1 Samuel 23

1 Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Ke'ilah, and they are plundering the threshing-floors.

And thei telden to Dauid, and seiden, Lo! Filisteis fiyten ayens Seila, and rauyschen the corn floris.

2 Thereupon David asked counsel of the Lord, saying, Shall I go and smite among these Philistines? And the Lord said unto David, Go and smite among the Philistines, and deliver Ke'ilah.

Therfor Dauid councelide the Lord, and seide, Whether Y schal go, and smyte Filisteis? And the Lord seide to Dauid, Go thou, and thou schalt smyte Filisteis, and thou schalt saue Seila.

3 And David's men said unto him, Behold, here in Judah are we afraid: how much more then if we should go to Ke'ilah against the battle-arrays of the Philistines?

And men, that weren with Dauid, seiden to him, Lo! we ben heere in Judee, and dredden; hou myche more, if we schulen go in to Seila ayens the cumpanyes of Filisteis.

4 Then David asked yet again counsel of the Lord. And the Lord answered him and said, Arise, Go down to Ke'ilah; for I [will] deliver the Philistines into thy hand.

Therfor eft Dauid councelide the Lord; which answeride, and seide to Dauid, Rise thou, and go `in to Seila; for Y schal bitake Filisteis in thin hond.

5 So David and his men went to Ke'ilah; and he fought with the Philistines, and lead away their cattle, and smote among them a great slaughter. So David delivered the inhabitants of Ke'ilah.

Therfor Dauid yede, and hise men, in to Seila, and fauyt ayens Filisteis; and he droof awey her werk beestis, and smoot hem with greet wounde; and Dauid sauyde the dwelleris of Seila.

6 And it came to pass, when Ebyathar the son of Achimelech, fled over to David, to Ke'ilah, that the ephod came down with him.

Forsothe in that tyme, `wher ynne Abiathar, sone of Achymelech, fledde to Dauid in to Seile, he cam doun, and hadde with hym `ephoth, that is, the cloth of the hiyeste preest.

7 And it was told to Saul that David was come to Ke'ilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars.

Forsothe it was teld to Saul, that Dauid hadde come in to Seila; and Saul seide, The Lord hath take hym in to myn hondis, and he `is closid, and entride in to a citee, in which ben yatis and lockis.

8 And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Ke'ilah, to besiege David and his men.

And Saul comaundide to al the puple, that it schulde go doun to batel in to Seila, and bisege Dauid and hise men.

9 And David understood that Saul secretly devised mischief against him; and he said to Ebyathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod.

And whanne Dauid perceyuede, that Saul made redi yuel priueli to hym, he seide to Abiathar, preest, Brynge hidur ephoth.

10 Then said David, O Lord, God of Israel, thy servant hath heard for certain that Saul seeketh to come to Ke'ilah, to destroy the city for my sake.

And Dauid seide, Lord God of Israel, thi seruaunt `herde fame, that Saul disposith to come to Seila, that he distrie the citee for me;

11 Will the men of Ke'ilah surrender me into his hand? will Saul come down as thy servant hath heard? O Lord, God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the Lord said, He will come down.

if the men of Seila schulen bitake me in to hise hondis, and if Saul schal come doun, as thi seruaunt herde, thou Lord God of Israel schewe to thi seruaunt? And the Lord seide, He schal come doun.

12 Then said David, Will the men of Ke'ilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul! And the Lord said, They will surrender.

And Dauid seide eft, Whether the men of Seila schulen bitake me, and the men that ben with me, in to the hondis of Saul? And the Lord seide, Thei schulen bitake, `that is, if thou dwellist in the citee, and Saul come thidur.

13 Then arose David and his men, about six hundred men, and departed out of Ke'ilah, and wandered about whithersoever they could go. And when it was told to Saul that David was escaped from Ke'ilah, he forbore to go forth.

Therfor Dauid roos, and hise men, as sixe hundrid; and thei yeden out of Seila, and wandriden vncerteyn hidur and thidur. And it was telde to Saul, that Dauid hadde fledde fro Seila, and was saued; wherfor Saul dissymylide to go out.

14 And David remained in the wilderness in strong-holds, and abode on the mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him all the time, but God delivered him not into his hand.

Forsothe Dauid dwellide in the deseert, in strongeste places, and he dwellide in the hil of wildirnesse of Ziph, in a derk hil; netheles Saul souyte hym in alle daies, and the Lord bitook not hym in to the hondis of Saul.

