2 Samuel 15

1 And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.

Therfor aftir these thingis Absolon made a chaar to hym, and knyytis, and fifti men, that schulden go bifor hym.

2 And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel.

And Absolon roos eerli, and stood bisidis the entryng of the yate in the weie; and Absolon clepide to hym ech man, that hadde a cause that he schulde come to the doom of the kyng, and Absolon seide, Of what citee art thou? Which answeride, and seide, Of o lynage of Israel Y am, thi seruaunt.

3 And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee.

And Absolon answeride to hym, Thi wordis semen to me good and iust, but noon is ordeyned of the kyng to here thee. And Absolon seide, Who schal ordeyne me iuge on the lond,

4 Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!

that alle men that han cause come to me, and Y deme iustly?

5 And it was so, that when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him.

But whanne a man cam to Absolon to greete hym, he helde forth the hond, and took, and kisside that man;

6 And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

and Absolon dide this to al Israel, that cam to doom to be herd of the kyng; and Absolon drow awei the hertis of men of Israel.

7 And it came to pass after forty years, that Absalom said unto the king, I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto YHWH, in Hebron.

Forsothe aftir foure yeer Absolon seide to kyng Dauid, Y schal go, and Y schal yelde my vowis, whiche Y vowide to the Lord in Ebron;

8 For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If YHWH shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve YHWH.

for thi seruaunt vowynge vowide, whanne he was in Gessur of Sirie, and seide, If the Lord bryngith ayen me in to Jerusalem, Y schal make sacrifice to the Lord.

9 And the king said unto him, Go in peace. So he arose, and went to Hebron.

And the kyng seide to hym, Go thou in pees. And Absolon roos, and yede in to Ebron.

10 But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron.

Forsothe Absolon sente aspieris in to al the lynage of Israel, and seide, Anoon as ye heren the sown of clarioun, seye ye, Absolon schal regne in Ebron.

11 And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, that were called; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not any thing.

Forsothe twei hundrid men clepid of Jerusalem yeden with Absolon, and yede with symple herte, and outirli thei knewen not the cause.

12 And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counseller, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.

Also Absolon clepide Achitofel of Gilo, the councelour of Dauid, fro his citee Gilo. And whanne he offride sacrifices a strong swerynge togidere was maad, and the puple rennynge togidere was encreessid with Absolon.

13 And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.

Therfor a messanger cam to Dauid, and seide, With al herte al Israel sueth Absolon.

14 And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.

And Dauid seide to hise seruauntis that weren with hym in Jerusalem, Rise ye, and flee we; for noon ascaping schal be to us fro the face of Absolon; therfor haste ye to go out, lest he come, and ocupie vs, and fille on vs fallynge, and smyte the citee bi the scharpnesse of swerd.

15 And the king's servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my master the king shall appoint.

And the seruauntis of the kyng seiden to hym, We thi seruauntis schulen performe gladli alle thingis, what euer thingis oure lord the kyng schal comaunde.

16 And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, which were concubines, to keep the house.

Therfor the kyng yede out, and al his hous, on her feet; and the king lefte ten wymmen concubyns, `that is, secundarie wyues, to kepe the hous.

17 And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and tarried in a place that was far off.

And the king yede out, and al Israel, on her feet, and the kyng stood fer fro the hous.

18 And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.

And alle hise seruauntis yeden bisidis him, and the legiouns of Cerethi and of Ferethi, and alle men of Geth `strong fiyters, sixe hundrid men, that sueden him fro Geth, yeden on foote bifor the kyng.

19 Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also with us? return to thy place, and abide with the king: for thou art a stranger, and also an exile.

Forsothe the kyng seide to Ethai of Geth, Whi comest thou with vs? Turne thou ayen, and dwelle with the kyng, for thou art a pilgrym, and thou yedist out fro thi place.

20 Whereas thou camest but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us? seeing I go whither I may, return thou, and take back thy brethren: mercy and truth be with thee.

Thou camest yistirdai, and to dai thou art compellid to go out with vs. Sotheli Y schal go, whidur Y schal go; turne ayen, and lede ayen thi britheren with thee, and the Lord do mercy and treuthe with thee, for thou schewidist grace and feith.

