2 Samuel 3

1 Therfor long strijf was maad bitwixe the hows of Dauid and `bitwixe the hows of Saul; and Dauid profitide and euere was strongere than hym silf, forsothe the hows of Saul decreesside ech dai.

And the war was long between the house of Saul and the house of David; but David became continually stronger, and the house of Saul became continually weaker.

2 And sones weren borne to Dauid in Ebron; and his firste gendrid sone was Amon, of Achynoem of Jezrael;

And to David were sons born in Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jizreelitess;

3 and aftir hym was Celeab, of Abigail, wijf of Nabal of Carmele; sotheli the thrydde was Absolon, the sone of Maacha, douytir of Tholomay, kyng of Gessur;

and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maachah, daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;

4 forsothe the fourthe was Adonyas, the sone of Agith; and the fyuethe was Saphacias, the sone of Abitail; and the sixte was Gethraam of Egla,

and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;

5 the wijf of Dauid. These weren borne to Dauid in Ebron.

and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

6 Therfor whanne batel was bytwixe the hows of Saul and the hows of Dauid, Abner, the sone of Ner, gouernyde the hows of Saul.

And it came to pass while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong for the house of Saul.

7 Sotheli a concubyn, that is, a secoundarie wijf, Respha bi name, the douytir of Achia, `was to Saul; and Abner entride to hir.

And Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And [Ishbosheth] said to Abner, Why hast thou gone in to my father's concubine?

8 And Isbosech seide to Abner, Whi `entridist thou to the concubyn of my fadir? Which was wrooth greetli for the wordis of Isbosech, and seide, Whether Y am the heed of a dogge ayens Juda to dai, and Y have do merci on the hous of Saul, thi fadir, and on hise britheren, and neiyboris, and Y bitook not thee in to the hondis of David, and thou hast souyt in me that, that thou schuldist repreue me for a womman to dai?

Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head, I who against Judah do shew kindness this day to the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou reproachest me this day with the fault of this woman?

9 God do these thingis to Abner, and adde these thingis to hym, no but as the Lord swoor to Dauid, `so Y do with hym,

So do God to Abner, and more also, if, as Jehovah has sworn to David, I do not so to him;

10 that the rewme be translatid fro the hous of Saul, and the trone of Dauid be reisid on Israel and on Juda, fro Dan `til to Bersabee.

to translate the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beer-sheba!

11 And Isbosech myyte not answere ony thing to Abner, for he dredde Abner.

And he could not answer Abner a word again, because he feared him.

12 Therfor Abner sente messangeris to Dauid, and thei seiden `for hym, Whos is the lond? and that the messangeris schulden speke, Make thou frenschipis with me, and myn hond schal be with thee, and Y schal brynge al Israel to thee.

And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? saying [also], Make thy covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with thee, to turn all Israel to thee.

13 And Dauid seide, Best Y schal make frenschipis with thee, but Y axe of thee o thing, and seie, Thou schalt not se my face, bifore that thou brynge Mycol, the douyter of Saul, and so thou schalt come, and schalt se me.

And he said, Well, I will make a covenant with thee; only I require one thing of thee, that is, Thou shalt not see my face, except thou first bring Michal Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see my face.

14 Therfor Dauid sente messangeris to Isbosech, the sone of Saul, and seide, Yelde thou my wijf Mycol, whom Y spouside to me for an hundryd prepucies of Filisteis.

And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth Saul's son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, whom I espoused to me for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.

15 Therfor Isbosech sente, and took hir fro hir hosebonde, Faltiel, son of Lais;

And Ishbosheth sent, and took her from [her] husband, from Phaltiel the son of Laish.

16 and hir hosebonde suede hir and wepte til Bahurym. And Abner seide to hym, Go thou, and turne ayen; and he turnede ayen.

And her husband went with her along weeping behind her to Bahurim. Then said Abner to him, Go, return. And he returned.

17 Also Abner brouyte in a word to the eldere men of Israel, and seide, Bothe yistirdai and the thridde dai ago ye souyten Dauid, that he schulde regne on you.

Now Abner had communicated with the elders of Israel, saying, Ye sought for David aforetime to be king over you;

18 Now therfor do ye; for the Lord spak to Dauid, and seide, In the hond of my seruaunt Dauid Y schal saue my puple Israel fro the hond of Filisteis, and of alle his enemyes.

and now do [it], for Jehovah has spoken of David, saying, By my servant David will I save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.

19 Forsothe Abner spak also to Beniamyn, and he yede, that he schulde speke to Dauid, in Ebron, alle thingis that plesiden Israel and al Beniamin.

And Abner also spoke in the ears of Benjamin; and Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel, and that seemed good to the whole house of Benjamin.

20 And he cam to Dauid in Ebron with twenti men. And Dauid made a feeste to Abner, and to the men that camen with hym.

So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were with him a repast.

