1 Samuel — The Coverdale Bible (1535)

1 Samuel tells of Samuel, the last of the judges, the kingship of Saul and the rise of David. In Coverdale’s Bible of 1535 it stands in the second part of the Old Testament (Joshua to Esther) under the heading “The first boke of the kynges, otherwyse called the first boke of Samuel”. Coverdale’s summary of the chapters stands before the text; the 1535 Bible has no verse numbers, so the text keeps its own paragraphs, in 31 chapters, with the marginal notes and references printed after each chapter.

What this boke conteyneth.

• Chap. I. Of Elcana and his two wyues. Vnto Anna geueth God Samuel, which is appropriated vnto the LORDE.
• Chap. II. The thankfull songe of Anna. The sonnes of Eli do wickedly, their father refourmeth them not, therfore is the presthode takē from him and his sonnes.
• Chap. III. The reuelacion shewed vnto Samuel, and vnto Eli.
• Chap. IIII. Israel fighteth agaynst the Philistynes, loseth the victory, and is smytten the seconde tyme. The Philistynes wynne the Arke of the LORDE: The two sonnes of Eli perishe, the father falleth downe and breaketh his necke.
• Chap. V. The Philistynes bringe the Arke of the LORDE in to the temple of Dagon, which falleth downe before it.
• Chap. VI. The Philistynes sende the Arke agayne vnto the people of God, with certayne giftes and offerynges.
• Chap. VII. The Arke is broughte in to Aminadabs house. Samuel exhorteth the people to amendment.
• Chap. VIII. Samuels sonnes rule not well. The people desyre to haue a kynge.
• Chap. IX.X. Saul seketh his fathers asses, and cōmeth vnto Samuel, which (at the cōmaundement of the LORDE) anoynteth him kinge, and sheweth him vnto the people.
• Chap. XI. Saul defendeth Iabes from Nahas the Ammonite.
• Chap. XII. Samuel sheweth his innocency vnto the people, and geueth them a godly exho⟨illegible⟩tacion.
• Chap. XIII. The Philistynes gather them selues agaynst Israel. Saul is disobedient vnto to the LORDE. Samuel reproueth him.
• Chap. XIIII. Ionathas discōfiteth the enemies by sotyltie, Saul helpeth him: the father wolde slaye the sonne, the people delyuer him.
• Chap. XV. Samuel cōmaundeth Saul to damne Amalek and vtterly to destroye him▪ Saul is dishobedient, & therfore is he deposed from the kyngdome.
• Chap. XVI. Dauid is anoynted kynge. The euell sprete vexeth Saul, Dauid easeth him with playenge at the harpe.
• Chap. XVII. Dauid destroyeth Goliath the ⟨illegible⟩ The Philistynes fle.
• Chap. XVIII. Ionathas and Dauid are sworne louers. Dauid behaueth himselfe wysely in all thinges. The people loue him. Saul geueth him his doughter of purpose, that the Philistynes mighte destroye him.
• Chap. XIX. Saul commaūdeth to kyll Dauid. Ionathas geueth him warnynge. Dauid flyeth his waye. His wife delyuereth him.
• Chap. XX. Dauid auoydeth from the kynges displeasure. Ionathas warneth him.
• Chap. XXI. Dauid flieth vnto Noba to the prest Ahimelech, and eateth of the shewbred.
• Chap. XXII. Dauids frēdes helpe him. Doeg the Edomite slayeth Ahimelech & the other prestes of the LORDE.
• Chap. XXIII. Saul layeth wayte for Dauid ⟨illegible⟩getteth him out of the waye, and the LORDE defendeth him.
• Chap. XXIIII. Saul commeth into Dauids hande, which wil not slaye him, but cutteth of a pece of his garment, &c.
• Chap. XXV. Samuel dyeth. Nabal displeaseth Dauid. Abigail pacifieth him.
• Chap. XXVI. Dauid fyndeth Saul slepynge, and where as Abisai wolde slaye him, he wil not suffre him, but taketh awaye his speare and the cuppe of water.
• Chap. XXVII. Dauid flyeth vnto Achis the kynge at Geth.
• Chap. XXVIII. Dauid is made Achis captayne. Saul axeth councell at the Sothsayer. Samuel appeareth vnto him and rebuketh him.
• Chap. XXIX. The Philistynes are not contente, that Dauid shulde be their captayne. The kynge sendeth him home agayne.
• Chap. XXX. The Amalechites fall vpō Sice⟨illegible⟩ek. Dauid foloweth vpon them, and recouereth the spoyle agayne.
• Chap. XXXI. The Philistynes fihgte agaynst Israel. Sauls sonnes are slayne, & he wounded, and slayeth him selfe.

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Chapter 1

[A] THere was a man of Ramathaim Sophim of mount Ephraim, ⁽¹⁾ whose name was Elcana yᵉ sonne of Ieroham, yᵉ sonne of Elihu, yᵉ sonne of Tohu, yᵉ sonne of Zuph, yᵗ was an Ephrate. And he had two wyues, yᵉ one was called Anna, yᵉ other Peninna. As for Peninna, she had children, but Anna had no childrē. And yᵉ same man wēte vp frō his cite ⁽²⁾ at his tyme, to worshippe and to offer vnto the LORDE Zebaoth at Silo. There were the prestes of the LORDE Ophni and Phineas, the two sonnes of Eli. Now whan it came vpon a daye that Elcana offred, he gaue partes vnto his wife Peninna, and to all his sonnes and doughters. But vnto Anna he gaue one deale heuely, for he loued Anna. Neuertheles ⁽³⁾ the LORDE had closed hir wombe, & hir aduersary cast her in the tethe with hir vnfrutefulnes, because the LORDE had closed hir wombe: thus dyd she euery yeare, whan they wente vp to the house of the LORDE, and thus she prouoked her. So she wepte, and ate nothinge. But Elcana hir huszbande sayde vnto her: Wherfore wepest thou? and why eatest thou not? And wherfore is thine hert so greued? Am not I better vnto the then ten sonnes?

[B] Then stode Anna vp, whan she had eaten and dronken at Silo. But Eli the prest sat vpon a stole by the poste of the temple of the LORDE. And she was full of heuyn⟨illegible⟩ in hir herte, and prayed vnto the LORDE, and wepte, and vowed a vowe, and sayde: O LORDE Zebaoth, yf thou wilt loke vpon the aduersite of thy handmayden, and thynke vpon me, and not forget thy handmayden, and wilt geue thy handmayden a sonne, I wil geue him vnto the LORDE all his life longe, ⁽⁴⁾ and there shal no rasoure come vpon his heade.

And whā she had prayed longe before yᵉ LORDE, Eli toke hede to hir mouth, for Anna spake in hir hert, hir lippes onely moued, but hir voyce was not herde. Then thoughte Eli she had bene dronken, and sayde vnto her: How longe wilt thou be dronken? Let come from the the wyne that thou hast by the. Neuertheles Anna answered and sayde: No my lorde, I am a soroufull woman, wyne and stronge drynke haue I not dronken ⁽⁵⁾ but haue poured out my hert before yᵉ LORDE. Counte not thy handmayden a doughter of Belial: for out of my heuy thoughte and sorow haue I spoken hitherto.

Eli answered her, and sayde: Go yⁱ waye [C] in peace, the God of Israel shal graunte yᵉ thy peticion that thou hast desyred of him. She sayde: Let thy handmayden fynde fauoure in thy sighte. So the woman wente hir waye and ate, and loked nomore so soroufully: and on yᵉ morow they gat them vp by tymes. And whan they had worshipped before yᵉ LORDE, they returned, and came home vnto Ramatha.

And Elcana laye with Anna his wife, and the LORDE remembred her. And after certayne dayes, she cōceaued and bare a sonne, and called his name Samuel, for I haue desyred him (sayde she) of the LORDE. And whan the man Elcana wente vp with all his houszholde to offre sacrifice and his vowe vnto the LORDE at soch tyme as yᵉ custome was, Anna wente not vp, but sayde vnto hir huszbande: (I wil not go vp) tyll yᵉ childe be weened: then will I brynge him, that he maye appeare before the LORDE, and cōtynue there ⁽⁶⁾ for euer.

Elcana hir huszbande sayde vnto her:[D] Thē do as thou thynkest best, tary tyll thou haue weened him: but the LORDE perfourme that he hath spoken. So the woman abode, and gaue hir sonne sucke, tyll she weened him. And whan she had weened him, she broughte him vp with her, with thre bullockes, with an Ephi of fyne floure, and a bottell of wyne, and broughte him in to yᵉ house of the LORDE at Silo.

Neuertheles the childe was yet but yonge. And they slewe a bullocke, and broughte the childe vnto Eli. And she sayde: O my lorde, as truly as thy soule lyueth my lorde, I am the woman that stode here by yᵉ, and made intercession vnto the LORDE, whan I prayed for this childe. Now hath yᵉ LORDE graunted me my peticion, which I desyred of him, therfore haue I geuen him ouer vnto the LORDE, as longe as he is lent vnto the LORDE. And they worshipped yᵉ LORDE there.

Notes to Chapter 1

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 7. b

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 2⟨illegible⟩. b ⟨illegible⟩. 1⟨illegible⟩. a

⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 2⟨illegible⟩. d ⟨illegible⟩. a

⁽⁴⁾ Iud. 13. a Num. ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁵⁾ Psal. 4⟨illegible⟩.

⁽⁶⁾ Num. ⟨illegible⟩.

Chapter 2

[A] ANd Anna prayed, and sayde:

My hert reioyseth in the LORDE, & my horne is exalted in the LORDE.

My mouth is opened wyde vpō myne enemies, for I am glad of thy saluacion.

There is no man holy as the LORDE, for without the is nothinge, and there is no cōforte like vnto oure God.

Let go yoʳ greate boostinge of hye thynges, let go out of youre mouth that olde byworde: for the LORDE is a God yᵗ knoweth all thinges, & he hath set all workes in order.

The bowe of the mightie is broken, and the weake are gyrded aboute with strength.

They that were fylled afore, are solde for bred: and they that were hongrie, are satisfied: vntyll the baren bare seuen, and tyll she that had many childrē, was become weake.

[B] ⁽¹⁾ The LORDE slayeth, and geueth life: he ledeth vnto hell, and bryngeth out agayne.

The LORDE maketh poore and maketh riche: He bryngeth lowe and exalteth.

⁽²⁾ He taketh vp the neady out of the dust, and lifteth vp yᵉ poore out of the myre, that he maye set them amonge the prynces, and to let them inheret the seate of honoure: for the foundacions and corners of the worlde are the LORDES, and he hath set the compase of the earth theron.

He shall preserue the fete of his sayntes, but yᵉ vngodly shal be put to sylēce in darcnesse. ⁽³⁾ For there is no mā that can do oughte of his owne power.

The LORDES enemies shal be put in feare before him, he shal thōder vpō thē in heauē.

The LORDE shall iudge the endes of the worlde, & shal geue strēgth vnto his kynge, & shall exalte the horne of his anoynted.

Elcana wente his waye to Ramath vnto [C] his house. And the childe became the LORDES mynister before Eli the prest. But Elis sonnes were the childrē of Belial, and knewe not the LORDE, ner the dutye of the prestes vnto the people: but whan eny man wolde offre oughte, the prestes boye came, whyle the flesh was seethinge, and had a thre forked fleshoke in his hande, and thrust it in to the cauldron, or ketell, or panne, or pot: and loke what he drue forth with the fleshoke, that toke the prest therof. Thus dyd they vnto all Israel▪ which came thither vnto Silo.

Like wyse, or euer they burned the fatt, the prestes lad came, and sayde vnto him that broughte the offerynge: Geue me the flesh, that I maye roste it for the prest, for he wyl receaue no sodden flesh of yᵉ, but rawe. Yf eny man sayde then vnto him: Let the [D] fat burne as it oughte to do this daye, and afterwarde take what thine hert desyreth, then sayde he vnto him: Thou shalt geue it me euen now: yf no, I wyll take it from the by violēce. Therfore was the synne of yᵉ childrē very greate before the LORDE, for yᵉ people spake euell of yᵉ meat offerynge of yᵉ LORDE. But Samuel was a mynister before the LORDE, and the childe was gyrded with an ouer body cote of lynnen. His mother also made him a litle cote of sylke, and broughte it vp vnto him at cōuenient tymes, whā she wente vp with hir huszbande to offer yᵉ offerynge in due season.

And Eli blessed Elcana & his wife, and sayde: The LORDE geue the sede of this woman, for this good that thou hast lent vnto the LORDE. And they wēte vnto their place. And the LORDE vysited Anna, so that she cōceaued and bare thre sonnes and two doughters: but the childe Samuel grewe vp with the LORDE.

As for Eli, he was very olde, and herde [E] of all that his sonnes dyd vnto all Israel, and how they laye with the wemen that serued God before the dore of the tabernacle of witnesse, and he sayde vnto them: wherfore do ye this? For I heare of youre euell conuersacion of all this people. Not so my childrē, this is no good reporte that I heare, ye cause the people of the LORDE to offende. ⁽⁴⁾ Yf eny mā synne agaynst a man, the iudge cā redresse it. But yf eny mā synne agaynst yᵉ LORDE, who can redresse it? Neuertheles they herkened not vnto the voyce of their father, for the LORDES wyll was to slaye them. But the childe Samuel wente and grewe vp, & was accepted of the LORDE & of mē.

There came a man of God to Eli, and sayde vnto him: Thus sayeth the LORDE:[F] I shewed my selfe vnto thy fathers house, whan they were yet in Egipte vnder yᵉ house of Pharao, and chose him there vnto my selfe before all the trybes of Israel, for the presthode, that he shulde offer vpon myne altare, and burne incense, and weere the ouerbody cote before me, ⁽⁵⁾ and vnto thy fathers house I gaue all the offeringes of the children of Israel. Why layest thou thy selfe then agaynst my sacrifices and meat offeringes, which I commaunded (to offer) in the habitacion: and thou honourest thy sonnes more then me, that ye mighte fede youre selues with the firstlinges of all the meat offerynges of my people of Israel?

Therfore sayeth the LORDE God of Israel: I haue spoken, that thy house and thy fathers house shulde walke before me for euer. But now sayeth the LORDE: That be farre fro me. But who so euer honoureth me, him wil I honoʳ also: as for those yᵗ despyse [G] me, they shal not be regarded. Beholde, ⁽⁶⁾ the tyme shal come, that I wyll breake thyne arme in two, and the arme of thy fathers house, so that there shal no oldeman be in thy house. And thou shalt se thine aduersaries in the habitacion, in all the good of Israel, and there shal neuer be olde man in thy fathers house. Yet wyll I not rote out euery man of the fro myne altare, but yᵗ thyne eyes maye be consumed, & that yᵉ soule maye be sory: ⁽⁷⁾ & a greate multitude of thy house shal dye, whan they are come to be men.

And this shalbe a token vnto the, that shal come vpon thy two sonnes Ophni and Phineas: They shall both dye in one daye. ⁽⁸⁾But vnto my selfe I wyll rayse vp a faithfull prest, which shal do acordinge as it is in my hert & in my soule: vnto him wyll I buylde a sure house, that he maye allwaye walke before myne anoynted. And who so euer remayneth of thy house, shall come and worshipe him for a syluer peny and for a pece of bred, and shall saye: I praye the leaue me to one prestes parte, that I maye eate a morsell of bred.

Notes to Chapter 2

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩eut. ⟨illegible⟩2. f ⟨illegible⟩. 1⟨illegible⟩. c ⟨illegible⟩ob▪ 13. a

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩al. 112. a

⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩eut ⟨illegible⟩. d

⁽⁴⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁵⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁶⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 2. d

⁽⁷⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 22. d

⁽⁸⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 4. c ⟨illegible⟩. ⟨illegible⟩3. c

Chapter 3

[A] ANd whan the childe Samuel mynistred vnto the LORDE vnder Eli, the worde of yᵉ LORDE was deare at the same tyme, nether was there eny sure & manifest vision. And it fortuned at the same tyme, that Eli laye in his place, ⁽¹⁾ and his eyes beganne to be dymme, so that he coulde not se. And Samuel had layed him downe in yᵉ temple of the LORDE (where the Arke of God was) before yᵉ lampe of God was put out. And the LORDE called Samuel. He answered: Beholde, here am I. And he ranne vnto Eli, & sayde: Beholde, here am I, thou hast called me. But he saide: I haue not called the, go thy waye agayne, and laye the downe to slepe. And he wente his waye, and layed him downe to slepe.

[B] The LORDE called againe: Samuel. And Samuel arose, & wente vnto Eli, & sayde: Beholde, here am I, thou hast called me. Neuertheles he sayde: My sonne, I haue not called the. So thy waye agayne, and laye the downe to slepe. As for Samuel, he knewe not the LORDE as yet, & the worde of yᵉ LORDE was not yet shewed vnto him. And yᵉ LORDE called Samuel yᵉ thirde tyme. And he arose, & wente vnto Eli, & sayde: Beholde, here am I, thou hast called me. Then perceaued Eli yᵗ the LORDE called yᵉ childe, & he sayde vnto him: Go thy waye agayne, & laye the downe to slepe: and yf the LORDE call the eny more, then saye: Speake LORDE, for yᵉ seruaunt heareth. Samuel wēte his waye, and layed him downe in his place. Thē came yᵉ [C] LORDE, & stode, and called like as afore: Samuel, Samuel. And Samuel sayde: Speake (LORDE) for thy seruaunt heareth. And the LORDE saide vnto Samuel: Beholde, I do a thinge in Israel, yᵗ who so euer shall heare it, both his eares shal glowe. In yᵗ daie will I rayse vp vpon Eli ⁽²⁾ all yᵗ I haue spokē cōcernynge his house. I will take it in hande, & perfourme it: for I haue tolde him, yᵗ I wilbe Iudge ouer his house for euer, because of the wickednes, yᵗ he knewe how shamefully his childrē behaued thēselues, and hath not once loked sowerly therto. Therfore haue I sworne vnto yᵉ house of Eli, yᵗ this wickednes of yᵉ house of Eli shall not be recōcyled nether wᵗ sacrifice ner wᵗ meat offringe for euer. And Samuel laye vnto yᵉ morow, & opened the dores of the house of the LORDE.

