# verses

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And the children of Ruben, and the children of Gad called the aulter: Oure witnesse, that the Lorde is God.


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And it came to passe a longe ceason after that the Lorde had geuen reste vnto Israel from all theyr enemyes rounde about, that Iosua waxed olde, and was stricken in age.


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And Iosua called for all Israel, and for their elders, their heades their Iudges and officers, and sayde vnto them: I am olde and stryken in age.


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And ye haue sene all that the Lorde youre God hath done vnto all these nacions befo you, how the Lorde youre God hath fought for you.


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Beholde, I haue subdued vnto you these nacions that remayne, to be an enheritaunce for youre tribes: euen from Iordan, and (from the lande) of all the nacions that I haue destroyed, euen vnto the great See westwarde.


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And the Lorde youre God shall expell them before you, and cast them from out of youre sight, and ye shall conquere their lande, as the Lorde youre God hath saide vnto you.


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Go to therfore as strongly as ye maye, that ye take hede and do all that is written in the boke of the lawe of Moses, that ye vowe not a syde therfrom, to the ryght hand or to the lefte:


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and lest that whan ye come amonge these nacions, (euen amonge these that are left with you) ye make mencion or sweare by the names of their goddes: and that ye nether serue them, nor bowe youre selues vnto them.


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So shall the Lorde cast out before you great nacions and myghtye, as no man hath bene able to stande before you hitherto.


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


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Els, yf ye go backe and cleaue vnto the rest of these nacions that remayne wyth you, and shall make mariages with them, & go in vnto them, and they to you:


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be ye sure, that the Lorde youre God will nomore cast out all these nacions from before you. But they shalbe snares and trappes vnto you and scourges in youre sydes, and thornes in youre eyes, vntyll ye peryshe from of thys good lande, whych the Lorde youre God hath geuen you.


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And behold, this daye, do I entre in to the waye of all the worlde, & ye knowe in all your hertes & in all youre soules, that nothyng hath fayled of all the good thynges which the Lord youre God promysed you:


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But all are come to passe, & nothyng hath fayled therof. Therfore, as all good thinges are come vpon you, which the Lorde youre God promysed you, so shall the Lorde bryng vpon you all euell, vntyll he haue destroyed you from of thys good lande, whych the Lorde youre God hath geuen you,


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when ye haue transgressed the appointment of the Lorde youre God, which he commaunded you: and haue gone and serued straunge goddes, and bowed youre selues to them. Then shall the wrath of the Lorde waxe whote vpon you, & ye shall peryshe quicklye from of the good lande, which he hath geuen you,


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And Iosua geathered all the trybes of Israell to Sichem, and called for the elders of Israell, and for theyr heades, Iudges and officers, and they presented them selues before God.


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And Iosua sayde vnto all the people: thus sayth the Lord God of Israell: youre fathers dwelt on the other syde of the floud in olde tyme: euen Thareh the father of Abraham & of Nachor, and serued straunge goddes.


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And I toke youre father Abraham from the other syde of the floude, & brought him thorow out all the lande of Canaan, & multiplied his seed, and gaue him Isahac.


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


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I brought you out, and I brought youre fathers out of Egypte. And as they came vnto the see, the Egypcians folowed after youre fathers with charettes & horsmen, vnto the redd see.


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And whan they cried vnto the Lord, the Lord put darcknesse betwene you and the Egypcians, and brought the see vpon them, and couered them. And youre eyes haue sene what I haue done to the Egypcians. And ye dwelt in the wildernesse a longe ceason.


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And I brought you into the lande of the Amorites, which dwelt on the other syde Iordan. And they fought with you: and I gaue them into your hand, that ye myght conquere their contre. And I destroyed them from out of youre syght.


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Then Balak the sonne of Ziphor, king of Moab arose, & warred agaynst Israell, & sent & called Balaam the sonne of Beor for to cursse you.


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But I wolde not herken vnto Balaam, & therfore he rather blessed you: And so I deliuered you out of his hande.


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And ye went ouer Iordan, and came vnto Iericho, and the men of Iericho fought agaynst you: the Amorites, Pheresites, Canaanites, Hethites, Girgosites, Heuites, & Iebusites, and I deliuered them in to youre hande.


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And I sent hornettes before you, whych cast them out of youre sight: euen the two kinges of the Amorites: but not with your owne swerde, or with youre owne bowe.


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And I haue geuen you a lande, in which ye dyd no laboure, and cyties which you bilt not, and which ye dwell in: vineyardes also, and Olyue trees which ye planted not, and whereof ye do eate.


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Now therfore feare the Lorde, & serue him in perfectnesse and truthe: And put awaye the goddes, whych youre fathers serued on the other syde of the floude, and in Egypte, and serue ye the Lorde.


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And yf it seme euell vnto you to serue the Lorde, then chose you this daye whom you will serue: whether the goddes which youre fathers serued (that were on the other syde of the floude) ether the Goddes of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell. As for me and my howse, we will serue the Lorde.


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The people answered and sayde: God forbyd, that we shulde forsake the Lorde, and serue straunge goddes.


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For the Lorde oure God, he it is that brought vs and oure fathers out of the lande of Egypte, and from the howse of bondage, and which dyd those great miracles in oure syght, & preserued vs in all the waye that we went, & amonge all the nacions which we came thorow.


