1   And kyng Dauid hadde eeldid, and he hadde of age manye dais; and whanne he was couerd with clothis, he was not maad hoot. 2   Thanne his seruauntis seiden to hym, Seche we to oure lord kyng a &yogh;ong wexen mayden; and stonde she before the kyng, and fede she hym, and sleep in his bosum, and make she hoot oure lord kyng. 3   Thanne thei sou&yogh;ten a fayre &yogh;ong womman in alle the coostis of Irael; and thei founden Abisaag Sunamytem, and brou&yogh;ten hir to the kyng. 4   Forsothe she was a child womman fayr ful mych, and she slepte with the kyng, and seruede to hym; forsothe the kyng knewe hyre not. 5   Forsothe Adonyas, the sone of Agith, was reryd vp, seiynge, I shal regne. And he made to hym a chaar, and horsmen, and fifti

men, that before him shulden renne. 6   And his fadir vndurnam not hym eny tyme, seiynge, Whi thus diddist thou? Forsothe and he was ful fayr, the secound born after Absolon; 7   and the word of hym with Joab, the sone of Saruye, and with Abiathar, preest, that helpiden the parties of Adonye. 8   Forsothe Sadoch, the preest, and Banayas, the sone of Joiade, and Nathan, the prophete, and Semei, and Cerethi, and Pherethi, and al the strength of the oost of Dauid, was not with Adonye. 9   Thanne wethers, and calues, and alle the fat offrid biside the stoon of Zoelech, that was ny&yogh; to the welle of Rogel, Adonyas clepede alle his britheren, the sones of the kyng, and alle the men of Juda, seruauntis of the kyng. 10   Forsothe Nathan, the prophet, and Banaye, and alle the stronge men, and Salomon, his brother, he clepide not. 11   And so Nathan seide to Bersabe, the modir of Salomon, Whether hast thou herd, that Adonyas, the sone of Agith, `hath regnyd, and oure lord Dauid thes thingis vnknowith? 12   Now thanne come, and tak counseil of me, and saue thi lijf, and of thi sone Salomon. 13   Go, and weend in to kyng Dauid, and sey to him, Whether not thou, lord, my kyng, swore to me thin hoond womman, seiynge, that Salomon thi sone shal regne aftir me, and he shal sitte in my see? Whi thanne regneth Adonyas? 14   And &yogh;it there thee spekynge with the kyng, I shal come after thee, and fulfil thi wordis. 15   And so Bersabe is goon yn to the kyng in the bedplace; forsothe the kyng hadde eeldid ful myche, and Abisaag Sunamyte seruede to him. 16   Bersabe bowid hir, and honourede the king; to whom the king, he seith, What wolt thou to thee? 17   The which answerynge seith, My lord kyng, thou swore bi the Lord thi God to thin

hoond womman, Salomon thi sone shal regne after me, and shal sitte in my see; and loo! now Adonye hath regned, 18   thee, my lord kyng, vnknowynge; 19   he hath slayn oxen, and alle the fatte, and manye wethers; and clepide alle the sones of the kyng, and Abiathar, the preest, and Joab, the prince of the chyualrie; forsothe Salomon, thi seruaunt, he clepide not. 20   Neuerthelater, my lord kyng, in thee the eyen of al Yrael beholden, that thou deme to hem, who owith to sit in thi see, my lord kyng, aftir thee; 21   and it shal be, whanne my lord kyng shal sleep with his faders, I and my sone Salomon shulen be synful. 22   &YOGH;it she spekynge with the kyng, Nathan, the prophete, cam. 23   And men toolden to the kyng, seiynge, Nathan, the prophete, is ny&yogh;. And whanne he was comen in the si&yogh;t of the kyng, and hadde honourde hym redi into the erthe, 24   Nathan seide, My lord kyng, hast thow seide, Adonye regne after me, and he sitte vpon my trone? 25   For he cam doun to day, and offride oxen, and fatte thingis, and manye wethers; and clepide alle the sonys of the kyng, and the prince of the oost, and Abiathar, the preest; and hem etynge, and drynkynge before hym, and seiynge, 26   Lyue the kyng Adonye, me, thi seruaunt, and Sadoch, the preest, and Benanye, the sone of Joiade, and Salomon, thi sone, he clepide not. 27   Whether of my lord the kyng wente out this word, and to me, thi seruaunt, thou shewedist not, who shulde be to sitte vpon the trone of my lord kyng after hym? 28   And kyng Dauid answerde, seiynge, Clepith to me Bersabe. The which whanne was goon in before the kyng, and hadde stoonden before hym, the king swore, 29   and seith, The Lord lyueth, that hath delyuerd my soule fro

