2 Samuel 11

¹ Forsothe Dauid sente to Joab, and seide, Sende thou Vrye Ethei to me; and Joab sente Vrye to Dauid. ² And Vrie cam to Dauid; and Dauid axide, hou riytfuli Joab dide and the puple, and hou the batel was mynystrid. ³ And Dauid seide to Vrye, Go in to thin hows, and waische thi feet. Vrye yede out fro the hows of the kyng, and the kyngis mete suede hym. ⁴ Sotheli Vrye slepte bifor the yate of the kyngis hows with othere seruauntis of his lord, and yede not doun to his hows. ⁵ And it was teld to Dauid of men, seiynge, Vrye yede not to his hows. And Dauid seide to Vrye, Whether thou camest not fro the weye? whi yedist thou not doun in to thin hows? 6 And Vrie seide to Dauid, The arke of God, Israel and Juda dwellen in tentis, and my lord Joab, and the seruauntis of my lord dwellen on the face of erthe, and schal Y go in to myn hows, to ete and drynke, and slepe with my wijf? Bi thin helthe, and bi the helthe of thi soule, Y schal not do this thing. 7 Therfor Dauid seide to Vrye, Dwelle thou here also to dai, and to morewe Y schal delyuere thee. Vrie dwellide in Jerusalem in that day and the tothir. 8 And Dauid clepide hym, that he schulde ete and drynke bifor hym, and Dauid made drunkun Vrye; and he yede out in the euentid, and slepte in his bed with the seruauntes of his lord; and yede not doun in to his hows. 9 Therfor the morewtid was maad, and Dauid wroot epistle to Joab, and sente bi the hond of Vrye, 10 and wroot in the pistle, Sette ye Vrye euene ayens the batel, where the batel is strongeste, that is, where the aduersaries ben stronge, and forsake ye hym, that he be smitun and perische. ¹¹ Therfor whanne Joab bisegide the citee, he settide Vrie in the place where he wiste that strongeste men weren. ¹² And men yeden out of the citee, and fouyten ayens Joab, and thei killiden of the puple of seruauntis of Dauid, and also Vrye Ethei was deed. ¹³ Therfor Joab sente, and telde alle the wordis of the batel; ¹⁴ and he comaundyde to the messanger, and seide, Whanne thou hast fillid alle wordis of the batel to the kyng, ¹⁵ if thou seest, that he is wrooth, and seith, Whi neiyiden ye to the wal to fiyte? whether ye wisten not, that many dartis ben sent fro aboue fro the wal? 16 who smoot Abymelech, sone of Gerobaal? whether not a womman sente on hym a gobet of a mylnestoon fro the wal, and killide hym in Thebes? whi neiyiden ye bisidis the wal? thou schalt seie, Also thi seruaunt, Vrye Ethei, diede. 17 Therfor the messanger yede, and telde to Dauid alle thingis whiche Joab hadde comaundid to hym. 18 And the messanger seide to Dauid, Men hadden the maistri ayens us, and thei yeden out to vs in to the feeld; sotheli bi fersnesse maad we pursueden hem til to the yate of the citee. ¹⁹ And archeris senten dartis to thi seruauntis fro the wal aboue, and summe of the kyngis seruauntis ben deed; forsothe also thi seruaunt, Vrye Ethei, is deed. 20 And Dauid seide to the messanger, Thou schalt seie these thingis to Joab, This thing breke not thee; for the bifallyng of batel is dyuerse, and swerd wastith now this man, now that man; coumforte thi fiyteris ayens the citee, that thou distrye it, and excite thou hem. 21 Forsothe the wijf of Vrye herde, that Vrye hir hosebond was deed, and sche biweilide hym. 22 And whanne the morenyng was passid, Dauid sente, and brouyte hir in to his hows; and sche was maad wijf to hym, and sche childide a sone to hym. And this word which Dauid hadde do displeside bifor the Lord. 24 Therfor the Lord sente Nathan to Dauid; and whanne he hadde come to Dauid, he seide to Dauid, Answere thou doom to me; twei men weren in o citee; o man was riche, and the tother was pore. 25 The riche man hadde ful many scheep, and oxun; 26 sotheli the pore man hadde vttirli no thing, outakun o litil scheep, which he hadde bouyt, and nurschid, and which hadde wexid at hym with hise sones, and eet togidere of his breed, and drank of his cuppe, and slepte in his bosum; and it was as a douyter to hym. ²⁷ Forsothe whanne a pilgrym hadde come to the riche man, he sparide to take of hise scheep and oxun, that he schulde make a feeste to that pilgrym, that cam to hym; and he took the scheep of the pore man, and made redi metis to the man that cam to hym.