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
that Nabals wife Abigael by name With wisdome and discretion had well appeasd the same In whom he blessed God that day that her to him had sent To kepe him from his owne reuenge from the thing he ment Which woman was of such a grace and of so pure a life That Dauid after Nabals death did take her to his wife And tooke an other of the stocke of Israel also For Saul vpon one Psaltiel his Michol did vestow When Dauid had bene after this among the Ziphits spid They went to Saul and made report where he and his were hid And thervpon he tooke to him thrée thousand of his men And went vnto the wildernes to séeke for Dauid then And pitched vp his tents vpon the hill of Achila Which lieth ouer Iesimon hard by the common way Then Dauid sent about his spies to know the certayntie If that the king were come or no with such a companie The thing now being vnto him affirmed to be true He made him selfe a priuy spye and went the hoast to viewe Beholding well his Lord and king and Abner how they lay With all the people round about so gat him soone away And asked both Abimelech and eke Abisai Who would into the hoast of Saul go with him priuily Abisai offred him selfe and preased forth in sight So went they forth as secretly as they could go by night Into the hoast when they had put them selues in hazarde déepe Behold the king with all the rest lay hard and fast asléepe Then sayd to him Abisai God hath deliuerd now Thine enemie into thy hands in forme as thou séest how Giue leaue therefore that I may giue but one stroke with my speare And he shall neuer after this put thée in any feare No God forbid sayd Dauid then for who can more or lesse Lay hand vpon the Lords anoynt and be therein giltlesse As truely as the Lord doth liue the Lord shall doo his will In battell or by other meanes before I doo him kill The Lord me kéepe both now and ay my hand I neuer moue Against the Lords annoynted king whom I am bound to loue Then Dauid fayre and softly went till he came vnto Saul And tooke his speare and water cruse and went away withall No man then saw ne marked it ne tooke thereof no kéepe For God had cast vpon them all a dead and heauy sléepe Then Dauid gat him to an hill where he aloude did call Unto the people in the hoast and Abner most of all O Abner Abner hearst thou not howe I do call to thée Whos 's that quod he that so doth cry vnto the king and me O Abner art not thou a man most chiefe in gouerning Why hast thou then no better kept this night thy lorde king For one there was that entred in this night thy lorde to slay Whose enterprise by weapon strong thou didst not séeke to stay In this ye haue offended all and worthy are to dye In that ye haue not kept your Lorde with more securitie Beholde sée your masters speare which at his head did stande And eke the cruse of water both they are now in my hande My son quod Saul is this thy voyce that cōmeth to mine eare It is thy seruauntes voyce said he that liueth in great feare Why doth my lorde thus persecute his seruaunt so at large In whom there can no fault be found him iustly for to charge If that the Lorde hath stirred thée to worke me all this smart Then let him smell a sacrifice out of a patient hart But if from wicked men do come the cause of this discorde Then they and their deuises be accurst before the Lorde For they haue wronged me and séeke to dispossesse in fine Of that which in my Lorde my God is due to me and mine Séeke not therfore to suck my blood thou séekest but a flye As he that séekes the séely birde to murder cruelly Then Saul confessed his offence and wrong that he had done Desiring Dauid to returne and called him his sonne And said he would him hurt no more nor vse extremities Because his life that night had bene so pretious in his eyes And that with griefe he felt remorse of folly did him touch And played the foole and in his wayes had erred very much But Dauid knowing Saul to haue his promise broke before Would not returne his sugred words to credite any more But bad the king behold his speare which he helde vp full trim And wild him send and it should be deliuered vnto him The Lord my God reward ech man and eury man preserue As his vpright and honest déedes and fayth shall best deserue For though the Lord deliuered thée into my hands this day Yet on the Lords annoynted king my hand I would not lay As I haue alwayes pitied thée and neuer bene thy foe Euen so the Lord be mercifull to me in all my woe Then he departing to him selfe complayned inwardly And said no doubt the day will come that he will murther me And I no better way can finde this mischiefe to withstande Then flye vnto the Philistines for succour in their lande So he from Ziph to Geth that time his iourney did