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| [1]Then David numbered the people that were with him, and set over them captains of thousands and captains of hundreds. |
[1]Therfor Dauid, whanne the puple `was biholdun, ordeynede tribunes and centuriouns on hem. |
| [2]And David sent forth the third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and the third part under the hand of Abishai Joab's brother the son of Zeruiah: and the other third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. and the king said unto the people, I will go with you myself also. |
[2]And he yaf the thridde part of the puple vndur the hond of Joab; and the thridde part vndur the hond of Abisai, sone of Saruye, brother of Joab; and the thridde part vndur the hond of Ethai, that was of Geth. And the kyng seide to the puple, Also Y schal go out with you. |
| [3]But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not regard us, neither will they pass for us, though half of us were slain: but thou art now worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou succor us out of the city. |
[3]And the puple answeride, Thou schalt not go out; for whether we fleen, it schal not perteyne to hem bi greet werk of vs; whether half the part fallith doun of vs, thei schulen not recke ynow, for thou art rekynyd for ten thousynde; therfor it is betere, that thou be to vs in the citee in stronge hold. |
| [4]Then the king said unto them, What seemeth you best, that I will do. So the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands. |
[4]`To whiche the kyng seide, Y schal do this, that semeth riytful to you. Therfor the kyng stood bisidis the yate, and the puple yede out bi her cumpenyes, bi hundridis and bi thousyndis. |
| [5]And the king commanded Joab and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, Entreat the young man Absalom gently for my sake. and all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom. |
[5]And the king comaundide to Joab, and to Abisai, and Ethai, and seyde, Kepe ye to me the child Absolon. And al the puple herde the kyng comaundinge to alle the princes for Absolon. |
| [6]So the people went out into the field to meet Israel, and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim: |
[6]Therfor the puple yede out in to the feeld ayens Israel; and the batel was maad in the forest of Effraym. |
| [7]Where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David: so there was a great slaughter that day, even of twenty thousand. |
[7]And the puple of Israel was slayn there of the oost of Dauid, and a greet sleyng of twenti thousynde was maad in that dai. |
| [8]For the battle was scattered over all the country: and the wood devoured much more people that day, than did the sword. |
[8]Forsothe the batel was scaterid there on the face of al erthe, and many mo weren of the puple whiche the forest wastide, than thei whiche the swerd deuourid in that dai. |
| [9]Now Absalom met the servants of David, and Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule came under a great thick oak: and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth: and the mule that was under him went away. |
[9]Sotheli it bifeld, that Absalon sittinge on a mule, cam ayens the seruauntis of Dauid; and whanne the mule hadde entrid vndur a thicke ook, and greet, the heed of Absolon cleuyde to the ook; and whanne he was hangid bitwixe heuene and erthe, the mule, on which he sat, passide. |
| [10]And one that saw it, told Joab, saying, Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak. |
[10]Sotheli `sum man siy this, and telde to Joab, and seide, Y siy Absolon hange on an ook. |
| [11]Then Joab said unto the man that told him, And hast thou indeed seen? Why then didst thou not there smite him to the ground, and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle? |
[11]And Joab seide to the man that `hadde telde to hym, If thou siyest, whi persidist thou not hym to the erthe, and Y schulde haue youe `to thee ten siclis of siluer, and a girdil? |
| [12]Then the man said unto Joab, Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not lay mine hand upon the king's son: for in our hearing the king charged thee, and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, Beware, lest any touch the young man Absalom. |
[12]And he seide to Joab, Thouy thou paiedist in myn hondis a thousynde platis of siluer, Y nolde sende myn hond in to the sone of the king; for the while we herden, the kyng comaundide to thee, and to Abisai, and to Ethai, and seide, Kepe ye to me the child Absolon. |
| [13]If I had done it, it had been the danger of my life: for nothing can be hid from the king: yea, thou thyself wouldest have been against me. |
[13]But and if Y hadde do ayens my lijf hardili, this myyte not be hid fro the kyng, and thou woldist stonde on the contrarye side. |
| [14]Then said Joab, I will not thus tarry with thee. And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak. |
[14]And Joab seide, Not as thou wolt, `Absolon schal be kept, but Y schal asaile hym bifor thee. Therfore Joab took thre speris in his hond, and fitchide tho in the herte of Absolon. And whanne he spraulide, yit cleuynge in the ook, |
| [15]And ten servants that bear Joab's armor, compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him. |
[15]ten yonge squieris of Joab runnen, and smytiden, and killiden hym. |
| [16]Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel: for Joab held back the people. |
[16]Sotheli Joab sownede with a clarioun, and withhelde the puple, lest it pursuede Israel fleynge, and he wolde spare the multitude. |
| [17]And they took Absalom, and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a mighty great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled every one to his tent. |
