting it to him, said: “I arrived by chance on mount Gilboa. And Saul was lying upon his spear. Then the chariots and horsemen drew near to him.
And the yong man seide, that telde to hym, Bi hap Y cam in to the hil of Gelboe, and Saul lenyde on his spere; forsothe charis and knyytis neiyiden to hym;
7 And turning behind his back and seeing me, he called to me. And when I had responded, “I am here,”
and he turnede bihynde his bak, `and siy me, and clepide. To whom whanne Y hadde answeride, Y am present; he seide to me, Who art thou?
8 he said to me, “Who are you?” And I said to him, “I am an Amalekite.”
And Y seide to hym, Y am a man of Amalech.
9 And he said to me: “Stand over me, and kill me. For anguish has taken hold of me, and still my whole life is in me.”
And he spak to me, Stonde thou on me, and sle me; for angwischis holden me, and yit al my lijf is in me.
10 And standing over him, I killed him. For I knew that he was not able to live after the fall. And I took the diadem that was on his head, and the bracelet from his arm, and I have brought them here to you, my lord.”
And Y stood on hym, and Y killide hym; for Y wiste that he myyte not lyue aftir the fallyng; and Y took the diademe, that was in his heed, and the bye fro his arm, and Y brouyte hidur to thee, my lord.
11 Then David, taking hold of his garments, tore them, with all the men who were with him.
Forsothe Dauid took and to-rente hise clothis, and the men that weren with hym;
12 And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until evening, over Saul and over his son Jonathan, and over the people of the Lord and over the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
and thei weiliden, and wepten, and fastiden `til to euentid, on Saul, and Jonathas, his sone, and on the puple of the Lord, and on the hows of Israel, for thei hadden feld bi swerd.
13 And David said to the youth who had reported it to him, “Where are you from?” And he responded, “I am the son of a man who is a new arrival from the Amalekites.”
And Dauid seide to the yong man, that telde to him, Of whennus art thou? And he answeride, Y am the sone of a man comelyng, of a man of Amalech.
14 And David said to him, “Why were you not afraid to put forth your hand, so that you would kill the Christ of the Lord?”
And Dauid seide to him, Whi dreddist thou not to sende thine hond, that thou schuldist sle the crist of the Lord?
15 And calling one of his servants, David said, “Draw near and rush against him” And he struck him, and he died.
And Dauid clepide oon of hise children, and seide, Go thou, and falle on hym. Which smoot that yong man, and he was deed.
16 And David said to him: “Your blood is upon your own head. For your own mouth has spoken against you, saying: ‘I have killed the Christ of the Lord.’”
And Dauid seide to hym, Thi blood be on thin heed; for thi mouth spak ayens thee, and seide, Y killide the crist of the Lord.
17 Then David mourned a lamentation over Saul and over his son Jonathan, in this way.
Forsooth Dauid biweilide sych a weilyng on Saul, and on Jonathas, his sone;
18 (And he instructed that they should teach the sons of Judah the bow, just as it is written in the Book of the Just.) And he said: “Consider, O Israel, on behalf of those who are dead, wounded upon your heights:
and comaundide, that thei schulden teche the sones of Juda weilyng, as it is writun in the Book of Just Men. And Dauid seyde, Israel, biholde thou, for these men that ben deed, woundid on thin hiye placis;
19 The illustrious of Israel have been killed upon your mountains. How could the valiant have fallen?
the noble men of Israel ben slayn on thin hillis.
20 Do not choose to announce it in Gath, and do not announce it in the crossroads of Ashkelon. Otherwise, the daughters of the Philistines may rejoice; otherwise, the daughters of the uncircumcised may exult.
Hou felden stronge men? nyle ye telle in Geth, nether telle ye in the weilottis of Ascolon; lest perauenture the douytris of Filisteis be glad, lest the douytris of vncircumcidid men `be glad.
21 O mountains of Gilboa, let neither dew, nor rain fall over you, and may these not be the fields of the first-fruits. For in that place, the shield of the valiant was cast away, the shield of Saul, as if he had not been anointed with oil.
Hillis of Gelboe, neither dew nethir reyn come on you, nether the feeldis of firste fruytis be; for the scheeld of stronge men was cast awey there, the scheeld of Saul, as `if he were not anoyntid with oile.
22 From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the strong, the arrow of Jonathan never turned back, and the sword of Saul did not return empty.
Of the blood of slayn men, of the fatnesse of strong men, the arewe of Jonathas yede neuer abak, and the swerd of Saul turnede not ayen void.
23 Saul and Jonathan, worthy to be loved, and stately in their life: even in death they were not divided. They were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions.
Saul and Jonathas amyable, and fair in her lijf, weren not departid also in deeth; thei weren swiftere than eglis, strongere than liouns.
24 O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you with scarlet finery, who offered ornaments of gold for your adornment.
Douytris of Israel, wepe ye on Saul, that clothide you with fyn reed colourid in delicis, that yaf goldun ournementis to youre atyre.
25 How could the valiant have fallen in battle? How could Jonathan have been slain on the heights?
Hou `felden doun stronge men in batel?
26 I grieve over you, my brother Jonathan: exceedingly stately, and worthy to be loved above the love of women. As a mother loves her only son, so also did I love you.
Jonathas was slayn in the hiye places. Y make sorewe on thee, my brother Jonathas, ful fair, `and amyable more than the loue of wymmen; as a modir loueth oon aloone sone, so Y louyde thee.
27 How could the robust have fallen, and the weapons of war have perished?”
Hou therfor `felden doun stronge men, and armeris of batel perischide?