But Samuel was afrayed to tell the vysion [D] vnto Eli. Then Eli called him & sayde: Samuel my sonne. He answered: Beholde, here am I. He sayde: What is yᵉ worde yᵗ the LORDE hath spokē vnto the? hyde it not fro me. God do this & that vnto yᵉ, yf thou hyde oughte fro me, of all that he hath talked wᵗ the. Then Samuel tolde him alltogether, & hyd nothinge from him. He sayde: It is the LORDE, let him do what pleaseth him.

Samuel grewe vp, & the LORDE was wᵗ him, & there fell none of all his wordes vpō the earth. And all Israel frō Dan vnto Bersaba, knewe yᵗ Samuel was faithfull to be a prophet of the LORDE. And the LORDE appeared agayne at Silo: for the LORDE shewed him selfe vnto Samuel at Silo, thorow the worde of the LORDE.

Notes to Chapter 3

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 4. c

⁽²⁾ 1. Re. 2. g

Chapter 4

ANd all Israel spake of Samuel. And [A] Israel wente forth to the battayll against the Philistynes, & pitched besyde the. ⁽¹⁾ Helpe stone: As for the Philistynes, they pitched at Aphek, and prepared them selues agaynst Israel. And whan the battayll beganne, the hoost was deuyded, so that Israel was smyttē before the enemies, & in the edge in the felde they slewe aboute a foure thousande men. And whan the people came in to the hoost, the Elders of Israel sayde: Wherfore hath the LORDE caused vs to be smytten this daie before the Philistynes? Let vs take vnto vs the Arke of the LORDES couenaunt from Silo, & let it come amōge vs, that it maye helpe vs from the hande of oure enemies. And the people sent vnto Silo, & caused to set thēce the Arke of yᵉ couenaunt of the LORDE Zebaoth, that sytteth vpon the Cherubins. And with the Arke of the couenaunt of God there were the two sonnes of Eli, Ophni and Phineas.

[B] And whan the Arke of the couenaunt of the LORDE came in to the hoost, all Israel shouted wᵗ a greate shoute, so that the earth sounded withall. But whan the Philistynes herde yᵉ noyse of yᵉ shoute, they sayde: what noyse is this of soch greate shoutinge in the tentes of the Hebrues? And whan they perceaued yᵗ the Arke of the LORDE was come in to the hoost, they were afrayed & sayde: God is come in to the hoost. And they sayde morouer: Wo vnto vs, for it hath not bene thus afore tyme. Wo vnto vs. Who wil delyuer vs frō the hande of these hye goddes? These are the goddes that smote Egipte wᵗ all maner of plages in the wyldernesse. Be stronge now and manly ye Philistynes, that ye serue not the Hebrues ⁽²⁾ as they haue serued you. Be manly and fighte.

[C] Then foughte the Philistynes, & Israel was smytten, & euery one fled vnto his tēte, & there was a very greate slaughter, so that there fell of Israel thirtye thousande fote mē, & the Arke of God was takē,⁽³⁾ & the two sonnes of Eli, Ophni and Phineas dyed.

Then rāne there one of Ben Iamin out of the fore fronte of the battayl, & came vnto Silo the same daye, & had his clothes rente, and had earth vpō his heade. And whan he came in, Heli sat vpon the seate, that he mighte loke towarde the waye: for his herte was fearfull aboute yᵉ Arke of God. And whan the man came in to the cite, he tolde it forth: and all the cite cried. And whan Eli herde yᵉ noyse of the cryēge, he axed: What noyse of busynes is this? The man came haistely, and tolde Eli. (As for Eli, he was fourescore and eightene yeare olde, ⁽⁴⁾ and his eyes were dymme, so that he could not se.) The man sayde vnto Eli: I come and am fled this daye out of the hoost. He sayde: How is it my sonne?

[D] Then answered the tydinge bringer, & sayde: Israel is fled before the Philistynes, and a greate slaughter hath there bene amonge the people, & thy two sonnes Ophni & Phineas are deed, yee & the Arke of God is takē awaye. Whan he had made mencion of the Arke of God, he fell downe bacwarde from the seate by the gate, and brake his neck, and dyed: for he was olde, & an heuy man. He iudged Israel fortie yeares. The wife of his sonne Phineas was wᵗ childe, & shulde shortly be delyuered, whan she herde the tydinges yᵗ the Arke of God was taken, and yᵗ hir brother in lawe and hir huszbāde were deed, she bowed hir selfe and trauayled: for hir payne came vpon her. And whan she was now at the poynte of death, the wemen that stode by her, sayde: Feare not, thou hast a yōge sonne. But she gaue no answere, nether regarded it, and she called the childe Icabod, and sayde: The glory is gone from Israel, because the Arke of God was taken awaye, and hir brother in lawe and hir huszbande. And she sayde morouer: The glory is gone from Israel, for the Arke of God is takē awaye.

Notes to Chapter 4

⁽¹⁾ 1. Reg. ⟨illegible⟩. ⟨illegible⟩

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩ud. 13. a

⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. Re. 2. g

⁽⁴⁾ Reg. ⟨illegible⟩. a

Chapter 5

[woodcut]

AS for the Arke of God, the Philistynes [A] toke it and broughte it from the stone of helpe vnto Aszdod in to the house of Dagon, and set it besyde Dagon. And whan they of Aszdod rose vp early on the morowe, they founde Dagon lyenge on his face vpon the earth, before the Arke of the LORDE. But they toke vp Dagon, and set him agayne in his place. Neuertheles whan they rose vp early on the nexte morowe, they founde Dagon lyenge on his face agayne vpon the earth before the Arke of the LORDE: but his heade and both his hādes hewen of vpon the threszholde, so that the block laie there onely. Therfore the prestes of Dagon, and all they that go in to his house, treade not vpō the threszsholde of Dagon at Aszdod vnto this daye.

But the hande of the LORDE was heuy [B] vpon them of Aszdod, and destroyed them, and smote Aszdod and all the borders therof in secrete places. Whan the men of Aszdod sawe that they were so plaged, they sayde: ⁽¹⁾ Let not the Arke of the God of Israel tary with vs, for his hande is to harde vpō vs & vpon oʳ god Dagon. And they sent forth and gathered all the prynces of the Philistynes vnto them, and sayde: What shal we do with the Arke of the God of Israel? Then answered they of Geth: Let the Arke of the God of Israel be borne aboute. And they caried the Arke of the God of Israel rounde aboute.

[C] But whā they bare it aboute, there was a very greate rumoure in the cite thorow the hande of the LORDE, and smote the people of the cite, from the smallest vnto the greatest, and destroyed them in the secrete places. Then sent they the Arke of the LORDE vnto Ekron. But whā the Arke of the LORDE came vnto Ekron, they of Ekron cried: They haue caried the Arke of God aboute vnto me, to slaye me and my people.

[D] Then sente they forth, and gathered all yᵉ prynces of the Philistynes together, and sayde: Sende awaye the Arke of the God of Israel agayne vnto hir place, that it slaye not me & my people: for there is a very greate rumoure with the deed in all the cite, and the hande of God is there. And the people that dyed not, were smytten in secrete places, so that the noyse of the cite wēte vp vnto heauen.

Notes to Chapter 5

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

Chapter 6

[A] THus was the Arke of the LORDE in the londe of the Philistynes seuen monethes. And the Philistynes called their prestes and soythsayers, and sayde: What shal we do with the Arke of the LORDE? Shewe vs, wher with shal we sende it vnto hir place? They sayde: Yf ye wyll sende awaye the Arke of the God of Israel, sende it not awaye emptye, but geue a trespace offerynge: so shal ye be made whole, and ye shal knowe, why his hande departeth not from you.

They sayde: What is the trespace offeringe that we shall geue him? They answered: Fyue hynder partes of golde, and fyue golden myce, acordinge to the nombre of the fyue prynces of yᵉ Philistynes. For there hath bene one maner of plage vpon you all, and vpon youre prynces. Therfore must ye make youre hynder partes of one faszshion and youre myce, which haue destroyed youre londe, that ye maye geue the God of Israel the honoure: peraduenture his hāde shal be the lighter vpon you and vpon youre God, and [B] vpon youre londe. Why harden ye youre hert, as the Egipcians and Pharao hardened their hert? Whan he shewed him selfe vpon them ⁽¹⁾ dyd not they let them departe to go their waye?

Go to now therfore, and make a new cart, and take two mylke kyne, vpon yᵉ which there neuer came yock, and yocke them to yᵉ cart, and let their calues tary behynde them at home: and take ye the Arke of the LORDE and laye it vpon the cart: and the Iewels of golde that ye geue him for a trespace offeringe put in a coffer beside it, & sende it awaye and let it go. And loke well: yf it go the waie of hir awne coaste Beth Semes, thē hath he done vs all this greate euell: Yf no, then shal ye knowe that his hande hath not touched vs, but yᵗ it is happened vnto vs by chaūce.

The men dyd so, and toke two yonge mylke kyne, and yocked them to a cart, and helde their calues at home, and layed the Arke of the LORDE vpon the cart, and the coffer with the golden myce, and with the ymages of their disease. And the kyne wente [C] straight waye vnto Beth Semes vpon one hye strete, and wente on blearynge, and turned nether to the righte hande ner to the lefte. And the prynces of the Philistynes wente after them vnto yᵉ coast of Beth Semes.

The Beth Samites were euen reapynge downe their wheate haruest in the valley, and lyfte vp their eyes, and sawe the Arke, and reioysed to se it. The cart came in to the felde of Iosua the Beth Semite, and there it stode styll. And there was a greate stone, and they claue the tymber of the cart, and offred the kyne vnto the LORDE for a burnt-offerynge.

But the Leuites toke downe the Arke of the LORDE, and the coffer that was by it, wherin the Iewels of golde were, and set thē vpon the greate stone. The men of Beth Semes offred burnt offerynges, and other offerynges also vnto the LORDE the same daye. And whan the fyue prynces of the Philistynes had sene it, they departed agayne the same daye towarde Ekron.

These are the golden diseases, that the [D] Philistynes offred for a trespace offerynge vnto the LORDE: Aszdod one, Gasa one: Ascalon one, Gath one, and Ekron one: and golden myce, acordynge to the nombre of all the cities of the Philistynes amonge the fyue prynces, from the walled cite vnto the vyllage, and vnto the greate playne felde, whervpon they set the Arke of the LORDE (which was) vnto this daye vpon the felde of Iosua the Beth Semite.

And certaine of Beth Sames were slaine because they had sene yᵉ Arke of the LORDE, and he slewe fyftye thousande and seuentye men of the people. Then mourned the people, because the LORDE had done so greate a slaughter in the people. And the men at Beth Semes sayde: Who maye stōde before the LORDE so holy a God? And to whō shal he go frō vs? And they sent messaungers to yᵉ inhabiters of Kiriath Iearim, saiēge: The Philistynes haue brought the Arke of God agayne, come downe, & fetch it vp vnto you.

Notes to Chapter 6

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 12. c

Chapter 7

[A] SO the men of Kiriath Iearim came downe, & fetched vp yᵉ Arke of yᵉ LORDE, & brought it in to yᵉ house of ⁽¹⁾ Abinadab at Gibea, & they consecrated Eleasar his sonne, yᵗ he might kepe yᵉ Arke. And frō yᵗ daye that the Arke of yᵉ LORDE abode at Kiriath Iearim, yᵉ tyme extended forth so longe tyll it came to twentye yeares: and all the house of Israel wepte after the LORDE.

But Samuel sayde vnto all the house of Israel: ⁽²⁾ Yf ye turne you withall youre hert vnto the LORDE, then put awaye from you the straunge goddes and Astaroth, and directe youre hert vnto the LORDE and ⁽³⁾ serue him onely, so shall be delyuer you out of the hande of the Philistynes. Then the childrē of Israel put awaye Baalim and Astaroth from them, and serued the LORDE onely.

[B] Samuel saide: Gather all Israel together vnto Mispa, that I maye praye for you vnto the LORDE. And they came together vnto Mispa, and drue water, & poured it out before the LORDE, and fasted the same daye, and there they sayde: We haue synned vnto the LORDE. So Samuel iudged the children of Israel at Mispa.

But whan the Philistynes herde that yᵉ children of Israel were come together vnto Mispa, the prynces of the Philistynes wēte vp against Israel. Whan yᵉ childrē of Israel herde that, they were afrayed of yᵉ Philistynes, & sayde vnto Samuel: Ceasse not to crye vnto the LORDE oure God for vs, yᵗ he maie helpe vs out of the hande of yᵉ Philistynes.⁽⁴⁾ Samuel toke a fat lambe, & offred an whole burnt offerynge vnto the LORDE, & cried vnto the LORDE for Israel, and the LORDE herde him. And whyle Samuel was offerynge [C] yᵉ burnt sacrifice, yᵉ Philistines came to fight agaynst Israel. But the LORDE thondred a thonder vpon the Philistynes the same daye & discōfyted thē, so yᵗ they were smyttē before Israel. Thē wente yᵉ men of Israel forth, & chaced yᵉ Philistynes, & smote them till vnder Beth Car. Then toke Samuel a stone, & set it vp betwene Mispa & Sen, & called it yᵉ Help stone, & sayde: Hither to hath the LORDE helped vs.⁽⁵⁾ Thus were the Philistynes brought downe, & came nomore within the border of Israel. And yᵉ hāde of yᵉ LORDE was against the Philistynes, as longe as Samuel lyued.

[D] So Israel gat the cities agayne, that the Philistynes had conquered, frō Ekron vnto Gath, with the borders therof, those did Israel rescue out of the hande of the Philistynes: & Israel had peace wᵗ the Amorites. Samuel iudged Israel as lōge as he liued, & wēte aboute euery yeare vnto Bethel & Gilgal & Mispa: & whā he had iudged Israel in all these places, he came agayne vnto Ramath for there was his house, & there he iudged Israel, & builded an altare there vnto yᵉ LORDE.

Notes to Chapter 7

⁽¹⁾ Re. 6. a

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 24 c ⟨illegible⟩ob. 14▪ c

⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩ut. ⟨illegible⟩. c ⟨illegible⟩at. 4. b

⁽⁴⁾ ⟨illegible⟩ccl⟨illegible⟩. 46 c

⁽⁵⁾ Re. 4. a

Chapter 8

BVt whan Samuel waxed olde, he set [A] his sonnes to be iudges ouer Israel. His firstborne sonne was called Ioel & the secōde Abia, & they were iudges at Bersaba. Neuertheles his sonnes walked not in his wayes, but enclyned vnto couetousnes, & ⁽¹⁾toke giftes, & wraysted the lawe. Then all yᵉ Elders in Israel gathered thē selues together, & came to Ramath vnto Samuel, & saide vnto him: Beholde, thou art waxen olde, & thy sonnes walke not in yᵗ wayes, ⁽²⁾ set a kynge now ouer vs therfore, to iudge vs, as all yᵉ Heithē haue. Thē was Samuel displeased whā they sayde: Geue vs a kynge, to iudge as. And Samuel prayed before the LORDE.

The LORDE saide vnto Samuel: Herken [B] vnto the voice of the people in all yᵗ they haue sayde vnto the. ⁽³⁾ For they haue not refused the, but me, yᵗ I shulde not be kinge ouer them. They do vnto the as they haue done euer, sence the daie yᵗ I brought them out of the londe of Egipte vnto this daye, and ha⟨illegible⟩ue forsaken me, and serued other goddes. Herkē now therfore vnto their voyce. Yet testifye vnto them, and shewe them ⁽⁴⁾ the lawe of the kynge that shall raigne ouer them.

And Samuel tolde all the wordes of the LORDE vnto yᵉ people, that requyred a kinge of him. This shal be the lawe of the kynge yᵗ shal raigne ouer you:⁽⁵⁾ Yoʳ sonnes shall he take for his charettes, and for horsmen to runne before his charettes, and to be rulers & captaynes, to be plowemen to tyll his londe and to be reapers in his haruest, and to make his harnesse, and soch thinges as belonge to his charettes. As for yoʳ doughters, he shall [C] take thē, to be Apotecaries, cokes and bakers Youre best londe and vynyardes,⁽⁶⁾ and oyle-gardens shall he take, and geue vnto his seruauntes: Of youre sedes also and viniardes shal he take the Tithes, & geue vnto his chāberlaynes and seruauntes. And youre seruaūtes and youre maydes, and youre best yonge men, and youre asses shal he take, and do his busynes withall. Of youre flockes shal he take the Tithes, and ye shal be his seruaūtes. Whan ye shal crye then at the same tyme ouer youre kynge, whom ye haue chosen you, the LORDE shall not heare you at the same tyme. Neuerthelesse the people refused to [D] heare the voyce of Samuel, and sayde: Not so, but there shall be a kynge ouer vs, yᵗ we maye be as all other Heithē, yᵗ oʳ kynge maie iudge vs, & go forth before vs, and gouerne oure warres. Thē herkened Samuel vnto all yᵗ yᵉ people sayde, & tolde it before yᵉ eares of the LORDE. The LORDE sayde vnto thē: Herken thou vnto their voyce, and make them a kynge. And Samuel sayde vnto the men of Israel: Go youre waye euery one vnto his cite.

Notes to Chapter 8

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁴⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁵⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁶⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

Chapter 9

[A] THere was a man of Ben Iamin named ⁽¹⁾ Cis, the sonne of Abiel, the sonne of Zeor, the sonne of Bethorah, yᵉ sonne of Apiah, the sonne of a man of Iemini, a valeaunt man, which had a sonne named Saul, which was so goodly a yonge man, that there was not a goodlier amonge the children of Israel, higher by the heade then all the people. Cis the father of Saul had lost his asses, and he sayde vnto Saul his sonne: Take one of the children with the, get the vp, go thy waye, and seke the asses. And he wente his waye thorow mount Ephraim, and thorow the lōde of Solisa, and founde them not. They wente thorow the lōde of Saalim, & there they were not. They passed thorow yᵉ lōde of Iemini, & foūde thē not. But whā they came in to the londe of Zuph, Saul sayde vnto the childe that was with him: Come, let vs go home agayne, lest my father let go the asses, and take care for vs. He sayde: Beholde, here is an honorable man of God in this cite, all that he sayeth, commeth to passe. Let vs go thither now, perauenture he maye shewe vs oure waye which we go. But Saul saide vnto his childe: Though we shulde go, what brynge we the man? For the bred is gone out of oʳ walet, and els haue we no gifte to brynge the man of God, what haue we? The childe answered agayne, and sayde: Beholde, I haue the fourth parte of a syluer Sycle by me, yᵉ same wyll we geue the man of God, that he maye shewe vs oure waye.