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And the Lorde dyd cast out before vs all the nacions, specially the Amorites, which dwelt in the lande. And therfore will we also serue the Lorde, for he is oure God.


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And Iosua sayd vnto the people, Ye can not serue the Lorde: for he is an holye God, and a gelous God, and cannot beare youre iniquite and synne.


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


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And Iosua sayde vnto the people: ye are witnesses youre selues, that ye haue chosen you the Lorde, to serue him: and they sayd: we are wytnesses.


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Then put awaye (sayde he) the straunge goddes which are amonge you, and bowe youre hertes vnto the Lorde God of Israell.


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And so Iosua made a couenant with the people the same daye, and set an ordinaunce and lawe before them in Sichem.


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And Iosua wrote these wordes in the boke 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 sanctuarye of the Lorde.


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And Iosua sayde vnto all the people: beholde, this stone shalbe a witnesse vnto vs, for it hath hearde all the wordes of the Lorde which he spake wyth vs, It shalbe therfore a witnesse vnto you, lest ye denye youre God.


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And after these thinges it came to passe, that Iosua the sonne of Nun, the seruaunt of the Lorde died, beyng an hundreth and ten yeres olde.


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And they buryed hym in the contrey of hys enheritaunce, euen in Thamnath Sareth, which is in mount Ephraim, on the northsyde of the hill of Gaas.


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And Israel serued the Lord all the dayes of Iosua, & all the dayes of the elders that ouer lyued Iosua, and whych had knowne all the worckes of the Lorde that he had done for Israel.


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And the bones of Ioseph, which the children of Israell brought out of Egypte, buryed they in Sichem in a parcell of grounde, whych Iacob bought of the sonnes of Hemor the father of Sichem, for an hundreth peaces of syluer, and it became the enheritaunce of the children of Ioseph.


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And Eleazar the sonne of Aaron dyed, whom they buryed 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 Iosua it came to passe, that the children of Israel asked the Lorde saying: who shall go vp for vs against the Cananites, and who shall first fight agaynst them.


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And Iuda sayde vnto Simeon hys brother: come vp with me in my lotte, that we maye fight agaynst the Cananites: And I lykewyse wyll go with the into thy lotte. And so Symeon went with him.


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And Iuda went vp, and the Lorde delyuered the Cananites & Pheresites into theyr handes. And they slewe of them in Bezek ten thousand men.


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And they founde Adoni bezek in Bezek. And they fought against him, and slewe the Cananites and Pheresites.


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


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And Adonibezek sayde: thre skore & ten kynges hauing their thombes and great toes cut of, geathered their meate vnder my table: as I haue done, so God hath done to me againe. And they brought him to Ierusalem, and there he dyed.


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The children of Iuda fought agaynst Ierusalem, and toke it and smote it wyth the edge of the swerde, and set the cytie on fire,


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After warde the children of Iuda went to fight against the Cananites, that dwelt in the mountayne, and towarde the south, & in the lowe contreye.


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And Iuda went against the Cananites that dwelt in Hebron, which before time was called kariath Arbe. And slew Sesai, Ahiman & Thalmai.


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And from thence they went to the inhabiters of Dabir, whose name in olde tyme was called kariathsepher.


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And Caleb sayde he that smyteth Kariathsepher, & taketh it, to him will I geue Acsah my daughter to wyfe.


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And Othoniel the sonne of kenez Calebs younger brother toke it: to whom he gaue Acsah hys daughter to wyfe,


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and as they went, she counceled hym to aske of her father a felde. And then she lyghted of her asse: and Caleb sayde vnto her: What ayleth the?


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She answered vnto hym: geue me a blessynge: for thou hast geuen me a Southward (or drie) lande, geue me also sprynges of water. And Caleb gaue her springes both aboue & benethe.


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And the children of the kenite Moses father in lawe went vp out of the cytie of palme trees with the children of Iuda into the wyldernesse of Iuda, that lieth in the Southe of Arad, and they went and dwelt amonge the people.


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And Iuda went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Cananites that enhabited Zephath, and vtterlye destroyed it, and called the name of the cytie Horma.


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And at the last Iuda toke Azah wyth the coastes therof, and Askalon wyth the coastes therof, and Abaron with the coastes therof,


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And the lorde was wyth Iuda, and he conquered the mountaynes, but coulde not dryue out that enhabiters of the valeyes because they had charettes of yron.


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And the children of Beniamin dyd not cast out the Iebusites, that enhabited Ierusalem, but the Iebusites dwell wyth the chyldren of BenIamin in Ierusalem vnto this daye.


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And the spyes sawe a man come out of the cytie, and they sayde vnto hym: shew vs the waye into the cytie, and we wyll shewe the mercy.


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And whan he had shewed them the waye into the cytie, they smote it wyth the edge of the swerd, but let the man and all hys housholde goo free.


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And the man went into the lande of the Hethites, and bylt a cytie, and called the name therof Lus which is the name therof vnto this daye.


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Nether dyd Manasses expelle Bethsean with her townes, Thaanach wyth her townes, the enhabitoures of Dor with her townes, the enhabitoures of Ieblaam wyth her townes, nether the enhabitoures of Magedo wyth her townes, but the Cananites were bolde to dwell in the lande.


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But it came to passe that as sone as Israell was waxed myghtie, they put the Cananites to tribute and expelled them not.


