1 Samuel 11

¹ And he took euer either oxe, and kittide in to gobetis, and sente in to alle the termes of Israel, bi the hondis of messangeris; and seide, Who euer goith not out, and sueth not Saul and Samuel, so it schal be don to hise oxun. Therfor the drede of the Lord asailide the puple, and thei yeden out as o man. ² And he noumbride hem in Besech; and thre hundrid thousynd weren of the sones of Israel; forsothe of the men of Juda weren thretti thousynde. ³ And thei seiden to the messangeris that camen, Thus ye schulen seie to the men that ben in Jabes of Galaad, To morew schal be helthe to you, whanne the sunne is hoot. Therfor the messangeris camen, and telden to the men of Jabes; whiche weren glad, ⁴ and seiden, Eerli we schulen go out to you, and ye schulen do to vs al that plesith you. ⁵ And it was don, whanne the morewe dai cam, Saul ordeynede the puple in to thre partis; and he entride in to the myddil tentis in the wakyng of the morewtid, and he smoot Amon til the dai was hoot; forsothe the residues weren scaterid, so that tweyne togidere weren not left in hem. 6 And the puple seide to Samuel, Who is this, that seide, Saul schal not regne on vs? Yyue ye the men, and we schulen sle hem. 7 And Saul seide, No man schal be slayn in this dai, for to dai the Lord made helthe in Israel. 8 Forsothe Samuel seide to the puple, Come ye, and go we in to Galgala, and renule we there the rewme. 9 And al the puple yede in to Galgala, and there thei maden Saul kyng bifor the Lord in Galgala; and thei offriden pesible sacrifices bifor the Lord. And Saul was glad there, and alle the men of Israel greetli. ¹¹ Forsothe Samuel seide to al Israel, Lo! Y herde youre vois bi alle thingis whiche ye spaken to me, and Y ordeynede a kyng on you; ¹² and now the king goith bifor you. Sotheli Y wexide eld and hoor; forsothe my sones ben with you; therfor Y lyuyde bifor you fro my yong wexynge age til to this dai. And lo! 13 Y am redi; speke ye to me bifor the Lord, and bifor the crist of hym; whether Y took the oxe of ony man, ether the asse; if Y falsly chalengide ony mon; yf Y oppresside ony man; if Y took yifte of the hond of ony man; and Y schal dispise it to dai, and Y schal restore to you. 14 And thei seiden, Thou hast not falsly chalengid vs, nether hast oppressid vs, nether hast take ony thing of the hond of ony man. ¹⁵ And he seide to hem, The Lord is witnesse ayens you, and his crist is witnesse in this day; for ye han not founde ony thing in myn hond. And thei seiden, Witnesse.