(Afore tyme in Israel, whan a man wente [B] to axe councell at the LORDE, he sayde: Come, let vs go to the Seer: for they that now are called prophetes, were called Seers afore tyme). Saul sayde vnto his childe: Thou hast well spoken, come let vs go. And whan they wente vnto the cite where the man of God was, and came vp to the cite, they founde damsels which were gone forth to drawe water, vnto them they sayde: Is the Seer here▪ They answered them and sayde: Yee. Beholde, he is there, make haist, for he came in to the cite this daye, because the people haue a sacrifice to do to daye in the hye place. Whan ye come in the cite, ye shal fynde him, afore he go vp to the hye place for to eate: for the people wyll not eate tyll he come. For he shall blesse the offerynge, then shal they eate that are called. Therfore go yoʳ waie vp, for euē now shal ye finde him

And whan they came vp to the cite, and [C] were euen in the myddes of the cite, beholde, Samuel came forth in their waye, and wolde go vp to the hye place. (⁽²⁾But the LORDE had opened Samuels eare the daye afore, or euer Saul came, and sayde: Tomorow aboute this tyme wyll I sende a man vnto the out of the lōde of Ben Iamin, him shalt thou anoynte to be prynce ouer my people of Israel, that he maye delyuer my people from the hande of the Philistynes: for I haue loked vpon my people, and their crye is come before me.) Now whan Samuel behelde Saul, the LORDE answered him: lo, yᵗ is the man of whom I tolde the, that he shulde raigne ouer my people.

Then came Saul vnto Samuel vnder yᵉ gate, and sayde: Tell me (I praye the) where is the Seers house? Samuel answered Saul, and sayde: I am the Seer. Go vp before me vnto the hye place: for ye shall eate with me to daye, tomorow wyll I lett the go, and all that is in thyne hert, wyll I tell the: and as for the Asses which were lost thre dayes agoo, care not thou for them, for they are founde. And to whom shall belonge all that is pleasaunt in Israel? Shall it not belonge vnto the and to all thy fathers house? Saul answered: Am not I a sonne of Iemini, ⁽³⁾ and of the smallest trybe, and my kynred the leest amonge all the kynreds of yᵉ trybe of Ben Iamin? Why speakest thou so thē vnto me? Samuel toke Saul & his childe & brought them in to the perler where they [D] shulde eate, and satt them aboue those that were called, of whom there were aboute a thirtie men. And Samuel sayde vnto the coke: Geue me the porcion that I gaue the, and bad the kepe it by the. Then the coke toke vp a shulder, and bare it forth, and set it before Saul. And (Samuel) sayde: Beholde, this is left, laye it before the, and eate: for it was kepte for the agaynst this tyme, whan I called the people. Thus Saul ate with Samuel the same daye.

And whan they were gone downe from the hye place vnto the cite, he talked with Saul in the chamber. And they rose vp early on the morow. And whan the mornynge sprynge arose, Samuel called Saul in the chamber, and sayde: Vp, yᵗ I maye sende the thy waye. And Saul gat him vp: & they both wēte forth together, he and Samuel. And whan they came downe to the ende of the cite, Samuel sayde vnto Saul: Speake vnto yᵉ childe, that he go on forth before vs, but stōde thou styll now, that I maie shewe the what God hath sayde:

Notes to Chapter 9

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 9. a

⁽²⁾ 1. Reg. ⟨illegible⟩5▪ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽³⁾ Iudi. 20. c 1. Re. 15. d

Chapter 10

[woodcut]

[A] THen toke Samuel a glasse of oyle, and poured it vpō his heade, and kissed him, and sayde: Seist thou that the LORDE hath anoynted the, to be the prince ouer ⁽¹⁾ his enheritaūce? Whan thou goest now fro me, thou shalt fynde two men besyde ⁽²⁾ Rachels graue in the coast of Ben Iamin at Zelzah, which shal saie vnto the: The asses are founde, whom thou wentest to seke: and beholde, thy father hath put the asses out of his mynde, and taketh thoughte for the, and sayeth: What shall I do for my sonne?

And whan thou goest on forth from thence, thou shalt come to the Oke of Thabor, there shall thre men fynde the, which go vp vnto God towarde Bethel: one beareth thre kiddes, another thre loaues of bred the thyrde a bottel with wyne: and they shall salute the, and geue the two loaues, [B] which thou shalt take of their hande. After that shalt thou come to the hyll of God, ⁽³⁾ where the Philistynes watch is: and whā thou comest there in to the cite, there shall mete the a company of prophetes commynge downe from the hye place, and before them a Psaltery, and tabret, a pype and a harpe, and they them selues prophecienge. And the sprete of the LORDE shall come vpon the, and thou shalt prophecye with them, and shalt be chaunged in to another man.

Whan these tokens now come vnto the, ⁽⁴⁾ then do what so euer commeth vnder thyne hande: for God is with the. Thou shalt go downe before me vnto Gilgall: Beholde, thither wyl I come downe vnto the, that thou mayest offre burnt offerynges and deed offerynges.⁽⁵⁾ Seuen dayes shalt thou tarye till I come to the, and shewe the what thou shuldest do. And whan he turned his shulder to go from Samuel, God chaunged him another hert, and all these tokēs came the same daye.

And whan they came vnto the hill, beholde,[C] there met him a company of prophetes ⁽⁶⁾ and the sprete of God came vpon him, so that he prophecyed amonge them. But whā they which knewe him before, sawe him that he prophecied with the prophetes, they sayde all amonge them selues: What is happened vnto the sonne of Cis? Is Saul also amonge the prophetes? And one yᵗ was there, answered and sayde: Who is their father? ⁽⁷⁾Hereof came the prouerbe: Is Saul also amonge the prophetes? And whā he had left of prophecienge, he came vp to the hyll.

Sauls vncle sayde vnto him and to his childe: Whither wente ye? They answered: To seke the asses. And whan we sawe that they were awaye, we came vnto Samuel. Then sayde Sauls vncle: Tell me, what sayde Samuel vnto you? Saul answered his vncle: He tolde vs, yᵗ the asses were foūde. But of yᵉ kyngdome he tolde him nothinge what Samuel had sayde.

Samuel called the people together vnto [D] the LORDE to Mispa, and spake vnto the children of Israel: Thus saieth yᵉ LORDE the God of Israel: I broughte Israel out of Egipte, and delyuered you from the hande of yᵉ Egipcians, and from the hande of all the kyngdomes that oppressed you. ⁽⁸⁾ But now haue ye refused yoʳ God, which hath helped you out of all youre sorowes and troubles, & ye haue saide vnto him: Set a kinge ouer vs. Well, stonde ye now before yᵉ LORDE acordinge to youre trybes and kynreds.

Now whan Samuel had brought forth all the trybes of Israel, the trybe of Ben Iamin was taken. And whan he had broughte forth the trybe of Ben Iamin with his kynreds, the kynred of Matri was takē, & Saul the sonne of Cis was takē. And they sought him, but they founde him not.

Then axed they further at the LORDE, [E] whether he was for to come thither. The LORDE answered: Beholde, he hath hyd him selfe amonge yᵉ vessels. Then ranne they thither, and fetched him. And whan he stode amonge the people, he was hygher by the heade then all the people. And Samuel sayde vnto all the people: There se ye him whom the LORDE hath chosen, for in all the people there is none like him. Then gaue all the people a shoute, and sayde: ⁽⁹⁾ God saue the new kynge.

Samuel tolde the people all the ⁽¹⁰⁾ lawe of the kyngdome, and wrote it in a boke, and layed it before the LORDE. And Samuel let all the people go, euery one to his awne house. And Saul wente home also vnto Gibea, and there wente with him one parte of the hoost, whose hertes God had touched. But the childrē of Belial sayde: What shal this felowe helpe vs, ⁽¹¹⁾ and despysed him, & broughte him no presente. But he made him as though he herde it no⟨illegible⟩.

Notes to Chapter 10

⁽¹⁾ Deut. 9. c

⁽²⁾ Gen. 35. d

⁽³⁾ 1. Reg. ⟨illegible⟩. a

⁽⁴⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. Re. ⟨illegible⟩. a ⟨illegible⟩. Par. ⟨illegible⟩8. a

⁽⁵⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

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⁽⁸⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

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⁽¹⁰⁾ ⟨illegible⟩ ⟨illegible⟩7. d

⁽¹¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

Chapter 11

[A] NAhas yᵉ Ammonite wēte vp & layed sege vnto Iabes in Gilead. And all the men of Iabes sayde vnto Nahas: Be at one with vs, & we wyll serue the. But Nahas yᵉ Ammonite answered them: I wil make a couenaunt with you, of this condicion, that I maye thrust out all youre right eyes, and put you to shame amonge all Israel. Then sayde all the Elders of Iabes vnto him: Geue vs seuen dayes respyte, that we maye sende messaungers into all yᵉ coastes of Israel: Yf there be then no sauioure, we wyl go forth vnto the.

[B] So the messaungers came vnto Gibea of Saul, and spake this before the eares of the people. Then all yᵉ people lifte vp their voyce, and wepte. And beholde, Saul came after the oxen out of the felde, and sayde: What ayleth the people that they wepe? So they tolde him the earande of the men of Iabes. ⁽¹⁾ Then came the sprete of God vpon him, whan he had herde these wordes, and his wrath was sore moued, and he toke a couple of oxen, and hewed them in sunder, and sent them in to all the coastes of Israel by the messaungers, sayenge: Who so euer goeth not forth after Saul and Samuel, his oxen shalbe thus dealte withall.

[C] Then fell the feare of the LORDE vpon the people, so that they wente forth like as one man, ⁽²⁾ and they were tolde at Basek, and of the childrē of Israel there were thre hundreth thousande men, and thirtie thousande of the children of Iuda. And they spake vnto the messaungers that were come: Saye thus to the men of Iabes in Gilead: Tomorow shal ye haue helpe, whan yᵉ Sonne is at the whotest. Whan yᵉ messaungers came and tolde this to the men of Iabes, they were glad. And the men of Iabes sayde: Tomorow wyll we come forth vnto you, that ye maye do vnto vs, what so euer it pleaseth you. And on yᵉ nexte morow Saul set the people in thre partes, and came into the hoost aboute the mornynge watch, and smote the Ammonites tyll the daye was at the whotest. As for those yᵗ remayned, they were so scatred, that two of them abode not together.

Then sayde the people vnto Samuel:[D] Where are they that sayde: ⁽³⁾ Shulde Saul raigne ouer vs? Delyuer vs here the men, that we maye put them to death. But Saul sayde: There shal noman dye this daye, for to daye hath the LORDE geuen health in Israel. Samuel sayde vnto the people: Come, let vs go vnto Gilgall, and renue the kyngdome there. Then wente all the people vnto Gilgall, and there they made Saul kinge before the LORDE at Gilgal, and offred deed offeringes before the LORDE. And Saul with all the men of Israel reioysed there greatly.

Notes to Chapter 11

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽³⁾ 1. Re. ⟨illegible⟩

Chapter 12

SAmuel sayde vnto all Israel: Beholde,[A] I haue herkened vnto youre voyce in all that ye sayde vnto me, and haue made a kynge ouer you. And now lo, there goeth youre kynge before you. As for me, I am waxen olde and graye heered, and my sonnes are with you: and I haue gone before you fro my youth vp vnto this daye. Beholde, here am I▪ answere ye agaynst me before the RORDE and his anoynted, ⁽¹⁾ yf I haue taken eny mans oxe or asse, yf I haue done eny man violence or wronge, If I haue oppressed eny mā, yf I haue receaued a gifte of eny mans hande, and kepte it secretly, I wil restore it you agayne.

They saide▪ Thou hast done vs nether violence ner wronge, nether oppressed, ner taken ought of eny mans hande. He sayde: The LORDE be witnesse agaynst you, and so be his anoynted this daye, that ye haue founde nothinge in my hāde. They saide: Yee they shalbe witnesses. And Samuel sayde vnto the people: The LORDE which made Moses [B] and Aaron, and broughte youre fathers out of the londe of Egipte (is here present.) Stōde forth now therfore, that I maye iudge you before the LORDE ouer the righteousnes of the LORDE, which he hath done for you and youre fathers.

⁽²⁾Whan Iacob was come in to Egipte, youre fathers cryed vnto the LORDE. ⁽³⁾ And he sent Moses and Aaron to brynge youre fathers out of Egipte, and to cause them for to dwell in this place.

⁽⁴⁾ But whan they forgat the LORDE their God, he solde them vnder the power of Sissera, the captayne at Hazor ⁽⁵⁾ and vnder the power of the Philistynes ⁽⁶⁾ and vnder the power of the kinge of the Moabites, which foughte agaynst them. But they cried vnto the LORDE, and sayde: We haue synned, in that we haue forsaken the LORDE, and serued Baalim and Astaroth. But now deliuer vs from the hande of oure enemies, and we wyl serue the. ⁽⁷⁾ Then the LORDE sent Ierubaal, ⁽⁸⁾ Bedan, ⁽⁹⁾ Iephthae, ⁽¹⁰⁾ and Samuel, & delyuered you from youre enemies rounde aboute, and caused you to dwell safe.

[C] But whan ye sawe that Nahas the kynge of the children of Ammon came agaynst you ⁽¹¹⁾ ye sayde vnto me: Not thou, but a kynge shal raigne ouer vs, where as notwithstōdinge youre God was youre kynge. Now, there haue ye youre kynge, whō ye haue chosen and desyred: for lo, the LORDE hath set a kinge ouer you. Yf ye shal feare the LORDE now, and serue him, and herken vnto his voice, and not be dishobedient vnto the mouth of the LORDE, then shall both ye and youre kynge that raigneth ouer you, folowe yᵉ LORDE youre God. But yf ye herken not vnto yᵉ voyce of the LORDE, but be dishobedient vnto his mouth, then shal the hande of the LORDE be agaynst you, and agaynst youre fathers.

Stonde forth now also, and beholde this greate thinge, that the LORDE shal do before youre eyes. Is not now the wheate haruest? Yet wyll I call vpō the LORDE, so that he shal cause it thonder and rayne, that ye shall knowe and se the greate euell, which ye haue done in the sight of the LORDE, in that ye haue desyred to haue a kynge.

And whan Samuel called vpon the LORDE, the LORDE caused it to thōder and raine the same daye.

[D] Then all the people feared the LORDE greatly and Samuel, and they sayde all vnto Samuel: Praie thou vnto the LORDE thy God for thy seruauntes, that we dye not: for beside oure sinnes we haue done this euell also, that we haue desyred vnto vs a kinge. Samuel sayde vnto the people: Feare not, ye haue done all this euell in dede. Neuertheles departe not backe from the LORDE, but serue the LORDE with all youre hert, and go not asyde after vanite, for it profyteth you nothinge, and can not delyuer you, in so moch as it is but a vayne thinge. ⁽¹²⁾ For the LORDE shall not forsake his people because of his greate names sake: for the LORDE hath begonne to make you a people vnto him selfe. But God forbyd that I shulde synne so vnto the LORDE, to ceasse from prayenge for you, and from teachinge you the good & righteous waye. Feare ye the LORDE therfore, and serue him faithfully with all yoʳ hert: for ye haue sene, how greate thinges he doth vnto you. But yf ye do wickedly, both ye & youre kynge shal perishe.

Notes to Chapter 12

⁽¹⁾ Eccli. 4⟨illegible⟩ d Act. 20. d

⁽²⁾ Gen. 46. a Exod. 2. d

⁽³⁾ Exo. 3. b

⁽⁴⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 4. a

⁽⁵⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 13. a

⁽⁶⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 3. b

⁽⁷⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 6. c

⁽⁸⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 13. d

⁽⁹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 11. a

⁽¹⁰⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. Reg. 7. a

⁽¹¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. Reg. 8 a

⁽¹²⁾ Exo 34. b Deut. 9. ⟨illegible⟩ Iosu. 7. b

Chapter 13

SAul had bene kynge one yeare, and [A] whā he had raigned ouer Israel two yeares, he chose him thre thousande mē out of Israel: two thousande were with Saul at Michmas vpon the mount of Bethel, and one thousande with Ionathas at Gibea of Ben Iamin. As for the other people, he let them go euery one vnto his tente. But Ionathas smote yᵉ Philistynes in their awne ⁽¹⁾ watch, which was at Gibea. That came to yᵉ Philistynes eares. And Saul caused to blowe the trompes in all the londe, & to saye: Let the Hebrues heare. And all Israel herde saye: Saul hath smytten the Philistynes watch, for Israel stanke before the Philistynes. And all the people cried after Saul vnto Gilgal.

Then the Philistynes gathered them selues [B] together to fighte wᵗ Israel, thirtie thousande charettes, sixe thousande horsmen, and other people besyde, in nombre as the sonde by the See shore, and wente vp, and pitched at Michmas on the eastsyde of Bethauen. Whan the men of Israel sawe that mysfortune laye vpon the neckes of thē (for the people was come therto) they crope in to caues and dennes, in to rockes, and holes and welles. But the Hebrues wente ouer Iordane in to yᵉ lande of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul he was yet at Gilgal, and all the people were fayntharted after him.⁽²⁾ Then taried he seuen dayes acordinge to the tyme apoynted of Samuel. And whan Samuel came not vnto Gilgal, the people were scatered abrode from him. Then sayde Saul: Brynge me hither a burnt offeringe and deed offeringes. And he offred a burnt offerynge. But whan he had made an ende of the burnt offerynge beholde, Samuel came. Then wente Saul forth to mete him, that he might salute him.

But Samuel sayde: What hast thou done?[C] Saul answered: I sawe that the people was scatered abrode fro me, and thou camest not in due season: and the Philistynes were gathered together at Michmas. Then sayde I. Now shall the Philistynes come downe to me vnto Gilgal, and I haue not besoughte the face of the LORDE: & so I boldened myselfe, & offred a burnt offerynge.

Samuel sayde vnto Saul: Thou hast done foolishly, and not kepte the commaundement of the LORDE thy God, which he commaunded the. For (yf thou haddest not done this) he had prospered thy kyngdome vpō Israel for euer: but now shall not thy kyngdome contynue.⁽³⁾ The LORDE hath soughte him out a man after his owne hert: him hath the LORDE commaunded to be prynce ouer his people, for thou hast not kepte yᵗ the LORDE commaunded yᵉ. And Samuel arose, and wente vp from Gilgal vnto Gibea Ben Iamin.

[D] And Saul nombred the people that was founde with him, vpon a sixe hundreth men. Saul & his sonne Ionathas, and yᵉ people that was with them, taried at Gibea Ben Iamin: but yᵉ Philistynes had pitched their tentes at Michmas. And out of the hoost of the Philistynes there wente thre bondes of men to destroye: one turned the waye towarde Ephra in to the londe of Sual: another turned towarde the waye of Bethoron: the thirde turned towarde the waye, that reacheth to the valley of Zeboim vnto the wyldernes.

But there was not a smyth founde in all the lōde of Israel: for yᵉ Philistynes thoughte: The Hebrues mighte happly make swerdes and speares. And all Israel were fayne to go downe to the Philistynes, whan eny man had a plowshare, a mattock, an axe, or a sythe to sharpe: and the edges of the plowshares, and mattockes, & forckes, and axes, were laboured, and the poyntes blont. Now whan the daye of the battayll came, there was nether swerde ner speare founde in the hande of all the people, that was with Saul and Ionathas: but for Saul and Ionathas his sonne there was som what founde. And yᵉ Philistynes watch wēte out ouer by Michmas.

Notes to Chapter 13

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. ⟨illegible⟩6. c

Chapter 14

[A] IT fortuned at yᵉ same tyme, yᵗ Ionathas sayde vnto his lad which was his wapen bearer: Come, let vs go ouer to the Philistynes watch yᵗ lyeth aboue, & he tolde not his father. Saul dwelt at yᵉ ende of Gibea vnder a Pomgranate tre, which was in the suburbe. ⁽¹⁾ And the people yᵗ were by him, were vpon a sixe hundreth men. And Ahia the sonne of Achitob the brother of Icabod, the sonne of Phineas yᵉ sonne of Eli yᵉ prest of the LORDE at Silo, wayre the ouerbody cote. But the people knewe not that Ionathas was gone.

Betwene the passages where Ionathas soughte to go ouer vnto the Phylistynes watch, there were two hye rockes, the one on the one syde, the other on the other: the one was called Bozez, the other Senne. And yᵉ one laye on the north syde towarde Michmas, and the other on the south syde towarde Gaba. And Ionathas sayde vnto his wapen bearer: Come, let vs go euer to yᵉ watch of these vncircumcised, peraduenture the LORDE shall worke with vs, ⁽²⁾ For it is no harde matter for the LORDE to helpe by many or by fewe. Then answered him his wapen bearer: Do all that is in thine hert, go on thy w⟨illegible⟩rie, beholde, I am with the, euen as thine hert wyll.

Ionathas sayde: Well than, Whan we [B] are gone ouer to the men, and come within the sighte of them, yf they saye: stonde styll, tyll we come to you, then wyll we stonde styll in oure place, and not go vp to them. But yf they saye: Come vp to vs, we wyll go vp to them, thē hath the LORDE delyuered them in to oure hande, and this shalbe a token for vs. Now whan they came both in the sighte of the Philistynes watch, the Philistynes sayde: Se,⁽³⁾ yᵉ Hebrues are gone out of their holes, that they were crepte in to. And the men in the watch answered Ionathas and his wapē bearer, and sayde: Come vp to vs, and we wyll teach you what the matter is. Then sayde Ionathas to his weapen bearer. ⁽⁴⁾ Come vp after me, the LORDE hath delyuered them into Israels hande. And Ionathas clamme vp with handes and fete, and his wapen bearer after him. And Ionathas smote them downe before him, and his wapē bearer slewe behynde him, so that the first slaughter that Ionathas and his wapen bearer dyd, was vpō a twentye men, with in the length of halue an aker of londe, which a pare of oxen maye tyll in one daye.

⁽⁵⁾And there came a fearfulnes and flight [C] in the hoost vpon the felde, and amonge all the people of the watch: and vpon the ⁽⁶⁾ destroyers there came a fearfulnes also and flight, so that the londe was in a rumoure, and ⁽⁷⁾ there came a flight thorow God. And Sauls watchmē at Gibea Bē Iamin sawe, that yᵉ multitude gat them awaye, and ranne to and fro.

Saul sayde vnto the people that was with him: Tell and se which of vs is gone awaye. And whan they nombred, beholde, Ionathas & his wapen bearer was not there. Then saide Saul vnto Ahia: Brynge hither the Arke of God (for at that tyme was the Arke of God with the children of Israel.) And whyle Saul was yet speakynge to the prest, the multitude in the Philistynes hoost gat vp, ranne, and was greate. And Saul sayde vnto the prest: Withdrawe thine hande. And Saul cried, and all the people that was with him, and came to the battayll. And beholde, ⁽⁸⁾ euery mans swerde was agaynst another, and there was a very greate rumoure.

The Hebrues also that were with yᵉ Philistynes afore, and had gone vp with them in the hoost on euery syde, ioyned them selues vnto Israel which were with Saul and Ionathas. And all the men of Israel which ⁽⁹⁾ had hyd thē selues vpon mount Ephraim, whan they herde that the Philistynes fled, folowed after them in the battayll. Thus yᵉ LORDE helped Israel at that tyme, and yᵉ battayll lasted vnto Bethauen.

[D] And whan the men of Israel came forth, Saul charged all the people the same daye, and sayde: Cursed be euery man, which eateth bred vntyll euen, that I maye auenge me on myne enemies. Then all the people taisted no bred. And all the people of the londe came in to the wodd. But there laye hony vpon the felde: and whan the people came in to the wodd, heholde, the hony flowed, but no man put of it to his mouth with his hāde: for the people were afraied because of the ooth. As for Ionathas he had not herde, that his father had charged the people, and he put forth his staff that he had in his hande, and dypped the ende of it in yᵉ hony combe, and turned his hande to his mouth, and his eyes were lighted.

Then answered one of the people, and sayde: Thy father hath charged the people, and sayde: Cursed be euery mā that eateth oughte this daye. Neuertheles the people were faynte. Then sayde Ionathas: My father hath troubled the londe: Se how lighte myne eyes are become, because I haue taisted a litle of this hony. Yf the people this daie had eatē of the spoyle of their enemies that they founde, the slaughter shulde haue bene greater agaynst the Philistynes. Yet smote they the Philistynes the same daye fro Michmas vnto Aialon, and the people were very weery.

[E] And yᵉ people turned to the spoyles, and toke shepe and oxen, and calues, and slewe them vpon the earth, ⁽¹⁰⁾ and ate them with the bloude. Then was it tolde Saul: Beholde, the people synne agaynst the LORDE, in that they eate bloude. He sayde: Ye haue done euell: roll vnto me now a greate stone. And Saul sayde morouer: Go abrode amōge the people, and saye vnto them, that euery one brynge me his oxe and his shepe, and slaye them here, that ye maye eate, and not to synne agaynst the LORDE with eatynge of bloude. Then broughte all the people euery one his oxe with his hāde the same nighte, and slewe them there. And Saul buylded an altare vnto yᵉ LORDE. This is the first altare that he buylded vnto the LORDE.

And Saul sayde: Let vs go downe after the Philistynes, by nighte, and spoyle them tyll it be cleare mornynge, that we let none escape. They answered: Do what so euer pleaseth the. But the prest sayde: Let vs go nye here vnto God. And Saul axed at God. Shal I go downe here after yᵉ Philistines? & wilt thou delyuer thē in to Israels hande? Neuertheles he answered him not at that tyme.

Then sayde Saul: Let all the armyes of [F] the people come hither, and make search and se, in whom is this synne at this tyme. For as truly as God the Sauioure of Israel lyueth, & though it be in my sonne Ionathas, he shal dye. And no man answered him of all the people. And he sayde vnto all Israel: Be ye on the one syde, I & my sonne Ionathas wyl be on this syde. The people sayde vnto Saul: Do as it pleaseth the. And Saul sayde vnto the LORDE the God of Israel: Do thou that right is. Thē was Ionathas and Saul taken: but the people wente forth fre. Saul sayde: Cast the lot ouer me and my sonne Ionathas. So Ionathas was takē. And Saul sayde vnto Ionathas: Tell me, what hast thou done? Ionathas tolde him, & sayde: I taisted a litle hony with the staff that I had in my hande, and beholde, must I dye therfore? Thē sayde Saul: God do this and that vnto me, Ionathas thou must dye the death.

But the people sayde vnto Saul: Shulde [G] Ionathas dye, that hath done so greate health in Israel this night? God forbyd. ⁽¹¹⁾As truly as the LORDE lyueth, there shal not one heer of his heade fall vpon yᵉ earth: for with God hath he wroughte at this tyme. So the people delyuered Ionathas, that he dyed not. Then wente Saul vp from the Philistynes: and the Philistynes wente vnto their place.

But whan Saul had cōquered the kyngdome ouer Israel, he foughte against all his enemyes rounde aboute, against the Moabites, agaynst the childrē of Ammon, agaynst the Edomites, agaynst the kynge of Zoba, agaynst yᵉ Philistynes: and whither so euer he turned him, he gat yᵉ victory. And he made an hoost, and smote yᵉ ⁽¹²⁾ Amalechites, and delyuered Israel from the hande of all those that spoyled them.

Saul had these sonnes: Ionathas, Isui, and Malchisua. And these were yᵉ names of his two doughters: the firstborne Merob, & yᵉ yōgest Michol. And Sauls wife was called Ahinoam, the doughter of Ahimaas. And his chefe captaynes name was Abner, the sonne of Ner, Sauls vncle. ⁽¹³⁾ Cis was yᵉ father of Saul. But Ner yᵉ father of Abner was the sonne of Abiel.

There was a mightie sore warre against the Philistynes, as lōge as Saul lyued. And where Saul sawe a man that was stronge and mete for yᵉ warre, he toke him to him.

Notes to Chapter 14

⁽¹⁾ Re. 13. d

⁽²⁾ 2. Par. 14

⁽³⁾ Iudi⟨illegible⟩. 14▪

⁽⁴⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. Mac. 4▪

⁽⁵⁾ Iudi 14▪

⁽⁶⁾ 1. Re. 13.

⁽⁷⁾ Iosu. 10. Iud. 4. c

⁽⁸⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 7. f ⟨illegible⟩ Pa. 20. d

⁽⁹⁾ Re. 1⟨illegible⟩. b

⁽¹⁰⁾ ⟨illegible⟩eui. ⟨illegible⟩. c ⟨illegible⟩ud 1⟨illegible⟩ f

⁽¹¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽¹²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 2⟨illegible⟩. c

⁽¹³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. a ⟨illegible⟩. 9. a

Chapter 15

[A] SAmuel sayde vnto Saul: ⁽¹⁾ The LORDE sent me to anoynte the for to be kynge ouer his people of Israel: heare now therfore the voyce of the wordes of the LORDE. Thus sayeth yᵉ LORDE Zebaoth: I haue remembred what Amaleck dyd vnto Israel, ⁽²⁾ & how he layed wayte for him in yᵉ waye, whan he wente out of Egipte: Go yᵉ waye now therfore, and smyte the Amalechites, & damne them with all that they haue, & spare him not: but slaye both man and woman, children & sucklynges, oxen & shepe, Camels and asses. Saul commaunded the people the same, and nombred them at Talaim, two hūdreth thousande fote men, & ten thousande men of Iuda.

And whan Saul came to the cite of the Amalechites, he set an hynder watch by the [B] ryuer, and sayde vnto yᵉ Kenites: Get you hence, departe, and go downe from yᵉ Amalechites, yᵗ I smyte you not with them, ⁽³⁾ for ye shewed mercy vnto all the children of Israel, whā they departed out of Egipte. So the Kenites gat them awaye from amonge the Amalechites.

Then smote Saul the Amalechites from Heuila vnto Sur (which lyeth ouer against Egipte) & toke Agag the kynge of yᵉ Amalechites alyue, & damned all yᵉ people wᵗ the edge of the swerde. Neuertheles Saul and the people spared Agag, and the shepe and oxen yᵗ were good and fat, and the lambes, and all that was good, and wolde not damne thē: but loke what was foule and nothinge worth, that they damned.

Then came the worde of the LORDE vnto [C] Samuel, and sayde: It repenteth me that I made Saul kynge, for he hath turned him selfe backe fro me, and not cōfirmed my wordes. Therfore was Samuel angrye, & cried vnto the LORDE all that nighte. And Samuel gat him vp early, that he might mete Saul in yᵉ mornynge. And it was tolde him, that Saul was come vnto Carmel, ⁽⁴⁾ & had set him vp a piler, and was gone aboute, and come downe to Gilgall.

Now whā Samuel came to Saul, Saul sayde vnto him: Blessed be thou vnto yᵉ LORDE, I haue perfourmed the worde of yᵉ LORDE. Samuel answered: What crye is this then of shepe in myne eares, and the crye of oxen which I heare?

Saul sayde: They haue broughte them [D] from the Amalechites: for the people spared the best shepe & oxen for the offerynge of yᵉ LORDE thy God, the other haue we damned. Neuertheles Samuel answered Saul: Let me tell the what yᵉ LORDE hath sayde vnto me this nighte. He sayde: Saye on. Samuel sayde: ⁽⁵⁾ Whan thou wast but small in thine awne eyes, wast thou not yᵉ heade amōge the trybes of Israel? & the LORDE anoynted the to be kynge ouer Israel? and yᵉ LORDE sent yᵗ in to the waye, & sayde: Go yᵉ waie & damne the synners the Amalechites, and fighte agaynst them, tyll thou haue vtterly destroyed thē? Wherfore hast thou not herkened vnto the voyce of the LORDE, but hast turned thy selfe to the spoyle, and done euell in the sighte of the LORDE?

Saul answered Samuel: Yee I haue herkened [E] vnto the voyce of the LORDE, & haue gone the waye that yᵉ LORDE sent me, and broughte Agag the kynge of the Amalechites, & damned the Amalechites: but yᵉ people haue takē of the spoyle, shepe & oxen, and yᵉ best amōge the damned, to offer vnto yᵉ LORDE thy God in Gilgall. Samuel saide: Hath the LORDE pleasure in sacrifices and burnt offerynges, as in obeynge the voyce of the LORDE? Beholde, ⁽⁶⁾ obedience is better then offerynge, and to herken is better then the fat of rammes. For disobedience is as yᵉ synne of ⁽⁷⁾ witchcrafte, and rebellion is as the blasphemy of Idolatrye. In so moch now as thou hast refused the worde of the LORDE, he hath refused the also, that thou shuldest not be kynge.

Then sayde Saul vnto Samuel: I haue [F] synned, yᵗ I haue transgressed the commaundement of the LORDE and thy worde: for I was afrayed of the people, and herkened vnto their voyce. And now forgeue me my synne, & returne with me, that I maye worshippe yᵉ LORDE. Samuel saide vnto Saul: I wil not turne backe with yᵉ, for thou hast refused the worde of the LORDE, and the LORDE hath refused the also, yᵗ thou shuldest not be kynge in Israel. And whan Samuel turned him backe to go his waye, he gat him by yᵉ edge of his garment, & rēte it. Then sayde Samuel vnto him: The LORDE hath rente the kyngdome of Israel from yᵉ this daye, & geuen it vnto yᵉ neghboʳ, which is better then thou. The ouer wynner in Israel also shal not lye, nether shal he repente: for he is no man, that he shulde repente.

[G] He sayde: I haue synned, yet honoure me now before the Elders of my people and before Israel, and turne backe with me, that I maye worshippe the LORDE thy God. So Samuel turned agayne after Saul, that Saul mighte worshippe the LORDE. But Samuel sayde: Bringe me hither Agag the kynge of the Amalechites. And Agag wente vnto him tēderly. And Agag saide: Thus departeth the bytternesse of death. Samuel sayde: ⁽⁸⁾ Like as thy swerde hath made wemen childlesse, so shal yᵉ mother also be with out children amonge wemen. So Samuel hewed Agag in peces before yᵉ LORDE in Gilgall.

⁽⁹⁾ And Samuel departed vnto Ramath. But Saul wente vp to his house at Gibea Saul. And Samuel sawe Saul nomore vnto the daye of his death. Neuertheles Samuel mourned for Saul, because it repented the LORDE, that he had made Saul kynge ouer Israel.

Notes to Chapter 15

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 9. c

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 17. c ⟨illegible⟩ 24. d ⟨illegible⟩ ▪ 25. c

⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 10. d ⟨illegible⟩. 1. d

⁽⁴⁾ Deu. 1⟨illegible⟩.

⁽⁵⁾ 1. Re. 9. c and 10. ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁶⁾ Eccl⟨illegible⟩. 4

⁽⁷⁾ Exo. 22. Deut. 1⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁸⁾ ⟨illegible⟩ 17. c ⟨illegible⟩. 14 g

⁽⁹⁾ Re. 17. d

Chapter 16

[A] ANd yᵉ LORDE sayde vnto Samuel: How longe mournest thou for Saul, whom I haue refused, that he shulde not be kynge ouer Israel? Fyll thine horne with oyle, go thy waye, I wyll sende the to Isai the Bethleemite: for amonge his sonnes haue I prouyded me a kynge. But Samuel sayde: How shal I go? Saul shal perceaue it, and shal slaye me. The LORDE sayde: Take the a calfe from the droue, & saye: I am come to do sacrifice vnto yᵉ LORDE. And thou shalt call Isai to yᵉ sacrifice, so shall I tell the what thou shalt do, that thou mayest anoynte me him, whom I shall shewe the. Samuel dyd as the LORDE sayde, and came to Bethleem. Then were the Elders of the cite astonnyed, and wente forth to mete him, and sayde: ⁽¹⁾ Is thy commynge peaceable? He sayde: Yee. I am come to do sacrifice vnto the LORDE. Sanctifye youre selues, & come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Isai and his sonnes, and called them to the sacrifice.

Now whā they came in, he behelde Eliab,[B] & thoughte, whether he shulde be his anoynted before the LORDE. But yᵉ LORDE sayde vnto Samuel: loke not vpon his countenaunce, ner vpon the tallnesse of his person, For I iudge not after the sighte of man. A man hath respecte vnto the thinge that is before his eyes, but the LORDE loketh vpon the hert. Then Isai called Abinadab, & broughte him before Samuel. And he sayde: This hath not the LORDE chosen. Then Isai broughte Samma. But he sayde: This also hath not the LORDE chosen. Then broughte Isai his seuen sonnes before Samuel. Neuertheles Samuel saide vnto Isai: The LORDE hath chosen none of these.

And Samuel sayde vnto Isai: Are here [C] all the childrē? He sayde: There is yet one yᵗ leest of all, and beholde, he kepeth the shepe. Thē sayde Samuel vnto Isai: Sende & cause him to be fetched, for we will not syt downe at the table, vntyll he come. Then sent he, & caused him be broughte. And he was well coloured wᵗ fayre eyes & of a beutyfull countenaunce. And the LORDE saide: Aryse, and anoynte him, that is he.

[woodcut]

Thē toke Samuel his oyle ho⟨illegible⟩e, & anoynted him amonge his brethrē. And the sprete of the LORDE came vpō Dauid frō yᵉ daye forth. As for Samuel, he gat him vp, & wente vnto Ramath.

But the sprete of the LORDE departed from Saul, and an euell sprete from yᵉ LORDE vexed him. Then sayde Sauls seruauntes vnto him: Beholde, an euell sprete from God vexeth the. Let oure lorde saie vnto his seruauntes which stonde before him, yᵗ they seke a man which can playe vpon the harpe, and instrumente, that whan the euell sprete of God cōmeth vpon the, he maye playe wᵗ his hande, to ease the withall. Then sayde Saul vnto his seruaūtes: Prouyde me a mā, that can playe well vpon the instrumente, & brynge him vnto me.

[D] Then answered one of the children, & sayde: Beholde, I sawe a sonne of Isai yᵉ Bethleemite, which can playe vpon the instrumēte, an honest & valeaūt man, and one yᵗ hath vnderstōdinge in matters, & is welfauoured. Thē Saul sent messaungers vnto Isai, sayēge: Sende me Dauid yᵉ sonne, which is with the shepe. Then toke Isai an asse wᵗ bred, & a bottell wᵗ wyne, and a kyd, and sent it vnto Saul by Dauid his sonne. So Dauid came to Saul, & stode before him, & he loued him well, and he became his wapen bearer. And Saul sente vnto Isai, sayēge: Let Dauid remayne before me, for he hath founde fauoʳ in my sighte. Now whan the sprete of God came vpō Saul, Dauid toke yᵉ harpe, & played wᵗ his hande: so was Saul refreszshed, & eased, & the euell sprete departed from him.

Notes to Chapter 16

⁽¹⁾ Re. 2. b

Chapter 17

[A] THe Philistynes gathered their hoost to yᵉ battayl, and came together to Socho in Iuda, & pitched their tentes betwene Socho & Aseka, at the ende of Damin. But Saul & the mē of Israel came together, & pitched in the Oke valley, & prepared them selues to the battayll agaynst the Philistynes. And the Philistynes stode vpon a hyll on the one syde, and the Israelites vpon a hyll on the other syde, so that there was a valley betwene them.

Then stepte there forth from amōge the Philistynes a stoute bolde man, named Goliath of ⁽¹⁾ Gath, sixe cubites and an hande breth hye, and had an helmet of stele on his heade, and a fast habergion vpon him, and the weight of his habergion was fyue thousande Sicles of stele, and harnesse of stele had he vpon his legges, and a shylde of stele vpon his shulders: and the shaft of his speare was like a weuers lome, and the yron of his speare had sixe hundreth Sicles of yron, and his wapen bearer wente before him.

[B] And he stode and called vnto the hoost of Israel, and sayde vnto them: Wherfore are ye come forth to prepare youre selues to the battayll? Am not I a Philistyne, and ye the seruauntes of Saul? Chose one amonge you to come downe vnto me: yf he can fighte agaynst me and slaye me, then wil we be youre seruauntes: but yf I can ouercome him and slaye him, then shal ye be oure seruauntes, to do vs seruyce. And the Philistyne sayde: I haue spokē diszdanedly vnto the hoost of Israel this daye. Geue me one, and let vs fighte together. Whan Saul and all Israel herde these wordes of yᵉ Philistyne, they were astonnyed, and sore afrayed.

But Dauid was the sonne of a man of Ephrata of Bethleem Iuda, whose name was Isai, which had eight sonnes, and was an olde man in Sauls tyme, and was well strycken in age amonge men. And the thre eldest sonnes of Isai were gone with Saul to the battayll. And there names were these: Eliab the first borne, Abinadab the seconde, and Samma the thirde. But Dauid was the yongest of all. So whan the thre eldest were gone with Saul to the battayll, Dauid wente agayne from Saul, to kepe his fathers shepe at Bethleem. But the Philistyne stepte forth early in the mornynge and at euen, and stode there fortye dayes.

Isai sayde vnto Dauid his sonne: Take [C] this Epha of firmentye for thy brethren, and these ten loaues of bred (and runne to the hoost vnto thy brethren) & these ten new cheses, and brynge them to yᵉ captayne, and loke how thy brethren do, whether it go well with them or no, and take what they byd the. But Saul and they, and all the men of Israel were in the Oke valley, and foughte agaynst the Philistynes.

Then Dauid gat him vp early in the mornynge, and commytted the shepe to yᵉ keper, and toke his burthen, wente his waye, as Isai commaunded him, and came to the tēt. And the hoost was gone forth, and had prepared them selues, and cried in the battayl: For Israel had set them selues in araye, and the Philistynes were agaynst their hoost in their araye also.

Then lefte Dauid the vessell that he bare, with the keper of the stuffe, and ranne to the hoost, and wente in, and saluted his brethren. And whyle he was yet talkynge with them, beholde, then came vp the stoute bolde man, whose name was Goliath, the Philistine of Gath, out of the Philistynes hoost, and spake like as afore, and Dauid herde it. But euery man of Israel, whan he sawe the man, fled from him, and was sore afrayed of him.

And euery man in Israel sayde: Haue ye sene the man commynge vp hither? For he is come vp hither, to speake diszdanedly vnto Israel. And who so euer smyteth him, him wyll the kynge make ryche, and geue him his doughter, and make his fathers house fre in Israel.

Then sayde Dauid vnto the men that stode [D] by him: What shalbe done to the man, that smyteth this Philistyne, and turneth this shame awaye from Israel? For what is he this Philistyne this vncircūcysed, that defyeth the hoost of yᵉ lyuynge God? Then the people tolde him as afore. Thus shall it be done vnto yᵉ man that smyteth him. And Eliab his greater brother herde him talke with the men, and was very wroth agaynst Dauid, and sayde: Wherfore art thou come downe? and why hast thou left a fewe shepe in the wyldernesse? I knowe thy presumptuousnesse well ynough, and the wickednesse of thine hert: for thou art come downe to se the battayll. Dauid answered: What haue I downe now? Is there not an occasion? And he turned him selfe from him vnto another, and spake acordinge as he had sayde before. Then the people answered him like as afore.

And whan they herde the wordes which Dauid sayde, they tolde them in the presence of Saul, and he caused him be fetched. And Dauid sayde vnto Saul: Let no mans hert be discoraged because of him. Thy seruaunt shall go, and fighte with the Philistyne. Neuertheles Saul sayde vnto Dauid: Thou art not able to go agaynst this Phylistyne to fighte with him, for thou art but a childe: but this is a man of warre from his youth vp.

[E] Dauid sayde vnto Saul: Thy seruaunt kepte his fathers shepe, and there came a lyon and a Bere, and caried awaye a shepe from the flocke, then wente I forth after him, and smote him, and delyuered it out of his mouth. ⁽²⁾ And whan he wolde haue bene vpon me, I toke him by his beerde, and smote him, and slewe him. So thy seruaunt smote both the Lyon and yᵉ Bere. Therfore shall this Philistyne this vncircumcysed be euen as one of them: for he hath defyed the hoost of the lyuynge God. And Dauid sayde: The LORDE that delyuered me from yᵉ Lyon and Beer, shall delyuer me also from this Philistyne.

And Saul sayde vnto Dauid: Go thy waye, the LORDE be with the. And Saul clothed Dauid with his clothes, and set an helmet of stele vpon his heade, and put an habergion vpō him. And Dauid girded his swerde aboue his clothes, and beganne to go, for he had neuer bene vsed to it afore. Then sayde Dauid vnto Saul: I can not go thus, for I haue not bene vsed to it, and so he laied it from him, and toke his staff in his hande, and chose fyue slighte stones out of the ryuer, and put them in the shepardes bagge which he had by him, and toke a slynge in his hande, and made him to the Philistyne. And the Philistyne wente forth, and made him to Dauid, and his wapen bearer before him.

[woodcut]

Now whan the Philistyne loked & sawe [F] Dauid, he thoughte scorne of him: for he was but a childe, well coloured, and beutyfull to loke vpon. And the Philistyne sayde vnto Dauid: Am I a dogg then, that thou commest vnto me with a staffe? And he cursed Dauid by his God, and sayde vnto Dauid: Come hither to me, I wil geue thy flesh to the foules vnder the heauen, and to the beastes in the felde. Neuertheles Dauid sayde vnto the Philistyne: Thou commest vnto me with swerde, speare and shylde. But I come vnto the in the name of the LORDE Zebaoth the God of the hoost of Israel, whom thou hast despysed. This daye shall the LORDE delyuer the in to my hāde, that I maye smyte the, and take thy heade from the, and geue the bodies of the hoost of the Philistynes this daye vnto the foules vnder the heauen, and to the wylde beestes vpon the earth, that all the londe maye knowe yᵗ Israel hath a God. And all this congregacion shal knowe, that the LORDE saueth nether thorow swerde ner speare: for the battayll is the LORDES, & he shal delyuer you in to oure handes.

Now whan the Philistyne gat him vp, and wente forth and drue nye vnto Dauid, Dauid made haiste, and ranne from yᵉ hoost vnto the Philistyne. And Dauid put his hāde in his bagg, and toke out a stone, & thrue it with the slynge, ⁽³⁾ and hytt the Philistyne euen in the fore heade, so that the stone stacke in his fore heade, and he fell downe to the grounde vpon his face.

So Dauid ouercame yᵉ Philistyne with [G] the slynge and with yᵉ stone, and smote him, and slewe him. And for so moch as Dauid had no swerde in his hande, he ranne and stode ouer yᵉ Philistyne, ⁽⁴⁾ and toke his swerde, and drue it out of the sheeth, and slewe him, and smote of his heade withall. Whan the Philistynes sawe that the strongest of them was deed, ⁽⁵⁾ they fled. And the men of Israel and Iuda gat thē vp, and cryed and folowed vpon the Philistynes, tyll they came vnto the valley, and to the Portes of Ekron. And the Philistynes fell downe slayne vnto Gath and to Ekron. And the children of Israel turned agayne from chasynge of the Philistynes, and spoyled their tentes. But Dauid toke the heade of the Philistyne, and broughte it vnto Ierusalem, as for is armoure, he layed it in his tente.

Whan Saul sawe Dauid go forth agaynst the Philistyne, he saide vnto ⁽⁶⁾ Abner his chefe captayne: Abner, whose sonne is this childe? Abner sayde: As truly as thy soule lyueth O kynge, I wote not. The kynge sayde: Axe thē whose sonne the yonge mā is. Now whan Dauid came agayne from the slaughter of the Philistyne, Abner toke him, and broughte him before Saul, and he had the Philistynes heade in his hande. And Saul sayde vnto him: Whose sonne art thou, thou yonge man? Dauid sayde: I am a sonne of thy seruaunt Isai the Bethleemite.

Notes to Chapter 17

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 14. b ⟨illegible⟩. 11. f

⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁴⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁵⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 7. f

⁽⁶⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 14. g

Chapter 18

[A] ANd whan he had made an ende of talkynge with Saul, the soule of Ionathas was bounde with the soule of Dauid, and Ionathas loued him as his owne soule. And Saul toke him the same daye, and let him not go agayne to his fathers house. And Ionathas and Dauid made a couenaunt together, for he loued him as his owne soule. And Ionathas put of his owne cote that he had vpon him, and gaue it vnto Dauid: yee and his cloke, his swerde, his bowe, and his girdell. And Dauid wente forth whither so euer Saul sent him, and behaued himselfe wysely. And Saul set him ouer the men of warre, and he pleased all the people well, and all the seruauntes of Saul.

[B] It fortuned, that whan Dauid was come agayne from the slaughter of the Philistyne, the wemen wente out of all the cities of Israel with songes & daunses, to mete kynge Saul, with tymbrels, with myrth, and with fyddels. And the wemen sange one to another, and played & sayde: ⁽¹⁾ Saul hath smytten his thousande: but Dauid his ten thousande.

Then was Saul very wroth, and yᵉ worde displeased him sore, and he sayde: They haue ascrybed ten thousande vnto Dauid, and but one thousande vnto me: what shal he haue more but the kyngdome? And from that daye forth, Saul loked sowerly vpō Dauid.

The nexte daye after came the euell sprete [C] of God vpon Saul, and prophecyed in yᵉ myddes of the house. But Dauid played on the instrumente with his hande, as he was wonte daylie. And Saul had a iauelynge in his hande, and cast it, and thoughte: I wyll stycke Dauid fast to the wall. Neuerthelesse Dauid turned himselfe twyse awaye from him. And Saul was afrayed of Dauid: for the LORDE was with him, and was departed from Saul. Then Saul put him from him, and set him to be prynce ouer a thousande men, and he went out and in before the people. And Dauid behaued himselfe wysely in all his doynges, and the LORDE was with him.

Now whan Saul sawe that he was so [D] exceadynge wyse, he stode in feare of him. But all Israel and Iuda loued Dauid, for he wente out and in before them. And Saul sayde vnto Dauid: Beholde, my greatest doughter Merob ⁽²⁾ wyl I geue the to wyfe: be stronge now, & gouerne the warres of the LORDE. For Saul thought: my hāde shal not be vpon him, but the hande of yᵉ Pilistynes Neuertheles Dauid answered Saul: Who am I? & what is my life & the kynred of my father in Israel, that I shulde mary the kinges doughter?

But whan the tyme came, that Merob yᵉ [E] doughter of Saul shulde haue bene geuē vnto Dauid, she was geuen vnto Adriel yᵉ Meholathite to wyfe. Neuerthelesse Michol Sauls doughter loued Dauid. Whan this was tolde Saul, yᵉ matter pleased him well, & he sayde: I wyl geue him her, yᵗ she maye be a snare vnto him, & that the handes of yᵉ Philistynes maye come vpon him. And he sayde vnto Dauid: This daye shalt thou be my doughters huszbāde yᵉ secōde time. And Saul spake vnto his seruaūtes: Talke wᵗ Dauid secretly & saye: Beholde, the kinge hath pleasure in the, and all his seruauntes loue the, mary thou therfore the kynges doughter.

And Sauls seruauntes spake these wordes [F] in the eares of Dauid. But Dauid saide: Thynke ye it: but a small matter, to mary the kynges doughter? As for me, I am but a poore symple man. And Sauls seruauntes tolde him agayne, and sayde: Soch wordes hath Dauid spoken. Saul sayde: Then saye ye vnto Dauid: The kynge desyreth no dowry, but onely an hundreth foreszkynnes of the Philistynes, that vengeaunce maye be taken of the kinges enemies. Howbeit Saul thought to cause Dauid be slayne by the hādes of the Philistynes. Then his seruauntes tolde Dauid these wordes, and Dauid was contente with the matter, to mary the kynges doughter.

[G] And after a fewe dayes Dauid gatt him vp, and wente with his men, and smote two hundreth men amonge the Philistynes. And Dauid broughte their foreszkynnes, and made their nombre sufficient vnto the kynge, yᵗ he mighte mary the kynges doughter. Thē Saul gaue him his doughter Michol to wyfe. And Saul sawe and perceaued, that the LORDE was wᵗ Dauid. And Michol Sauls doughter loued him. Then was Saul the more afrayed, and became his enemye as lōge as he lyued. And whan the prynces of the Philistynes wēte forth, Dauid behaued him selfe more wysely then all the seruauntes of Saul in their outgoynge: so that his name was in greate reputacion.

Notes to Chapter 18

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. Re. 21. d ⟨illegible⟩ ⟨illegible⟩9. b

⁽²⁾ 1. Re. 17. c

Chapter 19

[A] SAul spake to Ionathas his sonne, and to all his seruauntes, that they shulde kyll Dauid.⁽¹⁾ Neuerthelesse Ionathas the sonne of Saul loued Dauid exceadingly, and tolde him, and sayde: Saul my father goeth aboute to slaye the. Kepe the therfore (I praye the) in the mornynge and abyde in secrete, and hyde the. But I wyll go forth, and stonde besyde my father in the felde where thou art, and wyll speake of the vnto my father: and what soeuer I se I shal brynge the worde.

And Ionathas reported yᵉ best of Dauid vnto Saul his father, and sayde vnto him: Oh let not the kynge synne agaynst his seruaunt, for he hath not synned agaynst the, and his doynge is very necessary for the, ⁽²⁾ he put his lyfe in his hande also, and smote the Philistyne, & the LORDE dyd a greate health vnto all Israel: this hast thou sene, and reioysed [B] therof. Wherfore wylt thou then offende agaynst innocent bloude, that thou woldest kyll Dauid without a cause? Then herkened Saul vnto the voice of Ionathas and sware: As truly as the LORDE lyueth, he shal not dye. Then Ionathas called Dauid, and tolde him all these wordes, and brought him to Saul, so that he was in presence like as afore tyme.