21 And Abner seide to Dauid, Y schal rise, that Y gadere al Israel to thee, my lord the kyng, and that Y make boond of pees with thee, and that thou regne on alle, as thi soule desirith. Therfor whanne Dauid hadde ledde forth Abner, and he hadde go in pees,

And Abner said to David, I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with thee, and that thou mayest reign over all that thy heart desires. And David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.

22 anoon the children of Dauid and Joab camen with a ful grete prey, whanne theues weren slayn; sotheli Abner was not with Dauid, in Ebron, for Dauid hadde left hym, and he yede forth in pees.

And behold, the servants of David and Joab came from an expedition, and brought in a great spoil with them; but Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace.

23 And Joab, and the oostis that weren with hym, camen aftirward; therfor it was teld to Joab of telleris, Abner, the sone of Ner, cam to the kyng, and the kyng lefte hym, and he yede in pees.

And Joab and all the host that was with him came; and they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away; and he is gone in peace.

24 And Joab entride to the kyng, and seide, What hast thou do? Lo! Abner cam to thee; whi leftist thou hym, and he yede, and departide?

Then Joab came to the king, and said, What hast thou done? behold, Abner came to thee; why is it [that] thou hast sent him away, and he is gone?

25 Knowist thou not Abner, the sone of Ner, for herto he cam to thee, that he schulde disseyue thee, and that he schulde knowe thi going out and thin entryng, and schulde knowe alle thingis whiche thou doist?

Thou knowest Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive thee, to know thy going out and thy coming in, and to know all that thou doest.

26 Therfor Joab yede out fro Dauid, and sente messangeris aftir Abner; and `ledde hym ayen fro the cisterne of Cyrie, `while Dauid knew not.

And when Joab was come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, who brought him again from the well of Sirah; but David did not know it.

27 And whanne Abner hadde come ayen in to Ebron, Joab ledde hym asidis half to `the myddil of the yate, that he schulde speke to hym in gile; and he smoot Abner there in the schar, and he was deed, in to the veniaunce of the blood of his brother Asahel.

And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him secretly, and smote him there in the belly, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.

28 That whanne Dauid hadde herd the thing doon, he seide, Y am clene and my rewme anentis God til in to with outen ende fro the blood of Abner, sone of Ner;

And afterwards David heard [it], and he said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before Jehovah for ever from the blood of Abner the son of Ner:

29 and come it on the heed of Joab, and on al the hows of his fadir; a man suffrynge flux of seed, and a leprouse man, holdynge spyndil, and fallynge bi swerd, and hauynge nede to breed, `that is, suffrynge hungur, `faile not of the hows of Joab.

let it fall on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that has an issue, or that is a leper, or that leans on a staff, or that falls by the sword, or that lacks bread!

30 Therfor Joab, and Abisay, his brother, killiden Abner, for he hadde slayn Asahel, her brother, in Gabaon, in batel.

So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.

31 Forsothe Dauid seide to Joab, and to al the puple that was with hym, To rende ye your clothis, and be ye gird with sackis, and biweile ye bifor the heersis, `ether dirige, of Abner. Forsothe kyng Dauid suede the beere.

And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your garments, and gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David followed the bier.

32 And whanne thei hadden biried Abner in Ebron, kyng Dauid reiside his vois, and wepte on the biriel of Abner; `forsothe and al the puple wepte.

And they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept.

33 And the kyng biweilide, and bymorenyde Abner, and seide, Abner, thou diedist not as dredeful men, `ethir cowardis, ben wont to die.

And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Should Abner die as a fool dieth?

34 Thin hondis weren not boundun, and thi feet weren not greuyd with stockis, but thou feldist doun, as men ben wont to falle bifor the sones of wickidnesse. And al the puple doublide togidere, and wepte on hym.

Thy hands were not bound, Nor thy feet put into fetters; As a man falleth before wicked men, Fellest thou! And all the people wept again over him.

35 And whanne al the multitude cam to take mete with Dauid, while the dai was yit cleer, Dauid swoor, and seide, God do to me these thingis, and adde these thingis, if Y schal taast breed ethir ony othir thing bifor the going doun of the sune.

And all the people came to cause David to eat bread while it was yet day; but David swore, saying, So do God to me, and more also, if I taste bread or aught else till the sun be down!

36 And al the puple herde; and alle thingis which the kyng dide in the siyt of al the puple plesiden hem;

And all the people remarked it, and it pleased them; as whatever the king did pleased all the people.

37 and al the comyn puple and al Israel knewe in that day, that it was not doon of the kyng, that Abner, the sone of Ner, was slayn.

And all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to put Abner the son of Ner to death.

38 Also the kyng seide to hise seruauntis, Whether ye witen not, that the prince and gretteste felde doun to dai in Israel?

And the king said to his servants, Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?

39 Forsothe Y am `delicat, ether tendir, yit and anoyntid kyng; sotheli these sones of Saruye ben hard to me; the Lord yelde to hym that doith yuel bi his malice.

And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too hard for me: Jehovah reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness!