< 1 Samuel 17 >

1 Forsothe Filisteis gaderiden her cumpenyes in to batel, and camen togidere in Socoth of Juda, and settiden tentis bitwixe Socoth and Azecha, in the coostis of Domyn.
Now the Philistines, gathering their troops for battle, assembled at Socoh of Judah. And they made camp between Socoh and Azekah, within the borders of Dammim.
2 Sotheli Saul and the men of Israel weren gaderid, and camen in to the valey of Terebynte, and dressiden scheltrun to fiyte ayens Filisteis.
But Saul and the sons of Israel, having gathered together, went to the Valley of Terebinth. And they positioned the army so as to fight against the Philistines.
3 And Filisteis stoden aboue the hil on this part, and Israel stood on the hil on the tother part of the valey, that was bitwixe hem.
And the Philistines were standing on a mountain on the one side, and Israel was standing on a mountain on the other side. And there was a valley between them.
4 And a man, `sone of a widewe, whos fadir was vncerteyn, yede out of the `castels of Filisteis, Goliath bi name of Geth, of sixe cubitis heiy and a spanne; and a brasun basynet on his heed;
And there went out from the camp of the Philistines, a man of illegitimate birth, named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a palm.
5 and he was clothid with `an haburioun hokid, ether mailid; forsothe the weiyte of his haburioun was fyue thousynde siclis of bras;
And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was clothed with a breastplate of scales. Moreover, the weight of his breastplate was five thousand shekels of brass.
6 and he hadde `bootis of bras in the hipis, and a `scheld of bras hilide hise schuldris.
And he had plates of brass on his lower legs, and a small shield of brass was covering his shoulders.
7 Forsothe `the schaft of his spere was as the beem of webbis; forsothe thilke yrun of his spere hadde sixe hundrid siclis of yrun; and his squier yede bifor hym.
Now the shaft of his spear was like the beam used by a weaver. And the iron of his spear held six hundred shekels of iron. And his armor bearer went before him.
8 And he stood, and cried ayens the cumpenyes of armed men of Israel, and seide to hem, Why camen ye redi to batel? Whether Y am not a Filistei, and ye ben the seruauntis of Saul? Chese ye a man of you, and come he doun to syngulere batel;
And standing still, he cried out to the battle lines of Israel, and he said to them: “Why have you arrived, prepared for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose one man from among you, and let him descend to do battle alone.
9 if he may fiyte with me, and sleeth me, we schulen be `seruauntis to you; forsothe if Y haue the maystry, and sle hym, ye schulen be boonde, and `ye schulen serue vs.
If he is able to fight with me and to strike me down, we will be your servants. But if I will prevail over him, and strike him down, you will be the servants, and you will serve us.”
10 And `the Filistei seide, Y haue `seyd schenschip to dai to the cumpenyes of Israel; yyue ye a man, and bigynne he `synguler batel with me.
And the Philistine was saying: “I have reproached the troops of Israel today. Present a man to me, and let him undertake a fight against me alone.”
11 Sotheli Saul and alle men of Israel herden siche wordis of `the Filistey, and thei weren astonyed, and dredden greetli.
And Saul and all the Israelites, hearing these words of the Philistine in this manner, were stupefied and exceedingly afraid.
12 Forsothe Dauid was `the sone of a man of Effrata, of whom it is `biforseid, of Bethleem of Juda, to `which man the name was Isay, which hadde eiyte sones; and `the man was eld in the daies of Saul, and of greet age among men.
Now David was the son of an Ephrathite man, the one mentioned above, from Bethlehem of Judah, whose name was Jesse. He had eight sons, and during the days of Saul, he was an elderly man, and of great age among men.
13 Sotheli thre grettere sones of Ysai yeden after Saul in to batel; and the names of hise thre sones, that yeden to batel, Heliab, the firste gendryd, and the secounde, Amynadab, and the thridde, Samma.
Now his three eldest sons followed Saul into battle. And the names of his three sons, who went to the battle, were Eliab, the firstborn, and the second, Abinadab, and the third Shammah.
14 Forsothe Dauid was the leeste. Therfor while thre grettere sueden Saul, Dauid yede,
But David was the youngest. Therefore, when the three eldest had followed Saul,
15 and turnede ayen fro Saul, that he schulde kepe the floc of his fadir in Bethleem.
David went away from Saul, and he returned, so that he might pasture the flock of his father at Bethlehem.