al angwish; 30   for as I swore to thee bi the Lord God of Irael, seiynge, Salomon, thi sone, shal regne after me, and he shal sitte vpon my see after me, so I shal do to day. 31   And Bersabe, the cheere put doun into the erthe, honourde the kyng, seiynge, Lyue my lord kyng Dauid with outen eende. 32   And kyng Dauid seide, Clepith to me Sadoch, the preest, and Nathan, the prophete, and Banayam, the sone of Joiade. The whiche whanne thei weren comyn yn before the kyng, 33   the king seide to hem, Takith with &yogh;ou the seruauntis of &yogh;oure lord, and puttith my sone Salomon vpon my mule, and ledith hym into Gion. 34   And anoynte hym there Sadoch, the preest, and Nathan, the prophete, into kyng vpon Yrael `and Juda; and &yogh;e shulen synge with trompe, and seye, Lyue the king Salomon! 35   And &yogh;e shulen stye vp after hym, and come to Jerusalem; and he shal sitte vpon my see, and he shal regne for me; and to hym I shal comaunde, that he be duyk vpon Irael and upon Juda. 36   And Banayas, the sone of Joiade, answerde to the kyng, seiynge, Amen; thus speke the Lord God of my lord the kyng. 37   What maner wise the Lord was with my lord the kyng, so be he with Salomon, and hei&yogh;er make he the see of hym fro the see of my lord kyng Dauid. 38   Thanne Sadoch, the preest, wente doun, and Nathan, the prophete, and Banayas, the sone of Joyade, and Cerethi, and Pherethi; and putten Salomon vpon the mule of Dauid, the kyng, and brou&yogh;ten hym into Gion. 39   And Sadoch, the preest, took an horn of oyle fro the tabernacle, and anoyntide Salomon; and thei sungen with the trompe; and al the puple seide, Lyue the kyng Salomon! 40   And al the multitude steyede vp after hym, and the puple of men syngynge

with trompis, and `of gladynge with greet ioye; and the erthe `with ynne sownede of the crye of hem. 41   Forsothe Adonyas herde, and alle that weren beden `to mete of hym; and now the feest was eendid. But and Joab, the voys herd of the trompe, seith, What to hym wole the crye of the citee makynge noys? 42   &YOGH;it hym spekynge, Jonathan, the sone of Abiathar, the preest, cam; to whom seide Adonyas, Go yn, for a strong man thou ert, and good thingis tellynge. 43   And Jonathan answerde to Adonye, Nay; forsothe the lord oure kyng Dauid hath ordeyned Salomon kyng; 44   and sente with hym Sadoch, the preest, and Nathan, the prophete, and Banayam, the sone of Joyade, and Cerethi, and Pherethi; and putten hym vpon the mule of the kyng. 45   And Sadoch, the preest, and Nathan, the prophet, anoyntiden hym kyng in Gion; and gladynge thei stieden thens, and the cite with ynne sownede; this is the voys that &yogh;e herden. 46   But and Salomon sitte vpon the see of the rewme; 47   and the seruauntis of the kyng goon yn, blessiden to oure lord kyng Dauid, seiynge, God more large the name of Salomon vpon thi name, and magnifie the trone of hym vpon thi trone. And kyng Dauid honourde in his bed; 48   and ferthermore thes thingis spak, Blessid the Lord God of Yrael, that &yogh;af to day a sitter in my see, seynge myn eyen. 49   Thanne thei ben agaist, and alle risen, that weren bodyn `to meete of Adonye, and echon &yogh;eede into his weie. 50   Forsothe Adonyas, dredynge Salomon, roos, and &yogh;eed into the tabernacle of the Lord, and heelde the horn of the auter. 51   And thei toolden to Salomon seyynge, Loo! Adonyas dredynge kyng Salomon, holdith the horn of the

auter, seiynge, Swere to me to dai kyng Salomon, that he shal not sle his seruaunt bi swerd. 52   And Salomon seide, If he were a good man, there shal not falle forsothe an heere of hym in to the erthe; forsothe if yuel were foundun in hym, he shal die. 53   Thanne kyng Salomon sente, and brou&yogh;te hym out fro the auter; and goon yn, he honourde king Salomon; and Salomon seide to hym, Go into thin hows.

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