< 1 Samuel 18 >

1 And it was doon, whanne Dauid `hadde endid to speke to Saul, the soule of Jonathas was glued togidre to the soule of Dauid, and Jonathas louyde hym as his owne soule.
When he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
2 And Saul took Dauid in that dai, and grauntide not `to hym, `that he schulde turne ayen in to `the hows of his fadir.
Saul took him that day, and would not let him go home to his father’s house any more.
3 Forsothe Jonathas and Dauid maden boond of pees, `that is, swerynge euerlastynge frenschip; for Jonathas louyde Dauid as his owne soule;
Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
4 for whi Jonathas dispuylide him silf fro the coote `in which he was clothid, and yaf it to Dauid, and hise othere clothis, `til to his swerd and bouwe, and `til to the girdil.
Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David with his clothing, even including his sword, his bow, and his sash.
5 Also Dauid yede out to alle thingis, to what euer thingis Saul `hadde sent hym, and he gouernede hym silf prudentli; and Saul settide hym ouer the men of batel, and `he was acceptid, `ether plesaunt, in the iyen of al the puple, and moost in the siyt of `the seruauntis of Saul.
David went out wherever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely; and Saul set him over the men of war. It was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.
6 Forsothe whanne Dauid turnede ayen, whanne `the Filistei was slayn, and bar the heed of `the Filistei in to Jerusalem, wymmen yeden out of alle the citees of Israel, and sungen, and ledden queris, ayens the comyng of king Saul, in tympans of gladnesse, and in trumpis.
As they came, when David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul with tambourines, with joy, and with instruments of music.
7 And the wymmen sungen, pleiynge, and seiynge, Saul smoot a thousynde, and Dauid smoot ten thousynde.
The women sang to one another as they played, and said, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”
8 Saul was wrooth greetli, and this word displeside `in his iyen; and he seide, Thei yauen ten thousynde to Dauid, and `thei yauen a thousynde to me; what leeueth to hym, no but the rewme aloone?
Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have credited David with ten thousands, and they have only credited me with thousands. What can he have more but the kingdom?”
9 Therfor Saul bihelde Dauid not with `riytful iyen, `fro that dai and afterward.
Saul watched David from that day and forward.
10 Sotheli aftir the tother dai a wickid spirit of God asailide Saul, and he propheciede in the myddis of his hows.
On the next day, an evil spirit from God came mightily on Saul, and he prophesied in the middle of the house. David played with his hand, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand;
11 Forsothe Dauid harpide with his hond, as bi alle daies; and Saul helde a spere, and caste it, and gesside that he myyte prene Dauid with the wal, that is, perse with the spere, so that it schulde passe til to the wal; and Dauid bowide `fro his face the secounde tyme.
and Saul threw the spear, for he said, “I will pin David to the wall!” David escaped from his presence twice.
12 And Saul dredde Dauid, for the Lord was with hym, and hadde go awei fro him silf.
Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and had departed from Saul.
13 Therfor Saul remouide Dauid fro hym silf, and made hym tribune on a thousynde men; and Dauid yede out and entride in `the siyt of the puple.
Therefore Saul removed him from his presence, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.
14 And Dauid dide warli in alle hise weies, and the Lord was with hym;
David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.
15 and so Saul siy that Dauid was ful prudent, and he bigan to be war of Dauid.
When Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he stood in awe of him.
16 Forsothe al Israel and Juda louyden Dauid; for he entride and yede out bifor hem.
But all Israel and Judah loved David; for he went out and came in before them.
17 And Saul seide to Dauid, Lo! `my more douytir Merob, Y schal yiue her wijf to thee; oneli be thou a strong man, and fiyte thou the `batels of the Lord. Forsothe Saul `arettide, and seide, Myn hond be not in hym, but the hond of Filisteis be on hym.
Saul said to David, “Behold, my elder daughter Merab. I will give her to you as wife. Only be valiant for me, and fight the LORD’s battles.” For Saul said, “Do not let my hand be on him, but let the hand of the Philistines be on him.”
18 Sotheli Dauid seide to Saul, Who am Y, ether what is my lijf, ether the meynee of my fadir in Israel, that Y be maad the `sone in lawe of the kyng?
David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my life, or my father’s family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?”
19 Forsothe the tyme `was maad whanne Merob, the douyter of Saul, `ouyte to be youun to Dauid, sche was youun wijf to Hadriel Molatite.
But at the time when Merab, Saul’s daughter, should have been given to David, she was given to Adriel the Meholathite as wife.
20 Forsothe Dauid louide Mychol, the douytir of Saul; and it was teld to Saul, and it pleside hym.
Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved David; and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.
21 And Saul seide, Y schal yyue hir to hym, that it be to hym in to sclaundir, and the hond of Filisteis be on hym. Therfor Saul seide to Dauid, In `twei douytris thou schalt be my sone in lawe to dai.
Saul said, I will give her to him, that she may be a snare to him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Therefore Saul said to David a second time, “You shall today be my son-in-law.”
22 And Saul comaundide to hise seruauntis, Speke ye to Dauid, while it `is hid fro me, and seie ye, Lo! thou plesist the king, and alle hise seruauntis louen thee; now therfor be thou hosebonde of the `douytir of the kyng.
Saul commanded his servants, “Talk with David secretly, and say, ‘Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore be the king’s son-in-law.’”
23 And the seruauntis of Saul spaken alle these wordis in the eeris of Dauid. And Dauid seide, Whether it semeth litil to you `to be sone in lawe of the kyng? Forsothe Y am a pore man, and a feble.
Saul’s servants spoke those words in the ears of David. David said, “Does it seem to you a light thing to be the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man and little known?”
24 And the seruauntis telden to Saul, and seiden, Dauid spak siche wordis.
The servants of Saul told him, saying, “David spoke like this.”
25 Sotheli Saul seide, Thus speke ye to Dauid, The kyng hath no nede to yiftis for spowsails, no but onely to an hundrid prepucies, `that is, mennus yerdis vncircumcidid, `of Filisteis, that veniaunce be maad of the kyngis enemyes. Certis Saul thouyte to bitake Dauid in to the hondis of Filisteis.
Saul said, “Tell David, ‘The king desires no dowry except one hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies.’” Now Saul thought he would make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
26 And whanne the seruauntis of Saul hadden teld to Dauid the wordis, whiche Saul hadde seid, the word pleside `in the iyen of Dauid, that he schulde be maad the kyngis son in lawe.
When his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. Before the deadline,
27 And aftir a fewe daies Dauid roos, and yede in to Acharon, with the men that weren with hym, and he killide of Filisteis twei hundrid men; and brouyte `the prepucies of hem, and noumbride tho to the kyng, that he schulde be the kyngis sone in lawe. And so Saul yaf Mycol, his douyter, wiif to hym.
David arose and went, he and his men, and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. Then David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full number to the king, that he might be the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him Michal his daughter as wife.
28 And Saul siy, and vndirstood, that the Lord was with Dauid.
Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David; and Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him.
29 Forsothe Mychol, `the douyter of Saul, louide Dauid, and Saul bigan more to drede Dauid; and Saul was maad enemye to Dauid in alle daies.
Saul was even more afraid of David; and Saul was David’s enemy continually.
30 And the princes of Filisteis yeden out; forsothe fro the bigynnyng of her goyng out Dauyd bar hym silf more warli than alle the men of Saul; and the name of Dauid was maad ful solempne.
Then the princes of the Philistines went out; and as often as they went out, David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed.

< 1 Samuel 18 >