# verses

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But Selaphead the sonne of Hepher, the sonne of Giliad, ye sonne of Machir, the sonne of Manasses, had no sonnes: but daughters, whose names are these, Mahaia, Noa, Hagla, Melcha, and Thirsa.


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Which came before Eleasar the priest, and before Iosuah the sonne of Nun, & before the Lordes, saying: The Lord commaunded Moyses to geue vs an enheritaunce among our brethren.


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And therfore according to the commaundement of the Lorde, he gaue them an enheritaunce among the brethren of their father. And there fel ten portions to Manasses, beside the lande of Gilead and Basan, whiche were on the other side Iordane.


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Because the daughters of Manasses dyd enherite among his sonnes: And Manasses other sonnes had the lande of Gilead.


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And the coaste of Manasses was from Aser to Machmathath that lieth before Sichem, and went along on the right hande, euen vnto the inhabitantes of Entaphuah,


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And the lande of Thaphuah belonged to Manasses: which Thaphuah is beside the border of Manasses, beside the border of the children of Ephraim.


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And the coaste descended vnto the riuer Canah southwarde, euen to the riuer: These cities of Ephraim, are among ye cities of Manasses. The coaste of Manasses went also on the northside to the riuer, and the endes of it go out at the sea:


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So that ye south partained to Ephraim, & the north to Manasses, & the sea is his border: And they met together in Aser northwarde, & in Isachar eastwarde.


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And Manasses had in Isachar and in Aser, Bethsean & her townes, Iiblean and her townes, and the inhabitours of Dor, with the townes pertaining to the same, and the inhabitours of Endor with the townes of the same, and the inhabitours of Thaanach with her townes, and the inhabitours of Magedo with the townes of the same, euen three countreys.


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Yet the children of Manasses coulde not ouercome those cities: but the Chanaanites presumed to dwell in the same lande.


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Neuerthelesse, assoone as the children of Israel were waxed strong, they put the Chanaanites vnder tribute, but expelled them not.


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And the children of Ioseph spake vnto Iosuah, saying: Why hast thou geue me but one lotte and one portion to inherite, seyng I am a great people, and forasmuche as the Lorde hath blessed me hytherto?


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And Iosuah auswered them: If thou be much people, then get thee vp to the wood [countrey] and prepare for thy selfe there in the lande of the Pherezites and of the Giauntes, yf mount Ephraim be to narowe for thee.


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And the children of Ioseph sayd, The hill is not ynough for vs: And all ye Chanaanites that dwel in the lowe countrey haue charettes of iron, and so haue they that inhabite Bethlean & the townes of the same, and they also that dwell in the valley of Iezreel.


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And Iasuah sayde vnto the house of Ioseph, Ephraim, & Manasses: Ye be much people, and haue great power, and shall not therfore haue one lotte.


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Therfore the hyll shalbe yours, and ye shall cut downe the wood that is in it: and the endes of it shalbe yours, yf ye cast out the Chananaites which haue iron charettes, and are very strong.


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And the whole congregation of the children of Israel came together at Silo, and set vp the tabernacle of the congregation there, after the land was in subiection before them.


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And there remained among the children of Israel seuen tribes, which had not yet receaued their enheritaunce.


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And Iosuah sayde vnto the children of Israel: Howe long are ye so slacke to come and possesse the lande whiche the Lord God of your fathers hath geuen you?


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Geue out from among you for euery tribe three men, that I may sende them: and that they may ryse, and walke through the lande, and distribute it accordyng to the inheritaunce therof, & come againe to me.


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And let them deuide it vnto them into seuen partes: And (Iuda shall abide in their coast on the south, and the house of Ioseph shall stande in their coastes on the north.)


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Describe ye the lande therfore into seuen partes, and bryng the description hyther to me: and I shall cast lottes for you here before the Lord our God.


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But the Leuites haue no part among you, for the priesthood of the Lorde is their inheritaunce: And Gad, and Ruben, and halfe the tribe of Manasses, haue receaued their inheritaunce beyond Iordan eastward, which Moyses the seruaunt of the Lord gaue them.


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And the men arose, and went their waye: And Iosuah charged them that went to describe the lande, saying: Depart, and go through the lande, and describe it, and come againe to me, that I may here cast lottes for you before the Lorde in Silo.


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And the men departed, and walked through the lande, and described it by cities into seuen partes in a booke, and returned to Iosuah into ye hoast at Silo.


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And Iosuah cast lottes for them in Silo before the Lorde: & there Iosuah diuided the lande vnto the children of Israel, to eche their portion.


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And the lot of the tribe of the children of Beniamin came vp according to their kinredes: And the coast of their lot came betweene the children of Iuda, and the children of Ioseph.


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And their north coast was from Iordane, & went vp to the side of Iericho on the north side, and went vp through the mountaines westwarde, and they ended at the wildernesse of Bethauen.


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And went from thence toward Luz, euen to the south side of Luz (the same is Bethel) & descended againe to Ataroth Adar, vnto the hyll that lyeth on the south side of ye neather Bethhoron.


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And the coast turneth thence, & compasseth the corner of the sea southward, euen from the hyll that lyeth before Bethhoron southward, and goeth out at Kiriathbaal (which is Kiriath Iarim) a citie of the childre of Iuda: This is the west quarter.


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And the south coast goeth from the ende of Kiriathiarim, and goeth out westwarde, and thence it turneth to the well of waters of Nephthoah,


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And commeth downe againe to the end of the hyll that lyeth before the valley of the sonne of Hennom, euen in the valley of the giauntes northwarde, and descendeth into the valley of Hennom beside Iebusi southward, & goeth downe to the well of Rogel,


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And compasseth from the north, and goeth foorth to En shemesh, and departeth from thence to the places of Geliloth, whiche are towarde the going vp vnto Adommim: and goeth downe to the stone of Bohan the sonne of Ruben.


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And goeth along to the syde of Bethhagla northwarde, and endureth the poynt of the salt sea north therefrom, [euen] at the south ende of Iordane: This is the south coast.


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And Iordane kepeth in this coast on the east syde: And this is the inheritaunce of the chyldren of Beniamin by their coastes rounde about, throughout their kinredes.


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These were the cities of the tribes of the chyldren of Beniamin throughout their kinredes: Iericho, Bethhagla, and the plaine of Casis.


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Sela, Eleph, and Iebusi (which is Hierusalem) Gibath, and Ciriath, fourteene cities with their villages. This is the inheritaunce of the chyldren of Beniamin throughout their kinredes.


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And the secod lot came out to Simeon, euen for the tribe of the children of Simeon by their kinreds: And their inheritauce was in the middes of the inheritaunce of the children of Iuda.


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And therto all the villages that were rounde about these cities, euen to Balasah Beer, and Ramath southward. This is the inheritaunce of the tribe of the children of Simeon throughout their kinredes.


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Out of the lot of the children of Iuda, came the inheritaunce of the children of Simeon: For the part of the children of Iuda was to much for them, and therfore the children of Simeon had their inheritaunce in the inheritaunce of them.


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And the third lot arose for the childre of Zabulon throughout their kynreds: And the coastes of their inheritaunce came to Sarid.


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And went vp westward euen to Maralah, and reached to Dabbaseth, & came thence to the riuer that lyeth before Iokneam.


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And turned from Sarid eastward toward the sunne risyng vnto the border of Chisloth Thabor, & then goeth out to Dabereth, and goeth vp to Iaphia.


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And from thence goeth along eastward to Gethah Hepher, to Itthah Kazin, and goeth to Remmon, and turneth to Neah:


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This is the inheritaunce of the children of Zabulon throughout their kynredes, and these are the cities with their villages.


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And his coast reacheth to Thabor, & Sahazimah, and Bethsames: and endeth at Iordane, syxteene cities with their villages.


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This is the inheritaunce of the tribe of the children of Isachar by their kinreds: and these are the cities with their villages.


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And turneth toward the sunne rising to Bethdagon, and commeth to Zabulon, and to the valley of Iephthahel, towarde the north side of Bethemek & Neiel, and goeth out on the lefte side of Cabul,


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And then the coast turneth to Ramah & to the strong citie of Zor, and turneth to Hozah, & endeth at the sea, by the possession of Achzibah,


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This is the inheritaunce of the children of Aser by their kinreds: these are the cities with their villages.


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And the syxth lot came out to the children of Nephthali [euen] to the childre of Nephthali by their kinredes.


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And their coast was from Heleph, and from Elon to Zacnanim, Adami Nekeb, and Iabneel, euen to Lakum, and doth go out at Iordane.


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And then the coast turneth westward to Asanoth Thabor, & then goeth out from thence to Hukokah, and reacheth to Zabulon on the south side, and goeth to Aser on the west side, and to Iuda vpon Iordane toward the sunne risyng.


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This is the inheritaunce of the tribe of the children of Nephthali by their kynredes: these also are the cities and their villages.


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And the coastes of the childre of Dan went out from them: And the children of Dan went vp to fyght against Lesem, and toke it, and smote it with ye edge of the sworde, & conquered it, and dwelt therin, and called it Dan, after the name of Dan their father.


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This is the inheritaunce of the tribe of the childre of Dan in theyr kinredes: these also are the cities, with their villages.


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When they had made an ende of deuiding the lande by her coastes, the children of Israel gaue an inheritaunce to Iosuah the sonne of Nun among the:


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According to the worde of the Lorde they gaue hym the citie whiche he asked, euen Thimnath Serah in mount Ephraim: and he buylt the citie, & dwelt therin.


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These are the inheritaunces whiche Eleazar the priest, & Iosuah the sonne of Nun, and the auncient fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel deuided by lot in Silo before the Lorde at the doore of the tabernacle of the congregation: and so they made an ende of deuidyng the countrey.


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Speake to the children of Israel, and saye: Appoint out fro amog you cities of refuge, wherof I spake vnto you by the hande of Moyses:


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That the slear that kylleth any person vnwares and vnwyttyngly, may flee thyther: And those cities shall be your refuge from the auenger of blood.


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And he that doth flee vnto one of those cities, shall stande at the entryng of the gate of the citie, & shall shewe his cause in the eares of the elders of the citie: And they shall take him into the citie vnto them, and geue hym a place, that he may dwell among them.


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And if the auenger of blood folow after him, they shall not deliuer the slear into his hand: because he smote his friend ignorauntly, and hated him not before tyme.


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And he shall dwell in the sayd citie vntyl he stande before the congregation in iudgement, or vntyll the death of the hye priest that shall be in those dayes: for then shall the slear returne, and come vnto his owne citie, and vnto his owne house, and vnto the citie from whence he fled.


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And they sanctified Kedes in Galilee in mount Nephthali, & Siche in mount Ephraim, and Kiriatharba (which is Hebron) in the mountayne of Iuda.


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And on the other syde Iordane ouer against Iericho eastward, they appoynted Bezer in the wildernesse vpon the playne, out of the tribe of Ruben, and Ramoth in Gilead out of the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Basan out of the tribe of Manasses.


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These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, & for the straunger that soiourned among them, that whosoeuer kylled any person ignorautly, the same might flee thyther, & should not dye by the hand of the auenger of blood, vntil he stoode before the congregation.


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And then came the principall fathers of ye Leuites vnto Eleazar the priest, and vnto Iosuah the sonne of Nun, & vnto the auncient fathers that were ouer ye tribes of the children of Israel.


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And spake vnto the at Silo in the lande of Chanaan, saying: The Lorde commaunded by Moyses to geue vs cities to dwell in, with the suburbes thereof for our catell.


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And the children of Israel gaue vnto the Leuites, out of their inheritaunce at the biddyng of the Lorde, these cities folowing with their suburbes.


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And the lot came out for the kynred of the Caathites: the children of Aaron the priest, which were of the Leuites, had geuen them by lot out of the tribe of Iuda, out of the tribe of Simeon, and out of the tribe of Beniamin, thirteene cities.


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And the rest of the children of Caath had by lot, out of the kynredes of the tribe of Ephraim, out of ye tribe of Dan, and out of the halfe tribe of Manasses, ten cities.


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And the children of Gerson had by lot out of the kynredes of the tribe of Isachar, and out of the tribe of Aser, & out of the tribe of Nephthali, and out of the other halfe tribe of Manasses in Basan, thirteene cities.


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And the childre of Merari by their kinredes, had out of the tribe of Ruben, & out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zabulon, twelue cities.


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And the children of Israel gaue by lot vnto the Leuites these cities with their suburbes, as the Lord commaunded by the hand of Moyses.


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And they gaue out of the tribe of the children of Iuda, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, these cities by name.


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Which the children of Aaron being of the kynredes of the Caathites, and of the childre of Leui, obtained: (for theirs was the first lotte.)


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And they gaue them Kiriath Arba of the father of Enac (which is Hebron) in the hyll countrey of Iuda, with the suburbes of the same rounde about it.


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But the lande that pertayned to the citie and the villages therof, gaue they to Caleb the sonne of Iephune, to be his possession.


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And thus they gaue to the childre of Aaron the priest, a citie to the which the slayer myght flee, euen Hebron with her suburbes, and Libna with her suburbes,


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Ain with her suburbes, Iuttah with her suburbes, Bethsames with her suburbes: nine cities out of those two tribes.


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And the kynredes of the children of Caath that were Leuites, that is to say, the other children of Caath, had cities geuen them for their lot out of the tribe of Ephraim.


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For they gaue them the citie that the slear might flee vnto, Sichem with her suburbes in mount Ephraim, and Gazer with her suburbes.


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And out of the halfe tribe of Manasses, Thanach with her suburbes, & Gathremon with her suburbes, two cities.


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And vnto the childre of Gerson, which were of the kynredes of the Leuites, they gaue out of the other halfe tribe of Manasses, the citie of refuge for ye slear, Golan in Basan with her suburbes, & Beestherah with her suburbes, two cities.


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And out of the tribe of Nephthali the citie for the slear to flee vnto, Kedes in Galilee with her suburbes, Hamothdor with her suburbes, and Carthan with her suburbes, three cities.


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All the cities of ye Gersonites throughout their kynredes, were thirteene cities with their suburbes,


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And vnto the other kynredes of the children of Merari, the rest of the Leuites, they gaue out of the tribe of Zabulon, Iecnam with her suburbes, and Cartha with her suburbes.


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And out of the tribe of Gad, they gaue the citie for the slear to flee vnto, Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbes, and Mahanaim with her suburbes,


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So that all the cities of the children of Merari throughout their kinredes which were the rest of the kynredes of the Leuites, were by their lot twelue cities.


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And all the cities that the Leuites had, among the possession of the children of Israel, were 48 with their suburbes.


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And these cities lay euery one seuerally, hauing their suburbes rounde about them throughout al the said cities.


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And the Lorde gaue vnto Israel all the lande which he sware to geue vnto their fathers: And they conquered it, & dwelt therin.


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And the Lord gaue them rest rounde about, according to all that he sware vnto their fathers: and there stoode not a man of all their enemies before them: The Lorde also deliuered all their enemies into their handes.


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There scaped nothing of al the good thinges which the Lord had sayd vnto ye house of Israel, but all came to passe.


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And sayd vnto them: Ye haue kept all that Moyses the seruaut of the Lord comaunded you, and haue obeyed my voyce in all that I comaunded you.


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Ye haue not lefte your brethren of a long season vnto this day, but haue kept the commaundement of the Lorde your God.


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And now that the Lorde hath geuen rest vnto your brethren as he promised them: therfore returne ye, and go vnto your tentes, and vnto the lande of your possession, which Moyses the seruaunt of the Lord gaue you on the other side Iordane.


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But in any wyse take diligent heede, to do ye commaundement & lawe which Moyses the seruaunt of the Lord charged you: that ye loue the Lorde your God, and walke in all his wayes, and kepe his commaundements, and cleaue vnto him, and serue him with all your heartes, and all your soules.


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Unto the one halfe of the tribe of Manasses Moyses gaue possession in Basan: & vnto the other halfe thereof gaue Iosuah, among their brethren on this syde Iordane westwarde. And Iosuah sent them away also vnto their tentes, and blessed them,


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And sayde vnto them: Returne with much riches vnto your tentes, and with a great multitude of cattell, with syluer and golde, with brasse, and iron, and with much rayment, and deuide the spoyle of your enemies with your brethren.


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And the children of Ruben, the childre of Gad, & the halfe tribe of Manasses returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Silo, which is in the lande of Chanaan, to go vnto the countrey of Gilead, to the lande of their possession, which they had obtayned, according to the word of the Lorde by the hand of Moyses.


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And when they came vnto the borders of Iordane that are in the land of Chanaan, there the children of Ruben, the children of Gad, and the halfe tribe of Manasses buylt there an aulter by Iordane, & that a great aulter to see to.


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When the children of Israel hearde saye, beholde the children of Ruben, the children of Gad, and the halfe tribe of Manasses, haue buylt an aulter in ye forefront of the lande of Chanaan in the borders of Iordane, at the passage of the children of Israel:


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When the children of Israel hearde of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered them together at Silo, to make battell against them.


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And the children of Israel sent vnto the children of Ruben, and to the children of Gad, and to the halfe tribe of Manasses into the lade of Gilead, Phinehes the sonne of Eleazar the priest,


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And with him ten lordes, of euery cheefe house a lorde, throughout all the tribes of Israel, which were heades of their fathers housholdes among the thousandes of Israel.


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And they went vnto the children of Ruben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of the halfe tribe of Manasses, vnto the lande of Gilead, and they spake with them, saying:


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Thus say the whole congregation of the Lorde: what transgression is this, that ye haue transgressed agaynst the God of Israel, to turne away this day from the Lord, in that ye haue buylded you an aulter for to rebell this day against the Lord?


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Is the wicked deede of Peor to litle for vs, wherof we are not yet cleansed vnto this day, and there was a plague in the congregation of the Lorde?


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Ye also are turned away this day from the Lorde: And seyng ye rebell to daye against the Lorde, it wyll come to passe that to morowe he shalbe wroth with all the congregation of Israel.


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Notwithstandyng, yf ye thynke that the lande of your possession is vncleane, then come ouer vnto the lande of the possession of the Lorde, wherein the Lordes tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among vs: But rebell not against the Lorde, nor rebell against vs, to buylde you any other aulter, saue the aulter of the Lorde our God.


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Dyd not Achan the sonne of Zareth trespasse greeuouslie in the accursed thyng, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and this man alone perished not in his wickednes.


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Then the chyldren of Ruben, and the chyldren of Gad, and the halfe tribe of Manasses aunswered, and sayde vnto the heades ouer the thousandes of Israel:


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The Lorde God of gods, the Lorde God of gods knoweth, and also Israel shall knowe, yf it be to rebell or to transgresse against the Lorde, then thou Lorde saue vs not this day.


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Or els yf we haue buylt vs an aulter to turne from folowyng the Lorde, or to offer theron burnt offeryng or meate offeryng, or to offer peace offerynges theron, let ye Lord him selfe require it.


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And yf we haue not rather done it for feare of this thyng, saying, In tyme to come your chyldren myght say vnto ours: What haue you to do with the Lorde God of Israel?


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The Lorde hath made Iordane a border betweene vs and you ye children of Ruben and of Gad, ye haue no part therfore in the Lorde: and so shall your children make our children ceasse from fearyng the Lorde.


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But for a witnesse betweene vs and you, and our generations after vs, that we should serue the Lorde with our offerynges, sacrifices, & peace offerynges before him: & that your children shoulde not say to ours in tyme to come, Ye haue no part in the Lorde.


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Therfore sayde we, that yf they should so say to vs or to our generations in tyme to come: that we wolde say again, Behold the fassion of the aulter of the Lord which our fathers made, neither for burnt offringes nor sacrifices, but for a witnesse betweene vs and you.


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God forbyd that we should rebell agaynst the Lord, & turne this day from after hym, and buylde any other aulter for burnt offringes, oblations, or sacrifices, saue the aulter of the Lorde our God that is before his tabernacle.


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And when Phinehes the priest, and the lordes of the congregation, & heades ouer the thousandes of Israel which were with him, hearde these wordes that the children of Ruben, and the children of Gad, and the children of Manasses spake, they were well content.


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And Phinehes the sonne of Eleazar the priest sayd vnto the children of Ruben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasses: This day we perceaue that the Lord is among vs, because ye haue not done this trespasse agaynst the Lorde: Now ye haue rydde the children of Israel out of the hand of the Lorde.


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And Phinehes the sonne of Eleazar the priest, with the lordes, returned from the children of Ruben, and from the children of Gad, out of the lande of Gilead, vnto the lande of Chanaan, to the children of Israel, & brought them this worde agayne.


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And the saying pleased the children of Israel, and they blessed God, and dyd not entende to go agaynst the in battell, and to destroy the lande which the children of Ruben and Gad dwelt in.


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And the children of Ruben, and the children of Gad, called the aulter [Ed] for it shalbe a witnes betweene vs, that the Lorde is God.


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And it came to passe, along season after that the Lorde had geuen rest vnto Israel from al their enemies round about, that Iosuah waxed olde, and was stricken in age.


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And Iosuah called for all Israel, and for their elders, their heades, their iudges, and officers, and sayd vnto them: I am olde and stricken in age,


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And ye haue seene all that the Lorde your God hath done vnto all these nations before you, how the Lorde your God himself hath fought for you.


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Beholde, I haue deuided vnto you by lot these nations that remayne, to be an inheritaunce for your tribes, euen from Iordane, with all the nations that I haue destroyed, euen vnto the great sea westward.


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And the Lorde your God shall expel them before you, & cast them from out of your sight, and ye shall conquer their lande, as the Lord your God hath sayd vnto you.


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Go to therfore, and be of a good courage, that ye take heede and do all that is written in the booke of the lawe of Moyses, that ye bowe not aside therefrom to the right hande or to the left.


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Neither company with these nations that is with them that are left with you, neither make mention of the name of ther gods, nor cause to sweare by them, neither serue them, nor bowe your selues vnto them.


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So shall the Lord cast out before you great nations and mightie, as no man hath ben able to stande before you hytherto.


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One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the Lorde your God he fighteth for you, as he hath promised you.


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Els, if ye go backe and cleaue vnto the rest of these nations that remaine with you, & shall make mariages with them, and go in vnto them, and they to you:


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Be ye sure that the Lorde your God will no more cast out all these nations from before you: but they shalbe snares and trappes vnto you, and scourges in your sides, & thornes in your eyes, vntill ye perishe from of this good land whiche the Lorde your God hath geuen you.


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And behold, this day do I enter into the way of all the world, and ye knowe in al your heartes and in al your soules, that nothyng hath fayled of all the good thinges whiche the Lorde your God promised you, but all are come to passe vnto you, and nothing hath fayled therof.


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Therfore, as al good thinges are come vpon you, whiche the Lorde your God promised you: so shall the Lorde bring vpon you all euyll, vntill he haue destroyed you fro of this good land which the Lorde your God hath geuen you.


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When ye haue transgressed the appointmet of the Lord your God which he commaunded you, and haue gone & serued straunge goddes, & bowed your selues to them: then shall the wrath of the Lorde waxe whot vpon you, and ye shall perishe quicklie from of the good lande which he hath geuen you.


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And Iosuah gathered all ye tribes of Israel to Sichem, and called for the elders of Israel, & for their heades, iudges, and officers, & they presented them selues before God.


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And Iosuah sayde vnto al the people, Thus sayth the Lorde God of Israel: Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the fludde in olde time, euen Thare the father of Abraham and of Nachor, and serued straunge goddes.


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And I toke your father Abraham from the other side of the fludde, and brought him throughout all the lande of Chanaan, and multiplied his seede, and gaue him Isahac.


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And I gaue vnto Isahac, Iacob and Esau, and I gaue vnto Esau mount Seir, to possesse it: But Iacob and his children went downe into Egypt.


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I sent Moyses also and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, and when I had so done among them, I brought you out.


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And I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and as they came vnto the sea, the Egyptians folowed after your fathers with charettes and horsmen vnto the red sea.


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And when they cryed vnto the Lord, the Lord put darcknesse betweene you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea vpon them, & couered them, and your eyes haue seene what I haue done to the Egyptians: and ye dwelt in thee wildernesse along season.


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And I brought you into the lande of the Amorites, which dwelt on the other syde Iordane: And they fought with you, and I gaue them into your hande, that ye might conquer their countrey, and I destroied them from out of your sight.


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Then Balak the sonne of Ziphor king of Moab, arose & warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the sonne of Beor for to curse you:


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But I woulde not hearken vnto Balaam, & therfore he rather blessed you: and so I deliuered you out of his hand.


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And ye went ouer Iordane, and came vnto Iericho: and the men of Iericho fought against you, the Amorites, Pherezites, Chanaanites, Hethites, Gergesites, Heuites, and Iebusites, & I deliuered them into your hande.


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And I sent hornettes before you, whiche caste them out of your sight, euen the two kinges of the Amorites: but not with your owne sworde, or with your owne bowe.


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And I haue geuen you a lande in which ye dyd no labour, & cities which ye buylt not, & which ye dwell in: vineyardes also and olyue trees whiche ye planted not, and whereof ye do eate.


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Nowe therfore feare the Lorde, and serue him in perfectnesse and trueth, and put away the goddes whiche your fathers serued on the other side of ye fludde and in Egypt, and serue ye the Lorde.


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And yf it seeme euyll vnto you to serue the Lorde, then chose you this day who you wil serue, whether ye goddes which your fathers serued (that were on the other side of the fludde) either ye goddes of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwel: As for me and my house, we wil serue the Lorde.


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The people aunswered and sayd: God forbyd, that we should forsake the Lord, and serue straunge goddes.


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For the Lorde our God, he it is that brought vs & our fathers out of the land of Egypt, & from the house of bondage, and whiche did those great miracles in our sight, and preserued vs in al the way that we went, and among al the people which we came thorowe.


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And the Lord did cast out before vs all the people, euen the Amorites whiche dwelt in the lande: And therfore wil we also serue the Lord, for he is our God.


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And Iosuah sayde vnto the people, Ye can not serue the Lord: for he is an holy God, and a ielous God, and cannot beare your iniquite and sinne.


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Yf ye forsake the Lorde and serue straunge goddes, he will turne and do you euill, and consume you, after that he hath done you good.


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And Iosuah sayde vnto the people: Ye are witnesses against your selues, that ye haue chosen you the Lorde to serue him. And they sayde: we are witnesses.


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Then put away [sayde he] the strauge goddes whiche are among you, & bowe your heartes vnto the Lorde God of Israel.


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And so Iosuah made a couenaut with the people the same day, and set an ordinaunce & lawe before them in Sichem.


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And Iosuah wrote these wordes in the booke of the lawe of God: and toke a great stone, and pitched it on ende in the sayde place, euen vnder an oke that was in the sanctuarie of the Lorde.


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And Iosuah sayde vnto al the people: Behold, this stone shalbe a witnesse vnto vs, for it hath hearde al the wordes of the Lorde whiche he spake with vs, it shalbe therfore a witnesse vnto you, lest ye denie your God.


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And after these thinges it came to passe, that Iosuah the sonne of Nun, the seruaunt of the Lorde died, being an hundreth and ten yeres old.


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And they buryed him in the countrey of his inheritaunce, euen in Thamnath Serah, whiche is in mount Ephraim, on the northside of the hill of Gaas.


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And Israel serued the Lorde all the dayes of Iosuah, and all the dayes of the elders that ouer lyued Iosuah, and whiche had knowne all the workes of the Lorde that he had done for Israel.


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And the bones of Ioseph whiche the childre of Israel brought out of Egypt, buried they in Sichem, in a parcell of ground whiche Iacob bought of the sonnes of Hemor the father of Sichem for an hundreth peeces of siluer, and it became the inheritaunce of the children of Ioseph.


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And Eleazar the sonne of Aaron died, whom they buried in a hill that pertayned to Phinehes his sonne, which [hill] was geuen him in mount Ephraim.


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After the death of Iosuah, it came to passe, that the childre of Israel asked the Lord, saying: who shall go vp for vs against the Chanaanites, to fight fyrste against them?


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And Iuda sayde vnto Simeon his brother: Come vp with me in my lot, that we may fight against the Chanaanites, and I likewyse will go with thee into thy lot. And so Simeon went with him.


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And Iuda went vp, and the Lord deliuered the Chanaanites and Pherezites into their handes: And they slue of them in Bezek ten thousande men.


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And they found Adonibezek in Bezek: And they fought against him, and slue the Chanaanites and Pherezites.


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But Adonibezek fled, and they folowed after hym, caught hym, and cut of his thombes and his great toes.


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And Adonibezek sayde, Three score and ten kinges hauing their thombes & great toes cut of, gathered their meate vnder my table: As I haue done, so God hath done to me agayne. And they brought him to Hierusalem, and there he died.


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(The childre of Iuda had fought against Hierusalem, and had taken it, and smitten it with the edge of the sword, & set the citie on fire.)


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Afterward the children of Iuda went downe to fight against the Chanaanites that dwelt in the mountayne & towarde the south, & in the lowe countrey.


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And Iuda went against the Chanaanites that dwelt in Hebron, whiche before time was called Kiriath Arba, & slue Sesai, Ahiman, and Thalmai.


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And from thence they went to the inhabitauntes of Dabir, whose name in olde time was called Kiriachsepher.


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And Caleb sayd: He that smiteth Kiriathsepher, and taketh it, to him will I geue Achsah my daughter to wyfe.


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And Othoniel the sonne of Kenez Calebs younger brother toke it: to whom he gaue Achsah his daughter to wyfe.


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When she came to him, she counsayled him to aske of her father a fielde: And then she lighted of her asse, and Caleb sayde vnto her, What wilt thou?


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She aunswered vnto him, Geue me a blessing: for thou hast geuen me a southward land, geue me also springes of water. And Caleb gaue her springes, both aboue and beneath.


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And the childre of the Kenite Moyses father in lawe, went vp out of the citie of paulme trees with the children of Iuda, into the wildernesse of Iuda, that lieth in the south of Arad, and they went and dwelt among the people.


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And Iuda went with Simeon his brother, and they slue the Chanaanites that inhabited Zephath, and vtterly destroyed it, and called the name of the citie Horma.


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And also Iuda toke Azzah with the coastes therof, & Askalon with ye coastes therof, and Akaron with the coastes therof.


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And the Lorde was with Iuda, and he conquered the mountaines: but could not dryue out the inhabitauntes of the valleyes, because they had charettes of iron.


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And the children of Beniamin did not cast out the Iebusites that inhabited Hierusalem: but the Iebusites dwell with the children of Beniamin in Hierusalem vnto this day.


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And in like maner they that were of the house of Ioseph went vp to Bethel, and the Lorde was with them.


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And the spyes sawe a man come out of the citie, & they sayd vnto him: Shewe vs we pray thee the way into the citie, and we will shewe thee mercy.


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And when he had shewed them the way into the citie, they smote it with the edge of the sworde: but let the man and all his housholde go free.


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And the man went into the land of the Hethites, and buylt a citie, and called the name therof Luz: whiche is the name therof vnto this day.


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Neither did Manasses expell Bethsean with her townes, Thanach with her townes, the inhabitours of Dor with her townes, the inhabitours of Ieblaam with her townes, neither the inhabitours of Magiddo with her townes: but the Chanaanites were bolde to dwell in the lande.


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But it came to passe, that assoone as Israel was waxed mightie, they put the Chanaanites to tribute, and expelled them not wholly.


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In lyke maner Ephraim expelled not the Chanaanites that dwelt in Gazer: but the Chanaanites dwelt still in Gazer among them.


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Neither dyd Zabulon expell the inhabitours of Ketron, neither the inhabitours of Nahalol: but the Chanaanites dwelt among them, and became tributaries.


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Neither did Aser cast out the inhabitours of Acho, neither the inhabitours of Zidon, and of Ahalab, Aczib, & Helbah, Aphek, nor of Rohob:


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But the Aserites dwelt among the Chanaanites the inhabitours of the lande: for they dyd not dryue them out.


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Neither dyd Nephthalim dryue out the inhabitours of Bethsames, nor the inhabitours of Bethanath: but dwelt amongest the Chanaanites the inhabitours of the lande. Neuerthelesse, the inhabitours of Bethsames and of Bethanath became tributaries vnto them.


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And the Amorites droue the children of Dan into the mountayne, and suffered them not to come downe to the valley.


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And the Amorites were content to dwell in mount Heres in Aialon, and in Salabim: And the hande of Ioseph preuayled, so that they became tributaries.


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And the angel of the Lorde came vp from Gilgal to Bochim, and sayde: I made you to go out of Egipt, & haue brought you vnto the lande whiche I sware vnto your fathers: And I sayde, I will neuer breake myne appoyntment that I made with you.


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And ye also shall make no couenaunt with the inhabitours of this lande, but shall breake downe their aulters: Neuerthelesse, ye haue not hearkened vnto my voyce: why haue ye this done?


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Wherfore I haue lykewyse determined, that I will not cast them out before you: but they shalbe as thornes vnto you, and their goddes shalbe a snare vnto you.


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And when the angel of the Lord spake these wordes vnto all the children of Israel, the people cryed out and wept:


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And whe Iosuah had sent the people away, the children of Israel went euery man into his inheritaunce to possesse the lande.


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And the people serued the Lorde all the dayes of Iosuah, & all the dayes of the elders that outlyued Iosuah, & had seene al the great workes of the Lorde that he dyd for Israel.


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And Iosuah the sonne of Nun, the seruaunt of the Lorde died, when he was an hundreth and ten yeres olde:


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Whom they buried in the coastes of his inheritaunce [euen] in Thimnath Heres in mount Ephraim, on the northside of the hil Gaas.


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And euen so all that generation were put vnto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which neither knewe the Lorde, nor yet the workes whiche he had done for Israel.


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And forsoke the Lord God of their fathers, whiche brought them out of the lande of Egypt, and folowed straunge goddes, euen of the goddes of the nations that were rounde about them, and bowed them selues vnto them, and angred the Lorde:


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And the wrath of the Lord waxed hot agaynst Israel, and he deliuered them into the handes of raueners, that spoyled them, & solde them into the handes of their enemies rounde about them, so that they had no power any longer to stande before their enemies.


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But whythersoeuer they went out, the hand of the Lord was sore against them, euen as the Lord promised them, and as he sware vnto them: And he punished them sore.


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Neuerthelesse the Lorde raysed vp iudges, which deliuered them out of the handes of their oppressers.


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And yet for all that they woulde not hearken vnto their iudges: but rather went a whoring after straunge goddes, and bowed them selues vnto them, and turned quickly out of the way, whiche their fathers walked in, obeying the comaundementes of the Lorde: But they dyd not so.


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And when the Lorde raysed them vp iudges, he was with the iudge, and deliuered them out of the handes of their enemies all the dayes of the iudge: ( for the Lord had compassion ouer their sorowinges, whiche they had by the reason of them that oppressed them & vexed them:)


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Yet for all that, assoone as the iudge was dead, they returned, and dyd worse then their fathers, in folowing straunge goddes, to serue them & worship them: and ceassed not from their owne inuentions, nor from their malitious way.


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And the wrath of the Lorde was moued against Israel, and he sayde: Because this people hath trasgressed myne appoyntment whiche I commaunded their fathers, and haue not hearkened vnto my voyce:


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That through them I may proue Israel, whether they wil kepe the way of the Lorde, and walke therin as their fathers dyd, or not.


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And so the Lorde left those nations, and droue them not out immediatly, neither deliuered them into the hande of Iosuah.


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These are the nations whiche the Lorde left, that he might proue Israel by them: (euen as many of Israel as had not knowen al the warres of Chanaan:


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Onely for the learning of the generations of the childre of Israel that he also might teach them warre, onely such as before knewe nothing therof.)


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Of those whom he left, there were fiue lordes of the Philistines, and all the Chanaanites, and the Sidonites, & the Heuites that dwelt in mount Libanon, euen from mount Baal Hermon, vnto one come to Hamath.


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Those remayned to proue Israel by, and to wyt whether they would hearken vnto the commaundementes of the Lorde, which he commaunded their fathers by the hande of Moyses.


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And the children of Israel dwelt among the Chanaanites, Hethites, Amorites, Pherezites, Heuites, and Iebusites,


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And toke the daughters of them to be their wiues, & gaue their own daughters to their sonnes, and serued their goddes.


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And the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the Lorde, and forgat the Lorde their God, and serued Baalim and Astheroth.


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Therfore the Lorde was angry with Israel, and he solde them into the handes of Chusan Risathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel serued Chusan Risathaim eyght yeres.


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And when the children of Israel cryed vnto the Lorde, the Lorde stirred vp a sauer to the children of Israel, & saued them, euen Othoniel the sonne of Kenes, Calebs younger brother.


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And the spirite of the Lorde came vpon him, and he iudged Israel, & went out to warre: And the Lorde deliuered Chusan Risathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hande, and his hande preuayled against Chusan Risathaim.


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And the children of Israel agayne committed wickednes in the sight of the Lorde: And the Lorde strengthed Eglon the king of the Moabites, against the children of Israel, because they had committed wickednes before the Lorde.


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And this [Eglon] gathered vnto him the children of Ammon, and the Amalekites, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the citie of Panlme trees.


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But when they cryed vnto the Lord, the Lord stirred them vp a sauer, Ahud the sonne of Gera the sonne of Gemini, a man lame of his right hande: and by him the children of Israel sent a present vnto Eglon the king of Moab.


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But Ahud made him a dagger with two edges, of a cubite length, and he did gyrde it vnto his raymet vpon his right thygh,


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But he him selfe turned agayne (from the place of grauen images, that was by Gilgal) and sayde: I haue a secret errande vnto thee, O king. Which sayde: Kepe scilence. And all that stoode before hym, went out from him.


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And Ahud came vnto him, and in a sommer parler whiche he had, sate he him selfe alone: and Ahud sayd, I haue a message vnto thee from God. And he arose out of his seate.


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And Ahud put foorth his left hande, & toke the dagger from his right thygh, and thrust it into his belly.


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And the hafte went in after the blade: and the fatte closed the haft, so that he might not drawe the dagger out of his belly, but the dyrt came out.


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When he was gone out, his seruauntes came: And when they sawe that the doores of the parler were locked, they sayde, Suerly he couereth his feete in his sommer chamber.


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And they taried till they were ashamed, and seyng he opened not the doores of the parler, they toke a key and opened them: And beholde, their Lorde was fallen downe dead on the earth.


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And Ahud escaped whyle they taried and was gone beyonde, to the place of the grauen images, and escaped into Seirath.


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And when he was come, he blewe a trumpet in mount Ephraim: And the childre of Israel went downe with him from the hill, and he went before them.


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And he sayde vnto them, folowe me: for the Lorde hath deliuered your enemies the Moabites into your hande. And they descended after him, and toke the passages of Iordane toward Moab, and suffered not a man to passe ouer.


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And they slue of the Moabites the same time vpon a ten thousande men, which were all fatte, & men of warre, and there scaped not a man.


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After him was Samgar the sonne of Anath, whiche slue of the Philistines sixe hundred men with an oxe goade, and deliuered Israel also.


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And the Lorde sold them into the hand of Iabin king of Chanaan, that raigned in Hazor, whose captayne of warre was called Sisara, which dwelt in Haroseth of the gentiles.


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And the children of Israel cried vnto the Lord (for he had nine hundreth charettes of yron: & twentie yeres he troubled the children of Israel very sore.)


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And the same Debora dwelt vnder a paulme tree, betweene Ramath & Bethel, in mount Ephraim: And the children of Israel came vp to her for iudgment.


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And she sent, and called Barak the sonne of Abinoam, out of Kedes Nephthalim, and sayd vnto him: Hath not the Lorde God of Israel commaunded, saying: Go, and drawe toward mount Thabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Nephthalim, and of the children of Zabulon?


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And I will bring vnto thee to the riuer Kison, Sisara ye captayne of warre, vnto Iabin, with his charettes and his people, and will deliuer him into thyne handes.


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And Barak said vnto her, If thou wilt go with me, I will go: But and if thou wilt not come with me, I will not go.


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She sayd: I will surely go with thee, but this iourney that thou takest, shall not be for thyne honour: for the Lorde shall sell Sisara into the hande of a woman. And Debora arose and went with Barak to Kedes.


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And Barak called Zabulon & Nephthalim to Kedes, and led after him ten thousande men: and Debora went vp with him.


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(But Haber the Kenite which was of the childre of Hobab, the father in lawe of Moyses, remoued from the Kenites, and pitched his tent vntill the playne of Zaanaim, whiche is by Kedes.)


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And Sisara gathered together al his charettes, euen nine hundreth charettes of iron, & all the people that were with him from of Haroseth of the gentiles, vnto the ryuer of Kison.


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And Debora sayd vnto Barak: Up, for this is the day in which the Lorde hath deliuered Sisara into thyne hand: Is not the Lorde gone out before the? And so Barak went downe fro mount Thabor, and ten thousande men after him.


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But the Lorde destroyed Sisara and all his charettes, and all his hoaste with the edge of the sworde, before Barak: so that Sisara lyghted downe of his charet, and fled away on his feete.


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But Barak folowed after the charettes and after the hoast, euen vnto Haroseth of the gentiles: And all the hoast of Sisara fell vpon the edge of the sworde, and there was not a man left.


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Howebeit Sisara fled away on his feete to the tent of Iael the wife of Haber the Kenite (for there was peace betweene Iabin the king of Hazor, and the houshoulde of Haber the Kenite.)


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And Iael went out to meete Sisara, and sayd vnto him: Turne in my lorde, turne in to me, feare not. And whan he had turned in vnto her into her tent, she couered him with a mantell.


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And he sayd vnto her: Geue me I pray thee a litle water to drincke, for I am thirstie. And she opened a bottle of milke, and gaue him drincke, & couered him.


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And agayne he sayd vnto her: Stande in the doore of the tent, and whan any man doth come and enquere of thee, whether ther be any man here, thou shalt say, naye.


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Then Iael Habers wyfe, toke a nayle of the tent, & an hammer in her hande, and went softly vnto him, and smote ye nayle into the temples of his head, and fastened it into the ground (for he slumbred sore, and was wery) and so he died.


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And beholde, as Barak folowed after Sisara, Iael came out to meete him, & said vnto him: Come, and I will shewe thee the man whom thou sekest. And when he came in to her tent, behold Sisara lay dead, and the nayle was in his temples.


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And so God brought Iabin the kyng of Chanaan into subiection that day before the children of Israel.


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And the hand of the children of Israel prospered, and preuayled against Iabin the kyng of Chanaan, vntil they had destroyed Iabin king of Chanaan.


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Heare O ye kinges, hearken O ye princes: I, euen I will syng vnto the Lord, I will prayse the Lord God of Israel.


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Lorde, whan thou wentest out of Seir, whan thou departedst out of the fielde of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heauens rayned, the cloudes also dropped water:


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In the dayes of Samgar the sonne of Anath, in the dayes of Iael, the hye wayes were vnoccupied, and the trauelers walked thorowe bye wayes.


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The inhabitants of the townes were gone, they were gone in Israel, vntyll I Debora came vp, which came vp a mother in Israel.


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They chose new goddes, and then had they the enemie in the gates: was there a shielde or speare seene among fourtie thousande of Israel?


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My heart loueth the gouerners of Israel, and them that are willyng among the people: O prayse ye the Lord.


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For the noyse of the archers among the drawers of water ceassed, there shall they speake of the righteousnes of the Lorde, his righteousnesse in his vnfensed townes in Israel: Then shal the people of the Lorde go downe to the gates.


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Up Debora vp, get thee vp, and sing a song: Arise Barac, and leade thy captiuitie captiue, thou sonne of Abinoam.


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Then shall they that remayne, haue dominion of the proudest of the people: The Lord hath geuen me dominion ouer the mightie.