But there arose a battayll agayne, and Dauid wente forth, and fought agaynst the Philistynes, and smote a greate slaughter, so that they fled before him. Neuertheles yᵉ euell sprete of the LORDE came vpon Saul, and he sat in his house, and had a iauelynge in his hande. But Dauid plaied vpon the instrument with his hāde. And Saul thought with the iauelinge to sticke Dauid fast to the wall. Howbeit, he wente asyde frō Saul and the iauelynge smote in the wall. And Dauid fled, and escaped that night.

Notwithstondinge Saul sent his messaungers [C] to Dauids house, that they shulde laye wayte for him, and kyll him in the mornynge. Michol Dauids wyfe tolde him this, and sayde: Yf thou saue not thy soule this night, thou shalt dye tomorow.⁽³⁾ Then Michol let him downe thorow the wyndow, so that he wente his waye, fled, and escaped. And Mickol toke an ymage, and layed it in the bed, and laied a goates szkinne at the heade of it, and couered it with clothes. Then Saul sent messaūgers, to fetch Dauid. But she sayde: He is sicke. Neuerthelesse Saul sent messaungers to se Dauid, & sayde: Bringe him vp to me with the bed, that he maye be slayne.

Now whan the messaungers came, beholde, the ymage laye in the bed, and a goates szkynne at the heade of it. Then sayde Saul vnto Michol: Why hast thou begyled me, and let myne enemye go, that he mighte escape? Michol sayde vnto Saul: He sayde vnto me: Let me go, or I wyl kyll the. As for Dauid, he fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel vnto Ramath, and tolde him all yᵗ Saul had done vnto him. And he wente wᵗ Samuel, and they abode at Naioth.

And it was tolde Saul: Beholde, Dauid [D] is at Naioth in Ramath. Then Saul sente messaungers to fetch Dauid. And they sawe a company of prophetes prophecienge, and Samuel had the ouersight of them. Then came the sprete of God vpon the messaungers of Saul, so that they prophecyed also.

Whan this was tolde Saul, he sent other messaungers, which prophecied likewyse. Then sente he messaungers the thyrde tyme, and they in like maner prophecyed. Then wente he himselfe also vnto Ramath, and whan he came to the greate well which is at Secho, he axed and sayde: Where is Samuel and Dauid? Then was it tolde him: beholde, at Naioth in Ramath. And he wente thither, euen vnto Naioth in Ramath. And yᵉ sprete of God came vpon him also, and he wēte & prophecied till he came vnto Naioth in Ramath. And he put of his clothes, & prophecied likewise before Samuel, & fell downe naked all that daye and all that nighte.⁽⁴⁾ Here of came the prouerbe: Is Saul also amonge the prophetes?

Notes to Chapter 19

⁽¹⁾ Re. 1⟨illegible⟩. a

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 12. a ⟨illegible⟩sal. 118. o

⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁴⁾ ⟨illegible⟩e. 10. c

Chapter 20

[A] DAuid fled frō Naioth in Ramath, and came, & spake before Ionathas: What haue I done? What trespace haue I made? What haue I synned in yᵉ sighte of thy father, yᵗ he seketh to kyll me? He sayde vnto him: God forbyd, thou shalt not dye. Beholde, my father doth nothinge, nether greate ner small, but he sheweth it before myne eares. Wherfore shulde my father thē hyde this fro me? It shal not be so. Thē sware Dauid agayne, and sayde: Thy father knoweth well, yᵗ I haue founde fauoure in yᵉ sighte, therfore shal he thynke: Ionathas shal not knowe of this, lest it greue him. Verely, as truly as the LORDE lyueth, and as truly as yᵉ soule lyueth, there is but one steppe betwene me & death. Ionathas sayde vnto Dauid: I wil do for the what so euer thy hert desyreth. Dauid sayde vnto him: Beholde, tomorow is the new Mone, that I shulde syt at the table with the kynge. Let me hyde my selfe therfore in the felde vnto the [B] thirde daye at euen. Yf thy father then axe after me, saye: Dauid prayed me, yᵗ he mighte runne to Bethleem vnto his cite, for all his kynred haue there a yearly sacrifice. Yf he saye then: It is good, thē stondeth it well with yᵉ seruaunt. But yf he be wroth, thou shalt perceaue that he intendeth euell. Do mercy therfore vpon thy seruaunt: ⁽¹⁾ for with me yᵉ seruaunt hast thou made a couenaunt in the LORDE. But yf there be eny trespace in me, then slaye me thy selfe, for why woldest thou brynge me vnto thy father?

Ionathas sayde: That be farre from the, that I shulde perceaue my father to intende eny euell agaynst the, and shulde not tell the. Dauid sayde: Who shal brynge me worde, yf thy father geue the an harde answere? Ionathas sayde vnto Dauid: Come, let vs go forth in to the felde. And they wente out both in to yᵉ felde. And Ionathas sayde vnto Dauid:

LORDE God of Israel, yf I perceaue by my father tomorow or on the thirde daye, that it goeth well with Dauid, & sende not vnto the, and shewe the before thine eares, then let the LORDE do this and that vnto [C] Ionathas. But yf my father delyte in euell agaynst the, I wil shewe it before thine eares also, and let yᵗ go, that thou mayest departe in peace.

And the LORDE be with the, as he hath bene with my father. Yf I do it not, then do thou no mercy of the LORDE on me, while I lyue, no not whan I dye, and plucke thy mercy fro my house for euer. And whan the LORDE roteth out yᵉ enemies of Dauid, euery one out of the londe, then let Dauid rote out Ionathas also with his house, and the LORDE requyre it of the hande of Dauids enemies.

And Ionathas proceaded further, and sware vnto Dauid (he loued him so well: for he loued him euen es his owne soule) and Ionathas sayde vnto him: Tomorow is yᵉ new Mone, and thou shalt be axed after: for thou shalt be wanted where thou wast wonte to sit. But on the thirde daye come downe soone, & go in to yᵉ place where thou hydest the on the worckdaye, & set the downe by the stone of Asel: then wyl I shute thre arowes on yᵗ side, as though I wolde shute at a marck: and beholde, I wil sende the boye, and saye vnto him, Go seke yᵉ arowes. Yf I saye now [D] vnto the lad: Lo, the arowes lye hitherwarde behynde yᵉ, fetch them, then come thou, for it is peace, and there is no parell, as truly as the LORDE lyueth. But yf I saye vnto the lad: beholde, the arowes lye yonderwarde before the, then go thou thy waye, for the LORDE hath let the go. ⁽²⁾ As for that which thou and I haue spokē together, the LORDE is betwene me and the for euer.

Dauid hid himself in the felde. And whā the new Mone came, the kynge sat him downe at the table to eate. Whan the kynge had set him downe in his place as he was wonte by the wall, Ionathas stode vp, but Abner sat him downe besyde Saul. And Dauid was myssed in his place. And Saul spake nothinge that daye, for he thoughte: There is somwhat happend vnto him, that he is not cleane. On the seconde daye of the new Mone, whan Dauid was myssed in his place, Saul saide vnto Ionathas his sonne: Wherfore is not the sonne of Isai come to the table nether yesterdaye ner to daye?

Ionathas answered Saul: He prayed me that he mighte go vnto Bethleem, and sayde:[E] Let me go, for oure kynred hath a sacrifyce to do in the cyte, and my brother hath sent for me himselfe: yf I haue founde fauoure now in thy syghte, I wyll go, and se my brethren: therfore is he not come to the kynges table. Then was the kynge wroth at Ionathas, and sayde vnto him: Thou wicked and vnthrifte, I knowe how that thou hast chosen the sonne of Isai, to the shame of thy selfe and of yᵉ shamefull mother. For as longe as yᵉ sonne of Isai lyueth vpō earth nether thou ner thy kingdome shal prospere. Sende now therfore, and cause him to be fetched vnto me, ⁽³⁾ for he is a childe of death.

Ionathas answered his father Saul and sayde vnto him: Wherfore shal he dye? what hath he done? Then shot Saul the iauelynge at him, that he might smite him. Thē perceaued Ionathas, that his father was vtterly determed to kyll Dauid, and he rose vp from yᵉ table in a wrothfull displeasure, and ate no bred yᵗ same seconde daye of the new Mone: for he was vexed because of Dauid, that his father had done him soch dishonoʳ.

[F] On the morow wente Ionathas forth in to the felde, at the tyme appoynted of Dauid, and a litle boy with him, and sayde vnto yᵉ boy: Runne and seke me the arowes which I shute. Whan the boy ranne, he shot an arowe ouer him. And whan the boy came to the place whither Ionathas had shot yᵉ arowe, Ionathas cryed after him, and sayde: The arowe lyeth yonder warde before the. And he cryed after him agayne: haist the, and stonde not styll. Then the boy gathered vp Ionathas arowes, and brought them to his lorde. And the boy knewe nothinge, onely Ionathas and Dauid knewe of yᵉ matter.

Then Ionathas gaue his boy his wapēs and sayde vnto him: Go thy ways, and cary them in to the cite. And whan the boy was gone, Dauid arose from the place towarde the south, and fell vpon his face to the groūde, and worshipped thre tymes, and they kissed one another, and wepte together. But Dauid most specially. And Ionathas saide vnto Dauid: Go thy waye in peace: ⁽⁴⁾ What soeuer we both haue sworne & spokē together in the name of the LORDE, the LORDE be witnesse betwene me and the, betwene my sede and yᵉ sede for euer. And Ionathas gat him vp, and came in to the cite.

Notes to Chapter 20

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. a ⟨illegible⟩ ⟨illegible⟩3. d

⁽²⁾ 1. Re. 20. ⟨illegible⟩

⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. Re. 86. c

⁽⁴⁾ 1. Re. 20. d

Chapter 21

[A] DAuid came to Nobe to yᵉ prest Ahimelech. And Ahimelech was astonnyed, whan he sawe Dauid comminge, and sayde vnto him: Why commest thou alone, and no man is with the? Dauid sayde vnto ⁽¹⁾Ahimelech the prest: The kinge hath cōmytted a matter vnto me, and sayde: Let nomā knowe wherfore I haue sent the, and what I haue commaunded the: for I haue appoynted my seruaūtes to mete me here & there.⁽²⁾ Yf thou haue now ought vnder thy hande, a loafe of bred or fyue, geue me the same in my hande, or what so euer thou findest.

The prest answered Dauid, and sayde: I haue no comen bred vnder my hande, but the holy bred, yf the yonge men haue onely refrained them selues from wemen. Dauid answered the prest, and sayde vnto him: The wemen were kepte thre dayes from vs whan we departed forth, and the yonge mens vessels were holy. But this waye is vnholy, neuerthelesse it shalbe santifyed to daye in the instrumentes. ⁽³⁾ Then the prest gaue him of yᵉ holy, in so moch as there was none other bred but the shewbredes, which were taken vp before the LORDE, that there might be other fresh bredes set therin the daye whā he toke them awaye.

But the same daye was there a man sparred [C] in before the LORDE, one of Sauls seruauntes, named Doeg an Edomite, yᵉ mightiest amonge Sauls hyrdmen. And Dauid sayde vnto Ahimelech: Is there not a speare or a swerde here vnder thine hande? I haue not taken my swerde and weapens with me: for the kynges matter requyred haist. The prest sayde: The swerde of Goliath the Philistyne ⁽⁴⁾ whom thou smotest in the Oke valley, is here wrapped in a cloth behynde the ouerbody cote. Yf thou wylt haue it, take it, for here is els none but it. Dauid sayde: There is not soch another, geue me it.

And Dauid gat him vp, and fled from [D] Saul, and came to Achis yᵉ kynge of Gath. But Achis seruauntes sayde vnto him: This is Dauid the kynge of the londe, of whom they sunge in the daunse, and sayde: ⁽⁵⁾ Saul hath smytten his thousande, but Dauid his ten thousande. And Dauid toke these wordes to hert, and was sore afrayed of Achis the kynge of Gath, and altered his countenaunce before them, and shewed himselfe as he had bene madd in their handes, and stackered towarde the dores of the gate, and his slauerynges ranne downe his beerd. Then sayde Achis vnto his seruauntes: Beholde, ye se that the man is out of his wyt, why haue ye brought him vnto me? Haue I to fewe madd men, that ye haue brought this hither to be madd before me? Shulde he come in to my house?

Notes to Chapter 21

⁽¹⁾ 1. Re. 14. a

⁽²⁾ 1. Re. 2⟨illegible⟩. b ⟨illegible⟩ud. 8. b

⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁴⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁵⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

Chapter 22

DAuid wente frō thence, & fled vnto [A] the caue of Adullam. Whan his brethren and all his fathers house herde that, they came downe thither vnto him. And there gathered vnto him all men that were in trouble and det, and sory of hert, and he became their heade, so that there were with him vpon a foure hundreth men.

And Dauid wente from thence towarde Mispa in the londe of the Moabites, and sayde vnto the kynge of the Moabites: Let my father and my mother go out and in amonge you, tyll I se what God wil do with me. And he lefte them before the kynge of yᵉ Moabites, so that they remayned by him, as longe as Dauid was in the castell. Neuertheles the prophet Gad sayde vnto Dauid: Abyde not in the castell, but go yᵗ waye, and come in to the londe of Iuda. Then departed Dauid, and came into the wodd of Hareth. And Saul herde that Dauid and the men which were with him, were come forth.

[B] Now whyle Saul dwelt at Gibea vnder a groue in Rama, he had a Iauelinge in his hande, and all his seruauntes stode by him. Then sayde Saul vnto his seruauntes that stode by him: Heare ye children of Ieminir Shal the sonne of Isai geue lōdes and vynyardes vnto you all, & make you all captaynes ouer thousandes and ouer hūdreds, that ye haue all conspyred agaynst me, and there is no mā that sheweth it before myne eares, ⁽¹⁾ for so moch as my sonne also hath made a couenaunt with the sonne of Isai? There is no man amonge you that letteth it for my sake, or yᵗ openeth it vnto myne eares: for my sonne hath stered vp my seruauntes against me, that he maye laye wayte for me, as it is manifest.

Then answered Doeg yᵉ Edomite which stode besyde Sauls seruauntes, and sayde: ⁽²⁾I sawe the sonne of Isai, that he came vnto Nobe, to Ahimelech yᵉ sonne of Achitob, which axed councell at the LORDE for him, and gaue him fode, & the swerde of Goliath the Philistyne.

[C] Then sent the kynge, and caused to call Ahimelech the prest the sonne of Achitob, and all his fathers house, the prestes that were at Nobe, and they came all to the kynge. And Saul sayde: Heare thou sonne of Achitob. He saide: Here am I my lorde. And Saul sayde vnto him: Wherfore haue ye cōspyred agaynst me, thou & the sonne of Isai, that thou hast geuen him bred and a swerde, and axed councell at God for him, to stere him vp, that he mighte laye awayte for me, as it is manifest?

Ahimelech answered the kynge and saide: And who is amonge all thy seruauntes like Dauid, which is faithfull, and hath maried the kynges doughter, and goeth in thine obedience, & is honorably taken in thine house? Haue I begonne then first this daye to axe councell at God for him? That be farre fro me. Let not the kinge laie soch to his seruaūtes charge in all my fathers house: for thy seruaunt knewe not of all these thinges nether small ner greate. Neuertheles the kynge saide: Ahimelech thou must dye yᵉ death, thou and all thy fathers house. And the kynge sayde to his fote men that stode by him: Turne you, and slaye the prestes of the LORDE, for their hande is with Dauid also.

Not withstondinge the kynges seruauntes [D] wolde not not laye their handes vpon yᵉ prestes of the LORDE, to slaye them. Then saide yᵉ kynge vnto Doeg: Turne the, and slaye the prestes.⁽³⁾ Doeg the Edomite turned him, and slewe the prestes, so that the same daye there dyed fyue and foure score men, which wayre ouerbody cotes of lynnen. And Nob the cite of the prestes smote he with the edge of the swerde, both men and wemen, children and sucklynges, oxen and asses, and shepe.

Neuerthelesse there escaped a sonne of Ahimelech (the sonne of Achitob) whose name was Abiathar, and fled after Dauid, and tolde him, that Saul had slayne yᵉ prestes of the LORDE. Dauid sayde vnto Abiathar: I knewe well the same daye that Doeg the Edomite was there, that he wolde tell Saul. I am giltye of the soules of thy fathers house. Abyde thou with me, and feare not. He that layeth wayte for my lyfe, shall laye wayte for thyne also, and thou shalt be preserued with me.

Notes to Chapter 22

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽³⁾ 1. Reg. 2. g 2. Re. 21. a

Chapter 23

ANd it was tolde Dauid: Beholde, the [A] Philistynes fight against Cegila, and spoyle the barnes. Then Dauid axed at the LORDE, and sayde: Shal I go, & smyte these Philistynes? And the LORDE sayde vnto Dauid: Go thy waye, thou shalt smyte the Philistynes, and delyuer Cegila. But yᵉ men that were with Dauid, sayde vnto him: Beholde, we are here in feare in Iewry, and shall we go to Cegila vnto the hoost of the Philistynes? Thē Dauid axed at the LORDE agayne. And the LORDE answered him, and sayde: Vp, get the downe to Cegila, for I wil delyuer the Philistynes in to thy hande.

So Dauid wente with his men vnto Cegila, and foughte agaynst the Philistynes, & droue awaye their catell, and smote them wᵗ a greate slaughter. Thus Dauid delyuered them of Cegila. For whan Abiathar the sonne of Ahimelech fled vnto Dauid at Cegila, he bare downe the ouerbody cote with him.

Thē was it tolde Saul, that Dauid was come to Cegila, and he sayde: God hath deliuered him in to my hāde, for he is shut fast in, now that he is come in to a cite which is kepte wᵗ gates and barres. And Saul caused for to call all the people downe to yᵉ battaill vnto Cegila, yᵗ they might besege Dauid and his men. But whan Dauid perceaued yᵗ Saul intēded euell against him, he saide vnto Abiathar yᵉ prest: * Brynge me hither the ouerbody cote. And Dauid sayde: O LORDE God of Israel, thy seruaunt hath herde, that Saul goeth aboute to come for to destroye the cite of Cegila for my sake. Shal the citysens of Cegila delyuer me ouer in to his handes? And shal Saul come downe, as thy seruaunt hath herde? Tell thy seruaunt this, O LORDE God of Israel. And the LORDE saide: He shal come downe.

