2 Samuel 2
1 Therfor aftir these thingis Dauid counseilide the Lord, and seide, Whether Y schal stie in to oon of the citees of Juda? And the Lord seide to hym, Stie thou. And Dauid seide to the Lord, Whidur schal Y stie? And the Lord answeride to hym, In to Ebron.
And so, after these things, David consulted the Lord, saying, “Shall I ascend to one of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Ascend.” And David said, “To where shall I ascend?” And he responded to him, “To Hebron.”
2 Therfor Dauid stiede, and hise twei wyues, Achynoem of Jezrael, and Abigail, the wijf of Nabal of Carmele.
Therefore, David ascended with his two wives, Ahinoam, the Jezreelite, and Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel.
3 But also Dauid ledde the men that weren with hym, ech man with his hows; and thei dwelliden in the townes of Ebron.
And as for the men who were with him, David led forth each man with his household. And they stayed in the towns of Hebron.
4 And the men of Juda camen, and anoyntiden there Dauid, that he schulde regne on the hows of Juda. And it was teld to Dauid, that men of Jabes of Galaad hadden biried Saul.
And the men of Judah went and anointed David there, so that he would reign over the house of Judah. And it was reported to David that the men of Jabesh Gilead had buried Saul.
5 Therfor Dauid sente messangeris to the men of Jabes of Galaad, and seide to hem, Blessid be ye of the Lord, that diden this mercy with your lord Saul, and birieden hym.
Therefore, David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and he said to them: “Blessed are you to the Lord, who has accomplished this mercy with your lord Saul, so that you would bury him.
6 And now sotheli the Lord schal yelde to you merci and treuthe, but also Y schal yelde thankyng, for ye diden this word.
And now, certainly, the Lord will repay to you mercy and truth. But I also will act with favor, because you have accomplished this word.
7 Youre hondis be coumfortid, and be ye sones of strengthe; for thouy youre lord Saul is deed, netheles the hows of Juda anoyntide me kyng to `hym silf.
Let your hands be strengthened, and be sons of fortitude. For even though your lord Saul has died, still the house of Judah has anointed me as king over them.”
8 Forsothe Abner, the sone of Ner, prince of the oost of Saul, took Isbosech, the sone of Saul, and ledde hym aboute bi the castels,
Then Abner, the son of Ner, the leader of the army of Saul, took Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and he led him around, throughout the camp.
9 and made him kyng on Galaad, and on Gethsury, and on Jezrael, and on Effraym, and on Beniamyn, and on al Israel.
And he appointed him as king over Gilead, and over Geshuri, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all of Israel.
10 Isbosech, the sone of Saul, was of fourti yeer, whanne he began to regne on Israel; and he regnede twei yeer. Sotheli the hous aloone of Juda suede Dauid.
Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, was forty years old when he had begun to rule over Israel. And he reigned for two years. For only the house of Judah followed David.
11 And the noumbre of daies, bi whiche Dauid dwellide regnynge in Ebron on the hows of Juda, was of seuene yeer and sixe monethis.
And the number of the days, during which David was staying and ruling in Hebron over the house of Judah, was seven years and six months.
12 And Abner, the sone of Ner, yede out, and the children of Isbosech, sone of Saul, fro the castels in Gabaon.
And Abner, the son of Ner, and the youths of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, went out from the camp to Gibeon.
13 Forsothe Joab, the sone of Saruye, and the children of Dauid yeden out, and camen to hem bisidis the cisterne in Gabaon. And whanne thei hadden come togidere in to o place euene ayens, these saten on o part of the cisterne, and thei on the tother.
Therefore, Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and the youths of David, went out and met them beside the pool of Gibeon. And when they had convened together, they sat down opposite one another: these on one side of the pool, and those on the other side.
14 And Abner seide to Joab, `The children rise, and plei befor us. And Joab answeride, Rise thei.
And Abner said to Joab, “Let the youths rise up and play before us.” And Joab answered, “Let them rise up.”
15 Therfor thei risiden, and passiden twelue in noumbre of Beniamyn, of the part of Isbosech, sone of Saul; and twelue of the children of Dauid.
Therefore, they rose up and crossed over, twelve in number of Benjamin, from the side of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and twelve of the youths of David.
16 And ech man, whanne `the heed of his felowe was takun, fastnede the swerde in to the side of `the contrarye; and thei felden doun togidere. And the name of that place was clepid The Feeld of stronge men in Gabaon.
And each one, taking hold of his peer by the head, fixed a sword into the side of his adversary, and they fell down together. And the name of that place was called: The Field of the Valiant in Gibeon.
17 And `batel hard ynow roos in that dai; and Abner and the sones of Israel `weren dryuun of the children of Dauid.
And a very harsh war rose up on that day. And Abner, with the men of Israel, was put to flight by the youths of David.