21 And Ittai answered the king, and said, As YHWH liveth, and as my master the king liveth, surely in what place my master the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be.

And Ethai answeride to the kyng, and seide, The Lord lyueth, and my lord the kyng lyueth, for in what euer place thou schalt be, my lord the kyng, ether in deeth ethir in lijf, there thi seruaunt schal be.

22 And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.

And Dauid seide to Ethay, Come thou, and passe. And Ethai of Geth passide, and the kyng, and alle men that weren with hym, and the tother multitude.

23 And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness.

And alle men wepten with greet vois, and al the puple passide; and the kyng yede ouer the strond of Cedron, and al the puple yede ayens the weie of the olyue tree, that biholdith to deseert.

24 And lo Zadok also, and all the Levites were with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of Elohim: and they set down the ark of Elohim; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had done passing out of the city.

Forsothe and Sadoch the preest cam, and alle the dekenes with hym, and thei baren the arke of boond of pees of God, and thei diden doun the arke of God; and Abiathar stiede, til al the puple was passid that yede out of the citee.

25 And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of Elohim into the city: if I shall find favour in the eyes of YHWH, he will bring me again, and shew me both it, and his habitation:

And the kyng seide to Sadoch, Bere ayen the arke of God in to the citee; if Y schal fynde grace in the iyen of the Lord, he schal lede me ayen, and he schal schewe to me that arke and his tabernacle.

26 But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him.

Sotheli if the Lord seith, Thou plesist not me; Y am redi, do he that, that is good bifor hym silf.

27 The king said also unto Zadok the priest, Art not thou a seer? return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.

And the kyng seide to Sadoch, preest, A! thou seere, `that is, profete, turne ayen in to the citee, with pees; and Achymaas, thi sone, and Jonathas, the sone of Abiathar, youre twei sones, be with you.

28 See, I will tarry in the plain of the wilderness, until there come word from you to certify me.

Lo! Y schal be hid in the feeldi places of deseert, til word come fro you, and schewe to me.

29 Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of Elohim again to Jerusalem: and they tarried there.

Therfor Sadoch and Abiathar baren ayen the arke of God in to Jerusalem, and dwelliden there.

30 And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.

Forsothe Dauid stiede on the hil of olyue trees, stiynge and wepynge, with the heed hilyd, and `goynge with nakid feet; but also al the puple that was with hym, stiede with the heed hilid, and wepte.

31 And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O YHWH, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.

Forsothe it was teld to Dauid, that Achitofel was in the sweryng togidere with Absolon; and Dauid seide, Lord, Y byseche, make thou fonned the counsel of Achitofel.

32 And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the mount, where he worshipped Elohim, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head:

And whanne Dauid stiede in to the hiyenesse of the hil, in which he schulde worschipe the Lord, lo! Cusi of Arath, with the cloth to-rent, and with the heed ful of erthe, cam to hym.

33 Unto whom David said, If thou passest on with me, then thou shalt be a burden unto me:

And Dauid seide to hym, If thou comest with me, thou schalt be to me to charge; sotheli if thou turnest ayen in to the citee,

34 But if thou return to the city, and say unto Absalom, I will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy father's servant hitherto, so will I now also be thy servant: then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel.

and seist to Absolon, Y am thi seruaunt, kyng, suffre thou me to lyue; as Y was the seruaunt of thi fadir, so Y schal be thi seruaunt; thou schalt distrye the counsel of Achitofel.

35 And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? therefore it shall be, that what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the king's house, thou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.

Forsothe thou hast with thee Sadoch and Abiathar, preestis; and `thou schalt schewe ech word, what euer word thou schalt here in the hows of the kyng, to Sadoch and Abiathar, preestis.

36 Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz Zadok's son, and Jonathan Abiathar's son; and by them ye shall send unto me every thing that ye can hear.

Sotheli twei sones `of hem ben with hem, Achymaas, sone of Sadoch, and Jonathan, sone of Abiathar; and ye schulen sende bi hem to me ech word which ye schulen here.

37 So Hushai David's friend came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.

Therfor whanne Chusi, freend of Dauid, cam in to the citee, also Absolon entryde in to Jerusalem.