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Out of Ephraim was there a roote of them agaynst Amelek, and after thee Beniamin among thy people: Out of Machir came rulers, and out of Zabulon they that handell the penne of the writer.


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And of Isachar there were princes with Debora, and Isachar, and also Barak, he was sent on foote into the valley: for the diuisions of Ruben [were] great thoughtes of heart.


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Why abodest thou among the sheepe foldes, to heare the bleatinges of the flockes? for the diuisions of Ruben, were great thoughtes of heart.


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Gilead also abode beyonde Iordane: and why doth Dan remayne in shyppes? Aser cotinued on the sea shore, and taried in his decayed places.


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[But] the people of Zabulon haue ieoparde their lyues euen vnto the death, lyke as dyd Nephthalim in the hye places of the fielde.


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The kynges came and fought, then fought ye kynges of Chanaan in Thanach by the waters of Megiddo, and wan no money.


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The ryuer of Kison swept them away, that auncient ryuer the ryuer Kison: O my soule, thou hast marched valiauntly.


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Then were the horse hoofes smitten asunder by the meanes of the praunsings that their mightie men made.


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Curse ye the citie of Meros (sayd the angel of the Lord) curse the inhabitants therof: because they came not to helpe the Lord, to helpe the Lord against the mightie.


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Iael the wyfe of Haber the Kenite, shalbe blessed aboue other women, blessed shall she be aboue other women in the tent.


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She put her hande to the nayle, & her ryght hande to the smythes hammer: with the hammer smote she Sisara, & smote his head, wounded him, and pearsed his temples.


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He bowed him downe at her feete, he fell downe, and lay styll: At her feete he bowed him selfe, & fell. And whe he had sunke downe, he lay there destroyed.


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The mother of Sisara loked out at a wyndowe, and cryed thorowe the lattesse: Why is his charret so long a commyng? Why tary the wheeles of his charettes?


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Surely they haue found, they deuide the spoyles, euery man hath a damsell or two: Sisara hath a pray of diuers couloured garmentes, euen a pray of rayment dyed with sundry colours, and that are made of nedle worke: rayment of diuers colours and of nedle worke on both sydes, which is meete for him that is chiefe in distributing of ye spoyles.


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So perishe all thine enemies, O Lord: But they that loue him, let them be as ye sunne whan he ryseth in his myght. And the lande had rest fourtie yeres.


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And the children of Israel committed wickednesse in the syght of the Lorde: And the Lorde deliuered them into the handes of Madian seuen yeres.


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And the hand of Madian preuayled against Israel: & because of the Madianites, ye children of Israel made them dennes in the mountaynes and caues, and strong holdes.


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And when Israel had sowen, then came vp the Madianites, the Amalechites, and they of the east, and came vp agaynst them,


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And pitched their tentes against them, and destroyed the encrease of the earth, euen tyll thou come vnto Azah, & left no sustenaunce for Israel, neither sheepe, oxe, nor asse:


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For they went vp, they and their cattel, and came with their tentes as a multitude of grasshopers, so that both they and also their camels were without number: And they entred into the land to destroy it.


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And so was Israel exceedingly impoueryshed in the sight of the Madianites, and cried vnto the Lorde.


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The Lorde sent vnto them a prophet, which sayd vnto them, Thus sayth the Lorde God of Israel: I fet you from Egypt, & brought you out of the house of bondage.


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And I ryd you out of the hande of the Egyptians, & out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and cast them out before you, and gaue you their land:


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And I sayd vnto you: I am the Lord your God, feare not the goddes of the Amorites in whose lande you dwell: But you haue not obeyed my voyce.


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And the angel of the Lorde came and sate vnder an Oke which was in Ephrah, that parteyned vnto Ioas the father of the Esrites: And his sonne Gedeon threshed wheat by the wyne presse, to hyde it from the Madianites.


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And the angel of the Lorde appeared vnto him, and said vnto him: The Lord is with thee, thou mightie man.


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And Gedeon aunswered him: Oh my Lord, if the Lorde be with vs, why is all this come vpon vs? Yea, & where be all his miracles which our fathers tolde vs of, and sayd: Dyd not the Lord bryng vs out of Egypt? But nowe the Lord hath forsaken vs, and deliuered vs into the handes of the Madianites.


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And the Lord loked vpon him, and sayde: Go hence in this thy might, and thou shalt deliuer Israel out of the handes of the Madianites: Haue not I sent thee?


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And he aunswered him: Oh Lorde, wherwith shall I saue Israel? Behold my kinred is poore in Manasses, and I am litle in my fathers house.


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The Lord sayd vnto him: I will be with thee, & thou shalt smyte the Madianites, as they were but one man.


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And he aunswered him: Oh, yf I haue founde grace in thy syght, than shew me a a signe, that it is thou that talkest with me:


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Departe not hence I pray thee vntyll I come vnto thee, & tyll I bryng myne offring, and haue set it before thee. And he sayd: I will tary vntyll thou come againe.


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And Gedeon went in, and made redy a kyd, and sweete cakes of an Epha of floure, and put it with the fleshe in a basket, and put the broth in a pot, and brought it out vnto him vnder the Oke, and presented it.


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And the angel of God sayd vnto him: Take the flesh and the sweete cakes, & lay them vpon this rocke, and powre out the broth. And he dyd so.


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Then the angel of the Lord put foorth the end of the staffe that he helde in his hande, and touched the fleshe and the sweete cakes, and there arose vp fire out of the rocke, and consumed the flesh and the sweete cakes: But the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight.


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And when Gedeon perceaued that it was an angel of the Lorde, he sayde: Alas, O Lorde God, haue I therfore seene an angel of the Lorde face to face, [that I should dye?]


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Then Gedeon made an aulter there vnto the Lord, and called it, The Lord of peace. And vnto this day it is yet in Ephrath, that parteyneth vnto the father of the Esrites.


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And the same nyght the Lorde sayde vnto him: Take thy fathers young bullocke, & an other bullocke of 7 yeres olde, and destroy the aulter of Baal that thy father hath, and cut downe the groue that is by it:


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And make an aulter vnto the Lord thy God vpon the top of this rocke in a conuenient place, and take the second bullocke, and offer burnt sacrifice vpo the wood of the groue which thou shalt cut downe.


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Then Gedeon toke ten men of his seruauntes, & did as the Lord bad him: But because he feared to do it by daye for his fathers housholde and the men of the citie, he dyd it by nyght.


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And when the men of the citie arose early in the mornyng, beholde the aulter of Baal was broken, & the groue cut downe that was by it, and the seconde bullocke offered vpon the aulter that was made.


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And they sayde one to another: who hath done this thing? And whan they enquered and asked, they sayd: Gedeon ye sonne of Ioas hath done this thing.


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Then the men of the citie sayde vnto Ioas, Bring out thy sonne, that he may dye: because he hath destroyed the aulter of Baal, and cut downe the groue that was by it.


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And Ioas sayd vnto al that stoode by him: Will ye pleade Baals cause? or will ye saue him? He that will contende for him, let him dye or the morning. If he be a God, let him pleade for himselfe agaynst him that hath caste downe his aulter.


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And from that day, was Gedeon called Ierobaal: because his father had sayd, Let Baal pleade for himselfe, because he hath broken downe his aulter.


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All the Madianites therfore, and the Amalekites, and they of the east, were gathered together, & went and pytched in the valley of Iesrael:


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But the spirite of the Lorde came vppon Gedeon, and he blewe a trumpet, and Abiezer was ioyned with him.


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And he sent messengers throughout all Manasses, which also was ioyned with him, and he sent messengers vnto Azar, Zabulon, and Nephthalim, and they came to meete them.


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Beholde, I wil put a fleece of wool in the treashing place: And if the dewe come on the fleece onely, and it be drye vpon all the earth besyde, then shall I be sure that thou wilt saue Israel by my hand, as thou saydest.


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And it came so to passe: For he rose vp early on the morowe, & thrust the fleece together, and wrong the dewe therout, and fylled a bowle of water.


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And Gedeon sayde agayne vnto God: Be not angry with me, that I speake once more, for I wil proue once agayne by the fleece. Let it be drye onely vpon the fleece, and dewe vpon al the ground.


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And God dyd so that same nyght: For it was drye vpon the fleece only, & there was dewe on all the grounde.


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Then Ierobaal (who is Gedeon) and all ye people yt were with him, rose vp early, & pytched besyde the wel of Harad: so that the hoaste of the Madianites were on the northsyde of them by the hyll of Moreh in the valley.


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And the Lord sayd vnto Gedeon: The people that are with thee, are to many for me to geue ye Madianites into their handes, lest Israel make their vaunt against me, and saye: Myne owne hand hath saued me.


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Nowe therfore make a proclamation in the eares of people, and saye: If any man dread or be afeard, let him returne and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people 22 thousande, & there abode ten thousande.


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And the Lord sayd vnto Gedeon: The people are yet to many, bryng them downe vnto the water, and I will trye them vnto thee there. And of whom I say vnto thee, this shal go with thee: the same shal go with thee. And of whom soeuer I say vnto thee, this shal not go with thee: the same shal not go.


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So he brought downe the people vnto the water: And the Lord said vnto Gedeon, As many as lappe ye water with their tongues as a dogge lappeth, them put by them selues, and [so do] them that kneele downe vpon their knees to drincke.


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And the number of them that put their handes to their mouthes and lapped, were three hundred men: But all ye remnaunt of ye people kneeled downe vpon their knees to dryncke water.


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And the Lorde sayd vnto Gedeon: By these three hundred men that lapped will I saue you, and deliuer the Madianites into thyne hande: And let all the other people go euery man vnto his place.


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They therfore of the people toke vittailes with them, and their trumpettes: And he sent all the rest of Israel, euery man vnto his tent, and retayned those three hundreth men: And the hoast of Madian was beneath him in a valley.


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And the same nyght the Lorde sayde vnto him: Aryse, get thee downe vnto the hoast, for I haue delyuered it into thyne hand.


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And thou shalt hearken what they say, and so shall thine handes be strong to go downe vnto ye hoast. Then went he downe & Phara his ladde vnto the outsyde of the men of armes that were in the hoast.


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And the Madianites, the Amalekites, and all they of the east, lay along in the valley lyke a multitude of grashoppers, and their camelles were without numbre, euen as the sande by the sea syde in multitude.


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And when Gedeon was come, behold, there was a man that tolde a dreame vnto his neyghbour, and sayd: Behold, I dreamed a dreame, and me thought that a cake of barley bread tumbled into the hoast of Madian, and came vnto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and ouerturned it that the tent lay along.


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And his felowe aunswered and sayd: This is nothing els saue the sworde of Gedeon ye sonne of Ioas, a man of Israel: for into his hande hath God deliuered Madian, and all the hoast.


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When Gedeon heard the telling of the dreame, & the interpretation of the same, he worshypped, and returned vnto the hoast of Israel, and sayde: Up, for the Lorde hath deliuered into your hande the hoast of Madian.


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And he deuided the three hundred men into three companies, and gaue euery man a trumpet in his hande, with emptie pytchers, and lampes therin.


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And sayde vnto them, Loke on me, and do lykewyse: that when I come to the syde of the hoast, euen as I do, so do you.


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When I blowe with a trumpet and all that are with me, blowe ye with trumpettes also on euery syde of the hoast, and say: For the Lord, and for Gedeon.


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So Gedeon and the hundred men that were with him, came vnto the outsyde of the hoast in the begynnyng of the myddle watche, & raysed vp the watch men: And they blewe with their trumpettes, & brake the pytchers that were in their handes.


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And the three companies blewe with trumpettes, & brake the pytchers, and helde the lampes in their left handes, and the trumpettes in their right, to blowe withal: And they cryed, The sworde of the Lorde, and of Gedeon.


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And they stoode styll, euery man in his place rounde about the hoast: And all the hoast ranne, and cryed, and fled.


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And the three hundreth blewe with trumpettes, and the Lorde set euery mans sworde vppon his neyghbour throughout all the hoast: and the hoast fled to Bethhasitah, to Zererath, and to the edge of the playne of Meholah vnto Tabbath.


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And the men of Israel being gathered together out of Nephthalim, of Aser, and of all Manasses, folowed after the Madianites.


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And Gedeon sent messengers vnto al mount Ephraim, saying: Come downe against the Madianites, and take before them the waters vnto Bethbarath, and to Iordane. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered together, & toke the waters vnto Bethbarath, & to Iordane.


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And they toke two princes of the Madianites, Oreb and Zeb: and slue Oreb vpon the rocke Oreb, and Zeb at the winepresse of Zeb, and folowed after Madian: and brought the heades of Oreb and Zeb to Gedeon on the other syde Iordane.


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And the men of Ephraim said vnto him: Why hast thou serued vs thus, that thou calledst vs not, when thou wentest to fyght with the Madianites? And they chode with him sharpely.


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And he sayde vnto them: What deede haue I done lyke vnto yours? Is not the gleaning of grapes of Ephraim, better then the vinetage of Abiezer?


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God hath delyuered into your handes the lordes of Madian, Oreb and Zeb: And what was I able to do lyke as you haue done? And then their spirites abated from of him, when he had sayde that.


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And Gedeon came to Iordane to passe ouer, he & the three hundred men that were with him weery, and yet folowed the chase.


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And he sayd vnto ye men of Sucoth: Geue I pray you, takes of bread vnto ye people that folow me, for they be fayntie, that I may folowe after Zebah, and Zalmana, kynges of Madian.


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And the lordes of Sucoth sayde: Are the handes of Zebah and Zalmana now in thyne handes, that we should geue bread vnto thyne armie?


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Gedeon sayde: Therfore when the Lord hath deliuered Zebah and Zalmana into mine hande, I will teare the fleshe of you with the thornes of the wildernes, and with bryers.


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And he went vp thence to Phanuel, & spake vnto them lykewyse: And ye men of Phanuel aunswered him, as did the men of Sucoth.


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And he sayd also vnto the men of Phanuel: When I come agayne in peace, I will breake downe this towre.


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Zebah & Zalmana were in Carcor, and their hoastes with them, vpon a fifteene thousande men, which were all that were left of all the hoastes of them of the east: For there was slaine an hundred and twentie thousande men that drewe swordes.


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And Gedeon went thorowe them that dwelt in tabernacles on the east syde of Nobah and Iegbahah, and smote the hoaste: for the hoaste dyd cast no perylles.


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And whan Zebah and Zalmana fled, he folowed after them, and toke ye two kynges of Madian, Zebah and Zalmana, and discomfited all the hoaste.


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And caught a ladde of the men of Sucoth, & enquired of him: And he wrote him of the lordes and elders of Sucoth threescore and seuenteene men.


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And he came vnto the men of Sucoth, and sayd: Beholde Zebah and Zalmana, with which ye dyd cast me in the teeth, saying: Are the handes of Zebah and Zalmana alredy in thyne hande, that we should geue bread vnto thy fayntie men?


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And he toke the elders of the citie, and thornes of the wildernesse, and bryers, and dyd teare the men of Sucoth with them.


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And then sayde he vnto Zebah and Zalmana: What maner of men were they whom ye slue at Thabor? And they aunswered: The lykenesse of thee and them is al one, eue after the fashion of the children of a kyng.


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And he sayd, They were my brethren, euen my mothers children: As truly as the Lord liueth, if ye had saued their lyues, I would not slay you.


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And he sayde vnto Iether his eldest sonne, Up and slay them. But the ladde drue not his sworde: for he feared, because he was yet young.


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Then Zebah and Zalmana sayde: Ryse thou, and fall vpon vs: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gedeon arose, and slue Zebah and Zalmana, and toke away the ornamentes that were on their camels neckes.


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Then the men of Israel sayde vnto Gedeon: Raigne thou ouer vs, both thou, thy sonne, and thy sonnes sonne, for thou hast deliuered vs out of ye hand of Madian.


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And Gedeon sayd vnto them: I wyll not raigne ouer you, neither shall my childe raigne ouer you: but the Lorde shall raigne ouer you.


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And agayne Gedeon said vnto them: I would desire a request of you, euen that you would geue me euery man the earinges of his pray. For they had golden earinges, because they were Israelites.


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And they aunswered: We will gyue them. And they spread a mantell, and dyd cast therin euery man the earynges of his pray.


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And the wayght of ye golden earinges that he required, was a thousand and seuen hundred sicles of golde, besyde chaynes and iewelles, and purple rayment that was on the kynges of Madian, and besyde the chaynes that were about their camels neckes.


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And Gedeon made an Ephod therof, and put it in his citie Ephrah: And all Israel went a whoryng after it in the same place, which thing became a ruyne vnto Gedeon and to his house.


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Thus was Madian brought lowe before the children of Israel, so that they lyft vp their heades no more: And the countrey was in quietnes fourtie yeres in the dayes of Gedeon.


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And Gedeon the sonne of Ioas dyed in a good age, and was buryed in the sepulchre of Ioas his father, euen in Ephrah, that parteyned vnto the father of the Esrites.


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But assoone as Gedeon was dead, the children of Israel turned away, & went a whoryng after Baalim, and made a couenaunt with Baal to be their God.


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And the children of Israel thought not on the Lorde their God, which had deliuered them out of the handes of all their enemies on euery syde:


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Neither shewed they mercy on the house of Ierobaal [otherwyse called] Gedeon, according to all the goodnes which he had shewed vnto Israel.


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Abimelech the sonne of Ierobaal! went to Sichem vnto his mothers brethren, & communed with them, & with all the kynrede of the house of his mothers father, saying:


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Saye I pray you, in the eares of all the men of Sichem, whether is better for you, that all the sonnes of Ierobaal, (which are threescore and ten persons) raigne ouer you: either that one raigne ouer you? Remember that I am of your bone, and of your fleshe.


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And his mothers brethren spake of him in the audience of all the men of Sichem all these wordes, & their heartes were moued to folow Abimelech: For they sayde, He is our brother.


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And they gaue him threescore and ten peeces of siluer out of the house of Baal Berith, wherwith Abimelech hyred vayne and light persons, which went with hym.


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And he went vnto his fathers house at Ephrah, and slue his brethren, the sonnes of Ierobaal, beyng threescore & ten persons, vpon one stone: Notwithstandyng, yet Ioatham the youngest sonne of Ierobaal escaped, for he hyd hymselfe.


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And all the men of Sichem gathered together, and al the house of Mello, and came and made Abimelech kyng in the playne, where the stone was in Sichem.


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And when they tolde it to Ioatham, he went and stoode in the top of mount Garizim, and lyft vp his voyce, & cryed, and sayd vnto them: Hearken vnto me you men of Sichem, that God may hearken vnto you.


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The trees went foorth to annoynt a kyng ouer them, and sayde vnto the Olyue tree: Raigne thou ouer vs.


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But the Olyue tree sayd vnto them: Should I leaue my fatnesse wherwith by me they honour God and man, & to be promoted ouer the trees?


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The figge tree aunswered them: should I forsake my sweetnes, and my good fruite, and go to be promoted ouer the trees?


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The vine sayde vnto them: Should I leaue my wine wherby I cheare both God and man, and go to be promoted ouer the trees?


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And the bryer sayde vnto the trees: If it be true that ye will annoynt me kyng ouer you, then come and put your trust vnder my shadow: If no, the fyre come out of the bryer, & waste the Cedar trees of Libanon.


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Nowe therfore, if ye do truely and vncorruptly to make Abimelech kyng, and if ye haue dealte well with Ierobaal & his house, and haue done vnto hym according to the deseruing of his handes:


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(For euen my father fought for you, and aduentured his life, and ridde you out of the hande of Madian.


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And ye are rysen vp agaynst my fathers house this day, and haue slayne his children, beyng threescore & ten persones vpon one stone, and haue made Abimelech the sonne of his mayde seruaunt, king ouer the men of Sichem, because he is your brother.)


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If ye then haue dealt truely and purely with Ierobaal and with his house this day, then reioyce ye with Abimelech, and let him reioyce with you.


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But if you haue not dealt truely, then let a fire come out of Abimelech, & consume the men of Sichem, & the house of Mello: and let there come out a fire fro among the men of Sichem, & out of the house of Mello, & consume Abimelech.


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And Ioatham ran away and fledde, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for feare of Abimelech his brother.


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God sent an euyll spirite betweene Abimelech, & the men of Sichem: and the citezins of Sichem brake their promise to Abimelech,


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That the wickednes done to the three score and ten sonnes of Ierobaal might come on him, and that God might lay the blood of them vnto Abimelech their brother, which slue them, and vpon the other men of Sichem which ayded him in the killing of his brethren.


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And the citezins of Sichem set men to lay awayte for hym in the toppe of the mountaynes, which men robbed al that came along the way by them: And it was tolde Abimelech.


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And Gaal the sonne of Obed came with his brethren, and they gat them to Sichem: and the men of Sichem put their confidence in him.


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And they went out into the fieldes, and gathered in their grapes, & trode them, and made mery, & went into the house of their god, and dyd eate and drinke, and cursed Abimelech.


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And Gaal the sonne of Obed sayde: what is Abimelech? & what is Sichem, that we shoulde serue him? Is he not the sonne of Ierobaal? & Zebul is his officer? Serue such as come of Hemor the father of Sichem: for what reason is it that we shoulde serue him?


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Woulde God this people were vnder my hande, then would I take Abimelech out of ye way. And he spake against Abimelech: Make thine hoast greater, and go out.


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And sent messengers vnto Abimelech priuyly, saying: Behold, Gaal the sonne of Obed and his brethren be come to Sichem, and beholde they fortifie the citie agaynst thee.


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And rise early in the morning assone as the sunne is vp, and fall vpon the citie: And if he & the people that is with hym come out against thee, do to hym what thine handes shalbe able.


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And Abimelech rose vp, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they layde awayte against Sichem in foure companies.


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And Gaal the sonne of Obed went out, and stoode in the entring of the gate of the citie: And Abimelech rose vp, and the folke that were with him, from lying in wayte.


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And when Gaal sawe ye people, he sayd to Zebul: Beholde, there come people downe from the top of the mountaines. And Zebul sayd vnto him: The shadow of the hylles seeme men vnto thee.


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And Gaal aunswered agayne, & sayd: See, there come folke downe by ye middle of the land, & another company come along by the playne of the charmars.


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Then sayd Zebul vnto him: Where is nowe thy mouth that said, what felowe is Abimelech, that we should serue him? Is not this the people that thou hast despysed? Go out now & fight with the.


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And Abimelech chased him, that he fled before him, and many were ouerthrowen & wounded, euen vnto the entring of the gate.


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And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal & his brethre that they shoulde not dwell in Sichem.


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And he toke the people, & deuided them into three copanies, & layd awayte in the fielde, and loked, and behold the people were come out of the citie, and he ran vpon them, and smote them.


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And Abimelech and the companions that were with him, rushed forward, & stoode in the entring of the gate of the citie: and the two other companions ran vpon all the people that were in the fieldes, and slue them.


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And when Abimelech had fought against the citie al that day, he toke it, and slue the people that was therin, and destroyed the citie, and sowed salte in it.


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And when all the men of the towre of Sichem heard that, they entred into an holde of the house of the god Berith.


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And Abimeleh gat him to mount Zelmon, both he & all the people that were with him, & toke axes with him, and cut downe bowes of trees, & toke them and bare them on his shulder, & sayde vnto the folke that were with hym: what ye haue seene me do, speede your selues, & do lykewyse as I haue done.


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And al the men that were among the people, cut downe bowes, and folowed Abimelech, and put them into the hold, and set the holde a fire by them: so that al the men of the towre of Sichem died also, vpon a thousande men & women.


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But there was a strong towre within the citie, and thyther ranne all the men and women, and all the chiefe that were in the citie, and shut it to them, and gate them vp to the toppe of the towre.


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And Abimelech came vnto the towre, and fought agaynst it, and went harde vnto the doore of ye towre to set it on fire.


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Then Abimelech called hastyly vnto the young man that bare his harnesse, and sayde vnto him: Drawe thy sworde and slea me, that men say not of me, A woman slue him: And his lad thrust him thorowe, and he died.


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And when the men of Israel sawe that Abimelech was dead, they departed euery man vnto his owne house.


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Thus God rendred the wickednesse of Abimelech which he dyd vnto his father, in sleyng his seuentie brethren.


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And therto all the wickednesse of the men of Sichem, dyd God bryng vpon their heades: And vpon them came the curse of Ioatham the sonne of Ierobaal.


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After Abimelech, there arose to defende Israel Thola the sonne of Phuah the sonne of Dodo, a man of Isachar, whiche dwelt in Sanur in mount Ephraim.


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And he had thirtie sonnes that rode on thirtie Asse coltes, and they had thirtie cities, which are called Hauoth Iair vnto this day, and are in the lande of Gilead.


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And the children of Israel wrought wickednesse yet agayne in the sight of the Lord, and serued Baalim and Astaroth, and the gods of Siria, the gods of Sidon, and the gods of Moab, the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsoke the Lorde, and serued not him.


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And the Lord was wroth with Israel, and he solde them into the handes of the Philistines, and into the handes of the children of Ammon.


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Which from that yere foorth, pilde and oppressed the children of Israel eyghtteene yeres, al that were on the other side Iordane, in the lande of the Amorites whiche is in Gilead.


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Moreouer, ye children of Ammon went ouer Iordane to fight agaynst Iuda, Beniamin, and the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was sore cumbred.


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And the children of Israel cryed vnto ye Lord, saying: We haue sinned against thee, for we haue forsaken our owne God, and haue carued Baalim.


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And the Lorde sayde vnto the childre of Israel: Dyd not I ryd you from the Egiptians and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?


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The Sidonites also, and the Amalekites, & the Maonites dyd oppresse you, and ye cryed to me, and I deliuered you out of their handes.


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Go and crye vnto the gods whiche ye haue chosen, and let them saue you in the tyme of your tribulation.


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And the children of Israel sayde vnto the Lord: We haue sinned, do thou vnto vs whatsoeuer please thee, deliuer vs onely we pray thee this day.


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And they put away the straunge gods from them, & serued the Lord: And his soule had pitie on the miserie of Israel.


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Then the children of Ammon gathered together, & pitched in Gilead: And the children of Israel gathered them together, and pitched in Mispah.


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And the people and lordes of Gilead sayde eche to other: whosoeuer will beginne the battell agaynst the children of Ammon, the same shalbe head ouer all the inhabitauntes of Gilead.


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And Gilead begat Iephthah: And Gileads wyfe bare him sonnes, which when they were come to age, thrust out Iephthah, and said vnto him: Thou shalt not inherite in our fathers house, for thou art the sonne of a straunge woman.


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Then Iephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the lande of Tob: And there gathered ydle men to Iephthah, and went out with him.


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And when the children of Ammon fought thus agaynst Israel, the elders of Gilead went to set Iephthah out of the lande of Tob,


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Iephthah aunswered the elders of Gilead: Dyd not ye hate me, & expell me out of my fathers house? howe then come you vnto me nowe in time of your tribulation?


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And the elders of Gilead sayde vnto Iephthah: Therfore we turne agayne to thee nowe, that thou mayest go with vs, & fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head ouer all the inhabitauntes of Gilead.


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And Iephthah sayde vnto the elders of Gilead: If ye bring me home againe to fight against the children of Ammon, then yf the Lorde deliuer them before me, shall I be your head?


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And the elders of Gilead sayd to Iephthah: The Lorde be witnesse betweene vs, if we do not according to thy wordes.


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Then Iephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and ye people made hym head & captayne ouer them: And Iephthah rehearsed al his wordes before the Lorde in Mispah.


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And Iephthah sent messengers vnto the king of the children of Ammon, saying: What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me, to fight in my lande?


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The king of the children of Ammon aunswered vnto ye messengers of Iephthah: Because Israel toke away my lande when they came out of Egypt, euen from Arnon vnto Iabok, and vnto Iordane: Nowe therfore restore those landes agayne with faire meanes.


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And sayd vnto him, thus sayth Iephthah: Israel toke not away the lande of Moab, nor the lande of the children of Ammon.


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But when Israel came vp fro Egypt, and walked thorowe the wildernesse, euen vnto ye red sea, they came to Cades:


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And Israel sent messengers vnto the king of Edom, saying, Let me I praye thee go thorow thy lande: But the king of Edo would not agree therto. And in lyke maner they sent vnto the king of Moab: but he woulde not consent. And Israel abode stil in Cades.


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And then they went along thorowe the wildernesse, and compassed the land of Edom, & the land of Moab, and came along by the east syde of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, and woulde not come within the coast of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab.


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And then Israel sent messengers vnto Sehon king of the Amorites, & king of Hesbon, and sayde vnto him: Let vs passe we pray thee thorow thy land vnto our owne countrey.


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But Sehon consented not to Israel, that he shoulde go thorowe his coast: but gathered all his people together, & pitched in Iasa, & fought with Israel.


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And the Lorde God of Israel deliuered Sehon & all his folke into the handes of Israel, and they smote them: So Israel smote them, and possessed all the land of the Amorites the inhabitauntes of that countrey.


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And they possessed al the coastes of the Amorites, from Arnon vnto Iabok, & from the wildernesse vnto Iordane.


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So nowe, seyng the Lord God of Israel hath cast out the Amorites before his people Israel, shouldest thou possesse it?


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Nay, but what people Camos thy God dryueth out, that lande possesse thou: Euen so whatsoeuer nation the Lord our God expelleth before vs, that lande ought we to enioy.


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And art thou better then Balac the sonne of Zephor king of Moab? Did he not stryue with Israel and fight against them,


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All the whyle Israel dwelt in Hesbon and her townes, in Aroer and her townes, and in all the cities that be along by ye coastes of Arnon three hundred yeres? Why did ye not recouer them in all that space?


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Wherfore I haue not synned agaynst thee, but thou doest me wrong to warre against me: The Lord therfore whiche is a iudge, be iudge this day betweene the children of Israel, and the children of Ammon.


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Howbeit, the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not vnto the wordes of Iephthah, which he sent him.


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Then the spirite of the Lord came vpo Iephthah, and he passed ouer to Gilead & to Manasses, and came to Mispah that lieth in Gilead, & from thence vnto the children of Ammon.


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And Iephthah vowed a vowe vnto ye Lorde, & sayd: If thou shalt deliuer the children of Ammon into my handes,


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Then that thing that commeth out of the doores of my house against me, whe I come home in peace from the children of Ammon, shalbe the Lordes, and I will offer it vp for a burnt offering.


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And so Iephthah went vnto the children of Ammon to fight agaynst them, and the Lorde deliuered them into his handes.


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And he smote them from Aroer tyll thou come to Mennith, euen twentie cities, and so foorth to the playne of the vineyardes, with an exceeding great slaughter: And thus the childre of Ammon were brought vnder, before the children of Israel.


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When Iephthah came to Misphah vnto his house, see, his daughter came out agaynst him with timbrelles and daunces, which was his onely chylde: so that beside her, he had neither sonne nor daughter.


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And when he sawe her, he rent his clotes, & sayde: Alas my daughter, thou hast brought me lowe, & art one of them that troubleth me: For I haue opened my mouth vnto the Lorde, and cannot go backe.


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And she sayde vnto him: My father, if thou haue opened thy mouth vnto the Lorde, then do with me according to it that proceeded out of thy mouth, for as much as the Lorde hath auenged thee of thyne enemies ye children of Ammon.


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And she sayd vnto her father, Do this much for me: Let me alone two monethes, that I may go to the mountaynes and bewayle my virginite, I and my felowes.


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And he sayd, go. And he sent her away two monethes: And so she went with her companions, & lamented her maydenhead vpon the mountaynes.


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And after the ende of two monethes, she turned agayne vnto her father, whiche dyd with her according to his vowe whiche he had vowed, & she had knowne no man: And it grewe to a custome in Israel,


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The daughters of Israel came yere by yere to lamet the daughter of Iephthah the Gileadite, foure dayes in a yere.


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And the men of Ephraim gathered them selues together, & went northwarde, & sayd vnto Iephthah: Wherfore wentest thou to fight against the children of Ammon, and dyddest not call vs to go with thee? we will therfore burne thine house vpon thee with fire.


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And Iephthah sayde vnto them, I & my people were at great stryfe with the children of Ammon: And when I called you, ye deliuered me not out of their handes.


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And when I sawe that ye deliuered me not, I put my lyfe in my handes, and went vpon the children of Ammon, and the Lorde deliuered them into my handes: Wherfore then are ye come vppon me nowe, to fight against me?


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Iephthah therfore gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with the Ephraites. And the men of Gilead smote the Ephraites, because they sayd: Ye Gileadites are but runneagates of Ephraim, among the Ephraites and the Manassites.


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Moreouer, the men of Gilead toke the passages of Iordane before the Ephraites: And when those Ephraites that were escaped, said, Let me go ouer: then the men of Gilead sayde vnto hym, Art thou an Ephraite? If he sayde, nay:


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Then sayde they vnto him: Then say, Schibboleth. And he sayde, Sibboleth: for he coulde not so pronounce. And then they toke him, and slue him at the passages of Iordane: And there were ouerthrowen at that time of the Ephraites fourtie and two thousande.


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And Iephthah iudged Israel six yeres, then died Iephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in [one of] ye cities of Gilead.


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And he had thirtie sonnes and thirtie daughters, whom he sent out, and toke in thirtie daughters from abrode for his sonnes. And when Ibzan had iudged Israel seuen yere,


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And he had fourtie sonnes, and thirtie neuewes, that rode on threscore and ten asse coltes: And when Abdon the sonne of Hellel the Pharathonite had iudged Israel eight yeres,


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And the children of Israel began agayne to comitte wickednesse in the sight of the lord, and the Lorde deliuered them into the handes of the Philistines fourtie yeres.


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And there was a man in Zaraah of the kinred of Dan, named Manoah, whose wife was barren, and bare not.


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And the angell of the Lord appeared vnto the woman, & sayde vnto her: Beholde, nowe thou art barren, & bearest not, but thou shalt conceaue, and beare a sonne.


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And nowe therfore beware that thou drinke no wyne, nor strong drinke, neither eate any vncleane thing:


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For lo, thou shalt conceaue and beare a sonne, And ther may no rasor come on his head, for ye ladde shalbe a Nazarite vnto God euen from his byrth: And he shal beginne to saue Israel out of the handes of the Philistines.


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Then the wife came, & tolde her husbande, saying: A man of God came vnto me, and the fashion of him was lyke the fashion of an angell of God, exceeding fearful: But I asked him not whence he was, neither tolde he me his name:


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But sayde vnto me, behold, thou shalt be with childe and beare a sonne, & now drinke no wyne nor strong drinke, neither eate any vncleane thing, for the ladde shalbe an abstayner to God, euen from his byrth to the day of his death.


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Then Manoah made intercession to the Lorde, and sayde: I pray thee my Lorde, let the man of God whiche thou sendedst, come agayne vnto vs, & teache vs what we shal do vnto the ladde whe he is borne.


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And God heard the voyce of Manoah: and the angel of God came agayne vnto the wife as she sate in the felde: but Manoah her husbad was not with her.


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And the wife made haste, and ranne & shewed her husbande, & sayde vnto him: behold, the man appeared vnto me that came vnto me to day.


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And Manoah arose & went after his wife, and came to the man, and sayde vnto him: Art thou the ma that spakest vnto the woman? And he sayde: I am.


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And the angell of the Lord sayd vnto Manoah: The woman must absteyne from all that I sayde vnto her:


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She may eate of nothing that cometh of the vine tree, nor drinke wine or strong drinke, nor eate any vncleane thing: but must obserue all that I bad her.


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Manoah sayde vuto the angell of the Lorde: I pray thee let vs retayne thee vntill we haue made redy a kyd before thee.


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And the angel of the Lord sayde vnto Manoah: Though thou make me abide, I wil not eate of thy bread: And if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it vnto the Lorde. For Manoah wist not that it was an angell of the Lorde.


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And Manoah sayde agayne vnto the angell of the Lord: What is thy name, that when thy saying is come to passe, we may do thee worshippe?


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And so Manoah toke a kyd, with a meat offring, and offred it vpon a rocke vnto the Lorde: And the angell did wonderously, Manoah and his wife lokyng vpon.


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And whe the flambe came vp toward heauen from the aulter, the angell of the Lorde ascended vp in the flambe of the aulter: And Manoah and his wyfe loked vpon it, and fell on their faces vnto the grounde.


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(But the angel of the Lord did no more appeare vnto Manoah and his wyfe:) And then Manoah knewe that it was an angel of the Lorde,


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But his wyfe sayde vnto him: Yf the Lord would kyll vs, he would not haue receaued a burnt offering and a meate offering of our handes, neither woulde he haue shewed vs al these thinges, nor woulde nowe haue tolde vs any suche.


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And the wyfe bare a sonne, and called his name Samson: And ye ladde grewe, and the Lorde blessed him.


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And the spirite of the Lorde began to strengthen him in the hoast of Dan, betweene Zaraah and Esthaol.


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And he came vp, and told his father and his mother, & said: I haue sene a woman in Thamnath of the daughters of the Philistines: & nowe geue me her to wyfe.


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Then his father and mother sayd vnto him: Is there neuer a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, & among al my people, but that thou must go, and take a wyfe of the vncircumcised Philistines? And Samson sayd vnto his father: Geue me this woman, for she pleaseth me well.


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But his father and mother wist not that it was the Lordes doyng, and that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines raigned ouer Israel.


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Then went Samson and his father & his mother downe to Thamnath, and came to the vineyardes of Thamnath: and beholde, a young Lion roared vpon him.


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And the spirite of the Lord came vpo him, and he tare him as he would haue rent a kydde, and yet had nothing in his hande: neither tolde his father and mother what he had done.


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And within a short space after, as he wet thyther againe to take her to wife, he turned out of the way to see the carkasse of the Lion: And beholde, there was a swarme of bees and hony in the carkasse of the Lion.


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And he toke therof in his handes, and went eating, and came to his father and mother, and gaue them also, and they did eate: But he tolde not them that he had taken the hony out of the carkasse of the Lion.


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And so his father went downe vnto the woman, and Samson made there a feast: for so vsed the younge men to do.


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And Samson sayd vnto them, I will nowe put foorth a riddle vnto you: & yf you can declare it me within seuen dayes of the feast, and finde it out, I will geue you thirtie sheetes, & thirtie chaunge of garmentes:


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But and if you can not declare it me, then shal ye geue me thirtie sheetes and thirtie chaunge of garmentes. And they aunswered him: Put foorth thy riddle, that we may heare it.


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And he sayd vnto them: Out of the eater came meate, and out of the strong came sweetnesse. And they coulde not in three dayes expounde the riddle.


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And whe the seuenth day was come, they sayd vnto Samsons wyfe: Flatter thyne husband that he may declare vs the riddle, lest we burne thee and thy fathers house with fire: Haue ye called vs hyther, to make vs beggers? is it not so?


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And Samsons wyfe wept before him and sayd, Surely thou hatest me and louest me not: for thou hast put foorth a riddle vnto the children of my folke, and hast not tolde it me. And he sayde vnto her: Beholde, I haue not tolde it my father and my mother, and shall I tell it thee?


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And Samsons wyfe wept before him seuen dayes, whyle the feast lasted: And the seuenth day he told her, because she lay so sore vpo him. And she tolde the riddle to the children of her folke.


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And the men of the citie sayd vnto him the seuenth day, before the sunne went downe: What is sweeter then hony? and what is stronger then a Lion? Then sayd he vnto them: Yf ye had not plowed with my heyffer, ye had not founde out my riddle.


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And the spirite of the Lord came vpon him, and he went downe to Askalon, and slue thirtie men of them, and spoyled them, & gaue chaunge of garmentes vnto them which expounded the riddle: And he was wroth, and went vp to his fathers house.


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But within a while after, euen in the time of wheat haruest, Sason visited his wife with a kyd, saying: I wil go in to my wyfe into the chaumber. But her father woulde not suffer him to go in.


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And her father sayde, I thought that thou haddest hated her, & therfore gaue I her to thy companion: Is not her younger sister fayrer then she? Take her I pray thee, in steade of the other.


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Samson sayde vnto hym: Nowe am I more blamelesse then the Philistines, and therfore will I do them displeasure.


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And Samson went out, and caught three hundred foxes, & toke firebrandes, and turned them tayle to tayle, and put a firebrand in the middes betweene two tayles.


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And when he had set the brandes on fire, he sent them out into the standyng corne of the Philistines, & burnt vp both the reaped corne, and also the standing, with the vineyardes and oliues.


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Then the Philistines sayd: Who hath done this? And they aunswered: Samson the sonne in lawe of the Thamnite, because he had taken his wife, & geuen her to his companion. And the Philistines came vp, and burnt her and her father with fire.


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And Samson said vnto them: Though ye haue done this, yet will I be auenged of you, and then I will ceasse.


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And he smote them legge and thygh with a myghtie plague, and then he went & dwelt in the toppe of the rocke Etam.


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And the men of Iuda sayde: Why are ye come vp vnto vs? They aunswered: To bynde Samson are we come vp, & to do to hym, as he hath done to vs.


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Then three thonsande men of Iuda went to the toppe of the rocke Etam, & sayde to Samson: Wottest thou not that the Philistines are rulers ouer vs? Wherfore then hast thou done thus vnto vs? He aunswered them: As they dyd vnto me, so haue I done vnto them.


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And they sayd vnto him agayne: We are come to bynde thee, and to deliuer thee into ye hande of the Philistines. And Samson said vnto them: Sweare vnto me, that ye shall not fal vpon me your selues.


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They aunswered him, saying: No, but we will bynde thee, & delyuer thee vnto their handes: but we wyll not kyll thee. And they bounde hym with two new cordes, and brought him from the rocke.


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And when he came to Lehi, the Philistines showted agaynst him: And the spirite of the Lord came vpon him, and the cordes that were vpon his armes, became as flaxe that was burnt with fire, for the bandes loosed from of his handes.


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And he founde a newe iawe bone of an Asse, & put foorth his hande, and caught it, and slue a thousande men therwith.


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And Samson sayde: With the iawe of an Asse, heapes vpon heapes: with the iawe of an Asse haue I slayne a thousande men.


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And when he had left speakyng, he cast away the iawe bone out of his hande, and called the place Ramath Lehi.


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And he was sore a thyrst, and called on the Lord, and sayde: Thou hast geuen this great victory in the hande of thy seruaunt: and nowe I must dye for thirst, and fall into the handes of the vncircumcised.


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But God brake a great tooth that was in the iawe, & there came water therout, and when he had drunke, his spirite came agayne, & he was refreshed: wherfore the name thereof was called vnto this day, The well of the caller on: which came of the iawe.


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And it was tolde the Azathites, saying: Samson is come hyther. And they went about, and layde a wayte for hym there all nyght in the gate of the citie, and were styll all the nyght, saying: In the mornyng whan it is day, we shall kyll hym.


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And Samson toke his rest tyll mydnyght, and arose at mydnyght, and toke the doores of the gate of the citie, and the two postes, and rent them of with the barre and all, and put them vppon his shoulders, and caryed them vp to the top of an hyll, that is before Hebron.


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Unto whom came the lordes of the Philistines, and sayde vnto her: Perswade him, and see wherin his great strength lyeth, and by what meanes we may ouercome him, that we may bynde him, and punishe hym: and euery one of vs shall geue thee a leuen hundred siluer lynges.


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And Dalila sayde to Samson: Oh, tell me where thy great strength lyeth, and how thou myghtest be bounde and brought vnder.


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Samson aunswered vnto her: Yf they binde me with seuen greene wythes that were neuer dryed, I shalbe weake, and be as an other man.


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And then the lordes of the Philistines brought her seuen wythes that were yet greene & neuer dryed, and she bound hym therwith.