16 Forsothe the Filistey cam forth in the morewtid, and euentid; and stood `bi fourti daies.
Truly, the Philistine advanced morning and evening, and he stood forth, for forty days.
17 Sotheli Ysai seide to Dauid his sone, Take thou to thi britheren meete maad of meele, the mesure of ephi, and these ten looues, and renne thou in to the castels to thi britheren;
Now Jesse said to his son David: “Take, for your brothers, an ephah of cooked grain, and these ten loaves, and hurry to the camp, to your brothers.
18 and thou schalt bere to the tribune these ten `litil formes of chese; and thou schalt visite thi britheren, whether thei doon riytli, and lurne thou, with whiche men thei ben ordeyned.
And you shall carry these ten little cheeses to the tribune. And visit your brothers, to see if they are doing well. And learn with whom they have been stationed.”
19 Forsothe Saul, and thei, and alle the sones of Israel in the valei of Terebynte fouyten ayens Filisteis.
But they were in the valley of Terebinth, with Saul and all the sons of Israel, fighting against the Philistines.
20 Therfor Dauid roos eerli, and bitook the floc to the kepere, and he yede chargid, as Ysai `hadde comaundid to hym; and he cam to the place Magala, and to the oost, which oost yede out to the batel, and criede in `the batel.
And so, David rose up in the morning, and he commended the flock to the caretaker. And he went away burdened, just as Jesse had instructed him. And he went to the place of the battle line, and to the army, which, in going out to fight, was shouting in the conflict.
21 For Israel hadde dressid scheltrun; `but also Filisteis weren maad redi `euen ayens.
For Israel had positioned their troops, but the Philistines also had prepared themselves against them.
22 Therfor Dauid lefte the vessels, whiche he hadde brouyt, vndur the hond of a kepere `at the fardels, and he ran to the place of batel, and he axyde, if alle thingis weren `doon riytli anentis hise britheren.
Then, leaving the items that he had brought under the hand of the keeper of baggage, David ran to the place of the conflict. And he was asking if all was going well with his brothers.
23 And whanne he spak yit to hem, thilke bastard apperide, Goliath bi name, a Filistei of Geth, and stiede fro the castels of Filisteis; and `while he spak these same wordis, Dauid herde.
And while he was still speaking with them, there appeared the man of spurious descent, whose name was Goliath, the Philistine of Gath, ascending from the camp of the Philistines. And he was speaking in these same words, which David heard.
24 And whanne alle men of Israel hadden seyn `the man, thei fledden fro his face, and dredden hym greetli.
Then all the Israelites, when they had seen the man, fled from his face, fearing him greatly.
25 And ech man of Israel seide, Whether thou hast seyn this man that stiede? for he stiede to seie schenship to Israel; therfor the kyng schal make riche with greet richessis `the man that sleeth thilke Filistei; and the kyng schal yyue his douyter to that man, and schal make the hows of his fader with out `tribut in Israel.
And someone of Israel said: “Have you seen this man, who has risen up. For he ascended in order to reproach Israel. Therefore, the man who will strike him down, the king will enrich with great wealth, and will give to him his daughter, and will cause his father’s house to be free of tribute in Israel.”
26 And Dauyd spak to the men that stoden with hym, and seide, What schal be youun to the man that sleeth this Filistei, and doith awei schenschip fro Israel? for who is this Filistei vncircumcidid, that dispiside the scheltruns of God lyuynge?
And David spoke to the men who were standing with him, saying: “What will be given to the man who will have struck down this Philistine, and who will have taken away the disgrace from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should reproach the soldiers of the living God?”
27 Forsothe the puple tolde to hym the same word, and seide, These thingis schulen be youun to the man that sleeth hym.
Then the people repeated to him the same words, saying, “These things shall be given to the man who will have struck him down.”
28 And whanne Heliab, `his more brother, had herd this, while he spak with othere men, he was wrooth ayens Dauid, and seide, Whi camest thou, and whi `leftist thou tho fewe scheep in deseert? Y knowe thi pride, and the wewardnesse of thin herte; for thou camest doun to se the batel.
Now when Eliab, his eldest brother, had heard this, as he was speaking with the others, he became angry against David, and he said: “Why did you come here? And why did you leave behind those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the wickedness of your heart, that you have come down so that you might see the battle.”
29 And Dauid seide, What haue Y do? Whether it is not a word?
And David said: “What have I done? Is there any word against me?”
30 And Dauid bowide a litil fro hym to another man; and Dauid seide the same word, and the puple answeride to hym al word as bifore.