15 And David saw that Saul was gone forth to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the forest.

And Dauid siy, that Saul yede out, that he schulde seke his lijf. Forsothe Dauid was in the deseert of Ziph, in a wode.

16 And Jonathan, the son of Saul, arose and went to David into the forest, and strengthened his hand in God.

And Jonathas, the sone of Saul, roos, and yede to Dauid in to the wode, and coumfortide hise hondis in God.

17 And he said unto him, Fear not; for the hand of Saul my father will not find thee; and thou wilt be king over Israel, and I will be next unto thee; and also Saul my father knoweth this.

And he seide to Dauid, Drede thou not; for the hond of Saul my fadir schal not fynde thee, and thou schalt regne on Israel, and Y schal be the secounde to thee; but also Saul my father woot this.

18 And they made, both of them, a covenant before the Lord: and David remained in the forest; but Jonathan went to his house.

Therfor euer eithir smoot boond of pees bifor the Lord. And Dauid dwellide in the wode; forsothe Jonathas turnede ayen in to his hows.

19 Then came up the Ziphites unto Saul to Gib'ah, saying, Behold, David is hiding himself with us in the strong-holds in the forest, on the hill of Chachilah, which is on the right of the desert.

Forsothe men of Ziph stieden to Saul in Gabaa, and seiden, Lo! whether not Dauid is hid at vs in the sikireste places of the wode, in the hille of Achille, which is at the riyt syde of deseert?

20 And now in accordance with all the longing of thy soul, O king, to come down, come down; and our part shall be to surrender him into the king's hand.

Now therfor come thou doun, as thi soule desiride, that thou schuldist come doun; forsothe it schal be oure, that we bitake hym in to the hondis of the kyng.

21 And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the Lord; for ye have pity on me.

And Saul seide, Blessid be ye of the Lord, for ye sorewiden `for my stide.

22 Go, I pray you, make yet more preparations, and remark and see his place where his foot may be, who hath seen him there; for I am told that he dealeth with great subtilty.

Therfor, Y preie, go ye, and make redi more diligentli, and do ye more curiousli ether intentifli, and biholde ye swiftly, where his foot is, ethir who siy hym there, where ye seiden; for he thenkith on me, that felli Y aspie hym.

23 See therefore, and remark every one of all the lurking-places where he usually hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you; and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah.

Biholde ye, and se alle his hidyng places, in whiche he is hid, and turne ye ayen to me at a certeyn thing, that Y go with you; that if he closith hym silf yhe in to erthe, Y schal seke hym with alle the thousyndis of Juda.

24 And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul; but David and his men were in the wilderness of Ma'on, in the plain on the right of the desert.

And thei risiden, and yeden in to Ziph bifor Saul. Forsothe Dauid and hise men weren in the deseert of Maon, in the feldi places, at the riyt half of Jesymyth.

25 And Saul and his men went to make a search. And they told it to David: wherefore he came down to the rock, and abode in the wilderness of Ma'on. And when Saul heard this, he pursued after David into the wilderness of Ma'on.

Therfor Saul yede and hise felowis to seke Dauid, and it was teld to Dauid; and anoon he yede doun to the stoon, and lyuyde in the deseert of Maon; and whanne Saul hadde herd this, he pursuede Dauid in the deseert of Maon.

26 And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain; and David made haste to get away from before Saul; and Saul and his men were compassing David and his men to seize them.

And Saul yede and hise men at the side of the hil `on o part; forsothe Dauid and hise men weren in the side of the hil on the tother part; sotheli Dauid dispeiride, that he myyte ascape fro the face of Saul. And so Saul and hise men cumpassiden bi the maner of a coroun Dauid and hise men, that thei schulden take hem.

27 But a messenger came unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land.

And a messanger cam to Saul, and seide, Haste thou, and come, for Filisteis han spred hem silf on the lond.

28 Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Sela-hammachlekoth.

Therfor Saul turnede ayen, and ceesside to pursue Dauid; and yede ayens the comyng of Filisteis. For this thing thei clepen that place the Stoon Departynge.

29 And David went up from there, and dwelt in strong-holds of 'En-gedi.

Therfor Dauid stiede fro thennus, and dwellide in the sykireste places of Engaddi.