18 Forsothe thre sones of Saruye weren there, Joab, and Abisai, and Asahel; forsothe Asahel was a `rennere moost swift, as oon of the capretis that dwellen in woodis.
Now the three sons of Zeruiah were in that place: Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel. And Asahel was a very swift runner, like one of the deer that lives in the forest.
19 Forsothe Asahel pursuede Abner, and bowide not, nether to the riyt side nether to the left side, ceessynge to pursue Abner.
And Asahel pursued Abner, and he did not turn aside to the right, nor to the left, to cease in the pursuit of Abner.
20 Therfor Abner bihelde bihynde his bac, and seide, Whether thou art Asahel?
And so, Abner looked behind his back, and he said, “Are you not Asahel?” And he responded, “I am.”
21 Which answeride, Y am. And Abner seide to hym, Go to the riytside, ether to the lefte side; and take oon of the yonge men, and take to thee hise spuylis. Sotheli Asahel nolde ceesse, that ne he pursuede hym.
And Abner said to him, “Go to the right, or to the left, and apprehend one of the youths, and take his spoils for yourself.” But Asahel was not willing to cease from pursuing him closely.
22 And eft Abner spak to Asahel, Go thou awei; nyle thou pursue me, lest Y be compellid to peerse thee in to erthe, and Y schal not mowe reise my face to Joab, thi brother.
And again, Abner said to Asahel: “Withdraw, and do not choose to follow me. Otherwise, I will be compelled to stab you to the ground, and I will not be able to lift up my face before your brother, Joab.”
23 And Asahel dispiside to here, and nolde bowe awey. Therfor Abner smoot him `with the spere turned awei in the schar, and roof thorouy, and he was deed in the same place; and alle men that passiden bi the place, in which place Asahel felde doun, and was deed, stoden stille.
But he disdained to heed him, and he was not willing to turn aside. Therefore, turning, Abner struck him with his spear in the groin, and he pierced him through, and he died in the same place. And all those who would pass by the place, in which Asahel had fallen and died, would stand still.
24 Forsothe while Joab and Abisai pursueden Abner fleynge, the sunne yede doun; and thei camen til to the litil hil of the water cundiyt, which is euene ayens the valey, and the weie of deseert in Gabaon.
Now while Joab and Abishai were pursuing Abner as he fled, the sun set. And they went as far as the Hill of the Aqueduct, which is opposite the valley on the way of the desert in Gibeon.
25 And the sones of Beniamyn weren gaderid to Abner, and thei weren gaderid togidere in to o cumpeny, and stoden in the hiynesse of oon heep of erthe.
And the sons of Benjamin gathered themselves to Abner. And being joined in one battle line, they stood at the summit of a hill.
26 And Abner criede to Joab, and seide, Whether thi swerd schal be feers `til to sleyng? Whether thou knowist not, that dispeir is perelouse? Hou longe seist thou not to the puple, that it ceesse to pursue hise britheren?
And Abner cried out to Joab, and he said: “Will your sword rage unto utter destruction? Are you ignorant that it is perilous to act in desperation? How long will you not tell the people to cease from the pursuit of their brothers?”
27 And Joab seyde, The Lord lyueth, for if thou haddist spoke eerli, the puple pursuynge his brother hadde go awey.
And Joab said: “As the Lord lives, if you had spoken in the morning, the people would have withdrawn from pursuing their brothers.”
28 And Joab sownede with a clarioun, and al the oost stood; and thei pursueden no ferthere Israel, nether bigunnen batel.
Therefore, Joab sounded the trumpet, and the entire army stood still, and they did not pursue after Israel any more, and they did not engage in conflict.
29 Forsothe Abner and hise men yeden by the feeldi places of Moab in al that nyyt, and passiden Jordan; and whanne al Bethoron was compassid, thei camen to the castels.
Then Abner and his men went away, all that night, through the plains. And they crossed the Jordan, and having roamed throughout all of Beth-horon, they arrived in the camp.
30 Sotheli whanne Abner was left, Joab turnede ayen, and gaderide togidere al the puple; and ten men and nyne, outakun Asahel, failiden of the children of Dauid.
But Joab, returning after he had released Abner, gathered together all the people. And of David’s youths, they were missing nineteen men, aside from Asahel.
31 Forsothe the seruauntis of Dauid smytiden of Beniamyn, and of the men that weren with Abner, thre hundrid men and sixti, whiche also weren deed.
But of Benjamin and of the men who were with Abner, the servants of David had struck three hundred and sixty, who also died.
32 And thei token Asahel, and birieden hym in the sepulcre of his fadir in Bethleem. And Joab, and the men that weren with hym, yeden in al that nyyt, and in thilke morewtid thei camen in to Ebron.
And they took Asahel, and they buried him in the sepulcher of his father at Bethlehem. And Joab, and the men who were with him, walked throughout the night, and they arrived in Hebron at the very break of day.
