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¹ Also hungur was maad in the lond of Israel in the daies of Dauid, bi thre yeer contynueli. And Dauid counselide the answere of the Lord; and the Lord seide, For Saul, and his hows, and blood, for he killide men of Gabaon.² Therfor whanne Gabaonytis weren clepid, the kyng seide to hem; sotheli Gabaonytis ben not of the sones of Israel, but thei ben the relikys of Ammorreis; and the sones of Israel hadden swore to hem, `that is, that thei schulden not `be slayn, and Saul wolde smyte hem for feruent loue, as for the sones of Israel and of Juda;³ therfor Dauid seide to Gabaonytis, What schal Y do to you, and what schal be youre amendis, that ye blesse the eritage of the Lord?⁴ And Gabaonytis seiden to hym, No questioun is to vs on gold and siluer, but ayens Saul, and ayens his hows; nether we wolen, that a man of Israel be slayn. To whiche the kyng seide, What therfor wolen ye, that Y do to you?⁵ Whiche seiden to the king, We owen to do awei so the man, that `al to brak ethir defoulide vs, and oppresside wickidli, that not oon sotheli be residue of his generacioun in alle the coostis of Israel.<sup>6</sup> Seuene men of hise sones be youun to vs, that we `crucifie hem to the Lord in Gabaa of Saul, sum tyme the chosun man of the Lord. And the kyng seide, Y schal yyue.⁷ And the kyng sparide Myphibosech, sone of Jonathas, sone of Saul, for the ooth of the Lord, that was bitwixe Dauid and bitwixe Jonathas, sone of Saul.⁸ Therfor the kyng took twei sones of Respha, douyter of Ahira, whiche sche childide to Saul, Armony, and Mysphibosech; and he took fyue sones of Mychol, douyter of Saul, whiche sche gendride to Adriel, sone of Berzellai, that was of Molaty.⁹ And he yaf hem in to the hondis of Gabaonytis, whiche crucifieden tho sones in the hil bifor the Lord; and these seuene felden slayn togidere in the daies of the firste rep, whanne the repyng of barli bigan.

¹⁰ Forsothe Respha, douytir of Ahia, took an heire, and `araiede to hir silf a place aboue the stoon, fro the bigynnyng of heruest til watir droppide `on hem fro heuene; and sche suffride not briddis to tere hem bi dai, nether beestis bi nyyt.¹¹ And tho thingis whiche Respha, secoundarie wijf of Saul, douytir of Ahia, hadde do, weren teld to Dauid.¹² And Dauid yede, and took the boonys of Saul, and the boonys of Jonathas, his sone, of the men of Jabes of Galaad; that hadden stole tho boonys fro the street of Bethsan, in which street the Filisteis hadden hangid hem, whanne thei hadden slayn Saul in Gelboe.¹³ And Dauid bar out fro thennus the boonys of Saul, and the boonys of Jonathas, his sone; and thei gaderiden the boonys of hem that weren crucified, and birieden tho with the boonys of Saul and of Jonathas, his sone, in the lond of Beniamyn, in the side of the sepulcre of Cys, fadir of Saul.¹⁴ And thei diden al thingis, what euer thingis the kyng comaundide; and the Lord dide mercy to the lond aftir these thingis.

¹⁵ Forsothe batel of Filisteis was maad eft ayens Israel; and Dauid yede doun, and hise seruauntis with hym, and fouyten ayen Filisteis.¹⁶ Sotheli whanne Dauid failide, Jesbydenob, that was of the kyn of Arapha, that is, of giauntis, and the yrun of his spere peiside thre hundrid ouncis, and he was gird with a newe swerd, enforside to smyte Dauid.¹⁷ And Abisai, sone of Saruye, was in help to Dauid; and he smoot and killide the Filistei. Than the men of Dauid sworen, and seiden, Now thou schalt not go out with vs in to batel, lest thou quenche the lanterne of Israel.¹⁸ Also the secounde batel was in Gob ayens Filisteis; thanne Sobothai of Osothai smoot Zephi, of the generacioun of Arapha, of the kyn of giauntis.¹⁹ Also the thridde batel was in Gob ayens Filisteis; in which batel a man youun of God, the sone of forest, a broiderer, a man of Bethleem, smoot Golyath of Geth, whos `schaft of spere was as a beem of webbis.²⁰ The fourthe batel was in Geth; where ynne was an hiy man, that hadde sixe fyngris in the hondis and feet, that is, foure and twenti; and he was of the kyn of Arapha;²¹ and he blasfemyde Israel; sotheli Jonathan, sone of Samaa, brother of Dauid, killide hym.²² These foure weren borun of Arapha in Geth, and thei felden doun in the hond of Dauid, and of hise seruauntis.