1   Forsothe it is toold to Joab, that the kyng wept, and weilide his sone; 2   and the victorye is turned in that dai into weilynge to al the puple; forsothe the puple herde in that day to be seid, The kyng sorwith vpon his sone. 3   And the puple bowide aside in that dai to goo in to the citee, what maner wise a puple turnede and fleynge fro the batail is wont to bowe aside. 4   Forsothe the kyng couerde his heed, and criede with a greet vois, Sone myn, Absolon! Absolon, sone myn! 5   Thanne goon yn Joab to the kyng into the hows, seide, Thou hast confoundid to day the cheeris of alle thi seruauntis, and that han maad saaf thi lijf, and the lijf of thi sonys and of thi dou&yogh;tris, and the lijf of thi wyues, and the lijf of thi secoundarye wyues. 6   Thou louest the hatynge thee, and thou hast in haate the louynge thee; and thou hast shewid to day, for thou reckist not of thi leeders and of thi seruauntis; and verreily I haue knowen now, that if Absolon lyuede, and alle we hadden diede, thanne it shulde plese to thee. 7   Now than ryse, and go forth, and spekynge do aseethe to thi seruauntis; forsothe I swere to thee bi the Lord, that if thow gost not out, that oon forsothe be not to abidynge still with thee this ny&yogh;t; and werse shal be to thee this, than alle the yuels that camen vpon thee fro thi &yogh;ongth vnto the tyme that is now. 8   Thanne the kyng roos, and satte in the &yogh;ate; and to al the puple it is toold, that the king satte in the &yogh;ate, and al the multitude cam before the king. 9   Forsothe Irael flee&yogh; into her tabernaclis. And al the puple stroof in alle the lynagis of Irael, seiynge, The kyng hath delyuerd vs fro the hoond of oure enemyes, and he hath saued vs fro

the hoond of Philisteis; and now he flee&yogh; fro the loond for Absolon. 10   Forsothe Absolon, whom we anoyntiden kyng vpon vs, is deed in batail; how long be &yogh;e stille, and &yogh;e brengen not a&yogh;en the kyng? And the counseil of al Irael cam to the king. 11   Forsothe kyng Dauid sente to Sadoch and to Abiathar, preestis, seiynge, Speke &yogh;e to the more thur&yogh; birth of Juda, seiynge, Whi ben &yogh;e comen last to brynge a&yogh;en the kyng into his hows? Forsothe the word of al Irael is ful comen to the kyng, that thei brengen hym a&yogh;en into his hows. For the kyng seide, Thes thingis &yogh;e shulen seye to the puple, 12   My britheren &yogh;e, my boon and my flesh &yogh;e; whi last brengen &yogh;e a&yogh;en the kyng? 13   And to Amasa seye &yogh;ee, Whether ert thou not my boon and my flesh? Thes thingis God do to me, and thes thingis adde, if thou were not maister of chiualrye after Joab before me al tyme. 14   And he bowide the herte of alle the men of Juda as of o man; and thei senten to the king, seiynge, Turn a&yogh;en, thou and alle thi seruauntis. 15   And the kyng turnede a&yogh;en, and cam vnto Jordan; and al Juda cam forth into Galgala, that he a&yogh;en come to the kyng, and thei shulden brynge hym ouer Jordan. 16   Forsothe Semei, the sone of Gera, the sone of Gemyny, of Bahurym, hi&yogh;ede, and cam doun with the men of Juda into a&yogh;en comynge of kyng Dauid, with a thousand men of Beniamyn; 17    and child Ciba of the hows of Saul, and his fifteen sonys, and twenti seruantis weren with hym; and brekynge Jordan before the kyng, 18   passeden the forthis, that thei brengen ouer the hows of the kyng, and doon after his comaundynge. Forsothe Semei, the sone of Gera, faln doun before the kyng, whanne now he hadde passid Jordan, 19   seide to hym, My

