1 Samuel 26

1 And Zipheis camen to Saul in to Gabaa, and seiden, Lo! Dauid is hidde in the hille of Achille, which is `euene ayens the wildirnesse.

And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert?

2 And Saul roos, and yede doun in to deseert of Ziph, and with hym thre thousynde of men of the chosun of Israel, that he schulde seke Dauid in the desert of Ziph.

Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.

3 And Saul settide tentis in Gabaa of Achille, that was euen ayens the wildirnesse in the weie. Sotheli Dauid dwellide in deseert. Forsothe Dauid siy that Saul hadde come aftir hym in to deseert;

And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before the desert, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.

4 and Dauid sente aspieris, and lernede moost certeynli, that Saul hadde come thidur.

David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come of a certainty.

5 And Dauid roos priueli, and cam to the place where Saul was. And whanne Dauid hadde seyn the place, wher ynne Saul slepte, and Abner, the sone of Ner, the prince of his chyualrye, and Saul slepynge in the tente, and the tother comyn puple bi his cumpas, Dauid seide to Achymelech,

And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay within the place of the wagons, and the people pitched round about him.

6 Ethey, and to Abisai, sone of Saruye, the brother of Joab, `and seide, Who schal go doun with me to Saul in to `the castels? And Abisai seide, Y schal go doun with thee.

Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee.

7 Therfor Dauid and Abisai camen to the puple in the nyyt, and thei founden Saul lyggynge and slepynge in `the tente, and a spere sette faste in the erthe at his heed; `forsothe thei founden Abner and the puple slepynge in his cumpas.

So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the place of the wagons, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head: and Abner and the people lay round about him.

8 And Abisay seide to Dauid, God hath closid to dai thin enemy in to thin hondis; now therfor Y schal peerse hym with a spere onys in the erthe, and `no nede schal be the secounde tyme.

Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered up thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear to the earth at one stroke, and I will not smite him the second time.

9 And Dauid seide to Abysai, Sle thou not hym, for who schal holde forth his hond into the crist of the Lord, and schal be innocent?

And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can put forth his hand against the LORD’S anointed, and be guiltless?

10 And Dauid seide, 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;

And David said, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall go down into battle, and perish.

11 the Lord be merciful to me, that Y holde not forth myn hond in to the crist of the Lord; now therfor take thou the spere, which is at his heed, and `take thou the cuppe of watir, and go we awei.

The LORD forbid that I should put forth mine hand against the LORD’S anointed: but now take, I pray thee, the spear that is at his head, and the cruse of water, and let us go.

12 Dauid took the spere, and the cuppe of watir, that was at the heed of Saul, and thei yeden forth, and no man was that siy, and vndirstood, and wakide, but alle men slepten; for the sleep of the Lord `hadde feld on hem.

So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul’s head; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither did any awake: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them.

13 And whanne Dauid hadde passid euene ayens, and hadde stonde on the cop of the hil afer, and a greet space was bitwixe hem,

Then David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of the mountain afar off; a great space being between them:

14 Dauid criede to the puple, and to Abner, the sone of Ner, and seide, Abner, whether thou schalt not answere? And Abner answeride, and seide, Who art thou, that criest, and disesist the kyng?

and David cried to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saving, Answerest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered and said, Who art thou that criest to the king?

15 And Dauith seide to Abner, Whether thou art not a man, and what other man is lijk thee in Israel? whi therfor `kepist thou not thi lord the kyng? `For o man of the cumpanye entride, that he schulde sle thi lord the kyng;

And David said to Abner, Art not thou a [valiant] man? and who is like thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept watch over thy lord the king? for there came one of the people in to destroy the king thy lord.

16 this that thou hast doon, is not good; the Lord lyueth, for ye ben sones of deeth, that kepten not youre lord, the crist of the Lord. Now therfor se thou, where is the spere of the kyng, and where is the cuppe of watir, that weren at his heed.

This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORD liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept watch over your lord, the LORD’S anointed. And now, see, where the king’s spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his head.

17 Forsothe Saul knew the vois of Dauid, and seide, Whether this vois is thin, my sone Dauid? And Dauid seide, My lord the kyng, it is my vois.

And Saul knew David’s voice, and said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my lord, O king.

18 And Dauid seide, For what cause pursueth my lord his seruaunt? What haue Y do, ether what yuel is in myn hond? Now therfor,

And he said, Wherefore doth my lord pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand?

19 my lord the kyng, Y preye, here the wordis of thi seruaunt; if the Lord stirith thee ayens me, the sacrifice be smellid; forsothe if sones of men stiren thee, thei ben cursid in the siyt of the Lord, whiche han cast me out `to dai, that Y dwelle not in the erytage of the Lord, and seien, Go thou, serue thou alien goddis.

Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it be the LORD that hath stirred thee up against me, let him accept an offering: but if it be the children of men, cursed be they before the LORD; for they have driven me out this day that I should not cleave unto the inheritance of the LORD, saying, Go, serve other gods.

20 And now my blood be not sched out in the erthe bifor the Lord; for the kyng of Israel yede out, that he seke a quike fle, as a partrich is pursuede in hillis.

Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of the LORD: for the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains.

21 And Saul seide, Y synnede; turne ayen, my sone Dauid, for Y schal no more do yuel to thee, for my lijf was precious to day in thin iyen; for it semeth, that Y dide folili, and Y vnknew ful many thingis.

Then said Saul, I have sinned: return, my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my life was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.

22 And Dauid answeride and seide, Lo! the spere of the kyng, oon of the `children of the kyng passe, and take it; forsothe the Lord schal yelde to ech man bi his riytfulnesse and feith;

And David answered and said, Behold the spear, O king! let then one of the young men come over and fetch it.

23 for the Lord bitook thee to dai in to myn hond, and Y nolde holde forth myn hond in to the crist of the Lord;

And the LORD shall render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: forasmuch as the LORD delivered thee into my hand today, and I would not put forth mine hand against the LORD’S anointed.

24 and as thi lijf is magnified to dai in myn iyen, so my lijf be magnyfied in the iyen of the Lord, and delyuere he me fro al angwisch.

And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the LORD, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation.

25 Therfor Saul seide to Dauid, Blessid be thou, my sone Dauid; and sotheli thou doynge schalt do, and thou myyti schalt be myyti. Therfor Dauid yede in to his weie, and Saul turnede ayen in to his place.

Then Saul said to David, Blessed be thou, my son David: thou shalt both do mightily, and shalt surely prevail. So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.