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In lyke maner Ephraim expelled not the Cananytes that dwelt in Gazer, but the Cananytes dwelt stille in Gazer amonge them.


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Nether dyd Zabulon expelle the enhabytoures of ketron, nether the enhabytoures of Nahalol: But the Cananytes dwelt amonge them, and became trybutaries.


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Nether dyd Aser cast out the enhabytoures of Acho, nether the enhabytoures of Zidon, & of Ahalab, Aczib, & Halbah, Aphek, ner of Rohob,


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but the Aserites dwelt amonge the Cananites the enhabytoures of the lande, for they might not dryue them out.


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Nether dyd Nephthalim dryue out the enhabytoures of Bethsames, nor the enhabytoures of Bethanath, but dwelt amongest the Cananytes the enhabytoures of the lande. Neuerthelesse the enhabytoures of Bethsames & of Bethanath became trybutaries vnto them.


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And the Amorites troubled the chyldren of Dan in the mountayne, and soffered them not to come downe to the valeye.


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


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And the angell of the Lorde came vp from Gilgall to Bochim, & sayde: I made you to come out of Egypte, and haue brought you vnto the lande which I sware vnto youre fathers. And I sayd: I wyll not breake myne appoyntment that I made with you.


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And ye also shall make no couenant wyth the enhabytoures of this lande, but shall breake downe their aultares: Neuertheles ye haue not herkened vnto my voice, why haue ye this done?


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


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And when the angell of the Lorde spake these wordes vnto all the chyldren of Israel, the people cryed out and wepte:


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And when Iosua had sent the people awaye, the chyldren of Israel went euerye man into hys enheritaunce to possesse the lande.


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And the people serued the Lord all the dayes of Iosua, and all the dayes of the elders that out lyued Iosua, and had sene all the great workes of the lord that he dyd for Israel:


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whom they buryed in the costes of hys enheritaunce: euen in. Thamnath Hares in mount Ephraim on the northside of the hyll Gaas.


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And euen so all that generacyon were put vnto their fathers, and there arose another generacyon after them whych nether knewe the Lorde, nor yet the worckes whych he had done for Israel.


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and forsoke the Lorde God of their fathers, whych brought them out of the land of Egypte, and folowed straunge goddes, euen of the goddes of the nacyons that were round aboute them, and bowed them selues vnto them and angred the lorde.


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and the wrath of the lorde waxed hote agaynst Israel, and he delyuered them into the handes of raueners, that spoyled them, and solde them into the handes of their enemyes rounde aboute them, so that they had no power any longer to stande before their enemyes.


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But whethersoeuer they went out, the hand of the lord was agaynst them with euell lucke, euen as the lord promysed them, & as he sware vnto them. And he punyshed them sore.


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Neuerthelesse the lorde raysed vp Iudges, which delyuered them out of the handes of their oppressers,


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and yet for all that they wold not harken vnto their Iudges: But rather went a whoryng after straunge goddes, and bowed them selues vnto them, and turned quicklye out of the waye, which their fathers walked in, obeying the commaundementes of the Lord: But they dyd not so.


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And when the lord raysed them vp Iudges, he was with the Iudge, and delyuered them out of the handes of their enemyes all the dayes of the Iudge for the Lorde had compassyon ouer their sorowinges, whych they had, by the reason of them that oppressed them & vexed them:


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yet for all that as sone as the iudge was dead, they turned and dyd worsse that their fathers, in folowinge straunge goddes, and in seruyng them, and ceased not from their owne inuencyons, nor from their malycyouse waye.


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And the wrath of the Lorde was moued agaynst Israel, & he sayde: because this people hath transgressed myne appointement which I commaunded their fathers, & haue not herkened vnto my voyce,


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that through them I maye proue Israel, whether they wyll kepe the waye of the Lorde, & walke therin, as their fathers dyd or not


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And so the Lord leaft those nacions, & droue them not out ymmedyatlye, nether delyuered them into the hande of Iosua.


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These are the nacyons which the lord left, that he myght proue Israel by them: euen as manye of Israell as had not knowen all the warres of Canaam:


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Onlye for the lernyng of the generacyon of the children of Israel: that he also myght teach them warre, in asmuch as they that were before them, knew nothing therof,


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Of those whom he left, there were fyue lordes of the Philistines, & all the Cananites, & the Sodonites, and the Heuites that dwelt in mount Libanon: euen from mount Baal Hermon vnto Hemath.


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Those remayned to proue Israel by, and to wete, whether they wold herken vnto the commaundementes of the lorde, which he commaunded their fathers by the hand of Moses.


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And the children of Israel dwelt amonge the Cananites, Hethites, Amorites, Pheresites, Heuites, and Iubusytes,


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& toke the daughters of them to be their wyues, & gaue their owne daughters to their sonnes, & serued their Goddes,


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And the children of Israell did wickedlye in the syght of the lord, and forgate the lord their God, and serued Baalim & Aseroth.


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Therfore the lord was angrye with Israel, & delyuered them into the handes of Chusan Risathaim kyng of Mesopotamia, and the children of Israell serued Chusam Risathaim .viii. yeres.


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And when the children of Israel cryed vnto the lorde, the lorde stered vp a sauer, to the children of Israel, & saued them: one Othoniel the sonne of kenes. Calebs younger brother.