[C] Dauid sayde: Shall the citysens of Cegila delyuer me and my men in to Sauls handes? The LORDE sayde: Yee. Thē Dauid gat him vp with his mē, of whom there were vpon a sixe hundreth, & walked whither they coulde. Now whan it was tolde Saul that Dauid was escaped from Cegila, he let his iourney stonde. As for Dauid, he remayned in the wildernes in the castell, and abode vpon the mount in the wildernes of Siph. But Saul soughte him as longe as he lyued. Neuertheles God gaue him not in to his handes. And Dauid sawe, that Saul was gone forth to seke after his life. But Dauid was in the wildernes of Siph, in the wodd.

Then Ionathas the sonne of Saul gat him vp, and wēte vnto Dauid in to the wod, and strengthed his hande in God, and sayde vnto him: Feare not, my father Sauls hande shal not finde yᵉ: and thou shalt be kynge ouer Israel, so will I be the nexte vnto the. [D] And yᵗ my father knoweth right well. ⁽¹⁾ And they made a couenaunt both together before the LORDE. And Dauid remayned in the wodd. As for Ionathas, he wente home agayne.

But the ⁽²⁾ Siphites wente vp to Saul vnto Gibeath, and sayde: Is not Dauid hyd with vs in the castell in yᵉ wodd, vpon moūt Hachila, which lyeth on the righte hande of the wildernesse? Let the kynge come downe now therfore acordinge to all the desyre of his hert, and we wyll delyuer him in to the kynges hande. Then sayde Saul: Blessed be ye of the LORDE, that ye haue had pytie vpon me: Go youre waye now therfore, and be sure, that ye maye knowe and se in what place his fete haue bene, and who hath sene him there: for it is tolde me, that he is full of sotiltye. Loke well and spye out all the places, where he hydeth him, and come agayne to me, whan ye are sure, and I will go with you. Yf he be in the londe, I wyl enquere after him amonge all the thousandes in Iuda.

Then gat they them vp, and wente their waye vnto Siph before Saul. But Dauid and his men were in the wyldernes of Maō, euen in the felde on the righte hande of the wildernes. Now whan Saul wente thither with his men to seke him, it was tolde Dauid and he gat him downe to the rocke, and abode in the wildernesse of Mahon. Whan Saul herde that, he folowed after Dauid in the wildernesse of Mahon. And Saul with his men wente on the one syde of the hyll: Dauid wᵗ his men on yᵉ other syde of yᵉ hill. But whan Dauid made haist to escape from Saul, Saul with his men compased aboute Dauid and his men, that he might take thē. ⁽³⁾ Neuertheles there came a messaūger vnto Saul, and sayde: Make haist and come, for the Philistynes are fallē in to the londe. Thē Saul turned him from chacynge of Dauid, and wente agaynst the Philstynes. Therfore is yᵉ place called ⁽⁴⁾ Sela Mahelkoth. And Dauid wente vp from thence, and abode in the castell at En Gaddi.

Notes to Chapter 23

⁽¹⁾ 1. Re. 18. a and 20. b

⁽²⁾ Par. 2. c

⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁴⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

Chapter 24

NOw whan Saul came agayne from the Philistines, it was tolde him: Beholde, Dauid is in the wyldernes of Engaddi. And Saul toke thre thousande chosen men out of all Israel, and wente to seke Dauid with his men vpon the stony rockes of the wylde goates. And whan he came to the shepe foldes by yᵉ waye, there was a caue, and Saul wente in to ⁽¹⁾couer his fete. But Dauid and his men sat behinde within the caue.

Then sayde Dauids men vnto him: Lo, this is the daye, wherof the LORDE thy God hath sayde vnto the: Beholde, I wyll delyuer thyne enemye in to thy hande, that thou mayest do wᵗ him what it pleaseth the. And Dauid stode vp, & cut of the typpe of Sauls garment quyetly. Neuertheles it smote him afterwarde in his hert, because he had cut of the typpe of Sauls garment, and sayde vnto his men: The LORDE let that be farre fro me, that I shulde do it, & laye my hande vpō my lorde the LORDES anoyntd: for he is yᵉ anoynted of the LORDE. And Dauid withelde his seruaūtes with wordes, & suffred thē not to ryse vp agaynst Saul.

But whan Saul gat him vp out of the caue, and was goinge his waye, Dauid rose vp also after him, and wente out of the caue, and cried behynde Saul, & sayde: My lorde the kynge. And Saul loked behynde him. And Dauid bowed downe his face to the earth, and worshipped, and sayde vnto Saul: Why herkenest thou vnto the wordes of men, that saye: Dauid seketh thy mysfortune? Beholde, thine eyes se this daye that the LORDE gaue the in to my hande in the caue, and I was counceled to slaye the: Neuertheles [C] thou wast fauoured, for I sayde: I wil not laye my hande vpon my lorde, for he is the LORDES anoynted. Beholde, my father the typpe of thy garment in my hande, that I wolde not slaye the, whan I cut of the typpe of thy garment. Knowe and se, yᵗ there is no euell ner trespace in my hande: nether haue I offended the, and thou folowest after my soule, to take it awaye. The LORDE shal be iudge betwene me and the, and auenge me on the, but my hāde shal not be vpon the, acordinge as it is sayde after the olde prouerbe: Vngodlynes commeth of the vngodly: but my hande shal not be vpon the. Whom persecutest thou O kynge of Israel, whom persecutest thou? a deed dogg? a flee? The LORDE be iudge, and geue sentence betwene me and the, and cōsidre it, and defende my cause, and delyuer me from thy hande.

[D] Now whan Dauid had spoken out these wordes vnto Saul, Saul saide:⁽²⁾ Is not this thy voyce my sonne Dauid? And Saul lifte vp his voyce, and wepte, and saide vnto Dauid: Thou art more righteous then I: for thou hast recompēsed me good, but I haue rewarded the euell. And this daye hast thou shewed me how thou hast done me good, for so moch as yᵉ LORDE hath delyuered me in to thy hande, and thou neuertheles hast not slaine me. What is he, which yf he fynde his enemye, wyllet him go in a good waye? The LORDE rewarde the good for yᵗ thou hast done vnto me this daye? Beholde now, I knowe that thou shalt be kynge, & the kyngdome of Israel stondeth in thy hande: sweare now therfore vnto me by the LORDE, yᵗ thou shalt not rote out my sede after me, nether destroie my name out of my fathers house. And Dauid sware vnto Saul. Then wente Saul home, but Dauid gat him vp with his men vnto the castell.

Notes to Chapter 24

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩ 26. c

Chapter 25

[A] ANd Samuel dyed, and all Israel gathered them selues together, mourned for him, & buried him in his house at Ramath. As for Dauid, he rose, and wente downe in to the wyldernesse of Paran. And there was a man at Maon, and his possession at Carmel, and the man was of greate power, and had thre thousande shepe, and a thousande goates. And it fortuned that he clypped his shepe at Carmel, and his name was Nabal, but his wyues name was Abigail, and she was a woman of good vnderstondinge, & bewtyfull of face. But the man was harde, and wicked in his doynges, and was one of Caleb.

Now whan Dauid herde in the wyldernes yᵗ Nabal clypped his shepe, he sent out ten yonge men, & saide vnto them: Go vp vnto Carmel, & whan ye come to Nabal, salute him frendly on my behalfe, & saye: Good lucke, peace be wᵗ the & thine house, & with all yᵗ thou hast. I haue herde saye that thou hast shepe clyppers. Now yᵉ shepherdes whom [B] thou hast, haue bene with vs, we haue done them no dishonoure, and they wāted nothinge of their nombre, as longe as they were at Carmel: Axe thy yonge men, they shal tell the, and let thy yonge men fynde fauoure in yᵉ sighte: for we are come in a good daye, geue thy seruauntes & thy sonne Dauid what thy hande fyndeth.

And whā Dauids yonge men came, and spake all these wordes on Dauids behalfe vnto Nabal, they lefte of. But Nabal answered Dauids seruauntes, & sayde: What is he yᵗ Dauid? & who is the sonne of Isai? There are many seruauntes now yᵗ runne awaye from their masters. Shulde I take my bred, water and flesh, that I haue slayne for my clyppers, & geue it vnto mē whom I knowe not whence they are?

Thē Dauids yonge mē turned their waye agayne. And whan they came agayne vnto him, they tolde him all these wordes. Thē sayde Dauid vnto his men: Euery man gyrde his swerde aboute him. And euery one gyrde his swerde aboute him. And Dauid gyrde his swerde aboute him also, and there wēte vp after him vpon a foure hundreth men, but two hundreth remayned wᵗ the stuffe.

Neuertheles Abigail Nabals wife tolde [C] one of hir yonge men, and sayde: Beholde, Dauid sent messaungers out of the wyldernes to blesse oure lorde, Notwithstondinge he was fearce vpō them, and yet haue they bene very profitable men vnto vs, and haue done vs no dishonoure, and we wanted none of the nombre as lōge as we walked with them, whan we were in the felde: but they haue bene oure wall daye and nighte, as longe as we kepte the shepe by them. Take hede now therfore, and loke well what thou doest, for there is surely a mysfortune at hande agaynst oure lorde, & agaynst all his house. And he is a man of Belial, to whom no man darre saye eny thinge. Then Abigail made haist, and toke two hundred loaues of bred, and two botels of wyne, and fyue shepe ready dighte, and fyue measures of firmentye, and an hundreth frayles of rasens, and two hundreth frayles of fygges, & layed them vpō asses, and sayde to hir yonge men: Go ye youre waye before me, beholde, I wyl come after. And she tolde Nabal hir housbāde nothinge therof. And as she rode vpō the asse, and wente downe in the shadowe of yᵉ hill, beholde, Dauid & his mē met hir downe, so that she came vpon them.

[D] But Dauid sayde: Wel, all that this man had in yᵉ wyldernes, haue I kepte for naughte, so that there wanted nothinge of all that he had, and he rewardeth me euell for good. God do this and yet more vnto the enemies of Dauid, yf vntyll tomorow in the mornynge I leaue this man (of all that he hath) so moch as one that maketh water agaynst yᵉ wall. Now whan Abigail sawe Dauid, she lighte downe from the asse in all the haist, and fell vpō hir face before Dauid, and worshiped him to the grounde, and fell at his fete, and sayde: Oh my lorde, let this trespace be myne, and let thy handmayde speake before thine eares, and heare the wordes of thy handmayden: Let not my lorde set his hert agaynst this Nabal the man of Belial, for he is a foole, acordinge as his name is called: his name is foole, and foolishnes is with him. As for me thy handmayde, I sawe not my lordes yonge men, whom thou dyddest sende.

But now my lorde, as truly as the LORDE lyueth, and as truly as thy soule lyueth, the LORDE hath kepte the backe, yᵗ thou shuldest not come agaynst bloude, and he hath delyuered thine hande.

[E] Thine enemyes be now as Nabal, and so be they that wolde my lorde euell. Here is yᵉ blessynge, yᵗ thy handmayde hath brought my lorde, take it, and geue it vnto the yonge men, that walke vnder my lorde. For a sure house shal yᵉ LORDE make my lorde, which fighteth the fighte of the LORDE, and no euell shall be founde in the all thy life longe. And yf eny man ryse vp to persecute yᵗ, and to laye wayte for thy soule, then shal the soule of my lorde be bounde in the bundell of yᵉ lyuynge, euen with the LORDE thy God. But yᵉ soule of thine enemies shalbe turned backe wᵗ the slynge. Whan the LORDE therfore doth all this good for my lorde (which he hath promysed the) and commaundeth yᵗ to be his Duke ouer Israel, then shal it be no stomblinge blocke ner occasiion of fallynge vnto my lordes hert, that thou hast not shed bloude without a cause, and auenged thy selfe, then shal yᵉ LORDE do good vnto my lorde, and thou shalt thynke vpon thy hand mayden.

Then saide Dauid vnto Abigail: Blessed [F] be the LORDE God of Israel, which hath sent the to mete me this daye: and blessed be thy speach, and blessed be thou, which hast kepte me backe this daye, that I am not come agaynst bloude, to auenge me with myne awne hande. Verely (as truly as the LORDE the God of Israel lyueth, which hath hyndred me that I shulde do the no euell.) Yf thou haddest not met me in all the haist, Nabal shulde not haue had lefte him vntyll yᵉ lighte mornynge, so moch as one that maketh water agaynst the wall. So Dauid toke of hir hāde what she had broughte him, and sayde vnto her: Go vp in peace vnto yᵉ house: beholde, I haue herkened vnto yᵉ voyce, and accepted thy personne.

But whan Abigail came to Nabal, beholde, he had prepared a feast in his house like a kynges feast, and his hert was mery, for he was very dronken. And she tolde him nothinge, nether small ner greate vntyll yᵉ cleare mornynge. But whan it was daye, & the wyne was come from Nabal, his wife tolde him these thinges.

Then was his hert deed in his body, so that he became euen as a stone: and ouer ten dayes the LORDE smote him, so yᵗ he dyed. Whan Dauid herde that Nabal was deed, he sayde: Blessed be yᵉ LORDE which hath auenged my rebuke on Nabal, and preserued his seruaunt from euell. And the LORDE hath rewarded Nabal that euell vpon his heade.

And Dauid sent, and caused to talke with Abigail, yᵗ he mighte take her to wife. And whan Dauids seruauntes came to Abigail vnto Carmel, they spake vnto her, and saide: Dauid hath sent vs vnto the, that he maye take yᵉ to wife. She rose vp, and worshipped vpon hir face vnto the earth, and sayde: beholde, here is thy handmayde, that she maie do seruyce vnto the seruauntes of my lorde, and to waszshe their fete. And Abigail made haist, and gat her vp, and rode vpō an asse, and fyue maydens that were vnder her, and wente after Dauids messaungers, and became his wife. Dauid toke Ahinoam of Iesrael also, and they both became his wyues. But Saul gaue Michol his doughter the wife of Dauid vnto Phalti yᵉ sonne of Lais of Gallim.

Chapter 26

[A] THey of Siph came to Saul vnto Gibeath, & sayde: ⁽¹⁾ Is not Dauid hyd vpō the hill of Hachila, which lyeth ouer agaynst the wyldernesse? Then Saul gat him vp, and wente downe to the wildernes of Siph, and thre thousande chosen men of Israel with him, to seke Dauid in the wildernes of Siph, and pitched vpon the hill of Hachila, which lyeth by the waye before the wildernes. But Dauid remayned in the wyldernes, and whan he sawe that Saul came after him in to the wildernes, he sent out spyes, and knewe of a suertie, that he was come in dede.

And Dauid gat him vp, and came to the place where Saul had pitched his tēt, and sawe the place where Saul laye with his chefe captayne ⁽²⁾ Abner yᵉ sonne of Ner: for Saul laye in the tent, and the hoost aboute him. Then answered Dauid, and sayde vnto Ahimelech the Hethite, and to Abisai the sonne of Ieru Ia yᵉ brother of Ioab: Who wil go downe wᵗ me to Saul in to the hoost? Abisai sayde: I wil go downe with the.

[B] So Dauid and Abisai came to the people in the night season, & beholde, Saul laye and slepte in the tent, and his speare stacke in yᵉ grounde at his heade. But Abner and the people laye rounde aboute him. Thē sayde Abisai vnto Dauid: God hath closed thine enemye in thyne hande this daye. Therfore will I now thrust him thorow once with the speare euen in to the grounde, yᵗ he shall haue ynough of it. Neuertheles Dauid sayde vnto Abisai: Destroye him not, for who wil laye hande vpon the anoynted of yᵉ LORDE, & remayne vngiltye? Dauid sayde morouer: As truly as the LORDE lyueth, yf yᵉ LORDE him selfe smyte him not, or excepte his tyme come that he dye, or that he go in to the battayll and perishe, the LORDE let it be farre fro me, that I shulde laye my hande on the LORDES anoynted. Take yᵉ speare now therfore at his heade, & the cuppe of water, & let vs go. So Dauid toke yᵉ speare & the cuppe of water at Sauls heade, & they wente their waye. And there was no man yᵗ sawe it, ner perceaued it, nether awaked, but they slepte euery one, for there was a depe slepe fallen vpon them from the LORDE.

Now whan Dauid was come ouer on yᵉ [C] other syde, he stode vpon the toppe of the mount a farre of (so that there was a wyde space betwene them) and cried vpon yᵉ people, and vpō Abner the sonne of Ner, & sayde: Hearest thou not Abner? And Abner answered and sayde: Who art thou that cryest so, and diseasest the kynge? And Dauid sayde vnto Abner: Art thou not a man? And where is there soch one as thou in Israel? Why hast thou not then kepte thy lorde yᵉ kynge? for there is one of yᵉ people come in to destroye thy lorde yᵉ kynge. It is not well that thou hast done. As truly as the LORDE lyueth ⁽³⁾ ye are the children of death, because ye haue not kepte youre lorde the LORDES anoynted. Beholde now, where is yᵉ kynges speare, and the cuppe of water that was at his heade.

Then knewe Saul the voyce of Dauid, and saide: ⁽⁴⁾ Is not that thy voyce my sonne Dauid? Dauid sayde: It is my voyce my lorde the kynge. And he sayde morouer: Why doth my lorde so persecute his seruaunt? What haue I done? and what euell is there in my hande? Yet let my lorde the kynge heare but the wordes of his seruaunt? Yf yᵉ [D] LORDE prouoke the against me, let there be smelled a meat offerynge: but yf the childrē of men do it, cursed be they before the LORDE, because they haue thrust me out this daye (that I shulde not dwell in the LORDES inheritaunce) and saye: Go yᵗ waye, and serue other goddes. So fall not now my bloude vpon the earth from the face of the LORDE. For the kynge of Israel is gone forth to seke a flee, as a partriche is folowed on vpō the mountaynes.

