king and thus vnto him say My lord O king didst thou not make an oth to me for aye That Salomon my sonne should sit vpon thy kingly seate And now thy sonne Adonia thereof doth him defeate And while thou talkest with the king about thy sonne alone I will come after and confirme thy sayings eury one So Bethsabe to Dauid went into his chamber bolde Where Abisag was ministring because the king was olde She bowing downe with reuerence and great humilitie He then demaunded what the cause of her repayre should be My lord quod she thou didst loÌ„g since vnto thine haÌ„dmaid sweare That Salomon should after thée as king the scepter beare And now beholde Adonia he is proclaymed king And thou my lord vnto this houre not priuy to the thing His Oxen are all offred vp his shéepe and cattell fat And hath both Ioab and his priest Abiathar thereat And all thy sonnes be there with him saue Salomon alone With many other mightie men that vnto him are gone And now my lorde the eyes of all the people Israel WhoÌ„ thou wilt haue succéede do looke that thou thy self should tel For els when that my lord doth rest both Salomon and I We shall trausgressours counted be as worthy so to dye And while she thus stoode with the king debating to and fro The Prophet Nathan commeth in his pleasure for to know And when he had with reuerence obeisance duely made He told his tale and with the king gan wisely to perswade My lord O king hast thou commaunde or so ordeined it That after thée Adonia vpon thy seate shall sit For he hath made his kingly feast and thereto hath he bid Thy sonnes Capteins of the hoast which thing to thée is hid Abiathar with many mo in bankets cheerefully God saue our king Adonia God saue our king they cry But me and Sadoch that good priest nor Salomon thy sonne Nor yet Banaia they cald to this they haue begonne Is this the kings good pleasure now and made to me so dim That of my lord I may not know who shall reigne after him Then Dauid called Bethsabe and thus vnto her sware As God doth liue who hath me rid from trouble and from care Assure thy selfe that Salomon thy sonne shall after me Sit on the seate of Israel and thereof king shall be The Quéene then yéelding harty thanks bowing him before To God she prayde that he might reigne and liue for euermore The king did call Banaia and Sadoch to him than And Nathan to and then his minde to breake he thus began Go forth and take with you my men and set vp Salomon Upon the mule whereon I rid and leade him to Gihon And there let Sadoch him annoint with truÌ„pets blowing braue And then with trumpets do you cry king Salomon God saue Then come you all and follow him and set him on my throne For I haue sworne and do appoynt he shall be king alone Amen then said Banaia the liuing Lorde permit That on thy seate a happy king he many dayes may sit And as the Lord hath bene with thée so let him giue his streÌ„gth Unto the seate of Salomon and stretch it more in length So they departed from the king and set vp Salomon vpon the Mule as they were bid and brought him to Gihon Where Sadoch then anoynted him and vp the trumpets blow God saue our lord king Salomon the peoples voyce doth go And comming after him with pipes they ioyfully do sing Whose sound of voyce instrumeÌ„ts made all the earth to ring The voyce was such that it did come to Adonias place And made his gests to turne chaunge the colour in their face But Ioab gan to stirre said what meanes this passing noyse Of trumpet blowing in the towne and sound of men boyes He had no sooner spoke the word but in came Ionathan Who in the presence of them all to tell him newes began Our lord and king assuredly vpon some weightie thing Hath caused Salomon his sonne to be proclaymed king They haue him brought on Dauids Mule to Gihon regally Where Sadoch hath annoynted him our king and lord to be Wher at the people shoute for ioy that he shall ore them reigne Which is the noyse sounde ye heare of him and all his trayne And furthermore the people hath giuen thanks to Dauid great And pray to God the sonne may passe the father in his seate The king likewise hath praysed God whose mercy brought to pas That in his seate before he dyed his sonne inuested was Then all the gestes Adonia had feasted that same day Were sore afrayde and made great haste to rise and get away And he him selfe as one that feard the sight of Salomon Did flée and catch the Aulters hornes to saue him selfe thereon Then one comes vnto Salomon and humbly doth begin To tell the daunger and the feare Adonia is in Add makes request that he would sweare promise by his word That he would not his seruaunt put that day vnto the sword If that he may quod Salomon to me be faythfull founde No haire that is vpon his head shall fall vnto the grounde But if I finde vntruth in him or wickednes espye He may make his account thereof that he shall surely dye So béeing brought to Salomon he