2 Samuel 19

1 Forsothe it was teld to Joab, that the kyng wepte, and biweilide his sone;

It was told Joab, "Look, the king weeps and mourns for Absalom."

2 and the victorie in that dai was turned in to morenyng to al the puple; for the puple herde, that it was seid in that dai, The kyng makith sorewe on his sone.

The victory that day was turned into mourning to all the people; for the people heard it said that day, "The king grieves for his son."

3 And the puple eschewide to entre in to the citee in that dai, as the puple turned and fleynge fro batel is wont to bowe awey.

So the people went quietly into the city that day, the way that people who are humiliated creep away when fleeing in battle.

4 Sotheli the kyng hilide his heed, and criede with greet vois, My sone, Absolon!

The king covered his face, and he cried with a loud voice, "My son Absalom, Absalom, my son."

5 Absolon, my sone! Therfor Joab entride to the kyng in to the hows, and seide, Thou hast schent to dai the cheris of alle thi seruauntis, that han maad saaf thi lijf, and the lijf of thi sones and of thi douytris, and the lijf of thi wyues, and the lijf of thi secoundarie wyues.

Then Joab went into the house to the king, and said, "Today you have humiliated the faces of all your servants, who have this day saved your life and the lives of your sons and of your daughters and the lives of your wives and the lives of your secondary wives;

6 Thou louest hem that haten thee, and thou hatist hem that louen thee; and thou schewidist to dai that thou reckist not of thi duykis and of thi seruauntis; and verily Y haue knowe now, that if Absolon lyuede, and alle we hadden be deed, thanne it schulde plese thee.

by loving those who hate you and hating those who love you. For you have made it clear today that commanders and servants are nothing to you. For you know that if Absalom were alive today, and all of us had died, then you would be pleased.

7 Now therfor ryse thou, and go forth, and speke thou, and make satisfaccioun to this eruauntis; for Y swere to thee bi the Lord, that if thou schalt not go out, sotheli not o man schal dwelle with thee in this nyyt; and this schal be worse to thee, than alle yuels that camen on thee fro thi yong wexynge age til in to present tyme.

Now therefore get up, go out and speak kindly to your servants. For I swear by YHWH, if you do not go out, not a man will remain with you this night, and that will be worse for you than all the evil that has happened to you from your youth until now."

8 Therfor the kyng roos, and sat in the yate; and it was teld to al the puple, that the kyng sat in the yate, and al the multitude cam bifor the kyng. Forsothe Israel fledde in to hise tabernaclis.

So the king got up and sat at the gate. And all the people were informed, saying, "Look, the king is sitting at the gate." And all the people came before the king. Meanwhile, Israel had fled each man to his tent.

9 And al the puple stryuede in al the lynagis of Israel, and seide, The kyng delyuerede vs fro the hond of alle oure enemyes, and he sauide vs fro the hond of Filisteis; and now `he fleeth fro the lond for Absolon.

All the people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, "The king delivered us out of the hand of our enemies, and he saved us out of the hand of the Philistines, but now he has fled from the land and from being over his kingdom.

10 Forsothe Absolon, whom we anoyntiden on vs, is deed in batel; hou longe ben ye stille, `that is, fro knowlechyng of synne, and fro axyng of foryyuenesse, and bryngen not ayen the kyng? And the counsel of al Israel cam to the kyng.

And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore why do you not speak a word of bringing the king back?" And the talk of all Israel came to the king.

11 Forsothe kyng Dauid sente to Sadoch and to Abiathar, preestis, and seide, Speke ye to the grettere men in birthe of Juda, and seie ye, Whi camen ye the laste to brynge ayen the kyng in to his hows? Sotheli the word of al Israel cam to the kyng, that thei wolden brynge hym ayen in to his hows. For the kyng seide, Ye schulen seie these thingis to the puple,

So king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, "Speak to the elders of Judah, saying, 'Why are you the last to bring the king back to his palace?

12 Ye ben my britheren, ye ben my boon and my fleisch; whi the laste bryngen ye ayens the kyng?

You are my brothers, you are my bone and my flesh. Why then are you the last to bring back the king?'

13 And seie ye to Amasa, Whether thou art not my boon and my fleisch? God do these thingis to me, and adde these thingis, if thou schalt not be maistir of chyualrye bifore me in al tyme aftir Joab.

And say to Amasa, 'Aren't you my bone and my flesh? Now then, God do so to me, and more also, if you aren't commander of the army before me continually in place of Joab. '"

14 And Dauid bowide the herte of alle men of Juda as of o man; and thei senten to the kyng, and seiden, Turne thou ayen, and alle thi seruauntis.

