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¹ Forsothe it was doon aftir these thingis, that Naas, kyng of the sones of Amon, diede; and Anoon, his sone, regnede for hym. And Dauid seide,² Y schal do mercy with Anon, the sone of Naas, as his fadir dide mercy with me. Therfor Dauid sente coumfortynge hym by hise seruauntis on the deeth of the fadir. Sotheli whanne the seruauntis of Dauid hadden come in to the lond of the sones of Amon,³ princes of the sones of Amon seiden to Anon, her lord, Gessist thou that for the onour of thi fadir Dauid sente coumfortouris to thee; and not herfor Dauid sente hise seruauntis to thee, that he schulde aspie, and enserche the citee, and distrie it?⁴ Therfor Anoon took the seruauntis of Dauid, and schauyde half the part of `the beerd of hem, and he kittide awey the myddil clothis of hem `til to the buttokis; and lefte hem.⁵ And whanne this was teld to Dauid, he sente in to the comyng of hem, for the men weren schent ful vilensly. And Dauid comaundide to hem, Dwelle ye in Jerico, til youre beerd wexe, and thanne turne ye ayen.

⁶ Sotheli the sones of Amon sien, that thei hadden do wrong to Dauid, and thei senten, and hiriden bi meede Roob of Sirye, and Soba of Sirie, twenti thousynde of foot men, and of kyng Maacha, a thousynde men, and of Istob twelue thousynde of men.⁷ And whanne Dauid hadde herd this, he sent Joab and al the oost of fiyteris.⁸ Therfor the sones of Amon yeden out, and dressiden scheltrun bifor hem in the entryng of the yate. Forsothe Soba, and Roob of Sirie, and Istob, and Maacha weren asidis half in the feeld.⁹ Therfor Joab siy, that batel was maad redi ayens hym, bothe euene ayens and bihynde the bak; and he chees to hym silf of alle the chosun men of Israel, and ordeynede scheltrun ayens Sirus.¹⁰ Forsothe he bitook to Abisai, his brothir, the tother part of the puple, which dresside scheltrun ayens the sones of Amon.¹¹ And Joab seide, If men of Sirie han the maistrie ayens me, thou schalt be to me in to help; sotheli if the sones of Amon han the maistrie ayens thee, Y schal helpe thee;¹² be thou a strong man, and fiyte we for oure puple, and for the citee of oure God; forsothe the Lord schal do that, that is good in his siyt.¹³ Therfor Joab and his puple that was with hym, bigan batel ayens men of Sirie, whiche fledden anoon fro his face.¹⁴ Forsothe the sones of Amon sien, that men of Sirie hadden fled; and thei fledden also fro the face of Abisai, and entriden in to the citee; and Joab turnede ayen fro the sones of Amon, and cam in to Jerusalem.

¹⁵ Forsothe men of Sirye sien that thei hadden feld bifor Israel, and thei weren gaderid to gidere.¹⁶ And Adadezer sente, and ledde out men of Sirie that weren biyende the flood, and he brouyte the oost of hem; sotheli Sobach, mayster of the chyualrie of Adadezer, was the prince of hem.¹⁷ And whanne this was teld to Dauid, he drow togidere al Israel, and passide Jordan, and cam in to Helama. And men of Sirie dressiden scheltrun ayens Dauid, and fouyten ayens hym.¹⁸ And Sireis fledden fro the face of Israel; and Dauid killide of Sireis seuene hundrid charis, and fourti thousynde of knyytis; and he smoot Sobach, the prince of chyualrie, which was deed anoon.¹⁹ Forsothe alle kyngis, that weren in the help of Adadezer, siyen that thei weren ouercomun of Israel, and thei maden pees with Israel, and serueden hem; and Sireis dredden to yyue help to the sones of Amon.