lord, ne wiyt thou to me the wickidnes, ne haue thou mynde of the wrongis of thi seruaunt in the dai, the which thou wentist out, my lord kyng, fro Jerusalem, ne set thou, kyng, in thin herte; forsothe I thi seruaunt knowe my synne; 20    and therfor to dai first I cam of al the hows of Joseph, and cam doun into a&yogh;encomynge of my lord the kyng. 21   Forsothe answerynge Abisai, the sone of Saruye, seide, Whether for thes wordis Semei shal not be slayn, that curside to the crist of the Lord? 22   And Dauid seith, What to me and to &yogh;ou, &yogh;e sonys of Saruye? Whi ben &yogh;e maad to me to day into Sathan? Thanne whether to dai shal not be slayn a man in Irael? Whether I knowe not me to day maad kyng vpon Irael? 23   And the kyng seith to Semei, Thou shalt not die; and he swore to hym. 24   Forsothe Myphibosech, the sone of Jonathan, the sone of Saul, cam doun into the a&yogh;encomynge of the kyng, the feet vnwasshen, and the beerd vnshauen. And his clothis he hadde not washen, fro the day that the kyng wente out vnto the day of his turnynge a&yogh;en in pees. 25   And whanne he hadde a&yogh;en comen to the kyng, the kyng seide to hym, Whi cam thou not with me, Myphibosech? 26   And answerynge he seith, My lord kyng, my seruaunt dispiside me; and I thi seruaunt seide to hym, that he shulde make to me redi an asse, and stiynge vp I my&yogh;te goo with the kyng; forsothe I thi seruaunt am halt. 27   Also and he accuside me, thi seruaunt, to thee, my lord kyng; forsothe thou, my lord kyng, ert as the aungel of God; do that is plesynge to thee. 28   Forsothe ne the hows of mi fader was but gilti to the deth to my lord kyng; forsothe thou puttist me thi seruaunt among thi meetfelawis of thi bord; what thanne haue I of ry&yogh;twise playnt, or what may I more be spoken of to the

kyng? 29   Forsothe the kyng seith to hym, What more shalt thou speke? stedefast it is that I haue spoken; thou and Siba, dyuyde &yogh;e possessiouns. 30   And Myphibosech answerde to the kyng, Also al take he, aftir that my lord the kyng is turned a&yogh;en pesibli into his hows. 31   Forsothe Berzellay Galadite, a ful olde man, comynge down fro Rogelym, ladde the kyng ouer Jordan, redi also for to folwe hym bi&yogh;onde the flood. 32   Forsothe Berzellai Galadite was ful ooolde, that is, of fourscore &yogh;eer, and he &yogh;af food to the kyng, whanne he dwellid in the defensable placis; forsothe he was a ful mych riche man. 33   And so the kyng seide to Berzellai, Come with me, that thou reste sikir with me in Jerusalem. 34   And Berzellai seith to the kyng, How feele ben the dayes of the &yogh;eeris of my lijf, that I stye vp with the kyng to Jerusalem? 35   Of foure scoore &yogh;eer I am to dai; whether my wittis thryuen to deme swote or bittir, or meet and drynk may delite thi seruaunt, or I may here forthermore the vois of men syngers and of wymmen syngers? Whi thi seruaunt be to charge to my lord kyng? 36   A litil I shal goo forth thi seruaunt fro Jordan with thee, ne I nede this while &yogh;eeldynge; 37   but I biseche, that I turne a&yogh;en thi seruaunt, and die in my citee, and be biried bisyde the sepulcre of my fader and of my moder; forsothe there is thi seruaunt Chamaan; he go with thee, my lord kyng, and do to hym that semeth to thee good. 38   And so the kyng seide to hym, Chamaan goo with me; and I shal doo to hym what euer thing shal pleese to thee, and al that thou askist of me, thou shalt geete. 39   And whanne al the puple, and the kyng was passid ouer Jordan, he resteiede; and the king kisside Berzellai, and blesside to hym; and he turnede a&yogh;en into his place. 40   Thanne the kyng wente into Galgalan,

and Chamaan with hym. Forsothe al the puple of Juda brou&yogh;te ouer the kyng, and of the puple of Irael oonli the half parti was at. 41   And so alle the men of Irael rennynge to the kyng, seiden to hym, Whi oure britheren, the men of Juda, han stoln thee, and han brou&yogh;t ouer Jordan the kyng and his hows, and alle the men of Dauid with hym? 42   And alle the men of Juda answerden to the men of Irael, For to me nerre is the kyng; whi wraththist thou vpon this thing? Whether we han eten eny thing of the kyng, or &yogh;iftis to vs ben &yogh;euen? 43   And the man of Irael answerde to the men of Juda, and seith, Bi ten parties more I am anentis the kyng, and more to me perteneth Dauid than to thee; whi hast thou doo to me wronge, and it is not toold to me former, that I brynge a&yogh;en my kyng? Forsothe harder answerden the men of Juda than the men of Irael.

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