1   Whanne Dauid and his men weren comen into Sichelech the thridde dai, Amalechites maden a bure fro the south partie into Sichelech; and thei smyten Sichelech, and thei brenten it with fier. 2   And caitifis thei ladden wymmen fro it, fro the leest vnto the greet; and thei slewen not eny man, but ladden with hem, and wenten her weye. 3   Thanne whanne Dauid was comen, and his men, to the citee, and thei founden it brent with fier, and her wyues, and her sonys, and dou&yogh;tris to be ladde caitifes, 4   Dauid and the puple that was with hym rereden vp her voices, and weiliden, to the tyme that teeris faileden in hem. 5   Forsothe and the two wyues of Dauid weren ladde caitife, Achynoem Jezraelite, and Abigail, the wijf of Naabal of Carmele. 6   And Dauid sorowide greetli; forsothe al the puple wold stoone hym, for bitter was the lyif of eche man vpon her sones and dou&yogh;tres. Forsothe Dauid is

coumfortid in the Lord his God. 7   And he seith to Abiathar, the preest, the sone of Achimalech, Aplie to me the preestis coope. And Abiathar apliede to Dauid the preestis coope; 8   and Dauid counseilde the Lord, seiynge, Shal I pursue, or naye, these theues, and take hem? And the Lord seide to hym, Pursue; forsothe out of dout thou shalt take hem, and shake out the praye. 9   Thanne Dauid wente, he and sexe hundred men that weren with hym, and camen to the streem of Besor; and summe wery stoden stille. 10   Forsothe Dauid pursuede, he and foure hundrid men; for there stoden stille two hundred, that weri my&yogh;ten not goon ouere the streem of Besor. 11   And thei founden an Egipcien man in the feeld, and thei brou&yogh;ten hym to Dauid; and thei &yogh;euen hym breed for to eete, and drynke water; but and the relif of a wei&yogh;t of dried figis, 12    and two bundels of dried grapis. The whiche thingis whanne he hadde eten, the spiryt of hym is turned a&yogh;en, and he is refresshid; forsothe he hadde not eten breed, ne drunken water thre dais and thre ni&yogh;tes. 13   And so Dauid seide to hym, Whos ert thou, or whens and whidir gost thou? The which seith, An Egipcien child I am, and the seruaunt of an Amalechite man; forsothe my lord laft me, for I bigan to sikynyn the thridde dai hens. 14   Forsothe we wenten out of the south coost of Cerethi, and a&yogh;ens Judam, and to the south of Caleph, and Sichilich we han brent vp with fier. 15   And Dauid seide to hym, Maist thou lede me to this cumpanye? The which seith, Sweer to me bi God, that thou shalt not slee me, and not take me into the hoondis of my lord; and I shal lede thee to this companye. And Dauid swore to hym. 16   The which whanne he hadde ladde hym,

loo! thei seeten vpon the face of al the erthe, etinge and drinkynge, and as halowynge a feest dai, for al the pray and spoilis that thei token fro the loond of Philisteis, and fro the loond of Juda. 17   And Dauid smoot hem fro euen `unto euen of the tother dai, and there scapide not of hem eny man, but foure hundrid &yogh;onge men, that stieden vp camelis, and flowen. 18   Forsothe Dauid delyuerde alle thingis that Amalachitis token, and his two wyues he dilyuerde; 19   ne there failide eny man fro litil vnto miche, as wel of sonys as of dou&yogh;tris, and of spoilys; and what eure thingis thei hadden robbid, alle Dauid brou&yogh;te a&yogh;en; 20   and took all the flockis and drouys, and droue before his face. And thei seiden, This is the praye of Dauid. 21   Forsothe Dauid cam to the two hundrid men, that wery stoden stille, and my&yogh;ten not folowe Dauid; and he hadde comaundid hem to sitte stille biside the streem of Besor; the whiche wenten out to mete Dauid, and the puple that was with hym. Forsothe Dauyd comynge ny&yogh; to the puple, salutede hem pesibli. 22   And o man answerynge, werst and wickid of the men that weren with Dauid, seide, For thei camen not with vs, we shulen not &yogh;yue to hem eny thing of the praye, that we han delyuerde, but suffice to echon his wijf and sonis; the whiche whanne thei han takun, goo thei a weye. 23   Forsothe Dauid seide, Not so &yogh;e shulen doo, britheren myn, of these thingis that the Lord hath taken to vs, and hath kepte vs, and hath &yogh;euen the theuys, that breken out a&yogh;ens vs, into oure hoondis, 24   ne eny man shal here vs vpon this word. Forsothe euen part shal be of the goynge down to batail, and of the abidynge stille at the fardels; and lijk maner thei shulen

departe. 25   And this is maad fro that day, and there aftir a statute, and a decree, and as a lawe in Yrael vnto this day. 26   Thanne Dauid cam into Sichelech, and sente &yogh;iftis of the praye to the eldris of Juda, his nei&yogh;bours, seiynge, Takith blessynge of the praye of the enemyes of the Lord; 27   to hem that weren in Bethel, and that in Ramoth, at the south, and that in Gether, 28   and that in Aroer, and that in Sephamoth, 29   and that in Eschama, and that in Rethala, and that in the citees of Hierameli, and that in the citees of Ceny, and that in Arama, 30   and that in Lautuasaam, and that in Athech, 31   and that in Ebron, and to other, that weren in thes places, in the whiche Dauid hadde dwellid and his men.

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