1   And it felle on a day, that Jonathas, the sone of Saul, seide to the &yogh;ong man his squyer, Com, and goo we to the stacioun of Philistyens, that is bi&yogh;onde that place; to his fader forsothe that same thing he shewide not. 2   Forsothe Saul dwellide in the vttermoost parti of Gabaa, vndur a poomgarnet tree, that was in `the feeld of Gabaa; and there was a puple with hym as of sexe hundred men. 3   And Achias, the sone of Achitob, the brother of Ychabod, the sone of Phynees, that was comen of Hely, the preest of the Lord in Silo, beere the prestis coope; but and the puple knewe not whider Jonathas was goon. 4   Forsothe there weren bytwixe the stiyngis vp, bi the whiche

Jonathas enforside to goo to the stacyouns of Philistiens, hei&yogh;e stonys on either side, and as in maner of teeth litle rochis hens and thens before brokun; name to the oon Boosez, and to the tother the name Sene; 5   o litil roche ful hee&yogh; at the north a&yogh;ens Machynas to fi&yogh;ten, and another at the south a&yogh;ens Gabaa. 6   Jonathas forsothe seide to the &yogh;ong man his squyer, Come, and passe we to the stacioun of thes vncercumcidide, if perauenture the Lord do for vs; for it is not to the Lord hard to saue, or in many or in fewe. 7   And his squyer seide to hym, Do alle thingis that plesen to thin inwit; go whider thow coueytist, I shal be with thee where euere thou wolt. 8   And Jonathan seith, Loo! we goon to thes men; and whanne we aperen to hem, 9   if this maner thei speken to vs, Dwel &yogh;e, to the tyme that we comen to &yogh;ou; stonde we in oure place, ne stye we vp to hem. 10   Forsothe if thei seyn, Stye &yogh;e vp to vs; stye we vp, for the Lord hath takun hem in oure hoondis; this shal be to vs a tokne. 11   And so either aperide to the stacioun of Philistiens; and Philistiens seiden, Loo! the Hebrewis goon out fro the caues, in the whiche thei weren hid. 12   And the men speken fro the stacioun to Jonathan and to his squyer, and seiden, Stieth vp to vs, and we shulen shewe &yogh;ou a thing. And Jonathas seith to his squier, Stie we, folwe me; forsothe the Lord hath taken hem into the hoondis of Yrael. 13   Forsothe Jonathas styede crepynge with hoondis and feet, and his squyer after hym; and whanne thei hadden seen the face of Jonathan, other fellen before Jonathan, other his squyer slow&yogh;, folowynge hym. 14   And the first veniaunce is doon, the which smoot Jonathas and the squyer of

hym as of twenti thousand men, in the half party of an akir that a peyre of oxen in a day is wont to ere. 15   And a myracle is doon in the tentis, bi the feeldys, but and al the puple of the stacioun of hem that weren at robbynge, wexe astonyed, and the tentis ben disturblid; and it felle as a myracle fro God. 16   And the weyters of Saul, that weren in Gabaa of Beniamyn, bihelden, and, loo! a multitude throwun doun, and hidir and thider down fleynge. 17   And Saul seith to the puple that weren with hym, Enserchith, and lokith, who &yogh;ede awey fro vs. And whanne thei hadden sou&yogh;t, it is founden not to be nee&yogh; Jonathas and his squyer. 18   And Saul seith to Achyam, Applye the arke of `the Lord; forsothe the arke of God was there in that day with the sonys of Israel. 19   And whanne Saul spak to the preest, greet noyse is out sprongen in the tentis of Philistyen; and it wexe litilmele, and cleerliker it sownyde. And Saul seith to the preest, Withdrawe thin hoond. 20   Thanne Saul and the puple that was with hym criede togidre; and thei camen to the place of the strijf, and, loo! the swerd of echon was turned to his nei&yogh;bour, and a greet slau&yogh;ter wel mych. 21   But and the Hebrewis that weren with Philistiens &yogh;istirday and bifore &yogh;isterdai, and stieden vp with hem in the tentis, ben turned for to ben with Yrael, that weren with Saul and Jonatha. 22   Forsothe alle the Iraelitis, the whiche hadden hid hem silf in the hil of Effraym, herynge that Philistiens weren flowen, felawshipten hem02Q0008 seluen with hem in the batayl, and weren with Saul as twenti thousandis of men. 23   And the Lord sauyde Irael in that day. Forsothe the fi&yogh;t camen