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(Notwithstanding she had men lying in wayte with her in the chaumbre): And she said vnto him, The Philistines be vpon thee Samson. And immediatly he brake the cordes, as a stryng of towe breaketh when it fealeth fire. And so his strength was not knowen.


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And Dalila sayde vnto Samson: See, thou hast mocked me, and tolde me lies: Now therfore tell me wherwith thou myghtest be bounde.


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He aunswered her: Yf they bynde me with newe ropes that neuer were occupied, I shall be weake, and be as an other man.


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Dalila therfore toke newe ropes, and bounde him therwith, and sayde vnto him, The Philistines be vpo thee Samson. (And there were lyers of wayte in the chamber.) And he brake them from of his armes, as they had ben but a threade.


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And Dalila sayde vnto Samson, Hytherto thou hast beguyled me, and tolde me lyes: Yet tell me howe thou myghtest be bounde. He sayde vnto her: Yf thou plattest the seuen lockes of my head with the threades of the wooffe.


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And she fastened it with a pynne, and sayde vnto him: The Philistines be vpo thee Samson. And he awaked out of his sleepe, and went away with the pynne of the webbe and the wooffe.


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And she sayde vnto him agayne: How canst thou saye I loue thee, when thyne heart is not with me? Thou hast mocked me this three tymes, and hast not tolde me wherin thy great strength lyeth.


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And as she laye vpon hym with her wordes, continually vexyng of him, his soule was encumbred eue vnto ye death.


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And so he tolde her all his heart, & said vnto her: There neuer came rasor vpon myne head, for I haue ben a Nazarite vnto God, euen from my mothers wombe: Therfore when I am shauen, my strength will go from me, & I shall waxe weake, and be lyke all [other] men.


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And when Dalila sawe that he had tolde her all his heart, she sent and called for the lordes of the Philistines, saying: Come vp yet this once, for he hath shewed me all his hearte. Then ye lordes of the Philistines came vp vnto her, and brought the money in their handes.


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And she made hym sleepe vpon her knees, and she sent for a man, and he dyd shaue of the seuen lockes of his head, & began to vexe him, and his strength was gone from him.


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And she sayde, The Philistines be vp in thee Samson. And he awoke out of his sleepe, and sayde: I will go out now as at other tymes before, & shake my selfe. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from hym.


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But the Philistines toke hym, and put out his eyes, and brought him downe to Azzah, and bounde him with fetters of brasse: and he dyd grynde in the prison house.


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Then the lordes of the Philistines gathered them together, for to offer a solempne offring vnto Dagon their God, and to reioyce: For they sayd, Our God hath deliuered Samson our enemie into our handes.


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And when the people sawe him, they praysed their God: for they sayde, Our God hath delyuered into our handes our enemie, and destroyer of our countrey, whiche slue manye of vs.


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And when their heartes were mery, they sayde: Send for Samson, that he may make vs laugh. And they set Samson out of the prison house, and he played before them: and they set hym betweene the pyllers.


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And Samson sayde vnto the lad that led hym by the hande: Set me that I may touche the pyllers that the house standeth vpon, and that I may leane to them.


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And the house was full of men and women, and there were all the lordes of the Philistines: And there were vpon the roofe a three thousande men and women, that behelde whyle Samson played.


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And Samson called vnto the Lorde, and sayde: O Lorde God I pray thee thyncke vpon me, and strengthen me I beseche thee at this tyme onelye O God, that I may be at once auenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.


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And Samson caught the two middle pyllers on which the house stoode and on which it was borne vp, the one in his ryght hande, and the other in his left.


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And Samson sayde: My soule shall dye with the Philistines, and bowed them with all his myght, and the house fell vpon the lordes and vpon all the people that were therin: And so ye dead which he slue at his death, were mo then they which he slue in his lyfe.


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And then his brethren & all the house of his father came downe, and toke him vp, and brought hym, and buryed hym betweene Zarah and Esthaol, in the burying place of Manoah his father: And he iudged Israel twentie yeres.


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And he sayde vnto his mother: The seuen hundred siluerlynges that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest it in myne eares, behold the syluer is with me, I toke it away. And his mother sayd: Blessed be thou my sonne, in the Lorde.


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And when he had restored the leuen hundreth syluerlynges to his mother, his mother sayde: I had dedicated the syluer vnto the Lorde of myne hande for thee my sonne, that thou shouldest make a grauen and moulten image: Now therfore I will geue it thee agayne.


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And when he restored the money vnto his mother, his mother toke two hundreth syluerlynges, and gaue them the founder, which made therof a grauen moulten image, and it was in the house of Micah.


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And the man Micah had an house of goddes, and made an Ephod and Theraphim, and consecrated one of his sonnes, which became his prieste.


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And there was a young man out of Bethlehem Iuda, of the kynred of Iuda, which young man was a Leuite, & soiourned there.


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And the man departed out of the citie of Bethlehem Iuda, to go dwell where he coulde fynde [a conuenient place]: And he came to mount Ephraim, to the house of Micah as he iourneyed.


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And Micah sayde vnto him: Whence comest thou? The Leuite aunswered hym: I am of Bethlehem Iuda, and go to dwell where I may fynde [a place].


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And Micah sayde agayne vnto hym: Dwell with me, and be vnto me a father and a prieste, and I will geue thee ten syluerlynges by yere, two garmentes, and thy meate and dryncke. So the Leuite went in.


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Then sayde Micah: Now I am sure that the Lord will be good vnto me, seing I haue a Leuite to my prieste.


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In those dayes there was no kyng in Israel, and in those dayes the tribe of Dan sought them an inheritaunce to dwell in: For vnto that tyme all their inheritaunce had not fallen vnto them among the tribe of Israel.


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And the children of Dan sent of their kynred fyue actiue men in feates of warre out of their coastes, euen out of Zaraah & Esthaol, to viewe the lande and searche it out, and sayde vnto them: Go, and searche out the lande. Which whan they came to mount Ephraim, euen to the house of Micah, they lodged there.


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And when they were in the house of Micah, they knewe the voyce of the young man the Leuite: And when they turned in thyther, they sayde vnto him: Who brought thee thyther? What makest thou in this place? and what hast thou here?


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And he aunswered them: Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me, and hath hyred me, and I am become his priest.


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And they sayd vnto hym agayne: Aske counsell now of God, that we may knowe whether the way which we go shalbe prousperous, or no.


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Then the fyue men departed, & came to Lais, and sawe the people that were therin, howe they dwelt carelesse, after the maner of the Sidons styll, & without castyng of perils, and that no man made any trouble in the lande, or vsurped any dominion: but were farre from the Sidons, and had no busynesse with other men.


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And they came agayne vnto their brethren to Zaraah and Esthaol, and their brethren sayde vnto them: What haue ye done?


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And they aunswered: Aryse, that we may go vp agaynst them, for we haue seene the lande, surely a very good one: And do ye syt styll? Be not slouthfull to go and entre to possesse the lande.


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Yf ye will go, ye shall come vnto a people that casteth no perils, and it is a very large countrey, which God hath geuen into your handes: It is also a place which doth lacke nothing that is in the worlde.


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And there departed thence of the kynred of the Danites, euen out of Zaraah and Esthaol, sixe hundred men appoyntted with instrumentes of warre.


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And they went vp, and pytched in Kiriath iarim, whiche is in Iuda: Wherfore they called the place, Mahaneh Dan, vnto this day, and it is on ye backsyde of Kiriath iarim.


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Then aunswered the fiue men that went to spye out the countrey of Lais, and saide vnto their brethren: Wot ye not that there is in these houses an Ephod, Theraphim, and a grauen and a moulten image? Nowe therfore consider what ye haue to do.


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And they turned thytherwarde, and came to the house of the young man the Leuite, euen vnto the house of Micah, and saluted hym peaceablie.


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And the sixe hundred men girded with weapons of warre, which were of the children of Dan, stoode by the entryng of the gate.


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And the fiue men that went to spye out the lande, went in thyther, & toke the graue image, & the Ephod, Theraphim, and the moulten image: (And the priest stoode in the entryng of the gate with the sixe hundred men that were appointed with weapons of warre.)


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Whyle the other went into Micahs house, and fet the carued image, the Ephod, Theraphim, and the moulten image: Then saide the priest vnto them, what do ye?


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They aunswered hym: Holde thy peace, lay thine hande vpon thy mouth, and come with vs, to be our father and priest: Is it better for thee to be a priest vnto the house of one man, then to be a priest vnto a tribe or kynred in Israel?


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And the priestes hearte was glad, and toke the Ephod, and Theraphim, and the grauen image, and went in the middest of the people.


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And they turned and departed, and put the children, the catell, and their other substaunce before them.


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And whe they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses neare to Micahs house, gathered together, & folowed after the children of Dan:


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And called vnto them, and they turned their faces, & said vnto Micah: What ayleth thee, that thou makest an outcrye?


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And he sayd: Ye haue taken away my goddes which I made, and also ye priest, and go your wayes: and what haue I more? How then saye ye vnto me, What ayleth thee?


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And the children of Dan said vnto him: Let not thy voyce be hearde among vs, lest angrye felowes runne vpon thee, & thou lose thy lyfe, with the lyues of all thyne housholde.


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And so the children of Dan went their wayes: And when Micah sawe that they were to strong for hym, he turned and went backe vnto his house.


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And they toke the thinges which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and came vnto Lais, euen vnto a people that were at rest and without mystrust, and smote them with the edge of the sword, & burnt the citie with fire.


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And there was no man to helpe, because Lais was farre from Sidon, & they had medlyng with any other man: And it was in the valley that lyeth by Bethrehob.


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And they buylt them there a citie, and dwelt therin, & called it Dan after the name of Dan their father, which was borne vnto Israel: Howbeit, the name of the citie was Lais at ye begynnyng.


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And the chyldren of Dan set them vp the grauen image: And Ionathan the sonne of Gersom, the sonne of Manasses, and his sonnes, were the priestes in the tribe of Dan, vntyl the day of the captiuitie of the lande.


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And they set them vp the carued image which Micah made, all the while that the house of God was in Silo.


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Also in those dayes, when there was no kyng in Israel, a certayne Leuite soiournyng on the syde of mount Ephraim, toke to wyfe a concubine out of Bethlehem Iuda.


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And his concubine played the whore by him, and went awaye from him vnto her fathers house to Bethlehem Iuda, and there continued foure monethes.


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And her husbande arose, and went after her, to speake frendly vnto her, and to bryng her agayne, hauyng his lad with him, and a couple of asses: And she brought hym vnto her fathers house, & when the father of the damosell sawe hym, he reioyced of his commyng.


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And his father in lawe, the damosels father, retayned hym, and he abode with hym three dayes: and so they dyd eate and drinke, and lodged there.


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The fourth day whan they arose early in the mornyng, the man stoode vp, to depart. And the damosels father sayde vnto his sonne in lawe: Comfort thyne heart with a morsell of bread, and then go your way.


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And they sate downe, and dyd eate and drincke both of them together. And the damosels father sayde vnto the man: Be content I pray thee, and tary all nyght, and let thyne heart be mery.


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And when the man stoode redy to depart, his father in lawe compelled hym: therfore he returned, and taryed all nyght there.


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And he rose vp early the fyfth day to departe, and the damosels father said: Comforte thyne hearte I pray thee. And they taryed vntyll after mydday: and they dyd eate both of them together.


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And when the man arose to depart with his concubine and his lad, his father in lawe the damosels father, sayd vnto hym: Behold nowe, the day goeth fast away, and draweth towarde euen, I pray you tary all night: Behold the sunne goeth to rest, lodge here, that thyne hearte may be mery: and to morowe get you early vpon your waye, that thou mayest get thee to thy tent.


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Neuerthelatere the man woulde not tary, but arose and departed, and came as farre as Iebus (which is Hierusalem) and his two asses laden, and his concubine with hym.


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And when they were fast by Iebus, the day was sore spent, and the young man sayde vnto his maister: Come I pray thee, and let vs turne in into this citie of the Iebusites, and lodge al night there.


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His maister aunswered him: We wyll not turne into a straunge citie that are not of the children of Israel, we will go foorth to Gibea.


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And he sayd vnto his lad: Go forwarde and let vs drawe neare to one of these places to lodge all nyght, either in Gibea, or in Rama


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And they went forwarde vpon their way, and the sunne went downe vpon them when they were fast by Gibea, which belongeth to them of Beniamin.


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And they turned thytherwarde to go in, and lodge all nyght in Gibea: And when he came, he sat him downe in a streate of the citie, for there was no man that toke them into his house to lodgyng.


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And behold, there came an olde man from his worke, out of the fielde at eue, which was also of mount Ephraim, and dwelt as a straunger in Gibea: But the men of the place, were the children of Iemini.


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And when he had lyft vp his eyes, he sawe a wayfaryng man in the streate of the citie: And the olde man sayde, Whyther goest thou? and whence commest thou?


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He aunswered hym: We come from Bethlehem Iuda towarde the syde of mount Ephraim, from thence am I: and I went to Bethlehem Iuda, and go nowe to the house of the Lorde, and there is no man that receaueth me to house.


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We haue strawe and prouender for our asses, and bread and wyne for me and thy handmayde, and for the lad that is with thy seruaunt: & we lacke nothing.


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The olde man sayd: Peace be with thee, all that thou lackest shalt thou fynde with me: Only abyde not in the streate [all nyght].


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And so he brought him into his house, and gaue fodder vnto the Asses: and they wasshed their feete, and dyd eate and drynke.


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And as they were makyng their heartes mery, beholde, the men of the citie which were wicked, beset the house rounde about, and thrust at the doore, & spake to the man of the house, the olde man, saying: Bring foorth the man that came into thyne house, that we may knowe him.


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And this man the maister of the house went out, and sayd vnto them: Oh, nay my brethren, do not so wickedly, seyng that this man is come into myne house, do not so vnmeete a thyng.


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Behold, here is my daughter a mayden, and this mans concubine, them I wyll bryng out nowe vnto you, and humble them, & do with them what seemeth you good: but vnto this man do not so abhominable a thing.


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But the men woulde not hearken to hym: And the man toke his concubine, and brought her out vnto them, whiche knewe her, and abused her al the night, euen vnto the mornyng: and when the day began to spryng, they let her go.


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And then came the woman in the dawnyng of the day, and fell downe at the doore of the mans house where her lord was, tyll it was day.


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And her lorde arose vp in the morning, and opened the doores of the house, and went out to go his way: and beholde the woman, euen his concubine, laye along before the doore of the house, and her handes vpon the thresholde.


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And he sayde vnto her, Up, and let vs be goyng: But she aunswered not. Then the man toke her vp vpo an asse, & stoode vp, & gate hym vnto his place.


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And whe he was come into his house, he toke a knyfe, and caught his concubine, and deuided her in peeces, with the bones, into twelue partes, and sent her into all quarters of Israel.


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And all that sawe it, sayde: There was no suche deede done or seene sence the childre of Israel came out of Egypt vnto this day. Consider the matter, take aduisement, and say your myndes.


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Then all the chyldren of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, euen from Dan to Beerseba, with the lande of Gilead, vnto the Lorde in Mispah.


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And there assembled the chiefe men of all the people, [and] of all the tribes of Israel, in the congregation of the people of God, foure hundred thousande footemen that drewe swordes.


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(Now the chyldren of Beniamin heard that the chyldren of Israel were gone vp to Mispah) Then sayde the chyldren of Israel: Tell vs howe this wickednes is committed?


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And the Leuite the womans husband that was slayne, aunswered and saide: I came into Gibea that is in Beniamin with my concubine, to lodge all nyght:


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And the men of Gibea rose against me, and beset the house rounde about vpon me by night, & thought to haue slayne me, and my concubyne haue they forced, that she is dead.


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And I toke my concubine, & cut her in peeces, and sent her throughout all the countrey of the inheritaunce of Israel: For they haue committed abhomination and villanie in Israel.


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And all the people arose as one man, saying: There shal not a man of vs go to his tent, neither turne into his house.


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And we will take ten men of the hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and an hundred of the thousande, and a thousand out of ten thousand, to fetch vitayle for the people, that they may do when they come to Gibea Beniamin, according to all the abhomination that they haue wrought in Israel.


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And the tribes of Israel sent men thorowe all the tribe of Beniamin, saying: What wickednesse is this that is committed among you?


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Nowe therfore deliuer vs the men, those children of belial whiche are in Gibea, that we may slea them, and put away euill from Israel.


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Neuerthelater, the children of Beniamin would not hearke vnto the voyce of their brethren the children of Israel: But the children of Beniamin gathered the selues together out of the cities vnto Gibea, to come out and fight agaynst the children of Israel.


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And the children of Beniamin were numbred at that time out of the cities, twentie & sixe thousand men that drewe swordes, besyde the inhabitauntes of Gibea, which were numbred seuen hundred chosen men.


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And among all these folke, were seuen hundred chosen men beyng left handed, whiche euery one coulde flyng stones at an heere breadth, and not misse.


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And the children of Israel beside Beniamin, were numbred foure hundred thousand men that drewe swordes, and were all men of warre.


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And the children of Israel arose, and wet vp to the house of God, and asked of God, saying: Whiche of vs shall go vp first to the battel against the children of Beniamin? And the Lorde sayd: Iuda shall begin.


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And the men of Israel went out to battell against Beniamin, and the men of Israel put the selues in aray to fight against them, beside Gibea.


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And the children of Beniamin came out of Gibea, and destroyed downe to the ground of the Israelites that day twentie and two thousand men.


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And the people the men of Israel plucked vp their heartes, and set their battel againe in aray, in the same place where they dyd the first day.


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(And the children of Israel went vp, and wept before the Lorde vnto euen, and asked of the Lord, saying: Shal we go agayne to battell against the children of Beniamin our brethre? And the Lord sayde: Go vp against them.)


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And the children of Beniamin went against them out of Gibea the seconde day, and destroyed to the earth of the childre of Israel once againe eyghteene thousand men that drewe swordes euerie man of them.


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Then al the children of Israel, and all the people, went vp and came vnto the house of God, and wept, and sate there before the Lord, and fasted the same day vnto euen, and offered burnt offerynges and peace offerynges before the Lorde.


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And the children of Israel asked the Lord: (for there was the arke of the appoyntment of God, in those dayes:


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And Phinehes the sonne of Eleazar, the sonne of Aaron stoode before it at that time) saying: Shal I get me vp to go out any more to battell against the children of Beniamin my brethren, or shal I ceasse? The Lorde sayde: Go vp, for to morow I wil deliuer them into your handes.


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And the children of Israel went vp against the childre of Beniamin the third time, & put them selues in aray against Gibea, as twyse before.


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And the children of Beniamin came out against the people, & were drawen away from the citie, & they began to smite of ye people, dead as twise before, by two hye wayes in the fielde (of whiche one goeth vp to the house of god, & the other to Gibea) vpon a thirtie men of Israel.


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(And the children of Beniamin sayde: They are fallen before vs, as at the first. But the children of Israel sayd: Let vs flee, and plucke them away from the citie, vnto the hye wayes.)


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And all the men of Israel rose vp out of their place, & put them selues in aray at Baal Thamar: And lykewyse the liers in wayte of Israel came foorth out of their places, euen out of the medowes that were about Gibea,


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And came against Gibea ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and there was a sore battel: But they wist not that euyll was neare them.


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And the Lord plagued Beniamin before Israel, and the children of Israel destroyed of the Beniamites the same day twentie and fyue thousand and an hundred men, that drue swordes euerie one of them.


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And the children of Beniamin sawe that they were put to ye stricken downe: for the men of Israel gaue place to ye Beniamites, because they trusted vnto the lyers in wayt which they had layde beside Gibea.


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And the lyers in wayte hasted, & brake foorth against Gibea, & the embushment drewe them selues along, and smote all the citie with the edge of the sworde.


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And an appoyntment had the men of Israel from the lyers in wayt, that they should make a great flambe [and] smoke ryse vp out of the citie.


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And when the men of Israel retired in ye battell, Beniamin began to smyte dead of the children of Israel about a thirtie persons, and sayde: Surely they are stricken downe before vs, as in the first battell.


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But when there began to aryse out of the citie a flambe as a piller of smoke, the Beniamites loked backe, & behold the flambe of the whole citie began to ascende vp to heauen.


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When the men of Israel also turned agayne, the men of Beniamin were abashed, for they sawe that euyll approched them:


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And therfore they turned their backes before the men of Israel, vnto the way that leadeth to the wildernesse, but the battel ouertoke them: And besyde that, they which came out of the citie, destroied the in the middle of the.


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And thus they compassed the Beniamites about, and chased them at Menuha, and ouerranne them, euen ouer against Gibea on the east syde.


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And they turned & fled to the wyldernes ward, & vnto the rocke of Rimmon: and they gleaned by ye way of the rest of them, fiue thousande men: & pursued after them, vntyll they came to Gidom, and slue two thousand men of them.


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So that al that were slayne that same day of Beniamin were twentie & fyue thousand men that drue swordes, which were all men of warre:


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Onely sixe hundred men turned and fled to the wildernes, vnto the rocke of Rimmon, and abode in the rocke of Rimmon foure monethes.


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And the men of Israel turned backe againe vnto the children of Beniamin, and smote them with the edge of the sword in the cities, both man & beast, and al that came to hande, and set on fyre all the cities that they coulde come by.


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And the men of Israel sware in Mispah, saying: Ther shal none of vs geue his daughter vnto any of Beniamin to wife.


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And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till euen, before God, & lift vp their voyces, and wept sore,


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And sayde: O Lorde God of Israel, why is this come to passe in Israel, that there shoulde be this day one tribe lacking in Israel?


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And on the morowe the people rose vp betyme, and made there an aulter, and offered burnt offeringes and peace offeringes.


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And the children of Israel sayd: Who is he among al the tribes of Israel, that came not vp with the congregation vnto the Lorde? for they had made a great othe concerning him that came not vp to the Lord to Mispah, saying: He shall surely dye.


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And the children of Israel had pitie on Beniamin their brethren, and sayde: There is one tribe cut of from Israel this day:


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What shall we do vnto the remnaunt of them, that they may haue wiues? we haue sworne by the Lorde, that we wyl not geue the of our daughters to wiues.


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And they sayde: Is there any of the tribes of Israel, that came not vp to Mispah to the Lord? And behold, there came none of Iabes Gilead vnto the hoaste and congregation.


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And the congregation sent thyther twelue thousand men of the strongest, and commaunded them, saying: Go, and smyte the inhabitauntes of Iabes Gilead with the edge of the sworde, both women and children.


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And this is it that ye shall do: ye shall vtterly destroy all the males, and al the women that haue lyen by men.


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And they found among the inhabitautes of Iabes Gilead foure hundred damoselles, virgins, yt had knowne no man, by lyeng with any male: And they brought them vnto the hoast to Silo, whiche is in the lande of Chanaan.


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And the whole congregation sent and spake with the children of Beniamin that were in the rocke of Rimmon, and called peaceably vnto them.


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And Beniamin came againe at that time, and they gaue them wyues which they had saued alyue of the woman of Iabes Gilead: But they suffised them not.


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And the people were sory for Beniamin, because that the Lord had made a breache in the tribes of Israel.


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And then the elders of the congregation, sayd: What shall we do to the remnaunt of them, to get them wiues? seyng all the women of Beniamin are destroyed?


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And they sayde: There must be an inheritaunce for them that be escaped of Beniamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.


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Howbeit, we may not geue the wyues of our daughters. For the children of Israel had sworne, saying: Cursed be he that geueth a wyfe to Beniamin.


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Then they sayde: Behold, there is a feast of ye Lorde yerely in Silo, which is on the northside of Bethel, & on the cast side of the way that goeth from Bethel to Sichem, and south from Libanon.


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And when ye see that the daughters of Silo come out to daunce in daunces, the come ye out of the vineyardes & catche you euery man a wyfe of the daughters of Silo, & go to the lande of Beniamin.


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And when their fathers or brethren come vnto vs to complayne, we will say vnto them, Haue pitie on vs for their sakes: because we reserued not to eche man his wyfe in tyme of warre, neither haue ye geuen vnto them, that ye should sinne at this time.


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And the children of Beniamin did eue so, and toke them wyues according to the numbre of them that dauced, whom they caught: and they went, and returned vnto their inheritaunce, and repayred the cities, and dwelt in them.


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And the children of Israel departed thence at that tyme, & went euery man to his tribe, and to his kinred, and went out from thence euery man to his inheritaunce.


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In those dayes there was no king in Israel: but euery man dyd that whiche seemed right in his owne eyes.


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It came to passe that whe the iudges ruled, there fel a dearth in the land, & a certein man of Bethlehe Iuda went for to soiourne in the countrey of Moab, he and his wyfe, and his two sonnes.


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The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wyfe Naomi, and the names of his two sonnes were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephraites out of Bethlehem Iuda: And whe they came into the lande of Moab, they continued there.


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Whiche toke them wyues, Moabitesses, of the Moabites: the ones name was Orpha, and the others Ruth: And they dwelled there about a ten yeres.


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And Mahlon & Chilion died also euen both of them, and the woman was left destitute of her two sonnes and of her husband.


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Then she arose with her daughters in lawe, and returned from the countrey of Moab: for she had hearde say in the countrey of Moab, howe that the Lorde had visited his people, and geuen them bread.


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Wherfore she departed out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in lawe with her: And they went on their way to returne vnto the lande of Iuda.


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And Naomi said vnto her two daughters in lawe, Go & returne eche of you vnto your mothers house: & the Lorde deale as kindly with you, as ye haue dealt with the dead, and with me:


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And the Lord geue you, that you may fynde rest, either of you in the house of her husbande. And when she kyssed them, they lift vp their voyce and wept,


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And Naomi sayde, Turne againe my daughters: for what cause will you go with me? Are there any moe children in my wombe, to be your husbandes?


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Turne againe my daughters, go your way, for I am to olde to haue an husbande: And if I sayd, I haue hope, if I toke a man also this night, yea & though I had alredy borne sonnes:


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Would ye tary after them, till they were of age? or woulde ye for them so long refrayne from taking of husbandes? Not so my daughters: for it greeueth me muche for your sakes, that the hand of the Lorde is gone out against me.


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And they lift vp their voyces, & wept againe: and Orpha kissed her mother in lawe, but Ruth abode still by her.


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And Naomi said: See, thy sister in law is gone backe againe vnto her people, & vnto her gods: returne thou after her.


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And Ruth aunswered: Entreat me not to leaue thee, and to returne from after thee: for whyther thou goest, I will go also, & where thou dwellest, there I wil dwell: Thy people shalbe my people, and thy god my god:


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Where thou diest, there will I die, and there wyl I be buried: The Lord do so to me and more also, if ought but death depart thee and me.


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And so they wet both, vntil they came to Bethlehe: And whe they were come to Bethlehem, it was noysed of them thorow all the citie, and they sayde: Is not this Naomi?


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And she annswered them: Cal me not Naomi: but call me Mara, for the almightie hath made me verie bitter.


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I went out full, and the Lorde hath brought me home agayne emptie: Why then call ye me Naomi, seying, the Lord hath humbled me, & the almightie hath brought me vnto aduersite?


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And so Naomi with Ruth the Moabitesse her daughter in lawe, returned out of the countrey of Moab, and came to Bethlehe, in the beginning of barlie haruest.


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And Naomies husbad had a kinsman, a ma of power and wealth [which was] of the kinred of Elimelech, named Booz.


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And Ruth the Moabitesse sayd vnto Naomi: Let me nowe go to the fielde, & gather eares of corne after any man in whose sight I finde grace. And she sayde vnto her: Go my daughter.


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And she went, and came to the fielde, and gathered after the reapers: and so it was, that the same fielde parteyned vnto Booz, whiche was of the kinred of Elimelech.


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And beholde, Booz came from Bethlehem, and sayde vnto the reapers: The Lorde be with you. And they aunswered him: The Lorde blesse thee.


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And the young man that stode by the reapers aunswered, and sayd: It is the Moabitishe damosel, that came with Naomi out of the countrey of Moab,


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And she sayde vnto vs, I pray you let me gleane and gather after the reapers, amongst the sheaues: and so she came, and hath continued euen from the morning vnto nowe, saue that she taried a litle in the house.


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Then sayd Booz vnto Ruth: Hearest thou my daughter? Go to no other fielde to gather, neither go from hence, but abyde here by my maydens.


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Let thyne eyes be on the fielde that they do reape, & go thou after the [maydens:] Haue I not charged the young men, that they shall do thee no hurte? Moreouer, when thou art a thyrst, go vnto the vessels, & drinke of that which the laddes haue drawen.


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Then she fell on her face, and bowed her selfe to the ground, and sayde vnto him: Howe is it that I haue founde grace in thyne eyes, & that thou shouldest knowe me, seing I am an aliaunt?


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And Booz aunswered and sayde vnto her: Al is tolde & shewed me that thou hast done vnto thy mother in law sence the death of thyne husband: howe thou hast left thy father and thy mother and the land where thou wast borne, and art come vnto a people which thou knewest not in time passed.


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The Lord quyte thy worke, and a full reward be geuen thee of the Lord God of Israel, vnder whose winges thou art come to trust.


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Then she sayde: Let me finde fauour in thy sight my lord, thou that hast comforted me, and spoken comfortably vnto thy mayde, whiche yet am not lyke vnto one of thy maydens.


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Booz sayde vnto her agayne: At the meale tyme come thou hyther, and eate of the bread, and dyp thy morsel in the vineger. And she sat besyde the reapers: and he reached her parched corne, & she dyd eate, and was suffised, & left part:


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And when she was rysen vp to gather, Booz comaunded his young men, saying: Let her gather euen among the sheaues, and rebuke her not.


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And leaue her some of the sheaues for the nonce, and let it lye, that she may gather it vp, and rebuke her not.


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And so she gathered in the fielde vntil euen, and threshed that she had gathered, and it was in measure vpon an Epha of barlye.


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And she toke it vp, and went into the citie: and when her mother in lawe had seene what she had gathered, she plucked out also, & gaue to her that she had reserued when she had eaten enough.


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And her mother in lawe sayde vnto her: Where hast thou gathered to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that knewe thee. And she shewed her mother in lawe howe she had wrought with him, and sayde: The mans name with whom I wrought to day is Booz.


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And Naomi said vnto her daughter inlawe: Blessed be he of the Lord, for he ceasseth not to do good to the lyuing & to the dead. And Naomi sayd agayne vnto her: The man is nye vnto vs, and of our affinitie.


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And Ruth the Moabitesse sayd: he sayd vnto me also, Thou shalt be with my young men, vntil they haue ended al my haruest.


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And Naomi aunswered vnto Ruth her daughter in lawe: It is best my daughter that thou go out with his maydens, that they come not against thee in any other fielde.


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And so she kept her by the maydens of Booz, to gather, vnto the ende of barlye haruest and of wheate haruest also, & dwelt with her mother in lawe.


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Then Naomi her mother in lawe sayde vnto her: My daughter, shal I not seke rest for thee, yt thou mayest prosper?


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And is not Booz our kinsman, with whose maydens thou wast? Beholde, he winnoweth barlie to night in the thresshing floore.


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Wasshe thy selfe therfore, and annoynt thee, and put thy rayment vpon thee, & get thee downe to the floore: but let not the man knoweof thee, vntill he haue left eating and drincking.


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And when he goeth to sleepe, marke the place where he layeth him downe, and then go and lyft vp the clothes that are on his feete, & lay thee downe there: and he shall tel thee what thou shalt do.


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And when Booz had eaten and drunken, & cheared his heart, he went to lye downe at the ende of the heape of corne: and she came softly, and lift vp the clothes of his feete, and layed her downe.


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And he sayde: What art thou? She aunswered, I am Ruth thyne handmayde: Spreade the wing of thy [garment] ouer thyne handmayde, for thou art the kinsman.


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He sayde: Blessed be thou in the Lord my daughter, for thou hast shewed more goodnesse in the latter ende, then at the beginning, inasmuche as thou folowedst not young men, whether they were poore or riche.


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And nowe my daughter feare not, I will do to the all that thou requirest: for all the citie of my people doth know, that thou art a woman of vertue.


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Tary this night, and when morning is come, if he wil perfourme the part of a kinsman vnto thee, it is good, let him do the kinsmans part: but if he wyl not do the kinsmans part, then wyl I do the duetie of a kinsman, as the Lorde liueth: sleepe vntil the morning.


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And she lay at his feete vntill the morning: and she arose vp before one coulde knowe another. And he sayde: Let no man knowe that there came any woman into the floore.


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And he sayde againe: Bring the mantel that thou hast vpon thee, & holde it. And when she held it, he mette in sixe measures of barlye, and layde it on her: And she gat her into the citie.


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And when she came in, to her mother in lawe, she sayde: Who art thou, my daughter? And she tolde her all that the man had done to her,


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And sayde: These sixe measures of barlye gaue he me, and sayde: Thou shalt not come emptie vnto thy mother in lawe.


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Then sayde she: My daughter, sit still vntil thou knowe howe the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, vntill he haue finished the thing this same day.


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Then went Booz vp to the gate, and sat him downe there: and beholde, the kinsman of which Booz spake, came by, vnto whom, he sayde: Ho, suche one, come, sit downe here. And he turned, & sat downe.


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And he sayd vnto the kinsman: Naomi that is come agayne out of the countrey of Moab, will sel a parcell of lande, which was our brother Elimelechs.


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And I thought to do thee to wyt, and byd the bye it before thee inhabitauntes and elders of my people. If thou wilt redeeme it, redeeme it: but & if thou wilt not redeeme it, then tell me, that I may knowe: For there is none to redeeme it, saue thou, and I next thee. And the other aunswered: I will redeeme it.


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Then sayd Booz: What day thou biest the fielde of the hande of Naomi, thou must bye it also of Ruth the Moabite the wyfe of the dead, to stirre vp the name of the dead vpon his inheritaunce.


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The kinsman aunswered: I can not redeeme it, for marring of myne owne inheritaunce: redeeme thou my right to thee, for I cannot redeeme it.


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Nowe this was the maner of olde time in Israel concerning redeeming & chaunging, for to stablishe al thing: that a man must plucke of his shoe, & geue it his neyghbour: And this was a sure witnesse in Israel.


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And Booz sayde vnto the elders and vnto all the people: Ye are witnesses this day, that I haue bought all that was Elimelechs, and all that was Chilions, and Mahalons, of the hande of Naomi.


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And moreouer, Ruth the Moabite the wyfe of Mahalo, haue I purchased to be my wyfe, to stirre vp the name of the dead vpon his inheritaunce, & that the name of the dead be not put out fro among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day.


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And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, sayde, We are witnesses: The Lord make the woma that is come into thyne house, lyke Rahel and Lea, whiche twayne dyd buylde the house of Israel: & that thou mayest do worthyly in Ephrata, and be famous in Bethlehem.


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Thy house be like the house of Pharez (whom Thamar bare vnto Iuda) eue of the seede whiche the Lord shall geue thee of this young woman.


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And so Booz toke Ruth, and she was his wyfe: And when he went in vnto her, the Lorde gaue, that she conceaued and bare a sonne.


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And the women sayde vnto Naomi: Blessed be the Lorde, the whiche hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, and his name shalbe continued in Israel.


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And that shall bring thy lyfe agayne, and cherishe thyne olde age: For thy daughter in lawe whiche loueth thee, hath borne vnto him, and she is better to thee then seuen sonnes.


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And the women her neyghbours gaue it a name, saying: There is a child borne to Naomi, & called it Obed: the same is the father of Isai, the father of Dauid.


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There was a man of one of the two Ramathaim Zophim, of mout Ephraim, named Elkana, the sonne of Ieroham, the sonne of Elihu, the sonne of Thohu, the sonne of Zuph, an Ephrathite:


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Which had two wyues, the one called Hanna, & the other Phenenna: And Phenenna had children, but Hanna had no children.


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And this man went vp out of his citie euery yere, to worship and to sacrifice vnto the Lord of hoastes in Silo, where were the two sonnes of Eli, Hophni and Phinehes, the Lordes priestes.


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And it fel on a day, that Elkana offered, and gaue to Phenenna his wyfe, and to all her sonnes and daughters, portions.


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And her enemie [Phenenna] vexed her sore, forasmuche as she vpbrayded her, because the Lord had made her barren.


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(And so dyd he yere by yere) and as oft as she wet vp to the house of the Lord, thus she vexed her, that she wept, and dyd not eate.


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Then sayde Elkana her husband to her: Hanna, why wepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thine hearte troubled? Am not I better to thee then ten sonnes?


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So Hanna rose vp after that they had eaten and drunke in Silo. (And Eli the priest sate vpon a stoole by one of the postes of the temple of the Lorde.)


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And vowed a vowe, and sayd: O Lord of hoastes, if thou wilt loke on the trouble of thyne handmayde and remembre me, and not forget thyne hand mayde, but geue vnto thyne handmayde a man childe, I will geue him vnto the Lorde all the dayes of his lyfe, and there shall no rasor come vpon his head.


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For Hanna spake in her hearte, & her lippes did but moue onely, but her voyce was not hearde, & therfore Eli thought she had ben drunken.


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Hanna aunswered, and sayde, Not so my Lord: I am a woman of a sorowful hearte, I haue drunke neither wine nor strong drincke, but haue powred out my soule before the Lorde:


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Count not thine handmayde for a wicked woman: for out of the aboundaunce of my heauynesse & griefe, haue I spoken hytherto.


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Eli aunswered her againe, and sayde: Go in peace, the God of Israel graunt thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.


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She said: Let thyne handmayde finde grace in thy sight. And so the woman went her way, and dyd eate, and loked no more sad.


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And they rose vp early, & worshipped before the Lorde, and then returned, & came to their house to Ramath: And when Elkana knewe Hanna his wyfe, the Lorde remembred her.


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For in processe of time it came to passe, that she conceaued, and bare a sonne, & called his name Samuel, [saying:] Because I haue asked him of the Lorde.


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And the man Elkana and all his house, went vp to offer vnto the Lorde the yerely sacrifice, and also his vowe.


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Neuerthelesse, Hanna wet not vp, but sayde vnto her husband: I will tary vntill the lad be weaned, and then I will bryng hym, that he may appeare before the Lord, and there abyde for euer.


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Elkana her husband aunswered her: Do what seemeth thee best, tary at home vntyll thou hast weaned him, and I beseche the Lord to make good his saying. And so the woman abode, and gaue her sonne sucke, vntyll she weaned hym.


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And when she had weaned hym, she toke hym with her, with three bullockes, and an Epha of floure, and a bottle of wine, and brought hym vnto the house of the Lorde in Silo, and the child was young.


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And she sayd: Oh my Lorde, as thy soule lyueth my Lorde, I am the woman that stoode before thee here praying vnto the Lorde.


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And therfore I haue geuen him vnto the Lord, as long as he liueth he shalbe geuen to the Lorde. And he worshipped the Lorde there.


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And Hanna prayed, & sayde: Myne heart reioyceth in the Lorde, and myne horne is exalted in the Lorde: My mouth is wyde open ouer myne enemies, for I reioyce in thy saluation.


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There is none holy as the Lorde: for without thee is nothing, neither is there any of strength as is our God.


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Talke no more proudly, let not arrogancie come out of your mouthes: for the Lorde is a God of knowledge, and his purposes come to passe.


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The bowe with the mightie men are broken, and they that were weake haue gyrde them selues with strength.


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They that were full, haue hyred out them selues for bread, and they that were hungry, ceasse, tyll the barren hath borne seuen, and she that had many children, is waxed feeble.


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He rayseth vp the poore out of the dust, and lyfteth vp the beggar from the dounghyll, to set them among princes, and to make them inherite the seate of glory: For the pyllers of the earth are the lordes, and he hath set the worlde vpon them.


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He wyll kepe the feete of his saintes, and the wicked shall kepe scilence in darknesse, and in his owne myght shal no man be strong.


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The lordes aduersaries shal be destroyed of hym, & out of heauen shall he thunder vpon them: The Lorde shall iudge the endes of the worlde, and shall gyue myght vnto his king, and exalt the horne of his annoynted.


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And Elkana went to Ramath to his house, and the lad dyd minister vnto the Lorde before Eli the priest.


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And the priestes custome toward the people was, that whensoeuer any man offered any offring, ye priestes lad came whyle the fleshe was a seethyng, and a fleshhoke with three teeth in his hande:


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And thrust it into the panne, kettle, caldren, or pot: and all that the fleshehoke brought vp, that the priest toke for hym self: And so they dyd vnto all the Israelites that came thyther to Silo.


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Yea, and thereto before they burnt the fat, the priestes lad came and sayde to the man that offered, Geue fleshe, that I may roste it for the priest: for he wyll not haue sodde fleshe of thee, but rawe.


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And yf any man sayde vnto hym, Let them burne the fat according to the custome, and then take as much as thyne hearte desireth: Then he would aunswere hym, Yea, thou shalt geue it me nowe: and if thou wilt not, I wyll take it with violence.


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And the sinne of the young men was very great before the Lord: For men abhorred the offering of the Lord.


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Moreouer, his mother made him a litle coate, and brought it to him from yere to yere, when she came vp with her husband to offer the yerely sacrifice.


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And Eli blessed Elkana and his wife, and said: The Lorde geue thee seede of this woman, for the petition that she asked of the Lord. And they went vnto their owne home.


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And the Lorde visited Hanna, so that she conceaued, and bare three sonnes, & two daughters: And the childe Samuel grew before the Lorde.


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Eli was very olde, and heard all that his sonnes did vnto Israel, & how they lay with the women that wayted at the doore of the tabernacle of the congregation.


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And he saide vnto them: Why do ye such thinges? For of all these people I heare euill reportes of you.


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Oh, nay my sonnes: For it is no good report that I heare, how that ye make the Lordes people to trespasse.


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If one man sinne against another, the Iudge shall iudge it: But if a man sinne against the Lord, who will be his dayseman? Notwithstandiug, they hearkened not vnto the voyce of their father, because the Lorde would slay the.


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And there came a man of God vnto Eli, and sayde vnto hym, thus saith the Lorde: Dyd not I playnely appeare vnto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaos house?


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And I chose him out of al the tribes of Israel to be my priest, for to offer vppon mine aulter, and to burne incense, and to weare an Ephod before me: and I gaue vnto the house of thy father, all the offerynges made by fire of the chyldren of Israel.


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Wherfore treade ye downe my sacrifice and mine offering which I comaunded in the tabernacle, and honorest thy chyldren aboue me, to make your selues fat of the first fruites of all the offerynges of Israel my people?


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Wherefore the Lorde God of Israel saith: I sayde, that thy house and the house of thy father should walke before me for euer: But nowe the Lorde saith, That be farre fro me: For them that worship me, I wyll worship, and they that despise me, shall come to shame.


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Behold, the dayes come, that I wyll cut of thine arme, and the arme of thy fathers house, that there shall not be an olde man in thine house.


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And thou shalt see thine enemie in the habitation [of the Lorde] and in all the wealth which [God] shall geue Israel, and there shall not be an olde man in thyne house for euer.


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Neuerthelesse, I wyll not destroy euery one that come of thee from mine aulter, to make thine eyes to fayle, and to make thine heart sorowfull: And all they that be multiplied in thine house, shall dye [when they be] men.


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And this shalbe a signe vnto thee, that shal come vpon thy two sonnes Hophni and Phinehes: euen in one day they shall dye both.


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And I wyll stirre me vp a faythfull priest, yt shall do according to my heart and minde, and I wil builde him a sure house, and he shall walke before mine annoynted for euer.


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And all that are left in thyne house, shall come and crouch to him for a peece of siluer and a morsell of bread, and shal saye: Put me (I pray thee) in one office or other among ye priestes, that I may eate a morsell of bread.