did him selfe submit And home was sent vnto his house there quietly to sit Now came the time that Dauid should passe froÌ„ this world away Wherfore he called Salomon and thus gan to him say My time drawes on for me to dye and passe an other way Shew thou thy selfe a man therfore and on the Lord thée stay Kéepe thou his watch with careful eye walke in al his waies That thou in all thy good attempts mayst prosper all thy daies So shall the Lord make good his worde promise firmely laide Unto his seruaunt long ago when thus to me he saide If that thy children take good héede and guyde their steps aright And walke before me in the truth with all their heart might Then shalt thou neuer want a man to sit vpon thy throne To rule and gouerne Israel when thou art dead and gone And furthermore thou knowest right well how Ioab serued me And with a couple how he dealt farre better men then he How Amasa and Abner to he falsly did betray And shed their blood most cruelly and cast them both away Deale thou therfore with Ioab as thy wisdome shall increase And let not his hore head be brought downe to the graue in peace But let the sonnes of Berzella be at thy table fed For they came to me when away from Absalon I fled Thou hast with thée one Semei a man of Bahurim Who curst me all the way I went vnto Mahanaim But yet at my returne he came and brought me home agayne Wheras I made an othe to him that he should not be slayne Yet shalt thou not him giltlesse count but by thy wisdome good Sée that his hore head downe be brought vnto the graue with blood Thus now wheÌ„ Dauid in his reigne had runne out al his race His soule departed vnto God and left his sonne in place FINIS Cap. 17. Isai sent Dauid to releue his brethreÌ„ but God sent him for the deliuerance of Israel Cap. 18. The vnmoueable loue of Ionathas and Dauid Cap. 19. The firste profe of Ionathas fidelitie to Dauid The faithfâ—nnesse of Michol to her husband Dauid â—he secondeâ—â—ofe of Ioâ—â—thas ' fideâ—â—tie Cap. 21. Now Dauid feigned him selfe to be madde The Priests of Nob are slayne Cap. 23. Dauid saued the towne of Keilah The thirde profe of Ionathas fidelitie Cap. 24. The great gentlenes of Dauid compelled Saul his enemy to yéelde Cap. 25. Of the churlish parte of Nabal Cap. 26. Of Dauids faythfulnes to Saul Cap. 28. Cap. 29. 2. Regum Cap. 1. Here Saul is slayne Cap. 2. Cap. 3. Cap. 4. Here Isboseth is slaine trayterously Cap. 5. Dauid is annoynted king Cap. 6. Michol despiseth Dauid for dauncing before the Arke Cap. 7. Dauids prayer Cap. 8. The victorie that God gaue to Dauid ouer the Philistines and other straunge nations Cap. 9. The restoring of Miphiboseth the sonne of Ionathas Micah was Miphiboseths sonne Cap. 10. Cap. 11. Dauid committeth adultery and homicide Cap. 12. Dauid is reproued for his adultery and homicide A rare example in a Capteine The ingratitude of the Ammonites punished Cap. 13. Ammon rauisheth his sister Thamar Ionadab was the sonne of Simeah Dauids brother Ammon is slayne Thalmai was the king of Gesur father to Maacha Absolons mother Cap. 14. Cap. 15. Absalon aspireth to the kingdome Dauid flieth froÌ„ his sonne Absalon The fidelitie of Ithai the sonne of Achis king of Geth as some do write Sadoch foloweth after Dauid with the Arke is sent backe agayne Chusai commeth to Dauid who sendeth him to Absalon Cap. 16. Ziba coÌ„meth to Dauid to deceiue Miphiboseth his master Semei curseth Dauid Achitophels counsell agaynst Dauid Chusai ouerthroweth the counsell of Achitophel Ahimaas Ionathan are hid in a well Cap. 18. Achitophel hangeth him selfe Dauid mouâ—â—neth for his sonne Absalon Cap. 19. The wilines of Semei Miphiboseth meeteth the king in Ierusalem Berselai méeteth king Dauid A strife betwéene the men of Israel and the men of Iuda for king Dauid Cap. 20. Seba maketh an insurrectioÌ„ against Dauid Dauid shutteth vp his Concubines Ioab slue Amasa some think he did it for that Amasa tooke parte with Absalon and that Dauid had made him captein generall in his stead Cap. 21. The dearth that fell in Dauids time Cap. 22. Dauid for his victories prayseth God. Cap. 23. Here Dauid numbreth his people Dauid is plagued for numbring his people 3. Regum Cap. 1. Adonia aspireth to the kingdome Salomon is proclaymed king Cap. 2.