Thus the heart of all the men of Judah was inclined as one man, so that they sent a message to the king, "Return, you and all your servants."

15 And the kyng turnede ayen, and cam `til to Jordan; and al Juda cam til in to Galgala to mete the kyng, and lede hym ouer Jordan.

So the king returned and came to the Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, having come down to meet the king, to bring the king across the Jordan.

16 Forsothe Semei, the sone of Gera, sone of Gemyny, of Bahurym, hastide, and cam doun with the men of Juda in to the metyng of kyng Dauid,

And Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite who was from Bahurim, hurried and came down with the men of Judah to meet king David,

17 with a thousynde men of Beniamyn; and Siba, a child of the hows of Saul, and fiftene sones of hym, and twenti seruauntis weren with hym; and thei braken in to Jordan, bifor the kyng,

and a thousand men from Benjamin with him. But Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him, waded through the Jordan ahead of the king,

18 and passide the forthis, that thei schulden lede ouer the hows of the kyng, and schulden do bi the comaundement of the kyng. Sotheli Semei, the sone of Gera, knelide bifor the king, whanne he hadde passid now Jordan, and seide to the kyng,

and did the work of bringing the king across and to do whatever he wished. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king, when he crossed the Jordan.

19 My lord the kyng, arette thou not wickidnesse to me, nether haue thou mynde of the wrongis of thi seruaunt in the dai, in which thou, my lord the kyng, yedist out of Jerusalem, nether sette thou, kyng, in thin herte; for Y thi seruaunt knoleche my synne;

Then he said to the king, "May my lord not consider punishment. Do not remember what your servant did wrong on the day when my lord the king left Jerusalem, so that the king should call it to mind.

20 and therfor to dai Y cam the firste of al the hows of Joseph, and Y cam doun in to the meetyng of my lord the kyng.

For your servant knows that I have sinned. Therefore, look, I have come today the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord the king."

21 Forsothe Abisai, the sone of Saruye, answeride and seide, Whether Semei, that curside the crist of the Lord, schal not be slayn for these wordis?

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah replied, "Should not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed YHWH's anointed?"

22 And Dauid seide, What is to me and to you, ye sones of Saruye? Whi ben ye maad to me to dai in to Sathan? Therfor whether a man schal be slayn to dai in Israel? Whether Y knowe not me maad kyng to dai on Israel?

But David replied, "What does this have to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should become my adversaries today? Should anyone be put to death in Israel today? For do you not know that today I begin to rule over Israel?"

23 And the kyng seide to Semey, Thou schalt not die; and the kyng swoor to hym.

Then the king said to Shimei, "You will not die." And the king gave him his oath.

24 Also Myphibosech, sone of Jonathas, sone of Saul, cam doun with vnwaischun feet, and with berd vnclippid, in to the comyng of the kyng. And Mysphibosech hadde not waische hise clothis, fro the dai in which the kyng yede out of Jerusalem til to the dai of his turnyng ayen in pees.

Now Mippibaal son of Jonathan son of Saul came down to meet the king, and he had neither cared for his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came back safely.

25 And whanne at Jerusalem he hadde come to the kyng, the kyng seide to him, Myphibosech, whi camest thou not with me?

And it happened when he came to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said to him, "Why did you not go with me, Mippibaal?"

26 And he answeride and seide, My lord the kyng, my seruaunt dispiside me; and Y thi seruaunt seide to hym, that he schulde sadle the asse to me, and Y schulde stie, and Y schulde go with the king; for Y thi seruaunt am crokid.

So he answered, "My lord king, my servant deceived me. For your servant said to him, 'Saddle a donkey for me so that I may ride on it and go with the king,' for your servant is lame.

27 More ouer and he accuside me, thi seruaunt, to thee, my lord the kyng; forsothe thou, my lord `the kyng, art as the aungel of God; do thou that, that is plesaunt to thee.

And he has slandered your servant to my lord the king. But my lord the king did that which was good in my eyes, like an angel of God.

28 For the hows of my fadir was not no but gilti of deeth to my lord the kyng; sotheli thou hast set me thi seruaunt among the gestis of thi boord; what therfor haue Y of iust pleynt, ether what may Y more crye to the kyng?