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And the chylde Samuel ministred vnto the Lorde before Eli, and the worde of the Lord was precious in those dayes, neither was there any open vision.


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And yet the lampe of God went out, Samuel layde hym downe to sleepe in the temple of the Lord, where the arke of God was.


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And he ran vnto Eli, and sayde: Here am I, for thou calledst me. And he said, I called thee not, go againe and sleepe. And he went, and layde hym downe to sleepe.


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And the Lorde called once againe, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and sayde: I am here, for thou diddest call me. And he aunswered: I called thee not my sonne, go againe and sleepe.


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And the Lorde went to, and called Samuel the thirde tyme. And he arose and went to Eli, and saide: I am here, for thou hast called me. And Eli perceaued that the Lord had called the childe.


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Therefore Eli sayde vnto Samuel: Go and sleepe, and yf he call thee, then say: Speake Lorde, for thy seruaunt heareth thee. So Samuel went, and slept in his place.


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And the Lorde came, and stoode and called as before, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel aunswered: Speake, for thy seruaunt heareth.


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And the Lorde saide to Samuel: Beholde, I wyll do a thing in Israel, that both the eares of as many as heareth it shall tyngle.


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In that day, I wyll rayse vp against Eli all thynges whiche I haue spoken concernyng his house: when I begyn, I wyll also make an ende.


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I haue tolde hym that I wyll iudge his house for euer, for the wickednesse which he knoweth: For whe [the people] cursed his sonnes for ye same [wickednesse] he hath not corrected them.


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And therfore I haue sworne vnto the house of Eli, that the wickednesse of Elies house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offeryng for euer.


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Samuel slept vntyl the mornyng, and opened the doores of the house of the Lorde: and Samuel feared to shewe Eli the vision.


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He saide: What is that the Lord hath saide vnto thee? I pray thee hyde it not from me: God do so to thee, & more also, if thou hyde any thyng from me of all that he sayde vnto thee.


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And Samuel tolde hym euerywhyt, and hyd nothyng from hym. And he saide: It is the Lord, let hym do what seemeth hym good.


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And the Lorde appeared againe in Silo: for the Lorde opened him selfe to Samuel in Silo, through the worde of the Lorde.


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And Samuel spake vnto all Israel: And Israel went out against the Philistines to battell, and pitched besyde the Eben ezer, and the Philistines pitched in Aphec,


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And put them selues in aray against Israel: and when they ioyned the battell, Israel was smytten downe before the Philistines, and the Philistines slue of the armie in the fielde about a foure thousand men.


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And when the people were come into their tentes, the elders of Israel sayde: Wherfore hath the Lorde caste vs downe this day before the Philistines? let vs fetch the arke of the appoyntmet of the Lorde out of Silo vnto vs, that when it cometh among vs, it may saue vs out of the hand of our enemies.


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And so the people went to Silo, and fet from thence the arke of the appoyntment of the Lorde of hoastes, which dwelleth betweene the cherubims: And there wer the two sonnes of Eli, Hophni and Phinehes, with the arke of the appoyntment of God.


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And when the arke of the appoyntment of the Lorde came into the hoast, all Israel showted a mightie showte, so that the earth rang againe.


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And when the Philistines heard the noyse of the showte, they saide: What meaneth the sounde of this mightie showte in the hoast of the Ebrues? And they vnderstode howe that the arke of the Lorde was come into the hoast.


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And the Philistines were afraide, and saide: God is come into the hoast. And they said againe: Wo vnto vs, for it was neuer so before this.


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Wo vnto vs, who shall deliuer vs out of the hand of these mightie goddes? these are the goddes that smote the Egyptians with many plagues in the wildernes.


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Be strong and quite your selues lyke men, O ye Philistines, that ye be no seruaunts vnto the Ebrues, as they haue ben to you: Be of a manly corage therfore and fight.


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And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten downe, and fled euery man into his tent: And there was an exceeding great slaughter, for there were ouerthrowen of Israel thirtie thousand footemen.


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And there ran a man of Beniamin out of the armie, and came to Silo the same day with his clothes rent, and earth vpon his head.


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And when he came, lo, Eli sat vpon a stoole by the way side, wayting: for his heart feared for the arke of God. And when the man came into the citie, and tolde it, all the citie cryed.


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And when Eli heard the noyse of the crying, he saide: What meaneth this noyse of the tumult? And the man came in hastyly, and tolde Eli.


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And the man said vnto Eli: I am he that came out of the armie, & fled this day out of the hoast. And he said: What thing is done my sonne?


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The messenger aunswered, and said: Israel is fled before the Philistines, & there hath ben a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sonnes Hophni and Phinehes are dead, and the arke of God is taken.


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And when he made mention of the arke of God, Eli fell from of his stoole backward by the side of the gate, and his necke brake, and he dyed: For he was an olde man and heauy, and iudged Israel fourtie yeres?


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And his daughter in lawe Phinehes wyfe was with childe, and nye the birth: And when she heard the tidinges that the arke of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed her selfe, and trauayled, for her paynes came vpon her.


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And about the tyme of her death, the women that stoode about her, saide vnto her: Feare not, for thou hast borne a sonne. But she aunswered not, nor regarded it.


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And she named the childe Ichabod, saying: The glorie is departed fro Israel, (because the arke of God was taken, and because of her father in lawe and her husband.)


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Yea the Philistines toke the arke of God, and brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.


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And when they of Asdod were vp in the next daye in the mornyng, beholde, Dagon was fallen vpon his face on the earth before the arke of the Lorde: And they toke Dagon, and set him in his place agayne.


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And when they were come earlie in the next morning, beholde, Dagon was fallen vpon his face on the grounde before the arke of the Lorde, and his head and his two handes cut of vpon the thresholde, that onely the stumpe of Dagon was left to him.


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And therfore is it, that the priestes of Dagon, neither any man that commeth into Dagons house, treade not on the thresholde of Dagon in Asdod, vnto this day.


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But the hand of the Lorde was heauie vpon them of Asdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerodes, both Asdod, and all the coastes thereof.


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And when the men of Asdod sawe that it was so, they saide: The arke of the God of Israel shal not abide here with vs, for his hand is sore vpon vs, & vpon Dagon our God.


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They sent therfore, and gathered all the lordes of the Philistines vnto them, and saide: What shall we do with the arke of the God of Israel? They aunswered: Let the arke of the God of Israel be caryed about vnto Gath. And they caried the arke of the God of Israel about.


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And when they had caryed it about, the hand of the Lorde was agaynst the citie with a very great destruction, and he smote the men of the citie both small and great, and they had emerodes in their secrete partes.


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Therfore they sent the arke of God to Acaron: and assoone as the arke of God came to Acaron, the Acaronites cryed out, saying: They haue brought the arke of the God of Israel to vs, to slea vs, and our people.


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And so they sent, and gathered together al the lordes of the Philistines, and saide: Send away the arke of the God of Israel, to go agayne to his owne place, that it slea vs not, and our people. For there was a destruction and death thorowout all the citie, and the hand of God was exceeding sore there.


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And the men that dyed not, were smitten with the emerodes: And the crye of the citie went vp to heauen.


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And the Philistines called for the priestes and the soothsayers, saying: What shall we do with the arke of the Lord? Tell vs wherewith we shall sende it home againe:


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They sayde: If you send away the arke of the God of Israel, send it not emptie: but rewarde it with sinne offeryng, and then ye shall be whole, and it shall be knowen to you, why his hand departeth not from you.


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Then sayd they: And what shalbe the sinne offering, which we shall rewarde him with? They aunswered: Fiue golden emerodes, and fiue golden myce, accordyng to the number of the princes of ye Philistines: For one plague was on you all, and on your princes.


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Wherfore ye shall make images lyke to your emerodes, & images like to your myce that corrupt the land, and ye shall geue glorie vnto the God of Israel, that he may take his hand from of you, and from of your goddes, and from of your land.


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Wherfore do ye harden your heartes, as the Egyptians and Pharao hardened their heartes? Which when he wrought wonderfullie among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?


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Now therfore, make a newe cart, and take two melche kyne, on whom there hath come no yocke, and tye the kyne to the carte, and bring the calues home from them.


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And take the arke of the Lorde, and lay it vpon the cart, and put the iewels of golde whiche ye rewarde him with for a sinne offering, in a coffer by the side thereof, and send it awaye, that it may go.


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And if ye see that he go vp by the way of his owne coaste to Bethsames, then it is he that did vs this great euill: If no. we shall knowe then that it is not his hand that smote vs, but it was a chaunce that happened vs.


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And the men did euen so: And toke two kyne that gaue milke, & tyed them to the cart, and kept the calues at home.


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And they layde the arke of the Lorde vpon the cart, and the coffer with the myce of golde, and with the images of their emerodes.


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And the kyne toke the strayght way to Bethsames, & went on the strayght way: and as they went, lowed, and turned neither to the ryght hande nor to the left: And the princes of the Philistines went after them, vnto the borders of Bethsames.


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And they of Bethsames were reaping their wheate haruest in the valley: And they lyft vp their eyes, and spied the arke, and reioyced when they sawe it.


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And the carte came into the fielde of one Iehosua, a Bethsamite, and stoode still ther. There was also a great stone: And they claue the wood of the carte, and offred the kyne a burnt offring vnto the Lorde.


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And the Leuites toke downe the arke of the Lorde, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the iewels of golde were, and put them on the great stone: And the men of Bethsames sacrificed burnt sacrifice, and offered offeringes the same day vnto the Lorde.


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And these are the golden emerodes which the Philistines gaue for a sinne offering to the Lord: for Asdod one, for Gaza one, for Ascalon one, for Gath one, and for Acaron one.


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And golden myce, accordyng to the number of al the cities of the Philistines [belongyng] to the fyue lordes, both of walled townes, and of townes vnwalled, euen vnto the great [stone] of Abel, whereon they set downe the arke of the Lorde vnto this day, in the fielde of Iehosua the Bethsamite.


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And he smote of the men of Bethsames, because they had loked in the arke of the Lorde, and he slue among the people fiftie thousand and three score and ten men: And the people lamented, because the Lorde had slaine the people with so great a slaughter.


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Wherfore the men of Bethsames said: Who is able to stand before this holie Lorde God? And to whom shall he go from vs?


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And they sent messengers to the inhabitaunts of Kiriathiarim, saying: The Philistines haue brought againe the arke of the Lord, come ye downe and fet it vp to you.


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And so the men of Kiriathiarim came and set vp the arke of the Lorde, & brought it into the house of Aminadab in the hyll, and sanctified Eleazar his sonne, to keepe the arke of the Lorde.


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And while the arke abode in Kiriathiarim, the tyme was long, for it was twentie yeres: & all the house of Israel lamented after the Lorde.


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And Samnel spake vnto al the house of Israel, saying: If ye be come agayne vnto the Lorde with all your heartes, then put away the straunge gods and Astaroth from among you, and prepare your heartes vnto the Lord, and serue him onely: For he shall ryd you out of the hand of the Philistines.


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And they gathered together to Mispah, and drewe water, and poured it out before the Lorde, and fasted the same day, and sayd there: We haue sinned against the Lorde. And Samuel iudged the children of Israel in Mispah.


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When the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mispah, the princes of the Philistines went vp against Israel: And when the children of Israel hard that, they were afrayde of the Philistines.


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And the children of Israel sayd to Samuel: Ceasse not to crye vnto the lord our God for vs, that he may saue vs out of the hand of the Philistines.


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And Samuel toke a sucking lambe, and offered it altogether for a burnt offering vnto the Lord, and cryed vnto the Lorde for Israel, and the Lorde heard him.


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And as Samuel offered the burnt offering, the Philistines came to fight against Israel: But the Lorde thundred a great thunder the same day among the Philistines, & scattered them, that they were slaine before Israel.


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And the men of Israel went out of Mispah, and pursued the Philistines, & smote the vntill [they came] vnder Bethchar.


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And then Samuel toke a stone, and pitched it betweene Mispah & Shen, and called the name thereof Eben ezer, saying: Hitherto hath the Lorde helped vs.


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And so the Philistines were brought vnder, and they came no more into the coaste of Israel: and the hande of the Lorde was against the Philistines all the dayes of Samuel.


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Therto the cities which that the Philistines had taken from Israel, were restored to Israel euen from Acaron to Gath, and the coastes of the same dyd Israel deliuer out of the handes of the Philistines: And there was peace betweene Israel and the Amorites.


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And came againe to Rama, for there was his house, and there he iudged Israel also, & there he buylt an aulter vnto the Lorde.


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The name of his eldest sonne was Ioel, and the name of the seconde Abia, and they were iudges in Beerseba.


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And his sonnes walked not in his wayes, but turned aside after lucre, and tooke rewarde, and peruerted the ryght.


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And sayd vnto him: Beholde, thou art olde, and thy sonnes walke not in thy wayes: Now therfore make vs a king to iudge vs, as all other nations [haue]


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But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, geue vs a king to iudge vs: And Samuel prayed vnto the lorde.


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And the Lorde saide vnto Samuel, Heare the voyce of the people in all that they say vnto thee: For they haue not cast thee away, but they haue cast me away, that I should not raigne ouer them.


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And as they haue euer done sence I brought them out of Egypt vnto this day, and haue forsaken me, and serued other gods, euen so do they vnto thee.


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Now therefore hearken vnto their voyce: howbeit yet testifie vnto them, & shewe them the maner of the king that shall raigne ouer them.


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And he said: This shal be the maner of the king that shall raigne ouer you, he will take your sonnes and put them to his charets, and make his horsemen of them, to run before his charet.


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And will make him of the captaines ouer thousandes and ouer fifties, and will set them to eare his grounde, and to gather in his haruest, & to make instrumentes of warre, and thinges that serue for his charets.


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And he shall take your fieldes, and your vineyardes, and your best oliue trees, and geue them to his seruauntes.


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And he shall take the tenth of your seede, and of your vineyardes, and geue it to his eunuches, & to his seruauntes.


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And he shal take your men seruauntes, and maide seruauntes, young men, and the chiefe of your asses, and put them to his worke.


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And ye shall crie out at that time, because of your king whiche ye shall haue chosen you, & the Lorde wil not heare you at that day.


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Neuerthelesse, the people woulde not heare the voyce of Samuel, but did say, Nay, not so: But there shalbe a king ouer vs,


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That we may be lyke other nations, and that our king may iudge vs, and go out before vs, and fight our battailes.


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Therfore when Samuel hearde all the wordes of the people, he rehearsed them in the eares of the Lord.


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And the Lord sayd to Samuel: Hearken vnto their voyce, and make them a king. And Samuel said vnto the men of Israel: Go euery man vnto his citie.


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There was a man of Beniamin named Cis the sonne of Abiel, the sonne of Zeror, ye sonne of Bechorath, the sonne of Aphiah, the sonne of a man that was a Ieminite, mightie in power.


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And the same had a sonne called Saul, a goodly young man and a faire, so that among the children of Israel there was none goodlier then he: From the shoulders vpwarde he was hygher then all the other people.


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And the asses of this Cis Sauls father were lost, and Cis sayd to Saul his sonne: Take one of the laddes with thee, and arise, go and seke the asses.


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And he went through mount Ephraim, and passed through the lande of Salisa: but they founde them not. Then they went through the lande of Salim, and there they were not. When they went also through the land of Iemini, they found them not.


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At the last, when they were come to the lande of Zuph, Saul sayde to his lad that was with him: Come, let vs returne, lest my father leaue caring for the asses, and take thought for vs.


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He sayde vnto him: Behold, there is in this citie a man of God, & he is an honorable man, all that he sayth, commeth suerly to passe: Now then let vs go thyther, if so be he can shewe vs what way we may go.


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Then sayde Saul to his lad: If we will go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread is spent in our vessels, & there is no other present to bring the man of God: what haue we?


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And the lad aunswered Saul againe, and sayde: Behold I haue found about me the fourth part of a sicle of siluer, that will I geue the man of God, to tell vs our way.


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(Before time in Israel when a man went to seke an aunswere of God, thus wyse he spake, Come and let vs go to the Seer: For he that is now called a prophete, was in the olde tyme called a Seer.


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Then sayde Saul to his lad, wel sayd of thee: Come, let vs go. And so they wet vnto the citie where the man of God was.


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And as they went their way vp the hil to the citie, they met with damosels that came out to drawe water, and sayd vnto them: Is there here a Seer?


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And the maydens aunswered them, and sayd: yea, beholde he is before you, make hast nowe, for he came this day to the citie, for ther is an offring of the people this day in the hill.


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When ye be come into the citie, ye shall finde him strayghtway yer he go vp to the hil to eate: for ye people wil not eate vntil he come, because he doth blesse the offring, and then eate they that be bydden to the feast: Nowe therfore get you vp, for this day shal ye finde him.


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And they went vp into the citie: And when they were come into the middes of the citie, beholde Samuel came out agaynst them, for to go vp to the hill.


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To morowe this tyme I wyll sende thee a man out of the lande of Beniamin, him shalt thou annoynt to be captaine ouer my people Israel, that he may saue my people out of ye handes of the Philistines: for I haue loked vpon my people, and their crie is come vnto me.


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When Samuel therfore sawe Saul, the Lorde aunswered him: See, this is the man whom I spake to thee of, this same shall raigne ouer my people.


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Then went Saul to Samuel in the middle of the gate, and sayd: Tell me I pray thee where the sears house is?


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Samuel aunswered Saul and sayd, I am the sear: Go vp before me vnto the hil, for ye shall eate with me to day, and to morowe I wil let thee go, and wil tel thee all that is in thyne heart.


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And as for thyne asses that were lost three dayes ago, care not for them, for they are founde: And whose shall the beawtiful thinges of Israel be? Belong they not to thee, and vnto all thy fathers house?


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But Saul aunswered and sayde: Am not I the sonne of a Ieminite, of the smallest tribe of Israel? and my kinred is the lest of all the kinredes of the tribe of Beniamin? Wherfore then speakest thou so to me?


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And Samuel toke Saul and his lad, and brought them into the parler, and made the sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, whiche were vpon a thirtie persons.


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And Samuel sayde vnto the cooke: Bring foorth the portion which I gaue thee, and of which I said vnto thee, kepe it with thee.


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And the cooke toke vp the shoulder, & that which was vpon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel sayd: Behold that which is left, put it before thee and eate: for hytherto hath it ben kept for thee, saying: Also I called the people. And so Saul dyd eate with Samuel that day.


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And when they were come downe fro the hyghe place into the citie, Samuel communed with Saul vpon the top of the house.


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And when they arose earely about the spring of the day, Samuel called Saul vpon the toppe of the house, saying: Up, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out, both he and Samuel.


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And when they were come almost out of the towne, Samuel sayde to Saul: Bid the lad go before vs (and he went before) but stande thou stil a whyle, that I may shewe thee the worde of God.


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And the Samuel toke a vessell of oyle, and powred it vpon his head, and kissed him, and sayd: Hath not the Lord annoynted thee, to be captaine ouer his inheritaunce?


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When thou art departed from me this day, thou shalt finde two men by Rahels sepulchre in ye border of Beniamin, euen at Zalezah, and they wil say vnto thee, ye asses which thou wetest to seke, are found: And lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, & soroweth for you, saying: what shal I do for my sonne?


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Then shalt thou go foorth fro thence, & shalt come to the playne of Thabor, and ther shal meete thee three me going vp to God to Bethel, one carying three kiddes, & another carying three loues of bread, & another carying a botel of wine.


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And they wil salute thee and geue thee two loues of bread, which thou shalt receaue of their handes.


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After that, shalt thou come to the hil of God, wher is the garison of the Philistines: And when thou art come thyther to the citie, thou shalt meete a companie of prophetes comming downe fro the hyghe place, with a psalter, a timbrell, a pype, & a harpe before them, and they shal prophesie.


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And the spirite of the Lorde wil come vpon thee also, and thou shalt prophsie with them, & shalt be turned into another man.


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And thou shalt go downe before me to Gilgal, and I also will come downe vnto thee to sacrifice burnt sacrifices, & to offre peace offringes: Tary for me seuen dayes till I come to thee, & shewe thee what thou shalt do.


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And when he had turned his backe to go fro Samuel, God gaue him another hearte, and all those tokens came to passe that same day.


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And when they came thyther to the hill, beholde, the companie of prophetes met him, and the spirite of God came vpon him, & he prophecied among the.


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And all that knewe him before, when they sawe that he prophecied among the prophetes, they sayd eche to other: what is this that is come vnto the sonne of Cis? Is Saul also among the prophetes?


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And one of the same place aunswered, and sayde: Who is their father? And therof came ye prouerbe: What is Saul also among the prophetes?


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And Sauls vncle sayde vnto him, and to his lad: Whyther went ye? He sayde, To seke the asses: And when we sawe that they were no where, we came to Samuel.


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Saul aunswered his vncle: He tolde vs plainely that the asses were found. But of ye kingdome wherof Samuel spake, tolde he him not.


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And sayd vnto the children of Israel: Thus sayde the Lorde God of Israel, I brought Israel out of Egypt, and deliuered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the handes of al kingdomes that troubled you.


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And ye haue this day cast away your God, who onely deliuereth you out of al your aduersities and tribulations. And ye haue sayd vnto him: No, but make a king ouer vs. Nowe therfore stande ye before the Lorde by your tribes, & your thousandes.


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When he had assembled together the tribe of Beniamin by their kinredes, the kinred of Matri was caught, and at the last Saul the sonne of Cis was caught: And when they sought him, he coulde not be founde.


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Therfore they asked the Lord further, if the man should yet come thyther? And the Lord aunswered: Behold he hath hyd him selfe among the stuffe.


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And they ranne and set him thence, and when he stoode among the people, he was hygher then any of the people from the shoulders vpwarde.


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And Samuel said to al the people: See ye not him whom the Lorde hath chosen, and howe there is none lyke him among all the people? And all the people showted, and sayd: God saue the king.


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Then Samuel tolde the people the duetie of the kingdome, & wrote it in a booke, and laide it vp before the Lord, and sent all the people away, euery man to his house.


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And Saul also went home to Gibea, and there folowed him a band of men, whose heartes God had touched.


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But the children of Belial sayd: Howe shall he saue vs? And they despised him, and, brought him no presentes: And he helde his tongue.


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Then Nahas ye Ammonite came vp, & besieged Iabes in Gilead: And all the men of Iabes sayd vnto Nahas, Make a couenaut with vs, and we wilbe thy seruauntes.


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And Nahas the Ammonite aunswered them: In this will I make a couenaunt with you, if I may thrust out al your right eyes, and bring that shame vpon all Israel.


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To whom the elders of Iabes sayde: Geue vs seuen dayes respite, that we may sende messengers vnto all ye coastes of Israel: and then if there be no man to deliuer vs, we will come out to thee.


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Then came the messengers to Gibea of Saul, and tolde this tydinges in the eares of the people: And all the people lift vp their voyces, and wept.


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And beholde, Saul came folowing the cattell out of the fielde, and Saul sayde: what alyeth this people that thei wepe? And they tolde him the tydinges of the men of Iabes.


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And toke a yoke of oxen, & hewed them in peeces, and sent them thorowout all the coastes of Israel by the handes of messengers, saying: Whosoeuer cometh not foorth after Saul and after Samuel, so shal his oxen be serued. And the feare of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.


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And whe he numbred them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred thousand men, and the men of Iuda thirtie thousande.


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And they sayd vnto the messengers that came: So say vnto the men of Iabes in Gilead, To morowe by that time ye sunne be hotte ye shal haue helpe. And the messengers came, and shewed it to the men of Iabes, which were glad.


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Therfore the men of Iabes sayde: To morowe we will come out vnto you, and ye shall do with vs all that pleaseth you.


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And on the morowe Saul put the people in three partes, & they came in vpon the hoast in the morning watche, and slue the Ammonites vntill the heate of the day: And they that remayned, were skattered, so that two of them were not left together.


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And the people sayd vnto Samuel: Who is he that sayde, shal Saul raigne ouer vs? bring those men, that we may slay them.


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And all the people went to Gilgal, and made Saul king there before the Lord in Gilgal, and there they offred peace offringes before the Lorde: And there Saul and al the men of Israel reioyced exceedingly.


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And Samuel sayd vnto al Israel: Beholde, I haue hearkened vnto your voyce in all that ye sayde vnto me, and haue made a king ouer you.


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Nowe therfore, your king walketh before you: and I am olde and graye headed, and behold my sonnes are with you, & I haue walked before you from my childehod vnto this day.


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Beholde here I am, beare recorde of me before the Lorde & before his annoynted: Whose oxe haue I taken? or whose asse haue I taken? whom haue I done wrong to? Whom haue I hurt? Or of whose hande haue I receaued any bribe, to blind myne eyes therwith? and I will restore it you.


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They sayde: Thou hast done vs no wrong, nor hurt vs, neither hast thou taken ought of any mans hande.


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He sayd vnto them againe: The Lord is witnesse against you, and his annoynted is witnesse this day, that ye haue found naught in my handes. And they aunswered: He is witnesse.


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And Samuel sayd vnto the people: It is the Lorde that made Moyses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers out of the lande of Egypt.


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Nowe therfore stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lorde, according to all the righteousnesses of the Lorde, whiche he shewed both you and your fathers.


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After yt Iacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cryed vnto the Lord, the Lord sent Moyses & Aaron, which brought your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwel in this place.


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And whe they forgat the Lord their God, he solde the into ye hand of Sisara captayne of the hoast of Hazor, & into the hande of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.


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And they cryed vnto the Lord, & sayd: We haue sinned, because we haue forsaken the Lord, and haue serued Baalim and Astharoth: Nowe therfore deliuer vs out of the handes of our enemies, and we will serue thee.


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And ye Lord sent Ierobaal, Bedan, Iephthah, and Samuel, and deliuered you out of the handes of your enemies on euerie side, and ye dwelled safe.


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And for all that, when you sawe that Nahas the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye sayd vnto me: Not so, but a king shall raigne ouer vs: when yet the Lord your God was your king.


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Nowe therfore behold the king whom ye haue chosen, and whom ye haue desired: lo, ye Lorde hath set a king ouer you.


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If ye will feare the Lorde and serue him, and heare his voyce, & not disobey the worde of the Lorde, both ye and the king that raigneth ouer you, shall folowe the Lord your God.


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If ye will not hearken vnto the voyce of the Lorde, but disobey the Lordes mouth, then shall the hand of the Lord be vpon you, and on your fathers.


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Is it not nowe wheate hearuest? I will call vnto the Lorde, & he shal sende thunder & rayne, that ye may perceaue and see howe that your wickednes is great which ye haue done in the sight of the Lord in asking you a king.


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And so Samuel called vnto the Lord, and the Lorde sent thunder and rayne the same day: And all the people feared the Lord and Samuel exceedingly.


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And al the people sayd vnto Samuel: Pray for thy seruauntes vnto the Lord thy God, that we dye not: for we haue sinned in asking vs a king, besyde all our [other] sinnes.


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And Samuel sayde vnto the people, feare not (Ye haue in deede done al this wickednesse, yet depart not from folowing of the Lorde, but serue the Lorde with all your heartes:


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Neither turne ye away, for [then ye go] after vayne thinges, which are not able to profite you, nor deliuer you, for they are but vanitie.)


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For the Lorde will not forsake his people, because of his great names sake: because it hath pleased the Lorde to make you his people.


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Moreouer, God forbid that I shoulde sinne against the Lord, and ceasse praying for you: but I will shewe you the good and right way.


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Therfore feare you the Lorde, & serue him in the trueth, and with all your heartes: & consider howe great thinges he hath done for you.


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And Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel: Two thousand were with Saul in Michmas and in mount Bethel, and a thousand with Ionathan in Gibea Beniamin: and the rest of the people he sent euery man to his tent.


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And Ionathan smote the garison of the Philistines that was in the hill, and it came to the Philistines eares: And Saul blewe ye trumpet throughout al the land, saying: Let the Hebrues heare.


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And all Israel hearde say howe that Saul had destroyed a garison of ye Philistines: wherfore Israel was had in abomination with ye Pilistines. And the people gathered together after Saul to Gilgal.


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The Philistines also gathered them selues together to fyght with Israel, thirtie thousand charettes, & sixe thousand horsemen, with other people lyke the sand by the seas side in multitude, & came vp, and pitched in Michmas, eastwarde from Bethauen.


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And when the men of Israel sawe it, they were in a strayte (and the people were in a distresse) & the people hyd the selues in caues, and in holdes, and in rockes, and iin hye places, and in pittes.


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And some of the Hebrues went ouer Iordane to go vnto the land of Gad and Gilead: And Saul was yet in Gilgal, and all the people being afrayde, folowed him.


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And he taried seuen dayes, euen vnto the time that Samuel had appoynted: But Samuel came not to Gilgal, and the people were therfore skattered from him.


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And Saul sayde: Bring a burnt sacrifice to me, and peace offeringes. And he offered a burnt sacrifice.


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And assoone as he had made an ende of offering the burnt sacrifice, beholde Samuel came, and Saul went against him, to salute him.


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And Samuel sayde: What hast thou done? Saul sayde: Because I sawe that the people skattered from me, and that thou camest not within the dayes appointed, and that the Philistines gathered them selues together to Michmas:


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Therfore sayde I, The Philistines shal come downe nowe vpon me to Gilgal, and I haue not made supplication vnto the Lord: I was bolde therfore, & offred a burnt offring.


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And Samuel sayd to Saul: Thou art become a foole, thou hast not kept the commaundemet of the Lord thy God which he commauded thee: For at this time woulde the Lorde haue stablished thy kingdome vpon Israel for euer.


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But nowe, thy kingdome shal not continue: The Lorde hath sought him a man after his owne heart, and the Lord hath commaunded him to be captayne ouer his people, because thou hast not kept that whiche the Lorde commaunded thee.


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And Samuel arose, & gate him vp from Gilgal in Gibea of Beniamin, and Saul numbred the people that were found with him, and they were about a sixe hundred men.


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And Saul and Ionathan his sonne, & the people that were found with them, had their abiding in Gibea of Beniamin: but ye Philistines pitched in Michmas.


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And there came out of the hoast of the Philistines three copanies to destroye: one companie turned vnto the way that leadeth to Ophra vnto ye lande of Sual:


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And another companie turned the way to Bethoron: And the thirde companie turned to the way of the coast that is seene aboue ye valley of Zeboim toward the wildernesse.


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There was no smith founde throughout all the lande of Israel: For the Philistines sayde, Lest the Hebrues make them swordes or speares.


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But all the Israelites went downe to the Philistines, to mende euery man his share, his mattocke, his axe, & weeding hooke.


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Yet they had a file for the shares, for the mattockes, for the pickforkes, and for the axes, and for to sharpen to goades.


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And so in time of battel there was neither sword nor speare found in the handes of any of the people that were with Saul and Ionathan: But with Saul & Ionathan his sonne was there found.


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Then on a time Ionathan the sonne of Saul sayde vnto his young man that bare his harnesse: Come, & let vs go ouer to the Philistines garison that are yonder on the other syde: and he tolde not his father.


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And Saul taried in the vttermost part of Gibea vnder a pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people that were with him were vpo a sixe hundred men.


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And Ahia the sonne of Ahitob, Ichabods brother, the sonne of Phinehesthe sonne of Eli, was the Lordes priest in Silo, and ware an Ephod: And the people wist not that Ionathan was gone.


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And in the middes of the passage by which Ionathan sought to go ouer vnto the Philistines garison, there was a sharpe rocke on the one syde, & a sharpe rocke on the other syde: the one called Bozez, and the other Sene.


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And Ionathan sayd to the young man that bare his harnesse: Come, and let vs go ouer vnto the garison of these vncircumcised, it may be that the Lorde will worke with vs: for it is no hardnesse with the Lord to saue either in manie or in fewe.


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And his harnesse bearer said vnto him, Do all that is in thyne heart: Go where it pleaseth thee, behold I am with thee as thyne heart lusteth.


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Yf they say on this wyse to vs, Tarie vntil we come to you: then we wil stand still in our place, & not go vp vnto them.


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But and if they say, Come vp vnto vs: then we wil go vp, for the Lorde hath deliuered them into our handes: And this shalbe a signe vnto vs.


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And they both shewed them selues vnto the garison of the Philistines. And the Philistines sayde: See, the Hebrues come out of the holes where they had hyd them selues in.


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And the men of the garison aunswered Ionathan & his harnesse bearer, & sayd: Come vp to vs, and we will shewe you a thing. And Ionathan sayde vnto his harnesse bearer: Come vp after me, for the Lorde hath deliuered them into the hande of Israel.


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And Ionathan clymed vp vpon handes and feete, and his harnesse bearer after him: And they fell before Ionathan, & his harnesse bearer slue the after him.


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And that first slaughter whiche Ionathan & his harnesse bearer made, was vpon a twentie men, within the compasse as it were about an halfe aker of land which two [oxen plowe.]


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And there was a feare in the hoast, in the field, & among al ye people: insomuch that they that were gone out of the garrison to robbe, were afrayde also, & the earth trembled, for the feare that was sent of God.


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And the watchmen of Saul in Gibea Beniamin, sawe: And behold, the multitude were discomfited, & were smitten as they went.


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Then sayd Saul vnto the people that was with him: Searche, and see who is gone away from vs. And when they had numbred, beholde, Ionathan and his harnesse bearer were not there.


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And Saul sayd vnto Ahia: Bring hyther the arke of God. (For the arke of God was at time with the children of Israel.)


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And while Saul talked vnto ye priest, the noyse that was in the hoaste of the Philistines spred farther abrode and encreased. And Saul sayd vnto the priest: Withdrawe thyne hande.


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And Saul ioyned him selfe vnto al the people that were with him, & they came to the battell, and behold euery mans sword was against his felow, and there was a very great discomfiture.


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Moreouer, the Hebrues that were with the Philistines before that tyme, & were come with them into all partes of the hoaste, turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Ionathan.


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And all the men of Israel also, whiche had hyd the selues in mount Ephraim, assoone as they hearde howe that the Philistines were fled, they folowed after them in the battel.


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And when the men of Israel were kepte downe with hunger that day, Saul charged the people with an oth, saying: Cursed be the man that eateth any foode vntill night, till I be auenged of myne enemies. And so none of the people tasted any sustenaunce.


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And the people came into the wood: And behold, the honie dropped, and no man moued his hand to his mouth: for the people feared the oth.


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But Ionathan hearde not whe his father charged the people with the oth, wherfore he put foorth the ende of the rod that was in his hand, and dipt it in an honie combe, & put his hande to his mouth, and his eyes receaued sight.


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Then aunswered one of the people, and sayde: Thy father made the people to sweare, saying: Cursed be the ma that eateth any sustenaunce this day. And the people were faynt.


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The sayd Ionathan, My father hath troubled the lande: See howe myne eyes hath receaued sight, because I tasted a litle of this honie:


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Howe muche more then to day, if the people had eaten of the spoyle of their enemies whiche they found? And had there not ben then a muche greater slaughter among the Philistines?


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And they smote the Philistines that day, from Michmas to Aialon: And the people were exceeding faynt.


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And the people gat them to the spoyle, and toke sheepe, oxen, and calues, & slue them on the ground, and the people dyd eate them with the blood.


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Then men tolde Saul, saying: Behold, the people sinne against the Lorde, in that they eate with the blood. And he sayde, Ye haue trespassed: Rowle a great stone vnto me this day.


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And Saul sayde againe: Go abrode among the people, and bid them bring me euery man his oxe, and euery man his sheepe, and slay them here, and eate, and sinne not against the Lorde in eating with the blood. And the people brought euery man his oxe in his hande that night, and slue them there.


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And Saul sayde: Let vs go downe after the Philistines by night, and spoyle them, vntil it be day in the morning, and let vs not leaue one man of them. And they sayde: Do whatsoeuer thou thinkest best. Then sayde the priest: Let vs come hyther vnto God.


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And Saul asked of God: Shall I go downe after the Philistines? Wilt thou deliuer them into the handes of Israel? But he aunswered him not at that time.


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And Saul sayde: Let al the chiefe of the people come hyther, and knowe and see by whom this sinne is done this day.


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For as the Lorde liueth, whiche saued Israel, though it be in Ionathan my sonne, he shal dye the death. But there was no man among all the people that aunswered him.


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Then he sayde vnto al Israel: Be ye on one syde, and I and Ionathan my sonne will be on the other syde. And the people saide vnto Saul: What thou thinkest best, that do.


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Therfore Saul saide vnto the Lorde God of Israel, geue a perfect lot. And Saul and Ionathan were caught: but the people scaped free.


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Then Saul saide to Ionathan: Tell me what thou hast done. And Ionathan tolde him, and sayde: I tasted a litle honie with the ende of the rod that was in myne hand, & lo, I must dye.


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And the people said vnto Saul: Shal Ionathan dye, which hath so mightilie deliuered Israel? God forbid. As the Lord lyueth, there shall not one heere of his head fall to ye ground, for he hath wrought with God this daye. And so the people deliuered Ionathan, that he dyed not.


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And then Saul departed vp from folowing the Philistines: And the Philistines went to their owne place.


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And so Saul helde the kingdome ouer Israel, and fought against all his enemies on euery side, against Moab, against the children of Ammon, against Edom, against the kinges of Zoba, and against the Philistines: And whyther soeuer he turned him selfe, he put them to the worse.


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And he gathered his hoast together, & smote the Amalekites, & rid Israel out of the handes of them that spoyled them.


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The sonnes of Saul were, Ionathan, Iessui, and Melchisua: And his two daughters were thus named, the elder was called Merob, and the younger Michol.


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And the name of Sauls wife, was Ahinoa, the daughter of Ahimaaz: and the name of his chiefe captaine, was Abner the sonne of Ner, Sauls vncle.


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And there was sore warre against the Philistines all ye dayes of Saul: And whomsoeuer Saul sawe to be a strong man, and meete for the warre, he toke him vnto him.


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Samuel also saide vnto Saul: The Lord sent me to anoynt thee, to be king ouer his people, ouer Israel: Now therfore hearken thou vnto the voyce of the wordes of the Lorde.


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Thus saith the Lorde of hoastes: I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how they layed waite for them in the waye as they came vp from Egypt.


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Nowe therfore go, and smyte Amalek, and destroye ye all that pertaineth vnto them, and haue no compassion on them, slay both man & woman, infant and suckling, oxe and sheepe, camel and asse.


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And Saul gathered the people together, and numbred them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footemen, and ten thousand men of Iuda.


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And Saul saide vnto the Kenites: Go, & depart, & get you downe from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed mercie to all the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt. And so the Kenites departed from among ye Amalekites.


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And toke Agag the king of the Amalekites alyue, and vtterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sworde.


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But Saul and the people spared Agag, the better sheepe, and the fatter oxen, and the lambes, and all that was good, & would not destroy them: But al that was foule & naught worth, that they destroyed vtterlie.


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It repenteth me that I haue made Saul king: For he is turned from me, & hath not perfourmed my commaundementes. And Samuel was euill apayed, & cryed vnto the Lord all night.


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And whe Samuel rose early to meete Saul in the morning, it was tolde Samuel that Saul was come to Carmel, and beholde, he hath made him there a place, and is returned, and departed and gone downe to Gilgal.


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And Samuel came to Saul, & Saul said vnto him, Blessed be thou in the Lorde: I haue fulfilled the comaundement of the Lord.


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Samuel sayde: What meaneth then the bleating of the sheepe in mine eares and the lowing of the oxen which I heare?


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Saul aunswered, They haue brought them from the Amalekites: For the people spared the best of the sheepe, and of the oxen, to sacrifice them vnto the Lorde thy God, and the remnaunt haue we destroyed vtterlie.


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Samuel said to Saul: Let me tell thee what the Lorde hath saide to me this night. And he sayd vnto him: saye on.


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Samuel said: When thou wast litle in thyne owne sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lorde annoynted thee kyng ouer Israel?


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And the Lorde sent thee on a iourney, and said: Go, and vtterly destroy those sinners the Amalekites, & fight against them vntyll thou destroy them.


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And wherfore hast thou not hearkened vnto the voyce of the Lorde? but hast turned to the praye, and hast done that which is wicked in the syght of the Lorde?


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And Saul sayde vnto Samuel: Yea, I haue hearkened vnto the voyce of the Lorde, and haue gone the way which the Lord sent me vnto, & haue brought Agag the kyng of Amalek, and haue destroyed the Amalekites.


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But the people toke of ye spoyle, sheepe, oxen, and the chiefest of the thynges whiche shoulde haue ben destroyed, to offer vnto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.


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And Samuel sayde: Hath the Lorde as great pleasure in burnt sacrifices and offerynges, as when the voyce of the Lorde is obeyed? Beholde, to obey, is better then sacrifice: and to hearken, is better then the fat of rammes.


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For rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft, and stubbernnesse is as the wickednes of idolatrie: Because thou hast cast away the worde of the Lorde, therefore he hath cast away thee also from being king.


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And Saul sayde vnto Samuel, I haue sinned: For I haue gone farther then the saying of the Lorde and thy wordes, because I feared the people, and obeyed their voyce.


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Now therfore I pray thee take away my sinne, and turne agayne with me, that I may worship the Lorde.


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And Samuel sayde vnto Saul, I wyll not returne with thee: For thou hast cast away the worde of the Lorde, and the Lord hath cast away thee, that thou shalt not be kyng ouer Israel.


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And Samuel sayde vnto hym: The Lorde hath rent the kyngdome of Israel from thee this day, and hath geuen it to a neighbour of thine that is better then thou.


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He sayde, I haue sinned: But nowe honour me before the elders of my people and before Israel, and turne againe with me, that I may worship the Lord thy God.


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Then sayde Samuel: Bryng you hyther to me Agag, the kyng of the Amalekites. And Agag came vnto hym dilicately, and Agag sayde: Truely the bitternesse of death is past.


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And Samuel sayde: As thy sworde hath made women chyldlesse, so shall thy mother be chyldlesse aboue other women. And Samuel hewed Agag in peeces before the Lorde in Gilgal.


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And Samuel came no more to see Saul, vntyll the day of his death: Neuerthelesse Samuel mourued for Saul: and the Lorde repented that he had made Saul kyng ouer Israel.


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The Lorde sayd vnto Samuel: Howe long wilt thou mourne for Saul, seing I haue cast him away from raigning ouer Israel? Fill thyne horne with oyntment, and come, that I may send thee to Isai the Bethlemite: for I haue prouided me a king among his sonnes.


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And Samuel sayd: How can I go? For if Saul heare it, he will kill me. The Lord aunswered: Take an heyfer with thee, and saye: I am come to offer to the Lorde.


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And call Isai to the offering, and I will shewe thee what thou shalt do: And thou shalt annoynt vnto me him whom I name vnto thee.


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And so Samuel did as the Lord bade him, and came to Bethlehem: and the elders of the towne were astonyed at his comming, and saide: Commest thou peaceably?


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He aunswered: Yea, I am come to offer vnto the Lorde: Sanctifie your selues, and come with me to the offering. And he sanctified Isai and his sonnes, and bade them to the offering.


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But the Lorde sayde vnto Samuel: Loke not on his fashion, or on ye height of his stature, because I haue refused him: For [God seeth] not as man seeth. For man loketh on the outward appearaunce, but the Lorde beholdeth the heart.


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Then Isai called Abinadab, & made him come before Samuel, and he sayd: Neither hath the Lorde chosen this.


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Againe Isai made seuen of his sonnes to come before Samuel, and Samuel sayd vnto Isai: The Lorde hath chosen none of these.


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And Samuel sayde vnto Isai: Are heare all thy children? He sayde: There is, yet a litle one behind, that kepeth the sheepe. And Samuel said vnto Isai, Sende and fet him: for we will not syt downe, till he be come hyther.