vnto Bethauen. 24   And men of Yrael ben felawshipt to hem seluen in that day; forsothe Saul swore to the puple, seyynge, Cursid be the man that etith breed vnto euen, to the tyme that I be vengid of myn enemyes. 25   And al the puple eete no breed. And alle the comouns of the loond camen into a wast wody place, in the which was hony on the face of the feeld. 26   And so al the puple wente into the place of hei&yogh;e trees, and there apperide flowyng hony; and no man appliede the hond to his mouth; forsothe the puple dredde the ooth. 27   Forsothe Jonathas herde not, whanne his fadre swore to the puple; and he strau&yogh;t out the cop of the &yogh;eerde, that he hadde in the hoond, and he wette into the hony combe; and he turnede his hoond to his mouth, and the eyen of hym ben li&yogh;tned. 28   And answerynge oon of the puple seith, Thi fader hath constreynyd the puple with ooth, seiynge, Cursid be the man that etith breed to day. Forsothe the puple faylide. 29   And Jonathas seide, My father hath disturblid the loond; &yogh;oure self han seen, for myn eyen ben li&yogh;tned, forthi that Y taastide a litil of this hony; 30   myche more if the puple hadde eeten of the prei&yogh;e of her enemyes, that thei foonden; whether not more veniaunce hadde be doo in Philistees? 31   Thanne thei smyten in that day the Philistees fro the place of engynes vnto Hailon. 32   Doun weried is the puple wel miche; and turned to the praye, took sheep, and oxen, and calues, and slewen in the lond; and the puple eete with blood. 33   And thei toolden to Saul, seiynge, that the puple hadde synned to the Lord, etynge with blood. The which seith, &YOGH;e han trespasside; turneth to me ry&yogh;t nowe a greet

stoon. 34   And Saul seide, Beth &yogh;e scatered into the comouns, and seye &yogh;e to hem, that echon brynge to me his oxe and wether; and sleeth vpon it, and etith, and &yogh;e shulen not synne to the Lord, etynge with blood. And so al the puple brou&yogh;te echon an oxe in his hoond vnto ny&yogh;t, and thei slowen there. 35   And Saul bildide vp an auter to the Lord; and thanne first he bigan to bilde an auter to the Lord. 36   And Saul seide, Falle we vpon the Philistyens bi ny&yogh;t, and waste we hem vnto the morwetide li&yogh;t; ne leeue we of hem a man. And the puple seide, Al that good is seen to thee in thin eyen, do. And the preest seith, Nei&yogh; we hider to God. 37   And Saul counseylide the Lord, seiynge, Whether shal Y pursue Philistiym, if thou taake hem into the hoondis of Yrael? And he answerde not to hym in that day. 38   And Saul seide, Aplieth hidir alle the corners of the puple, and witith, and seeth, bi whom fallith this synne to day. 39   The Lord the saueour of Yrael lyueth; for if bi Jonathan my sone it is doon, with out a&yogh;en drawynge he shal die. To the which no man a&yogh;en seide to hym of al the puple. 40   And he seide to al Yrael, Be &yogh;e seuerd into o parti, and Y with Jonathan my sone shal be in o parti. And the puple answerde to Saul, That good is seen in thin eyen, do. 41   And Saul seide to the Lord God of Irael, Lord God of Yrael, &yogh;yue dom, what is, that thou answerst not to thi seruaunt to day? If in me, or in Jonathan my sone, is this wickidnes, &yogh;yf shewynge; and if this wickidnes is in thi puple, &yogh;if holynes. And Jonathas and Saul ben taken; forsothe the puple &yogh;ede out. 42   And Saul seith, Leyeth lot betwix me and Jonathan my sone. 43   And Jonathas is taken. Forsothe

Saul seide to Jonathan, Shewe to me what thow hast doon. And Jonathas shewide to hym, and seith, Taastynge Y tastide in the cop of the &yogh;eerd that was in myn hoond a litil of hony, and loo! 44   Y dye. And Saul seith, Thes thingis do to me God, and thes thingis adde, for bi deeth thou shalt dye, Jonathas. 45   And the puple seide to Saul, Thanne whether Jonathas shulde dye, that hath doo this greet helth in Yrael? that is felony; the Lord lyueth, oon heer of the heed of hym shal not fal into the erthe, for with God he hath wrou&yogh;t to day. Thanne the puple delyuerd Jonathan, that he diede not. 46   And Saul wente a wey, and pursuede not Philistiym; forsothe Philisteis wenten a wey into her placis. 47   And, the rewme stablid vpon Yrael, Saul fau&yogh;t bi enuyroun a&yogh;ens alle his enemyes, a&yogh;ens Moab, and the sones of Amon, and Edom, and the kyngis of Saba, and the Philisteis; and whidir euer he turnede hym silf, he venkusede. 48   And, the oost gedrid, he smoot Amalech, and he delyuerde Yrael fro the hoond of his wastours. 49   Ther weren forsothe the sones of Saul, Jonathas, and Jesuy, and Melchisona; names of his two dou&yogh;ters, name of the first goten Merob, and name of the lasse Mycol. 50   And name of the wijf of Saul Achynoem, the dou&yogh;ter of Achymaas; and the name of the prince of his chiualrye Abner, the sone of Ner, cosyn germeyn of Saul. 51   Forsothe Cys was the fader of Saul, and Ner, the fader of Abner, the sone of Abyel. 52   Forsothe there was strong batail a&yogh;ens Philisties alle the days of Saul; wherfor whom euere Saul saw&yogh; a strong man and able to bateil, he felawshipide him to him silf.

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