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And the sprete of the lorde came vpon him. And he iudged Israel, and went out to warre. And the lorde delyuered Chusan Risathaim kyng of Mesopotamia into his hande, & his hande preuayled agaynst Chusan Risathaim.


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And the children of Israel went to agayne, & committed wickednesse in the sight of the lord. And the Lord strengthed Eglon the kyng of the Moabites, agaynst the children of Israel, because they had committed wickednesse before the lord.


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And this (Eglon) geathered vnto hym the children of Ammon, and the Amalekites, and went and smote Israel, & conquered the citye of Paulme trees.


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But when they cryed vnto the lorde, the lorde stered them vp a sauer, Ahud the sonne of Gera the sonne of Iemini a man that coulde do nothing handsomlye with his ryght hande. And by him the chyldren 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 cubyte length, & he dyd gyrde yt vnto his rayment vpon his right thygh,


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but he him selfe turned agayne (from the place of grauen ymages, that was by Gilgal) and sayde: I haue a secret errand vnto the, O kyng. Which sayde: kepe sylence. And all that stode before hym, went out from hym.


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And Ahud came vnto hym, and in a somer parler, which he had, sat he him selfe alone, and Ahud sayde I haue a message vnto the from God. And he arose out of hys seate.


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And Ahud put forth hys lefte hande, & toke the dagger from his ryght thyghe, & thrust it into hys belye,


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and the haft went in after the blade. And the fatte, closed the haft, so that he myght not drawe the dagger out of hys belye, but the dyrt came out.


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When he was gone out, hys seruauntes came, and whan they sawe that the dores of the parler were locked, they sayde: peraduenture he couereth hys fete in hys somer chamber.


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And they taried tyll they were ashamed, and beholde: seyng he opened not the dores of the parler: they toke a keye, and opened them. And beholde, their Lord was fallen downe dead on the erthe.


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And Ahud eskaped (whyle they taryed) and was gone beyonde, to the place of the grauen ymages, and eskaped into Seirath.


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And when he was come he blewe a trompette in mount Ephraim. And the chyldren of Israel went downe wyth hym from the hyll and he went before them.


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And he sayde vnto them, folowe me: for the Lord hath delyuered youre enemyes, the Moabytes into youre hande. And they descended after him, and toke the passages of Iordan, towarde Moab, and soffered not a man to passe ouer.


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And they slew of the Moabites the same tyme vpon a ten thousande men, which were all fatte & men of warre, & there skaped not a man,


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After hym was Samgar the sonne of Anath, whych slewe of the Philistines .vi. hundred men with an oxe goade, and delyuered Israel also.


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And the chyldren of Israel beganne agayne to do wickedly in the syght of the Lord, when Ahud was dead.


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And the Lord solde them into the hande of Iabin kyng of Canaan, that raygned 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 cryed vnto the Lorde: for he had nyne hundred charrettes of yron, & twentie yeres he troubled the children of Israel very sore.


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& the same Debora dwelt vnder a paulme tree betwene Ramath and Bethell, in mounte Ephraim. And the children of Israel came vp to her for iudgement.


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And she sent & called Barak the sonne of Abinoam, out of Kedes Nephthalim, and sayde vnto him. Hath not the Lord God of Israel commaunded the, to leade wt faire wordes men to mounte Thabor, and take with the ten thousande men, of the children of Nephthalim & of the children of Zabulon?


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And I will bryng vnto the to the ryuer kyson, Sisara, the Captayne of warre vnto Iabin, wt his charettes, & his people, and will delyuer him into thyne handes.


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And Barak sayde vnto her: yf thou wylt go wt me, I will go: But & yf thou wilt not come with me, I will not goo:


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She sayde: I will suerlye go with the, but this iourney that thou takest, shall not be for thyne honoure, for the Lord shall sell Sisara into the hande of a woman. Debora went with Barak to kedes.


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


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But Haber the kenite (which was of the chyldren of Hobab the father in lawe of Moses) remoued from the other kenytes, & pytched hys tente vntyll the playne of Zaanaim, whych is by kedes.


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And Sisara gathered together all his charettes, euen .ix. hundred charettes of yron, & all the people that were wt him from of Haroseth of the gentyles, vnto the ryuer of kyson.


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And Debora sayde vnto Barak: vp, for this is the daye in which the Lorde hath delyuered Sisara into thyne hande: Is not the Lorde gone out before the? And so Barak went downe from mount Thabor, & ten thousande men after him.


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But the Lorde destroyed Sisara and all his charettes, & all his hoste with the edge of the swerde, before Barak: so that Sisara lyghted downe of his charett, & fled awaye on hys fete.


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But Barak folowed after the charettes and after the hoste, euen vnto Haroseth of the gentyles. And all the hoste of Sisara fell vpon the edge of the swerde, and there was not a man leafte.


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How be it Sisara fled awaye on his fete to the tent of Iael the wyfe of Haber the kenite: for there was peace betwene Iabin the kyng of Hazor, & the housholde of Haber the kenite.


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And Iael went out to mete Sisara, and sayde vnto him: turne in my lord, turne into me, feare not. And whan he had turned in vnto her into her tent, she couered hym with a mantell.


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And he sayd vnto her, geue me a lyttel water to drynk, for I am thirstye. And she opened a bottell of mylke, & gaue hym drynck, & couered him.