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And he sent, and brought him in: And he was ruddie, and of an excellet beawtie, and wel fauoured in sight. And the Lorde said, Aryse & annoynt him: For this is he.


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Therefore Samuel toke the horne with the annoyntment, and annoynted him in the middes of his brethren. And the spirite of the Lorde came vpon Dauid from that daye forwarde: And Samuel rose vp, and went to Rama.


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Let our Lorde therefore commaunde thy seruauntes (that are before thee) to seeke a man that is a cunnyng player with an harpe: that when the euill spirite of God commeth vpon thee, he may play with his hande, & thou shalt be eased.


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The aunswered one of his seruauntes and said: Beholde, I haue seene a sonne of Isai the Bethlehemite, that can play vpon instrumentes, and is strong, valiaunt, and a man of warre, and prudent in doing of feates, and well made, and the Lorde is with him.


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Wherefore Saul sent messengers vnto Isai, and said: Sende me Dauid thy sonne, which is with the sheepe.


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And Isai tooke an asse [laden] with bread, and a flacket of wine, and a kyd, and sent them by Dauid his sonne vnto Saul.


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And Dauid came to Saul, and stoode before him, and he loued him very well, & he was made his harnesse bearer.


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And Saul sent to Isai, saying: Let Dauid nowe remaine with me, for he hath founde fauour in my sight.


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And so when the [euill] spirite of God came vpon Saul, Dauid toke an harpe and played with his hand: and so Saul was refreshed, & did amende, and the euyll spirite departed from him.


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The Philistines gathered their hoast to battayle, and came together to Socho which is in Iuda, and pytched betweene Socho and Azekah, in the coaste of Dammim.


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And Saul & the men of Israel came together, and pytched in the valley of Elah, and put them selues in battaile aray, to meete the Philistines.


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And the Philistines stoode on a mountaine on the one syde, and Israel stoode on a mountaine on the other syde, and there was a valley betweene them.


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And there came a man betweene the both, out of the tentes of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath: sixe cubites and a handbreadth long:


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And had an helmet of brasse vpon his head, and a coate of male about him. And the weight of his coate of mayle, was fiue thousand sicles of brasse.


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And the shaft of his speare was lyke a weauers beame, and his speare head wayed sixe hundred sicles of iron: And one bearing a shielde went before him.


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And he stoode and cryed against the hoast of Israel, and sayde vnto them: Why are ye come to set your battaile in array? am not I a Philistine, and you seruauntes to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come downe to me.


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And if he be able to fyght with me, & to kill me, then will we be your seruauntes: But if I can ouercome hym & beate him, then shal ye be our seruautes and serue vs.


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And the Philistine sayde: I defie the hoast of Israel this day, geue me a man, that we may fight together.


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When Saul and all Israel heard those wordes of ye Philistine, they were discouraged, and greatly afraide.


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Dauid was the sonne of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem Iuda, named Isai, which had eyght sonnes, & this man was taken for an olde man in the dayes of Saul.


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And the three eldest sonnes of Isai went, and folowed Saul to the battell: And the names of his three sonnes that went to battaile, were: Eliab the eldest, and the next Abinadab, and the thyrd Samma:


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And Isai sayd vnto Dauid his sonne: Take for thy brethren an Epha of this partched corne, & these ten loaues, and runne to the hoast to thy brethren.


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And cary these ten freshe cheeses vnto the captayne, and loke howe thy brethren fare, and set out their pledge.


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And Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the valley of Elah, fyghtyng with the Philistines.


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And Dauid rose vp early in ye morning, and left the sheepe with a keper, & toke, and went as Isai had commaunded him, and came within the compasse of the hoast: And the hoast went out in array, and shouted in the battaile.


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And Dauid left the thinges which he bare, vnder the handes of the keper of the vessels, and ran into the hoast, and came, and saluted his brethren.


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And as he talked with them, behold, there stoode a man in the middes (Goliath the Philistine by name, of Gath) out of the armie of the Philistines, & spake such wordes: and Dauid heard it.


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And euery man of Israel said: Sawe ye not this man that commeth vp? euen to reuile Israel is he come: And to him that killeth him, will the king geue great ritches, and will geue him his daughter thereto, yea and make his fathers house free in Israel.


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And Dauid spake to ye men that stoode by, and sayd: What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh awaye the shame from Israel? And what is this vncircumcised Philistine, that he shoulde reuile the hoast of the liuing God?


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And the people aunswered him (after this maner) saying: So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.


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And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake vnto the men, and Eliab was angrye with Dauid, & sayde: Why camest thou downe hyther? and with whom hast thou left those fewe sheepe in the wildernes: I know thy pride and the malice of thyne heart, that thou art come downe to see the battel.


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And he departed from him into the presence of another, and spake of the same maner: and the people aunswered him againe, as before.


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And they that heard the wordes which Dauid spake, rehearsed them before Saul, which caused him to be fet.


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And Dauid sayde to Saul: Let no mans heart fayle him because of him: Thy seruaunt will go, and fight with yonder Philistine.


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And Saul sayde to Dauid againe: Thou art not able to go against yonder Philistine, to fight with him: For thou art but a childe, but he is a man of warre euen from his youth.


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Dauid aunswered vnto Saul: Thy seruaunt kept his fathers sheepe, & ther came a lion and likewise a beare, and toke a sheepe, out of the flocke:


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And I went out after him, and smote him, and toke it out of his mouth: And whe he arose against me, I caught him by the bearde, and smote him, and slue him.


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And so thy seruaunte slue both the lion, and the beare: And trulie this vncircumcised Philistine shalbe as one of them, seing he hath rayled on the hoast of the liuyng God.


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And Dauid spake moreouer: The Lord that deliuered me out of the hand of the lion, and out of the hande of the beare, he shal deliuer me also out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul sayd vnto Dauid: Go, and the Lorde [shall] be with thee.


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And Saul put his rayment vpon Dauid, and put an helmet of brasse vpon his head, and put a coate of mayle vpon him.


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And gyrded Dauid with his owne sword vpon his rayment, and he assayed to go, and because he neuer proued it, Dauid saide vnto Saul: I cannot go with these, for I haue not vsed my selfe thereto. And Dauid put them of him,


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And toke his staffe in his hand, and chose him fiue smoth stones out of a brooke, and put them in a shepheardes bagge which he had, that is in a scrippe, and his sling was in his hande, and he went to the Philistine.


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And the Philistine came and drewe neare against Dauid, and the man that bare the shielde went before him.


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And when the Philistine loked about & sawe Dauid, he disdayned him: for he was but young, ruddie & of a comly face.


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And the Philistine sayd vnto Dauid: Am I a dogge, that thou commest to me with staues? And the Philistine cursed Dauid in ye name of his goddes.


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And the Philistine sayde to Dauid: Come to me, and I wyll geue thy fleshe vnto the foules of the ayre, and to the beastes of the fielde.


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Then sayde Dauid to the Philistine: Thou commest to me with a sword, a speare, & a shielde: But I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hoastes, the God of the hoast of Israel, whom thou hast rayled vpon.


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This day shal the Lorde close thee into my hand, and I shall smite thee, & take thyne head from thee, & will geue the carkases of the hoast of the Philistines this daye vnto the foules of the ayre, & to the beastes of the earth, that all they which be in the worlde, maye knowe that there is a God in Israel:


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And all this congregation shal know that the Lorde saueth not with sword, & speare (For the battaile is ye Lordes) and he shall geue you into our handes.


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And when the Philistine arose to come and drawe nye to Dauid, Dauid hasted, and ran to fight against the Philistine,


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And Dauid put his hand in his bagge, and toke out a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone suncke into his forehead, and he fell groueling to the earth.


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And so Dauid ouercame the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and smote the Philistine, & slue him, euen when Dauid had no sword in his hand.


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But Dauid ran and stoode vpon the Philistine, and toke his sword, and drue it out of his sheathe, & slue him, and cut of his head therewith. And when the Philistines sawe that their champion was dead, they fled.


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And the men of Israel and of Iuda arose, and showted, and folowed after the Philistines, vntill they came to the valley, and vnto the gates of Acaron: And the Philistines fell downe wounded by the way to Saaraim, euen vnto Gath, and Acaron.


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And Dauid toke the head of the Philistine, and brought it to Hierusalem, but he put his armour in his tent.


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When Saul sawe Dauid go foorth against the Philistine, he sayd vnto Abner the captaine of his hoast: Abner, whose sonne is this young man? Abner aunswered: As thy soule liueth (O king) I cannot tell.


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And whe Dauid was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner toke him, & brought him before Saul, with the head of the Philistine in his hand.


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And Saul sayde to him: whose sonne art thou, thou young man? Dauid aunswered: I am the sonne of thy seruaunt Isai the Bethlehemite.


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And whe he had made an end of speaking vnto Saul, the soule of Ionathan was knit with the soule of Dauid, and Ionathan loued him as his owne soule.


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And Ionathan put of the robe that was vpon him, and gaue it to Dauid, and thereto his garmentes, euen to his sword, and to his bowe, and to his gyrdel.


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And Dauid went out whythersoeuer Saul sent him, and behaued him selfe wysely: And Saul set hym ouer his men of warre, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, & in the sight of Sauls seruauntes.


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And as they came againe when Dauid was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dausing, to meete king Saul, with timbrels, with ioy, and with [instrumentes of] musicke.


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And the women aunswered one another in their play, and sayde: Saul hath slaine his thousand, and Dauid his ten thousand.


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And Saul was exceeding wroth, and the saying displeased him, and he sayd: They haue ascribed vnto Dauid ten thousand, & to me but a thousande: and what can he more haue, saue the kingdome?


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And on the morow, the euyll spirite sent of God came vpon Saul, and he prophesied in the middes of ye house: And Dauid played with his hand, like as at other tymes: & there was a iauelyn in Sauls hand.


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And Saul toke the iauelyn, and sayd: I will nayle Dauid to the wall with it. And Dauid auoyded out of his presence two times.


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Therefore Saul put him from him, and made him a captaine ouer a thousand, and he went out and in before the people.


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And Saul sayde to Dauid: Beholde my eldest daughter Merob, her I will geue thee to wife: Onely be a valiaunt sonne vnto me, & fight the Lordes battayles. For Saul thought: Mine hand shall not be vpon him, but the hande of the Philistines shalbe vpon him.


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And Dauid aunswered Saul: What am I? and what is my lyfe or the kynred of my father in Israel, that I should be sonne in lawe to the king?


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Howbeit, when the time was come that Merob Sauls daughter shoulde haue ben geuen to Dauid, she was geue vnto Adriel a Meholathite, to wife.


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And Saul sayde: I will geue him her that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul sayde to Dauid: Thou shalt this day be my sonne in lawe in the one of the twayne.


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And Saul comaunded his seruautes to come with Dauid secretely, & to say: Behold, the king hath a fauour to thee, and all his seruautes loue thee: be now therefore the kinges sonne in lawe.


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And Sauls seruauntes spake those wordes in the eares of Dauid. And Dauid said: semeth it to you a light thing to be a kinges sonne in lawe? seeing that I am a poore man, and of smal reputation.


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And Saul sayde, This wise shall ye saye to Dauid: The king careth for no other dowry, but for an hundred foreskinnes of the Philistines, to be auenged of the kynges enemies. But Saul thought to make Dauid fall into the handes of the Philistines.


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And when his seruauntes tolde Dauid these wordes, it pleased Dauid wel to be the kinges sonne in lawe: And the dayes were not expired.


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Afterward Dauid arose with his men, and went and slue of the Philistines two hundred men, and Dauid brought their foreskinnes, and they gaue them wholly to the king, that he might be the kinges sonne in lawe: Wherefore Saul gaue him Michol his daughter to wife.


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And Saul saw and vnderstoode how that the Lorde was with Dauid, and that Michol his daughter loued him:


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The Lordes of the Philistines vsed to go foorth, and whe they went foorth Dauid behaued him selfe more wysely then all the seruauntes of Saul, so that his name was much set by.


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But Ionatha Sauls sonne had a great fauour to Dauid, & Ionathan tolde Dauid, saying, Saul my father goeth about to slay thee: Nowe therfore I pray thee take heede to thy selfe vntyll the mornyng, and abyde in some secrete place, and hyde thy selfe:


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And I wyll go out, and stande by my father in the fielde where thou art, and wyll commune with my father of thee, and whatsoeuer I see, I wyll tell thee.


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And Ionathan spake good of Dauid vnto Saul his father, and sayde vnto him: Let not the king sinne against his seruaunt, against Dauid: for he hath not sinned against thee, and his workes haue ben to theewarde very good.


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For he dyd put his life in his hande, and slue the Philistine, and the Lorde brought to passe a great health for all Israel: Thou sawest it, and thou reioycedst: Wherfore then wilt thou sinne against innocent blood, and slay Dauid without a cause?


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And Saul hearkened vnto the voyce of Ionathan, and Saul sware, as the Lorde lyueth he shall not dye.


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And Ionathan called Dauid, & Ionathan shewed hym all those wordes: & Ionathan brought Dauid to Saul, & he was in his presence as in tymes past.


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And the warre began againe, and Dauid went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slue them with a great slaughter, and they fled from hym.


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And the euyl spirite of the Lorde was vpon Saul as he sate in his house, hauing a iauelin in his hand: And Dauid played with his hand.


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And Saul entended to smyte Dauid to the wall with the iauelyn: But he ryd him selfe out of Sauls presence, as he smote the speare into the walle: And Dauid fled & was saued the same night.


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Saul also sent messengers vnto Dauids house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: And Michol Dauids wyfe tolde it him, saying: If thou saue not thy selfe this night, to morowe thou shalt be slayne.


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And Michol toke an image, and layde it in the bed, & put a pillowe stuffed with goates heere vnder the head of it, and couered it with a cloth.


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And Saul sent the messengers againe to see Dauid, saying: Bring him to me bed and all, that I may slay him.


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And when the messengers were come in, behold there lay an image in the bed, with a pillowe of goates heere vnder the head of it.


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And Saul sayde vnto Michol: Why hast thou mocked me so, and sent away mine enemie, that he is escaped? Michol aunswered Saul: For he sayd vnto me, let me go, or els I will kill thee.


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And so Dauid fled, and escaped, & came to Samuel to Rama, and tolde him all that Saul had done to him: And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth.


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And Saul sent messengers to fet Dauid: And when they sawe a company of prophetes prophecying, & Samuel standing as appoynted ouer them, the spirite of God fell vpon the messengers of Saul, and they prophecied to.


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And when it was tolde Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophecied lykewyse. And Saul sent messengers yet againe the third time, and they prophecied also.


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Then went he him selfe to Rama, and came to a great well that is in Sechu, and he asked and sayde: Where are Samuel & Dauid? And one sayd: Beholde, they be at Naioth in Rama.


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And he went thyther euen to Naioth in Rama, and the spirite of God came vpon him also, and he went prophecying vntill he came to Naioth in Rama.


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And he stript of his clothes & prophecied before Samuel in lyke maner, and fell naked al that day and all that night: And therof it is that they say, Is Saul also among the prophetes?


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And Dauid fled from Naioth whiche is in Rama, and came, and said before Ionathan, What haue I done? wherin am I faultie? what is the sinne that I haue committed before thy father, that he seketh my lyfe?


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He sayde vnto him: God forbid, thou shalt not dye: Behold, my father wil do nothing either great or smal, but that he will shewe it me: And howe should my father hyde this thing from me? He will not do it.


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And Dauid sware againe, and sayde: Thy father knoweth that I haue found grace in thyne eyes, & therfore he thinketh, Ionathan shall not knowe it, lest he be sory: And in very deede, euen as the Lorde lyueth, and as thy soule liueth, there is but a steppe betweene me and death.


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And Dauid sayd vnto Ionathan: Beholde, to morowe is the beginning of the moneth, and I should sit with the king at meate: But let me go, that I may hide my selfe in the fieldes vnto the thirde day at euen.


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If thy father speake of me, then say: Dauid asked leaue of me, that he might go to Bethlehem to his owne citie, for there is holden a yerely feast for all the kinred.


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And if he say it is well done, then thy seruaunt shal haue peace: But and if he be angry, then be sure that wickednesse is vtterly concluded of him.


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And then thou shalt shewe mercy vnto thy seruaunt for thou hast ioyned thy seruaunt into a couenant of the Lord with thee: Notwithstandyng, if there be in me iniquitie, slay me thy selfe? for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?


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And Ionathan aunswered, God kepe that from thee: For if I knewe that wickednesse were concluded of my fathere to come vpon thee, woulde not I tel it thee?


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Then sayd Dauid to Ionathan: Who shall tell me? how [shall I knowe] if thy father aunswere thee cruelly?


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And Ionathan sayde vnto Dauid: Come, and let vs go out into the fielde. And they went out both of them into the fielde.


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And Ionathan sayde vnto Dauid: O Lorde God of Israel, when I haue groped my fathers mynd, as this time to morowe, or within these three dayes, and if it be wel with Dauid, and I then sende not vnto thee, and shew it thee:


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The Lord do so and muche more vnto Ionathan, But if my father haue pleasure to do thee euyll, I will shewe thee also, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace, and the Lorde be with thee, as he hath ben with my father.


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And [I require] not whiles I liue, [for I dout not] but thou wilt shewe me the mercie of the Lord, that I die not:


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But [I require] that thou cut not of thy mercy from my house for euer, no not when the Lord hath destroyed the enemies of Dauid, euery one from the face of the earth.


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And so Ionathan made a bonde with the house of Dauid, [saying:] Let the lord require it at the handes of Dauids enemies.


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Then sayde Ionathan to Dauid: To morowe is the first day of the moone, and thou shalt be missed, because the place where thou wast wont to sit, shall be emptie.


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Therfore thou shalt hyde thy self three dayes, [then] thou shalt go downe quickly, and come to the place where thou diddest hyde thy selfe when the busines was in hande, and shalt remayne by the stone Esel.


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And I wil sende a lad, and byd him go seke the arrowes. And if I say vnto the lad, See, the arrowes are on this side thee, bring them: then come thou, for it is peace and no hurt, as the Lorde lyueth:


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But and if I say vnto the lad, behold the arows are beyond thee, go thy way, for the Lorde hath sent thee away.


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And as touching this which thou and I haue spoken, behold the Lorde be betweene thee and me for euer.


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And so Dauid hid him selfe in the fielde: And when the newe moone was come, the king sate him downe to eate meate.


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And the king sate as at other times vpon his seate, euen vpon his seate by the wall: And Ionathan arose, and Abner sate by Sauls syde, and Dauids place was emptie.


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Neuerthelesse, Saul sayde nothing at all that day: For he thought, Some thing hath befallen him, though he were cleane.


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But on the morowe, whiche was the second day of the newe moone, Dauids place was emptie againe: And Saul sayde vnto Ionathan his sonne, Wherfore commeth not that sonne of Isai to meate, neither yesterday nor to day?


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For he sayd: Let me go I pray thee, for our kinred doth hold an offering in the citie, and my brother hath sent for me: and therfore if I haue found fauour in thyne eyes, let me go I pray thee, and see my brethren. This is the cause that he commeth not vnto the kinges table.


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Then was Saul angry with Ionathan, and sayd vnto him: Thou sonne of the wicked rebellious woman, do not I knowe that thou hast chosen the sonne of Isai vnto thyne owne rebuke, and vnto the rebuke and shame of thy mother?


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For as long as the sonne of Isai liueth vpon the earth, thou shalt not be stablished, nor yet thy kingdome: Wherfore nowe send and fet him vnto me, for he is the childe of death.


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And Ionathan aunswered vnto Saul his father, and sayde to him: Wherfore should he dye? what hath he done?


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And Saul lift vp a speare to hit him, wherby Ionathan wist well that it was vtterly determined of his father to slay Dauid.


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And so Ionathan arose from the table in a great anger, and did eate no meate the seconde day of the moneth: for he was sory for Dauid, because his father had done him shame.


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On the next morning, Ionathan went out into the fielde, at ye time appoynted with Dauid, and a litle lad with him.


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And he sayde vnto his boy: Runne, and seke out myne arrowes whiche I shote. And as the boy ran, he shot an arrowe beyond him.


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And when the lad was come to the place whyther Ionathan had shot the arrowe, Ionathan cryed after the lad, & sayd: Is not the arrowe beyond there?


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And Ionathan cried after the lad againe: Make speede, haste, & stand not still. And Ionathans lad gathered vp the arrowes, and came to his maister.


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And Ionathan gaue his instrumetes vnto the lad that was with him, and sayd vnto him: Go, and carry them to the towne.


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And assoone as the lad was gone, Dauid arose out of a place that was towarde the south, & fel on his face to the ground, & bowed him selfe three times, And they kissed either other, and wept together, so long till Dauid exceeded.


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And Ionathan sayd to Dauid, Go in peace: And the thinges which we haue sworne both of vs in ye name of the lord, saying, the Lord be betweene thee & me, and betweene thy sede & myne: let them stand for euer. And he arose, & departed: And Ionathan went into the towne.


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Then came Dauid to Nob to Ahimelech the priest, and Ahimelech was astonied at the meeting of Dauid, & sayd vnto him: Why art thou alone and no man with thee?


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And Dauid said to Ahimelech the priest: The king hath commaunded me a certaine thing, and hath sayd vnto me, Let no man know wher about I send thee, and what I haue commaunded thee: And I haue appoynted my seruauntes to suche and suche places.


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Nowe therfore if thou hast ought vnder thyne hand, geue me fyue loaues of bread, or what commeth to hande.


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And the priest aunswered Dauid, and sayd: There is no common bread vnder myne hand, but here is halowed bread: if the young me haue kept them selues, specially from women.


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Dauid aunswered the priest, and sayd vnto him: Of a trueth, women hath ben separated fro vs this two or three days since I came out, & the vessels of the young men were holy: Howebeit, this way is vnpure, and howe muche more shall there be holines in the vessell?


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And so the priest gaue him halowed bread: for there was none other bread there, saue the shew bread that was taken from before the Lord, to put freshe bread there the day that it was taken away.


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(And there was there the same day a certaine man, of the seruautes of Saul, abyding before ye Lord, named Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of Sauls heardmen.)


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And Dauid sayd vnto Ahimelech: Is not here vnder thyne hand either speare or sworde? for I haue neither brought my sword nor my harnesse with me, because the kinges busines required haste.


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And the priest sayd: The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou sluest in the valley of Elah, beholde it is here wrapt in a cloth behind the Ephod: If thou wilt take that, take it: for ther is no other saue that here. And Dauid sayd: There is none to that, geue it me.


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And the seruauntes of Achis sayde vnto him: Is not this Dauid the king of the land? Dyd they not sing vnto him in daunses, saying: Saul hath slayne his thousand, and Dauid his ten thousand?


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And he chaunged his speache before them, and fained him selfe mad in their handes, and scrabled on the doores of the gate, and let his spettell fall downe vpon his beard.


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Then sayd Achis vnto his seruauntes: Lo, ye see that this man is besyde him selfe, wherfore then haue ye brought him to me?


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Haue I neede of mad men, that ye haue brought this felowe to play the mad man in my presence? Shall he come into my house?


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Dauid therfore departed thence, & escaped to the caue Adullam: Whe his brethren also & his fathers house heard it, they went downe thyther to him.


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And there gathered vnto him all men that were in combraunce, and in det, and troubled in their mindes, & he became a captayne ouer them: And there were with him vpon a foure hundred men.


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And Dauid went thence to Mispah in the land of Moab, and sayde vnto the king of Moab: Let my father and my mother (I pray thee) come foorth vnto you, till I knowe what God wyl do for me.


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And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the whyle that Dauid kept him selfe in the holde.


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And the prophete Gad sayde vnto Dauid: Abyde not in the hold, but depart & go into the land of Iuda. Then Dauid departed, & came into the forest Hareth.


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And Saul hearde that Dauid was discouered, and also the men that were with him: and Saul sat in Gibea vnder a tree in Rama, hauing his speare in his hande, and all his men stoode about him.


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And Saul sayde vnto his seruauntes that stoode about him, Heare I pray you, ye sonnes of Iemini: will ye sonne of Isai geue euery one of you fieldes and vineyardes, and make you all captaines ouer thousandes and ouer hundredes,


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That ye haue also conspired agaynst me, & there is none that telleth me that my sonne hath made a couenaunt with the sonne of Isai, and there is none of you yt is sory for me, or sheweth me that my sonne hath stirred vp my seruaunt to lye in wayte agaynst me [as appeareth] this day?


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Then aunswered Doeg the Edomite (which was appoynted by ye seruauntes of Saul) and sayd: I sawe the sonne of Isai, when he came to Nob to Ahimelech the sonne of Ahitob,


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Whiche asked councel of the Lorde for him, and gaue him vittayles, and the sword of Goliath the Philistine also.


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Then the king sent and called for Ahimelech the priest the sonne of Ahitob, & all his fathers house [that is to saye] the priestes that were in Nob: And they came all to the king.


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And Saul sayde vnto him: Why haue ye conspired agaynst me, thou, and the sonne of Isai, in that thou hast geuen him vittayle, and a sworde, and hast asked councel of God for him, yt he shoulde aryse against me, and lye in waite for me [as appeareth] this day?


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Ahimelech aunswered the king, and sayde: Who is so faithfull among all thy seruauntes, as Dauid, and therto the kinges sonne in lawe: and goeth at thy bidding, and is had in honour in thyne house?


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Haue I this day begun first to aske councell of God for him? That be farre from me: Let not the king impute any thing vnto his seruaut, nor to all ye house of my father: For thy seruaunt knewe nothing of all this, either lesse or more.


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And the king sayde vnto the footemen that stoode about him: Turne, and slay the priestes of the Lorde: both because their hand is with Dauid, and because they knewe when Dauid fled, and shewed it not to me. But the seruauntes of the king would not moue their hades to fal vpon the priestes of the Lorde.


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And the king sayde to Doeg: Turne thou, & fall vpon the priestes. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and ranne vpon the priestes, & slue that same day fourescore and fiue persons that did weare a linnen Ephod.


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And Nob the citie of ye priestes, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklinges, oxen and asses, & sheepe, with the edge of the sworde.


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And Dauid sayde vnto Abiathar: I wist it the same day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would tel Saul: and I am cause of the death of all the persons of thy fathers house.


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Abyde thou with me, and feare not: For he that seketh my lyfe, he shall seke thine also, with me thou shalt be in safegarde.


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Therfore Dauid asked counsell of the lord, saying: Shal I go and smyte these Philistines? And the Lord aunswered vnto Dauid: Go, and smite the Philistines, and saue Keila.


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And Dauids men said vnto him, See, we be afrayde here in Iuda: howe much more then if we come to Keila against the hoast of the Philistines?


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Then Dauid asked counsell of the Lorde agayne. And the Lorde aunswered him, and sayd: Aryse, and go downe to Keila, for I will deliuer the Philistines into thyne hande.


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And so Dauid and his men went to Keila, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattell, & smote them with a great slaughter, and so Dauid saued ye inhabitauntes of Keila.


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And when Abiathar the sonne of Ahimelech fled to Dauid to Keila, he brought an Ephod with him in his hande.


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And it was tolde Saul that Dauid was come to Keila: And Saul sayde, God hath deliuered him into myne hande: For he is shut in, now that he is come into a towne that hath gates and barres.


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And Saul called all the people together to warre, for to go downe to Keila, and to besiege Dauid and his men.


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And Dauid hauing knowledge that Saul imagined mischiefe agaynst him, sayde to Abiathar the priest: Bring the Ephod.


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Then sayde Dauid: O Lorde God of Israel, thy seruaunt hath hearde that Saul is about to come to Keila to destroye the citie for my sake:


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Will the lordes of Keila deliuer me into his hande? And will Saul come downe, as thy seruaunt hath hearde, O Lorde God of Israel: I besech thee tell thy seruaunt. And the Lorde sayde: He wil come downe.


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Then sayde Dauid: Will the lordes of Keila deliuer me and the men that are with me into the hand of Saul? And the Lorde sayde: They wil deliuer thee vp.


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Then Dauid, & his men, whiche were vpon a sixe hundred, arose and departed out of Keila, and went whyther they coulde: And it was tolde Saul that Dauid was fled from Keila, and he let the iourney alone.


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Dauid abode in the wildernesse in strong holdes, and remained in a mountayne in the wildernesse of Ziph: And Saul sought him euery day, but God deliuered him not into his hande.


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And Dauid sawe that Saul was come out to seke his lyfe: And Dauid was in the wildernesse of Ziph in the wood.


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And sayd vnto him: Feare not, for the hand of Saul my father shall not finde thee, & thou shalt be king ouer Israel, and I shall be next vnto thee: and that doeth Saul my father knowe.


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And they made a bond both of them together before the Lorde: And Dauid taried still in the wood, and Ionathan went to his house.


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Then came the Ziphites to Saul to Gibea, saying: Doth not Dauid hyde him selfe fast by vs in strong holdes, in the wood in the hill of Hachila, on the right side of Iesimon?


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Nowe therfore O king, thou mayest come downe according to all the lust of thy soule, and our part shalbe to deliuer him into the kinges hande.


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Go I pray you and prepare yet better, knowe and see where his foote hath ben, & who hath seene him there: for it is tolde me that he is very subtyll.


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See therfore, and know al the lurking places where he hydeth him selfe, and come ye againe to me with ye certaintie, and I wil go with you: And yf he be in the lande, I will searche him out throughout al the thousandes of Iuda.


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And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: But Dauid & his men were in the wildernesse of Maon, in the plaine that is on the right hande of Iesimon.


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Saul also and his men went to seke him: And they told Dauid, wherfore he came downe vnto a rocke, and abode in the wildernesse of Maon: And when Saul heard that, he folowed after Dauid in the wildernesse of Maon.


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And Saul and his men went on the one syde of the mountayne, and Dauid & his men on the other syde of the mountaine: And Dauid made haste to get fro the presence of Saul. For Saul and his men, compassed Dauid and his men round about, to take them.


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But ther came a messenger to Saul, saying: Haste thee and come, for the Philistines haue inuaded the lande.


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Wherfore Saul returned from persecuting Dauid, and went against the Philistines: And therfore they called that place, Sela Hamnahlekoth.


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When Saul was come againe fro folowing after ye Philistines, there were which told him, saying: Behold, Dauid is in the wildernesse of Engadi.


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Then Saul toke three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seke Dauid and his men in the heyght of the rockes where wilde goates remayne.


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And he came to the sheepe coates by the way, where there was a caue, & Saul went in to do his easement: And Dauid and his men remayned in the inward partes of the caue.


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And the men of Dauid sayd vnto him: See, the day is come, of which the Lord sayde vnto thee, Behold I will deliuer thyne enemie into thyne hand, and thou shalt do to him as it shall seeme good in thy sight. Then Dauid arose, and cut of the lappe of Sauls garment priuily.


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And he sayd vnto his men: The Lorde kepe me from doyng that thing vnto my maister the lordes annoynted to lay myne hande vpon him, seing he is the annoynted of the Lorde.


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And so Dauid kept of his seruauntes with these wordes, and suffred them not to rise against Saul: But Saul rose vp out of the caue, and went away.


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Dauid also arose afterward, and went out of the caue, and cryed after Saul, saying: My Lorde king. And when Saul loked behind him, Dauid stowped [with] his face to the earth, and bowed him selfe.


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And Dauid sayde to Saul: Wherfore geuest thou an eare to mens wordes that say, beholde Dauid seketh euyll against thee?


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Behold, this day thyne eyes haue seene howe that the Lord hath deliuered thee this day into myne hande in the caue: And some bad me kill thee, but I had compassion on thee, and sayd: I will not lay myne handes on my maister, for he is the Lordes annoynted.


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And moreouer my father, beholde and see yet the lap of thy garment in my hand: Inasmuch as I killed thee not when I cut of the lap of thy garment, vnderstand therfore, & see that there is neither euyll nor wickednesse in me, and that I haue not sinned against thee: And yet thou huntest after my soule to take it.


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The Lorde be iudge betweene thee and me, & the Lorde auenge me of thee: but myne hande be not vpon thee.


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According as the olde prouerbe sayeth, wickednesse proceedeth fro the wicked: But myne hande be not vpon thee.


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After whom is the king of Israel come out? After whom doest thou pursue? After a dead dog, and after a flea.


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The Lorde therfore be iudge, & iudge betweene thee & me, and see & pleade my cause, & auenge me out of thyne hande.


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When Dauid had made an ende of speaking these wordes to Saul, Saul sayde: Is this thy voyce my sonne Dauid? And Saul lift vp his voyce, and wept,


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And sayde to Dauid, Thou art more righteous then I: for thou hast rewarded me with good, where as I haue rewarded thee with euyll.


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And thou hast shewed this day, howe that thou hast dealt wel with me: forasmuch as when the Lorde had closed me in thyne handes, thou killedst me not.


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For who shall finde his enemie, and let him depart into a good way? Wherfore the Lord reward thee with good, for that thou hast done vnto me this day.


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And nowe beholde, I wote wel that thou shalt be king, & that the kingdome of Israel shalbe stablished in thyne hande:


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Swere nowe therfore vnto me by the Lorde, that thou shalt not destroy my seede after me, and that thou shalt not put my name out of my fathers house.


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And Samuel died, and all the Israelites gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his owne house at Rama. And Dauid arose, & went downe to the wildernesse of Pharan.


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And ther was a man in Maon, whose possession was in Carmel, and the man was exceeding mightie, and had three thousande sheepe & a thousand goates: And he was shearing his sheepe in Carmel.


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The name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wyfe was Abigail, and she was a woman of a singuler wysedome, and beautifull: But the man was churlishe, and of shrewde conditions, & was of the kinred of Caleb.


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And Dauid sent out ten young men, and sayd vnto them: Get you vp to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greete him in my name.


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And ye shal say: So mayest thou lyue, peace be to thee, peace be to thyne house, and peace be vnto all that thou hast.


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Beholde I haue hearde say that thou hast shearers: Nowe, thy shepheardes were with vs, & we did them no spite, neither was there ought missing vnto them al the while they were in Carmel:


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Aske thy laddes, & they will shew thee: Wherfore let these young men finde fauour in thyne eyes (for we come in a good season) & geue I pray thee whatsoeuer commeth to thyne hande vnto thy seruauntes, and to thy sonne Dauid.


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And when Dauids young men came, they told Nabal all those wordes in the name of Dauid: and helde their peace.


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And Nabal aunswered Dauids seruauntes, and said: Who is Dauid? and who is ye sonne of Isai? There is plentie of seruauntes now a dayes that breake away euery man from his maister.


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Shal I then take my bread, my water, and my fleshe that I haue killed for my shearers, and geue it vnto men whom I wot not whence they be?


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And so Dauids seruauntes turned their way, and went againe, and came and tolde him all those sayinges.


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And Dauid sayd vnto his men: Girde euery man his sword about him. And they girded euery man his sword about him, and Dauid was girded with his sword: And there folowed Dauid vpon a foure hundred men, and two hundred abode by the stuffe.


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But one of the laddes tolde Abigail Nabals wyfe, saying: Beholde, Dauid sent messengers vnto our maister out of the wildernesse to salute him: and he rayled on them.


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And yet the men were very good vnto vs, and dyd vs no displeasure, neither missed we any thyng as long as we were conuersaunt with them when we were in the fieldes.


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Now therefore take heede, & see what thou shalt do: for surelie euyll will come vpon our maister and al his housholde, for he is so wicked, that a man can not speake to him.


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Then Abigail made haste, and tooke two hundred loaues, and two bottels of wine, and fiue sheepe redie dressed, and fiue measures of parched corne, and an hundred frailes of reasynges, and two hundred cakes of fygges, & laded them on asses,


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And sayde vnto her young men: Go before me, beholde I come after you. But she tolde her husband Nabal nothing thereof.


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And as she rode on her asse, she came priuylie downe the syde of the hill, and behold Dauid and his men came downe against her, and she met them.


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And Dauid saide: Surelie in vayne haue I kept all that this felow hath in the wildernes, so that nothing was missed of all that pertayned vnto him: and he hath quite me euill for good.


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So and more also do God vnto the enemies of Dauid, if I leaue of all that pertayne to him by the dawnyng of the day, any that pysseth against the wall.


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And when Abigail sawe Dauid, she hasted and lyghted of her asse, and fell before Dauid on her face, and bowed her selfe to the grounde,


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And fell at his feete, and sayde: Let this iniquitie be counted myne my lord, and let thyne handmaide I praye thee speake in thyne audience, & heare the wordes of thy handmayd.


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Let not my lorde I pray thee regarde this wicked man Nabal: For as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, & folly is with him: But I thyne handmayd sawe not the young men of my lorde whom thou sendedst.


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Now therefore my lorde, as the Lord lyueth, and as thy soule liueth, euen the Lorde that hath withholden thee from comming to [shed] blood, and saued thee thyne hand: So nowe, I pray God that thyne enemies, & they that intende to do my lorde euyll, may be as Nabal.


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And now this blessing which thyne handmayd hath brought vnto my lord, let it be geuen vnto the young men that folowe my lorde.


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I praye thee forgeue the trespasse of thyne handmayd: for the Lorde will make my lord a sure house, because my lorde fighteth the battailes of the Lord, and there could none euill be found in thee in all thy dayes.


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And yet a man hath rysen to persecute thee, and to seeke thy soule: but the soule of my Lorde shall be bound in the bundel of the lyuyng with the Lord thy God, and the soules of thy enemies shall God cast out, euen as out of the middle of a slyng.


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And when the Lorde shall haue done to my lord al the good that he hath promysed thee, and shall haue made thee ruler ouer Israel:


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Then shall it be no griefe vnto thee, nor offence of mynde vnto my lorde, that thou hast not shed blood causelesse, and that my lord hath not auenged him selfe: But when the Lorde shall haue dealt well with my lord, then thinke on thyne handmayde.


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Blessed is thy saying, and blessed art thou which hast kept me this day from comming to shed blood, & from auengeing my selfe with myne owne hande.


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For in very deede, as the Lorde God of Israel lyueth, which hath kept me backe from hurting thee: except thou haddest hasted and met me, surely there hadde not ben left vnto Nabal by the dawnyng of the day, any that pysseth against the wall.


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And so Dauid receaued of her hande that which she had brought him, and sayde vnto her: Go vp in peace to thyne house, beholde I haue heard thy voyce, and haue graunted thy petition.


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And Abigail came to Nabal, and beholde, he held a feast in his house lyke the feast of a king, and Nabals heart was mery within hym, for he was very drunken: Wherfore she tolde him nothyng neither lesse nor more, vntyll the morowe mornyng.


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But in the morning when the wine was gone out of Nabal, his wyfe tolde him these wordes, and his heart dyed within him, and he became as a stone.


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And when Dauid heard that Nabal was dead, he sayd: Blessed be the Lord that hath iudged ye cause of my rebuke of the hand of Nabal, & hath kept his seruaunt from euill: For the Lord hath recompenced the wickednes of Nabal vpon his owne head. And Dauid sent to commune with Abigail, to take her to his wyfe.


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And when the seruauntes of Dauid were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake vnto her, saying: Dauid sent vs vnto thee, to take thee to his wyfe.


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<n>(25:40)</n> And she arose, & bowed her selfe on her face to the earth, and saide: Beholde, let thy handmayd be a seruaunt, to washe the feete of the seruauntes of my lorde.


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<n>(25:41)</n> And Abigail hasted, and arose, & gate her vpon an Asse, with fiue damosels of hers that went at her feete, and she went after the messengers of Dauid, & became his wyfe.


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<n>(25:43)</n> But Saul had geuen Michol his daughter, Dauids wyfe, to Phalti the sonne of Lais, which was of Gallim.


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The Ziphites came againe vnto Saul to Gibea, saying: Doth not Dauid hide him selfe in the hill of Hachilia, which is before Iesimon?


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Saul arose, & went downe to the wildernes of Ziph, hauing three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, for to seke Dauid in the wildernesse of Ziph.


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And Saul pitched in the hil of Hachilia, which is before Iesimon by the way side: But Dauid dwelt in the wildernesse, and he sawe that Saul came after him into the wildernesse:


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And Dauid arose, & came to the place where Saul had pitched: & Dauid beheld the place where Saul lay, & Abner the sonne of Ner which was his chiefe captayne: for Saul lay in the fort, & the people pytched rounde about him.


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Then aunswered Dauid, and spake to Ahimelech the Hethite, and to Abisai the sonne of Zaruia, & brother to Ioab, saying: Who wyll go downe with me to Saul to the hoast? And Abisai saide: I wyll go downe with thee.


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And so Dauid and Abisai came downe to the people by night, and behold Saul lay sleepyng within the fort, and his speare stacke in ye grounde at his head: but Abner and the people lay rounde about hym.


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Then saide Abisai to Dauid, God hath closed thyne enemie into thyne hand thys day: Nowe I pray thee let me smite him once with my speare to the earth, & I will not smite him the second tyme.


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And Dauid saide to Abisai, Destroye him not: For who can laye his hand on the Lordes annoynted, and be giltlesse?


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And Dauid sayd furthermore: As the Lorde lyueth, the Lorde shall smyte him or his day shall come to dye, or he shall descend into battaile, and perishe.


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The Lorde kepe me from laying myne hand vpon the Lordes annoynted: But I praye thee take thou nowe the speare that is at his head, and the cruse of water, and let vs go.


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And so Dauid toke the speare and the cruse of water from Sauls head, and they gat them away, and no man sawe it, nor marked it, neither awaked: For they were all asleepe, because the Lorde had sent a dead sleepe vpon the.


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Then Dauid went ouer to the other syde, and stoode on the toppe of an hill a farre of (a great space being betweene them:)


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And Dauid cryed to the people, and to Abner the sonne of Ner, saying: Hearest thou not Abner? Abner aunswered and sayd: Who art thou that cryest to the king?


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And Dauid sayde to Abner: Art not thou a man? and who is lyke to thee in Israel? Wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lorde the king? For there came one of the folke in to destroye the king thy lorde.


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It is not well done of thee: As the Lorde lyueth, ye are worthy to dye, because ye haue not kept the Lordes annoynted: And nowe see where the kinges speare is, and the cruse of water that was at his head.


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And Saul knew Dauids voyce, and sayd: Is this thy voyce my sonne Dauid? And Dauid sayde: It is my voyce my lorde, O king.


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And he sayde: Wherefore doth my lorde thus persecute his seruaunt? for what haue I done? or what euyll is in myne hand?


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Nowe therefore I praye thee, let my lorde the king heare the wordes of his seruaunt: If the Lorde haue stirred thee vp against me, let him smell the sauour of a sacrifice: But and if they be the children of men, cursed are they before the Lorde, for they haue cast me out this day from abidyng in the inheritaunce of the Lorde, saying: Go, serue other goddes.


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Now therefore let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lorde: For the king of Israel is come out to seeke a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountaynes.


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Then saide Saul, I haue sinned: Come agayne my sonne Dauid, for I will do thee no more harme, because my soule was precious in thyne eyes this day: Beholde, I haue played the foole, and haue erred exceedinly.


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And Dauid aunswered and said: Beholde the kinges speare, let one of the young men come ouer and fet it.


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The Lorde rewarde euery man according to his righteousnes, and faythfulnesse: For the Lorde deliuered thee into my hand this day, but I would not lay mine hand vpon the Lordes annoynted.


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And behold, like as thy life was much set by this day in myne eyes: so be my lyfe set by in the eyes of the Lorde, that he deliuer me out of all tribulation.


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Then Saul saide to Dauid: Blessed art thou my sonne Dauid, for thou shalt do great thinges and preuaile. And so Dauid went his way, and Saul turned to his place agayne.


