2 Samuel 3

1 And the war lasted a long time between the house of Saul and the house of David; but David became continually stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul became continually weaker and weaker.

Therfor long strijf was maad bitwixe the hows of Dauid and `bitwixe the hows of Saul; and Dauid profitide and euere was strongere than hym silf, forsothe the hows of Saul decreesside ech dai.

2 And there were born unto David sons in Hebron: and his first-born was Amnon, of Achino'am the Yizre'elitess;

And sones weren borne to Dauid in Ebron; and his firste gendrid sone was Amon, of Achynoem of Jezrael;

3 And his second was Kilab, of Abigayil the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Abshalom, the son of Ma'achah the daughter of Talmai the king of Geshur;

and aftir hym was Celeab, of Abigail, wijf of Nabal of Carmele; sotheli the thrydde was Absolon, the sone of Maacha, douytir of Tholomay, kyng of Gessur;

4 And the fourth, Adoniyah, the son of Chaggith; and the fifth, Shephatyah, the son of Abital;

forsothe the fourthe was Adonyas, the sone of Agith; and the fyuethe was Saphacias, the sone of Abitail; and the sixte was Gethraam of Egla,

5 And the sixth, Yithre'am, by 'Eglah, David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

the wijf of Dauid. These weren borne to Dauid in Ebron.

6 And it came to pass, while the war lasted between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner upheld with all his strength the house of Saul.

Therfor whanne batel was bytwixe the hows of Saul and the hows of Dauid, Abner, the sone of Ner, gouernyde the hows of Saul.

7 And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Ayah: and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father's concubine?

Sotheli a concubyn, that is, a secoundarie wijf, Respha bi name, the douytir of Achia, `was to Saul; and Abner entride to hir.

8 And Abner became very wroth because of the words of Ish-bosheth, and said, Am I the chief of the dogs which belong to Judah? unto this day have I shown kindness unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David; and yet thou chargest me today with a wrong committed with this woman?

And Isbosech seide to Abner, Whi `entridist thou to the concubyn of my fadir? Which was wrooth greetli for the wordis of Isbosech, and seide, Whether Y am the heed of a dogge ayens Juda to dai, and Y have do merci on the hous of Saul, thi fadir, and on hise britheren, and neiyboris, and Y bitook not thee in to the hondis of David, and thou hast souyt in me that, that thou schuldist repreue me for a womman to dai?

9 May God do so to Abner, and continue to do yet more to him, that, as the Lord hath sworn to David, even so will I surely do to him;

God do these thingis to Abner, and adde these thingis to hym, no but as the Lord swoor to Dauid, `so Y do with hym,

10 To transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beer-sheba'.

that the rewme be translatid fro the hous of Saul, and the trone of Dauid be reisid on Israel and on Juda, fro Dan `til to Bersabee.

11 And he could not answer Abner a word more in reply, because of his fear of him.

And Isbosech myyte not answere ony thing to Abner, for he dredde Abner.

12 And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? saying [also, ] Make thy covenant with me, and, behold, my hand shall be with thee, to bring round unto thee all Israel.

Therfor Abner sente messangeris to Dauid, and thei seiden `for hym, Whos is the lond? and that the messangeris schulden speke, Make thou frenschipis with me, and myn hond schal be with thee, and Y schal brynge al Israel to thee.

13 And he said, Well: I will indeed make a covenant with thee; but one thing I require of thee, namely, Thou shalt not see my face, except thou first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see my face.

And Dauid seide, Best Y schal make frenschipis with thee, but Y axe of thee o thing, and seie, Thou schalt not se my face, bifore that thou brynge Mycol, the douyter of Saul, and so thou schalt come, and schalt se me.

14 And David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, saying, Give up to me my wife Michal, whom I espoused to me for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.

Therfor Dauid sente messangeris to Isbosech, the sone of Saul, and seide, Yelde thou my wijf Mycol, whom Y spouside to me for an hundryd prepucies of Filisteis.

15 And Ish-bosheth sent, and took her from the man, from Paltiel the son of Layish.

Therfor Isbosech sente, and took hir fro hir hosebonde, Faltiel, son of Lais;

16 And her husband went with her going along and weeping behind her as far as Bachurim: when Abner said unto him, Go, return. And he returned.

and hir hosebonde suede hir and wepte til Bahurym. And Abner seide to hym, Go thou, and turne ayen; and he turnede ayen.

17 And Abner had used these words with the elders of Israel, saying, Already yesterday and even before ye have been desiring David as king over you:

Also Abner brouyte in a word to the eldere men of Israel, and seide, Bothe yistirdai and the thridde dai ago ye souyten Dauid, that he schulde regne on you.

18 And now do it; for the Lord hath said of David thus, By the hand of my servant David will I save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.

Now therfor do ye; for the Lord spak to Dauid, and seide, In the hond of my seruaunt Dauid Y schal saue my puple Israel fro the hond of Filisteis, and of alle his enemyes.

19 And Abner also spoke in the ears of Benjamin; and Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good in the eyes of Israel, and in the eyes of the whole house of Benjamin.

Forsothe Abner spak also to Beniamyn, and he yede, that he schulde speke to Dauid, in Ebron, alle thingis that plesiden Israel and al Beniamin.

20 And Abner came to David to Hebron, and with him were twenty men; and David made for Abner and for the men that were with him a feast.

And he cam to Dauid in Ebron with twenti men. And Dauid made a feeste to Abner, and to the men that camen with hym.

21 And Abner said unto David, I will now arise and go, and I will assemble unto my Lord the king all Israel, that they may make a covenant with thee, and that thou mayest reign over all that thy soul longeth for. And David dismissed Abner: and he went in peace.

