1 Samuel 24
1 And whanne Saul turnede ayen, aftir that he pursuede Filisteis, thei telden to hym, and seiden, Lo! Dauid is in the deseert of Engaddi.
And it came to pass when Saul returned from pursuing after the Philistines, that it was reported to him, saying, David [is] in the wilderness of Engaddi.
2 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.
And he took with him three thousand men, chosen out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men in front of Saddaeem.
3 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.
And he came to the flocks of sheep that were by the way, and there was a cave there; and Saul went in to make preparation, and David and his men were sitting in the inner part of the cave.
4 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.
And the men of David said to him, Behold, this [is] the day of which the Lord spoke to thee, that he would deliver thine enemy into thy hands; and thou shalt do to him as [it is] good in thy sight. So David arose and cut off the skirt of Saul's garment secretly.
5 Aftir these thingis Dauid smoot his herte, for he hadde kit awei the hemme of the mentil of Saul.
And it came to pass after this that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off the skirt of his garment.
6 And Dauid seide to hise men, The Lord be merciful to me, lest Y do this thing to my lord, the crist of the Lord, that Y sende myn hond `in to hym, for he is the crist of the Lord. The Lord lyueth, for no but the Lord smyte hym, ether his dai come, that he die, ether he go doun in to batel and perische, the Lord be merciful to me, that Y sende not myn hond in to the crist of the Lord.
And David said to his men, The Lord forbid it me, that I should do this ting to my lord the anointed of the Lord, to lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.
7 Forsothe Saul roos out of the denne, and yede in the weie bigunnun.
So David persuaded his men by [his] words, and did not suffer them to arise and slay Saul: and Saul arose and went his way.
8 Sotheli Dauid roos aftir hym, and he yede out of the denne, and criede aftir the bak of Saul, and seide, My lord, the kyng! And Saul bihelde bihinde him silf; and Dauid bowide hym silf lowe to the erthe, and worschipide.
And David rose up [and went] after him out of the cave: and David cried after Saul, saying, [My] lord, [O] king! and Saul looked behind him, and David bowed with his face to the ground, and did obeisance to him.
9 And he seide to Saul, Whi herist thou the wordis of men spekynge, Dauid sekith yuel ayens thee?
And David said to Saul, Why dost thou hearken to the words of the people, saying, Behold, David seeks thy life?
10 Lo! to dai thin iyen siyen, that the Lord bitook thee in myn hond in the denne, and Y thouyte that Y wolde sle thee, but myn iye sparide thee; for Y seide, Y schal not holde forth myn hond in to my lord, which is the crist, `that is, anoyntid, of the Lord.
Behold, thine eyes have seen this day how that the Lord has delivered thee this day into my hands in the cave; and I would not slay thee, but spared thee, and said, I will not lift up my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord's anointed.
11 But rathere, my fadir, se thou, and knowe the hemme of thi mentil in myn hond, for whanne Y kittide aweie the hemme of thi mentil, Y nolde holde forth myn hond in thee; perseyue thou, and see, for nether yuel nether wickidnesse is in myn hond, nether Y synnede ayens thee; but thou aspiest my lijf, that thou do it awei.
And behold, the skirt of thy mantle [is] in my hand, I cut off the skirt, and did not slay thee: know then and see to-day, there is no evil in my hand, nor impiety, nor rebellion; and I have not sinned against thee, yet thou layest snares for my soul to take it.
12 The Lord deme bitwixe me and thee, and the Lord venge me of thee; but myn hond be not in thee,
The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord requite thee on thyself: but my hand shall not be upon thee.
13 as it is seid also in eld prouerbe, Wickidnesse schal go out of wickid men; therfor myn hond be not in thee.
As the old proverb says, Transgression will proceed from the wicked ones: but my hand shall not be upon thee.
14 `Whom pursuest thou, kyng of Israel, whom pursuest thou? Thou pursuest a deed hound, and a quyk fle.
And now after whom dost thou come forth, O king of Israel? After whom dost thou pursue? After a dead dog, and after a flea?
15 The Lord be iuge, and the Lord deme bitwixe me and thee, and se, and deme my cause, and delyuere me fro thin hond.
The Lord be judge and umpire between me and thee, the Lord look upon and judge my cause, and rescue me out of thy hand.
16 Sotheli whanne Dauid hadde fillid spekynge siche wordis to Saul, Saul seide, Whether this is thi vois, my sone Dauid? And Saul reiside his vois, and wepte.
And it came to pass when David had finished speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, [Is] this thy voice, Son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.
17 And he seide to Dauid, Thou art more iust than Y; for thou yauest goodis to me; forsothe Y yeldide yuelis to thee.
And Saul said to David, Thou [art] more righteous that I, for thou hast recompensed me good, but I have recompensed thee evil.
18 And thou schewidist to me to dai, what goodis thou hast do to me, how the Lord bitook me in thin hond, and thou killidist not me.
And thou hast told me to-day what good thou hast done me, how the Lord shut me up into thy hands to-day, and thou didst not slay me.
19 For who, `whanne he fyndith his enemy, schal delyuere hym in good weie? But the Lord yelde to thee this while, for that, that thou wrouytist to dai in me.
And if any one should find his enemy in distress, and should send him forth in a good way, then the Lord will reward him good, as thou has done this day.
20 And now, for Y woot, that thou schalt regne moost certeynli, and schalt haue in thin hond the rewme of Israel, swere thou to me in the Lord,
And now, behold, I know that thou shalt surely reign, and the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thy hand.
21 that thou do not a wei my seed aftir me, nether take a wey my name fro the hows of my fadir.
Now then swear to me by the Lord, that thou wilt not destroy my seed after me, that thou wilt not blot out my name from the house of my father.
22 And Dauid swoor to Saul. Therfor Saul yede in to his hows, and Dauid and hise men stieden to sikire placis.
So David swore to Saul: and Saul departed to his place, and David and his men went up to the strong-hold of Messera.