And Saul sayde: I haue synned: Come agayne Dauid my sonne, I wil do the nomore hurte, because my soule hath bene deare in yᵉ sighte this daye. Beholde, I haue done foolishly and very vnwysely. Dauid answered and sayde: Beholde, here is the kynges speare, let one of the yonge men come ouer here and fetch it. But the LORDE shal rewarde euery one acordinge to his righteousnes and faith, for yᵉ LORDE delyuered yᵗ this daye into my hande: neuertheles I wolde not laie my hande vpō the LORDES anoynted. And as yᵉ soule hath bene greatly reputed in my sighte this daye, so let yᵉ LORDE repute my soule in his sighte, & delyuer me from all trouble. Saul saide vnto Dauid: Blessed be thou Dauid my sonne, thou shalt do it, & be able. But Dauid wente his waye, and Saul turned agayne vnto his place.

Notes to Chapter 26

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩ ⟨illegible⟩5. d

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 14. g

⁽³⁾ 1. Re. ⟨illegible⟩0.

⁽⁴⁾ 1.2 c. 24. ⟨illegible⟩

Chapter 27

[A] DAuid thoughte in his hert: One of these dayes shal I fall in to the handes of Saul: It is better that I get me my waye in to yᵉ londe of yᵉ Philistynes, that Saul maye leaue of from sekynge me in all the coastes of Israel, so shall I escape his handes. And he gat him vp, and wente ouer (with the sixe hundreth men that were with him) vnto Achis the sonne of Maoch kynge of Gath. So Dauid remayned by Achis at Gath, with his mē, euery one with his housholde, and Dauid with his two wyues, Ahinoam the Iesraelitisse, and Abigail Nabals wife of Carmel. And whan worde came to Saul that Dauid was fled vnto Gath, he soughte him nomore.

And Dauid sayde vnto Achis: Yf I haue founde grace in thy sighte, then let there be geuen me a place in one of the cities of the londe, that I maye dwell therin. Wherfore shulde thy seruaunt dwell in the kynges cite with the? Then Achis gaue him Siclag the same daye. Therfore belongeth. Siclag to the kynges of Iuda vnto this daye. The tyme that Dauid dwelt in the londe of the Philistynes, is foure monethes.

[B] Dauid wente vp with his men, and fell in to the londe of the Gessurites and Girsites, and ⁽¹⁾ Amalechites: for these were the inhabiters of this londe of olde, as thou commest to Sur vnto the lōde of Egipte. But whā Dauid smote yᵉ londe, ⁽²⁾ he let nether man ner woman lyue, and toke the shepe, oxen, asses, Camels and rayment, and returned and came to Achis. So whan Achis spake: Whither fell ye in to daye? Dauid sayde: Towarde the south parte of Iuda, towarde yᵉ south parte of the Ierahmielites, & towarde the south parte of the Kenites. But Dauid let nether man ner woman come lyuynge vnto Geth, and thoughte: They mighte peraduēture speake & reporte agaynst vs: thus dyd Dauid, and this was his maner as longe as he dwelt in yᵉ londe of the Philistynes. Therfore Achis gaue credence vnto Dauid, and thoughte: he hath made him selfe stynke before his people of Israel, therfore shal he be my seruaunt for euer.

Notes to Chapter 27

⁽¹⁾ Re. 15. b

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩eu. 20. c

Chapter 28

[A] IT fortuned at yᵉ same tyme, that the Philistynes gathered their hoost together to the battayll, to go agaynst Israel. And Achis sayde vnto Dauid: Thou shalt knowe, that thou and thy men shal go forth with me in the hoost. Dauid sayde vnto Achis: Well, thou shalt se what thy seruaūt shal do. Achis saide vnto Dauid: Therfore wyll I ordene the to be the keper of my heade as longe as I lyue.⁽¹⁾ As for Samuel, he was deed, and all yᵉ people had mourned for him, & buried him in his cite Ramath. ⁽²⁾ So Saul had dryuen the soythsayers and expounders of tokens out of yᵉ londe. Now whan the Philistynes gathered them selues together, and came and pitched their tentes at Sunem, Saul gathered all the people together, & they pitched at Gilboa. But whan Saul sawe the hoost of the Philistynes, he was afrayed, and his hert was discoraged, and he axed councell at the LORDE. But yᵉ LORDE gaue him no answere, nether by dreames, ner by the ⁽³⁾ lighte, ner by prophetes.

Thē sayde Saul vnto his seruauntes: Seke [B] me a womā which hath a sprete of soythsayēge, that I maye go vnto her, and axe at her. His seruauntes sayde vnto him: Beholde, at Endor is there a woman, which hath a sprete of soythsayenge. And Saul chaunged his clothes, and put on other, and wente his waye and two men with him, and came by nighte vnto the woman, and sayde: Prophecye vnto me (I pray the) thorow the sprete of soythsayenge, and brynge me him vp whom I shal name vnto the. The womā saide vnto him: Beholde, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath roted out the soythsayers & witches from the londe, wherfore wilt thou brynge my soule then in to yᵉ nett, that I maye be slayne? But Saul sware vnto her by yᵉ LORDE, and sayde: As truly as the LORDE lyueth, there shall no harme happen vnto the for this. Then sayde yᵉ woman: Whom shal I brynge vp vnto the He sayde: Brynge me vp Samuel.

Now whan yᵉ woman sawe Samuel, she [C] cryed loude, and sayde vnto Saul: Wherfore hast thou begyled me? Thou art Saul. And the kynge sayde vnto her: Feare not, what seist thou? The woman sayde vnto Saul: I se goddes cōmynge vp out of yᵉ earth? He sayde: How is he shapened? She sayde: There commeth vp an olde man, and is clothed with a longe garment. Then perceaued Saul that it was Samuel, & bowed him selfe downe wᵗ his face to the grounde, and worshiped him.

Samuel saide vnto Saul: Why hast thou disquyeted me, to cause me be broughte vp▪ Saul sayde: I am sore troubled, the Philistynes fighte against me, & God is departed fro me, & geueth me no answere, nether by prophetes ner by dreames: therfore haue I called the, yᵗ thou mightest shewe me, what I [D] shal do. Samuel sayde: What wilt thou axe at me, seynge the LORDE is departed from the, and is become thine enemye? The LORDE shal do vnto the euen as he spake by me, ⁽⁴⁾and shall plucke the kyngdome out of thy hande, and geue it vnto Dauid thy neghboure, because thou hast not herkened vnto the voyce of the LORDE, ner perfourmed the displeasure of his wrath agaynst Amalek. Therfore hath the LORDE done this now vnto the. Morouer the LORDE shal delyuer Israel with the also in to the handes of the Philistynes: ⁽⁵⁾ tomorow shalt thou and thy sonnes be with me. And the hoost of Israel shal the LORDE delyuer in to the handes of the Philistynes. Then fell Saul immediatly vnto the earth, for he coulde not stonde, and was sore afrayed at these wordes of Samuel, so that there was nomore strength in him: for he had eaten no bred all that daye and all that night.

[E] And the woman wente in to Saul, & sawe that he was sore vexed, and sayde vnto him: Beholde, thy handmayde hath herkened vnto thy voyce, and I haue put my soule in my hande, so that I haue herkened vnto yᵉ wordes which thou spakest vnto me. Therfore folowe thou also the voyce of thy handmayde. I wil set a morsell of bred before the to eate, that thou mayest come to thy strength, & go yᵉ waye. But he refused, and sayde, I wil not eate. Then his seruauntes & the woman cōpelled him, so that he herkened vnto their voyce.

And he rose vp from yᵉ grounde, and sat vpon the bed. The woman had a fat calfe at home, so she made haist, and kylled it, and toke meell and dyd kneet it, and baked swete cakes, & broughte them forth before Saul, & before his seruauntes. And whan they had eaten, they stode vp, and wēte their waye yᵗ nighte.

Notes to Chapter 28

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁴⁾ ⟨illegible⟩ ⟨illegible⟩5. f

⁽⁵⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. ⟨illegible⟩1. a

Chapter 29

[A] THe Philistynes gathered all their armies together at Aphek. But Israel pitched at Ain in Iesrael. And the prynces of the Philistynes wēte forth with hundreds and with thousandes, but Dauid and his men wēte behynde with Achis. Thē sayde the prynces of the Philistynes: What shal these Hebrues do? Achis saide vnto thē: Is not this Dauid yᵉ seruaunt of Saul kynge of Israel, which hath bene with me now yeares and dayes, & I haue founde no euell in him sence the tyme that he fell to me vnto this daye? ⁽¹⁾ Neuertheles the prynces of yᵉ Philistynes were wroth at him, & sayde vnto him: Let the man turne backe agayne, & abyde in his place, ⁽²⁾ which thou hast appoynted him, that he go not downe with vs to yᵉ batayll, and become oure aduersary in yᵉ felde. For wherin coulde he better do his lorde a pleasure, thē in the heades of these men? Is not this Dauid, of whom they sunge in the daunce: ⁽³⁾ Saul hath smyttē his thousande, but Dauid his ten thousande? Then Achis called Dauid, and sayde vnto him: As truly as the LORDE lyueth, I take the for an honest man, and thy out goynge and ingoynge with me in yᵉ hoost pleaseth me well, and no euell haue I marked in the, sence yᵉ tyme that thou camest to me vnto this daye. But thou pleasest not the prynces. Returne now therfore, and go yᵉ waye in peace, that thou do no euell in the sighte of the prynces of yᵉ Philistynes.

Dauid sayde: What haue I done, & what [B] hast thou marked in thy seruaunt, sence yᵉ tyme that I haue bene in yᵉ presence vnto this daye, that I shulde not come and fighte agaynst the enemies of my lorde the kynge? Achis answered and sayde vnto Dauid: I knowe well that thou pleasest myne eyes euē as an angell of God. But the prynces of yᵉ Philistynes haue sayde: Let him not go vp with vs vnto the batayll. Get the vp therfore tomorow by tymes, and yᵉ lordes seruauntes which are come with the. And whan ye haue gotten you vp early in the mornynge, whan it is lighte, go yoʳ waye. So Dauid & his men gat them vp early, to go their waye in the mornynge, and to come agayne in to the londe of the Philistynes. But the Philistynes wente vp towarde Iesrael.

Notes to Chapter 29

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 13. c

⁽²⁾ 1. Re. 27▪

⁽³⁾ 1. Re. 18. and 21. d

Chapter 30

NOw whan Dauid came to Siclag [A] on the thirde daie with his men, the Amalechites had fallē in on yᵉ south parte and at Siclag, and had smytten Siclag, and burned it with fyre, and had caried awaye the wemē out of it, both small & greate. Neuertheles they had slayne no man, but dryuen thē thence, and were goynge on their waye. Now whan Dauid with his men came to the cite, and sawe that it was brent wᵗ fyre, and that their wyues, sonnes & doughters were led awaye captyue, Dauid and the people that was with him lefte vp their voyce, and wepte so longe tyll they coulde wepe nomore. For Dauids two wyues also were caried awaye captyue, Ahinoam yᵉ Iesraelitisse, and Abigail Nabals wife of Carmel. And Dauid was very soroufull, for the people wolde haue stoned him: for yᵉ soule of all the people was in greate heuynes, euery one ouer his sonnes and doughters.

[B] Neuertheles Dauid strengthed him selfe in the LORDE his God, & sayde vnto Abiathar yᵉ prest the sonne of Ahimelech: ⁽¹⁾ Bringe me hither the ouerbody cote. And whan Abiathar had broughte the ouerbody cote vnto Dauid, Dauid axed at the LORDE, and sayde: Shal I folowe vpon the men of warre, and shal I ouertake them? He sayde: Yee, folowe vpō them, thou shalt ouertake them, and shalt rescue the pray. Then wente Dauid his waye, and the sixe hūdreth men that were with him. And whan they came to the ryuer of Besor, some stode styll. But Dauid and the foure hundreth men folowed after: As for the two hūdreth men that stode styll, they had bene slowe to go ouer the ryuer of Besor.

And they founde a man of Egipte vpon the felde, him they broughte vnto Dauid,⁽²⁾ & gaue him bred to eate, and water to drynke, and gaue him a quantite of fygges, & two quantities of rasyns. And whan he had eaten, his sprete came to him againe: for in thre dayes and thre nightes he had eatē no bred, and dronke no water.

[C] Dauid sayde vnto him: Whose art thou? & whence art thou? He sayde: I am a childe of Egipte, an Amalechites seruaunt, & my master hath forsaken me, because I was sicke thre dayes a goo. We fell her in towarde yᵉ south syde of Chrethus, and vpon Iuda, and towarde yᵉ south parte of Caleb, & haue burned Siclag with fyre.

Dauid sayde vnto him: Wilt thou bringe me downe to these men of warre? He sayde⟨illegible⟩ Sweare vnto me by God, yᵗ thou shalt not slaye me, ner delyuer me in to my masters hāde, and I wil brynge the downe to these mē of warre. And he broughte thē downe, and beholde, they were scatred vpon all yᵉ grounde, eatinge and drynkynge, and kepynge holy daye, and were makinge mery chere, because of all the greate spoyles that they had taken out of the londe of the Philistynes and of Iuda.

[D] And Dauid smote them from yᵉ morow tyll the euen, agaynst the nexte daye, so that there escaped none, excepte foure hundreth yonge men, which rode vpon camels, & fled. So Dauid rescued all that the Amalechites had taken, and his two wyues, & there myssed nothinge, nether small ner greate, nether sonnes ner doughters, ner spoyles: and what so euer they had taken, Dauid broughte all agayne. And Dauid toke the shepe and oxē, and droue yᵉ catell before him. And they sayde: This is Dauids spoyle.

And whan Dauid came to the two hundreth men, which had bene slowe to folowe after Dauid, and abode at the ryuer of Besor, they wente forth to mete Dauid, and the people yᵗ was with him. And Dauid came to the people, and saluted them frendly.

Then answered soch men as were euell & Belials men (amonge them that had gone with Dauid) and sayde: Seynge they wente not wᵗ vs, they shal haue none of the spoyles that we haue rescued: but let euery mā toke his wife & his children and be goynge.

Then sayde Dauid: Ye shall not do so (my brethren) with that which yᵉ LORDE hath geuen vs, and hath preserued vs, and delyuered these men of warre (which were come agaynst vs) in to oure hādes. Who shulde cōsente vnto you herin? like as the porcion is of them that wente downe to the battayll, so shal yᵉ porcion be of them also that a bode wᵗ the stuffe, & shalbe deuyded a lyke.

From that tyme forth hath this bene an [F] ordinaunce & lawe in Israel vnto this daye. And whan Dauid came to Siclag, he sent of the spoyle vnto the Elders in Iuda his neghbours, and sayde: Beholde, there haue ye the blessynge out of the spoyle of the enemies of the LORDE, namely vnto them of Bethel, vnto them at Ramath in the south, vnto them at Iathir, vnto them at Aroer, vnto them at Siphamoth, vnto them at Eschemoa, vnto them at Rachal, vnto them in the cities of the Ierahmielites, vnto them in the cities of the Kenites, vnto them at Horma, vnto thē at Borasan, vnto thē at Atach, vnto them at Hebron, and vnto all the places where Dauid had walked wᵗ his men.

Notes to Chapter 30

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. Re. 23. b

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩ou. 25. d

Chapter 31

BVt yᵉ ⁽¹⁾ Philistynes foughte against [A] Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistynes, and fell downe smytten vpon the mount Gilboa. And the Philistynes preassed vpon Saul and his sonnes, and slewe Ionathas, & Abinadab and Malchisua the sonnes of Saul. And the battayll was sore agaynst Saul, & the archers fell vpon him with bowes, and he was sore wounded of the archers.

Then sayde Saul vnto his wapēbearer▪ Drawe out thy swerde, and thrust it thorow me, that these vncircumcised come not and slaie me, and make a laughinge stocke of me, Neuertheles his wapenbearer wolde not, for he was sore afrayed. Then toke Saul yᵉ swerde, and fell therin. Now whan his wapenbearer sawe that Saul was deed, he fell also vpon his swerde, and dyed with him. Thus dyed Saul and his thre sonnes, & his wapenbearer, and all his men together the same daye.

Whan yᵉ men of Israel which were beyonde the valley, and beyonde Iordane, sawe, yᵗ the men of Israel were fled, and that Saul and his sonnes were deed, they lefte yᵉ cities, and fled also. Then came the Philistynes, & dwelt therin.

⁽²⁾ On the nexte daye came the Philistynes to spoyle yᵉ slayne, and founde Saul and his thre sonnes lyenge vpon mount Gilboa, and smote of his heade, and toke of his harnesse, [C] and sent it in to the lande of the Philistynes rounde aboute, to shewe it in the house of their Idols, and amonge the people, & layed his harnesse in yᵉ house of Astaroth: but his body hanged they vp vpō the wall of Bethsan.

Whan they of Iabes in Gilead herde, what the Philistynes had done vnto Saul, they gat them vp, as many as were men of armes, and wente all the nighte, and toke yᵉ body of Saul, and the bodies of his sonnes from yᵉ wall of Bethsan, broughte thē to Iabes, ⁽³⁾ and brent them there, and toke their bones, and buried them vnder yᵉ tre at Iabes, & fasted seuē dayes.

Notes to Chapter 31

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩. 11. b

⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

The ende of the first boke of the kynges, otherwyse called the first boke of Samuel.

Colophon

This page is an archival transcription of the printed text, not a Good Works Translation. Source: Biblia the Byble, that is, the holy Scrypture of the Olde and New Testament, faithfully translated in to Englyshe (M.D.XXXV; STC 2063.3), translated by Myles Coverdale, the copy in Cambridge University Library, keyed and encoded by the Text Creation Partnership (EEBO-TCP Phase I, text A10349, 2005) and released under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 public-domain dedication.

29 places illegible in the Cambridge copy were filled from Samuel Bagster’s 1838 page-for-page reprint of the edition (archive.org, holyscriptures00cove), only where the reprint’s reading is certain; each fill is listed on this room’s Supplied Readings page; 166 places are still marked ⟨illegible⟩ (10 in the text, 156 in the marginal notes).

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