1 Samuel 19
1 Then Saul urged all his servants and his son Jonathan to kill David. But Jonathan liked David very much.
Forsothe Saul spak to Jonathas, his sone, and to alle hise seruauntis, that thei schulden sle Dauid; certis Jonathas, the sone of Saul, louyde Dauid greetli.
2 So he warned David, “My father Saul is seeking for a way to kill you. So be careful. Tomorrow morning go and find a place to hide [in the field].
And Jonathas schewide to Dauid, and seide, Saul, my fadir, sekith to sle thee, wherfor, Y biseche, kepe `thou thee eerli; and thou schalt dwelle priueli, and thou schalt be hid.
3 I will ask my father to go out there with me. [While we are out there], I will talk to him about you. Then I will tell you everything that he tells me.” [So David did what Jonathan told him to do].
Sotheli Y schal go out, and stonde bisidis my fadir in the feeld, where euer he schal be; and Y schal speke of thee to my fadir, and what euer thing Y shal se, Y schal telle to thee.
4 [The next morning], Jonathan spoke with his father, saying many good things about David. He said, “You should never do anything to harm your servant David! He has never done anything to harm you! Everything that he has done has helped you very much.
Therfor Jonathas spak good thingis of Dauid to Saul, his fadir, and seide to hym, Kyng, do thou not synne ayens thi seruaunt Dauid, for he `synnede not to thee, and hise werkis ben ful good to thee;
5 He was in danger of being killed when he fought against [Goliath, the champion of] the Philistia [army. By enabling David to kill him], Yahweh won a great victory for all the people of Israel. You were very happy when you saw that. Why would you want to do anything now to harm David [RHQ]? There is no reason for you to kill him, because he has not done anything wrong!”
and he puttide his lijf in his hond, and he killide the Filistei. And the Lord made greet heelthe to al Israel; thou siy, and were glad; whi therfor synnest thou in giltles blood, and sleest Dauid, which is with out gilt?
6 Saul listened to what Jonathan said. Then Saul said, “I solemnly promise that just as certain as Yahweh lives, I will not kill David.”
And whanne Saul hadde herd this, he was plesid with the vois of Jonathas, and swoor, `The Lord lyueth, `that is, bi the Lord lyuynge, for Dauid schal not be slayn.
7 Afterward, Jonathan summoned David and told him what he and Saul had said. Then Jonathan brought David to Saul, and David served Saul as he had done before.
Therfor Jonathas clepide Dauid, and schewide to hym alle these wordis. And Jonathas brouyte in Dauid to Saul, and he was bifor hym as `yistirdai and the thridde dai ago.
8 One day a war started again, and David [led his soldiers to] fight against the Philistia army. David’s [army] attacked them very furiously, with the result that the Philistia army ran away.
Forsothe batel was moued eft; and Dauyd yede out, and fauyt ayens Filisteis, and he smoot hem with a greet wounde, and thei fledden fro his face.
9 But one day when sitting in his house, an evil spirit [sent] from Yahweh [suddenly] came upon Saul. While David was playing his harp [for Saul],
And the yuel spirit of the Lord was maad on Saul; sotheli he sat in his hows, and helde a spere; certis Dauid harpide in his hond.
10 Saul hurled his spear at David to try to fasten him to the wall. David (dodged/jumped to one side), and the spear did not hit him. The spear stuck in the wall, but that night David escaped.
And Saul enforside to prene with the spere Dauid in the wal; and Dauid bowide fro `the face of Saul; forsothe the spere `with voide wounde was borun in to the wal; and Dauid fledde, and was saued in that niyt.
11 Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house. He told them to watch the house and to kill David [while he was leaving the house] the following morning. But David’s wife Michal [saw them and] warned him, “To survive, you must run away tonight, because if you do not do that, you will be killed tomorrow!”
Therfor Saul sente hise knyytis in the nyyt in to the hows of Dauid, that thei schulden kepe hym, and that he `schulde be slayn in the morewtide. And whanne Mychol, the wijf of Dauid, hadde teld this to Dauid, and seide, If thou sauest not thee in this nyyt, thou schalt die to morew;
12 So she enabled David to climb out through a window, and he ran away and escaped.
sche puttide hym doun bi a wyndow. Forsothe he yede, and fledde, and was sauyd.