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And Dauid sayd in his heart, I shall perishe one day by the hand of Saul: therefore is there nothing better for me, then to flee and saue my self in the land of the Philistines, and Saul shall ceasse and seeke me no more in all the coastes of Israel, and so shall I escape out of his hand.


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And Dauid arose, and he and the sixe hundred men that were with him, went vnto Achis the sonne of Maoch, king of Gath.


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And Dauid dwelt with Achis at Gath, both he and his men, euery man with his housholde, and Dauid with his two wiues, Ahinoam the Iezrahelite, and Abigail Nabals wyfe the Carmelite.


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And Dauid sayde vnto Achis: If I haue now founde grace in thyne eyes, let them geue me a place in some towne in ye countrey, that I may dwell there: For why should thy seruaunt dwell in the head citie of the kingdome with thee?


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Then Achis gaue him Ziklag that same day, for which cause Ziklag pertayneth vnto the kinges of Iuda vnto this day.


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And the tyme that Dauid dwelt in the countrey of the Philistines, was foure monethes, and certaine dayes.


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And Dauid and his men went vp and inuaded the Gesurites, the Gerzites, & the Amalekites: For those natios were from the beginnyng the inhabitauntes of the lande, as men go to Sur, vnto the land of Egypt.


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And Dauid smote the lande, & left neither man nor woman alyue, and droue away the sheepe, the oxen, the asses, camelles, and clothes, and returned, and came to Achis.


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And Achis saide: Where haue ye ben a rouing this day? And Dauid aunswered: Against the south of Iuda, and against the south of the Ierameelites, and against the south of the Kenites.


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And Dauid saued neither man nor woman alyue to bring to Gath, saying: lest they should tell on vs, saying, so dyd Dauid, and so will be his maner all the whyle he dwelleth in the countrey of the Philistines.


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And Achis beleued Dauid, saying: He hath made his people Israel vtterly to abhorre him, & therefore he shalbe my seruaunt for euer.


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And in those dayes, the Philistines gathered theyr hoast together to warre, to fight with Israel: And Achis sayd to Dauid, Be sure thou shalt go out with me to battayle, thou and the men that are with thee.


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And Dauid sayde to Achis: Surelie thou shalt knowe what thy seruaunt can do. And Achis said to Dauid: Then I will make thee keper of my head for euer.


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Samuel was then dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Rama his owne citie: And Saul had put away the sorcerers, and the soothsayers out of the land.


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And the Philistines gathered together, and came, and pytched in Sunem: And Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pytched in Gilboa.


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And when Saul asked councell of the Lorde, the Lorde aunswered him not, neither by dreames, nor by Urim, nor yet by prophetes.


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Then sayd Saul vnto his seruautes: Seeke me a woman that hath a familier spirite, that I may go to her, and aske of her. And his seruauntes sayd to him: Beholde, there is a woman that hath a familier spirite at Endor.


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And Saul chaunged him selfe, and put on other rayment, and then went he & two men with him, and they came to the woman by nyght, and he sayde: I pray thee coniecture vnto me by the familier spirite, & bring me him vp whom I shall name vnto thee.


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And the woman saide vnto him: Beholde, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath destroyed the sorcerers, and the soothsayers out of the land: Wherfore then layest thou a snare for my soule, to cause me to die?


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And Saul sware to her by the Lord, saying: As the Lorde lyueth, there shall no harme come to thee for this thyng.


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When the woman sawe Samuel, she cryed with a loude voyce, and spake to Saul, saying: Why hast thou deceaued me? for thou art Saul.


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And the king saide vnto her: Be not afrayd: What sawest thou? The woman saide vnto Saul: I sawe gods ascending vp out of the earth.


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He saide vnto her againe: What fashion is he of? She aunswered: There cometh vp an olde man with a mantel vpon him. And Saul perceaued that it was Samuel, and he stowped with his face to the ground, and bowed him selfe.


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And Samuel said to Saul: Why hast thou vnquieted me, to make me be brought vp? Saul aunswered: I am sore encumbred, for ye Philistines make warre against me, and God is departed from me, and aunswereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreames: And therefore I haue called thee, that thou mayest tell me what I shall do.


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Then saide Samuel: Wherefore doest thou aske of me, while the Lord is gone from thee, and is become thyne enemie?


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Trulie the Lord hath done to him, euen as he spake by my hand: For the Lorde hath rent the kingdome out of thyne hand, and geuen it thy neyghbour Dauid.


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Because thou obeyedst not the voyce of the Lorde, nor executedst his fierce wrath vpon the Amalekites, therefore hath the Lord done this vnto thee this day.


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And moreouer, the Lord will deliuer Israel with thee into the handes of the Philistines: To morrowe shalt thou and thy sonnes be with me, and the Lorde shall geue the hoast of Israel into the handes of the Philistines.


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Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afrayde because of the wordes of Samuel. And there was no strength in him: for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.


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And the woman came vnto Saul, & sawe that he was sore troubled, & sayde vnto him: See, thyne handmayde hath obeyed thy voyce, & haue put my soule in my hand, and haue hearkened vnto thy wordes which thou sayedst vnto me.


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Nowe therefore I pray thee hearken thou also vnto the voyce of thyne handmayde, and let me set a morsell of bread before thee, that thou mayest eate, and get thee strength, & then go on thy iourney.


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He refused, and sayde: I will not eate. But his seruauntes and the woman together compelled him, and he hearkened vnto their voyce: And so he arose from the earth, and sat on a bed.


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The woman had a fat calfe in the house, and she hasted and killed it, and tooke floure and kneded it, and did bake vnleauened bread thereof:


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And brought them before Saul, and before his seruauntes: And when they had eaten, they stoode vp, & went away the same night.


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So the Philistines were gathered together with all their armies in Aphec: and the Israelites pytched by Ain, which is in Iezrael.


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And the princes of the Philistines went foorth by hundreds and thousandes: But Dauid and his men came behinde with Achis.


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The sayd the princes of the Philistines, what do these Ebrues [here]? Achis said vnto the princes of the Philistines: Is not this Dauid, the seruaunt of Saul the king of Israel, which hath ben with me these dayes, or these yeres, and I haue found no fault in him, since he fell vnto me, vnto this day?


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And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with hym, and the princes of the Philistines sayde vnto hym: Make this felowe returne, that he may go againe to his place which thou hast appoynted hym, and let hym not go downe with vs to battayle, lest in the battayle he be an aduersarie to vs: For wherewith shoulde he obtayne the fauour of his maister? shoulde it not be with the heades of these men?


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Is not this Dauid, to whom they sang in daunces, saying: Saul slue his thousande, & Dauid his ten thousande?


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Then Achis called Dauid, and sayde vnto him: As the Lorde lyueth, thou hast ben honest, and good in my sight, when thou wentest out and in with me in the hoast, neither haue I founde euyll with thee sence thou camest to me, vnto this day: Neuerthelesse, the princes fauour thee not.


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And Dauid sayde vnto Achis: And what haue I done? what hast thou founde in thy seruaunt as long as I haue ben with thee vnto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lorde the king?


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Achis aunswered and sayd to Dauid: I know that thou art good in my sight, as an angell of God: Notwithstanding, the princes of the Philistines haue sayde, Let him not go vp with vs to battaile.


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Wherefore now ryse vp earlie in the morning with thy maisters seruautes that are come to thee: and whe ye be vp earlie, assoone as ye haue lyght, departe.


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And so Dauid & his men rose vp earlie, to depart in the morning, and to returne into the land of the Philistines: And the Philistines wet vp to Iezrael.


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But when Dauid and his men were come to Ziklag the third day, the Amalekites had inuaded vppon the south, euen vnto Ziklag, and had smitten Ziklag, and burnt it with fyre.


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And had taken the women that were therein prisoners, both small and great: but slue not a man, saue carryed them away, and went their wayes.


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So Dauid and his men came to the citie, and beholde it was burnt with fyre: and their wiues, their sonnes, and their daughters were taken prisoners.


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Then Dauid & the people that were with him, lift vp their voyces and wept, vntill they could weepe no more.


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And Dauids two wiues were taken prisoners also, Ahinoam the Iezrahelite, and Abigail the wyfe of Nabal the Carmelite.


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And Dauid was in great cumbraunce: For the people entended to stone him, because the heartes of all ye people were vexed euery man for his sonnes and for his daughters: But Dauid toke a good courage to him in the Lorde his God,


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And sayde to Abiathar the priest Ahimelechs sonne: I pray thee, bring me the Ephod. And Abiathar brought the Ephod to Dauid.


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And Dauid asked councel at the Lord, saying: Shall I follow after this company? shall I ouertake them? And he aunswered him: Folowe, for thou shalt suerlie ouertake them, and recouer all.


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So Dauid and the sixe hundred men that were with him, went and came to the ryuer Befor, where a parte of them abode.


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But Dauid and foure hundred men folowed: (For two hundred abode behinde, being to weery to go ouer the ryuer Befor)


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And they founde an Egyptian in the fielde, and brought him to Dauid, and gaue him bread, & he did eate, and water to drinke.


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And gaue him a fewe fygges, and two clusters of reasinges: And when he had eaten, his spirite came againe to him: For he had eaten no bread nor druncke any water in three dayes and three nightes.


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And Dauid said vnto him: To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? He sayd: I am a young man of Egypt, and seruaunt to an Amalekite, and my maister left me, because three dayes agone I fell sicke.


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We came a rouyng vpon the south of Chretus, and vpon the [coast] belonging to Iuda, and toward the south of Caleb, and we burnt Ziklag with fyre.


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And Dauid saide to him: Canst thou bring me to this company? And he said: Sweare vnto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliuer me into the handes of my maister, and I will bring thee to this company.


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And when he had brought him thyther, beholde they laye scattered abrode vpon all the earth, eating, and drynking, & daunsing, because of al the great praye that they had carried away out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Iuda.


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And Dauid layde vpon them from the twylight, euen vnto the euening of the next morowe: so that there escaped not a man of them, saue foure hundred young men which rode vpon cammels, and fled.


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So that there was nothing lacking to them, small or great, sonne or daughter, or of the spoyle of all that they had taken away, Dauid recouered them all.


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And Dauid tooke all the sheepe, and the oxen, and they draue them before his cattaile, and saide: This is Dauids pray.


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And Dauid came to the two hundred men, that were to weery for to folowe Dauid, whom they had made also to abyde at the ryuer Befor: And they came to meete Dauid & the people that were with him: And when Dauid came to the people, he saluted them.


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Then aunswered all the wicked and the vnthryftes of the men that went with Dauid, and saide: Because they went not with vs, therfore wil we geue them none of the pray that we haue recouered: But let euery man take his wife and his children, those let them carry away and departe.


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Then sayd Dauid: Ye shall not do so my brethren with that which the Lord hath geuen vs, who hath preserued vs, and delyuered the company that came against vs, into our handes.


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For who will hearke vnto you in this matter? But as his parte is that goeth downe and fighteth, so shall his parte be that tarryeth by the stuffe: they shall parte alyke.


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When Dauid therefore came to Ziklag, he sent of the pray vnto the elders of Iuda and to his friendes, saying: See, there is a blessing for you of the spoyle of the enemies of the Lorde.


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And the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled away from the Philistines, and fell downe wounded in mount Gilboa.


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And the Philistines preassed sore vpon Saul & his sonnes, & slue Ionathan, & Abinadab, & Melchisua, Sauls sonnes.


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And when the battaile went sore against Saul, the archers with bowes found him, and he was fore afrayde of the archers.


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The said Saul vnto his harnesse bearer, Draw out thy sword, & thrust me through therewith: lest the vncircumcised come and thrust me through & mocke me. And his harnesse bearer wolde not, for he was sore afrayd: Therefore Saul toke a sword, and fell vpon it.


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And when his harnesse bearer sawe that Saul was dead, he fell lykewise vpon his sword, and dyed with him.


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And so Saul dyed, & his three sonnes, and his harnesse bearer, and al his men that same day together.


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And when the men of Israel, that were on the other syde of the valley, and they of the other syde Iordaine, sawe that the men of Israel were put to flight, and that Saul and his sonnes were dead, they left the cities, and ran away, and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.


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On the morow when the Philistines were come to spoyle them that were slaine, they founde Saul and his three sonnes lying in mount Gilboa.


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And they cut of his head, and stripped him out of his harnesse, & sent into the land of ye Philistines on euery syde, that they should puplishe it in the temple of their idolles, and among the people.


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And they layed vp his harnesse in the house of Astaroth: but they hanged vp his body on the wall of Bethsan.


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They arose, as many as were strong men, and went all night, & toke the bodie of Saul, & the bodies of his sonnes, from the wall of Bethsan, and came to Iabes, and burnt them there.


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After the death of Saul, when Dauid was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and had ben two daies in Ziklag:


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Beholde, there came a man the thirde day out of the hoast from Saul, with his clothes rent, & earth vpon his head: And when he came to Dauid, he fell to the earth, and did obeysaunce.


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Dauid sayde vnto him: whence comest thou? He sayde vnto him: Out of the hoast of Israel I am escaped.


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And Dauid sayde vnto him: And what is done I pray thee? tell me. He sayde: The people is fled from the battell, and many of the people are ouerthrowen and dead, and Saul and Ionathan his sonne are dead also.


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And Dauid sayd vnto the young man that tolde it him: Howe knowest thou that Saul and Ionathan his sonne be dead?


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The young man that tolde him, aunswered: As I came vnaduisedly to mount Gilboa, beholde Saul leaned vpon his speare: and lo, the charettes and horsemen folowed hard after him.


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He sayde vnto me agayne: I pray thee come vpon me, and slea me: For anguyshe is come vpon me, because my life is yet whole in me.


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And so I stoode vpon him, and slue him, and because I was sure that he coulde not liue after that he had fallen, I toke the crowne that was vpon his head, and the braselet that was on his arme, and haue brought them hyther vnto my lorde.


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And they mourned, and wept, and fasted vntil euen for Saul and Ionathan his sonne, & for the people of the Lorde, and for the house of Israel, because they were ouerthrowen with the sworde.


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And Dauid sayd vnto the young man that brought him these tidings: Whence art thou? He aunswered: I am the sonne of an aliaunt, an Amakelite.


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And Dauid sayde vnto him: Howe is it that thou wast not afrayde to lay thyne hande on the lordes annoynted, to destroy him?


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And Dauid called one of his young me, and sayd: Go to, and fall vpon him. And he smote him, that he died.


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Then said Dauid vnto him, Thy blood be vpon thyne owne head: For thyne owne mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I haue slayne the lordes annoynted.


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(Also he bad them teache the children of Iuda the vse of the bowe: And beholde, it is written in the booke of the righteous:)


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Tell it not in Gath, nor publishe it in the streates of Askalon: lest the daughters of the Philistines reioyce, and lest the daughters of the vncircumcised triumph.


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Ye mountaynes of Gilboa, vpon you be neither deawe nor raine, nor fieldes of offeringes: For there the shield of the mightie is cast downe, the shielde of Saul, as though he had not ben annoynted with oyle.


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The bowe of Ionathan neuer turned backe, neither did the sword of Saul returne emptie fro the blood of the slayne, and from the fat of the mightie.


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Saul and Ionathan were louely and pleasaunt in their lyues, and in their deathes they were not deuided: They were swyfter then Egles, and stronger then Lions.


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Ye daughters of Israel weepe ouer Saul, which clothed you in scarlet with pleasures, and hanged ornamentes of golde vpon your apparell.


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Howe were the mightie slayne in the middest of the battel? O Ionathan thou wast slayne in thyne hye places.


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Wo is me for thee my brother Ionathan, very kinde hast thou ben vnto me: Thy loue to me was wonderful, passing the loue of women.


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After this, Dauid asked counsel at the lord, saying: Shall I go vp into any of the cities of Iuda? And the Lorde sayd vnto him: Go vp. And Dauid said: Whyther shall I go? He aunswered: Unto Hebron.


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And so Dauid went thyther with his two wyues, Ahinoam the Iezraelite, & Abigail Nabals wyfe the Carmelite.


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And the men that were with him did Dauid cary vp also, euery man with his housholde: And they dwelt in the townes of Hebron.


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And the men of Iuda came, and there they annoynted Dauid kyng ouer the house of Iuda: And they tolde Dauid, saying, It is the men of Iabes Gilead that buried Saul.


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And Dauid sent messengers vnto the men of Iabes Gilead, and sayde vnto them: Blessed are ye vnto the lord, that ye haue shewed suche kindnesse vnto your lord Saul, and haue buried him.


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And nowe the Lorde shewe mercy and trueth vnto you: And I will do you also suche kindnes, as ye haue done in this thing:


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Therfore nowe let your handes be strong, and play ye the men: For your maister Saul is dead, and they that are of the house of Iuda haue annoynted me king ouer them.


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But Abner the sonne of Ner that was captayne of Sauls hoaste, toke Isboseth the sonne of Saul, and brought him to Mahanaim,


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And made him king ouer Gilead, and ouer the Assurites, and ouer Iezrael, Ephraim, Beniamin, & ouer all Israel.


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And Isboseth Sauls sonne was fourtie yeres olde when he began to raigne ouer Israel, and raigned two yeres: But the house of Iuda folowed Dauid.


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(And the time whiche Dauid raigned in Hebron ouer the house of Iuda, was seuen yeres and sixe monethes.)


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And Abner the sonne of Ner, and the seruauntes of Isboseth the sonne of Saul wet out of Mahanaim to Gibeon


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And Ioab the sonne of Zaruia, and the seruauntes of Dauid, went out and met one another by the poole of Gibeon: And they sate downe, the one on the one side of the poole, and the other on the other side.


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And Abner sayde to Ioab: Let the young men nowe aryse, and play before vs. And Ioab sayde: Let them aryse.


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Then there arose & went ouer twelue of Beniamin by numbre, which pertayned to Isboseth the sonne of Saul, and twelue of the seruauntes of Dauid.


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And euery one caught his felowe by ye head, & thrust his sword in his felowes side, and so they fell downe together: Wherefore the place was called Helkath hazzurim, which is in Gibeon.


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And there was an exceeding cruell battel that same day: For Abner and the men of Israel fell before the seruauntes of Dauid.


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And there were three sonnes of Zaruia there: Ioab, Abisai, and Asahel: And Asahel was as light of foote as a wilde Roe.


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And Asahel folowed after Abner, and in goyng he turned neither to the right hande nor to the left, from Abner.


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Abner sayd: Turne thee either to the right hande or the left, and catche one of the young men, and take thee his weapons. But Asahel woulde not depart from him.


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And Abner sayd agayne to Asahel, Depart fro me: Wherfore should I smite thee to the grounde, and not be able to holde vp my face to Ioab thy brother?


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Howebeit, when he woulde in no wyse depart, Abner with the hynder ende of the speare smote him vnder the fyft ribbe, that the speare came out behinde him, that he fell downe in the same place, and died there: And as many as came to the place where Asahel fell downe and died, stoode still.


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Ioab also and Abisai pursued after Abner: And the sunne went downe when they were come to the hil Amma, that lyeth before Giah, by the way of the wildernesse of Gibeon.


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And the children of Beniamin gathered them selues together after Abner, & were on a heape, and stoode on the top of an hill.


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Then Abner called to Ioab, and said: Shall the sword deuour for euer? Knowest thou not, that it wil be bitternesse in the latter ende? Howe long then shall it be yer thou bid the people returne from folowing their brethren?


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And Ioab sayde: As God lyueth, if thou haddest not spoken, suerly euen in the morning the people had departed, euery one from persecuting his brother.


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And so Ioab blewe a trumpet, and all the people stoode still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.


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And Abner and his men walked all that night through the playne, & went ouer Iordane, & past through all Bethhoron, till they came to Mahanaim.


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And Ioab returned from persecuting Abner, and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of Dauids seruautes nineteene men, & Asahel.


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But the seruauntes of Dauid had smitten of Beniamin and of Abners men, [so that] three hundred and threescore men died.


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And they toke vp Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem: And Ioab and his men went all night, and the day arose to them at Hebron.


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There was then long warre betweene the house of Saul, and the house of Dauid: But Dauid waxed stroger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.


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And vnto Dauid were children borne in Hebron: his eldest sonne also was Amnon of Ahinoam the Iesraelite:


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The seconde, Cheleab of Abigail the wyfe of Nabal the Carmelite: the third, Absalom the sonne of Maacha the daughter of Thalmai, the king of Gessur:


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And whyle there was warre betweene the house of Saul and the house of Dauid, Abner held vp the house of Saul.


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And Saul had a concubine named Rispha, the daughter of Ahia: And Isboseth sayd to Abner, Wherfore hast thou gone in vnto my fathers concubine?


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Then was Abner very wroth for the wordes of Isboseth, and sayde: Am I a dogges head, whiche against Iuda do shew mercie this day vnto the house of Saul thy father, and to his brethren and frendes, & haue not deliuered thee into the hande of Dauid: and thou fyndest a fault in me this day for this woman?


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So do God to Abner, and more also, except as the Lorde hath sworne to Dauid, euen so will I do to him,


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To bring the kingdome fro the house of Saul, that the throne of Dauid may be stablisshed ouer Israel and ouer Iuda, euen from Dan to Beerseba.


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And Abner sent messengers to Dauid secretly, saying: Whose is the land? Who should [also] say, Make a bond with me, and beholde my hande is with thee, to bring all Israel vnto thee.


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He sayde: Well, I will make a bonde with the: But one thing I require of thee, that is, that thou see not my face, except thou first bring Michol Sauls daughter, when thou comest to see me.


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And Dauid sent messengers to Isboseth Sauls sonne, saying: Deliuer me my wife Michol, whiche I maried for an hundred foreskinnes of ye Philistines.


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And her husband went with her, and came weeping behinde her, til they came to Bahurim. Then sayde Abner vnto him, Go and returne. And he returned.


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And Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying: Ye sought for Dauid in times past, that he might be your king:


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Nowe then do it: for the Lorde hath spoken of Dauid, saying: By the hande of my seruaunt Dauid, I will saue my people Israel out of the handes of the Philistines, and out of the hande of all their enemies.


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And Abner spake in the eares of Beniamin: and afterward Abner went to speake in the eares of Dauid in Hebron all that Israel was content with and the whole house of Beniamin.


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And so Abner came to Dauid to Hebron, hauing twentie men with him: & Dauid made him & the men that were with him a feast.


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And Abner sayde vnto Dauid: I will vp, & go gather all Israel vnto my lorde the king, that they may make an appoyntment with thee, and that thou mayest raigne ouer all that thyne heart desireth. And when Dauid had let Abner depart, he went in peace.


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And behold, the seruauntes of Dauid and Ioab came from the campe, and brought a great pray with them: (But Abner was not with Dauid in Hebron, for he had sent him away to depart in peace.)


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When Ioab and al the hoast that was with him were come, men tolde Ioab, saying: Abner the sonne of Ner came to the king, and he hath sent him away, that he is gone in peace.


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Then Ioab came to the king, and said: What hast thou done? Behold, Abner came vnto thee, and why hast thou sent him away, and he is quyte gone?


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Thou knowest Abner the sonne of Ner, for he came to deceaue thee, and to knowe thy outgoyng and ingoyng, and to knowe all that thou doest.


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And when Ioab was come out from Dauid, he sent messengers after Abner, which brought him againe from the well of Sira, vnknowing to Dauid.


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And when Abner was come againe to Hebron, Ioab toke him asyde in the gate to speake with him peaceably, and smote him vnder the fyft ribbe, that he died for the blood of Asahel his brother,


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And when afterwarde it came to Dauids eare, he sayde: I and my kingdome are giltlesse before the Lord for euer concerning the blood of Abner the sonne of Ner.


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Let the blood fall on the head of Ioab and on all his fathers house, that the house of Ioab be neuer without one or other that hath running issues or leper, or that leaneth on a staffe, or that doth fall on the sword, or that lacketh bread.


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(So Ioab & Abisai his brother slue Abner, because he had slayne their brother Asahel at Gibeon in battell.)


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And Dauid sayde to Ioab and to all the people that were with him: Rent your clothes, and put on sackcloth, and mourne before Abner. And king Dauid him selfe folowed the beere.


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And when they buried Abner in Hebron, the king lift vp his voyce, & wept besyde the sepulchre of Abner, and al the people wept.


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Thy handes were not bounde, nor thy feete brought into fetters of brasse: but as a man falleth before wicked children, so fellest thou. And all they that were of the people, wept yet more ouer him.


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And when all the people came to cause Dauid eate meate whyle it was yet day, Dauid sware, saying: So do God to me and more also, if I taste bread or ought els tyll the sunne be downe.


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And all the people wist it, and it pleased them: as whatsoeuer the king did, pleased all the people.


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For all the people and all Israel vnderstoode that day, how that it was not the kinges deede that Abner the sonne of Ner was slayne.


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And the king said vnto his seruauntes: Knowe ye not howe that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?


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And I am this day tender and newly annoynted king, and these men the sonnes of Zaruia be to hard for me: The Lorde rewarde the doer of euyll, according to his wickednesse.


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And when Sauls sonne hearde that Abner was dead in Hebron, his handes were feeble, & al the Israelites were afrayde.


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And Sauls sone had two me that were captaines of bandes, the one called Baanah, & the other Rechab, the sonnes of Rimmon a Berothite, of the children of Beniamin: (for Beroth was reckened to Beniamin,


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And Ionathan Sauls sonne had a sonne that was lame on his feete, and was fiue yeres olde when the tydinges came of Saul & Ionathan out of Iesrael: And his nurse toke hym vp, and fled away, and as she made haste to flee, the chylde fell, and began to halt, and his name was Miphiboseth.


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And the sonnes of Rimmon the Berothite, Rechab and Baanah, went and came in the heate of the day to the house of Isboseth (whiche slept on a bed at noone.)


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And behold, they came into the middes of the house, as though they woulde haue fetched wheate, and Rechab and Baanah his brother smote him vnder the fyft ribbe, and fled.


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For when they came into the house, he slept on his bed in his bed chamber, and they smote him and slue him, & beheaded him, and toke his head, & gat them away through the plaine all the night.


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And they brought the head of Isboseth vnto Dauid to Hebron, and sayde to the king: Behold, there is the head of Isboseth Sauls sonne thyne enemie whiche sought after thy lyfe, and the Lorde hath auenged my lorde the kyng this day of Saul and of his seede.


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And Dauid aunswered Rechab and Baanah his brother ye sonnes of Rimmon the Berothite, and said vnto them: As the Lorde lyueth, whiche hath deliuered my soule out of all aduersites:


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When one tolde me & sayde that Saul was dead (thynking to haue brought good tydinges) I caught him, and slue him in Ziklag: whiche thought that I woulde haue geuen him a rewarde for his tydinges bringing:


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Howe much more when wicked men haue slayne a righteous person in his owne house and vpon his bed? Shal I not nowe therfore require his blood of your hande, & take you from the earth?


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And Dauid commaunded his young men, and they slue them, and cut of their handes and feete, and hanged them vp ouer the poole in Hebron: But they toke the head of Isboseth, & buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.


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Then came all the tribes of Israel to Dauid vnto Hebron, and sayde thus: Beholde, we are thy bone, and thy fleshe.


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And in time past whe Saul was our king, thou leddest Israel in and out: and the Lord hath sayd to thee, thou shalt feede my people Israel, & thou shalt be a captayne ouer Israel.


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And so all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron, and king Dauid made a couenaunt with them in Hebron before the Lorde: and they annointed Dauid king ouer Israel.


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In Hebron he raigned ouer Iuda seuen yeres and sixe monethes: and in Hierusalem he raigned thirtie and three yeres ouer all Israel and Iuda.


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The king also and his men went to Hierusalem vnto the Iebusites the inhabitauntes of the lande, whiche spake vnto Dauid, saying: Except thou take away the blinde and the lame, thou shalt not come in hyther: For they said, Thou art not able to come in hyther.


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And Dauid sayde the same day: Whosoeuer smyteth the Iebusites, and getteth vp to the gutters of the houses, and smyteth the lame and the blinde, hated of Dauid soule, [I will preferre him.] Wherfore they said: The blinde and the lame shal not come into that house.


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And so Dauid dwelt in the towre, and called it the citie of Dauid, and buylt round about it, from Millo & inward.


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And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to Dauid, and Cedar trees, & carpenters, and masons for walles: and they buylt Dauid an house.


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And Dauid perceaued that the Lord had stablished him king ouer Israel, & that he had exalted his kingdome for his people Israels sake.


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And Dauid toke him mo concubines and wyues out of Hierusalem, after he was come from Hebron, and mo sonnes & daughters were yet borne to Dauid.


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And these be the names of the sonnes that were borne vnto him in Hierusalem: Samua, Sobab, Nathan, & Solomon,


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But when the Philistines hearde that they had annoynted Dauid king ouer Israel, they came all vp to seke Dauid: And assoone as Dauid hearde of it, he gat him to an holde.


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And Dauid asked counsel of the Lord, saying: Shall I go vp to the Philistines? Wilt thou deliuer them into my handes? And the Lorde aunswered vnto Dauid: Go vp, for I will doubtlesse deliuer the Philistines into thy handes.


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And Dauid came to Baal Perazim, and smote them there, and sayde: The Lorde hath deuided myne enemies asunder before me, as waters be deuided asunder: And therefore he called the name of that place Baal Perazim.


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And when Dauid asked counsel of the Lorde, he aunswered, Thou shalt not go vp: but compasse them on the backsyde, and come vpon them ouer against the Mulbery trees.


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And when thou hearest the noyse of a thing goyng in the toppe of the Mulbery trees, then remoue: for then shall the Lorde go out before thee, to smyte the hoast of the Philistines.


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And Dauid did as the Lorde had commaunded him: and smote the Philistines from Geba, vntill thou come to Gazer.


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And arose, and went with all the folke that were with him, from Baala of Iuda, to fet away from thence the arke of God, whose name is called by the name of the lord of hoastes that dwelleth vpon it betweene the cherubims.


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And they put the arke of God vpon a newe cart, & brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibea: And Uzza and Ahio the sonnes of Abinadab draue the newe carte.


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And when they brought the arke of God out of the house of Abinadab that was at Gibea, Ahio went before the arke.


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And Dauid and all the house of Israel played before the lord on sundry instrumentes made of Cedar wood, with harpes, psalteries, timbrelles, hornettes, and simbals.


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And when they came to Nachons thresshing floore, Uzza put his hand to the arke of God, & helde it, for the oxen did shake it.


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And the Lord was wroth with Uzza, and God smote him in the same place for his fault, and there he died before the arke of God.


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And Dauid was displeased, because the Lorde had smitten Uzza: And he called the name of the place Perez Uzza, vntill this day.


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And so Dauid woulde not bring the arke of the Lorde vnto him into the citie of Dauid: but Dauid caried it into the house of Obed Edom, a Gethite.


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And the arke of the Lorde continued in the house of Obed Edom the Gethite three monethes: and the Lorde blessed Obed Edom, and all his housholde.


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And one tolde king Dauid howe that the Lorde had blessed the house of Obed Edom, and all that parteyned vnto him, because of the arke of God. And Dauid went, and brought the arke of God from the house of Obed Edom, into the citie of Dauid with gladnes.


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And when they that bare the arke of the Lorde, had gone sixe paces, he offered an oxe and a fat beast.


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So Dauid and all the house of Israel brought the arke of the Lorde with showting and trumpet blowing.


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And as ye arke of the Lord came into the citie of Dauid, Michol Sauls daughter loked through a windowe, and sawe king Dauid spring and daunce before the Lord, and she despysed him in her heart.


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And when they brought in the arke of the Lord, they set it in his place, euen in the middes of the tabernacle that Dauid had pitched for it: and Dauid offered burnt offeringes & peace offeringes before the Lorde.


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And assoone as Dauid had made an ende of offering burnt offeringes and peace offeringes, he blessed the people in the name of the Lorde of hoastes,


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And gaue among all the folke, euen among the whole multitude of Israel, aswel to the women as men, to euery one a cake of bread, & a peece of flesshe, and a flacked of wine: And so al the people departed euery one to his house.


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Then Dauid returned to blesse his housholde, and Michol the daughter of Saul came out to meete Dauid, & sayd: O howe glorious was the king of Israel this day, whiche was vncouered to day in the eyes of the maydens of his seruauntes, as a foole vncouereth him selfe?


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And Dauid sayd vnto Michol: It was before the Lorde, whiche chose me rather then thy father and all his house, and commaunded me to be ruler ouer all the people of the Lorde, euen ouer Israel, and therefore will I play before the Lorde:


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And will yet be more vyle then so, and will be meeke in myne owne sight: and of the very same mayde seruauntes which thou hast spoken of, shall I be had in honour.


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Afterward when the king sate in his house, & the Lord had geuen him rest round about from all his enemies,


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The king sayde vnto Nathan the prophete: Beholde, I dwell nowe in an house of Cedar trees, but the arke of God dwelleth within the curtaynes.


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For I haue not dwelt in any house, sence the time that I brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, vnto this day: but haue walked in a tent and tabernacle.


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In al the places wherin I haue walked with all the childre of Israel, spake I one worde with any of ye tribes of Israel, when I commaunded [the iudges] to feede my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of Cedar trees?


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Now therfore, so say vnto my seruaunt Dauid: thus sayeth the lord of hoastes, I toke thee from the sheepe coate as thou wast folowing sheepe, that thou mightest be ruler ouer my people ouer Israel.


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And I was with thee in all that thou wentest to, and haue destroyed all thyne enemies out of thy sight, & haue made thee a great name, lyke vnto the name of the great men that are in the earth.


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(Also I will appoynt a place for my people Israel, and will plant it, that they may dwell in a place of their owne, & moue no more: neither shall wicked people trouble them any more, as before time,


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And sence the time that I set iudges ouer my people of Israel) And I will geue thee rest from all thyne enemies: And the Lorde telleth thee, that he will make thee an house.


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And when thy dayes be fulfilled, thou shalt sleepe with thy fathers, and I will set vp thy seede after thee, whiche shall proceede out of thy body, and will stablyshe his kingdome.


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I will be his father, and he shalbe my sonne: If he sinne, I will chasten him with the rodde of men, and with the plagues of the children of men.


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And thyne house, and thy kingdome shall be stablished for euer before thee, [euen] thy throne shalbe stablished for euer.


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Then went king Dauid in, and set him downe before the Lord, and sayde: Who am I, O Lorde God? and what is my house that thou hast brought me hyther to?


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And this was yet a small thing in thy sight O Lorde God: but thou hast spoken also of thy seruauntes house for a great whyle: but doth this appertayne to man, O Lorde God?


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Euen for thy wordes sake, & according to thyne owne heart, hast thou done al these great thinges, to make them knowen vnto thy seruaunt.


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Wherfore thou art great, O Lorde God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God besides thee, according to al that we haue heard with our eares.


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And what one people in the earth is lyke thy people, lyke Israel, whose God went and redeemed them to hym selfe, that they myght be his people, and that he myght make hym a name, and do for you great thynges and terrible for thy lande, O Lorde [euen] for thy people which thou redeemedst to thee out of Egypt [euen] from the nations and their gods.


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For thou hast ordeyned thy people Israel to be thy people for euer, and thou Lorde art become their God.


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And nowe Lorde God, the worde that thou hast spoken concernyng thy seruaunt and his house, make it good for euer, and do as thou hast saide:


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And let thy name be magnified for euer of men that shall say, The Lorde of hoastes is the God ouer Israel: and let the house of thy seruaunt Dauid be stablished before thee.


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For thou, O Lorde of hoastes, God of Israel, hast tolde in the eare of thy seruaunt, saying, I wyll buylde thee an house: And therefore hath thy seruaunt founde in his heart to pray this prayer vnto thee.


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Therefore nowe Lorde God (thou art God, and thy wordes be true, thou that hast tolde this goodnes vnto thy seruaunt)


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Therefore nowe let it please thee to blesse the house of thy seruaunt, that it may continue for euer before thee: for thou Lorde God hast spoken it, and with thy blessyng let the house of thy seruaunt be blessed for euer.


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After this, now Dauid smote the Philistines, and subdued them: and Dauid toke the bridel of bondage out of the hand of the Philistines.


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And he smote the Moabites, and measured them with a lyne, and cast them downe to the grounde, euen with two lynes measured he them, to put them to death, and with one full corde to kepe them alyue: And so became the Moabites Dauids seruauntes, and brought giftes.


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Dauid smote also Hadarezer ye sonne of Rehob king of Zoba, as he went to recouer his border at the ryuer Pherath.


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And Dauid toke of his, a thousand and seuen hundred horsemen, and destroyed all the charets, and twentie thousand footemen: but reserued an hundred charets of them.


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And when the Syrians of Damascon came to succour Hadarezer king of Zoba, Dauid slue of the Syrians two and twentie thousand men.


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And put souldiers in Syria Damascon: And the Syrians became seruautes to Dauid, and brought giftes, and the Lorde saued Dauid, in all that he went vnto.


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And Dauid toke the shieldes of golde that belonged to the seruauntes of Hadarezer, & brought them to Hierusalem.


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Thoi sent Ioram his sonne vnto king Dauid, to salute him, and to blesse him, because he had fought against Hadarezer, and beaten him (for Thoi had great warre with Hadarezer) And [Ioram] brought with him vessels of siluer, vessels of golde, and vessels of brasse.


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Which brasse king Dauid did dedicate vnto the Lorde, with the siluer & golde that he had deditate of al nations which he subdued.


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Of Syria, of the Moabites, & of the children of Ammon, of the Philistines, and of Hamalek, and of the spoyle of Hadarezer sonne of Rehob king of Zoba.


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And Dauid gat him a name after that he returned & had smitten of the Syrians in the valley of salt 18 thousand men.


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And he put a garison in Edom, euen throughout all Edom put he souldiers, and all they of Edom became Dauids seruauntes: And the Lorde kept Dauid whatsoeuer he toke in hand.


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And Sadoc the sonne of Ahitob, and Ahimelech the sonne of Abiathar were the priestes, & Saraiah was the scribe.


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And Banaiahu the sonne of Iehoida and the Cherethites, and the Phelethites, and Dauids sonnes, were chiefe rulers.


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And Dauid sayde: Is there yet any man left of ye house of Saul? For I wil shewe him mercie for Ionathans sake.


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And there was of the householde of Saul, a seruaunt whose name was Ziba, and when they had called him vnto Dauid, the king saide vnto him: Art thou Ziba? He said: Thy seruaunt is he.


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And the king saide: Remaineth there yet any man of the house of Saul, who I may shewe the mercie of God vpon? Ziba aunswered the king: Ionathan hath yet a sonne, which is lame on his feete.


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The king said vnto him: where is he? Ziba saide vnto the king: Behold, he is in the house of Machir the sonne of Amiel of Lodeber.


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Now when Miphiboseth the sonne of Ionathan ye sonne of Saul was come vnto Dauid, he fell on his face, and dyd reuerence: And Dauid saide, Miphiboseth? He aunswered: Beholde thy seruaunt.


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Dauid saide vnto him: Feare not, for I will surelie shewe thee kindnesse for Ionathan thy fathers sake, and will restore thee all the fieldes of Saul thy father, & thou shalt eate bread on myne owne table continually.


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And he bowed him selfe, and sayde: What is thy seruaunt, that thou shouldest loke vpon such a dead dogge as I am?


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Then the king called to Ziba Sauls seruaunt, and said vnto him: I haue geuen vnto thy maisters sonne all that parteyned to Saul and to all his house.


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Thou therefore, and thy sonnes, and thy seruauntes, shall tyll the land for him, & bring in, that thy maisters sonne may haue foode to eate: But Miphiboseth thy maisters sonne shall eate bread alway vpon my table. For Ziba had fifteene sonnes, & twentie seruauntes.


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Then saide Ziba vnto the king: According to all that my Lorde the king hath commaunded his seruaunt, so shall thy seruaunt do, that Miphiboseth may eate [as the king saide] vpon my table, as one of the kinges sonnes.


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Miphiboseth had a sonne that was young, named Micha: and al that dwelt in the house of Ziba, were seruauntes vnto Miphiboseth.


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And Miphiboseth dwelt in Hierusalem, for he dyd eate continually at the kinges table, and was lame on both his feete.


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Then saide Dauid: I will shewe kindnesse vnto Hanon the sonne of Nahas, as his father shewed kindnesse vnto me. And Dauid sent to comfort him by the hand of his seruauntes, ouer his father: And Dauids seruauntes came in to the land of the children of Ammon.


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And the princes of the children of Ammon sayde vnto Hanon their lorde: Thinkest thou that Dauid doth honor thy father, that he hath sent comfortours to thee? Hath not Dauid rather sent his seruauntes vnto thee, to searche the citie, and to spie it out, and to ouerthrowe it?


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Wherefore Hanon toke Dauids seruauntes, and shaued of the one halfe of their beardes, & cut of their garmetes in the middle, euen hard to the buttockes of them, and sent them away.


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When they tolde it vnto Dauid, he sent to meete them (for they were men exceedingly ashamed) and the king said: Tary at Iericho vntill your beardes be growen, and then returne.


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And when the children of Ammon sawe that they stancke in the sight of Dauid, they sent & hyred the Syrians of the house of Rehob, and the Syrians of Zoba 20 thousand footemen, and of king Maacha a thousand men, and of Istob twelue thousand men.


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And the children of Ammon came out, and put their armie in aray at the entring in of the gate: and the Syrians of Zoba, of Rehob, Istob, and Maacha, were by them selues in the fielde.


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Whe Ioab sawe that the front of the battaile was against him before and behinde, he chose of all the choyse of Israel, and put them in aray against the Syrians.


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And the rest of the people he deliuered into the hand of Abisai his brother, that he might put them in aray against the children of Ammon.


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And he saide: If the Syrians be stronger then I, thou shalt helpe me: But if the children of Ammon be to strong for thee, I will come and succour thee.


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Therefore quite thee lyke a man, and let vs be valiaunt for our people and for the cities of our God: And the Lorde do that which is good in his owne eyes.


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And Ioab proceeded foorth, & the people that was with him, to fight against the Syrians: but they fled before him.


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And when the children of Ammon sawe that the Syrians were fled, then fled they also before Abisai, and entred into the citie: And so Ioab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Hierusalem.


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And Hadarezer sent, and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the ryuer, and they came to Helam: & Zoba the captayne of the hoast of Hadarezer went hefore them.


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And when it was shewed Dauid, he gathered al Israel together, & passed ouer Iordane, and came to Helam: And the Syrians set them selues in aray against Dauid, and fought with him.


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And the Syrians fled before Israel, and Dauid destroyed seuen hundred charets of the Syrians, & fourtie thousand horsemen, and smote Zoba the captaine of their hoast, which also dyed there.


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And when all the kinges that were seruauntes to Hadarezer, saw that they fel before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and serued them: and so the Syrians feared to helpe the children of Ammon any more.


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And it came to passe that after the yere was expired, in the time when kinges go foorth to battaile, Dauid sent Ioab & his seruautes with him, and all Israel, which destroyed the children of Ammon, & besieged Rabba: But Dauid taryed still at Hierusalem.


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And in an euening tyde, Dauid arose out of his bed, and walked vpon the roofe of the kinges palace, and from the roofe he sawe a woman washing her selfe, and the woman was very beautifull to loke vpon.


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And Dauid sent to enquire what woman it should be: And one saide, Is not this Bethsabe the daughter of Eliam, and wyfe to Urias the Hethite?


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And Dauid sent messengers, and toke her away: And she came in vnto him, and he lay with her (and she was purified from her vnclennesse) and returned vnto her house.


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And whe Urias was come vnto him, Dauid demaunded of him howe Ioab did, and how the people fared, and how the warre prospered?