And he turned away from him a little, toward another. And he asked the same question. And the people responded to him as before.
31 Forsothe these wordis weren herd, whiche Dauid spak, and weren teld `in the siyt of Saul.
Now the words that David had spoken were heard and reported in the sight of Saul.
32 And whanne Dauyd was brouyt to Saul, Dauyd spak to hym, The herte of ony man falle not doun for `that Filistei, Y thi seruaunt schal go, and `Y schal fiyte ayens the Filistei.
When he had been led to Saul, he said to him: “Let no one lose heart over him. I, your servant, shall go and fight against the Philistine.”
33 And Saul seide to Dauid, Thou maist not ayenstonde this Filistei, nether fiyte ayens hym, for thou art a child; forsothe this man is a werriour fro his yong wexynge age.
And Saul said to David: “You are not able to withstand this Philistine, nor to fight against him. For you are a boy, but he has been a warrior from his boyhood.”
34 And Dauid seide to Saul, Thi seruaunt kepte `the floc of his fadir, and a lioun cam, ether a bere, and took awei a ram fro the myddis of the floc;
And David said to Saul: “Your servant was pasturing the flock of his father. And there approached a lion or a bear, and it took a ram from the midst of the flock.
35 Y pursuede, and killide hem, and rauyschide fro `the mouth of hem; and thei risiden ayens me, and I took the nether chaule `of hem, and Y stranglide, and killide hem.
And I pursued after them, and I struck them, and I rescued from their mouth. And they rose up against me. And I caught them by the throat, and I strangled and killed them.
36 For Y thi seruaunt killide bothe a lioun and a bere; therfor and this Filistei vncircumcidid schal be as oon of hem. Now Y schal go, and Y schal do awey the schenschip of the puple; for who is this Filistei vncircumcidid, that was hardi to curse the oost of God lyuynge?
For I, your servant, have killed both lion and bear. And so this uncircumcised Philistine, too, will be like one of them. Now I will go and take away the reproach of the people. For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, who has dared to curse the army of the living God?”
37 And Dauid seide, The Lord that delyuerede me fro the `mouth of the lioun, and fro the `hond, that is, power, of the bere, he schal delyuere me fro the hond of this Filistei. Forsothe Saul seide to Dauid, Go thou, and the Lord be with thee.
And David said, “The Lord who rescued me from the hand of the lion, and from the hand of the bear, he himself will free me from the hand of this Philistine.” Then Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you.”
38 And Saul clothide Dauid with hise clothis, and puttide a brasun basynet on his heed, and clothide hym with an haburioun.
And Saul clothed David with his garments. And he placed a helmet of brass upon his head, and he clothed him with a breastplate.
39 Therfor Dauid was gird with his swerd on his cloth, and bigan to asaie if he myyte go armed; for he hadde not custom. And Dauid seide to Saul, Y may not go so, for Y haue not vss. And Dauid puttide awei tho,
Then David, having girded his sword over his armor, began to see if he could walk in the armor. But he was not accustomed to it. And David said to Saul: “I cannot move about in this way. For I am not used to it.” And he put them aside.
40 and he took his staaf, which he hadde euere in the hondis. And he chees to hym fyue clereste stonys, that is, harde, pleyn, and rounde, of the stronde; and he sente tho in to the schepherdis scrippe, which he hadde with hym; and he took the slynge in the hond, and yede forth ayens the Filistei.
And he took up his staff, which he held always in his hands. And he chose for himself five very smooth stones from the torrent. And he put them into the shepherd’s bag that he had with him. And he took up a sling in his hand. And he went out against the Philistine.
41 Sotheli the Filistei yede, `goynge and neiyyng ayens Dauid; and his squyer yede bifor hym.
And the Philistine, advancing, went and drew near against David. And his armor bearer was before him.
42 And whanne `the Filistei hadde biholde Dauid, and hadde seyn hym, he dispiside Dauid; forsothe Dauid was a yong wexynge man, rodi, and feir in siyt.
And when the Philistine had seen and considered David, he despised him. For he was a youth, ruddy and of handsome appearance.
43 And `the Filistei, seide to Dauid, Whether Y am a dogge, for thou comest to me with a staf? And `the Filistei curside Dauid in hise goddis; and he seide to Dauid,
And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you approach against me with a staff?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
44 Come thou to me, and Y schal yyue thi fleischis to the `volatilis of heuene, and to the beestis of erthe.
And he said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air, and to the beasts of the earth.”
