2 Samuel 12
1 Therfor the Lord sente Nathan to Dauid; and whanne he hadde come to Dauid, he seide to Dauid, Answere thou doom to me; twei men weren in o citee; o man was riche, and the tother was pore.
So then Yahweh sent Nathan the prophet unto David, —who therefore came unto him and said to him—Two men, there were in a certain city, the one, rich, and, the other, poor.
2 The riche man hadde ful many scheep, and oxun;
The, rich, man had flocks and herds exceeding many;
3 sotheli the pore man hadde vttirli no thing, outakun o litil scheep, which he hadde bouyt, and nurschid, and which `hadde wexid at hym with hise sones, and eet togidere of his breed, and drank of his cuppe, and slepte in his bosum; and it was as a douyter to hym.
whereas the, poor, man had, nothing, —save one little lamb, which he had made his own, and sustained, and it had grown up with him and with his children, all together, —of his own morsel, used it to eat, and, out of his own cup, used it to drink, and, in his own bosom, used it to lie, and it was to him, as a daughter.
4 Forsothe whanne a pilgrym `hadde come to the riche man, he sparide to take of hise scheep and oxun, that he schulde make a feeste to that pilgrym, that cam to hym; and he took the scheep of the pore man, and `made redi metis to the man that cam to hym.
Now there came a traveller to the rich man, but he thought it a pity to take of his own flock, or his own herd, to make ready for the wayfarer who had come to him, —so he took the lamb of his poor neighbour, and made ready for the man who had come to him.
5 Forsothe Dauid was ful wrooth with indignacioun ayens that man, and seide to Nathan, The Lord lyueth, for the man that dide this is the sone of deeth;
Then was kindled the anger of David against the man, fiercely, —and he said unto Nathan, By the life of Yahweh, doomed to death, is the man that hath done this;
6 he schal yelde the scheep in to foure folde, for he dide this word, and sparide not.
and, the lamb, shall he pay back sevenfold, —because he did this thing, and, for that he had no pity.
7 Forsothe Nathan seide to Dauid, Thou art thilke man, that hast do this thing. The Lord God of Israel seith these thingis, Y anoyntide thee `in to kyng on Israel, and Y delyuerede thee fro the hond of Saul,
Then said Nathan unto David: Thou, art the man! Thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel—I, anointed thee to be king over Israel, and, I, delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
8 and Y yaf to thee the hows of thi lord, and the wyues of thi lord in thi bosum, and Y yaf to thee the hows of Israel, and of Juda; and if these thingis ben litil, Y schal adde to thee myche grettere thingis.
and gave unto thee the household of thy lord, and the wives of thy lord, into thy bosom, and gave unto thee the house of Israel and Judah. And, if this had been too little, I could have further given thee more and more of such things.
9 Whi therfor hast thou dispisid the word of the Lord, that thou didist yuels in my siyt? Thou hast smyte by swerd Vrye Ethei, and thou hast take his wijf in to wijf to thee, and thou hast slayn hym with the swerd of the sones of Amon.
Wherefore, hast thou despised the word of Yahweh, by doing that which is wicked in mine eyes? Uriah the Hittite, hast thou smitten with the sword, and, his wife, hast thou taken to thyself to wife, yea, him, hast thou slain with the sword of the sons of Ammon!
10 Wherfor swerd schal not go awey fro thin hows til in to with outen ende; for thou dispysidist me, and tokist the wijf of Vrye Ethei, that sche schulde be thi wijf.
Now, therefore, the sword shall not depart from thy house, unto age-abiding times, —because thou hast despised me, and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
11 Therfor the Lord seith these thingis, Lo! Y schal reise on thee yuel of thin hows, and Y schal take thi wyues in `thin iyen, and Y schal yyue to thi neiybore, and he schal slepe with thi wyues in the iyen of this sunne, `that is, opynli bifor alle men, as in xv. chapitre.
Thus, saith Yahweh, —Behold me! raising up over thee calamity out of thine own household, and I will take thy wives, before thine eyes, and give unto thy neighbour, and he will lie with thy wives, in the eyes of this sun.
12 For thou hast do priueli; forsothe Y schal do this word in the siyt of al Israel, and in the siyt of this sunne.
For, thou, didst it, in secret, —but, I, will do this thing, before all Israel, and before the sun.
13 And Dauid seide to Nathan, Y haue synned to the Lord. And Nathan seide to Dauid, Also the Lord hath turned awei thi synne; thou schalt not die.
And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against Yahweh. Then said Nathan unto David, —Yahweh also, hath put away thy sin, thou shalt not die!
14 Netheles for thou madist enemyes to blasfeme the name of the Lord, for this word the child which is borun to thee schal die bi deeth.
Nevertheless, because thou hast greatly blasphemed Yahweh, by this thing, the very son that is born to thee, shall, die.
15 And Nathan turnede ayen in to his hows. And the Lord smoot the litil child, whom the wijf of Vrye childide to Dauid, and he dispeiride.
And Nathan departed unto his own house, —and Yahweh struck the child that the wife of Uriah had borne unto David, and it fell sick.
16 And Dauid preiede the Lord for the litil child; and Dauid fastide bi fastyng, and entride asidis half, and lai on the erthe.
