2 Samuel 19
1 And it was told unto Joab, Behold, the king is weeping and he mourneth for Abshalom.
Forsothe it was teld to Joab, that the kyng wepte, and biweilide his sone;
2 And the victory on that day was turned into mourning unto all the people; for the people heard it said on that day, that the king was grieved for his son.
and the victorie in that dai was turned in to morenyng to al the puple; for the puple herde, that it was seid in that dai, The kyng makith sorewe on his sone.
3 And the people repaired by stealth on that day when coming into the city, as usually steal away the people who are ashamed when they flee in battle.
And the puple eschewide to entre in to the citee in that dai, as the puple turned and fleynge fro batel is wont to bowe awey.
4 But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, O my son Abshalom, O Abshalom, my son, my son!
Sotheli the kyng hilide his heed, and criede with greet vois, My sone, Absolon!
5 And Joab came to the king, into the house, and said, Thou hast covered with shame this day the faces of all thy servants, who have saved thy life this day, and the life of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the life of thy wives, and the life of thy concubines;
Absolon, my sone! Therfor Joab entride to the kyng in to the hows, and seide, Thou hast schent to dai the cheris of alle thi seruauntis, that han maad saaf thi lijf, and the lijf of thi sones and of thi douytris, and the lijf of thi wyues, and the lijf of thi secoundarie wyues.
6 Since thou lovest thy enemies, and hatest thy friends: for thou hast declared this day, that thou hast neither princes nor servants; for I perceive this day, that if Abshalom were but alive, and we all were dead this day, that then it would have been just right in thy eyes.
Thou louest hem that haten thee, and thou hatist hem that louen thee; and thou schewidist to dai that thou reckist not of thi duykis and of thi seruauntis; and verily Y haue knowe now, that if Absolon lyuede, and alle we hadden be deed, thanne it schulde plese thee.
7 And now arise, go forth, and speak to the heart of thy servants; for by the Lord have I sworn, that if thou go not forth, there shall not remain one man with thee this night: and this would be worse unto thee than all the evil that hath befallen thee from thy youth until now.
Now therfor ryse thou, and go forth, and speke thou, and make satisfaccioun to this eruauntis; for Y swere to thee bi the Lord, that if thou schalt not go out, sotheli not o man schal dwelle with thee in this nyyt; and this schal be worse to thee, than alle yuels that camen on thee fro thi yong wexynge age til in to present tyme.
8 Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told it unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king is sitting in the gate. And all the people came before the king; but Israel fled, every man to his tents.
Therfor the kyng roos, and sat in the yate; and it was teld to al the puple, that the kyng sat in the yate, and al the multitude cam bifor the kyng. Forsothe Israel fledde in to hise tabernaclis.
9 And all the people were contending throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, The king hath saved us out of the hand of our enemies, and he it was that hath delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he is fled out of the land from before Abshalom.
And al the puple stryuede in al the lynagis of Israel, and seide, The kyng delyuerede vs fro the hond of alle oure enemyes, and he sauide vs fro the hond of Filisteis; and now `he fleeth fro the lond for Absolon.
10 And Abshalom, whom we had anointed over us, died in battle: and now why are ye silent about bringing the king back?
Forsothe Absolon, whom we anoyntiden on vs, is deed in batel; hou longe ben ye stille, `that is, fro knowlechyng of synne, and fro axyng of foryyuenesse, and bryngen not ayen the kyng? And the counsel of al Israel cam to the kyng.
11 And king David sent to Zadok and to Ebyathar the priests, saying, Speak ye unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why will you be the last to bring the king back to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is already come to the king, to his house.
Forsothe kyng Dauid sente to Sadoch and to Abiathar, preestis, and seide, Speke ye to the grettere men in birthe of Juda, and seie ye, Whi camen ye the laste to brynge ayen the kyng in to his hows? Sotheli the word of al Israel cam to the kyng, that thei wolden brynge hym ayen in to his hows. For the kyng seide, Ye schulen seie these thingis to the puple,
12 My brothers are ye, my bone and my flesh are ye: wherefore then will you be the last to bring back the king?
Ye ben my britheren, ye ben my boon and my fleisch; whi the laste bryngen ye ayens the kyng?
13 And to 'Amassa shall ye say, Art thou not my bone and my flesh? May God do so to me, and may he thus continue to do, if thou shalt not be captain of the army before me continually in the room of Joab.
And seie ye to Amasa, Whether thou art not my boon and my fleisch? God do these thingis to me, and adde these thingis, if thou schalt not be maistir of chyualrye bifore me in al tyme aftir Joab.
14 And he turned the heart of all the men of Judah, as of one man: and these sent unto the king, Return thou, with all thy servants.