[17]And thei token Absolon, and castiden forth him in to a greet dich in the forest, and baren togidere a ful greet heep of stoonys on hym; forsothe al Israel fledde in to his tabernaclis. |
| [18]Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared him up a pillar, which is in the king's dale: for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance. and he called the pillar after his own name, and it is called unto this day, Absalom's place. |
[18]Forsothe Absolon, while he lyuyde yit, hadde reisid to hym a memorial, which is in the valey of the kyng; for he seide, Y haue no sone, and this schal be the mynde of my name; and he clepide `the memorial bi his name, and it is clepid the Hond, `that is, werk, of Absolon `til to this dai. |
| [19]Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, I pray thee, let me run, and bear the king tidings that the Lord hath delivered him out of the hand of his enemies. |
[19]Forsothe Achymaas, sone of Sadoch, seide, Y schal renne, and Y schal telle to the kyng, that the Lord hath maad doom to hym of the hond of hise enemyes. |
| [20]And Joab said unto him, Thou shalt not be the messenger today, but thou shalt bear tidings another time, but today thou shalt bear none: for the king's son is dead. |
[20]To whom Joab seide, Thou schalt not be messanger in this dai, but thou schalt telle in another dai; I nyle that thou telle to dai, for the sone of the kyng is deed. |
| [21]Then said Joab to Cushi, Go, tell the king, what thou hast seen. And Cushi bowed himself unto Joab, and ran. |
[21]And Joab seide to Chusi, Go thou, and telle to the kyng tho thingis that thou hast seyn. Chusi worschypide Joab, and ran. |
| [22]Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok again to Joab, What, I pray thee, if I also run after Cushi? And Joab said, Wherefore now wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings to bring? |
[22]Eft Achymaas, sone of Sadoch, seide to Joab, What lettith, if also Y renne aftir Chusi? And Joab seide to hym, What wolt thou renne, my sone? Come thou hidur, thou schalt not be a berere of good message. |
| [23]Yet what if I run? Then he said unto him, Run. So Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overwent Cushi. |
[23]Which answeride, `What sotheli if Y schal renne? And Joab seide to hym, Renn thou. Therfor Achymaas ran bi the weie of schortnesse, `and sped, and passide Chusi. |
| [24]Now David sat between the two gates. And the watchman went to the top of the gate upon the wall, and lift up his eyes, and saw, and behold, a man came running alone. |
[24]Forsothe Dauid sat bitwixe twei yatis; sotheli the spiere, that was in the hiynesse of the yate on the wal, reiside the iyen, and siy a man aloone rennynge; |
| [25]And the watchman cried, and told the king. And the King said, If he be alone, he bringeth tidings. And he came apace, and drew near. |
[25]and the spiere criede, and schewide to the kyng. And the kyng seide to hym, If he is aloone, good message is in his mouth. |
| [26]And the watchman saw another man running, and the watchman called unto the porter, and said, Behold, another man runneth alone. And the king said, He also bringeth tidings. |
[26]Sotheli while he hastide, and neiyede neer, the spiere siy another man rennynge; and the spiere criede `in the hiynesse, and seide, Another man rennynge aloone apperith to me. And the kyng seide to hym, And this man is a good messanger. |
| [27]And the watchman said, Me thinketh the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok. Then the king said, He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings. |
[27]Sotheli the spiere seide, Y biholde the rennyng of the formere, as the rennyng of Achymaas, sone of Sadoch. And the kyng seide, He is a good man, and he cometh bryngynge a good message. |
| [28]And Ahimaaz called, and said unto the king, Peace be with thee: and he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king, and said, Blessed be the Lord thy God, who hath shut up the men that lift up their hands against my lord the king. |
[28]Forsothe Achymaas criede, and seide to the kyng, Heil kyng! And he worschipide the kyng lowli bifor hym to erthe, and seide, Blessid be thi Lord God, that closide togidere the men, that reisyden her hondis ayens my lord the kyng. |
| [29]And the king said, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Ahimaaz answered, When Joab sent the king's servant, and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what. |
[29]And the kyng seide, Whether pees is to the child Absolon? And Achymaas seide, Y siy, `that is, Y herde, a great noise, whanne Joab, thi seruaunt, thou kyng, sente me thi seruaunt; Y kan noon othir thing. |
| [30]And the king said unto him, Turn aside, and stand here. so he turned aside and stood still. |
[30]To whom the kyng seide, Passe thou, and stonde here. And whanne he hadde passid, and stood, Chusi apperide; |
| [31]And behold, Cushi came, and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king: for the Lord hath delivered thee this day out of the hand of all that rose against thee. |
[31]and he cam and seide, My lord the kyng, Y brynge good message; for the Lord hath demed to dai for thee of the hond of alle men that risiden ayens thee. |
| [32]Then the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is. |
[32]Forsothe the kyng seide to Chusi, Whether pees is to the child Absolon? To whom Chusi answeride, and seide, The enemyes of my lord the kyng, and alle men that risiden ayens hym in to yuel, be maad as the child. |
| [33]And the king was moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom: would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son. |
[33]Therfor the kyng was sory, and stiede in to the soler of the yate, and wepte, and spak thus goynge, My sone, Absolon! Absolon, my sone! who yyueth to me, that Y die for thee? Absolon, my sone! my sone, Absolon! |