2 Samuel 2
1 And it came to pass after this, that David asked counsel of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up into one of the cities of Judah? And the Lord said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.
Therfor aftir these thingis Dauid counseilide the Lord, and seide, Whether Y schal stie in to oon of the citees of Juda? And the Lord seide to hym, Stie thou. And Dauid seide to the Lord, Whidur schal Y stie? And the Lord answeride to hym, In to Ebron.
2 So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Achino'am the Yizre'elitess, and Abigayil, Nabal's wife, the Carmelite.
Therfor Dauid stiede, and hise twei wyues, Achynoem of Jezrael, and Abigail, the wijf of Nabal of Carmele.
3 And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household; and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.
But also Dauid ledde the men that weren with hym, ech man with his hows; and thei dwelliden in the townes of Ebron.
4 And then came the men of Judah, and they anointed there David as king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, The men of Yabesh-gil'ad were those that buried Saul.
And the men of Juda camen, and anoyntiden there Dauid, that he schulde regne on the hows of Juda. And it was teld to Dauid, that men of Jabes of Galaad hadden biried Saul.
5 And David thereupon sent messengers unto the men of Yabesh-gil'ad, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of the Lord, that ye have done this kindness unto your Lord, unto Saul, and have buried him.
Therfor Dauid sente messangeris to the men of Jabes of Galaad, and seide to hem, Blessid be ye of the Lord, that diden this mercy with your lord Saul, and birieden hym.
6 And now may the Lord deal with you in kindness and truth: and as for me also, I will requite you this good deed, because ye have done this thing.
And now sotheli the Lord schal yelde to you merci and treuthe, but also Y schal yelde thankyng, for ye diden this word.
7 And now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant men; for your lord Saul is dead; and also me have the house of Judah anointed as king over them.
Youre hondis be coumfortid, and be ye sones of strengthe; for thouy youre lord Saul is deed, netheles the hows of Juda anoyntide me kyng to `hym silf.
8 But Abner, the son of Ner, the captain of the army of Saul, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Machanayim;
Forsothe Abner, the sone of Ner, prince of the oost of Saul, took Isbosech, the sone of Saul, and ledde hym aboute bi the castels,
9 And made him king over Gil'ad, and over the Ashurites, and over Yizre'el, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
and made him kyng on Galaad, and on Gethsury, and on Jezrael, and on Effraym, and on Beniamyn, and on al Israel.
10 Forty years old was Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, when he became king over Israel, and two years he reigned. But the house of Judah followed David.
Isbosech, the sone of Saul, was of fourti yeer, whanne he began to regne on Israel; and he regnede twei yeer. Sotheli the hous aloone of Juda suede Dauid.
11 And the number of days that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
And the noumbre of daies, bi whiche Dauid dwellide regnynge in Ebron on the hows of Juda, was of seuene yeer and sixe monethis.
12 And there went out Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, from Machanayim to Gib'on.
And Abner, the sone of Ner, yede out, and the children of Isbosech, sone of Saul, fro the castels in Gabaon.
13 And Joab the son of Zeruyah and the servants of David also went out, and they met together by the pool of Gib'on: and they sat down, these on the one side of the pool, and the others on the other side of the pool.
Forsothe Joab, the sone of Saruye, and the children of Dauid yeden out, and camen to hem bisidis the cisterne in Gabaon. And whanne thei hadden come togidere in to o place euene ayens, these saten on o part of the cisterne, and thei on the tother.
14 And Abner said to Joab, Do let the young men rise up and play before us. And Joab said, They may rise up.
And Abner seide to Joab, `The children rise, and plei befor us. And Joab answeride, Rise thei.
15 Then they rose up and went over by number: twelve for Benjamin, and for Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.
Therfor thei risiden, and passiden twelue in noumbre of Beniamyn, of the part of Isbosech, sone of Saul; and twelue of the children of Dauid.
16 And they grasped every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; and they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Chelkath-hazzurim, which is by Gib'on.
And ech man, whanne `the heed of his felowe was takun, fastnede the swerde in to the side of `the contrarye; and thei felden doun togidere. And the name of that place was clepid The Feeld of stronge men in Gabaon.
17 And the battle was exceedingly fierce on that day; and Abner with the men of Israel was beaten, before the servants of David.
And `batel hard ynow roos in that dai; and Abner and the sones of Israel `weren dryuun of the children of Dauid.
