2 Samuel 1
1 Forsothe it was doon, after that Saul was deed, that Dauid turnede ayen fro the sleyng of Amalech, and dwellide twei daies in Sichelech.
After the death of Saul, David returned from attacking the Amalekites. He stayed in Ziklag for two days.
2 Forsothe in the thridde dai a man apperide, comynge fro the castels of Saul with the cloth to-rent, and his heed spreynt with dust; and as he cam to Dauid, he felde on his face, and worschipide.
Then on the third day a man arrived from Saul's camp. His clothes were torn and he had dust on his head. When he approached David, he bowed before him, and fell to the ground in respect.
3 And Dauid seide to hym, Fro whennus comest thou? Which seide to Dauid, Y fledde fro the castels of Israel.
“Where have you come from?” David asked him. “I got away from the Israelite camp,” he replied.
4 And Dauid seide to hym, What is the word which is doon; schewe thou to me. And he seide, The puple fledde fro the batel, and many of the puple felden, and ben deed; but also Saul, and Jonathas, his sonne, perischyden.
“Tell me what happened,” David asked. “The army ran away from the battle,” the man replied. “Many of them died, and Saul and his son Jonathan also died.”
5 And Dauid seide to the yong man, that telde to hym, Wherof woost thou, that Saul is deed, and Jonathas, his sonne?
“How do you know Saul and Jonathan died?” David asked the man giving the report.
6 And the yong man seide, that telde to hym, Bi hap Y cam in to the hil of Gelboe, and Saul lenyde on his spere; forsothe charis and knyytis neiyiden to hym;
“I just happened to be there on Mount Gilboa,” he replied. “I saw Saul, leaning on his spear, with the enemy chariots and the charioteers advancing on him.
7 and he turnede bihynde his bak, `and siy me, and clepide. To whom whanne Y hadde answeride, Y am present; he seide to me, Who art thou?
He turned around and saw me. He called out and I replied, ‘I'm here to help!’
8 And Y seide to hym, Y am a man of Amalech.
He asked me, ‘Who are you?’ I told him, ‘I'm an Amalekite.’
9 And he spak to me, Stonde thou on me, and sle me; for angwischis holden me, and yit al my lijf is in me.
Then he told me, ‘Please come over here and kill me! I'm in terrible agony but life is still hanging on.’
10 And Y stood on hym, and Y killide hym; for Y wiste that he myyte not lyue aftir the fallyng; and Y took the diademe, that was in his heed, and the bye fro his arm, and Y brouyte hidur to thee, my lord.
So I went over him and killed him, because I knew that wounded as he was he couldn't last long. I took the crown from his head and his bracelet from his arm, and I've brought them here to you, my lord.”
11 Forsothe Dauid took and to-rente hise clothis, and the men that weren with hym;
David grabbed hold of his clothes and ripped them, as did his men.
12 and thei weiliden, and wepten, and fastiden `til to euentid, on Saul, and Jonathas, his sone, and on the puple of the Lord, and on the hows of Israel, for thei hadden feld bi swerd.
They mourned and cried and fasted until the evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord, the Israelites, that had been killed by the sword.
13 And Dauid seide to the yong man, that telde to him, Of whennus art thou? And he answeride, Y am the sone of a man comelyng, of a man of Amalech.
David asked man who brought him the report, “Where are you from?” “I'm the son of a foreigner,” he replied “I'm an Amalekite.”
14 And Dauid seide to him, Whi dreddist thou not to sende thine hond, that thou schuldist sle the crist of the Lord?
“Why weren't you worried about killing the Lord's anointed one?” David asked.
15 And Dauid clepide oon of hise children, and seide, Go thou, and falle on hym. Which smoot that yong man, and he was deed.
David called over one of his men and said, “Go ahead, kill him!” So the man cut the Amalekite down and killed him.
16 And Dauid seide to hym, Thi blood be on thin heed; for thi mouth spak ayens thee, and seide, Y killide the crist of the Lord.
David had told the Amalekite, “Your death is your own fault because you testified against yourself when you said, ‘I killed the Lord's anointed one.’”
17 Forsooth Dauid biweilide sych a weilyng on Saul, and on Jonathas, his sone;
Then David sang this lament for Saul and his son Jonathan.
18 and comaundide, that thei schulden teche the sones of Juda weilyng, as it is writun in the Book of Just Men. And Dauid seyde, Israel, biholde thou, for these men that ben deed, woundid on thin hiye placis;
He ordered it to be taught to the people of Judah. It is called “the Bow” and is recorded in the Book of the Just:
19 the noble men of Israel ben slayn on thin hillis.
“Israel, the glorious one lies dead on your mountains. How the mighty have fallen!
20 Hou felden stronge men? nyle ye telle in Geth, nether telle ye in the weilottis of Ascolon; lest perauenture the douytris of Filisteis be glad, lest the douytris of vncircumcidid men `be glad.
Don't announce it in the town of Gath, don't proclaim it in the streets of Ashkelon, so that the Philistine women won't rejoice, so that the heathen women won't celebrate.
21 Hillis of Gelboe, neither dew nethir reyn come on you, nether the feeldis of firste fruytis be; for the scheeld of stronge men was cast awey there, the scheeld of Saul, as `if he were not anoyntid with oile.
Mountains of Gilboa, may no dew or rain fall on you! May you have no fields that produce offerings of grain. For it was there that the shield of the mighty was defiled; Saul's shield, no longer cared for with olive oil.
22 Of the blood of slayn men, of the fatnesse of strong men, the arewe of Jonathas yede neuer abak, and the swerd of Saul turnede not ayen void.
Jonathan with his bow did not retreat from attacking the enemy; Saul with his sword did not return empty-handed from shedding blood.
23 Saul and Jonathas amyable, and fair in her lijf, weren not departid also in deeth; thei weren swiftere than eglis, strongere than liouns.
During their lives, Saul and Jonathan were much loved and very pleasant, and death did not divide them. They were faster than eagles, stronger than lions.
24 Douytris of Israel, wepe ye on Saul, that clothide you with fyn reed colourid in delicis, that yaf goldun ournementis to youre atyre.
Women of Israel, mourn for Saul, who gave you fine scarlet clothes decorated with gold ornaments.
25 Hou `felden doun stronge men in batel?
How the mighty have fallen in battle! Jonathan lies dead on your mountains.
26 Jonathas was slayn in the hiye places. Y make sorewe on thee, my brother Jonathas, ful fair, `and amyable more than the loue of wymmen; as a modir loueth oon aloone sone, so Y louyde thee.
I weep so much for you, my brother Jonathan! You were so very dear to me! Your love for me was so wonderful, greater than the love women have!
27 Hou therfor `felden doun stronge men, and armeris of batel perischide?
How the mighty have fallen! The weapons of war are gone!”