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And Dauid sayde to Urias: Go downe to thy house, & washe thy feete. And Urias departed out of the kinges palace, and there folowed him a present from the king.


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But Urias slept at the doore of ye kinges palace, with all the seruauntes of his lorde, and went not downe to his house.


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Which when they had tolde Dauid, saying, Urias went not downe vnto his house: Dauid saide vnto Urias, Camest thou not from thy iourney? why diddest thou not go downe then vnto thyne house?


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Urias aunswered Dauid: The arke, & Israel, and Iuda dwell in pauilions, and my lorde Ioab and the seruauntes of my lorde abyde in the open fieldes, and shall I then go into myne house, to eate, and drinke, & lye with my wyfe? By thy lyfe, and by the lyfe of thy soule, I will not do this thing.


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And Dauid saide vnto Urias: Tary here this day also, and to morow I wil let thee departe. And so Urias abode in Hierusalem that day, and the morow.


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And when Dauid had called him, he did eate and drinke before him, and he made him drunke: And at euen he went out to lye on his couch with ye seruautes of his lorde, but went not downe to his house.


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And he wrote thus in the letter: Put ye Urias in the forefront of the sharper battaile, and come ye backe from him, that he maye be smytten, and dye.


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And the men of the citie came out, and fought with Ioab: And there were certayne ouerthrowen of the people of the seruauntes of Dauid: & Urias the Hethite dyed also.


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And charged the messenger, saying: When thou hast made an ende of telling the matters of the warre vnto the king:


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If the kinges anger aryse, and he say vnto thee, wherfore approched ye so nye vnto the citie when ye did fight? wyst ye not that they would hurle and shoote from the wall?


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Who smote Abimelech sonne of Ierubesheth? Did not a woman cast a peece of a mylstone vpon him from of the wall, and he dyed in Thebes? why went ye nye the wall? Then say thou: Thy seruaunt Urias the Hethite is dead also.


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And the messenger saide vnto Dauid: The men preuailed against vs, & came out vnto vs into the fielde, & we pursued them, euen vnto the entring of the gate:


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And the shooters shotte from the walles vpon thy seruauntes, and some of the kinges seruauntes be dead, and thy seruaunt Urias the Hethite is dead also.


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And Dauid saide vnto the messenger, thus shalt thou saye vnto Ioab: Let not that thing trouble thee, for ye sword deuoureth one as well as another: Make thy battayle more strong against the citie to ouerthrowe it, & encourage thou him.


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And when the mourning was past, Dauid sent and fet her to his house, and she became his wyfe, and bare him a sonne: But this thing that Dauid dyd, displeased the Lorde.


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And the Lord sent Nathan vnto Dauid, and he came vnto him, and tolde him: There were two men in one citie, the one rich, & the other poore.


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But the poore had nothing saue one litle sheepe, which he had bought and nouryshed vp: And it grew vp with him and with his children also, and did eate of his owne meate, and drancke of his owne cuppe, & slept in his bosome, and was vnto him as his daughter.


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And there came a straunger vnto the rich man, and he spared to take of his owne sheepe and of his owne oxen to dresse for ye straunger that was come vnto him: But toke the poore mans sheepe, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.


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And Dauid was exceeding wroth with the man, and saide to Nathan: As the Lorde lyueth, the man that hath done this thing is the childe of death.


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And Nathan saide to Dauid, Thou art the man: Thus saith the Lord God of Israel , I annoynted thee king ouer Israel, and ryd thee out of the hand of Saul.


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I gaue thee thy maisters house, and thy maisters wyues into thy bosome, and gaue thee the house of Israel and of Iuda, and might (if that had ben to litle) haue geuen thee so muche more.


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Wherefore then hast thou despised the commaundement of the Lorde to do euill in his sight? Thou hast kild Urias the Hethite with the sword, & hast taken his wyfe to thy wyfe, and hast slaine him with the sword of the children of Ammon.


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Now therefore, the sword shall neuer depart from thyne house, because thou hast despised me, and taken the wyfe of Urias the Hethite to be thy wyfe.


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Wherefore thus saith the Lorde: Beholde, I will stirre vp euil against thee, euen out of thyne owne house, and wyll take thy wyues before thyne eyes, and geue them vnto thy neyghbour, and he shall lye with thy wyues in the sight of this sunne.


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For thou diddest it secretly: but I wil do this thing before al Israel, and in the open sunne lyght.


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And Dauid saide vnto Nathan: I haue sinned against the Lord. And Nathan saide vnto Dauid: The Lord also hath put away thy sinne, thou shalt not dye.


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Howbeit, because in doing this deede thou hast geuen ye enemies of the Lord a cause to blaspheme, the childe that is borne vnto thee shall surely dye.


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And Nathan departed vnto his house: And the Lorde strake the childe that Urias wyfe bare vnto Dauid, and it sickened sore.


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Dauid therefore besought God for the childe, and fasted, and went in, & laye all night vpon the earth.


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And the elders of his house arose and went to him, to take him vp from the earth: But he would not, neither did he eate meate with them.


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And the seuenth day the childe dyed, and the seruauntes of Dauid feared to tell him that the childe was dead: For they said, beholde, while the childe was yet alyue we spake vnto hym, and he would not hearke vnto our voyce: how will he then vexe him selfe, if we tell him that the childe is dead?


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But Dauid seing his seruautes whispering, perceaued that the childe was dead: & Dauid said vnto his seruauntes, Is the childe dead? They saide: He is dead.


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And Dauid arose from the earth, and washed and annoynted him selfe, and chaunged his apparell, and came into the house of the Lord, and worshipped: and afterward came to his owne house, & bad that they should set bread before him, and he dyd eate.


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Then said his seruauntes vnto him: What thing is this that thou hast done? Thou diddest fast & weepe for the childe while it was alyue, & assoone as it was dead, thou diddest ryse vp & eate meate.


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He said: While the childe was yet ailue I fasted and wept: for this I thought, Who can tell whether God wyll haue mercy on me, that the childe may lyue?


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But now seeing it is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him againe any more? I shall go to him, rather then he shall come againe to me.


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And Dauid comforted Bethsabe his wyfe, & went in vnto her and lay with her, and she bare a sonne, and he called his name Solomon, and the Lord loued him,


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And had sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet: therefore he called his name Iedidia, of the Lordes behalfe.


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And Ioab sent messengers to Dauid, saying: I haue fought against Rabba, and haue taken the citie of waters.


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Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and besiege the citie, that thou mayst take it: lest I take it, & it be called after my name.


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And he toke their kinges crowne from of his head (which wayed a talent of golde, & in it were precious stones) and it was set on Dauids head, and he brought away the spoyle of the citie, in exceeding great abundaunce.


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And he caryed away the people that was therein, & put them vnder sawes, and vnder iron harrowes, and vnder axes of iron, & thrust them into the tylekyll: thus dyd he with all the cities of the children of Ammon. And so Dauid and al the people returned vnto Hierusalem.


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After this, so it was that Absalom the sonne of Dauid had a fayre sister, named Thamar, whom Amnon ye sonne of Dauid loued.


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And he was so sore vexed, that he fell sycke for his sister Thamar: for she shas a virgin, and he thought it hard for him to do any thing to her.


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But Amnon had a frende called Ionadab, the sonne of Simah, Dauids brother: And Ionadab was a very subtile man.


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And he said vnto him: How commeth it, that thou being the kinges sonne, art thus consumed from day to day? Wylt thou not tell me? Amnon aunswered him: I loue Thamar my brother Absaloms sister.


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Ionadab saide vnto him, Lay thee downe on thy bed, and make thy selfe sicke: And when thy father is come to see thee, saye vnto him: I pray thee let my sister Thamar come, and geue me meate, and dresse it in my syght, that I may see it, and eate it of her hand.


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And so Amnon laye downe, and made him selfe sicke: And when the king was come to see him, Amnon saide vnto the king: I pray thee let Thamar my sister come, and make me a coople of cakes in my sight, that I may eate of her hand.


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So Thamar went to her brother Amnons house, & he was layed downe: And she toke floure, and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and dyd bake them.


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And toke a panne, and powred them out before him: but he would not eate. And Amnon saide: Haue out all men from me. And they went all out from him.


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And Amnon saide vnto Thamar: Bring the meate into the chamber, that I may eate of thyne hand. And Thamar toke ye cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother:


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And whe she had set them before him to eate, he toke her, and saide vnto her: Come, lye with me my sister.


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And she aunswered him: Nay my brother, do not force me, for there hath no such thing ben done in Israel: Do not thou this folly.


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And I, whyther shall I cause my shame to go? And thou shalt be as one of the fooles in Israel: Now therefore, I pray thee speake vnto the king, and he wyll not denie me vnto thee.


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Howbeit, he would not hearken vnto her voyce: but being stronger then she, forced her, and lay with her.


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And then Amnon hated her exceedingly, so that the hatred wherewith he hated her, was greater then the loue with which he before loued her: And Amnon saide vnto her: Up, and get thee hence.


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She aunswered him, There is no cause: This euill that thou puttest me away, is greater then the other that thou diddest vnto me. Neuerthelesse, he would not heare her:


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But called his boye that serued him, and saide: Put away this woman from me, and bolt the doore after her.


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And she had a garment of diuers colours vpon her: for with such wer the kinges daughters (that were virgins) appareled. Then his seruaunt brought her out, and locked the doore after her.


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And Thamar toke and put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of diuers colours that was on her, & layed her hand on her head, and so went, and as she went, cryed.


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And Absalom her brother saide vnto her: Hath Amnon thy brother ben with thee? Now yet be still my sister, he is thy brother, let not this thing greeue thyne heart. And so Thamar remayned desolate in her brother Absaloms house.


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And Absalom sayde vnto his brother Amnon neither good nor bad: Howbeit, Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Thamar.


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And after the tyme of two yeres, Absalom had sheepe shearers in the playne of Hazor beside Ephraim, & bade all the kinges sonnes.


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And came to the king, and saide: Beholde, thy seruaunt hath sheepe shearers, I pray thee that the king with his seruauntes come to thy seruaunt.


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The king aunswered Absalom: Nay my sonne, I pray thee let vs not go all, lest we be chargeable vnto thee. And Absalom laye sore vpon him: howbeit he would not go, but blessed him.


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Then saide Absalom: but I pray thee shall not my brother Amnon go with vs? And the king aunswered him: what needeth it that he go with thee?


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Now had Absalom commaunded his young men, saying: Marke when Amnons heart is mery with wine, and when I bid you smyte Amnon: then kil him, and feare not: haue not I bidden you? be bolde therfore, & play the men.


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And the seruauntes of Absalom dyd vnto Amnon euen as Absalom had commaunded: And al the kinges sonnes arose, and euery man gat him vp vpon his mule, and fled.


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And whyle they were yet in the way, tydinges came to Dauid, saying: Absalom hath slaine all the kinges sonnes, and there is none left alyue.


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Then the king arose, & tare his garmentes, and lay along on the earth: and all his seruauntes stoode by with their clothes rent.


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And Ionadab the sonne of Simeach Dauids brother, aunswered, and sayde: Let not my lorde suppose that they haue slaine all the young men of the kings sonnes, but Amnon onely is dead: For that hath ben determined in Absaloms minde, since he forced his sister Thamar.


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Now therefore, let not my lorde the king take the thing so greeuously, to thinke that all the kinges sonnes are dead, for Amnon onely is dead.


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But Absalom fled: And ye young man that kept the watch, lyft vp his eyes & loked, and beholde there came much people by the way of the hill syde behinde him.


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And assoone as he had left speaking, beholde the kinges sonnes came, & lyft vp their voyces, and wept: The king also & all his seruauntes wept exceedingly sore.


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But Absalom escaped, and went to Thalmai the sonne of Ammihur kyng of Gesur: And Dauid mourned for his sonne euery day.


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And king Dauid desired to go foorth vnto Absalom: For where as Amnon was dead, he was comforted ouer him.


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And he sent to Thekoa, and fet thence a wyse woman, & sayde vnto her: I pray thee faine thy selfe to be a mourner, and put on mourning apparell, and annoynt not thy self with oyle, but be as a woman that had long tyme mourned for the dead:


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And come to the king, and speake on this maner vnto hym (And so Ioab taught her what she should say.)


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And when the woman of Thekoa spake with the king, she fell on her face to the grounde, and did obeysaunce, and sayde: Helpe, O king.


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The king said vnto her: What ayleth thee? She aunswered: I am in deede a wydow, and myne husband is dead.


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And thy hande mayde had two sonnes, and they two fought together in the fielde, where was no man to go betweene them, but the one smote the other, and slue him.


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And beholde, the whole kindred is risen against thy handmayd, & they said: Delyuer hym that smote his brother, that we may kill him for the soule of his brother whom he slue, we will destroy the heyre also: And so they shall quenche my sparkle which is left, and shall not leaue to my husband neither name nor issue vpon the earth.


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And the woman of Thekoa saide vnto the king: My lorde O king, this trespasse be on me and on my fathers house: and the king and his throne be giltlesse.


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And the king saide: If any man say ought vnto thee, bring him to me, and he shall hurt thee no more.


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Then saide she: I pray thee let the king remember the Lord thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer many reuengers of blood to destroy, lest they slay my sonne. And he aunswered: As the Lorde lyueth, there shal not one heere of thy sonne fall to the earth.


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The woman sayd: Wherfore then hast thou thought suche a thing against the people of God? For the king doth speake this thing as one which is faultie, that he shoulde not fet home againe his banished.


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For we must nedes dye, and are as wather spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered vp againe: Neither doth God spare any person, yet doth he appoynt meanes that his banished be not vtterly expelled from him.


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Nowe therfore I am come to speake of this thing vnto the my lord the king, [because] they that be of ye people haue made me afrayd: And thy handmayde sayd, Now will I speake vnto the king, it may be that the king will perfourme the request of his handmayde.


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And the king shall heare his handmayde, to deliuer her out of the hand of the man that woulde haue destroyed me, and also my sonne out of the inheritaunce of God.


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And thyne handmayde sayde: The worde of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: For my lord the king is as an angel of God, in hearing of good & bad: Therfore the Lorde thy God be with thee.


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Then the king aunswered, and sayde vnto the woman: Hyde not from me I pray thee ye thing that I shall aske thee. And the woman sayde: Let my lord the king nowe speake.


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And the king sayd: Is not the hand of Ioab with thee in all this matter? The woman aunswered, and sayde: As thy soule liueth my lorde the king, I wil not turne to the right hande nor to the left from ought that my lorde the king hath spoke: for euen thy seruaunt Ioab bad me, and he put all these wordes in the mouth of thyne handmayde:


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For to the intent that I shoulde chaunge the fourme of speach, hath thy seruaunt Ioab done this thing: And my lorde is wyse, according to the wisdome of an angel of God, to vnderstande all thinges that are in the earth.


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And the king sayd vnto Ioab: Behold, I haue done this thing: Go & bring the young man Absalom againe.


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And Ioab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed him selfe, and thanked the king: And Ioab sayd, Now thy seruaunt knoweth, that I haue founde grace in thy sight my lorde O king, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of his seruaunt.


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And the king sayde: Let him turne to his owne house, & not see my face. And so Absalo returned to his owne house, and sawe not the kinges face.


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But in al Israel there was none to be so muche praysed as Absalom for beautie: from ye sole of his foote to the toppe of his head, there was no blemishe in him.


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And when he polled his head (for at euery yeres ende he polled it, because the heere was heauy on him therfore he polled it) he weighed the heere of his head at two hundreth sicles, after the kinges wayght.


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And Absalom had three sonnes borne him, and one daughter named Thamar, whiche was a fayre woman to loke vpon.


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Therfore Absalom sent for Ioab to haue sent him to the king, but he would not come to him: And when he sent againe, he would not come.


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Therfore he sayde vnto his seruauntes: Behold, Ioab hath a field by my place, & he hath barlye therin: Go, & set it on fyre. And Absaloms seruauntes set it on fire.


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Then Ioab arose, and came to Absalom vnto his house, and sayd vnto him: Wherfore haue thy seruauntes burnt my fielde with fire?


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And Absalo aunswered Ioab: Behold, I sent for thee, desiring thee to come, because I woulde haue sent thee to the king, for to say, Wherfore am I come from Gesur? It had ben better for me to haue ben there still: Nowe therfore would I see the kinges face: And if ther be any trespasse in me, let hym kil me.


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And so Ioab came to the king, and tolde him: Which when he had sent for Absalom, he came to the king, and fel to the ground on his face before him, and the king kissed Absalom.


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And Absalom rose vp early, and stoode in the place of the entring in of the gate: And euery man that had any matter and came to the king for iudgement, him did Absalom cal vnto him, and sayde: Of what citie art thou? He aunswered: Thy seruaunt is of one of the tribes of Israel.


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And Absalom said vnto him: See, thy matters are good and righteous, but there is no man [deputed] of the king to heare thee.


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Absalom sayde moreouer: Oh, that I were made iudge in the land, that euery man which hath any plea and matter in the lawe, might come to me, and that I might do him iustice.


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And when any man came nye to him, and dyd him obeysaunce, he put foorth his hande, and toke him to him, and kissed him.


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And on this maner dyd Absalom to al Israel that came to the king for iudgement: so Absalom stale the heartes of the men of Israel.


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And after fourtie yeres, Absalom said vnto the king: I pray thee let me go to Hebron, & pay my vowe which I haue vowed vnto the Lorde:


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For thy seruaunt vowed a vowe (when I was in Gesur in Siria) saying: If the Lorde shall bring me againe in deede to Hierusalem, I wil serue the Lorde.


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But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying: Assoone as ye heare the voyce of the trumpet blow, ye shall say, Absalom raigneth in Hebro.


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And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Hierusalem, that were called: And they went with pure heartes, not knowing of any thing.


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And Absalom sent for Ahithopel the Gilonite Dauids counseller, fro his citie Gilo, while he offered sacrifices, and there was wrought strong treason: For the people went and increased with Absalom.


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And ther came a messenger to Dauid, and sayde: The heartes of the men of Israel are turned after Absalom.


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And Dauid said vnto all his seruautes that were with him at Hierusalem: Up, that we may flee, for we shall not els escape from Absalom: Make speede to departe, lest he come sodenly & catche vs, and bring euyll vpon vs, and smyte the citie with the edge of the sworde.


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And the kinges seruauntes sayd vnto him: Beholde, thy seruauntes are redy to do whatsoeuer my lord the king shall appoynt.


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And the king departed, and al his housholde at his feete: And the king left ten concubines to kepe the house.


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And al his seruauntes went about him: and all the Cerethites, and all the Phelethites, and all the Gethites, euen sixe hundred men whiche were come after him from Geth, went before the king.


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Then sayde the king to Ithai the Gethite: Wherfore commest thou with vs? Returne, and abyde with the king, for thou art a straunger, depart therfore to thy place.


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Thou camest yesterday, and should I vnquiet thee to day to go with vs? I will go whyther I can: Therfore returne thou, & cary againe thy brethren: Mercy and trueth be with thee.


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And Ithai aunswered the king, & said: As the Lord lyueth, and as my lord the king lyueth, in what place my lorde the king shalbe, whether in death or lyfe, euen there also will thy seruaunt be.


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And Dauid said to Ithai: Come then, and go forward. And Ithai the Gethite went foorth, and all his men, and all the children that were with him.


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And all the countrey wepte with a loude voyce, & all the people went ouer: The king also him selfe passed ouer the brooke Cedron, and all the people went ouer towarde the waye that leadeth to the wildernesse.


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And lo Sadoc also and all the Leuites were with him, & bare the arke of the appoyntment of God, and they set downe the arke of God, and Abiathar went vp, vntill the people were all come ouer, out of the citie.


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And the king sayde vnto Sadoc, Cary the arke of God againe into the citie: If I shall finde fauour in the eyes of the Lorde, he will bring me againe, & shewe me both it, and the tabernacle therof.


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But if he thus say, I haue no lust vnto thee: beholde here am I, let hym do with me what semeth good in his eyes.


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The king sayde also vnto Sadoc the priest: Art not thou a Sear? Returne into the citie in peace, and take your two sonnes with you, Ahimaaz thy sonne, and Ionathan the sonne of Abiathar.


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Behold, I wil tary in the fieldes of the wildernesse, vntil there come some word from you to be tolde me.


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And Dauid went vpon mount Oliuet, and wept as he went vp, and had his head couered, & went barefoote: And all the people that was with him, had euery man his head couered: & as they went vp, they wept.


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And one tolde Dauid, saying: Ahithophel is one of them that haue conspired with Absalom. And Dauid sayde: O Lorde I pray thee, turne the counsell of Ahithophel into foolishnes.


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When Dauid was come to the toppe of the mount, he worshipped God: and beholde, Husai the Arachite came against him, with his coate torne, and hauing earth vpon his head.


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But if thou returne to the citie, and say vnto Absalom, I will be thy seruaunt O king: as I haue thus long ben thy fathers seruaunt, so am I nowe thy seruaunt, thou mayest for my sake destroy the counsel of Ahithophel.


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And hast thou not there with thee Sadoc and Abiathar the priestes? therfore whatsoeuer thou shalt here out of the kings house, thou shalt shewe to Sadoc and Abiathar the priestes.


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And behold, they haue there with them their two sonnes, Ahimaaz Sadocs sonne, and Ionathan Abiathars sonne: by them also shal ye sende me all that ye can heare.


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And when Dauid was a litle past the toppe [of the hill] beholde, Ziba the seruaunt of Miphiboseth mette him with a coople of asses sadled, & vpon them two hundred loues of bread, & one hundred bunches of resinges, and an hundred of dried figges, & a bottel of wyne.


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And the king sayde vnto Ziba: What meanest thou with these? And Ziba sayde: They be Asses for the kinges houshold to ryde on, and bread and fruit for the young men to eate, and wine, that such as be faynt in the wildernesse may drinke.


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And the king sayde: Where is thy maisters sonne? Ziba aunswered vnto the king, Behold he tarieth still at Hierusalem: For he sayde, This day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdome of my father.


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Then sayd the king to Ziba: Behold, thyne are all that pertayned vnto Miphiboseth. And Ziba sayde: I humbly beseche thee that I may finde grace in thy sight, my lorde O king.


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And when king Dauid came to Bahurim, beholde, thence came out a man of the kinred of the house of Saul, named Semei the sonne of Gera, and he came out cursing.


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And he cast stones at Dauid, and at all the seruauntes of Dauid: And all the people and al the men of warre were on his right hande, and on his left.


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And thus sayd Semei when he cursed: Come foorth, come foorth thou bloodsheder, and thou man of Belial.


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The Lord hath brought vpon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose steade thou hast raigned, and the Lorde hath deliuered the kingdome into the hande of Absalom thy sonne: And beholde, thou art come to thy mischiefe, because thou art a bloodsheder.


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Then sayde Abisai the sonne of Zaruia vnto the king: Why doth this dead dogge curse my lord the king? let me go nowe, and take of the head of him.


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And the king sayde: What haue I to do with you ye sonnes of Zaruia? for he curseth euen because the Lord hath bidden him curse Dauid: Who dare then say, Wherfore hast thou done so?


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And Dauid sayde to Abisai, and to all his seruautes, Behold, my sonne which came of myne owne bowels, seketh my lyfe: How much more then may this sonne of Iemini do it? Suffre him to curse, for the Lorde hath bidden him.


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And as Dauid and his men went by the way, Semei went along on the hilles syde ouer against him, & cursed as he went, and threwe stones at him, and cast duste.


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And assoone as Husai the Arachite Dauids frend, was come vnto Absalo, Husai sayde vnto Absalom: God saue the king, God saue the king.


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Husai aunswered vnto Absalom, Nay not so: But whom the Lorde and this people and all the men of Israel choose, his will I be, & with him wil I dwell.


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And moreouer, vnto whom shal I do seruice? not to his sonne? And as I was seruaunt before thy father, so will I before thee.


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And Ahithophel said vnto Absalom: Get thee in vnto thy fathers cocubines whiche he hath left to kepe the house, and all Israel shal heare, that thou art abhorred of thy father: then shall the hades of al that are with thee, be strong.


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And so they spread Absalom a tent vpon the toppe of the house, and Absalom went in vnto his fathers concubines in the sight of all Israel.


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And the counsel of Ahithophel whiche he counseled in those dayes, was as a man had asked counsel at the oracle of God: euen so was all the counsel of Ahithophel, both with Dauid and with Absalom.


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Ahithophel also said vnto Absalom: Let me choose out now twelue thousand men, and I wil vp and folowe after Dauid this night:


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And I wil come vpo him whyle he is weery and weake handed, and will feare him: And all the people that are with him, shall flee, and so will I smite the king only,


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And wil bring againe all the people vnto thee: and when al shall returne, the man whom thou sekest [beyng slayne] all the people shalbe in peace.


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When Husai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake vnto him, saying: Ahithophel hath geuen such counsel: Shal we do after his saying, or no? tell thou.


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For sayde Husai, thou knowest thy father & his men howe that they be strong men, and they be chased in their mindes, and are euen as a Beare robbed of her whelpes in the fielde: Thy father is a man also practised in warre, and wil not lodge with the people.


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Behold he is hyd nowe in some caue, or in some other place: And though some of his men be ouerthrowen at the first brunt, yet they that heare it, will say: The people that foloweth Absalom, be put to the worse.


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And he also that is valiaunt, whose heart is as ye heart of a Lio, shal shrink and faynt: For all Israel knoweth, that thy father is a mightie man, and they which be with him are stout men.


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Therfore my counsell is, that al Israel be gathered vnto thee fro Dan to Beerseba, as the sande of the sea in numbre, and that thou go to battayle in thyne owne person.


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For so shall we come vpon him in one place or other where we shal finde him, and we wil fal vpon him, euen as thicke as the deawe falleth on ye ground: And of al the men that are with him, we shal not leaue him one.


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Moreouer, if he be gotten into a towne, then shall al the men of Israel bring ropes to that citie, and we will drawe it into the riuer, vntil ther be not one small stone founde there.


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And Absalom and all the men of Israel sayde: The counsel of Husai the Arachite, is better then the counsell of Ahithophel. For it was euen the Lordes determination to destroy the good counsell of Ahithophel, that the Lorde might bring euyll vpon Absalom.


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Then sayde Husai vnto Sadoc & Abiathar the priestes: Of this & that maner did Ahithophel and the elders of Israel counsel Absalom, and thus & thus haue I counsayled.


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Nowe therfore send quickly, & shewe Dauid, saying: Tarie not this night in ye fieldes of the wildernesse, but get thee ouer, lest the king be deuoured, & all the people that are with him.


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Now Ionathan and Ahimaaz abode by the well Rogel: (for they might not be seene to come into the citie) and a wench went and told them: And they went, and shewed king Dauid.


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Neuerthelesse, a lad sawe them, and tolde it to Absalom: But they went both of them away quickly, & came to a mans house in Bahurim, which had a well in his yarde, into the whiche they went downe.


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And the wyfe toke and spread a couerlet ouer the welles mouth, & spread ground corne theron: and the thing was not spied.


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And when Absaloms seruauntes came to the wyfe to the house, they sayde: Where is Ahimaaz & Ionathan? The woman aunswered the: They be gone ouer the brooke of water. And whe they had sought them, and coulde not finde them, they returned to Hierusalem.


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And assoone as they were departed, the other came out of the wel, and went and tolde king Dauid, and sayde vnto him: Up, and get you quickly ouer the water, for suche counsel hath Ahithophel geuen against you.


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Then Dauid arose, and all the people that were with him, & they were come ouer Iordane by that it was day: so that there lacked not one of them: that was not come ouer Iordane.


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And when Ahithophel sawe that his counsel was not folowed, he sadled his Asse, and arose and gate him home to his owne house, and to his owne citie, & put his housholde in order, and hanged him selfe, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.


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Then Dauid came to Mahanaim, And Absalom passed ouer Iordane, he and all the men of Israel with him.


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And Absalom made Amasa captaine of the hoast in stede of Ioab: which Amasa, was a mans sonne named Iethra an Israelite, that went into Abigail the daughter of Nahas, sister to Zaruia Ioabs mother.


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And when Dauid was come to Mahanaim, Sobi the sonne of Nahas, out of Rabba of the children of Ammon, & Machir the sonne of Ammiel out of Lodeber, and Barzellai the Gileadite out of Rogelim,


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Brought beddes, basens, earthen vessels, wheat and barly, floure & parched corne, beanes, lentiles, & parched pulse,


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Hony, butter, sheepe, & cheese of kyne, for Dauid and for the people that were with him, to eate: For they sayde, The people is hungry, weery, and thirstie, in the wildernesse.


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And Dauid numbred the people that were with him, and set captaynes of thousandes and of hundredes ouer them.


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And Dauid set foorth the third part of the people vnder the hande of Ioab, and the third part vnder the hand of Abisai the sonne of Zaruia Ioabs brother, and the other third part vnder the hand of Ithai the Gethite: And the king said vnto the people, I will go with you my selfe also.


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And the people aunswered, Thou shalt not go foorth: for if we flee away, they wil not care for vs, neither shal they regard vs, though halfe of vs were slaine: but thou art nowe worth ten thousande of vs, Wherfore it is better that thou succour vs out of the citie.


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And the king sayde vnto them: What seemeth you best, that wil I do. And the king stoode by the gate syde, and all the people came out by hundredes, and by thousandes.


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And the king commaunded Ioab, and Abisai, and Ithai, saying: Intreate the young man Absalom gently for my sake. And all the people hearde that the king gaue all the captaynes charge concerning Absalom.


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And so the people wet out into the fielde against Israel (and the battel was in the wood of Ephraim)


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Where the people of Israel were slaine before the seruauntes of Dauid: & there was a great slaughter that day, euen of twentie thousande men.


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For the battell was scattered ouer al the countrey: And the wood deuoured mo people that day, then dyd the sword.


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And Absalom mette the seruauntes of Dauid ryding vpon a mule, whiche caried him vnder the thycke bowes of a great oke, and his head was caught of the oke, and he was lift vp betweene the heauen and the earth: and the mule that was vnder him, went away.


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And Ioab sayd vnto the man that told him: If thou diddest see him, why diddest not thou there smite him to the ground, and I would haue geuen thee ten sicles of siluer, and a gyrdle?


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The man sayd vnto Ioab: Though I should receaue a thousande sicles of siluer in myne hande, yet woulde I not stretche out myne hand against ye kinges sonne: For we heard with our eares when the king charged thee, & Abisai, and Ithai, saying: Beware that none touche the young man Absalom.


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Moreouer, if I had done it, I shoulde haue done against mine owne lyfe: for there is no matter hyd from the king, yea & thou thy selfe wouldest haue ben against me.


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Then sayde Ioab, I may not stand thus tarying with thee: And he toke three dartes in his hande, & thrust them through Absalom whyle he was yet alyue in the middes of the oke.


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And Ioab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from folowing Israel: for Ioab held backe the people.


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And they toke Absalom, and cast him into a great pyt in the wood, and layed a mightie great heape of stones vpon him: And all Israel fled euery one to their tentes.


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And this Absalom yet in his lyfe time toke and reared vp a piller, whiche is in the kinges dale: For he sayd, I haue no sonne to kepe my name in remembraunce, and he called the piller after his owne name, and it is called vnto this day Absaloms place.


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Then sayd Ahimaaz the sonne of Sadoc: Let me runne nowe and beare the king tydinges, how that the Lord hath iudged him quyte of the hande of his enemies.


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And Ioab sayd vnto him: Thou art no man to beare tidinges to day, thou shalt beare tydinges another time: but to day thou shalt beare none, because the kinges sonne is dead.


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Then sayd Ioab to Chusi: Go and tell the kyng what thou hast seene. And Chusi bowed him selfe vnto Ioab, and ranne.


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Then sayd Ahimaaz the sonne of Sadoc againe to Ioab: What I pray thee, if I also runne after Chusi? And Ioab sayde: Wherfore wilt thou runne my sonne, seyng that thou hast no tydinges to bring?


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Yet what if I runne? He said vnto him: Runne. Then Ahimaaz ranne by the way of the playne, & came before Chusi.


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And Dauid sate betweene the two gates: And the watchman went vp to the roofe ouer the gate vnto the wal, and lift vp his eyes and sawe, & beholde there came a man runnyng alone.


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And the watchman cryed, & tolde the king. And the king sayd: If he be alone, there is tydinges in his mouth. And he came a pace, and drewe neare.


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And the watchman sawe another man running, and the watchman called vnto the porter, and sayd: Behold, there commeth another man running alone. And the king sayd: He is also a tydinges bringer.


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And the watchman sayde: Me thinketh the running of the formost, is lyke the running of Ahimaaz the sonne of Sadoc. The king sayde: He is a good man, and commeth with good tidinges.


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And Ahimaaz called & said vnto ye king, peace be with thee: And he fell downe to the earth vpo his face before the king, and sayd: Blessed be the Lord thy God, which hath shut vp the me that lift vp their handes against my lorde the king.


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And the king sayd: Is the young man Absalom safe? Ahimaaz aunswered: When Ioab sent the kinges seruaunt, and me thy seruaunt, I sawe a great tumult, but I wote not what it was.


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And behold, Chusi came also, and sayd: Tydinges my lorde the king, for the Lord hath deliuered thee this day out of the hande of al them that rose against thee.


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And the king sayde vnto Chusi: Is the young man Absalom safe? Chusi aunswered: The enemies of my lorde the king, and all that ryse against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is.


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And the king was moued, and went vp to the chamber ouer the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he sayde, O my sonne Absalom, my sonne, my sonne Absalom: woulde God I had died for thee, O Absalom my sonne, my sonne.


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And the victorie of that day was turned into mourning vnto al the people: for the people heard say that day howe ye king sorowed for his sonne.


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And the people went that day into the citie by stealth, as people confounded to conuey themselues when they flee in battell.


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But the king hyd his face, and cryed with a loude voyce: O my sonne Absalom, O Absalom my sonne, my sonne.


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And Ioab came into the house to the king, and sayd: Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy seruautes, which this day haue saued thy life, & the liues of thy sonnes, and of thy daughters, & the liues of thy wyues, and of thy concubines,


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In that thou louest thyne enemies, and hatest thy frendes: For thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest neither thy princes nor seruauntes: And this day I do perceaue, that if Absalom had lyued, and all we had died this day, that had pleased thee well.


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Nowe therfore vp, and come out, and speake cofortably vnto thy seruauntes: For I sweare by the Lorde, except thou come out, there will not tary one man with thee this night, and that wilbe worse vnto thee, then all the euyll that fell on thee from thy youth vnto this houre.


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Then the king arose, and sate in the gate: And they tolde vnto all the people, saying, beholde the king doth sit in the gate, and all the people came before the king: For Israel had fled, euery man to his tent.


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And al ye people were at strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying: The king saued vs out of the hand of our enemies, & he deliuered vs out of the hande of the Philistines, and nowe he is fled out of the lande for Absalom:


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But Absalom whom we annoynted ouer vs, is dead in battell: Therefore, why are ye so still, that ye bring not the king agayne?


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And king Dauid sent to Sadoc & Abiathar the priestes, saying: Speake vnto the elders of Iuda, and say: Why are ye behinde to bring the king againe to his house (seyng that such tydinges is come from all Israel vnto the king, euen to his house?)


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Ye are my brethren, my bones, and my fleshe: Wherfore then are ye the last that bryng the king againe?


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And say ye to Amasa: Art thou not of my bone and of my fleshe? God do so to me and more also, if thou be not captayne of the hoast to me for euer in the roome of Ioab.


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And he bowed the heartes of all the men of Iuda, euen as the heart of one man, so that they sent [this word] to the king: Returne thou with all thy seruauntes.


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So the king returned, and came to Iordane: And Iuda came to Gilgal for to go to meete the king, and to conuey him ouer Iordane.


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And Simei the sonne of Gera the sonne of Iemini, whiche was of Bahurim, hasted and came downe with the men of Iuda to meete king Dauid.


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And there were a thousand men of Beniamin with him, and Ziba the seruaunt of the house of Saul and his fyfteene sonnes and twentie seruauntes with him, and they went ouer Iordane before the king.


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And there went ouer a boate to carie ouer the kinges housholde, and to do him pleasure: And Simei the sonne of Gera fel before the king as he was come ouer Iordane,


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And sayde vnto the king: Let not my lorde impute wickednes vnto me, nor remembre the thinges that thy seruaunt dyd wickedly when my lord the king departed out of Hierusale, that the king should take it to his heart.


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For thy seruaunt doth knowe howe that I haue done amisse: And therfore behold, I am the first this day of all the house of Ioseph, that am come downe to meete my lorde the king.


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But Abisai the sonne of Zaruia aunswered, and sayd: Shall not Simei dye for this, because he cursed the Lordes annoynted?


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And Dauid sayde: What haue I to do with you ye sonnes of Zaruia? For this day ye be aduersaries vnto me: Shall there any man dye this day in Israel? Do not I knowe that I am this day kyng ouer Israel?


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And Miphiboseth the sonne of Saul came downe to meete the kyng, and had neither washed his feete, nor dressed his bearde, nor washed his clothes, from the tyme the kyng departed, vntyll he came againe in peace.


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And when he was come to Hierusalem and met the king, the king sayde vnto him: Wherfore wentest not thou with me Miphiboseth?


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He aunswered: My lorde O king, my seruaunt deceaued me: For thy seruaunt saide, I would haue myne asse sadled to ryde thereon, for to go to the king: because thy seruaunt is lame.


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And he hath accused thy seruaunt vnto my lorde the king, and my lorde the king is as an angell of God: do therfore what seemeth good in thine eyes.


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For all my fathers house were but dead men before my lorde the king, and yet diddest thou put thy seruaunt among the that dyd eate at thyne owne table: What right therefore haue I yet to crye any more vnto the king?


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And the king said vnto him: Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I haue saide, Thou and Ziba deuide the landes betweene you.


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And Miphiboseth sayd vnto the king: yea, let him take all forsomuch as my lord ye king is come againe in peace vnto his owne house.


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And Barzellai ye Gileadite came downe from Roglim, and went ouer Iordane with the king, to conduct him ouer Iordane.


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Barzellai was a very aged man, euen foure score yeres olde, and prouided the king of sustenaunce while he laye at Mahanaim: for he was a man of very great substaunce.


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And Barzellai saide vnto the king: How long haue I to liue, that I shuld go vp with the king vnto Hierusalem?


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I am this day foure score yeres olde: & can I deserue betweene good or euyll? Hath thy seruaunt any taste in that he eateth or drinketh? Can he heare any more the voyce of syngyng men and women? wherfore the should thy seruaunt be yet a burthen vnto my lord the king?


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Thy seruaunt will go a litle way ouer Iordane with the king: & why wyl the king recompence it me with such a rewarde?


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O let thy seruaunt turne backe agayne, that I may dye in myne owne citie, and [be buryed] in the graue of my father & of my mother: Beholde, here is thy seruaunt Chimham, let him go with my lorde the king, and do to him what shall please thee.


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And the king aunswered: Chimham shall go with me, and I will do to him that thou shalt be content with: And what soeuer thou shalt require of me, that same will I do for thee.


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And al the people went ouer Iordane: and whe the king was come ouer Iordane, he kissed Barzellai, & blessed him, & he went backe againe vnto his owne place.


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And then the king went to Gilgal, & Chimham went with him: And al the people of Iuda, conducted the king, and also halfe the people of Israel.


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And beholde, all the men of Israel came to the king, & saide vnto the king: Why haue our brethren the men of Iuda stolen thee away, and haue brought the king and his housholde and all Dauids men with him ouer Iordane?


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And all the men of Iuda aunswered the men of Israel, Because the king is neare of kinne to vs: Wherefore be ye angry for this matter? Haue we eaten of the kinges cost? or haue we taken any brybes?


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And the men of Israel aunswered the men of Iuda, and saide: We haue ten partes in the king, and haue thereto more ryght to Dauid then ye: Why then did ye despise vs, that our aduise should not be first had, in restoring our king? And the wordes of the men of Iuda were fiercer the the wordes of the men of Israel.


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When there came thither a certaine man of Belial, named Seba, the sonne of Bichri, a man of Iemini, he blew a trumpet, and said: we haue no part in Dauid, neither haue we inheritaunce in the sonne of Isai: euery man to his tentes, O Israel.


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And so euery man of Israel went fro Dauid, and folowed Seba the sonne of Bichri: But the men of Iuda claue fast vnto their king from Iordane to Hierusalem.


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And Dauid came to his house to Hierusalem, and the king toke the ten women his concubines, that he had left behind him to kepe ye house, & put them in warde, & fed them, but lay no more with them: And so they were inclosed vnto the day of their death, lyuing in wydowhood.


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Then saide the king to Amasa: Call me the men of Iuda together within three dayes, and be thou here also.


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And so Amasa went to gather ye men of Iuda together, but taryed longer the the time which he had appoynted him.


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And Dauid saide to Abisai: Now shal Seba the sonne of Bichri do vs more harme then did Absalom: Take thou therefore thy lordes seruauntes, and folowe after him, lest he get him walled cities, and escape vs.


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And there went out after him Ioabs men, and the Cerethites, and the Phelethites, and all the mightyest men: And they departed out of Hierusalem, to folow after Seba the sonne of Bichri.


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And when they were at ye great stone in Gibeon, Amasa went before them: And Ioabs garment that he had about him, was girde vnto him, & he had gyrded thereon a sword, which was ioyned fast to his loynes in a sheath, that as he went it fell sometime out.


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And Ioab saide to Amasa: Art thou in health my brother? And Ioab toke Amasa by ye beard with the right hand, to kisse him.


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But Amasa toke no heede to the sword that was in Ioabs hand: for therewith he smote him in the fyst [rybbe] & shed out his bowels to the grounde, and thrust at him no more, & he dyed: So Ioab and Abisai his brother folowed after Seba the sonne of Bichri.


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And one of Ioabs men stoode by him, and saide: He that beareth any fauour to Ioab, or good will to Dauid, let him go after Ioab.


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And Amasa wallowed in blood in the middes of the way: And when the man sawe that all the people stoode still, he remoued Amasa out of the way into the fielde, and cast a cloth vpon him, because he saw that euery one that came by him stoode still.


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And assoone as he was remoued out of the way, al the people went after Ioab, to folow after Seba the sonne of Bichri.


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And he went thorow all the tribes of Israel, vnto Abel, and to Bethmaacha, and all the places of Berim: And they gathered together, and went after him.


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And they came and besieged him in Abel, neare to Bethmaacha: And they cast vp a bancke against the citie, and the people therof stoode on the ramper, and all the people that was with Ioab, thrust at the wall to ouerthrowe it.


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Then cryed a wyse woman out of the citie, heare, heare, I pray you say vnto Ioab: Come hither that I may speake with thee.


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When Ioab was come vnto her, the woman saide: Art thou Ioab? He aunswered: I am he. She saide vnto him: Heare the wordes of thyne handmayd. And he aunswered: I do heare.


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Then she spake thus: They spake in the olde tyme, saying, They should aske of Abel: And so haue they continued.


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I am one of them that are peaceable & faithfull in Israel, and thou goest about to destroy a citie, and a mother in Israel: Why wilt thou deuour the inheritaunce of the Lorde?


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The matter is not so: But a man of mount Ephraim (Seba the sonne of Bichri by name) hath lyft vp his hand against the king, euen against Dauid: Delyuer vs him onely, & I wyll depart from the citie. And the woman said vnto Ioab: Behold, his head shalbe throwen to thee ouer the wall.


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And then the woman went vnto all the people with her wisedome, and they smote of the head of Seba ye sonne of Bichri, and cast it out to Ioab: And he blew a trumpet, & they retyred from the citie, euery man to his tent: And Ioab returned to Hierusalem, vnto the king.