addresse To make his suite to Achis king for helpe in this distresse Where Dauid with his company and his two comely wiues Did place thē selues minded there to passe spend their liues But yet misliking to remayne in Geth that Citie great Some countrey place for to possesse he did the king intreate At whose request he gaue to him the towne of Zikleg then Whereto he went and dwelled there both he and all his men Which towne had euermore the name and counted to perteine Unto the kings that wonted were in Iuda for to reigne He and his men had there remaynd not fully halfe a yere When he played rex and ouerranne the countrey eury where The Gersurites Amalekites the Gersites did he driue Out of the lande and slue the rest not leauing one aliue And kept them so they could not passe to Geth no maner way To tell the king how that he did them vse from day to day And often béeing lade with spoyles to Geth he would thē bring And make presentmēt of the same in presence of the king Who musing much frō whence such store of spoyles prayes he brought Would aske what country he had roud for the same had sought Among the Iewes and such quod he as Southwardly are set I haue bestowd my selfe the spoyles and booties for to get Thus making Achiz to beléeue he hated Israel Became his man and was retaynd with him for aye to dwell It so befell the Philistines to battell did addresse Them selues against the Israelites and sought them to oppresse Then Achis vnto Dauid sayd thou shalt go forth with me Unto the battell thou and all the men that are with thée If thou sayd he vnto the king be pleased I shall go
two wiues the one a Iezralite The other Nabals wife that was the welthy Carmalite He tooke the men also with him that of his troubles felt Who with their housholds al within the towne of Hebron dwelt Then came the men of Iuda forth to him with one accorde And did annoynt him for to be their king and soueraigne lorde And told him of the faithfulnes of Iabes done of late In burying Saul as did become a prince of high estate Then Dauid sent Ambassadours the Iabites to commende For their great loue and kindnes shewd to Saul at his last ende The Lord quod he do blesse you all with mercy for your fact And I will do the like to you for this your godly act Therfore now let your hands be strong turne your hearts to me For Saul is dead Iuda hath me chose their king to be So Iuda onely claue to him the rest of Israel To Isboseth the sonne of Saul they stacke to him aswell Now Dauid Ioab did appoynt his generall to bée And Isboseth did Abner choose his men to ouersée The wars betwéene these houses two increased more more But Dauid had the stronger hande the other weakned sore For Abner went from Isboseth vpon displeasure take And with king Dauid secretly a faythfull bande did make And Michol he brought home agayne the kings beloued wife Whom Psaltiel did neuer touche by way of spotted life But or he could the rest all bring about effectually He was by Ioab murdered and that most Iudasly Which sore agréeued Dauids heart as one that giltles was Of Ioabs shamefull wicked act which he had brought to passe Wherfore to Ioab then he wisht that for his small regard Both blood and plagues on him his might fal for his rewarde And that he should go with the rest bring the coarse to graue In sackcloth in mourning wede he straite cōmandemēt gaue Him selfe all full of heauynes with sad and heauy chéere Came after Abner as he went euen next vnto the béere And as they layd him in the graue according in Hebron The king and people all they wept to sée the earth put on But Dauid mourned most of all since treason did him kill And knowing that by natures course he might haue liued still Now when the people came to feast as they were wont to do At burials the king to eate they could not bring vnto By that they knew that Abners death the king had neuer ment But Ioabs grudge did worke it out without the kings consent It so befell that Baana and Rechab sought the way How they their lord king Isboseth might craftely betray The meane was this they faynd thē selues gret marchants for to bée Came to the pallace of the king his corne grayne to sée Where they by chaunce found him a sléepe slue him as he lay Upon his bed brought from thence his head with them away To Hebron where king Dauid was and sayd beholde and sée Here is the head of Isboseth thy mortall enemie For through the might that god hath giuen in working of this déede Thou art auenged both of Saul also of his séede Then Dauid sayd vnto the men that brought to him the head As truely as the Lorde doth liue ye are as good as dead As you do now so one did once Sauls death to me report And made account such newes as those should please me in like sort And looked for some great reward