counsell in this thing Ye might haue made vs priuie of restoring home the king Thus they debated to and fro this quarrell of some grudge But Iuda did preuayle therein as eury man might iudge But now a man of Belial one Seba cald by name Had got to him all Israel and gan it to proclaime How they no part in Dauid had the sonne of Isai Nor yet inheritaunce in him and spake it scornefully So when as Seba blew his trumpe ech man gat to his tent All ready for to follow him which way so ere he went. But Iuda stucke to Dauid fast and not a man did mis From Iordan to Ierusalem were full and wholly his Now while this geare a working was with them of Israel King Dauid in his house at home not finding all things well Among his women Concubines who had offence commit With Absalon while he was out gan now to punish it Yet not with death as was the law but shut them all vp fast In prison close allowing foode so long as life did last Then hearing of these mutinies and stirres in eury place Sent out all Iuda to prepare and that in thrée dayes space And gaue that charge to Amasa but when he brake his day He grew in feare of some mishap and thus began to say Now Seba in this faction shall hurt and harme vs more Then did my deare sonne Absalon in his attempts before Take thou therfore Abisai of Ioabs men a band And presse on Seba least he get some succour out of hand And Ioab tooke with him also his men the Corethites With many from Ierusalem beside the Philethites And as he marched on his way this Seba for to get Euen at the stone of Gibeon with Abasa he met Who brotherly saluted him as nothing were amisse And made as though he would him take about the necke to kisse But sodenly he smote him in the bely with his knife That all his bowels gushed out so ended he his life Then Ioab and Abisai who were together met To follow Seba at the backe away apace they get And came to Abel where he was got in with all his route Which Citie Ioab with his hoast besieged round about And thrusting at a certayne place to ouerthrow the wall A prudent woman came and gan aloude to crye and call Unto the people praying them they would it not deferre Their Capteine Ioab so desire to come and speake with her Who béeing come she him beheld and askt him if t were he I am quod he good wife the same say what thou wilt to me Then heare thine hādmaide what she saith He said I heare thée wel And wil giue good attētiue eare to that that thou shalt tel It was the vse of olde quod she and Marshall law I know Before a peace be offered no towne to ouerthrow The Citie here that I am in which called is Abel Hath alwayes kept fidelitie with kings of Israel And yet thou goest about with power a Citie to subuert Who as a faythfull mother peace doth nourish in her heart O Ioab this thy tyrannie with right doth not accorde So to destroy the heritage perteining to the Lorde God shield quod he I should attempt this Cities ouerthrow It neuer came into my thought that crueltie to show But this it is there is a man one of mount Ephraim One Seba who remaynes with you our quarrell is to him Who doth rebell agaynst my lord king Dauid forceably Deliuer him and we will then depart hence quietly Then let my lorde but stay a while and I will forthwithall Prouide quod she ye shall receyue his head cast ore the wall Then she with wisdome of her words among them in the towne Did cause his head be smitten off and hurld to Ioab downe A trompet then he made to blow and from the Citie went With all the hoast he brought with him ech mā home to his tēt And Ioab to Ierusalem returned to the king And told him of his good successe and eury other thing Now after these seditions the king new order takes Among his chiefest officers and first of all he makes Ioab the sonne of Zaruia chiefe capteine of the hoast Among the men of Israel to leade in eury coast Banaia a warlike man and one of perfect skill The Corethites and Phelethites to guyde it was his will. The tribute which he had among the nations won with fame He did commit to Aduram to gather vp the same Now Iosaphat Recorder was to note vp eury thing And Seua Scribe to write all that perteined to the king But Sadoch and Abiathar were priestes of high degrée And Ira was chiefe counsellor and great in dignitie Now after this an hunger great the people fell among Which dured in king Dauids time the space of thrée yeres long The king enquired what the cause of this great plague should be The Lord made answere t was for Saul and his great crueltie Which he had shewd the Gibeonites with whō duke Iosua made A couenaunt both of peace and life and bound them to a trade Which trade they did obserue yet he sought their ouerthrow Both Iuda and the Israelites he sought to pleasure so None of the séede of Israel were now the Gibeonites But were a certayne remnant left of all the Amorites Of whom then Dauid did demaund what he for them should do Or what attonement shall I make that ye will grée vnto We will quod they no siluer haue nor gold of thée at all Nor any man to dye for vs but of the house of Saul Looke what ye will quod Dauid then haue me for you to do Disclose your minde and you shall haue me ready therevnto We do request that of the line and kinred of king Saul In Gibeah before the Lord seuen may be hangd for all The king had great compassion on Ionathas and his And would not for his oth of olde his sonne should do amis And was excéeding glad because they did no mo request That he might saue Miphiboseth from hanging with the rest Frō Rizpa her two sonnes he