< 2 Samuel 18 >

1 And he mustered David the people which [was] with him and he appointed over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds.
Therfor Dauid, whanne the puple `was biholdun, ordeynede tribunes and centuriouns on hem.
2 And he sent out David the people the third [was] in [the] hand of Joab and the third [was] in [the] hand of Abishai [the] son of Zeruiah [the] brother of Joab and the third [was] in [the] hand of Ittai the Gittite. And he said the king to the people certainly I will go out also I with you.
And he yaf the thridde part of the puple vndur the hond of Joab; and the thridde part vndur the hond of Abisai, sone of Saruye, brother of Joab; and the thridde part vndur the hond of Ethai, that was of Geth. And the kyng seide to the puple, Also Y schal go out with you.
3 And it said the people not you must go out for if certainly [if] we will flee not they will set to us heart and if they will die half of us not they will set to us heart for now like us ten thousand and therefore [is] good that you will be us from [the] city (to help. *Q(K)*)
And the puple answeride, Thou schalt not go out; for whether we fleen, it schal not perteyne to hem bi greet werk of vs; whether half the part fallith doun of vs, thei schulen not recke ynow, for thou art rekynyd for ten thousynde; therfor it is betere, that thou be to vs in the citee in stronge hold.
4 And he said to them the king [that] which it will be good in view your I will do and he stood the king to [the] side of the gate and all the people they went out to hundreds and to thousands.
`To whiche the kyng seide, Y schal do this, that semeth riytful to you. Therfor the kyng stood bisidis the yate, and the puple yede out bi her cumpenyes, bi hundridis and bi thousyndis.
5 And he commanded the king Joab and Abishai and Ittai saying to gentleness for me to the young man to Absalom and all the people they heard when commanded the king all the commanders on [the] matter of Absalom.
And the king comaundide to Joab, and to Abisai, and Ethai, and seyde, Kepe ye to me the child Absolon. And al the puple herde the kyng comaundinge to alle the princes for Absolon.
6 And it went out the people the field to meet Israel and it was the battle in [the] forest of Ephraim.
Therfor the puple yede out in to the feeld ayens Israel; and the batel was maad in the forest of Effraym.
7 And they were defeated there [the] people of Israel before [the] servants of David and it was there the slaughter great on the day that twenty thousand.
And the puple of Israel was slayn there of the oost of Dauid, and a greet sleyng of twenti thousynde was maad in that dai.
8 And it was there the battle (scattered *Q(K)*) over [the] face of all the land and it increased the forest to consume among the people more than [those] whom it consumed the sword on the day that.
Forsothe the batel was scaterid there on the face of al erthe, and many mo weren of the puple whiche the forest wastide, than thei whiche the swerd deuourid in that dai.
9 And he was met Absalom before [the] servants of David and Absalom [was] riding on the mule and it went the mule under [the] branche[s] of the oak great and it was firm head his in the oak and he was put between the heavens and between the earth and the mule which [was] under him it passed on.
Sotheli it bifeld, that Absalon sittinge on a mule, cam ayens the seruauntis of Dauid; and whanne the mule hadde entrid vndur a thicke ook, and greet, the heed of Absolon cleuyde to the ook; and whanne he was hangid bitwixe heuene and erthe, the mule, on which he sat, passide.
10 And he saw a man one and he told to Joab and he said there! I saw Absalom hung up in the oak.
Sotheli `sum man siy this, and telde to Joab, and seide, Y siy Absolon hange on an ook.
11 And he said Joab to the man who had told to him and there! you saw and why? not did you strike down him there [the] ground towards and on me to give to you ten silver and a belt one.
And Joab seide to the man that `hadde telde to hym, If thou siyest, whi persidist thou not hym to the erthe, and Y schulde haue youe `to thee ten siclis of siluer, and a girdil?
12 And he said the man to Joab (and if *Q(k)*) I [were] weighing on hands my a thousand silver not I will stretch out hand my against [the] son of the king for in ears our he commanded the king you and Abishai and Ittai saying protect whoever the young man Absalom.
And he seide to Joab, Thouy thou paiedist in myn hondis a thousynde platis of siluer, Y nolde sende myn hond in to the sone of the king; for the while we herden, the kyng comaundide to thee, and to Abisai, and to Ethai, and seide, Kepe ye to me the child Absolon.
13 Or I had done (on life my *Q(K)*) falsehood and any thing not it is hidden from the king and you you will stand from in front.
But and if Y hadde do ayens my lijf hardili, this myyte not be hid fro the kyng, and thou woldist stonde on the contrarye side.
14 And he said Joab not thus I will wait before you and he took three spears in hand his and he thrust them in [the] heart of Absalom still he [was] alive in [the] heart of the oak.
And Joab seide, Not as thou wolt, `Absolon schal be kept, but Y schal asaile hym bifor thee. Therfore Joab took thre speris in his hond, and fitchide tho in the herte of Absolon. And whanne he spraulide, yit cleuynge in the ook,
15 And they surrounded [him] ten young men [the] bearers of [the] armor of Joab and they struck Absalom and they killed him.
ten yonge squieris of Joab runnen, and smytiden, and killiden hym.
16 And he gave a blast Joab on the trumpet and it turned back the people from pursuing after Israel for he restrained Joab the people.
Sotheli Joab sownede with a clarioun, and withhelde the puple, lest it pursuede Israel fleynge, and he wolde spare the multitude.
17 And they took Absalom and they threw him in the forest into the pit great and they set up over him a heap of stones great very and all Israel they fled each (to tents his. *Q(K)*)
And thei token Absolon, and castiden forth him in to a greet dich in the forest, and baren togidere a ful greet heep of stoonys on hym; forsothe al Israel fledde in to his tabernaclis.
