1 Samuel 22

¹ And Saul herde, that Dauid apperide, and the men that weren with hym. Forsothe whanne Saul dwellide in Gabaa, and was in the wode which is in Rama, and helde a spere in the hond, and alle hise seruauntis stoden aboute hym, 2 he seide to hise seruauntis that stoden nyy hym, The sones of Gemyny, here me now; whether the sone of Ysai schal yyue to alle you feeldis and vyneris, and schal make alle you tribunes and centuriouns? 3 For alle ye han swore, ether conspirid, togidere ayens me, and noon is that tellith to me; moost sithen also my sone hath ioyned boond of pees with the sone of Ysai; noon is of you, that sorewith for my stide, nether that tellith to me, for my sone hath reisid my seruaunt ayens me, settynge tresoun to me til to dai. 4 Sotheli Doech of Ydumye answeride, that stood nyy, and was the firste among the seruauntis of Saul, and seide, Y siy the sone of Ysai in Nobe, at Achymelech, preest, the sone of Achitob; 5 which counseilide the Lord for Dauid, and yaf meetis to hym, but also he yaf to Dauid the swerd of Goliath Filistei. ⁶ Therfor the kyng sente to clepe Achymelech, the preest, the sone of Achitob, and al the hows of his fadir, of preestis that weren in Nobe; whiche alle camen to the kyng. 7 And Saul seide to Achymelech, Here, thou sone of Achitob. 8 Which answeride, Lord, Y am redi. And Saul seide to hym, Whi hast thou conspirid ayens me, thou, and the sone of Ysai, and yauest looues and a swerd to hym, and councelidist the Lord for hym, that he schulde rise ayens me, and he dwellith a tretour til to dai? ⁹ And Achymelech answeride to the kyng, and seide, And who among alle thi seruauntis is as Dauid feithful, and the sone in lawe of the kyng, and goynge at thi comaundement, and gloriouse in thin hows? 10 Whether Y bigan to dai to counsele the Lord for hym? Fer be this fro me; suppose not the kyng ayens his seruaunt siche a thing in al the hows of my fadir; for thi seruaunt knew not ony thing, ether litil ethir greet, of this cause. 11 And the kyng seide, Achymelech, thou schalt die bi deeth, thou, and al the hows of thi fadir. 12 And the kyng seide to men able to be sent out, that stoden aboute hym, Turne ye, and sle the preestis of the Lord, for the hond of hem is with Dauid; and thei wisten that he fledde, and thei schewiden not to me. Sotheli the seruauntis of the kyng nolden holde forth her hond in to the preestis of the Lord. 13 And the kyng seide to Doech, Turne thou, and hurle in to the preestis of the Lord. And Doech of Ydumee turnede, and hurlide in to the preestis, and stranglide in that dai foure score and fyue men, clothid with ephoth of lynnun cloth. ¹⁴ Forsothe he smoot Nobe, the citee of preestis, by the scharpnesse of swerd, men and wymmen, litle children and soukynge, and oxe, and asse, and sheep, bi the scharpnesse of swerd. ¹⁵ Forsothe o sone of Achymelech, sone of Achitob, ascapide, of which sone the name was Abiathar; and he fledde to Dauid, ¹⁶ and telde to hym that Saul hadde slayn the preestis of the Lord. ¹⁷ And Dauid seide to Abiathar, Sotheli Y wiste, that is, Y coniectide, ether dredde, in that dai, that whanne Doech of Ydumee was there, he wolde telle with out doute to Saul; Y am gilti of alle the lyues of thi fadir. 18 Dwelle thou with me, drede thou not; if ony man sekith thi lijf, he schal seke also my lijf, and thou schalt be kept with me. 20 And thei telden to Dauid, and seiden, Lo! Filisteis fiyten ayens Seila, and rauyschen the corn floris. 21 Therfor Dauid councelide the Lord, and seide, Whether Y schal go, and smyte Filisteis? And the Lord seide to Dauid, Go thou, and thou schalt smyte Filisteis, and thou schalt saue Seila. 22 And men, that weren with Dauid, seiden to him, Lo! we ben heere in Judee, and dredden; hou myche more, if we schulen go in to Seila ayens the cumpanyes of Filisteis. 23 Therfor eft Dauid councelide the Lord; which answeride, and seide to Dauid, Rise thou, and go in to Seila; for Y schal bitake Filisteis in thin hond.