2 Samuel 19

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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,

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

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.

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.

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.

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,

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,

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,

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;

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.

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?

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?

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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?

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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?

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?

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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?

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.