1   Dauid thanne, his puple biholden, ordeynde vpon hem leders of thousandis, and leders of hundridis. 2   And he &yogh;af the thridde parti of the puple vndir the hoond of Joab; and the thridde vndur the hoond of Abisai, the sone of Seruye, the brothir of Joab; and the thridde vndur the hoond of Ethay, that was of Geth. And the kyng seide to the puple, And I shal goon out with &yogh;ou. 3   And the puple answerde, Thou shalt not goo out; forsothe whether we fleen, it shal not perteyne to hem in greet forse of vs; or the half partie falle fro vs, thei shulen not retche anow, for thou oone for ten thousandis ert countyd; beter it is thanne, that thou be to vs in the cytee to socour. 4   To whom seith the kyng, That to &yogh;ou semeth ri&yogh;t, that I shal doo. Thanne the kyng stoode biside the &yogh;aate, and the puple wente out bi her cumpanyes, bi hundredis and thousandis.

5   And the kyng comaundide to Joab, and Abisai, and Ethay, seiynge, Kepith to me the child Absolon. And al the puple herde the kyng comaundynge to alle the princis for Absolon. 6   And so the puple wente into the feelde a&yogh;ens Yrael; and a batail is doon in the wijld wode of Effraym. 7   And the puple of Irael is there hewen doun of the oost of Dauid, and there is doon a greet slau&yogh;ter in that day of twenti thousand. 8   Forsothe there was the batail sparpoild vpon the face of al the loond, and manye mo weren whom the wijlde wode waastide of the puple, than thei whom the swerd deuowrede in that day. 9   Forsothe it felle, that Absolon a&yogh;encam to the seruauntis of Dauid, sittynge vpon a muyl; and whanne the muyle wente yn vndur a thik ook, and a greet, the heed of hym cleuyde to the ook; and hym hongid bitwix heuene and erthe, the muyle, to the which he satte in, passide forth. 10   Forsothe a maner man saw&yogh; that, and toolde to Joab, seiynge, I saw&yogh; Absolon hongynge fro an ook. 11   And Joab seith to the man that toolde hym, If thou saw&yogh;, whi stikist thou not hym with the erthe, and I shulde haue &yogh;yue to thee ten ciclis of siluer, and a kny&yogh;tis girdil? 12   The which seide to Joab, If thou peysedist in myn hoondis a thousand silueren platis, I shulde not putte myn hoond into the sone of the kyng; forsothe herynge vs, the kyng comaundide to thee, and to Abisai, and to Ethai, seiynge, Kepith to me the child Absolon. 13   But and if I hadde doon a&yogh;ens my soul foolhardili, that my&yogh;te not the kyng vnknowe, and thou shuldist stoond forn a&yogh;ens. 14   And Joab seith, Not as thou wolt, but I shal goo to hym before thee. Thanne Joab took three speris in his hoond, and pi&yogh;te hem in the herte of Absolon. And whanne &yogh;it he qwappide

cleuynge in the ook, 15   ten &yogh;onge squyers of Joab runnen, and smytynge slowen hym. 16   Forsothe Joab sownede with the trumpe, and with heelde the puple, that he pursuede not Irael fleynge, wylnynge to spare to the multitude. 17   And thei token Absolon, and casten hym in the wijld wode in to a greet diche, and thei beren togidir vpon hym a greet heep of stoonus ful myche; forsothe al Irael flee&yogh; into her tabernaclis. 18   Forsothe Absolon hadde arerede vp to hym, whanne he &yogh;it lyuede, a title, that is in the valey of the kyng; he seide forsothe, I haue not a sone, and this shal be in mynde of my name; and he clepide the title bi his name, and it is clepid the Hoond of Absolon into this day. 19   Forsothe Achymas, the sone of Sadoch, seith, I shal renne and telle to the kyng, for the Lord dide doom to hym fro the hoond of the enemyes of hym. 20   To whom Joab seide, Thou shalt not be messager in this dai, but thou shalt telle in the tother; to day I wole not thee to telle, forsothe the sone of the kyng is deed. 21   And Joab seith to Cusi, Go, and tel to the kyng what thou hast seen. 22   Cusi lowtide to Joab, and ranne. Eft Achymas, the sone of Sadoch, seide to Joab, What lettith, if I also renne after Cusi? And Joab seide to hym, What wolt thou renne, sone myn? Come hidir, thou shalt not be berer of good message. 23   The which answerde, What forsothe if I shal renne? And he seith to hym, Renn. Thanne Achymaas rennynge bi the weye of the good short weye ouerpasside Cusai. 24   Dauid forsothe sat bitwix two &yogh;atis; the weyter forsothe, that was in the hei&yogh;t of the &yogh;ate vpon the walle, rerynge vp the eyen, saw&yogh; a man aloone rennynge; 25   and cryinge out shewide to the kyng. And the kyng seide to hym, If he is aloone, gode message

is in the mouth of hym. 26   Forsothe hym goynge and nei&yogh;ynge nerre, the wayter saw&yogh; anothir man rennynge; and criynge out in the cop seith, There semeth to me another man rennynge aloone. And the kyng seide to hym, And this is a good messager. 27   Forsothe the weyter seith, I biholde the rennynge of the former, as the rennynge of Achymaas, the sone of Sadoch. And the kyng seith, A good man he is, and cometh berynge good mesage. 28   Forsothe Achymaas cryinge, seide to the kyng, Hail kyng! And lowtynge the kyng before hym bowide into the erthe, seith, Blessid be the Lord thi God, that hath concludid the men, that rereden her hoondis a&yogh;ens my lord the kyng. 29   And the kyng seith, Is there not pees to the child Absolon? And Achymaas seide, I saw&yogh; a greet towmbe, whanne Joab thi seruaunt sente me, O kyng, thi seruaunt; other thing I knowe not. 30   To whom the kyng, Passe, he seith, and stoond here. And whanne he was passid, 31   and stoode, Cusi aperide; and comynge seith, I brynge good message, my lord king; forsothe the Lord hath demyde for thee to day fro the hoond `of alle that risen a&yogh;ens thee. 32   The kyng forsothe seide to Cusi, Is there not pees to the child Absolon? To whom answerynge Cusi, Be thei maad, he seith, as the child, the enemyes of my lord the kyng, and alle that risen a&yogh;ens hym into yuel. 33   And so the kyng cau&yogh;t with sorwe, stiede vp to the sowpynge place of the &yogh;aate, and wepte, and thus he spak goynge, Sone myn, Absolon! Absolon, sone myn! who to me &yogh;yueth, that I dye for thee? Absolon, sone myn! sone myn, Absolon!

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