1   Thanne after thes thingis Absolon made to hym a chaar, and horsmen, and fifti men that shulden goo before hym. 2   And eerli risynge Absolon stood biside the entre of the &yogh;ate in the weye; and eche man, that hadde a neede that he com to the dom of the kyng, Absolon clepide to hym self, and seide, Of what citee ert thou? The which answerynge seide, Of a lynage of Yrael I am, thi seruaunt. 3   And Absolon answerde to hym, To me thi wordis semen good and iust, but there is not `the which `thee heere ordeyned of the kyng. And Absolon seide, 4   Who ordeyneth me domesman vpon the loond, that to me comen alle that han neede, and ri&yogh;twisly Y deme? 5   But whanne a man nei&yogh;ede to hym for to salute hym, he strau&yogh;te out his hoond, and takynge he kisside hym; 6   and that

he dide to al Yrael, the which cam to dom that he were herd of the king; and he biside the hertis of the men of Yrael. 7   Forsothe aftir fourti &yogh;eer Absolon seide to kyng Dauid, I shal go, and &yogh;eelde my vowis, that I vowide to the Lord in Ebron; 8   forsothe vowynge thi seruaunt vowide, whanne he was in Gethsur of Syrie, seiynge, If the Lord brynge me a&yogh;en into Jerusalem, I shal sacrifie to the Lord. 9   And the kyng seide to hym, Goo in pees. And he roos, and wente into Ebron. 10   Forsothe Absolon sente aspies into alle the lynagis of Yrael, seiynge, Anoon that &yogh;e heren the noyse of the trumpe, seith, Absolon shal regne in Ebron. 11   Forsothe with Absolon wenten two hundred men clepid of Jerusalem, goynge with symple herte, and the cause fulli vnknowynge. 12   Forsothe Absolon clepide Achitophel Gilonyte, the counselour of Dauid, fro his cite Gilo. And whanne he hadde offrid slayn sacrifice, there is maad a strong coniurysoun, and the puple rennynge togidre encreside with Absolon. 13   Thanne cam a messager to Dauid, seiynge, With al the herte al Yrael folowith Absolon. 14   And Dauid seith to his seruauntis that weren with hym in Jerusalem, Risith, and flee we; forsothe ne there shal be to vs fli&yogh;t fro the face of Absolon; hieth to goon out, lest perauenture he comynge ocupie vs, and fulfille vpon vs fallynge, and smyte the cite in mouth of swerd. 15   And the seruauntis of the kyng seiden to hym, Alle thingis, what euere comaundith oure lord the kyng, gladli we folowen out, thi seruauntis. 16   Thanne the kynge wente out, and al hys hows, on her feet; and the kyng lafte ten secoundarie wyues to the hows to be kept. 17   And the kyng goon out, and al Yrael, on her feet, stoode afer fro the hows. 18   And alle his seruauntis wenten biside hym, and the

legiouns Cerethi and Pherethi, and al Gethei stronge fi&yogh;ters, the sexe hundrid men, that hadden folwid hym fro Geth on foot, wenten before the kyng. 19   Forsothe the kyng seide to Ethei Gethee, Whi comyst thou with vs? Turn a&yogh;en, and dwel with the kyng for a pilgrime thou art, and wentist out fro thi place. 20   &YOGH;isterday thou cam, and to day thou ert compellid to goo out with vs. Forsothe I shal goo, whider I am to goo; turn a&yogh;en, and leede a&yogh;en with thee thi britheren, and the Lord doo with thee merci and trewth, for thou hast shewid grace and feith. 21   And Ethei answerde to the kyng, seiynge, The Lord lyueth, and my lord the kyng lyueth, for in what euere place thou were, my lord kyng, other in deeth or in lijf, there shal be thi seruaunt. 22   And Dauid seith to Ethai, Come, and passe forth. And Ethei Gethee passide forth, and the kyng, and alle the men that with hym weren, and the tother multitude. 23   And alle thei wepten with a greet voys, and al the puple passide forth; the kyng forsothe wente ouer the streem of Cedron, and al the puple wente a&yogh;ens the weye of the olyue, that biholdith to deseert. 24   And Sadoch the preest cam, and alle the Leuytis with hym, berynge the arke of the boond of pees of God, and thei setten doun the arke of God; and Abiathar stiede vp, to the tyme that alle the puple weren ful comen that was goon out fro the citee. 25   And the kyng seide to Sadoch, Beer a&yogh;en the arke of God into the citee; if I shal fynde grace in the eyen of the Lord, he shal leede me a&yogh;en, and shewe to me it and his tabernacle. 26   Forsothe if he shal seye, Thou plesist not to me; prest I am, do he that is good before hym. 27   And the kyng seide to Sadoch the preest, O seere, turne a&yogh;en into the cite in pees, and

Achymaas, thi sone, and Jonathan, the sone of Abiathar, &yogh;oure two sonys, be thei with &yogh;ou. 28   Loo! I shal be hid in the wijlde feeldis of deseert, to the tyme that the word come from &yogh;ou, shewynge to me. 29   Thanne Sadoch and Abiathar beren a&yogh;en the arke of God into Jerusalem, and dwelliden there. 30   But Dauid stiede vp the hil of olyues, stiynge and wepynge, the heede couerde, and the feet nakid goynge; but and al the puple that was with hym, the heed couerde, stieden vp wepynge. 31   Forsothe it is toold to Dauid, that Achitophel was in the coniurynge with Absolon; and Dauid seide, Lord, I biseche, mak foli the counseil of Achitophel. 32   And whanne Dauid stiede vp the cop of the hil, in the which he was to preye the Lord, loo! Cusy Arachites a&yogh;en cam to hym, the clothing kut, and the heed ful of erthe. 33   And Dauid seide to hym, If thou comyst with me, thou shalt be to me to chargynge; 34   forsothe if thou turnest a&yogh;en into the citee, and seist to Absolon, Thi seruaunt I am, kyng, suffre me to lyue; as I was the seruaunt of thi fadre, so I shal be thi seruaunt; thou shalt scatyr the counseyl of Achitophel. 35   Forsothe thou hast with thee Sadoch and Abiathar, preestis; and eche word, what euere thou herist in the hows of the kyng, thou shalt shewe to the prestis, Sadoch and Abiathar. 36   Forsothe there ben with hem her two sonys, Achymaas, the sone of Sadoch, and Jonathan, the sone of Abiathar; and &yogh;e shulen seende bi hem to me al the word that &yogh;e shulen here. 37   Thanne comynge Chusa, the freend of Dauid, into the citee, forsothe Absolon is comen into Jerusalem.

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