45 Sotheli Dauid seide to `the Filistei, Thou comest to me with swerd, and spere, and scheeld; but Y come to thee in the name of the Lord God of oostis, of God of the cumpanyes of Israel, to whiche thou seidist schenschip to dai.
But David said to the Philistine: “You approach me with sword, and spear, and shield. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, which you have reproached.
46 And the Lord schal yyue thee in myn hond, and Y schal sle thee, and Y schal take awey thin heed fro thee; and I schal yyue the deed bodies of the castels of Filisteis `to day to the volatils of heuene, and to the beestis of erthe; that al the erthe wite, that the Lord God is in Israel,
Today, the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down. And I will take your head from you. And today, I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air, and to the beasts of the earth, so that all the earth may know that God is with Israel.
47 and that al this chirche knowe, that the Lord saueth not in swerd nether in spere; for the batel is his, and he schal bitake you in to oure hondis.
And this entire assembly will know that the Lord does not save by sword, nor by spear. For this is his war, and he will deliver you into our hands.”
48 Therfor whanne the Filistei hadde rise, and cam, and neiyede ayens Dauid, Dauid hastide, and ran to batel ayens `the Filistei.
Then, when the Philistine had risen up, and was approaching, and was drawing near against David, David hurried and ran to the fight against the Philistine.
49 And Dauid putte his hond `in to his scrippe, and he took o stoon, and he castide with the slynge, `and ledde aboute, and smoot `the Filistei in the forheed; and the stoon was fastned in his forheed, and he felde doun in to his face on the erthe.
And he put his hand into his bag, and took out one stone. And swinging it around, he cast it with the sling and struck the Philistine on the forehead. And the stone became imbedded in his forehead. And he fell on his face, upon the ground.
50 And Dauid hadde the maistrie ayens `the Filistei `in a slyng and stoon, and he killide `the Filistei smytun. And whanne Dauid hadde no swerd in the hond,
And David prevailed against the Philistine with a sling and a stone. And he struck and killed the Philistine. But since David held no sword in his hand,
51 he ran, and stood on `the Filistei, and took his swerd; and Dauid drow out the swerd of his schethe, and `killide him, and kittide awei his heed. Forsothe the Filisteis sien, that the strongeste of hem was deed, and thei fledden.
he ran and stood over the Philistine, and he took his sword, and withdrew it from the sheath. And he killed him and cut off his head. Then the Philistines, seeing that their strongest man was dead, fled away.
52 And the sones of Israel and of Juda risiden to gidere, and crieden, and pursueden Filisteis, `til the while thei camen in to the valei, and `til to the yate of Accaron. And woundid men of Filisteis felden in the weye of Sarym, and `til to Geth, and `til to Accaron.
And the men of Israel and Judah, rising up, shouted and pursued after the Philistines, even until they arrived at the valley and as far as the gates of Ekron. And many wounded among the Philistines fell on the way of Shaaraim, and as far as Gath, and as far as Ekron.
53 And the sones of Israel turneden ayen, aftir that thei hadden pursuede Filisteis, and thei assailiden `the tentis of hem.
And the sons of Israel, returning after they had pursued the Philistines, invaded their camp.
54 Forsothe Dauid took the heed of `the Filistei, and brouyte it in to Jerusalem; sotheli he puttide hise armeris in the `tabernacle of the Lord.
Then David, taking up the head of the Philistine, brought it to Jerusalem. Yet truly, he placed his armor in his own tent.
55 Forsothe in that tyme in which Saul siy Dauid goynge out ayens `the Filistei, he seide to Abner, prince of his chiualrie, Abner, of what generacioun `cam forth this yong waxynge man? And Abner seide, Kyng, thi soule lyueth, I knowe not.
Now at the time that Saul had seen David going out against the Philistines, he said to Abner, the leader of the military, “From what stock is this youth descended, Abner?” And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.”
56 And the kyng seide, Axe thou, whos sone this child is.
And the king said, “You shall inquire as to whose son this boy may be.”
57 And whanne Dauid hadde come ayen, whanne `the Filistei was slayn, Abner took Dauid, and brouyte hym in, hauynge in the hond the heed of `the Filistei, `bifor Saul.
And when David had returned, after the Philistine had been struck down, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul, having the head of the Philistine in his hand.
58 And Saul seide to hym, Of what generacioun art thou, yong waxynge man? And Dauid seide, Y am the sone of thi seruaunt, Isai of Bethleem.
And Saul said to him, “Young man, from what ancestry are you?” And David said, “I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.”

< 1 Samuel 17 >