tooke which she did beare to Saul Miphiboseth and Armoni these two and they were all From Merob other fiue he tooke which she by Adriel Had in her life and after were by Michol brought vp well Thus plaged were the sonnes of Saul euen for their fathers sin Who did destroy the Gibeonites and had delite therein But Rizpa that was wife to Saul made spéede without delay To pitche her tent vpon the hill to kéepe the beates away And would not suffer beast nor foule to touch her sonnes at all Frō haruest time till God did make his rayne frō heauē to fall The king when he did vnderstand her motherly intent Their bodies to remoue away he caused one be sent The bones of Saul and Ionathas he likewise brought away From Iabes who did stealingly from Bethlem them conuay Where they had by the Philistines
Was still afrayd that daunger might thereby to him ensue For Israel and Iuda both to Dauid cleaued sore And eke their loue to him ech day increased more and more Then Saul attempted Dauid thus I will on thée bestow My daughter Merob whom thou hast deserued well I know Which thing he spake of no good will as he did then pretend But ment thereby the Philistines might bring him to his end When Dauid had considered the offer Saul had made Then he agayne with reuerence to him most humbly sayde O what am I what is my life my stocke or my degregrée That I so vile and base a wight thy sonne in law should bée But how so ere the matter went when Dauid should enioye His wife of Saul he had conceyud in mind an other toye And minded to defeate him cleane whom he entised so Entending his forenamed childe on Adriel to bestow Then was it vnto Saul declard what fauour Michol had To Dauid as it did appeare whereof the king was glad She shal be his and by her meanes he shal be caught in snare And fall into the Heathens hands before he be aware Pretending then as he would séeme his very friend to be My yongest daughter thou shalt haue be my sonne quod he And turning him vnto his men in secret to them sayde Perswade him if ye can to cast his fancy on the mayde And say to him behold the king doth greatly fauour thée In thee it lyes refuse it not his sonne in law to bée Also his seruants loue thée well they wish thée for to stay Thy selfe vpon the kings request and to his will obay The seruants went all these things they put in Dauids head Whose answer shewd he would not be by their persuasiōs led Doth it saide he séeme vnto you so small and light a thing For me to be the sonne in law to such a mighty king I am a man both poore and base of reputation small And haue no dowry for to giue her to enrich withall The men returned back agayne and made a true report Of all the answer Dauid gaue to them and in what sort Go yet quod he and tell him thus the king doth nothing craue But of one hundred Philistines their foreskins for to haue That throgh his corage to his name immortall praise may rise And I vpon my deadly foes may be reuengd likewise Now Sauls intent was only this to bring him into thrall And daunger of the Philistines to loose both life and all The messengers to Dauid went and told him how it stood What dowry he must séeke to giue to match in Royall blood Now hauing good occasion giuen with Philistines to mell To be the sonne in law to Saul it pleased Dauid well Not many dayes were past when he his promise had fulfild And slayne two hundred Philistines as he thereto was wild Whose skins were brought giuen to Saul by Dauid his men So that of right he might not hold his daughter from him then Wherfore the king did Michol giue to Dauid as his wife Who loued him full tenderly euen as she loued her life Now hauing both the Lord with him Michols heart in holde It made the king the more afrayd of him an hundred folde So déepe a roote had malice caught within his heart and eye That vnto Dauid he became a deadly enemie But Dauid so behaued him with wisedome as it séemd That none among the men of Saul aboue him was estéemd Wherfore now Sauls hipocrisie which he so long had hid Brast out in open crueltie and caused him to bid Both Ionathas and eke his men that Dauid they should kill Who were full sory in their hearts and loth to do him ill When Ionathas perceyued well his father sought to wreake His malice on the innocent with Dauid he did breake And said my father meanes deceite and séekes thine ouerthrow Lake héede therfore it stāds thée on thy wisdome now to show Go hide thée in some secret place and kéepe thée out of sight Untill the morow day put forth the comfort of his light And I will stand my father by in field where that thou art And do the best I can with him to féele and grope his heart And as I find him bent to theée to kill or eke to saue Doubt not but I wil find the meanes that thou shalt knowledge haue As Ionathas was in the field and by his father stood And hauing talke of Dauid there he spake of him much good Let not the king