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And agayne he sayde vnto her: stande in the dore of the tente, and whan any man doth come and enquere of the, whether there be any man here, thou shalt saye: naye.


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Then Iael Habers wyfe toke a nayle of the tente, & an hammer in her hand, & went softlye vnto hym, and smote the nayle into the temples of his head, and fastened it into the ground, for he slombered sore, and was weery: And so he dyed.


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And Beholde, as Barak folowed after Sisara, Iael came out to mete him, & sayde vnto him: come, & I wyll shew the the man, whom thou sekest. And when he came into her tente: Beholde, Sisara laye deed, & the nayle was in his temples.


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And so God brought Iaben the kyng of Canaan into subieccyon that daye before the chyldren of Israel.


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And the hande of the children of Israel prospered, & preuayled agaynst Iaben the kyng of Canaan, vntill they had brought him to naught.


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Heare O ye kynges, herken o ye prynces: I, euen I, will syng vnto the Lord, I wyl prayse the Lorde God of Israel.


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Lord, whan thou wentest out of Seir, whan thou departedst out of the felde of Edom, the erth trembled, & 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 ronners of the pathes walked thorow by wayes.


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The inhabiters 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 enemye) in the gates, though there were shilde and speare. There was not a child or spere sene amonge fourtye thousande of Israel.


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My hart loueth the gouerners of Israel, and them that are willing amonge the people. O prayse ye the Lorde.


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At the cryeng of the archers amonge the drawers of water, there shall they speake of the righteousnes of the Lorde, his righteousnesse in the vnfenced places of Israel: then shall the people of the Lord go downe to the gates.


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Up Debora vp, get the vp, and syng a songe: Aryse Barac, and leade the captiuyte captyue, thou sonne of Abinoam.


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Then shall they that remayne, haue domynion of the proudest of the people (of Iabin:) The Lorde shall for my sake haue domynion ouer the myghtie.


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Out of Ephraim was there a rote of them agaynst Amaleck, and after the, Beniamin amonge thy people. Out of Machir came rulers, & out of zabulon they that gouerne the penne of the wryter.


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And of Isachar, there were prynces with Debora, Isachar also and Barac were sent on their fete into the valley, whan in the departing awaye of Ruben there were greate men, and wyse of hert?


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Why abodest thou among the shepe foldes, to heare the bleatinges of the flockes, & to separate thy selfe awaye wt greate men and wyse of hert?


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Gilead also abode beyonde Iordane: and why doth Dan remayne in shippes? Aser contynued on the see shore, and taried in hys decayed places.


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But the people of Zabulon haue ieoperde their lyues euen vnto the dethe, lyke as did Nephthalim in the hye places of the felde.


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The kynges came & fought, then fought the kynges of Canaan in Thamnah, by the waters of Negiddo, and wanne no money.


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The ryuer of Cyson remoued them, that auncient ryuer, the ryuer Cyson: My soule shall treade (hym) downe mightely.


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Then were the horse hoffes smytten asunder by the meames of the praunsinges that their mightye men made.


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Curse ye the cite of Meros (sayd the angell of the Lord) cursse the inhabitours therof, because they came not to helpe the Lorde, to helpe the Lorde with the myghtie.


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Iael the wife of Haber the kenyte shalbe blessed aboue other wemen, blessed shall she be aboue other wemen in the tent.


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She put hir hande to the nayle, and hir right hande to the smythes hammer: wt the hammer smote she Sisera, and smote hys heade, wounded him, & pearsed his temples.


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He bowed hym downe at hir fete, he fell downe & laye still: At hir fete he bowed him downe, & fell. And when he had soncke downe, he laye still desolate.


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The mother of Sisera loked out at a wyndowe, & cried thorow the lattesse? Why is his charret so long a commyng? Why tarye the wheles of his cartes?


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Surely they haue founde, they deuyde the spoyles: euery man hath a damsell or two: Sisera hath a praye of diuerse couloured garmentes, euen a praye of rayment dyed wt sondrye coloures, & that are made of nedle worke: rayment of diuerses coloures & of nedle worke which is mete for him that is chefe in distributinge of the spoyles.


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So perishe all thine enemyes: O Lord: but they that loue him, let them be as the sonne whan he ryseth in his might. And the lande had rest fourtye yeres.


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And the chyldren of Israell committed wyckednes in the sight of the Lord. And the Lord delyuered them into the handes of Madian seuen yeres.


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And the hande of Madian preuayled agaynst Israel, & because of the Madianites, the chyldren of Israel made them dennes in the mountaynes & caues and stronge holdes.


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And when Israel had sowen, the Madianites, the Amalechites & they of the east contreye came vp together against them: & pytched their tentes against them,


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& destroyed the encrease of the erthe, euen till thou come vnto Azah: & lefte no sustistinaunce for Israell, nether shepe, oxe or asse:


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for they went vp, they and their cattell, & came wt their tentes as a multitude of greshopers: so that bothe they & also their camels were wt out nombre. And they entred into the lande to destroye it.


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the Lord sent vnto them a prophet, which sayd vnto them: Thus sayth the lord god of Israel: I fette you from Egypt & brought you oute of the house of bondage,


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& I rydd you out of the hande of the Egypcians, & out of the hand of all that oppressed you & cast them out before you, & gaue you their land.


