1   Thanne Dauid stiede vp thens, and dwelte in moost siker placis of Engaddi. 2   And whanne Saul was turned a&yogh;en, after that he hadde pursued the Philisteis, thei toolden to hym, seiynge, Loo! Dauid is in the deseert of Engaddi. 3   Thanne Saul, takynge to thre thousandis of chosen men of al Yrael, wente to aserche Dauid and his men, vpon moost hei&yogh; rochis, that oneli to wijlde capretis ben thur&yogh; weyes. 4   And he cam to the fooldys of sheep, the which offrede hemself to the weye goer. And a spelunk was there, the which Saul wente yn, that he purge the wombe; forsothe Dauid and his men lurkeden in the innere parti of the denne. 5   And the seruauntis of Dauyd seiden to hym, Loo!

the day of which the Lord spak to thee, I shal take to thee thin enemy, that thou doo to hym as it plesith in thin eyen. Thanne Dauid roos, and kyttide of the hemme of the mantil of Saul stilly. 6   After thes thingis the herte of Dauid smoot hym, forthi that he hadde kut a wey the hemme of the mantil of Saul. 7   And he seide to his men, Merciful be to me the Lord, that I doo not this thing to my lord, the crist of the Lord, that I putte myn hoond into hym, for the crist of the Lord he is. The Lord lyueth, for but the Lord smyte hym, other the day of hym come, that he dye, other comynge doun into batayl perish, merciful be to me the Lord, that I putte not myn hoond into the crist of the Lord. 8   And Dauid brak togidre his men with thes wordis, and suffrede hem not, that thei rysen into Saul; forsothe Saul rysynge fro the denne, wente in the weye begun. 9   Forsothe Dauid roos after hym, and wente out of the denne, and criede after the bak of Saul, seiynge, My lord kyng! And Saul beheelde bihynde hym; and Dauyd bowynge hym self redi into the erthe honourede. 10   And he seide to Saul, Whi herist thou wordis of men spekynge, Dauid sechith yuel a&yogh;ens thee? 11   Loo! to dai thin eyen seen, that the Lord took thee in myn hoond in the denne, and I thou&yogh;t for to slee thee, but myn eye sparide to thee; forsothe I seide, I shal not stretche out myn hoond in my lord, `for the crist of the Lord he is. 12   But more ouere, fader myn, se, and know the hemme of thi mantil in myn hoond, for whanne I kut the coope of thi mantil, I wold not stretch out myn hoond into thee; inwardly tak hede, and se, for there is not in myn hoond euel ne wickidnes, ne I haue synned in thee; forsothe

thou aspyist my lijf, that thou doo it awey. 13   The Lord deme bitwix me and thee, and the Lord wreke me on thee; forsothe myn hoond be not in thee, 14   as in the oold prouerbe it is seid, Fro vnpiteuous men goth out vnpiteuousnesse; myn hoond forsothe be not in thee. 15   Whom pursuyst thou, kyng of Yrael? whom pursuist thou? A deed dog thou pursuist, and a quyk fly&yogh;e. 16   The Lord be domesman, and the Lord deme bitwix me and thee, and see, and deme my cause, and delyuere me fro thin hoond. 17   Forsothe whanne Dauid hadde ful eendid spekynge siche maner wordis to Saul, Saul seide, Whether this is thi voys, sone myn Dauyd? And Saul reryde vp a voys, and wepte. 18   And to Dauid he seide, More ri&yogh;twise thou art than Y; forsothe thou hast &yogh;oldun to me gode thingis; forsothe I haue &yogh;oldun a&yogh;en to thee yuel thingis. 19   And thow hast shewid to me to day, what goode thingis thou hast doo to me, what maner wise the Lord took me in thin hoond, and thou slew&yogh; not me. 20   Forsothe who, whanne he fyndith his enemy, leeueth hym in a good weie? But the Lord &yogh;eelde to thee this while, for that, that to day thou hast wrou&yogh;t in me. 21   And `now, for I knowe, that moost certeynli thou art to regne, and to haue in thin hoond the kyngdom of Yrael, 22   swere to me in the Lord, that thou do not a wey my seed after me, ne doo a wey my name fro the hows of my fader. 23   And Dauid swore to Saul. Thanne Saul wente into his hows, and Dauid and his men stieden vp to more sykyr placis.

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