2 Samuel 1

1 Forsothe it was doon, after that Saul was deed, that Dauid turnede ayen fro the sleyng of Amalech, and dwellide twei daies in Sichelech.

After the death of Saul, when Dauid was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites and had beene two dayes in Ziklag,

2 Forsothe in the thridde dai a man apperide, comynge fro the castels of Saul with the cloth to-rent, and his heed spreynt with dust; and as he cam to Dauid, he felde on his face, and worschipide.

Behold, a man came the third day out of the host from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth vpon his head: and when hee came to Dauid, he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.

3 And Dauid seide to hym, Fro whennus comest thou? Which seide to Dauid, Y fledde fro the castels of Israel.

Then Dauid saide vnto him, Whence commest thou? And he said vnto him, Out of the host of Israel I am escaped.

4 And Dauid seide to hym, What is the word which is doon; schewe thou to me. And he seide, The puple fledde fro the batel, and many of the puple felden, and ben deed; but also Saul, and Jonathas, his sonne, perischyden.

And Dauid saide vnto him, What is done? I pray thee, tell me. Then he said, that the people is fled from the battel, and many of the people are ouerthrowen, and dead, and also Saul and Ionathan his sonne are dead.

5 And Dauid seide to the yong man, that telde to hym, Wherof woost thou, that Saul is deed, and Jonathas, his sonne?

And Dauid saide vnto the yong man that tolde it him, Howe knowest thou that Saul and Ionathan his sonne be dead?

6 And the yong man seide, that telde to hym, Bi hap Y cam in to the hil of Gelboe, and Saul lenyde on his spere; forsothe charis and knyytis neiyiden to hym;

Then the yong man that tolde him, answered, As I came to mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned vpon his speare, and loe, the charets and horsemen followed hard after him.

7 and he turnede bihynde his bak, `and siy me, and clepide. To whom whanne Y hadde answeride, Y am present; he seide to me, Who art thou?

And when he looked backe, he saw me, and called me. And I answered, Here am I.

8 And Y seide to hym, Y am a man of Amalech.

And he said vnto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.

9 And he spak to me, Stonde thou on me, and sle me; for angwischis holden me, and yit al my lijf is in me.

Then saide hee vnto me, I pray thee come vpon mee, and slay me: for anguish is come vpon me, because my life is yet whole in me.

10 And Y stood on hym, and Y killide hym; for Y wiste that he myyte not lyue aftir the fallyng; and Y took the diademe, that was in his heed, and the bye fro his arm, and Y brouyte hidur to thee, my lord.

So I came vpon him, and slewe him, and because I was sure that hee coulde not liue, after that hee had fallen, I tooke the crowne that was vpon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arme, and brought them hither vnto my lord.

11 Forsothe Dauid took and to-rente hise clothis, and the men that weren with hym;

Then Dauid tooke hold on his clothes, and rent them, and likewise al the men that were with him.

12 and thei weiliden, and wepten, and fastiden `til to euentid, on Saul, and Jonathas, his sone, and on the puple of the Lord, and on the hows of Israel, for thei hadden feld bi swerd.

And they mourned and wept, and fasted vntil euen, for Saul and for Ionathan his sonne, and for the people of the Lord, and for the house of Israel, because they were slaine with the sword.

13 And Dauid seide to the yong man, that telde to him, Of whennus art thou? And he answeride, Y am the sone of a man comelyng, of a man of Amalech.

Afterward Dauid saide vnto the yong man that tolde it him, Whence art thou? And hee answered, I am the sonne of a stranger an Amalekite.

14 And Dauid seide to him, Whi dreddist thou not to sende thine hond, that thou schuldist sle the crist of the Lord?

And Dauid said vnto him, How wast thou not afrayd, to put forth thine hand to destroy the Anoynted of the Lord?

15 And Dauid clepide oon of hise children, and seide, Go thou, and falle on hym. Which smoot that yong man, and he was deed.

Then Dauid called one of his yong men, and said, Goe neere, and fall vpon him. And hee smote him that he dyed.

16 And Dauid seide to hym, Thi blood be on thin heed; for thi mouth spak ayens thee, and seide, Y killide the crist of the Lord.

Then said Dauid vnto him, Thy blood be vpon thine owne head: for thine owne mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I haue slaine the Lords Anoynted.

17 Forsooth Dauid biweilide sych a weilyng on Saul, and on Jonathas, his sone;

Then Dauid mourned with this lamentation ouer Saul, and ouer Ionathan his sonne,

18 and comaundide, that thei schulden teche the sones of Juda weilyng, as it is writun in the Book of Just Men. And Dauid seyde, Israel, biholde thou, for these men that ben deed, woundid on thin hiye placis;

(Also he bade them teach the children of Iudah to shoote, as it is written in the booke of Iasher)

19 the noble men of Israel ben slayn on thin hillis.

O noble Israel, hee is slane vpon thy hie places: how are the mightie ouerthrowen!

20 Hou felden stronge men? nyle ye telle in Geth, nether telle ye in the weilottis of Ascolon; lest perauenture the douytris of Filisteis be glad, lest the douytris of vncircumcidid men `be glad.

Tell it not in Gath, nor publish it in the streetes of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistims reioyce, lest the daughters of the vncircumcised triumph.

21 Hillis of Gelboe, neither dew nethir reyn come on you, nether the feeldis of firste fruytis be; for the scheeld of stronge men was cast awey there, the scheeld of Saul, as `if he were not anoyntid with oile.

Ye mountaines of Gilboa, vpon you be neither dewe nor raine, nor be there fieldes of offrings: for there the shielde of the mightie is cast downe, the shielde of Saul, as though he had not bene anointed with oyle.

22 Of the blood of slayn men, of the fatnesse of strong men, the arewe of Jonathas yede neuer abak, and the swerd of Saul turnede not ayen void.

The bow of Ionathan neuer turned backe, neither did the sword of Saul returne emptie from the blood of the slaine, and from the fatte of the mightie.

23 Saul and Jonathas amyable, and fair in her lijf, weren not departid also in deeth; thei weren swiftere than eglis, strongere than liouns.

Saul and Ionathan were louely and pleasant in their liues, and in their deaths they were not deuided: they were swifter then eagles, they were stronger then lions.

24 Douytris of Israel, wepe ye on Saul, that clothide you with fyn reed colourid in delicis, that yaf goldun ournementis to youre atyre.

Yee daughters of Israel, weepe for Saul, which clothed you in skarlet, with pleasures, and hanged ornaments of gold vpon your apparel.

25 Hou `felden doun stronge men in batel?

Howe were the mightie slaine in the mids of the battel! O Ionathan, thou wast slaine in thine hie places.

26 Jonathas was slayn in the hiye places. Y make sorewe on thee, my brother Jonathas, ful fair, `and amyable more than the loue of wymmen; as a modir loueth oon aloone sone, so Y louyde thee.

Wo is me for thee, my brother Ionathan: very kinde hast thou bene vnto me: thy loue to me was wonderfull, passing the loue of women:

27 Hou therfor `felden doun stronge men, and armeris of batel perischide?

howe are the mightie ouerthrowen, and the weapons of warre destroyed!