And Abner seide to Dauid, Y schal rise, that Y gadere al Israel to thee, my lord the kyng, and that Y make boond of pees with thee, and that thou regne on alle, as thi soule desirith. Therfor whanne Dauid hadde ledde forth Abner, and he hadde go in pees,

22 And, behold, the servants of David and Joab came from a predatory excursion, and brought in much booty with them; but Abner was no more with David in Hebron; for he had dismissed him, and he was gone in peace.

anoon the children of Dauid and Joab camen with a ful grete prey, whanne theues weren slayn; sotheli Abner was not with Dauid, in Ebron, for Dauid hadde left hym, and he yede forth in pees.

23 When Joab and all the army that was with him were come, they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he hath dismissed him, and he is gone in peace.

And Joab, and the oostis that weren with hym, camen aftirward; therfor it was teld to Joab of telleris, Abner, the sone of Ner, cam to the kyng, and the kyng lefte hym, and he yede in pees.

24 Then came Joab to the king, and said, What hast thou done? behold, Abner came unto thee: why is it that thou hast dismissed him, that he went freely away?

And Joab entride to the kyng, and seide, What hast thou do? Lo! Abner cam to thee; whi leftist thou hym, and he yede, and departide?

25 Thou knowest Abner the son of Ner, that to deceive thee did he come, and to know thy going out and thy coming in, and to know all that thou art doing.

Knowist thou not Abner, the sone of Ner, for herto he cam to thee, that he schulde disseyue thee, and that he schulde knowe thi going out and thin entryng, and schulde knowe alle thingis whiche thou doist?

26 And Joab went out from David, and he sent messengers after Abner, who brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David knew it not.

Therfor Joab yede out fro Dauid, and sente messangeris aftir Abner; and `ledde hym ayen fro the cisterne of Cyrie, `while Dauid knew not.

27 And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him in private; and he smote him there under the fifth rib, and he died, for the blood of 'Asahel his brother.

And whanne Abner hadde come ayen in to Ebron, Joab ledde hym asidis half to `the myddil of the yate, that he schulde speke to hym in gile; and he smoot Abner there in the schar, and he was deed, in to the veniaunce of the blood of his brother Asahel.

28 And when David heard it afterward, he said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before the Lord for ever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner:

That whanne Dauid hadde herd the thing doon, he seide, Y am clene and my rewme anentis God til in to with outen ende fro the blood of Abner, sone of Ner;

29 May it rest on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and may there not fail from the house of Joab one that hath an issue, or that is a leper, or that leaneth on a crutch, or that falleth by the sword, or that lacketh bread.

and come it on the heed of Joab, and on al the hows of his fadir; a man suffrynge flux of seed, and a leprouse man, holdynge spyndil, and fallynge bi swerd, and hauynge nede to breed, `that is, suffrynge hungur, `faile not of the hows of Joab.

30 But Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had killed their brother 'Asahel at Gib'on in the battle.

Therfor Joab, and Abisay, his brother, killiden Abner, for he hadde slayn Asahel, her brother, in Gabaon, in batel.

31 And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird yourselves with sackcloth, and [go] mourning before Abner. And king David walked behind the bier.

Forsothe Dauid seide to Joab, and to al the puple that was with hym, To rende ye your clothis, and be ye gird with sackis, and biweile ye bifor the heersis, `ether dirige, of Abner. Forsothe kyng Dauid suede the beere.

32 And they buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept.

And whanne thei hadden biried Abner in Ebron, kyng Dauid reiside his vois, and wepte on the biriel of Abner; `forsothe and al the puple wepte.

33 And the king lamented over Abner, and said, O, that Abner had to die, as the worthless dieth!

And the kyng biweilide, and bymorenyde Abner, and seide, Abner, thou diedist not as dredeful men, `ethir cowardis, ben wont to die.

34 Thy hands were not bound, and thy feet were not put into fetters: as one falleth before men of wickedness art thou fallen. And all the people wept again over him.

Thin hondis weren not boundun, and thi feet weren not greuyd with stockis, but thou feldist doun, as men ben wont to falle bifor the sones of wickidnesse. And al the puple doublide togidere, and wepte on hym.

35 And all the people came to cause David to eat food while it was yet day; but David swore, saying, So do God to me, and thus may he continue, if before the sun be down I taste bread, or the least else.

And whanne al the multitude cam to take mete with Dauid, while the dai was yit cleer, Dauid swoor, and seide, God do to me these thingis, and adde these thingis, if Y schal taast breed ethir ony othir thing bifor the going doun of the sune.

36 And all the people took notice of it, and it was pleasing in their eyes: as whatsoever the king did was pleasing in the eyes of all the people.

And al the puple herde; and alle thingis which the kyng dide in the siyt of al the puple plesiden hem;

37 And all the people and all Israel understood on that day that it had not been of the king to slay Abner the son of Ner.

and al the comyn puple and al Israel knewe in that day, that it was not doon of the kyng, that Abner, the sone of Ner, was slayn.

38 And the king said unto his servants, Know ye not that a prince and a great man hath fallen this day in Israel?

Also the kyng seide to hise seruauntis, Whether ye witen not, that the prince and gretteste felde doun to dai in Israel?

39 And I am this day yet weak, and just anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruyah, are too strong for me: may the Lord pay the doer of evil according to his wickedness.

Forsothe Y am `delicat, ether tendir, yit and anoyntid kyng; sotheli these sones of Saruye ben hard to me; the Lord yelde to hym that doith yuel bi his malice.