sayd Ionathas agaynst thy seruaunt sin For he hath not offended thée without nor yet within Did he not kill the Philistine with daunger of his life And brought therwith to Israel great peace in place of strife Thou saw it well and did reioyce now therfore take a pause And do not hurt the innocent nor kill without a cause Then Saul gaue eare to Ionathas God wot full faynedly Although he swore vnto the Lord that Dauid should not dye Yet Ionathas vpon his othe did Dauid to him call Declaring how the matter stood and brought him vnto Saul With whom he was and serued him as he had in times past But enuy bare such rule in him that long it did not last For now the warres began a fresh and Dauid by Gods might Slew many of the Philistines and put the rest to flight The king enuying this good lucke which God had Dauid sent Was through the wicked sprit possest againe to mischiefe bent For as he sate his full intent was Dauid to haue slayne At whō he threw with mighty force his Iauelin but in vayne For Dauid shund the deadly stroke and durst not bide in sight But gat him home vnto him wife who saued him that night For Saul had sent his men of armes to garde his house about With charge to sée him there dispatcht before that he came out Then Michol like a faythfull wife gaue counsell very good And bad him saue himself that night for sure they sought his blood No other shift she had to make their purpose to preuent But at a window let him downe and so away he went. Who béeing gone she tooke and layd an image in his bed A pillow stuft with Gotish héere she put vnder his hed Declaring to the messengers that came their lorde to please How that in bed her husband lay not very well at ease Of this they made certificate to Saul to know his will Who bad them bring him bed and all that so he might him kill But when the men were entred in and stoode by his bedstocke They foūd not Dauid whō they sought but in his place a block Then Saul of Michol made demaund wherefore she had done so Deluding him and all his men to let his enemie go Alas quod she I could not choose I so enforced was He threatned me with present death vnlesse I let him passe Thus Dauid being fled away was gone to
Samuel To whom he had declared all the case as it befell From Rama then to Naioth with Samuel he went Remayning there although that Saul his messengers had sent For they with other Prophets mo gan now to prophecie So that they had no mind to séeke for Dauid earnestlie But when as Saul himselfe was come to Naioth where he was He then for feare departed thence and fled to Ionathas Complayning thus O Ionathas what cause giue I of strife That still thy father and my lord so séeketh for my life Now God forbid quod Ionathas he deale so cruelly Expell all feare pull vp thine heart trust me thou shalt not dye For well I know my father will no one thing take in hand But or he doth attempt the same I shall it vnderstand And will he now hide this from me he is not so vnkinde To worke thy death so secretly and show me not his minde Oh Ionathas thy father knowes and playnly this doth sée What faithfull loue and tender heart thou bearest vnto me Therfore perhaps he will it hide as though it were not so To stay thy heart from pensiuenes and filling it with wo But truly as the Lord doth liue and thou dost liue with breath One step there is and scarcely that betwéene me and my death What wilt thou haue me do quod he declare to me thy minde For both in wealth and bitter wo thou shalt me faithfull finde Behold quod he to morow next the king doth hold the feast Where I should sit at boord with him my roome to fill at least But let me go into the fields and kéepe me out of sight Till all the feast be done and past the third day towards night If Saul thy father speake of me demaunding to and fro Say then I craued leaue of thée to Bethleem to go Where once a yere a solemne feast is holden there within For all the stocke and progenie of me and all my kinne If he be pleased there withall thy seruant shall haue peace But if he do intend me hurt his malice will not cease Then shall thy mercy do me good and with thy bond accord Which to thy seruant thou didst make promise in the Lord For if in me there can be found offence in all the land Then let me neuer farther go but kill me with thy hand God thée defend quod Ionathas for if I did it know That any harme were toward thee of truth I would it show Then Dauid sayd how shal I learne what Saul doth say to thée Or who shall tell me if my lorde do answere cruelly Come let vs go into the field and so they tooke their way Where Ionathas brast out in words and gan to Dauid sâ—â—â— O Lord the God of Israel when I haue gropen out My fathers minde or that all these thrée dayes be gone about If all things touching thée be well word shal be brought to thée And if I kéepe not touch therin the Lord then punish mée And also if my father Saul do