18 And there were at that place three sons of Zeruyah, Joab, and Abishai, and 'Asahel: and 'Asahel was as fleet of foot as any roe in the field.
Forsothe thre sones of Saruye weren there, Joab, and Abisai, and Asahel; forsothe Asahel was a `rennere moost swift, as oon of the capretis that dwellen in woodis.
19 And 'Asahel pursued after Abner; and he turned not in going to the right hand or to the left from following Abner.
Forsothe Asahel pursuede Abner, and bowide not, nether to the riyt side nether to the left side, ceessynge to pursue Abner.
20 And Abner turned round and said, Art thou 'Asahel? And he answered, I am.
Therfor Abner bihelde bihynde his bac, and seide, Whether thou art Asahel?
21 And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay hold for thyself on one of the young men, and take thyself his armor. But 'Asahel would not turn aside from following him.
Which answeride, Y am. And Abner seide to hym, Go to the riytside, ether to the lefte side; and take oon of the yonge men, and take to thee hise spuylis. Sotheli Asahel nolde ceesse, that ne he pursuede hym.
22 And Abner repeated again to say unto 'Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? and how should I then lift up my face to Joab thy brother?
And eft Abner spak to Asahel, Go thou awei; nyle thou pursue me, lest Y be compellid to peerse thee in to erthe, and Y schal not mowe reise my face to Joab, thi brother.
23 But he refused to turn aside; and Abner smote him with the hinder end of the spear under the fifth rib, so that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died on the spot: and it came to pass, that all who came to the place where 'Asahel had fallen down and died remained standing still.
And Asahel dispiside to here, and nolde bowe awey. Therfor Abner smoot him `with the spere turned awei in the schar, and roof thorouy, and he was deed in the same place; and alle men that passiden bi the place, in which place Asahel felde doun, and was deed, stoden stille.
24 But Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah, that lieth before Giach on the way to the wilderness of Gib'on.
Forsothe while Joab and Abisai pursueden Abner fleynge, the sunne yede doun; and thei camen til to the litil hil of the water cundiyt, which is euene ayens the valey, and the weie of deseert in Gabaon.
25 And the children of Benjamin assembled themselves together behind Abner, and formed one solid body, and posted themselves on the top of a certain hill.
And the sones of Beniamyn weren gaderid to Abner, and thei weren gaderid togidere in to o cumpeny, and stoden in the hiynesse of oon heep of erthe.
26 And Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall for everlasting the sword devour? knowest thou not that it will be bitter in the end? and how long shall it be, ere thou wilt bid the people to return from pursuing their brethren?
And Abner criede to Joab, and seide, Whether thi swerd schal be feers `til to sleyng? Whether thou knowist not, that dispeir is perelouse? Hou longe seist thou not to the puple, that it ceesse to pursue hise britheren?
27 And Joab said, As God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then already in the morning would the people have gone away every one from pursuing his brother.
And Joab seyde, The Lord lyueth, for if thou haddist spoke eerli, the puple pursuynge his brother hadde go awey.
28 So Joab blew the cornet, and all the people remained standing still, and pursued no more after Israel, and they continued no more to fight.
And Joab sownede with a clarioun, and al the oost stood; and thei pursueden no ferthere Israel, nether bigunnen batel.
29 And Abner and his men walked through the plain all that night, and they passed over the Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and they came to Machanayim.
Forsothe Abner and hise men yeden by the feeldi places of Moab in al that nyyt, and passiden Jordan; and whanne al Bethoron was compassid, thei camen to the castels.
30 And Joab returned from pursuing Abner; and he gathered all the people together; and there were missed of David's servants nineteen men and 'Asahel.
Sotheli whanne Abner was left, Joab turnede ayen, and gaderide togidere al the puple; and ten men and nyne, outakun Asahel, failiden of the children of Dauid.
31 But the servants of David had smitten [many] of Benjamin, and of Abner's men: three hundred and sixty men died.
Forsothe the seruauntis of Dauid smytiden of Beniamyn, and of the men that weren with Abner, thre hundrid men and sixti, whiche also weren deed.
32 And they took up 'Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Beth-lechem. And Joab and his men went all that night, and the day broke on them at Hebron.
And thei token Asahel, and birieden hym in the sepulcre of his fadir in Bethleem. And Joab, and the men that weren with hym, yeden in al that nyyt, and in thilke morewtid thei camen in to Ebron.