18 And Absalom he had taken and he had set up for himself (in life his *Q(K)*) a pillar which [is] in [the] valley of the king for he said not [belongs] to me a son in order to cause to be remembered name my and he called the pillar on own name his and it has been called to it [the] monument of Absalom until the day this.
Forsothe Absolon, while he lyuyde yit, hadde reisid to hym a memorial, which is in the valey of the kyng; for he seide, Y haue no sone, and this schal be the mynde of my name; and he clepide `the memorial bi his name, and it is clepid the Hond, `that is, werk, of Absolon `til to this dai.
19 And Ahimaaz [the] son of Zadok he said let me run please and let me bear [the] news to the king that he has vindicated him Yahweh from [the] hand of enemies his.
Forsothe Achymaas, sone of Sadoch, seide, Y schal renne, and Y schal telle to the kyng, that the Lord hath maad doom to hym of the hond of hise enemyes.
20 And he said to him Joab not [are] a man of news you day this and you will bear news on a day another and day this not you will bear [the] news for (since *Q(K)*) [the] son of the king he has died.
To whom Joab seide, Thou schalt not be messanger in this dai, but thou schalt telle in another dai; I nyle that thou telle to dai, for the sone of the kyng is deed.
21 And he said Joab to the Cushite go tell to the king [that] which you have seen and he bowed down [the] Cushite to Joab and he ran.
And Joab seide to Chusi, Go thou, and telle to the kyng tho thingis that thou hast seyn. Chusi worschypide Joab, and ran.
22 And he repeated again Ahimaaz [the] son of Zadok and he said to Joab and may it be whatever let me run please also I after the Cushite and he said Joab why? this [are] you running O son my and [will belong] to you not good news finding.
Eft Achymaas, sone of Sadoch, seide to Joab, What lettith, if also Y renne aftir Chusi? And Joab seide to hym, What wolt thou renne, my sone? Come thou hidur, thou schalt not be a berere of good message.
23 And may it be whatever I will run and he said to him run and he ran Ahimaaz [the] way of the plain and he passed by the Cushite.
Which answeride, `What sotheli if Y schal renne? And Joab seide to hym, Renn thou. Therfor Achymaas ran bi the weie of schortnesse, `and sped, and passide Chusi.
24 And David [was] sitting between [the] two the gates and he went the watchman to [the] roof of the gate to the wall and he lifted up eyes his and he saw and there! a man [was] running to only him.
Forsothe Dauid sat bitwixe twei yatis; sotheli the spiere, that was in the hiynesse of the yate on the wal, reiside the iyen, and siy a man aloone rennynge;
25 And he called out the watchman and he told to the king and he said the king if to only him news [is] in mouth his and he came continuously and approaching.
and the spiere criede, and schewide to the kyng. And the kyng seide to hym, If he is aloone, good message is in his mouth.
26 And he saw the watchman a man another running and he called out the watchman to the gatekeeper and he said there! a man [is] running to only him and he said the king also this one [is] bearing news.
Sotheli while he hastide, and neiyede neer, the spiere siy another man rennynge; and the spiere criede `in the hiynesse, and seide, Another man rennynge aloone apperith to me. And the kyng seide to hym, And this man is a good messanger.
27 And he said the watchman I [am] seeing [the] running of the first [one] like [the] running of Ahimaaz [the] son of Zadok and he said the king [is] a man good this and with news good he is coming.
Sotheli the spiere seide, Y biholde the rennyng of the formere, as the rennyng of Achymaas, sone of Sadoch. And the kyng seide, He is a good man, and he cometh bryngynge a good message.
28 And he called out Ahimaaz and he said to the king peace and he bowed down to the king to face his [the] ground towards. And he said blessed [be] Yahweh God your who he has delivered up the men who they lifted up hand their against lord my the king.
Forsothe Achymaas criede, and seide to the kyng, Heil kyng! And he worschipide the kyng lowli bifor hym to erthe, and seide, Blessid be thi Lord God, that closide togidere the men, that reisyden her hondis ayens my lord the kyng.
29 And he said the king [does] peace? [belong] to the young man to Absalom and he said Ahimaaz I saw the multitude great to send [the] servant of the king Joab and servant your and not I know whatever.
And the kyng seide, Whether pees is to the child Absolon? And Achymaas seide, Y siy, `that is, Y herde, a great noise, whanne Joab, thi seruaunt, thou kyng, sente me thi seruaunt; Y kan noon othir thing.
30 And he said the king go around stand thus and he went around and he stood.
To whom the kyng seide, Passe thou, and stonde here. And whanne he hadde passid, and stood, Chusi apperide;
31 And here! the Cushite [was] coming and he said the Cushite let him receive [the] news lord my the king for he has vindicated you Yahweh this day from [the] hand of all those [who] rose up on you.
and he cam and seide, My lord the kyng, Y brynge good message; for the Lord hath demed to dai for thee of the hond of alle men that risiden ayens thee.
32 And he said the king to the Cushite ¿ [does] peace [belong] to the young man to Absalom and he said the Cushite let them be like the young man [the] enemies of lord my the king and all [those] who they have risen up on you for harm.
Forsothe the kyng seide to Chusi, Whether pees is to the child Absolon? To whom Chusi answeride, and seide, The enemyes of my lord the kyng, and alle men that risiden ayens hym in to yuel, be maad as the child.
33 And he was agitated the king and he went up to [the] upper room of the gate and he wept and thus - he said when went he O son my Absalom son my son my Absalom who? will he give died I I in place of you O Absalom son my son my.
Therfor the kyng was sory, and stiede in to the soler of the yate, and wepte, and spak thus goynge, My sone, Absolon! Absolon, my sone! who yyueth to me, that Y die for thee? Absolon, my sone! my sone, Absolon!

< 2 Samuel 18 >