And Dauid bowide the herte of alle men of Juda as of o man; and thei senten to the kyng, and seiden, Turne thou ayen, and alle thi seruauntis.
15 So the king returned, and came as far as the Jordan; and Judah came to Gilgal, to go forth to meet the king, to conduct the king over the Jordan.
And the kyng turnede ayen, and cam `til to Jordan; and al Juda cam til in to Galgala to mete the kyng, and lede hym ouer Jordan.
16 Then hastened Shim'i the son of Gera, the Benjamite, who was of Bachurim, and went down with the men of Judah to meet king David.
Forsothe Semei, the sone of Gera, sone of Gemyny, of Bahurym, hastide, and cam doun with the men of Juda in to the metyng of kyng Dauid,
17 And there were with him a thousand men of Benjamin, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they set hastily over the Jordan before the king.
with a thousynde men of Beniamyn; and Siba, a child of the hows of Saul, and fiftene sones of hym, and twenti seruauntis weren with hym; and thei braken in to Jordan, bifor the kyng,
18 And there went over the ferry-boat to carry over the king's household, and to do what was good in his eyes. And Shim'i the son of Gera fell down before the king, as he was passing over the Jordan;
and passide the forthis, that thei schulden lede ouer the hows of the kyng, and schulden do bi the comaundement of the kyng. Sotheli Semei, the sone of Gera, knelide bifor the king, whanne he hadde passid now Jordan, and seide to the kyng,
19 And he said unto the king, Let not my Lord impute it unto me as iniquity, neither do thou remember that in which thy servant acted perversely on the day that my Lord the king went forth out of Jerusalem, so that the king should lay it to his heart.
My lord the kyng, arette thou not wickidnesse to me, nether haue thou mynde of the wrongis of thi seruaunt in the dai, in which thou, my lord the kyng, yedist out of Jerusalem, nether sette thou, kyng, in thin herte; for Y thi seruaunt knoleche my synne;
20 For thy servant doth know that I have indeed sinned; and, behold, I am come this day the first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my Lord the king.
and therfor to dai Y cam the firste of al the hows of Joseph, and Y cam doun in to the meetyng of my lord the kyng.
21 But Abishai the son of Zeruyah spoke out and said, Shall Shim'i for this not be put to death, because he cursed the Lord's anointed?
Forsothe Abisai, the sone of Saruye, answeride and seide, Whether Semei, that curside the crist of the Lord, schal not be slayn for these wordis?
22 And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruyah, that ye should become a hindrance this day unto me? shall this day any man be put to death in Israel? for do I not know that this day I am king over Israel?
And Dauid seide, What is to me and to you, ye sones of Saruye? Whi ben ye maad to me to dai in to Sathan? Therfor whether a man schal be slayn to dai in Israel? Whether Y knowe not me maad kyng to dai on Israel?
23 And the king said unto Shim'i, Thou shalt not die. And the king swore unto him.
And the kyng seide to Semey, Thou schalt not die; and the kyng swoor to hym.
24 And Mephibosheth the [grand] son of Saul came down to meet the king, and he had not dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day that the king departed until the day that he came home in peace.
Also Myphibosech, sone of Jonathas, sone of Saul, cam doun with vnwaischun feet, and with berd vnclippid, in to the comyng of the kyng. And Mysphibosech hadde not waische hise clothis, fro the dai in which the kyng yede out of Jerusalem til to the dai of his turnyng ayen in pees.
25 And it came to pass, when he was come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, Wherefore didst thou not go with me, Mephibosheth?
And whanne at Jerusalem he hadde come to the kyng, the kyng seide to him, Myphibosech, whi camest thou not with me?
26 And he answered, My Lord, O king, my servant deceived me; for thy servant said, I will saddle for me the ass, that I may ride thereon, and go with the king; because thy servant is lame.
And he answeride and seide, My lord the kyng, my seruaunt dispiside me; and Y thi seruaunt seide to hym, that he schulde sadle the asse to me, and Y schulde stie, and Y schulde go with the king; for Y thi seruaunt am crokid.
27 And he slandered thy servant unto my Lord the king; but my Lord the king is like an angel of God: do then what is good in thy eyes.
More ouer and he accuside me, thi seruaunt, to thee, my lord the kyng; forsothe thou, my lord `the kyng, art as the aungel of God; do thou that, that is plesaunt to thee.
28 For all of my father's house were nothing but men deserving death with my Lord the king: and yet didst thou set thy servant among those that eat at thy own table. What other merit therefore have I, and what to complain of yet farther unto the king?