séeke thy blood to shed I will my selfe be thy defence till thou away be fled And so the Lord kéepe and defend thée where so ere thou goes And be with thée as he hath bene with Saul agaynst his foes Now this request of thée I craue which grauÌ„t thou wilt I trust That I may liue my dayes in peace to make thy couenant iust And when I haue ronne out my course theÌ„ for my sake to mine Thou wilt not cut thy mercy off when that the sword is thine No not euen when the Lord aboue thy foes hath all confounde And left thée not an enemie aliue vpon the ground So Ionathas renued his bond and to the Lord he spoke That Dauids foes might it reuenge if that the same were broke And further sware to kepe the bond that was betwene theÌ„ sowne For Dauids body life and soule he loued as his owne Then Ionathas to Dauid sayd to morow doth begin The feast whereas the king will spye thy place no man therin Therfore go hide thée out of sight till thrée dayes passe no more Make haste get thée to that place where thou was put before Euen when the matter was in hand and there remayne and ly By Ezel stone which doth direct the way for passers by And I will come shoote thrée shafts and they shall light beside As though my marke were therabout where thou thy selfe dost hide Then will I say vnto my boy go hence tary not Séeke out with spéede gather vp the shafts that I haue shot And if I call and say to him they be on this side thée Then all is well be not afrayde to shew thy selfe to me But if I say they are beyonde why standest thou so still The Lord hath sent thée then away and saued thée from ill As touching this and all that we haue spoken of before Betwéene vs two the Lord shall be a witnesse euermore So Dauid hid him selfe abrode when Saul the feast began Where all the lords saue he alone were placed eury man. 〈◊〉 Saul did note full wel and marke yet nothing did he say But thought some one or other let did kéepe him then away But on the next day when he saw his place was voyde agayne Of Ionathas he did demaund the cause of his refrayne Where is the sonne of Isai What is the cause I say He doth absent him from the feast both now and yesterday Then Ionathas made his excuse and sayd that he was gone To Bethleem towne askt him leaue for that it stoode him on For all his kinred there did méete an offering to present Unto the Lord and therfore had his brother for him sent This is the cause that doth him let to come and kéepe his place Among the péeres that present be at table with your grace Then Saul fell out with Ionathas at boord before them all The sonne of his rebellious wife he did him name and call I know that thou and Dauid both are ioyned in one frame Which will be thy confusion and eke thy mothers shame For be thou sure so long as he doth liue vpon the earth The kingdome thou shalt not possesse whilst thou hast any breath Wherfore go séeke and fet him out where euer he be now By force or any other meane for sure his death I vow What hath he done quod Ionathas with eyther hand or breath Agaynst your royall Maiestie that you haue sworne his death That said he shooke his speare at him with discontented brayne Which was a signe to Ionathas that Dauid should be slayne Whose hart did bléede his friends estate and danger to coÌ„ceiue No meate could downe and therupon he rose tooke his leaue So on the morow which was now his iust appoynted day He made his walke into the field and place where Dauid lay And while he tried his shafts to shoot he bad his page make hast and runne marke
call vnto the Lord and thus he him besought O Lord the God of Israel thy seruant heares report That Saul with might and power intends to Keilah to resort The same for my sake to destroy good Lord I aske of thée Will they that dwell in Keilah to Saul deliuer me Will he come downe as it is sayd good Lord thy seruaunt tell He will quod he come downe and bring the hoast of Israel But will the men of Keilah deceiue both me and all Yea sayd the Lord they will of truth betray thée vnto Saul Then Dauid out of Keilah departed by and by And sought abrode to finde a place where he might safely ly At last within the wilds of Ziph he got a place and lay Where Saul for him did hunt about but yet he mist his pray As Dauid lay with fearefull heart within the wildernes Came Ionathas to comfort him in his great heauynes Feare not quod he in any thing nor trouble not thy minde My fathers hande assure thy selfe thy presence shall not finde Thou shalt be king of Israel and I next after thée The which my father knoweth well and oft hath tolde it me And so the band was once agayne renued on their partes Then ech of other tooke his leaue with heauy carefull hearts Now while that Dauid lay in Ziph the Ziphits tolde to Saul How that both he eke his men lay in the thicket all Graund mercies said the king my friends but this you must me graūt If all be true he lacks no shifts and