13 Then Michal took an idol and put it in the bed. She covered it with some [of David’s] clothes, and put some goat’s hair on the head of the idol.
Sotheli Mychol took an ymage, and puttide it on the bed, and puttide `an heeri skyn of geet at the heed therof, and hilide it with clothis.
14 When the messengers came [to the house the next morning], she told them that David was sick [and could not get out of bed].
Forsothe Saul sente sergeauntis, `that schulden rauysche Dauid, and it was answeride, that he was sijk.
15 [When they reported that to] Saul, he told them to go back to David’s house. He said to them, “Bring him to me lying on his bed, in order that I can kill him!”
And eft Saul sente messangeris, that thei schulden se Dauid, and he seide, Brynge ye hym to me in the bed, that he be slayn.
16 But when those men entered David’s house, they saw that there was only an idol in the bed, with goat’s hair on its head.
And whanne the messangeris hadden come, `a symylacre was foundun on the bed, and `skynnes of geet at the heed therof.
17 [When they reported that to Saul, ] Saul [summoned] Michal [and] said to her, “Why did you trick me like that? You allowed my enemy to escape!” Michal replied to Saul, “David told me that if I did not help him escape, he would kill me!” [RHQ]
And Saul seide to Mychol, Whi scornedist thou me so, and `delyueredist myn enemy, that he fledde? And Mychol answeride to Saul, For he spak to me, and seide, Delyuere thou me, ellis Y schal slee thee.
18 After David had escaped from Saul, he went to Samuel, who was [at his home] at Ramah. He told Samuel everything that Saul had done to [try to kill] him. Then David and Samuel went to Naioth, [which was a section] of [Ramah city], and they stayed there.
Forsothe Dauid fledde, and was sauyd; and he cam to Samuel in to Ramatha, and telde to hym alle thingis which Saul hadde do to hym; and he and Samuel yeden, and dwelliden in Naioth.
19 Someone told Saul that David was in Naioth.
Forsothe it was teld to Saul of men, seiynge, Lo! Dauid is in Naioth in Ramatha.
20 So Saul sent some messengers to capture David. [When] those messengers [arrived in Ramah, they] met some men who were proclaiming ecstatic messages, and Samuel was there, as their leader. When Saul’s messengers met them, the Spirit of God took control of Saul’s men, and they also spoke ecstatically.
Therfor Saul sente sleeris, that thei schulden rauysche Dauid; and whanne thei hadden seyn the cumpeny of profetis profeciynge, and Samuel stondynge ouer hem, the Spirit of the Lord, `that is, the spirit of deuocioun, was maad in hem, and thei also bigunnen to prophecie.
21 When Saul heard about that, he sent messengers a third time, but they also started to speak ecstatically.
And whanne this was teld to Saul, he sente also othere messangeris; `sotheli and thei profesieden. And eft Saul sente the thridde messangeris, and thei prophecieden. And Saul was wrooth `with irefulnesse;
22 Finally, Saul himself went to Ramah. When he arrived at the well at [a place named] Secu, he asked people there, “Where are Samuel and David?” The people replied, “They are at Naioth in Ramah [city].”
and he also yede in to Ramatha, and he cam `til to the greet cisterne, which is in Socoth, and he axide, and seide, In what place ben Samuel and Dauid? And it was seid to hym, Lo! thei ben in Naioth in Ramatha.
23 While Saul was walking toward Naioth, the Spirit of God also took control of him. [While he walked on], he continued speaking ecstatic messages until he came to Naioth.
And he yede in `to Naioth in Ramatha; and the Spirit of the Lord was maad also on him; and he `yede, and entride, and propheciede, `til the while he cam `in to Naioth in Ramatha.
24 There he took off his clothes, and he spoke messages from God in front of Samuel. He lay on the ground doing that all day and all night. That is the reason that [when people see someone doing something that is very unexpected, they think about what happened to Saul, and] they say, “We are surprised, like the people were surprised to see Saul [acting like] a prophet?” [RHQ]
And `he also dispuylide him silf of hise clothis, and propheciede with othere men bifor Samuel, and he profeciede nakid in al that dai and nyyt. Wherfor `a prouerbe, that is, a comyn word, yede out, Whether and Saul among prophetis?