for the good newes he brought But al the matter went awry agaynst his meane and thought For he was slayne and put to death for his most wicked prank And so he lost both life and all his labour and his thanke So shall the wickednes of you which haue the righteous slayne Upon his bed be recompencd with blood for blood agayne Then hauing féete and hands cut off for eury man to sée Were hanged ouer Hebrons poole as other felons be As for the head of Isboseth the kings good pleasure wilde It should in Hebron be entombd with Abner that was kilde Then came the Tribes of Israel to Dauid flockingly As to their king and soueraigne lord with him to liue and dye So béeing now the lorde and king of all the Israelites He gat him to Ierusalem and to the Iebusites Who bragging much vpon their hold of Sion where they dwelt By force of armes he wanne the same as many of them felt The Philistines now hearing tell of Dauids power and might Came to the vale of Raphaim agaynst him for to fight Who then demaunded of the Lorde to know his will therein And whether that the Philistins or he should honour win Go vp sayd God and linger not while they be in thy lande For I assuredly will giue them all into thy hande So Dauid went him forth and came to Baal Perazim Where that he smote the Philistines as God had said to him Then gan he say O Lorde my God thou hast mine enemies all Deuided them as waters do deuide them when they fall The Philistines for hast do leaue their Idols all behinde And Dauid and his men do burne as many as they finde Yet once agayne the Philistines came forth to fight with him And brought their armie whole into the vale of Raphaim Now compasse thē behinde said God watch thē well when They come against the Mulbery trées the onset giue you then So Dauid then obeying God a conquest did obteine From Geba vnto Gazer towne the Philistines were slayne Soone after this the king prepard to fet the Arke of God With thirty thousand chosen men of Israel and od And so out of Ierusalem he went his men with him To set and bring away the Arke from Kiriath Iarim And that he set with carefull héede vpon a Charret new And from Abinadab his house he decently it drew Two of his sonnes draue forth the same Vza and Ahio The one before thother behinde the Chariot did go The king and all the Israelites made melody and played Triumphantly before the Lorde as they the Arke conuayed But when the king did sée the hande of God on Vza light And strike him dead because he toucht the Arke that wēt not right He was aferd and durst not séeme to driue it as before But left it Edom for to kéepe till he had learned more Where it remaynd about thrée months wherby both him his The Lord of hoasts with great increase abundantly did blis Then was it tolde to Dauid how the Lord had Edom blest And all his house since that the Arke of God had bene his gest Then Dauid went and brought the Arke of God frō him away With all the triumph and the ioy that could be had that day For as the Leuites bare the Arke and had sixe paces gone An Oxe and eke a fatted beast was offred vp alone And Dauid daunst before the Arke as it was driuen there And had a linnen Ephod
on vpon his other gere So all the house of Israel brought forth the Arke with shoute And trompet blowing as they went the noyse rang all about But when as Michol Dauids wife saw him so daunce spring She grew in great disdayne therat and did mislike the thing Yet notwithstanding when the Arke was setled in his place He made his offrings to the Lord of mercy peace and grace Which béeing done and finished the people he did blesse And to them all of banquet meate dealt something more or lesse Then he dismissing all the folke assembled in that place Returned home vnto his house to blesse it in like case Wher Michol méeting him could not forbeare but thus did say Good God how glorious was the king of Israel this day Which séemed in thy maidens eyes vncouered like a sot Wherby of them and other mo great hatred thou hast got It was before the Lord quod he that I did daunce and sing Who ouerthrew thy father Saul and chose me to be king And made me ruler ouer all the people Israel Reiecting Saul and all his house as thou thy selfe canst tell And yet if my humilitie be grieuous in thy sight I will be méeke in mine owne eyes before the Lord of might And of the mayden seruauntes here which thou hast spoken of I shall be had in honour great when they at thée shall skoffe When God had setled Dauids raigne and him his had blest And with all Princes rounde about had giuen him peace rest Gods glory to aduaunce he sought and bended all his heart And to the Prophet Nathan then his minde he did impart Behold quod he how that my house is buylt with Cedre trées And yet the Arke hath nothing els but curteins