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


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And the Angell of the Lorde came, & sate vnder an Oke which was in Ephrah, that pertayned vnto Ioas the father of the Eserites. And his sonne Gedeon pressed out whete out of the eares in a presse, to hyde it from the Madianites:


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& the angell of the Lord apeared vnto hym, & sayde: the Lord is wyth the, thou mightie man of warre.


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And Gedeon answered him: Oh my Lord, yf the Lord be wyth vs, why is all this come vpon vs? ye & where be all hys myracles which oure fathers tolde vs of, and sayde? Did not the lord bring vs out of Egypte? But now the Lorde hath forsaken vs, & delyuered vs into the handes of the Madianites.


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


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And he answered him: Oh lord, wherwith shall I saue Israel? Beholde, my kinred is poore in Manasses, and I am lytle in my fathers house.


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


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And he answered him: Oh: yf I haue founde grace in thy syght, then shewe me a sygne, that it is thou that talkest wt me.


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Departe not hence, vntill I come agayne vnto the, and till I bring myne offryng, & haue sett it before the. And he sayde: I wyll tarye vntyll thou come agayne.


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And Gedeon went in, & made redye a kydd, and swete kakes of an Epha of flowre, & put it wt the fleshe in a basket, & put the broth in a potte, & brought it out vnto hym vnder the Oke, & presented it.


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And the angell of God sayd vnto him: take the flesh & the swete kakes, & laye them vpon this rocke, & powre out the broth. And he dyd so.


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Then the angell of the Lord put forth the ende of the staffe that he helde in his hande, & touched the fleshe and the swete kakes. And there arose vp fyre out of the rocke, & consumed the flesh & the swete kakes. But the angell of the Lord vanished out of his syght.


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And when Gedeon perceaued that it was an angell of the Lord, he sayd: Alas, O Lord God, haue I therfore sene an angell of the lord face to face, that I shulde dye?


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Then Gedeon made an aultare there vnto the Lord, & called it: The Lorde of peace. And vnto thys daye it is yet in Ephrath, that pertayneth vnto the father of the Eserites.


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And it fortuned that the same nyght the Lord sayde vnto him: take a yong bullock out of thy fathers droue, & another of .vii. yeres olde, & destroye the aultare of Baal that thy father hath, & cutte downe the groue that is by it,


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& make an aultare vnto the Lord thy God vpon the toppe of this rocke in a conuenient place. And take the seconde bullock, & offer burnt sacrifice vpon the wodd of the groue, which thou shalt cut downe.


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Then Gedeon toke ten men of his seruauntes, & dyd as the Lord bad him. But because he durst not do it by daye for feare of his fathers houshold & of the men of the cytie, he dyd it by nyght.


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And when the men of the cytie were vp erlye in the morning: Beholde, the aultare of Baal was broken, & the groue cut downe that was by it, & the seconde bullock offered vpon the aulter that was made.


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And they sayde one to another: who hath done this thing & whan they enquered & asked, they sayde: Gedeon the sonne of Ioas hath done this thing.


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Then the men of the cytie sayde vnto Ioas: bringe out thy sonne, that he maye dye? because he hath destroyed the aulter of Baal, & cut downe the groue that was by it.


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And Ioas sayde vnto all that stode by him: will ye leade Baals cause? or will ye be his defenders? he that hath medled agaynst him, let him dye or the mornynge. If he be a God, let him be auenged of him, that cast downe hys aulter.


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And from that daye was Gedeon called: Ierobaal, because his father had sayde: Let Baal be auenged of hym, that hath broken downe his aulter.


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All the Madianites therfore, & the Amalekites & they of the east, were geathered togeather, & went, & pitched in the valeye of Iesrael:


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but the sprete of the Lord came vpon Gedeon. And he blewe a trompette, & called Abiezer to folow him,


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& sent messengers thorow out all Manasses, & called them, which also dyd folowe him. And he sent messengers vnto Aser, Zabulon and Nephthalim, and they came to mete hym.


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Beholde, I wyll put a flece of wolle in the threasshyng place. And yf the dewe come on the flece onlye, & it be drye vpon all the erth besyde, then shall I be sure, that thou wilt saue Israel by my hande, as thou saydest.


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And it came so to passe. For he rose vp erlye on the morowe, and thrust the flece togeather, and wronge the dewe therout, & fylled a bowle of water:


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& Gedeon sayd agayne vnto God: be not angrye wt me, that I speake once moare. For I wyll proue once agayne by the flece. Let it be drye onlye vpon the flece, and dewe vpon all the grounde.


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And God did so that same nyght: For it was drye vpon the flece onely, & there was dew on all the grounde.


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Then Ierobaall (otherwyse called Gedeon) and all the people that were wyth hym, rose vp early, and pytched besyde the well of Harad, so that the hoste of the Madianites were on the northsyde of the rock that boweth towarde the valley.


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And the Lorde sayde vnto Gedeon: the people that are with the, are to many for me to geue the Madianites into their handes, lest Israel make their vaunte agaynst me and saye: myne awne hande hathe saued me.


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Now therfore make a proclamacyon in the eares of the people, & saye: yf any man dreade or be aferde, let him returne. And the people arose erlye. And there departed & returned of the people which weare at mount Gilead .xxii. thousand, and there abode ten thousande.


