1 Samuel 23

¹ Forsothe in that tyme, wher ynne Abiathar, sone of Achymelech, fledde to Dauid in to Seile, he cam doun, and hadde with hym ephoth, that is, the cloth of the hiyeste preest. ² Forsothe it was teld to Saul, that Dauid hadde come in to Seila; and Saul seide, The Lord hath take hym in to myn hondis, and he is closid, and entride in to a citee, in which ben yatis and lockis. 3 And Saul comaundide to al the puple, that it schulde go doun to batel in to Seila, and bisege Dauid and hise men. 4 And whanne Dauid perceyuede, that Saul made redi yuel priueli to hym, he seide to Abiathar, preest, Brynge hidur ephoth. 5 And Dauid seide, Lord God of Israel, thi seruaunt herde fame, that Saul disposith to come to Seila, that he distrie the citee for me; ⁶ if the men of Seila schulen bitake me in to hise hondis, and if Saul schal come doun, as thi seruaunt herde, thou Lord God of Israel schewe to thi seruaunt? And the Lord seide, He schal come doun. ⁷ And Dauid seide eft, Whether the men of Seila schulen bitake me, and the men that ben with me, in to the hondis of Saul? And the Lord seide, Thei schulen bitake, that is, if thou dwellist in the citee, and Saul come thidur. 8 Therfor Dauid roos, and hise men, as sixe hundrid; and thei yeden out of Seila, and wandriden vncerteyn hidur and thidur. And it was telde to Saul, that Dauid hadde fledde fro Seila, and was saued; wherfor Saul dissymylide to go out. 9 Forsothe Dauid dwellide in the deseert, in strongeste places, and he dwellide in the hil of wildirnesse of Ziph, in a derk hil; netheles Saul souyte hym in alle daies, and the Lord bitook not hym in to the hondis of Saul. 10 And Dauid siy, that Saul yede out, that he schulde seke his lijf. Forsothe Dauid was in the deseert of Ziph, in a wode. 11 And Jonathas, the sone of Saul, roos, and yede to Dauid in to the wode, and coumfortide hise hondis in God. 12 And he seide to Dauid, Drede thou not; for the hond of Saul my fadir schal not fynde thee, and thou schalt regne on Israel, and Y schal be the secounde to thee; but also Saul my father woot this. 13 Therfor euer eithir smoot boond of pees bifor the Lord. And Dauid dwellide in the wode; forsothe Jonathas turnede ayen in to his hows. 14 Forsothe men of Ziph stieden to Saul in Gabaa, and seiden, Lo! whether not Dauid is hid at vs in the sikireste places of the wode, in the hille of Achille, which is at the riyt syde of deseert? 15 Now therfor come thou doun, as thi soule desiride, that thou schuldist come doun; forsothe it schal be oure, that we bitake hym in to the hondis of the kyng. 16 And Saul seide, Blessid be ye of the Lord, for ye sorewiden for my stide. ¹⁷ Therfor, Y preie, go ye, and make redi more diligentli, and do ye more curiousli ether intentifli, and biholde ye swiftly, where his foot is, ethir who siy hym there, where ye seiden; for he thenkith on me, that felli Y aspie hym. ¹⁸ Biholde ye, and se alle his hidyng places, in whiche he is hid, and turne ye ayen to me at a certeyn thing, that Y go with you; that if he closith hym silf yhe in to erthe, Y schal seke hym with alle the thousyndis of Juda. ¹⁹ And thei risiden, and yeden in to Ziph bifor Saul. Forsothe Dauid and hise men weren in the deseert of Maon, in the feldi places, at the riyt half of Jesymyth. ²⁰ Therfor Saul yede and hise felowis to seke Dauid, and it was teld to Dauid; and anoon he yede doun to the stoon, and lyuyde in the deseert of Maon; and whanne Saul hadde herd this, he pursuede Dauid in the deseert of Maon. ²¹ And Saul yede and hise men at the side of the hil on o part; forsothe Dauid and hise men weren in the side of the hil on the tother part; sotheli Dauid dispeiride, that he myyte ascape fro the face of Saul. And so Saul and hise men cumpassiden bi the maner of a coroun Dauid and hise men, that thei schulden take hem. 22 And a messanger cam to Saul, and seide, Haste thou, and come, for Filisteis han spred hem silf on the lond. 23 Therfor Saul turnede ayen, and ceesside to pursue Dauid; and yede ayens the comyng of Filisteis. For this thing thei clepen that place the Stoon Departynge. 25 Therfor Dauid stiede fro thennus, and dwellide in the sykireste places of Engaddi. 26 And whanne Saul turnede ayen, aftir that he pursuede Filisteis, thei telden to hym, and seiden, Lo! Dauid is in the deseert of Engaddi. 27 Therfor Saul took three thousinde of chosun men of al Israel, and yede to seke Dauid and hise men, yhe on moost brokun rochis, that ben able to weie to wield geet aloone. ²⁸ And he cam to the fooldis of scheep, that offriden hem silf to the wei goere. And there was a denne, in to which denne Saul entride, that he schulde purge the wombe; forsothe Dauid and hise men weren hid in the ynnere part of the denne. ²⁹ And the seruauntis of Dauid seiden to hym, Lo! the dai of which the Lord spak to the, Y schal bitake to thee thin enemy, that thou do to hym as it plesith in thin iyen. Therfor Dauid roos, and kittide the hemme of the mentil of Saul priuely.