A   After thys Absalom gat him charettes ∧ horsses ∧ fyftye men to runne before him. And therto he vsed to ryse vp erlye in the mornynges ∧ to stand by the wayes side that led to the gate of the cytye. And all þe; men of Israel þt; had c&obar;playntes ∧ came to the kynge for Iudgemente, he called vnto hym ∧ sayde: of what cytye arte thou? And when the other aunswered: thy seruaunte is of suche a trybe of Israel. Then sayde Absalom vnto hym: se, thy matter is good and ryghteous, ∧ yet no man is deputed of the kynge to heare the. Then Absalom sayd moreouer: Oh, that I were a Iudge in the lande, and that all m&ebar; whiche haue pleyes and matter in the lawe, shulde come to me. For I wold do th&ebar; iustice. And also when any m&abar; came nye to him to do hym obeysaunce, he put forth his hand ∧ toke him to him ∧ kyssed hym. And on this maner dyd Absalom to all Israel that came to the kynge for iudgement, B   ∧ therwyth ^note stale the hertes of the men of Israel. And at fourtye yeres ende Absalom sayde vnto the kynge: let me go I praye the to Hebron, ∧ paye my vowe which I haue vowed, vnto the Lorde: for thy seruaunt vowed a vowe when I was in Gesur in the land of Siria saying: yf the Lord shall brynge me agayne to Ierusalem, I wyl serue the Lorde. And the Kynge sayd: go in

Absalom agaynst Dauid peace. And so he arose and went to Hebron.

Then Absalom sent spyes thorow out al þe; trybes of Israel sayinge: as sone as ye heare the voyce of the trompet blowe, saye: Absal&obar; raygneth kynge in Hebron. And wyth Absalom C   went .ij. hundred men out of Ierusal&ebar; that were called. And they went with pure hertes ∧ wist nothing of þe; matter. And Absal&obar; sente also for Ahithophel the Gilonite Dauids counseller, and fet hym out of hys citie Giloh, when he sacrifyed sacrifyces. And there was wrought strong treason. And the people drue to Absal&obar; great multytude. And there came a messenger to Dauid ∧ sayd: the hertes of þe; men of Israel are to folow Absalom. Then sayd Dauid vnto all hys seruauntes þt; were wyth hym at Ierusal&ebar;: vp ∧ let vs flee, for we shall not else escape from Absalom: Make spede to depart: leste he come sodenly ∧ catche vs, ∧ bryng some myscheue vpon vs, ∧ smyte the cytie with the edge of the swerde. And the kynges seruauntes sayde to hym: beholde thy seruauntes are ready to whatsoeuer my Lord the kynge shall appoynte.

D   And the kyng and all hys houshold departed a fote. And he left behynde hym t&ebar; wiues that were hys ^note concubynes, to kepe þe; house. And so the king ∧ al the people went out a fote, ∧ taryed farre from the house, And all hys seruauntes went by hys syde. And al the Cerethites ∧ all the Phelethites, and al þe; Hethytes euen .vi. hundred men which were come a fote from Geth, went before the kyng. Then sayd the kyng to Ethai the Gethite, wherfore shuldest thou go wyth vs also. Returne and abyde wyth the kynge, for thou art a straunger, and arte remoued from thyne owne place. Thou camest but yesterdaye, and shulde I vnquyet the to daye to go wyth vs? I wyl go whether I go. But returne thou and carye agayne thy brethren: Mercy and truth be with the. And Ethai aunswered the kyng ∧ said: as surelye as the Lorde lyueth, ∧ as surelye as my Lorde the kynge lyueth, in what place my Lorde the Kyng shalbe, E   whether in deathe or lyfe, euen there wyll thy seruaunt be. Then sayde the kynge to Ethai, come ∧ go forward. And Ethai the Gethite went forthe, ∧ all hys men, and all the chyldren that were wyth h&ibar;. And all the countrey wept wyth a loud voice. And all the people went forwarde þe; straight waye to the wyldernesse. And beholde, Sadock and all the Leuytes were wyth him and bare the arcke of the appoyntmente of God. And when they had set doune the arck of god Abiathar came vp, vntyll the people were all come ouer, oute of the cytye. Then sayde the kynge vnto Sadock. Carye the arcke of God agayne into the cytye. If I shall fynd fauour in the eyes of the Lorde, he wyll bryng me agayne, and shewe me both it and the tabernacle therof also. But and yf the Lorde thus say: I haue no luste vnto the. Beholde, here am I, let hym do wyth me what semeth best in hys eyes.

F   The kynge sayde also vnto Sadoch the prieste: thou arte a sear. Returne therfore into the cytye in peace. And take youre two s&obar;nes wyth you: Ahimaaz thy sonne, and Ionathas the sonne of Abiathar. And se, I wyll tarye in the feldes of the wyldernesse vntyll there come some worde from you to be tolde me. And so Sadock and Abiathar caryed the arcke of God agayne to Ierusalem, and they taryed there. And Dauid went vp on mount Oliuet ∧ wepte as he wente, and had hys head couered ∧ went therto barefote. And all the people that was wyth him, had euery man hys head couered, and as they went wepte also. And one tolde Dauid saying: Ahithophel is one of them that haue conspyred wyth Absal&obar;. Then sayde Dauid: O Lorde, turne the councell of Ahithophel into folyshnes.

G   When Dauid was come to the toppe of þe; mount, ∧ had bowed hym self vnto God: beholde, Husai the Arachite came agaynst hym with hys coote torne and earth vp&obar; his head. Vnto whom Dauid sayde: yf thou go wyth me thou shalt be a burthen vnto me. And yf þu; returne to the cytye: then shalt thou saye vnto Absal&obar;: I wyl be thy seruaunt O kyng: thus long haue I ben thy fathers seruaunt, ∧ now I am thyne. And destroye me the councell of Ahithophel. And thou hast there with þe; Sadock ∧ Abiathar the priestes, vnto which thou shalt shew all that thou canst heare out of the kynges house. And behold, ye haue there with you theyr two sonnes: Ahimaaz Sadockes s&obar;ne, ∧ Ionathas Abiathars sonne, by whiche ye shall sende me all that ye can heare. And so Husai Dauids frende gat hym to the cytye. And Absalom also entered into Ierusalem.

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