For the hows of my fadir was not no but gilti of deeth to my lord the kyng; sotheli thou hast set me thi seruaunt among the gestis of thi boord; what therfor haue Y of iust pleynt, ether what may Y more crye to the kyng?
29 And the king said unto him, For what purpose speakest thou yet thy words? I have said, Thou and Ziba shall divide the field.
Sotheli the kyng seide to hym, What spekist thou more? that that Y haue spoke is stidefast; thou and Siba depart possessyouns.
30 And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Yea, let him take the whole, since that my Lord the king is come [back] in peace unto his own house.
And Myphibosech answeride to the kyng, Yhe, take he alle thingis, aftir that my lord the kyng turnede ayen pesibli in to his hows.
31 And Barzillai the Gil'adite came down from Rogelim; and he passed over the Jordan with the king, to accompany him over the Jordan.
Also Berzellai of Galaad, a ful eld man, cam doun fro Rogelym, and ledde the kyng ouer Jordan, redi also to sue hym ouer the flood.
32 Now Barzillai was very aged, eighty years old: and he had sustained the king while he lay at Machanayim; for he was a very great man.
Forsothe Berzellai of Galaad was ful eld, that is, of foure score yeer, and he yaf metis to the kyng, whanne the kyng dwellyde in castels; for Berzellai was a ful riche man.
33 And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will sustain thee near me in Jerusalem.
Therfor the kyng seide to Berzellai, Come thou with me, that thou reste sikirli with me in Jerusalem.
34 But Barzillai said unto the king, How many yet are the days of the years of my life, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?
And Berzellai seide to the kyng, Hou manye ben the daiest of yeeres of my lijf, that Y stie with the kyng in to Jerusalem?
35 I am eighty years old this day: can I discern between good and evil? or can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? or can I listen yet to the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant become yet a burden unto my Lord the king?
Y am of foure score yeer to dai; whether my wittis ben quike to deme swete thing ethir bittir, ether mete and drynk may delite thi seruaunt, ether may Y here more the vois of syngeris ether of syngsters? Whi is thi seruaunt to charge to my lord the kyng?
36 Thy servant will pass a little way over the Jordan with the king: and why should the king recompense me with this reward?
Y thi seruaunt schal go forth a litil fro Jordan with thee, Y haue no nede to this yeldyng;
37 Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in my own city, by the sepulchre of my father and of my mother. But, behold, thy servant Kimham will pass over with my Lord the king; and do to him what is good in thy eyes.
but Y biseche, that Y thi seruaunt turne ayen, and die in my citee, and be biried bisidis the sepulcre of my fadir and of my modir; forsothe Chamaam is thi seruaunt, my lord the kyng, go he with thee, and do thou to hym that that semeth good to thee.
38 And the king said, Kimham shall pass over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem good in thy eyes: and whatsoever thou wilt desire of me, will I do for thee.
Therfor the kyng seide to hym, Chamaam passe with me; and Y schal do to hym what euer thing plesith thee, and thou schalt gete al thing, which thou axist of me.
39 And all the people passed over the Jordan, after the king had passed over; and the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he returned unto his own place.
And whanne al the puple and the kyng hadden passid Jordan, the kyng abood; and `the kyng kisside Berzellai, and blesside hym; and he turnede ayen in to his place.
40 Then did the king pass on to Gilgal, and Kimham passed on with him: and all the people of Judah conducted the king, and also half the people of Israel.
Therfor the kyng passide in to Galgala, and Chamaam with hym. Sotheli al the puple of Juda hadde ledde the kyng ouer, and the half part oneli of the puple of Israel was present.
41 And, behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said unto the king, Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and have conducted the king and his household over the Jordan, and all David's men with him?
Therfor alle the men of Israel camen togidere to the king, and seiden to hym, Whi han oure britheren, the men of Juda, stole thee, and han led the kyng and his hows ouer Jordan, and alle the men of Dauid with hym?
42 And all the men of Judah replied to the men of Israel, Because the king is near of kin to us: wherefore then are ye so angry for this matter? have we eaten the least from the king? or hath he given us any gift?
And ech man of Juda answeride to the men of Israel, For the kyng is neer to me; whi art thou wrooth on this thing? Whether we han ete ony thing of the kyng, ether yiftis ben youun to vs?
43 And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, Ten parts have we in the king, and also in David have we more right than ye: why then did ye esteem us lightly? and was not our word the very first to bring back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.
And a man of Israel answeride to the men of Juda, and seide, Y am grettere bi ten partis at the kyng, and Dauith perteyneth more to me than to thee; whi hast thou do wrong to me, and `it was not teld to `me the formere, that Y schulde brynge ayen my kyng? Forsothe the men of Juda answeryden hardere to the men of Israel.