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Ioab was ouer all the hoast of Israel, and Banaia the sonne of Iehoida was ouer the Cerethites & Phelethites.


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Then there was an hunger in the dayes of Dauid three yeres together: And Dauid enquired of ye Lorde. And the Lorde aunswered: It is for Saul, and the house of blood, because he slue the Gibeonites.


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And the king called the Gibeonites, and saide vnto them: (Now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but a remnaunt of the Amorites, and the children of Israel sware vnto them: And Saul sought to slay them, for a zeale that he had to the children of Israel and of Iuda.)


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Wherefore Dauid saide vnto the Gibeonites: What shall I do for you, & wherewith shall I make the attonement, that ye may blesse ye inheritaunce of the Lorde?


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The Gibeonites aunswered him: We will haue no siluer nor golde of Saul nor of his house, neither is it our mind that thou shouldest kil any man in Israel. He saide: What you shall say, that will I do for you.


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They aunswered the king: The man that consumed vs, and imagined to bring vs to naught, that we are destroyed from remaining in any of the coastes of Israel:


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Let seuen men of his sonnes be deliuered vnto vs, & we will hang them vp vnto the Lorde in Gibeah of Saul whom ye Lord did choose. And the king saide: I will geue them you.


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But the king had compassion on Miphiboseth the sonne of Ionathan the sonne of Saul, because of the Lordes oth that was betweene them, euen betweene Dauid & Ionathan the sonne of Saul.


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But the king toke the two sonnes of Rispha the daughter of Aia whom she bare vnto Saul, euen Armoni and Miphiboseth, and the fiue sonnes of Michol the daughter of Saul, whom she bare to Adriel the sonne of Barzellai the Meholathite.


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And he deliuered them vnto ye handes of the Gibeonites, which hanged them in the hill before the Lorde: And they fell all seuen together, and were slaine in the dayes of haruest, euen in the first dayes, and in the beginning of barlye haruest.


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And Rispha the daughter of Aia, toke sackcloth, & hanged it vp for her vpon the rocke [euen] from the beginning of haruest, vntill water dropped vpon them out of heauen, & suffered neither the byrdes of the ayre to lyght on them by day, nor beastes of ye fielde by night.


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And Dauid went and toke the bones of Saul and of Ionathan his sonne, from the citezins of Iabes in Gilead, which had stolen them from the streate of Bethsan where the Philistines had hanged them, whe the Philistines had slaine Saul in Gilboa:


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And he brought thence the bones of Saul, and the bones of Ionathan his sonne, and they gathered the bones of them that were hanged.


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And the bones of Saul & Ionathan his sonne buryed they in the countrey of Beniamin, in Zela, in the sepulchre of Cis his father: And when they had perfourmed al that the king commaunded, God was then at one with the land.


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Moreouer, yt Philistines had yet warre againe with Israel, and Dauid went downe and his seruauntes with him, & fought against the Philistines: And Dauid waxed faintie.


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And Iesbi benob one of the sonnes of the giauntes (the iron of whose speare wayed three hundred sicles of brasse) and he being gyrded with a new sword, thought to haue slaine Dauid.


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But Abisai the sonne of Zaruia succoured him, & smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the seruauntes of Dauid sware vnto him, saying: Thou shalt go no more out with vs to battaile, that thou quenche not the light of Israel.


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And yet after this, there was a battaile with the Philistines at Gob, and then Sibbechai the Husathite slue Saph which was one of ye sonnes of the giauntes.


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And there was another battaile in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the sonne of Iaere Oregim a Beth lehennite slue Goliath ye Gethite: the staffe of whose speare was as great as a weauers clothbeame.


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And there was yet another battaile in Geth, wher was a man of a great stature, and had on euery hand sixe fingers, & on euery foote sixe toes, foure & twentie in number, and was borne also of the kindred of the giauntes in Geth.


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These foure were borne to the giaunt in Geth, and dyed by the hand of Dauid, & by the handes of his seruauntes.


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And Dauid spake the wordes of this song vnto the Lorde, what time the Lorde had delyuered him out of the hand of al his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul.


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God is my strength, in him will I trust: he is my shielde, and the horne of my saluation, my hie towre, and my refuge, my sauiour, thou hast saued me from wrong.


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In my tribulation did I call vppon the Lorde, and crye to my God: and he dyd heare my voyce out of his temple, and my crye [did enter] into his eares.


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The chanels of the sea appeared: and the foundatios of the world were seene, by the reason of ye rebuking of the Lord, and through the blasting of the breath of his nosthryls.


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He deliuered me from my mightie enemie, and from them that hated me: for they were to strong for me.


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The Lorde rewarded me according to my righteousnesse: accordyng to the purenes of my hands he recompensed me.


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And the Lorde did to me againe according to my righteousnesse: euen after my purenes in his eye sight.


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God is vncorrupt in his way, the word of the Lord is tryed in the fyre: he is a shielde to all them that trust in him.


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Thou hast geuen me the shielde of thy saluation: and with thy louing mekenesse thou doest multiplie me.


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I haue folowed vpon myne enemies, and destroyed them: and turned not againe, vntill I had consumed them.


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I haue wasted them, and wounded them, that they shal not be able to aryse: yea, they shall fall vnder my feete.


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Thou hast gyrded me about with might to battayle: and them that rose against me, hast thou subdued vnder me.


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Then did I beate them as small as the dust of the earth: I did stampe them as the clay of the streate, and did spreade them abrode.


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Thou also hast deliuered me from the discention of my people, thou hast kept me to be an head ouer nations: the people which I knew not, do serue me.


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He deliuereth me from myne enemies, thou also hast lyft me on hie from them that rose against me: thou hast delyuered me from the wicked man.


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He is the towre of saluation for his king, and dealeth mercyfully with his annoynted: euen with Dauid, and with his seede for euermore.


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These also be the last wordes of Dauid: Dauid the sonne of Isai said: and ye man which was ordayned the annoynted of the God of Iacob and the sweete Psalmist of Israel, sayde:


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The God of Israel spake to me, euen the most mightie of Israel sayde: A ruler ouer men being iust, ruling in ye feare of God:


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And as the morning lyght when the sunne is vp, a morning in which are no cloudes, [so shal my house be, but not] as the grasse of the earth is by bryghtnesse and rayne.


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For so shal not my house be with God: For he hath made with me an euerlasting couenaunt, perfect and sure in all poyntes: and this is truly all my health, and all my desyre, that it growe, but not as grasse.


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But the man that shall touche them, must be defenced with iron, or with the shaft of a speare, and they shalbe burnt with fire in the same place.


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These be the names of the mightie men whom Dauid had: One that sate in the seate of wisedome, being chiefest among the princes, was Adino of Ezni, he slue eyght hundred at one tyme.


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After him was Eliazar the sonne of Dodo the sonne of Ahohi, one of the three worthies with Dauid, which defyed the Philistines that were there gathered together to battaile, when the men of Israel were gone vp.


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He arose and layed on the Philistines, vntill his hand was weery, and claue vnto the sword: And the Lorde gaue great victory the same day, and the people returned after him, only to spoyle.


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After him was Samma the sonne of Age the Hararite: & the Philistines gathered together besyde a towne, where was a parcell of land full of lentils, and the people fled from the Philistines:


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But he stoode in ye middest of the groud, and defended it, & slue the Philistines: and the Lorde gaue great victorie.


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These three (which were of the thirtie chiefe captaines) went downe to Dauid in the haruest tyme vnto the caue Adullam: and the hoast of the Philistines pytched in the valley of giauntes.


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And Dauid longed, & saide: Oh that I had of the water that is in the wel by the gate of Bethlehem for to drynke.


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And the three mightie brake through the hoast of the Philistines, & drue water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and toke and brought it to Dauid: Neuerthelesse he would not drinke thereof, but powred it vnto the Lorde,


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And saide, The Lorde forbyd that I should do so: Is not this the blood of the men that went in ieoperdie of theyr lyues? & therefore he would not drinke it. And these thinges did these three mightie men.


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Abisai the brother of Ioab the sonne of Zaruia, was chiefe among the three, & he lyft vp his speare against three hundred, and slue them, & had the name among the three:


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For he was most excellent of the three, and was their captayne: Howbeit he attayned not vnto [the first] three.


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And Banaiah the sonne of Iehoida the sonne of a mightie man, valiaunt in actes, of Rabzeel, slue two strog men of Moab: He went downe also, and slue a lion in the middest of a pit in time of snowe.


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And he slue an Egyptian a goodly bigge man, and the Egyptian had a speare in his hand: But he went downe to him with a staffe, and plucked the speare out of the Egyptians hand, and slue him with his owne speare.


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He was honorable among thirtie, but he attayned not to [the first] three: And Dauid made him of his counsel.


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<n>(23:28)</n> Heleb the sonne of Baanah an Netophatite, Ithai the sonne of Ribai out of Gibea of the children of Beniamin:


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<n>(23:33)</n> Eliphelet ye sonne of Aasbai the sonne of Maachathi, Eliam the sonne of Ahithophel the Gilonite:


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<n>(23:36)</n> Zelec the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, which was the harnesse bearer of Ioab the sonne of Zaruia:


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And agayne the Lorde was wroth against Israel, and he moued Dauid agaynst them, in that he sayde: Go number Israel & Iuda.


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For the king sayde to Ioab the captaine of the hoast which was with him: Go thou abrode now throughout al the tribes of Israel, euen from Dan to Beerseba, and number ye the people, that I may knowe the number of them.


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And Ioab saide vnto the king: The Lorde thy God encrease the people an hundreth folde mo then they be, & that the eyes of my lorde the king may see it: And what is the cause that my lorde the king hath a lust to this thyng?


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Notwithstanding, the kinges word preuayled agaynst Ioab & against the captaines of the hoast: And Ioab & the captaynes of the hoast, went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.


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And they passed ouer Iordane, & pitched in Aroer on the right syde of the citie that lyeth in the myddest of the valey of Gad, and toward Iazer.


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And then they came to Gilead, and to the land Tahtim hodshi, & from thece they came to Dan Iaan, and about to Sidon.


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And came to the strong hould of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Heuites and of the Chanaanites: & then went out to the south of Iuda, euen to Beerseba.


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And so when they had ben abrode throughout all the land, they returned to Hierusalem, after the end of nine monethes and twentie dayes.


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And Ioab deliuered the number and summe of the people vnto the king, and there were in Israel eyght hundred thousand men of might that drewe swordes: and the men of Iuda were fiue hundred thousand men.


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And Dauids heart smote him, after that he had numbred the people: And Dauid saide vnto the Lord, I haue sinned exceedingly in that I haue done: And nowe I beseche thee Lord take away the trespasse of thy seruaunt, for I haue done very foolishly.


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And when Dauid was vp in the morning, the word of the Lorde came vnto the prophet Gad Dauids sear, saying:


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Go and say vnto Dauid, thus sayth the Lorde: I offer thee three thynges, choose thee which of them I shall do vnto thee.


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So Gad came to Dauid, and shewed him, and said vnto him: Wylt thou haue seuen yeres hunger to come vpon thy land: or wilt thou flee three monethes before thyne enemies, they folowyng thee: or that there be three dayes pestilence in thy land? Now therefore aduise thee, and see what aunswere I shall geue to him that sent me.


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And Dauid saide vnto Gad, I am in a wonderfull strayte: Let vs fall now into the hand of the Lorde (for much is his mercy) and let me not fall into the hand of man.


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And so the Lorde sent a pestilence in Israel, from the morning vnto the time appoynted: And there dyed of the people from Dan to Beerseba seuentie thousand men.


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And when the angel stretched out his hand vpon Hierusalem to destroy it, the Lorde repented him of the euill, & saide to the angel that destroyed the people: It is now sufficient, holde thyne hand. And the angell of the Lord was by the threshing place of Areuna the Iebusite.


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And Dauid spake vnto the Lorde, when he saw the angell that smote the people, and saide: Lo, it is I that haue sinned, and that haue done wickedlie: But these sheepe, what haue they done? Let thyne hand I pray thee be against me, and against my fathers house.


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And Gad came the same day to Dauid, and said vnto him: Go vp and reare an aulter vnto the Lorde in the threshing floore of Areuna the Iebusite.


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And Areuna loked, and sawe the king and his seruauntes comming toward him: and Areuna went out, and bowed him selfe before the king on his face vpon the ground.


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And Areuna sayde: Wherefore is my lord the king come to his seruaunt? Dauid aunswered: To bye the threshing floore of thee, and to make an aulter vnto the Lord, that the plague may ceasse from the people.


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And Areuna saide vnto Dauid: Let my lorde the king take and offer what seemeth him good in his eyes: Beholde, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and charets, and the other instrumentes of the oxen for wood.


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All these thinges did Areuna as a king geue vnto the king, & said moreouer vnto the king: The Lorde thy God accept thee.


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And the king saide vnto Areuna: Not so, but I will bye it of thee at a price, and wil not offer sacrifice vnto the Lord my God of the which doth cost me nothing. And so Dauid bought the thresshing floore and the oxen for fiftie sicles of siluer.


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And Dauid buylt there an aulter vnto the Lorde, and offered burnt sacrifices, and peace offeringes: And so the Lorde was intreated for the land, and the plague ceassed from Israel.


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And king Dauid was olde and stricken in yeres, so that whe they couered him with clothes, he caught no heate.


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Wherefore his seruauntes sayde vnto him: Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgyn, to stande before the king and to cherishe him, and let her lye in thy bosome, that my lorde the king may get heate.


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And so they sought for a faire damosell throughout al the coastes of Israel, and founde one Abisag a Sunamite, and brought her to the king.


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And the damosell was exceeding faire, and cherished the king, and ministred to him: But the king knewe her not.


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And Adonia the sonne of Haggith exalted him selfe, saying: I wilbe king. And he gat him charettes and horsemen, and fyftie men to runne before him.


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And his father for his time would not displease him, to say why hast thou done so? And he was a very goodly man: and his mother bare him next after Absalom.


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And he toke counsell at Ioab the sonne of Zaruia, and at Abiathar the priest: and they helped forward Adonia:


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But Sadoc the priest, Banaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, Nathan the prophete, Semei, and Rei, and the men of might which were with Dauid, they were not with Adonia.


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And Adonia sacrificed sheepe, and oxen, and fat cattel, by the stone of Zoheleth, whiche is by the well of Rogel, and called all his brethren the kinges sonnes, and all the men of Iuda the kinges seruauntes:


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Wherfore Nathan spake vnto Bethsabe the mother of Solomon, saying: Hast thou not hearde that Adonia the sonne of Haggith doth raigne, and Dauid our lorde knoweth it not?


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Nowe therfore come, and I will geue thee counsell howe to saue thyne owne lyfe, and the lyfe of thy sonne Solomon.


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Go and get thee in vnto king Dauid, & say vnto him: Diddest not thou my lorde O king, sweare vnto thy handmayde, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy sonne shall raigne after me, and he shall sit vpon my seate? why is then Adonia king?


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Beholde, whyle thou yet talkest there with the king, I wil come in after thee, and confirme thy wordes.


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And Bethsabe went in vnto the king into the chamber: And the king was very olde, and Abisag the Sunamite ministred vnto the king.


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She aunswered: My lorde, thou swarest by the Lorde thy God vnto thine handmayde [saying] Assuredly Solomon thy sonne shall raigne after me, and he shall sit vpon my seate.


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And he hath offered oxen, fat cattel, and many sheepe, and hath called all the sonnes of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Ioab the captayne of the hoast: But Solomon thy seruaunt hath he not bydden.


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And nowe my lorde O king, the eyes of all Israel wayte on thee, that thou shouldest tell them who ought to sit on the seate of my lord the king after him:


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And they told the king, saying: Behold, [here commeth] Nathan the prophet. And when he was come in to the king, he made obeysaunce before the king vpo his face on the grounde.


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And Nathan sayde: My lord (O king) hast thou sayde, Adonia shall raigne after me, and he shall sit vpon my seate?


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For he is gone downe this day, & hath slayne oxen, & fat cattell, and sheepe a great meany, & hath called al the kinges sonnes, and the captaynes of the hoast, and Abiathar the priest: And beholde, they eate & drinke before him, and say: God saue king Adonia.


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But me thy seruaunt, and Sadoc the priest, and Banaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, & thy seruaunt Solomon, hath he not called.


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Is this thing done of my lord the king, and thou hast not shewed it vnto thy seruaunt who should sit on the seate of my lorde the king after him?


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Then king Dauid aunswered, & sayd: Cal me Bethsabe. And she came into the kinges presence, and stoode before him.


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Euen as I sware vnto thee by the Lord God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy sonne shal raigne after me, & he shal sit vpon my seate for me: so will I certeinly do this day.


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Then Bethsabe bowed on her face to the earth, and dyd reuerence vnto the king, & sayde: I pray God that my lorde king Dauid may lyue for euer.


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And king Dauid sayde: Call me Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Banaiah the sonne of Iehoiada. And they came before the king.


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The king also sayde vnto them: Take with you the seruauntes of your lord, & set Solomo my sonne vpon myne owne mule, and cary him downe to Gihon:


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And let Sadoc the priest and Nathan the prophet annoynt him there king ouer Israel: And blowe ye with trumpettes, & say, God saue king Solomon.


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And then ye shall come vp after him, that he may come and sit vpo my seate, for he shalbe king in my steade: and I haue commaunded him to be captayne ouer Israel and Iuda.


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And Banaiah the sonne of Iehoiada aunswered the king, and sayde, Amen: And the Lord God of my lorde the king say so to.


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And as the Lorde hath ben with my lord the king, eue so be he with Solomo also, and make his seate greater then the seate of my lord king Dauids hath ben.


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And so Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Banaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, and the Cerethites, and Phelethites went downe, and set Solomon vpon king Dauids mule, and brought him to Gihon.


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And Sadoc the priest toke an horne of oyle out of the tabernacle, & annoynted Solomon: And they blew the trumpettes, and al the people sayde: God saue king Solomon.


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And all the people came vp after him, pyping with pypes and reioysing greatly, so that the earth rang with the sounde of them.


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And Adonia and al the ghestes that he had called vnto him, hearde it [euen] as they had made an ende of eating. And when Ioab hearde the sounde of the trumpet, he sayde: What meaneth this noyse and vprore in the citie?


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And as he yet spake, beholde Ionathan the sonne of Abiathar the priest came, and Adonia said vnto him: Come in, for thou art a valiant man, and bringest good tydinges.


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And the king hath sent with him Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Banaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, & the Cerethites, and the Phelethites, & they haue set him vpo the kinges mule.


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And Sadoc the priest & Nathan the prophete, haue annoynted him king in Gihon. And they came vp from thence, & reioyced, that the citie did sounde againe: And that is the noyse, that ye haue hearde.


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And moreouer, the kinges seruauntes came to blesse our lorde king Dauid, saying: God make the name of Solomo more honorable then thy name, & make his seate greater then thy seate. And the king bowed him selfe vpon the bed.


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And thus sayd the king: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which hath made one to sit on my seate this day, myne eye seyng it.


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And Adonia fearing the presence of Solomon, arose, and went and caught hold on the hornes of the aulter.


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And one tolde Solomon, saying: Behold, Adonia feareth king Solomon: for lo he hath caught hold on the hornes of the aulter, saying: Let king Solomon sweare vnto me this day that he wil not slay his seruaunt with the sword.


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And Solomo said: If he wil shew him selfe a worthy ma, ther shal not an heer of hym fal to the earth: But & if wickednesse be founde in him, he shall dye.


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And so king Solomon sent, and they brought him from the aulter, and he came and did obeysaunce vnto king Solomon: And Solomon sayde vnto him, Get thee to thyne house.


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Kepe thou the watch of the Lorde thy God, that thou walke in his wayes, and kepe his statutes, and his preceptes, his iudgementes, and his testimonies, euen as it is written in the lawe of Moyses: that thou mayst prosper in all that thou doest, and in euery thing that thou medlest withall.


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That the Lorde also may make good his worde which he spake vnto me, saying: If thy children take heede to their way, that they walke before me in trueth, with all their heartes, & with al their soules, thou shalt not (saith he) be without a man on the seate of Israel.


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Moreouer, thou wottest howe Ioab the sonne of Zaruia serued me, and what he did to the two captaynes of the hoastes of Israel, vnto Abner the sonne of Ner, and vnto Amasa the sonne of Iether, whom he slue, and shed blood in time of peace (euen as it had ben in warre) & put the blood of warre vpon his girdle that was about his loynes, and in his shoes that were on his feete.


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Deale with him therefore according to thy wisdome, and bring not his hoore head downe to the graue in peace.


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But shewe kindnes vnto the sonnes of Barzellai ye Gileadite, that they may eate at thy table: For they came to me whe I fled from Absalom thy brother.


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And behold, thou hast with thee Semei the sonne of Gera the sonne of Iemini of Bahurim, whiche cursed me with an horrible curse, in the day when I went to Mahanaim: But he came to meete me at Iordane, & I sware to him by the Lord, saying: I wil not slay thee with the sworde.


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But thou shalt not count him as vngiltie: For thou art a man of wisdome, and knowest what thou oughtest to do vnto him, his hoore head shalt thou bring to the graue with blood.


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And the dayes whiche Dauid raigned vpon Israel were fourtie yeres: seuen yeres raigned he in Hebron, & thirtie and three yeres raigned he in Hierusalem.


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And Adonia the sonne of Haggith came to Bethsabe the mother of Solomon, and she sayde: Comest thou peaceably? And he sayde, peaceably.


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And he sayd: Thou knowest that the kingdome was myne, & that all Israel set their faces on me, that I shoulde raigne: howbeit, the kingdome is turned away, and geuen to my brother: for it is appoynted him of the Lorde.


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And he said: Speake I pray thee, vnto Solomo the king (for he wil not say thee nay) that he geue me Abisag the Sunamite to wyfe.


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Bethsabe therfore went vnto king Solomon, to speake vnto him for Adonia: And the king rose vp to meete her, and bowed him selfe vnto her, and sate hym downe on his seate, & there was a seate set for the kinges mother, & she sate on his right syde.


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Then she sayd: I desire a litle petition of thee, I pray thee say me not nay. And the king sayd vnto her: Aske on, my mother, for I wil not say thee nay.


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And king Solomon aunswered and sayde vnto his mother: Why doest thou aske Abisag the Sunamite for Adonia? aske for him the kingdome also: for he is myne elder brother, and hath for him Abiathar the priest, and Ioab the sonne of Zaruia.


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Then king Solomon sware by the Lord, saying: God do so and so to me, if Adonia haue not spoken this worde against his owne lyfe.


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Nowe therefore, as the Lorde lyueth, whiche hath ordeyned me, and set me on the seate of Dauid my father, and made me an house as he promised, Adonia shall dye this day.


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And vnto Abiathar the priest sayd the king: Get thee to Anatoth vnto thine owne fieldes, for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time kill thee, because thou barest the arke of the Lorde God before Dauid my father, and because thou hast suffered with my father in all his afflictions.


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And so Solomon put away Abiathar from beyng priest vnto the Lord: that he might fulfill the wordes of the Lord, which he spake ouer the house of Eli in Silo.


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Then tydinges came also to Ioab (for Ioab had turned after Adonia, though he turned not after Absalom) and Ioab fled vnto the tabernacle of the Lorde, and caught holde on the hornes of the aulter.


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And it was told king Solomon howe that Ioab fled vnto the tabernacle of the Lorde, and beholde he is by the aulter: Then Solomon sent Banaiah the sonne of Iehoiada, saying: Go and fall vpon him.


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And Banaiah came to the tabernacle of the Lorde, and sayde vnto him: Thus sayeth the king, Come out. And he sayde: Nay, but I wil dye euen here. And Banaiah brought the king word againe, saying: Thus sayde Ioab, and thus he aunswered me.


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And the king sayde vnto him, Do euen as he hath sayd: Smite him, & burie him, that thou mayest take away the blood which Ioab shed causelesse, from me, and from the house of my father.


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And the Lorde shall bring his blood vpon his owne head: for he smote two men righteouser and better then he, and slue them with the sworde, my father Dauid not knowing therof, euen Abner the sonne of Ner captayne of the hoast of Israel, and Amasa the sonne of Iether captayne of the hoast of Iuda.


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Their blood shal therfore returne vpon the head of Ioab, & on the head of his seede for euer: But vpon Dauid, & vpon his seed, & vpon his house, & vpo his seat shall there be peace for euer of the Lord.


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So Banaiah the sonne of Iehoiada went vp, & he fel vpon him and slue him, and buried him in his house in the wildernesse.


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And the king put Banaiah the sonne of Iehoiada in his roome ouer ye hoast, and put Sadoc the priest in the roome of Abiathar.


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And the king sent and called Semei, & sayde vnto him: Buylde thee an house in Hierusalen, and dwell there, & see that thou go not foorth thence any whyther.


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For be thou sure, that the day that thou goest out, and passest ouer the riuer of Cedron, thou shalt dye that day, and thy blood shalbe vpon thyne owne head.


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And Semei sayde vnto the king, This saying is good: As my lorde ye king hath sayde, so will thy seruaunt do. And Semei dwelt in Hierusalem many a day.


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And it chaunced after three yeres, that two of the seruauntes of Semei ranne away vnto Achis sonne of Maacha king of Geth: And they told Semei, saying, Behold, thy seruauntes be in Geth.


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And Semei stoode vp, and sadled his asse, and gat him to Geth to Achis to seke his seruauntes: And Semei wet & brought his seruauntes againe from Geth.


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And the king sent & called Semei, and said vnto him: Did I not charge thee by the Lorde with an oth, & testified vnto thee, saying: Be sure, that whensoeuer thou goest out & walkest abroade any whyther, thou shalt bye the death? And thou saydest vnto me: It is good tydinges that I haue heard.


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Why then hast thou not kept the oth of the Lorde, and the commaundement that I charged thee withall?


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The king sayde moreoeur to Semei: Thou remembrest all the wickednesse which thyne heart knoweth, and that thou diddest to Dauid my father: the Lorde also shall bring thy wickednesse vpon thyne owne head:


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So the king commaunded Banaiah the sonne of Iehoiada: which went out, and smote him that he died: And the kingdome was stablished in the hande of Solomon.


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Solomon made affinitie with Pharao king of Egypt, & toke Pharaos daughter, and brought her into the citie of Dauid, vntil he had made an ende of buylding his owne house, and the house of the Lorde, and the wall of Hierusalem round about.


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Onely the people sacrificed in hygh places, because there was no house built vnto the name of the Lorde vntill those dayes.


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And Solomon loued the Lorde, walking in the ordinaunces of Dauid his father: saue onely that he sacrificed and offered incense vpon aulters in hygh places.


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And the king went to Gibeon, to offer there, for that was the speciall hygh place: And a thousande burnt offringes dyd Solomon offer vpon that aulter.


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And in Gibeon the Lorde appeared to Solomon in a dreame by night, and God sayd: Aske what thou wilt, that I may geue it thee.


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And Solomon sayde: Thou hast shewed vnto thy seruaut Dauid my father great mercie, when he walked before thee in trueth, in righteousnesse, and in plainnesse of heart with thee, and thou hast kept for him this great mercy, that thou hast geuen him a sonne to sit on his seate, as it is come to passe this day.


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And nowe O Lord my God, it is thou that hast made thy seruaunt king in steade of Dauid my father: And I am but young, & wote not howe to go out and in.


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And thy seruaunt is in the middest of thy people which thou hast chosen: and veryly the people are so many, that they cannot be told nor nubred for multitude.


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Geue therfore thy seruaunt an vnderstanding heart to iudge thy people, that I may discerne betweene good & bad: For who is able to iudge this thy so mightie a people?


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And God sayde vnto him: Thou hast not asked for thy selfe long lyfe, neither hast asked riches for thy selfe, nor hast asked the lyfe of thy enemies, but hast asked for thy selfe vnderstanding & discretion in iudgement:


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Behold, I haue done according to thy wordes, lo I haue geuen thee a wyse & an vnderstanding heart, so that there was none lyke thee before thee, neither after thee shal any aryse lyke vnto thee.


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And I haue also geuen thee that which thou hast not asked, euen rychesse and honour, so that ther shalbe no king lyke vnto thee all thy dayes.


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And if thou wilt walke in my wayes, to kepe myne ordinaunces and my commaundementes, as thy father Dauid dyd walke, I will lengthen thy dayes.


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When Solomon awoke, beholde it was a dreame: And he came to Hierusalem and stoode before the arke of the couenaunt of the Lorde, & offred burnt offringes and peace offringes, and made a feast to all his seruauntes.


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And the one woman sayde: Oh my lorde, I and this woman dwell in one house, and I was deliuered of a childe, with her in the house:


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And the thirde day after that I was deliuered, she was deliuered also: and we were together, & no straunger with vs in the house, saue we two.


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And she rose at midnight and toke my sonne from my syde while thyne handmayde slept, and layde it in her bosome, and put her dead childe in my bosome.


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And when I rose in the mornyng to geue my chylde sucke, beholde it was dead: But when I had loked vpon it in the morning, beholde, it was not my sonne which I dyd beare.


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And the other woman sayd: It is not so, but my sonne liueth, and thy sonne is dead. And she sayde againe: No, but thy sonne is dead, and my sonne is alyue. And thus they pleaded before the king.


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Then sayde the king: The one sayth, this that is alyue is my sonne, and the dead is thyne: And the other sayth, nay: but thy sonne is the dead, and the liuing childe is myne.


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And the king sayde: Deuide the liuing child in two, and geue the one halfe to the one, aud the other to the other.


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Then spake the woman whose the liuing childe was, vnto the king (for her bowelles yerned vpon her sonne) and sayde: I besech thee my lorde geue her the liuing childe, and in no wyse slay it: But the other sayde, Let it be neither myne nor thyne, but deuide it.


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Then the king aunswered and sayde: Geue her the liuing childe, and slay it not, for she is the mother therof.


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And all they of Israel hearde of the iudgement which the king had iudged, and feared the king: for they sawe that the wysdome of God was in him to do iustice.


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And Azariahu the sonne of Nathan was ouer the officers: And Zabud the sonne of Nathan was a priest, ye kinges companion.


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And Solomon had twelue officers ouer all Israel, which prouided vittayles for the king and his houshold: eche man his moneth in a yere, made prouision for necessarie thinges.


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Baana the sonne of Ahilud was ouer Thaanach and Megiddo, and ouer all Bethsan, whiche is by Zarthana beneath Iezrael, fro Bethsan to ye plaine of Mehola, euen vnto the place that is ouer against Iecmeam.


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The sonne of Gaber had Ramoth Gilead, and his were the townes of Iair the sonne of Manasse which are in Gilead: and vnder him was the region of Argob whiche is in Basan threescore great cities with walles and barres of brasse.


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Gaber the sonne of Uri was in the countrey of Gilead, the land of Sehon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Basan, & was officer alone in the lande.


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And Iuda and Israel were many [euen] as the sande of the sea in numbre, eating, drincking, and making mery.


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And Solomon raigned ouer all kingdomes from the riuer vnto the lande of the Philistines, [euen] vnto the border of Egypt: and they brought presentes, and serued Solomon al the dayes of his life.


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And Solomons bread for one day was thirtie quarters of manchet flowre, & threescore quarters of meale:


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Ten stalled oxen, and twentie out of the pastures, and a hundred sheepe, beside hartes, buckes, and wilde goates, and capons.


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For he ruled in all the region on the other syde Euphrates, from Thiphsah to Azza, ouer al the kinges on the other syde the riuer: And he had peace with all his seruauntes on euery syde.


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And Iuda and Israel dwelt without feare, euery man vnder his vine and vnder his figgetree, from Danto Beerseba all the dayes of Solomon.


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And the officers prouided vittayle for king Solomon and for all that came out of any place to king Solomons table, euery man his moneth, so that they lacked nothing.


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Barly also and strawe for the horses and mules brought they vnto the place where the officers were, euery man in his office.


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And God gaue Solomon wysdome and vnderstanding exceeding much, and a large heart, euen as the sand that is on the sea shore.


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And Solomons wysdome excelled the wysedome of all the children of the east countrey, and al the wisdome of Egypt.


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For he was wiser then al men, yea then Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Chalcol, and Darda the sonnes of Mahol: And his name was spoken of throughout all nations on euery syde.


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And he spake of trees, euen from the Cedar tree that groweth in Libanon, vnto the Isope that springeth out of the wall: He spake also of beastes, of foules, of wormes, and of fishes.


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And there came of all nations to heare the wysdome of Solomon, and from all kinges of the earth, which had heard of his wysdome.


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And Hira king of Tyre sent his seruauntes vnto Solomon (for he had hearde that they had annoynted him king in the roome of his father) For Hira was euer a louer of Dauid.


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Thou knowest howe that Dauid my father could not buyld an house vnto the name of the Lorde his God for the warres which were about him on euery syde, vntill the Lorde put them vnder the soles of his feete.


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But now the Lorde my God hath geuen me rest on euery syde, so that there is neither aduersarie nor euill to resist.


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And beholde, I am determined to build an house vnto ye name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spake vnto Dauid my father, saying: Thy sonne whom I wil set vpon thy seate for thee, he shal build an house vnto my name.


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Now therefore commaund thou that they hewe me Cedar trees out of Libanon, & my seruautes shalbe with thyne, and vnto thee wyll I geue the hyre for thy seruauntes, accordyng to all such thinges as thou shalt appoynt: for thou knowest that there are not among vs that can skyl to hewe tymber, lyke vnto the Sidones.


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And it came to passe, when Hiram heard ye wordes of Solomo, he reioysed greatly, & said: Blessed be the Lord this day, which hath geuen vnto Dauid a wyse sonne ouer this mightie people.


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And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying: I haue considered the thinges which thou sentest to me for, & wyl accomplishe all thy desyre concerning tymber of Cedar trees and firre.


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My seruauntes shall bring them from Libanon to the sea, and I wyl conuey them by sea in flootes vnto the place that thou shalt shew me, and wil cause them to be discharged there, and thou shalt receaue them: and thou shalt do me a pleasure againe, if thou minister foode for myne house.


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And Solomon gaue Hiram twentie thousand quarters of wheate for foode to his housholde, and twentie buts of pure oyle: Thus much gaue Solomon to Hiram yere by yere.


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And the Lorde gaue Solomon wisedome as he promysed him: And there was peace betweene Hiram and Solomon, & they two were consedered together.


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Whom he sent to Libanon, ten thousand a moneth by course: so that when they had ben one moneth in Libanon, they abode two monethes at home: And Adoniram was ouer the summe.


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And Solomon had threescore and ten thousand that bare burdens, and foure score thousand masons in the mountaines:


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Besides the lordes whom Solomon appoynted to ouersee the worke, euen three thousand & three hundred, which ruled the people [& them] that wrought in the worke.


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And the king commaunded them to bring great stones, costly stones, & hewed stones, for the foundatio of the house.


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And Solomons masons, and the masons of Hiram did hewe them, and the stone squarers: And so they prepared both tymber and stones, for the building of the house.


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And it came to passe, that in the foure hundred & fourescore yere, after the childre of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, and in the fourth yere of the rayne of Solomon vpon Israel, & in the moneth Zif, which is the second moneth, he began to build the house of the Lorde.


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And the house which king Solomon built for the Lorde, was threescore cubites long, and twentie cubites broade, and thirtie cubites hie.


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And he made a porche before the temple of the house, which was twentie cubites long, after ye breadth of the house, and ten cubites brode, [euen] in the fore front of the house.


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And by the wall of the house he made chambers round about [euen] in the walles of the house round about the temple & the quier: and he made chambers round about.


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The neathermost chamber was fiue cubites broade, & the middle was sixe cubites broade, & the third was seuen cubites broade: For without in the wall of the house he made restes round about that [the beames of the chambers] shoulde not be fastened in ye walles of the house.


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And the house was built of stone, made perfect alredye before it was brought thyther: so that there was neither hammer nor axe, either any toole of iron heard in the house while it was in buylding.


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The doore of the middle chamber was in the ryght syde of the house: and men went vp with wineding stayres into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third.


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And so he built the house, and finished it: and he roofed the house vaultly with beames of Cedar tymber.


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And then he built chambers to all the temple fiue cubites heyght, & they were ioyned to the house with beames of Cedar.


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Concerning the house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walke in myne ordinaunces, and execute my lawes, and kepe all my commaundementes to walke in them: then wyll I make good vnto thee my promise which I promysed Dauid thy father:


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And seeled the walles of the house within with boordes of Cedar tree: euen fro the pauement of the house vnto the roofe did he seele the walles of it within with Cedar tree: and boorded the floore of the house with planckes of firre.


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And he builded twentie cubites in the sydes of the quier of the temple both floore & walles with boordes of Cedar: and dressed it within the secret place of the temple, euen in the most holy.


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And the Cedar of the house within, was carued with knoppes, and grauen with flowres: & all was Cedar timber, so that no stone was sene.


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And the quier that was within the temple he prepared, to set there the arke of the appoyntment of the Lorde.


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And the quier before was twentie cubites long, & twentie cubites in breadth, and twentie cubites in height: And he couered it with pure golde, and boorded the aulter with Cedar.


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So Solomon couered the house within with pure golde: And he made golde barres runne along the quier, which he had couered with golde.


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And the whole house he ouerlayde with golde vntil he had ended it: also al the aulter that was in the quier he ouerlayde with golde.


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Fiue cubites long was a wing of the one Cherub, & fiue cubites long was a wing of the other Cherub: so that from the vttermost part of one wing, vnto the vttermost part of the other, were ten cubites.


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And the other Cherub was ten cubites hie also: so that both the Cherubs were of one measure, and one sise:


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And he put the Cherubs within the inner house: And the Cherubs stretched out their winges, so that the one wing of the one touched the one wall, and the one wing of the other touched the other wall: And the other two winges of them touched one another in the middest of the house.


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And in all the walles of ye house round about, he made figures of carued & seeled worke: [as namely] pictures of Cherubs, & paulme trees, & grauen flowres, [both] within [in the quier] and without [in the temple.]


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And the floore of the house he couered with golde, [both] within [in the quier] and [also] without [in the temple.]


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And in the entering of the quier, he made two doores of Oliue tree: And both the vpper & two side postes were fiue square.


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The two doores also were of oliue tree, & he graued them with grauing of Cherubs and paulme trees and grauen flowres, & couered them with golde, & layde thinne plates of golde vpon the Cherubs and paulme trees.


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And he graued thereon Cherubs, paulme trees, & carued flowres: and couered the carued worke with golde finelie wrought.


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And in the leuenth yere, in the moneth Bul (which is the eyght moneth) was the house full finished throughout all the partes thereof, according to all the fashion of it: And so was he seuen yeres in building it.


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And he built ye house in the wood Libanon, an hundred cubites long, and fiftie cubites broade, and thirtie cubites hie: And it stoode vpon foure rowes of Cedar pillers, and Cedar beames were layde vpon the pillers.


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And the roofe was Cedar aboue vpon the beames that laye on the pillers, euen 45 beames in fifteene rowes.


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And al the doores with the syde postes & the vpper postes were foure square, and had windowes one against another three folde.


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And he made a porche by the pillers [that bare vp the house] fiftie cubites long, and thirtie cubites broade, and the porche was before those and the other pillers: for there was a thicke tree set before them.


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Then he made a porche to sit & iudge in, euen a porche of iudgmet, seeled with Cedar throughout all the pauementes.


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And his house wherein he dwelt had an other hall, more inward then the porche, of lyke worke: And then Solomo made an house for Pharaos daughter ( whom he had taken to wyfe) lyke vnto the fashion of the porche.


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And all these were of the best stones, hewed after a measure and sawed with sawes within and without, from the foundation vnto the beames that laye aboue, after the measure, and euen so on the out syde toward the great court.


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And the foundation was layde vpon rich stones, and that very great stones, whereof some were ten cubites, and some eyght cubites.


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And the great court round about, was with three rowes of hewed stones, and one rowe of Cedar planckes, after the maner of the inner court of the house of the Lorde, and of the porche of the temple.


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A widowes sonne of ye tribe of Nephthalim, his father being a man of Tyre: Which Hiram was a craftesman in brasse, ful of wisedome, vnderstanding, and cunning, to worke all maner of worke in brasse: And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his worke.


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For he cast two pillers of brasse of eyghteene cubites hie a peece: & a string of twelue cubites did compasse either of them about.


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And he made two pommels of moulten brasse, [after the fashion of a crowne,] to set on the toppes of the pillers: The height of the one head peece contayned fiue cubites, and the height of the other head peece contayned fiue cubites also.


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He made networke, & wrythen worke like chaines for the pommels vpon the head peeces that were on the top of the pillers: euen seuen [rowes] vpon the one head peece, and seuen vpon the other.


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And so he made the pillers, and two rowes of pomegranets rounde about in the one networke to couer the pommels that were vpon the top: and this he did also, for the other head peece.


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And the pommels that were on the top of the pillers, were after lillie worke in the porche foure cubites.


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And the pommels vpon the two pillers had also aboue ouer against the middest within the networke: [pomegranets] and vpon the second head peece were there two hundred pomegranets in [two] rowes round about.


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And he set vp the pillers in the porch of the temple: And when he had set vp the right piller, he called the name therof Iachin: and when he had set vp the left piller, he called the name thereof Boaz.


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And vpon the top of the pillers [were] lillie worke: & so was the workmanship of the pillers finished.


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And he made a moulten lauatorie ten cubites wide from brim to brim, round in compasse, and fiue cubites hie: And a string of thirtie cubites did compasse it about.


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And vnder the brim of it there were knoppes round about, ten in one cubite, and thei compassed the lauatorie round about: And the knoppes were cast with it in two rowes when it was cast.


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And it stoode on twelue oxen, of which three loked toward the north, three toward the west, three toward the south, and three toward the east: and the lauatorie stoode vpon them, and al their hinder partes were inward.


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It was an hand breadth thicke, and the brym was wrought lyke the brym of a cup with flowres of lilies, and it contained two thousand battes.


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And he made ten feete of brasse: foure cubites long, and foure cubites broade a peece, and three cubites hie.


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And the worke of the feete was on this maner: They had sides, and the sides were betweene the ledges.


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And on the sides that were betweene the ledges, were lions, oxen, and Cherubs: and likewise vpo the ledges that were aboue: and beneath the lions and oxen, were certayne additions made of thynne worke.


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And vnder euery foote were foure brasen wheeles, and boordes of brasse: and in the foure corners thereof vnder the lauatorie, were vndersetters moulten at the side of euery addition.


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And the stalke of the lauatorie was in the middle of it, and aboue one cubite: But the stalke thereof was round after the worke of the foote, a cubite & a halfe: and also vpon the stalke were grauings with their bands, foure square and not round.


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And vnder the sydes were foure wheeles, and the axeltrees ioyned fast to the bottome, and the height of euery wheele was a cubite and an halfe.


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And the workmanship of the wheeles was lyke the worke of a charet wheele: and the axeltrees, the nauelles, spokes, and shaftes, were al moulten.


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And there were foure vndersetters in the foure corners of one foote, & the vndersetters were of ye very bottome selfe.


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And in the height of the bottome was there a rounde compasse of halfe a cubite hie: and in that height of the bottome there proceeded both ledges and sydes out of the same.


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For in the boordes of the ledges and on the sydes, he had grauen pictures of Cherubims, lions, & paulme trees, one by another rounde about.


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Thus made he the ten feete after this maner: and they had all one fashion of casting, one measure, and one syse.


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Then made he ten lauers of brasse one lauer contayning fourtie battes: and euery lauer was foure cubites, & vpon euery one of the ten feete, he put one lauer.


