After that came the Ziphites vnto Saul to Gabaah sayinge: Dauid hydeth hym self in the hil of Hachilah euen before the wildernesse. Then Saul arose ∧ went to A   the wildernesse of Ziph and thre thousande chosen men of Israel with hym, for to seke Dauid in the wildernesse of Ziph. And Saul pitched in the hyl of Hachilah which lieth before the wildernesse, by the wayes side. But Dauid dwelt in the wildernesse. And wh&ebar; he saw that Saul came after him into the wildernesse he sent out spyes and vnderstode that Saul was come of suretye.

Wherfore Dauid arose and went to the place where Saul had pytched, and behelde the place where Saul lay &wt; Abner the sonne of Ner his chefe captaine. For Saul lay within a round bancke, and the people pytched rounde about him. Then answered Dauid ∧ spake to Ahimelech the Hethite and to Abisai the sonne of Zaruiah and brother to Ioab sayinge: who wyl go doune with me to Saul to the hoste? and Abisai saide: B   I wyl go doune with the.

And so Dauid and Abisai came to the people by night. And beholde, Saul lay slepynge within a rounde bancke and his speare pytched in the ground at his head, Abner and the people lying round about hym. Then sayde Abisai to Dauid: God hath closed in thine enemy vnto thyne handes this day. Now therfore let me smyte him a felowshippe with my speare to the earth, euen one stroke, and I wil not smyte hym the second tyme. But Dauid sayde to Abisai: destroye him not, for who c&abar; laye his hand on the Lordes anoynted and be gyltlesse? And Dauid sayde forthermore: as the Lorde lyueth, the Lord shall smyte hym, or hys daye shal come to dye, or he shall descende into battel and there peryshe: but the Lorde kepe me from laying myne hand vpon the Lordes anointed. Now then take a felowshippe the speare that is at his heade, and the creuse of water, and let vs go. And Dauid toke the speare and the creuse of water that were at Sauls head, and they gat them away and nom&abar; sawe or wist it or awoke. For they were all a slepe, because the Lorde had sent a slomber vpon them. Then Dauid went ouer to the other syde and stode on the toppe of an C   hyl a farre of (a great space beyng betwene them) and cryed to the people and to Abner þe; sonne of Ner saying: Answerest thou not Abner? and Abner answerde and said: What art thou that ^note cryest to the king? and Dauid said to Abner: art not thou a man, and who is like the in Israhel? But wherefore hast thou not kept thy Lord thy kinge? For there came one of the folke to destroy the kyng thy lord. It is not good that thou hast done. As truely as the lorde lyueth, ye are worthy to dye, because ye haue no better kept the Lordes anointed. And now se where the kynges speare is and the creuse of water that were at hys heade.

Then Saul knew Dauids voyce and said: is this thy voyce my sonne Dauid? and Dauid sayde: it is my voyce my Lord kyng. And he saide therto: wherfore doth my Lorde persecute hys seruaunt? for what haue I done? or what euil is in myne hande. D   Now heare therfore (my lord king) the wordes of thy serua&ubar;t Yf the lorde haue stered the vp against me, he shal ^note smel the sauoure of sacryfyce. But ∧ yf they be the children of men, cursed be they before the Lorde. For they haue cast me out fr&obar; abyding in the enheritaunce of the Lorde, saying: hence ∧ go serue other Goddes. And yet I hope my bloude shal not fal to the earth before the face of the Lorde, though the kyng of Israel be come out to hunt a flee, as m&ebar; hunt the partreges in the mountaynes. Then said Saul: I haue synned, come agayn my sonne Dauid, for I will do the no more harme, because my soul was preciouse in thine eyes this daye. Beholde, I haue played the fole ∧ haue erred exceding muche. And Dauid answered and sayde: Beholde the kynges speare, let one of the young men come ouer and fet it. The Lorde rewarde euery mannes ryghteousnesse and faythe: for the Lorde delyuered the into my hande this daye, but I woulde not laye myne hande vpon the Lordes anoynted. And as thy lyfe was muche set by in the thys tyme in myne eyes: so be my lyfe in þe; eyes of the Lorde, that he delyuer me out of all trybulacyon. And Saul sayde to Dauid: Blessed art thou my sonne Dauid, for thou ^note shalt be a doer and also able to brynge to an ende. And so Dauid went hys waye, and Saul turned to hys place agayne.

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