For though all my father's house were but men doomed to death before my lord the king, yet you placed your servant among those who eat at your table. From whom, then, could I have finer treatment?" But when he cried out to the king,

29 Sotheli the kyng seide to hym, What spekist thou more? that that Y haue spoke is stidefast; thou and Siba depart possessyouns.

the king said, "Why do you multiply your words? I say: You and Ziba divide the property."

30 And Myphibosech answeride to the kyng, Yhe, take he alle thingis, aftir that my lord the kyng turnede ayen pesibli in to his hows.

And Mippibaal said to the king, "Yes, let him take it all, since my lord the king has come safely home."

31 Also Berzellai of Galaad, a ful eld man, cam doun fro Rogelym, and ledde the kyng ouer Jordan, redi also to sue hym ouer the flood.

Now Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim, and he went with the king to conduct him from the Jordan.

32 Forsothe Berzellai of Galaad was ful eld, that is, of foure score yeer, and he yaf metis to the kyng, whanne the kyng dwellyde in castels; for Berzellai was a ful riche man.

Now Barzillai was a very old man, eighty years old; and he had provided for the king while he was staying at Mahanaim, for he was a very rich man.

33 Therfor the kyng seide to Berzellai, Come thou with me, that thou reste sikirli with me in Jerusalem.

And the king said to Barzillai, "Come over with me, and I will provide for your old age in Jerusalem with me."

34 And Berzellai seide to the kyng, Hou manye ben the daiest of yeeres of my lijf, that Y stie with the kyng in to Jerusalem?

But Barzillai said to the king, "How many more days would I have there, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?

35 Y am of foure score yeer to dai; whether my wittis ben quike to deme swete thing ethir bittir, ether mete and drynk may delite thi seruaunt, ether may Y here more the vois of syngeris ether of syngsters? Whi is thi seruaunt to charge to my lord the kyng?

I am now eighty years old. Can I discern between good and bad? Can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Can I hear the voice of male and female singers? Why then should your servant be any further burden to my lord the king?

36 Y thi seruaunt schal go forth a litil fro Jordan with thee, Y haue no nede to this yeldyng;

Your servant will cross the Jordan with the king for a short distance. Why should the king compensate me in this way?

37 but Y biseche, that Y thi seruaunt turne ayen, and die in my citee, and be biried bisidis the sepulcre of my fadir and of my modir; forsothe Chamaam is thi seruaunt, my lord the kyng, go he with thee, and do thou to hym that that semeth good to thee.

Please let your servant return, so that I may die in my own city near the tomb of my father and my mother. But look, here is your servant Kimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what seems good to you."

38 Therfor the kyng seide to hym, Chamaam passe with me; and Y schal do to hym what euer thing plesith thee, and thou schalt gete al thing, which thou axist of me.

And the king answered, "Kimham will go over with me, and I will do for him whatever I consider appropriate, and whatever you require of me I will do for you."

39 And whanne al the puple and the kyng hadden passid Jordan, the kyng abood; and `the kyng kisside Berzellai, and blesside hym; and he turnede ayen in to his place.

All the people crossed over the Jordan, but the king remained. Then the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he returned to his own place.

40 Therfor the kyng passide in to Galgala, and Chamaam with hym. Sotheli al the puple of Juda hadde ledde the kyng ouer, and the half part oneli of the puple of Israel was present.

So the king went over to Gilgal, and Kimham went over with him. All the people of Judah brought the king over, and also half the people of Israel.

41 Therfor alle the men of Israel camen togidere to the king, and seiden to hym, Whi han oure britheren, the men of Juda, stole thee, and han led the kyng and his hows ouer Jordan, and alle the men of Dauid with hym?

Look, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said to the king, "Why have our brothers the men of Judah stolen you away, and brought the king, and his household, over the Jordan, and all David's men with him?"

42 And ech man of Juda answeride to the men of Israel, For the kyng is neer to me; whi art thou wrooth on this thing? Whether we han ete ony thing of the kyng, ether yiftis ben youun to vs?

The men of Judah answered the men of Israel, "Because the king is a close relative to us. Why then are you angry about this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king's cost? Has he given us a gift? Or has he brought us a portion?"

43 And a man of Israel answeride to the men of Juda, and seide, Y am grettere bi ten partis at the kyng, and Dauith perteyneth more to me than to thee; whi hast thou do wrong to me, and `it was not teld to `me the formere, that Y schulde brynge ayen my kyng? Forsothe the men of Juda answeryden hardere to the men of Israel.

Then the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, "We have ten shares in the king, and we are the firstborn rather than you. Why then did you treat us with contempt? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?" But the comments of the men of Judah were more forceful than the comments of the men of Israel.