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And the Lord sayde vnto Gedeon: the people are yet to many, bryng them downe vnto the water, and I wyll trye them vnto the there. And of whom I saye vnto the, thys shall go with the, the same shall go with the. And of whomsoeuer I saye vnto the, this shall not go wyth the, the same shall not go.


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So he brought downe the people vnto the water, and the Lord sayde vnto Gedeon: as many as lappe the water wyth theyr tonges, as a dogge doth, them put by them selues, & so do them that knele downe vpon their knees to drincke.


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And the nombre of them that put there handes to their mouthes and lapped, were .iii. hundred men. But all the remnaunt of the people kneled downe vpon their knees to dryncke water.


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And the Lorde sayde vnto Gedeon: By these thre hundred men that lapped water, wyll I saue you: and delyuer 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 vitailes with them, & their trompettes. And he sent all the rest of Israel, euery man vnto his tent, and conforted those thre hundred with him. And the host of Madian was benethe hym in a valeye.


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And it fortuned that the same nyght the Lorde sayd vnto him: Aryse, get the downe vnto the hoste, for I haue delyuered it into thyne hande.


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& thou shalt herken what they saye, & so shall thyne handes be strong, to go downe vnto the hoste. Then went he downe and Pharah hys ladde, euen harde vnto the men of armes that were in the hoste.


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And the Madianites, the Amalekites, and all they of the East, lay a longe in the valeye, lyke a multitude of greshopers, and their camelles were without nombre, euen as the sande by the see syde in multitude.


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And when Gedeon was come: Beholde, there was a man that tolde a dreame vnto his neyhgboure, & sayde: Behold, I dreamed a dreame, and me thought that a loffe of barley bread, tombled into the hoste of Madian, and came vnto a tente, and smote it that it felle, & ouerturned it, that the tente laye a longe.


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And his felowe answerd and sayde: this is nothing elles saue the swerde of Gedeon the sonne of Ioas a man of Israell: for into his hande hath God delyuered Madian, and all the hoste.


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When Gedeon hearde the tellynge of the dreame, and the interpretacion of the same, he worshypped, and returned vnto the hoste of Israel: and sayde: vp, for the Lorde hathe delyuered into youre hande the hoste of Madian.


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And he deuyded the thre hundred men into thre companies, & gaue euery man a trompet in his hande, wyth an emptye pytcher, and lampes theri,


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and sayde vnto them: loke on me, and do lykewyse: that when I come to the syde of the hoste, euen as I do, so do you:


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When I blowe wyth a trompet and all that are wyth me, blowe ye with trompettes also on euery syde of the hoste, & saye: here is the swerde of the Lorde and of Gedeon.


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And so Gedeon & the thre hundred men that were with him, came vnto the syde of the host in the begynning of the myddell watche, & reysed vp the watche men. And they blewe with their trompettes, & brake the pytchers that were in theyr handes.


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And all the thre companyes blewe wt trompettes & brake the pytchers, & helde the lampes in their lefte handes, and the trompettes in their ryght, to blowe wythall. And they cried: the swerde of the Lord and of Gedeon.


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And they stode still, euery man in his place rounde about the hoste. And they wythin the hoste, ranne, & cryed & fled.


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And the thre hundreth blewe wyth trompettes, & the Lorde sett euery mannes swerde vpon hys neyghboure, thorow out all the hoste. And the hoste fled to Bethsitah, to Zererath, & to the edge of the playne of Meholah vnto Tabath.


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And the men of Israel beynge geathered together out of the trybe of Nephthalim, of Aser, & of all Manasses folowed after the Madianites.


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And Gedeon sent messengers vnto all mount Ephraim, saying: come downe against the Madianites, & take before them the waters vnto Bethbarath & to Iordan. Then all the men of Ephraim geathered together, & toke the waters vnto Bethbarath, & to Iordan.


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And they toke two captaynes of the Madianites, Oreb and Zeb, and slew Oreb vpon the rocke Oreb, and Zeb at the presse Zeb, & folowed after Madian. And brought the heades of Oreb and Zeb, to Gedeon on the other syde Iordan.


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And the men of Ephraim sayde vnto hym: why hast thou serued vs thus, that thou calledst vs not, when thou wentest to fyght with the Madianites? And they chode with hym a good.


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And he sayde vnto them: What dede haue I done lyke vnto youres: is not a cluster of Ephraim better, then the wyne heruest of Abiezer?


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God hath delyuered into youre 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 Iordan to passe ouer, he & the thre hundred men that were with hym, verye faynte, and yet folowed the chace.


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And he sayde vnto the men of Socoth: geue I praye you kakes of breed vnto the people that folowe me: for they be fayntie, that I maye folowe after Zebath, and Zalmona kynges of Madian.


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And the Lordes of Socoth sayde: are the handes of Zebath & Zalmona nowe in thyne handes, that we shulde geue breed vnto thyne armye?


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Gedeon sayde, therfore when the Lord hath delyuered Zebath and Zalmona into myne hande, I wyll teare the fleshe of you with the thornes of the wildernes and wt breers.


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And he went vp thence to Phanuel, & spake vnto them lykewyse. And the men of Phanuel answered hym, as dyd the men of Socoth.


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And he sayde also vnto the men of Phanuel: when I come agayne in peace, I wyll breake downe this towre.


