2 Samuel 21
1 There was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David sought the face of Yahweh. Yahweh said, “It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.”
Also hungur was maad in the lond of Israel in the daies of Dauid, bi thre yeer contynueli. And Dauid counselide the answere of the Lord; and the Lord seide, For Saul, and his hows, and blood, for he killide men of Gabaon.
2 The king called the Gibeonites and said to them (now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites, and the children of Israel had sworn to them; and Saul sought to kill them in his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah);
Therfor whanne Gabaonytis weren clepid, the kyng seide to hem; sotheli Gabaonytis ben not of the sones of Israel, but thei ben the relikys of Ammorreis; and the sones of Israel hadden swore to hem, `that is, that thei schulden not `be slayn, and Saul wolde smyte hem for feruent loue, as for the sones of Israel and of Juda;
3 and David said to the Gibeonites, “What should I do for you? And with what should I make atonement, that you may bless Yahweh’s inheritance?”
therfor Dauid seide to Gabaonytis, What schal Y do to you, and what schal be youre amendis, that ye blesse the eritage of the Lord?
4 The Gibeonites said to him, “It is no matter of silver or gold between us and Saul or his house; neither is it for us to put any man to death in Israel.” He said, “I will do for you whatever you say.”
And Gabaonytis seiden to hym, No questioun is to vs on gold and siluer, but ayens Saul, and ayens his hows; nether we wolen, that a man of Israel be slayn. To whiche the kyng seide, What therfor wolen ye, that Y do to you?
5 They said to the king, “The man who consumed us and who plotted against us, that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the borders of Israel,
Whiche seiden to the king, We owen to do awei so the man, that `al to brak ethir defoulide vs, and oppresside wickidli, that not oon sotheli be residue of his generacioun in alle the coostis of Israel.
6 let seven men of his sons be delivered to us, and we will hang them up to Yahweh in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of Yahweh.” The king said, “I will give them.”
Seuene men of hise sones be youun to vs, that we `crucifie hem to the Lord in Gabaa of Saul, sum tyme the chosun man of the Lord. And the kyng seide, Y schal yyue.
7 But the king spared Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of Yahweh’s oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
And the kyng sparide Myphibosech, sone of Jonathas, sone of Saul, for the ooth of the Lord, that was bitwixe Dauid and bitwixe Jonathas, sone of Saul.
8 But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Merab the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite.
Therfor the kyng took twei sones of Respha, douyter of Ahira, whiche sche childide to Saul, Armony, and Mysphibosech; and he took fyue sones of Mychol, douyter of Saul, whiche sche gendride to Adriel, sone of Berzellai, that was of Molaty.
9 He delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites; and they hanged them on the mountain before Yahweh, and all seven of them fell together. They were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, at the beginning of barley harvest.
And he yaf hem in to the hondis of Gabaonytis, whiche crucifieden tho sones in the hil bifor the Lord; and these seuene felden slayn togidere in the daies of the firste rep, whanne the repyng of barli bigan.
10 Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water poured on them from the sky. She allowed neither the birds of the sky to rest on them by day, nor the animals of the field by night.
Forsothe Respha, douytir of Ahia, took an heire, and `araiede to hir silf a place aboue the stoon, fro the bigynnyng of heruest til watir droppide `on hem fro heuene; and sche suffride not briddis to tere hem bi dai, nether beestis bi nyyt.
11 David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.
And tho thingis whiche Respha, secoundarie wijf of Saul, douytir of Ahia, hadde do, weren teld to Dauid.
12 So David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh Gilead, who had stolen them from the street of Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hanged them in the day that the Philistines killed Saul in Gilboa;
And Dauid yede, and took the boonys of Saul, and the boonys of Jonathas, his sone, of the men of Jabes of Galaad; that hadden stole tho boonys fro the street of Bethsan, in which street the Filisteis hadden hangid hem, whanne thei hadden slayn Saul in Gelboe.
13 and he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son. They also gathered the bones of those who were hanged.
And Dauid bar out fro thennus the boonys of Saul, and the boonys of Jonathas, his sone; and thei gaderiden the boonys of hem that weren crucified, and birieden tho with the boonys of Saul and of Jonathas, his sone, in the lond of Beniamyn, in the side of the sepulcre of Cys, fadir of Saul.
14 They buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father; and they performed all that the king commanded. After that, God answered prayer for the land.
And thei diden al thingis, what euer thingis the kyng comaundide; and the Lord dide mercy to the lond aftir these thingis.
15 The Philistines had war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines. David grew faint;
Forsothe batel of Filisteis was maad eft ayens Israel; and Dauid yede doun, and hise seruauntis with hym, and fouyten ayen Filisteis.
16 and Ishbibenob, who was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear was three hundred shekels of bronze in weight, he being armed with a new sword, thought he would kill David.
Sotheli whanne Dauid failide, Jesbydenob, that was of the kyn of Arapha, that is, of giauntis, and the yrun of his spere peiside thre hundrid ouncis, and he was gird with a newe swerd, enforside to smyte Dauid.
17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, “Don’t go out with us to battle any more, so that you don’t quench the lamp of Israel.”
And Abisai, sone of Saruye, was in help to Dauid; and he smoot and killide the Filistei. Than the men of Dauid sworen, and seiden, Now thou schalt not go out with vs in to batel, lest thou quenche the lanterne of Israel.
18 After this, there was again war with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was of the sons of the giant.
Also the secounde batel was in Gob ayens Filisteis; thanne Sobothai of Osothai smoot Zephi, of the generacioun of Arapha, of the kyn of giauntis.
19 There was again war with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite’s brother, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
Also the thridde batel was in Gob ayens Filisteis; in which batel a man youun of God, the sone of forest, a broiderer, a man of Bethleem, smoot Golyath of Geth, whos `schaft of spere was as a beem of webbis.
20 There was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on every hand and six toes on every foot, twenty-four in number, and he also was born to the giant.
The fourthe batel was in Geth; where ynne was an hiy man, that hadde sixe fyngris in the hondis and feet, that is, foure and twenti; and he was of the kyn of Arapha;
21 When he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David’s brother, killed him.
and he blasfemyde Israel; sotheli Jonathan, sone of Samaa, brother of Dauid, killide hym.
22 These four were born to the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.
These foure weren borun of Arapha in Geth, and thei felden doun in the hond of Dauid, and of hise seruauntis.