therfore marke his haunt And search me out his lurking dens the wildernes about And him with well appoynted men I minde to ferrit out But Dauid béeing ware of this preuented all his foes And so vnto the wildernes of Maon forth he goes Where he had not bene very long or that he heard it sayde How Saul was comming after him or whom he was afrayde And gat him vp vnto the rocke to kéepe him out of sight The king pursuing him at hand with his great power might So much that they were almost met and of ech others seéene But that it so fell out by chaunce a mount was them betwéene Which Saul had almost compassed with armed men about That neither he nor yet his men could any way get out Thus taking thought how to escape his cruell enemie The Lord prepared present helpe in his extremitie Word came the king should home returne with al the spéede he could The Philistines were in his realme and made what spoyle they would Then Saul left of to persecute Dauid gat him thence To wildernes of Engadi a place of sure defence When Saul was come from folowing the Philistines agayne And was informed credibly where Dauid did remayne He tooke thrée thousand chosen men and went to Engadi To séeke out Dauid and his men which lay in rocke on hye But by the way it fortuned the king to steppe aside Into a caue to ease him selfe which was both large and wide Where in the inward parts therof lay Dauid and his bande Behold sayd they thine enemie is now within thy hande According as the Lord did say and promise long ago That he would giue him vnto thée thy will with him to do Then Dauid rose with stealing steps and got behinde the king And from his garment cut a lap and did none other thing This béeing done forthwith he felt a pricke of conscience As though agaynst his lord and king he had made some offence The Lorde quod he vnto his men defend me from this thing And graunt that I lay not my hande on Gods annoynted king As truely as the Lord doth liue till God his time hath sent I will not lay my hand on him nor yet thereto consent So stopped he away his men from doing hurt to Saul And would not suffer ought of them vpon the king to fall When Saul was gone out of the caue then Dauid did not slack But went and cryed after him whereat the king lookt back To whom with all obedience as subiects ought to do He stouped downe vnto the ground and spake him thus vnto My lord and king what credite hath the words of them that say How Dauid goeth about thy hurt in all that ere he may Behold this day thine eyes haue séene how that the Lord thée gaue Into my hands if that I would when thou wast in the caue Some bad me kill thée out of hande but yet I did refrayne And would not lay my hands on him who in the Lord did reigne Behold and sée within my hand a piece of thy coate lap I might as well haue killed thée when this to thée did hap Therfore thou mayst consider well no wickednes in me And that I neuer in my life committed fault to thée And yet thou huntest after me away my soule to take The Lord be iudge betwene vs both my venger him I make But God forbid agaynst my lord that I should once but thinke In subiects hearts such wickednes ought neuer for to sinke Then after whom art thou come out to hunt so cruelly A dogge that hath no life in him or eke a séely flye The Lord which is a righteous God be iudge plead my cause And kéepe me from all violence that I offende no lawes What voice quod Saul is this that so is come vnto mine eares I st thine my sonne and therwithall he poured forth his teares Thy goodnes farre surpasseth mine thou hast done good for ill And thou hast put my lot aside whom thou mights easily kill For who is he that of his foe that vauntage hath to slay And yet will suffer him vntoucht in peace to go his way Wherfore the Lord reward it thée and make thée recompence For that thou suffredst none at all to do me violence I know full well and do confesse the kingdome of this lande Shall after my decease be thine and come into thy hande And that I may make sure account of thy good will to mée Sweare that my name that my séede shall not be hurt by thée Then Dauid made a bond with him to kéepe it constantly And so departed to an holde from Saul his enemie And after that he went vnto the forrest of Pharan Where Nabal his abiding had a riche and welthy man Who had a thousand gotes by tale eke thrée thousande shéepe Which were defended all by him and those that did them kéepe For all the while those shepheards lay by Dauid thereabout They mist no goods nor had no harme by Dauid nor his route Wherfore he béeing in distresse and want of things to eate Did send to Nabal shearing shéepe for vittels to intreate Who then refused churlishly to helpe him at his néede And moued Dauids patience agaynst him to procéede Intending to destroy his house his cattell shéepe and all And for to leaue not one aliue to pisse agaynst the wall Had it not béene