2 Samuel 19
1 Joab was told, “Look, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.”
Forsothe it was teld to Joab, that the kyng wepte, and biweilide his sone;
2 So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the army, for the army heard it said that day, “The king is mourning 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 The soldiers had to sneak quietly into the city that day, like people who are ashamed sneak away when they run from 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 The king covered his face and cried in a loud voice, “My son Absalom, Absalom, my son, my son!”
Sotheli the kyng hilide his heed, and criede with greet vois, My sone, Absolon!
5 Then Joab entered into the house to the king and said to him, “You have shamed the faces of all your soldiers today, who have saved your life today, and the lives of your sons and of your daughters, and the lives of your wives, and the lives of your slave wives,
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 because you love those who hate you, and you hate those who love you. For today you have shown that commanders and soldiers are nothing to you. Today I believe that if Absalom had lived, and we all had died, then that would have pleased you.
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 Now therefore get up and go out and speak kindly to your soldiers, for I swear by Yahweh, if you do not go, not one man will remain with you tonight. That would be worse for you than all the disasters that have ever happened to you from your 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 So the king got up and sat in the city gate, and all the people were told, “Look, the king is sitting in the gate,” and all the people came before the king. So Israel fled, every man to his home.
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 All the people were arguing with each other throughout all the tribes of Israel saying, “The king rescued us out of the hand of our enemies, and he saved us out of the hand of the Philistines, but now he has run out of the land because of Absalom.
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 Absalom, whom we anointed over us, has died in battle. So why do you say nothing 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 King David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests saying, “Speak to the elders of Judah saying, 'Why are you the last to bring the king back to his palace, since the talk of all Israel favors the king, to bring him back to his palace?
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 You are my brothers, my flesh and bone. Why then are you 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 Then say to Amasa, 'Are you not my flesh and my bone? God do so to me, and more also, if you are not captain of my army from now on in the place 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 So he won the hearts of all the men of Judah as one man. They sent to the king saying, “Return, you and all your men.”
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 to the Jordan. Now the men of Judah came to Gilgal to go to meet the king and then to bring the king across 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 Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite, who was from Bahurim, hurried 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 There were one thousand men from Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of Saul, and his fifteen sons and twenty servants with him. They crossed through the Jordan in the presence of 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 They crossed to bring over the king's family and to do whatever he thought good. Shimei son of Gera bowed down before the king just before he began to cross 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 Shimei said to the king, “Do not, my master, find me guilty or call to mind the wrong your servant did the day my master the king left Jerusalem. Please, may the king not take it to 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 your servant knows that I have sinned. See, that is why I have come today as the first from all the family of Joseph to come down to meet my master 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 son of Zeruiah answered and said, “Should not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed Yahweh'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 Then David said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should today be adversaries to me? Will any man be put to death today in Israel? For do I not know that today 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 So the king said to Shimei, “You will not die.” So the king promised him with an oath.
And the kyng seide to Semey, Thou schalt not die; and the kyng swoor to hym.
24 Then Mephibosheth son of Saul came down to meet the king. He had not dressed his feet, or trimmed his beard, or washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day 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 So when he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, “Why did you 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 He answered, “My master the king, my servant deceived me, for I said, 'I will saddle a donkey so I may ride on it and go with the king, because your 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 My servant Ziba has slandered me, your servant, to my master the king. But my master the king is like an angel of God. Therefore, do what is good in your 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 my father's house were dead men before my master the king, but you set your servant among those who ate at your own table. What right therefore have I that I should still cry any more to 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 Then the king said to him, “Why explain anything further? I have decided that you and Ziba will divide the fields.”
Sotheli the kyng seide to hym, What spekist thou more? that that Y haue spoke is stidefast; thou and Siba depart possessyouns.
30 So Mephibosheth replied to the king, “Yes, let him take it all, since my master the king has come safely to his own home.”
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 Then Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim to cross over the Jordan with the king, and he accompanied the king 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 a very old man, eighty years old. He had furnished the king with provisions while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very wealthy 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 The king said to Barzillai, “Come over with me, and I will provide for you to stay with me in Jerusalem.”
Therfor the kyng seide to Berzellai, Come thou with me, that thou reste sikirli with me in Jerusalem.
34 Barzillai replied to the king, “How many days are left in 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. Can I distinguish between good and bad? Can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be a burden to my master 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 Your servant would like to just go over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king repay me with such a reward?
Y thi seruaunt schal go forth a litil fro Jordan with thee, Y haue no nede to this yeldyng;
37 Please let your servant return back home, so I may die in my own city by the grave of my father and my mother. But see, here is your servant Kimham. Let him cross over with my master the king, and do for him what seems good to you.”
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 The king answered, “Kimham will go over with me, and I will do for him what seems good to you, and whatever you desire from me, I do that for you.”
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 Then all the people crossed the Jordan, and the king crossed over, and the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him. Then Barzillai returned to his own home.
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 So the king crossed over to Gilgal, and Kimham crossed over with him. All the army of Judah brought the king over, and also half the army 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 Soon all the men of Israel began to come to the king and say to the king, “Why have our brothers, the men of Judah, stolen you away and brought the king and his family 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 So the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “It is because the king is more closely related to us. Why then are you angry about this? Have we eaten anything that the king had to pay for? Has he given us any gifts?”
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 The men of Israel answered the men of Judah, “We have ten tribes related to the king, so we have even more right to David than you. Why then did you despise us? Was not our proposal to bring back our king the first to be heard?” But the words of the men of Judah were even more harsh 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.