as thou sées The Prophet sayd do what thou hast determined to do For God which hath respect to thée will set his hande thereto Thus Nathan spake before he knew what Gods good pleasure was And did receiue a coūtermaund before the night did passe That wild him go vnto the king and do him vnderstand That Salomon should buyld Gods house he not ta kt in hand When Dauid béeing certified what God him selfe did say He sat him downe before the Arke and thus began to pray O Lord my God what great account of me and mine hast thou That to such Royall dignitie hast me exalted now And yet O Lord I know thou art of such a power and might That greater things to bring to passe is nothing in thy sight Thou spakest of thy seruaunts house a great long while ago Which vnto men doth not perteine but vnto thée I know To kéepe thy word promise sure and make it to be knowne Not for thy seruaunt Dauids sake O Lord but for thine owne Thou art O Lord the onely God that euermore hast bene None comparable to thy selfe was euer heard or séene And what one people in the earth or nation who can tell Is better and beloued more of thée then Israel Thou wentest and redéemedst them out of captiuitie That they might magnisie thy name and make it great to bée With mightie signes tokens out of Egypt thou hast brought Thy people from the nations and from their Gods of nought Thou hast elect and chosen them to be thy people ay Aud art become their onely God to serue thée and obay And now O Lord the word thou hast of me thy seruant spoke And of his house make thou it good let not the same be broke So shall thy name be magnified and eury man shall say The Lord of hoastes he is the God of Israel for ay For thou Lord God of Israel hast thus reueald to me And said I will now buyld thy house and make it sure to be And therfore hath thy seruaunt found now in his heart to pray this simple prayer vnto thée to be my helpe alway Let all thy words therefore be true that thou thy seruaunt told And kéepe thy promise vnto him which thou hast made of old And let it please thée for to blesse thy seruants house with grace That it for euer may abide and stande before thy face For thou my God hast spoken it let it be done therfore That thou thy seruaunt Dauids house do blesse for euermore Now after this the Philistines he vanquished by strength And thereby rid all Israel from bondage at the length He smote also the Moabites and meate them with a line And cast them flat vpon the ground and made the rest incline And being thus subdued to him to him they tribute payed In token that they were his men his Maiestie to ayde He fought with Hadarezers hoast and made a number fall As well of horsemen as on foote beside his Charrets all The Syrians which ayded him and came his parte to take Of two and twenty thousande men a slaughter did he make Thus Dauid by the might of God did conquer all the lande So mercifull was God to him in all he tooke in hande Now after these great victories the king of Hamath sent His sonne to Dauid with great gifts therwith him to present For that he had Hadarezer his enemie subdued Who oftentimes with him and his had open warre renued As for the spoyles that he did get of siluer golde or brasse He gaue it to the house of God what euer thing it was Thus Dauid hauing got a name through honor he had wonne Sat in his seate and iudged right to eury mothers sonne And calling now to memory the bond that he did make With Ionathas the sonne of Saul thus openly he spake Doth any yet remayne quod he of all the house of Saul That I for Ionathas his sake may him to honour call One Ziba then his seruaunt old was brought vnto the king That he by talke might sée what he could say to eury thing Of whom the king demaunded then if Ziba were his name Yea sir quod he thy seruant is the selfe and very same Is there quod he yet any left of Saul his line or blood To whom I may shew mercy too or do him any good Yea Ionathas quod he hath yet a sonne aliue I know But he is lame vpon his féete so that he can not go And where is he quod Dauid then hide not if thou canst tell He is quod he in Machirs house the sonne of Amiel Now then whē that Miphiboseth was brought to Dauids sight He fell to ground and so did make such reuerence as he might Then Dauid said Miphiboseth be not afrayde of me For I will for thy fathers sake be mercifull to thée Thou shalt enioy thy fathers lands that did to Saul perteine And at my boord thy foode to eate I will thée enterteine Miphiboseth fell downe and said what is thy seruaunt Lorde That thou wilt looke on such a dogge and set him at thy borde Then Dauid said to Ziba thus the lands and rents of Saul Unto thy
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
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.