2 Samuel 1

1 And so it was, after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the smiting of the Amalekites, and David had abode in Ziklag two days,

Forsothe it was doon, after that Saul was deed, that Dauid turnede ayen fro the sleyng of Amalech, and dwellide twei daies in Sichelech.

2 yea so it was, on the third day, that lo! a man came out of the camp, from Saul, with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head, —and so it was, when he came in unto David, that he fell to the earth, and did homage.

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.

3 And David said unto him, From whence comest thou? And he said unto him, Out of the camp of Israel, am I escaped.

And Dauid seide to hym, Fro whennus comest thou? Which seide to Dauid, Y fledde fro the castels of Israel.

4 And David said unto him—How turned out the matter? tell me, I pray thee. And he said—The people have fled from the battle, yea moreover, many, of the people have fallen, and died, Yea moreover, Saul, and Jonathan his son, are dead.

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.

5 Then said David unto the young man who was telling him, —How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?

And Dauid seide to the yong man, that telde to hym, Wherof woost thou, that Saul is deed, and Jonathas, his sonne?

6 And the young man who was telling him said, It, so happened, that I was on Mount Gilboa, when lo! Saul, leaning upon his spear, and lo! the chariots and horsemen, hotly pursued him;

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;

7 so he turned behind him, and saw me, —and cried out unto me, and I said, Behold me!

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?

8 And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I said unto him, An Amalekite, am I.

And Y seide to hym, Y am a man of Amalech.

9 And he said unto me, I pray thee, take thy stand by me, and put me to death, for the cramp hath seized me, —even for as long as my life shall be in me.

And he spak to me, Stonde thou on me, and sle me; for angwischis holden me, and yit al my lijf is in me.

10 So I took my stand by him, and put him to death, for I perceived that he could not survive his fall, —so I took the crown that was on his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them in unto my lord, here.

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.

11 Then David took hold of his clothes, and rent them, —yea moreover, [so did] all the men who were with him.

Forsothe Dauid took and to-rente hise clothis, and the men that weren with hym;

12 And they lamented aloud, and wept, and fasted until the evening, —for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of Yahweh, and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

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.

13 And David said unto the young man who was telling him, Whence art thou? And he said, Son of a sojourner—an Amalekite, am I.

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.

14 And David said unto him, —How wast thou not afraid to thrust forth thy hand, to destroy the Anointed of Yahweh?

And Dauid seide to him, Whi dreddist thou not to sende thine hond, that thou schuldist sle the crist of the Lord?

15 So David called one of the young men, and said, —Go near—fall upon him. And he smote him, that he died.

And Dauid clepide oon of hise children, and seide, Go thou, and falle on hym. Which smoot that yong man, and he was deed.

16 And David said unto him, Thy blood, be upon thine own head, —for, thine own mouth, hath testified against thee, saying, I myself, put to death the Anointed of Yahweh.

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.

17 Then chanted David this dirge, —over Saul and over Jonathan his son;

Forsooth Dauid biweilide sych a weilyng on Saul, and on Jonathas, his sone;

18 and he thought to teach the sons of Judah [the song of] the Bow, —lo! it is written in the Book of the Upright: —

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;

19 The beauty of Israel! on thy high plumes—slain! How have fallen—the mighty!

the noble men of Israel ben slayn on thin hillis.

20 Do not tell it in Gath, Do not publish it in the streets of Ashkelon, —lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the Uncircumcised triumph.

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.

21 Ye mountains in Gilboa! Be there neither dew nor rain upon you, nor fields of offerings, —for, there, were cast away, the shields of the mighty, The shield of Saul, unanointed with oil.

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.

22 From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan ne’er drew back, —and, the sword of Saul, ne’er returned, empty.

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.

23 Saul and Jonathan, delightfully loving in their lives, even, in their death, were not divided, —Beyond eagles, were they swift, beyond lions, were they strong!

Saul and Jonathas amyable, and fair in her lijf, weren not departid also in deeth; thei weren swiftere than eglis, strongere than liouns.

24 Ye daughters of Israel! For Saul, weep ye, —who clothed you in crimson, [decked] with lovely things, who hung ornaments of gold on your apparel!

Douytris of Israel, wepe ye on Saul, that clothide you with fyn reed colourid in delicis, that yaf goldun ournementis to youre atyre.

25 How have fallen the mighty, in the midst of the battle! Jonathan, on thy high places, slain!

Hou `felden doun stronge men in batel?

26 I am distressed for thee, my brother, Jonathan! Delightful to me, exceedingly, —Wonderful, was thy love to me, passing the love of women.

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.

27 How have fallen the mighty, and perished the weapons of war!

Hou therfor `felden doun stronge men, and armeris of batel perischide?