1 Samuel 24
1 And whanne Saul turnede ayen, aftir that he pursuede Filisteis, thei telden to hym, and seiden, Lo! Dauid is in the deseert of Engaddi.
And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from pursuing the Philistines, that it was told to him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of 'En-gedi.
2 Therfor Saul took three thousinde of chosun men of al Israel, and yede to seke Dauid and hise men, yhe on moost brokun rochis, that ben `able to weie to wield geet aloone.
Then took Saul three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
3 And he cam to the fooldis of scheep, that offriden hem silf to the wei goere. And there was a denne, in to which denne Saul entride, that he schulde purge the wombe; forsothe Dauid and hise men weren hid in the ynnere part of the denne.
And he came to the sheepfolds by the way, and there was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men were sitting in the lower end of the cave.
4 And the seruauntis of Dauid seiden to hym, Lo! the dai of which the Lord spak to the, Y schal bitake to thee thin enemy, that thou do to hym as it plesith in thin iyen. Therfor Dauid roos, and kittide the hemme of the mentil of Saul priuely.
And the men of David said unto him, Behold, this is the day of which the Lord hath said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thy enemy into thy hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good in thy eyes. And David arose, and cut off the corner of the robe which Saul wore, unperceived.
5 Aftir these thingis Dauid smoot his herte, for he hadde kit awei the hemme of the mentil of Saul.
And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off the corner of Saul's [robe].
6 And Dauid seide to hise men, The Lord be merciful to me, lest Y do this thing to my lord, the crist of the Lord, that Y sende myn hond `in to hym, for he is the crist of the Lord. The Lord lyueth, for no but the Lord smyte hym, ether his dai come, that he die, ether he go doun in to batel and perische, the Lord be merciful to me, that Y sende not myn hond in to the crist of the Lord.
And he said unto his men, Far be it from me for the Lord's sake, that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch forth my hand against him; because he is the anointed of the Lord.
7 Forsothe Saul roos out of the denne, and yede in the weie bigunnun.
So David restrained his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.
8 Sotheli Dauid roos aftir hym, and he yede out of the denne, and criede aftir the bak of Saul, and seide, My lord, the kyng! And Saul bihelde bihinde him silf; and Dauid bowide hym silf lowe to the erthe, and worschipide.
David also arose afterward, and went forth out of the cave, and called after Saul, saying, My Lord, the king! And Saul then looked behind him, and David bowed his face to the earth, and prostrated himself.
9 And he seide to Saul, Whi herist thou the wordis of men spekynge, Dauid sekith yuel ayens thee?
And David said to Saul, Wherefore wilt thou listen to men's words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy injury?
10 Lo! to dai thin iyen siyen, that the Lord bitook thee in myn hond in the denne, and Y thouyte that Y wolde sle thee, but myn iye sparide thee; for Y seide, Y schal not holde forth myn hond in to my lord, which is the crist, `that is, anoyntid, of the Lord.
Behold, this day thy eyes have seen how that the Lord had delivered thee today into my hand in the cave, and some one said that I should kill thee: but my soul felt compassion for thee: and I said, I will not stretch forth my hand against my Lord; because he is the anointed of the Lord.
11 But rathere, my fadir, se thou, and knowe the hemme of thi mentil in myn hond, for whanne Y kittide aweie the hemme of thi mentil, Y nolde holde forth myn hond in thee; perseyue thou, and see, for nether yuel nether wickidnesse is in myn hond, nether Y synnede ayens thee; but thou aspiest my lijf, that thou do it awei.
And now, my father, see, yea, see the corner of thy robe in my hand; for in that I cut off the corner of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in my hand, and that I have not sinned against thee: yet thou liest in wait for my soul to take it.
12 The Lord deme bitwixe me and thee, and the Lord venge me of thee; but myn hond be not in thee,
May the Lord judge between me and thee, and may the Lord avenge me on thee; but my hand shall not be against thee.
13 as it is seid also in eld prouerbe, Wickidnesse schal go out of wickid men; therfor myn hond be not in thee.
As saith the proverb of the ancients, From the wicked proceedeth wickedness; but my hand shall not be against thee.
14 `Whom pursuest thou, kyng of Israel, whom pursuest thou? Thou pursuest a deed hound, and a quyk fle.
After whom is the king of Israel gone out? after whom art thou pursuing? after a dead dog, after a single flea.
15 The Lord be iuge, and the Lord deme bitwixe me and thee, and se, and deme my cause, and delyuere me fro thin hond.
May the Lord therefore be judge, and decide between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and obtain me justice out of thy hand.
16 Sotheli whanne Dauid hadde fillid spekynge siche wordis to Saul, Saul seide, Whether this is thi vois, my sone Dauid? And Saul reiside his vois, and wepte.
And it came to pass, When David had finished speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.
17 And he seide to Dauid, Thou art more iust than Y; for thou yauest goodis to me; forsothe Y yeldide yuelis to thee.
And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I; for thou hast done for me only what is good, whereas I have rewarded thee only with what is evil.
18 And thou schewidist to me to dai, what goodis thou hast do to me, how the Lord bitook me in thin hond, and thou killidist not me.
And thou hast proved this day, that thou hast dealt well with me; forasmuch as when the Lord had surrendered me into thy hand, thou didst not kill me.
19 For who, `whanne he fyndith his enemy, schal delyuere hym in good weie? But the Lord yelde to thee this while, for that, that thou wrouytist to dai in me.
For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go away on a good road? so may the Lord reward thee with good for what thou hast done unto me this day.
20 And now, for Y woot, that thou schalt regne moost certeynli, and schalt haue in thin hond the rewme of Israel, swere thou to me in the Lord,
And now, behold, I know that thou wilt surely become king, and that the kingdom of Israel will stand firmly in thy hand.
21 that thou do not a wei my seed aftir me, nether take a wey my name fro the hows of my fadir.
And now swear unto me by the Lord, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house.
22 And Dauid swoor to Saul. Therfor Saul yede in to his hows, and Dauid and hise men stieden to sikire placis.
And David swore unto Saul; and Saul went to his house; but David and his men went up into the strong-hold.