David therefore earnestly sought God in behalf of the boy, —and David kept a fast, and used to go in and pass the night, and lie upon the ground.
17 Sotheli the eldere men of his hows camen, and constreyneden hym `bi meke preieris, that he schulde rise fro the erthe; and he nolde, nethir he eet mete with hem.
And the elders of his house stood up over him, to raise him from the ground, —but he would not, neither would he eat food with them.
18 Forsothe it bifelde in the seuenthe dai, that the yong child diede; and the seruauntis of Dauid dredde to telle to hym, that the litil child was deed; for thei seiden, Lo! whanne the litil child lyuede yit, we spaken to hym, and he herde not oure vois; hou myche more, if we seien the child is deed, he schal turment himsilf?
And it came to pass, on the seventh day, that the child died, —but the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead, for said they—Lo! while the child was living, we spake unto him, and he hearkened not unto our voice, how then can we say unto him, The child is dead, and so he do [himself] harm?
19 Therfore whanne Dauid hadde herd his seruauntis spekynge priueli, `ether moterynge, he understood that the yong child was deed; `and he seyde to his seruauntis, Whether the child is deed? Whiche answeriden to hym, He is deed.
But, when David saw that his servants were whispering among themselves, then understood David that the child was dead, —and David said unto his servants—Is the child, dead? And they answered—Dead!
20 Therfor Dauid roos fro the erthe, and was waischid, and anoyntid; and whanne he hadde chaungid cloth, he entride in to the hows of the Lord, and worschipide, and cam in to his hows; and he axide, that thei schulden sette breed to hym, and he eet.
Then David arose from the ground, and bathed and anointed, and changed his apparel, and, entering into the house of Yahweh, bowed himself down, —then came he into his own house, and asked, and they set before him food, and he did eat.
21 Sothely his seruauntis seiden to hym, What is the word which thou hast do? Thou fastidist, and weptist for the yong child, whanne he lyuede yit; sotheli whanne the child was deed, thou risidist and etist breed?
Then said his servants unto him, What is this thing that thou hast done? For the child’s sake, while living, thou didst fast and weep, but, as soon as the child was dead, thou didst arise and eat food.
22 And Dauid seide, Y fastide and wepte for the yong child, whanne he lyuyde yit; for Y seide, Who woot, if perauenture the Lord yyue hym to me, and the yong child lyue?
And he said, —While yet the child lived, I fasted, and wept, —for I said—Who knoweth whether Yahweh may not grant me favour, and the child live?
23 `Now forsothe for he is deed, whi `fast Y? whether Y schal mow ayen clepe hym more? Y schal `go more to hym, but he schal not turne ayen to me.
But, now, that he is dead, wherefore should I go on fasting? can I bring him back again? I am going unto him, but, he, will not come back unto me.
24 And Dauid coumfortid Bersabee, his wijf; and he entride to hir, and slepte with hir. And sche gendride a sone, and Dauid clepide his name Salomon; and the Lord louyde hym.
And David consoled Bath-sheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her, —and she bare a son, and called his name, Solomon, and Yahweh loved him.
25 And he sente Salomon in the hond of Nathan, the prophete; and he clepide his name Amyable to the Lord, for the Lord louyde hym.
And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and called his name Jedidiah ["Beloved of Yah"], for Yahweh’s sake.
26 Therfor Joab fauyt ayens Rabath, of the sones of Amon, and he fauyt ayens the `kyngis citee.
And Joab fought against Rabbah, of the sons of Ammon, —and captured the royal city.
27 And Joab sente messangeris to Dauid, and seide, Y fauyte ayens Rabath, and the citee of watris schal be takun.
Then Joab sent messengers unto David, —and said—I have fought against Rabbah, I have also captured the city of the waters.
28 Now therfor gadere thou the tother part of the puple, and bisege thou the citee, and take thou it, lest whanne the citee is wastid of me, the victorie be arettid to my name.
Now, therefore, gather thou together the rest of the people, and encamp against the city, and capture it, —lest, I, capture the city, and it be called by my name.
29 Therfor Dauid gaderide al the puple, and he yede forth ayens Rabath; and whanne he hadde fouyte, he took it.
So David gathered together all the people, and went to Rabbah, —and fought against it, and captured it.
30 And he took the diademe of the kyng of hem fro his heed, bi weiyte a talent of gold, hauynge preciouseste peerlis; and it was put on the heed of Dauid, `that is, aftir that it was weldid and purgid bi fier; but also Dauid bar awey ful myche prey of the citee.
Then took he the crown of Milcom from off his head, the weight thereof, being a talent of gold, with the precious stones, and it remained on the head of David, —the spoil of the city also, brought he forth in great abundance;
31 Also he ledde forth the puple therof, and sawide, and `dide aboute hem `yrun instrumentis of turment, and departide with knyues, and `ledde ouer bi the licnesse of tijl stoonus; so he dide to alle the citees of the sones of Amon. And Dauid turnede ayen, and al his oost, in to Jerusalem.
the people also that were therein, brought he forth, and put them to the saw, and to threshing sledges of iron, and to axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln, and thus used he to do unto all the cities of the sons of Ammon. And David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.