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Zebath and Zalmona were in Carkar, and their hostes with them, vpon a .xv. thousand men, which were all that were lefte of all the hostes of them of the Easte: For there were slayne a hundred and twentye thousande men, that drewe swerdes.


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And Gedeon went thorowe them that dwell in Tabernacles on the easte syde of Nobah and Iebahah, and smote the hoste: for the hoste did cast no perrelles.


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And whan Zebah and Zalmona fledde, he folowed after them, and toke the two kynges of Madian, Zebath and Zalmona, and discomforted all the hoste.


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and caught a ladde of the men of Socoth, & enquered of him. And he wrote hym of the lordes & Elders of Socoth .lxxvii. men.


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And he came vnto the men of Socoth, and sayde: Beholde, here I haue Zebath and Zalmona, wt which ye did cast me in the tethe, sayinge: are the handes of Zebath and Zalmona allredye in thyne hande, that we shuld geue breed vnto thy faintye men?


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And he toke the elders of the citie, & thornes of the wildernesse & breers, & made the men of Socoth to fele them.


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And then sayd he vnto Zebath & Zalmona, what maner of men were they whom ye slew at Thabor? and they answered: the lykenesse of the and them is all one, euen after the fassyon of the chyldren of a kynge.


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And he sayde: they were my brethren, euen my mothers chyldren. As trulye as the Lorde lyueth, yf ye had saued their lyues, I wolde not sleye you.


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And he sayde vnto Iether his eldest sonne: vp and sleye them: But the lad drue not hys swerde, for he feared, because he was yet yong.


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Then Zebath & Zalmona sayde: Ryse thou, & falle vpon vs: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gedeon arose and slewe Zebath and Zalmona, & toke awaye the ornamentes, that were on their camels neckes.


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Then the men of Israel sayde vnto Gedeon: Raygne thou ouer vs, bothe thou, thy sonne & thy sonnes sonne, for thou hast delyuered vs out of the hand of Madian.


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And Gedeon sayd vnto them: I wyll not raygne ouer you, nether shall my childe raygne ouer you, but the Lord shall raygne ouer you.


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And agayne Gedeon sayde vnto them: I wolde desyre a certayne request of you, euen that you wolde geue me euerye man the earynges of his praye. For they had golden earynges, because they were Ismaelites:


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& they answered: We wyll geue them. And they spreed a mantell, & dyd cast there in euery man the earynges of hys pray:


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& the weyght of the golden earynges that he required, was a thousand & seuen hundred sycles of golde, besyde cheynes, pommaunders and purple rayment that was on the kynges of Madian, & besyde the cheynes, that were about their camels neckes.


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And Gedeon made an Ephod therof, & put it in his citie Ephrah And all Israell went a whoryng after it, in the same place, whych thynge became a ruyne vnto Gedeon and to his house.


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Thus was Madian brought lowe before the chyldren of Israel, so that they lyfte vp their heades no moare. And the contreye was in quietnes fourtye 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 pertayned vnto the father of the Ezrites.


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But it fortuned, that as sone as Gedeon was deed, the children of Israel turned awaye & went a whoring after Baalim, & made a couenaunt wt Baal to be their God,


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& the children of Israel thought not on the Lorde their god, which had delyuered them out of the handes of all their enemyes on euery syde.


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Nether shewed they mercy on the house of Ierobaal, other wyse called Gedeon, according to all the goodnesse which he had shewed vnto Israel.


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Abimelech the sonne of Ierobaal went to Sichem, vnto his mothers Brethren, and comuned with them and with all his mothers fathers kinred, sayin


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saye I praye you, in the eares of all the enhabytoures of Sychem: whether is better for you, that all the sonnes of Ierobaal (which are .lxx. personnes) raygne ouer you, ether that one raygne ouer you? Remember, that I am of youre bone, and of youre fleshe.


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And his mothers brethren spake of hym in the audience of the men of Sichem all these wordes, and their hartes were moued to folowe Abimelech. For they sayde: he is oure brother.


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And they gaue him .lxx. peces of syluer out of the temple of Baal Berith, where wyth Abimelech hyred vayne and lyght personnes which went with him.


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And he went vnto hys fathers house at Ephrah and slewe all his brethren, the sonnes of Ierobaal, euen .lxx. personnes with one stone. Not withstandynge, yet Ioatham the youngest sonne of Ierobaal eskaped, for he hyd hym selfe.


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


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And when they tolde it to Ioatham, he went and stode in the toppe of mount Garizim, and lyfte vp hys voyce, and cried, and sayde vnto them: Herken vnto me you men of Sichem, that God maye herken vnto you.


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The trees went forth to anoynt a king ouer them, and sayde vnto the olyue tree: raygne thou ouer vs.


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But the olyue tree sayd vnto them: shulde I leaue my fattenesse, whych both goddes and men prayse in me, and go to be promoted ouer the trees?


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The figge tree answered them: shuld I forsake my swetnes, and my good frute, and go to be promoted ouer the trees?


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The vyne sayde vnto them: shuld I leaue my wyne wherby I cheare bothe goddes and men, and go to be promoted ouer the trees?


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And the fyrre bushe sayde vnto the trees: yf it be true that ye will anoynt me kynge ouer you, then come, & put youre trust vnder my shadowe. Yf no, the fyre come out of the firre busshe, and waste the Cedre trees of Libanon.


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Now therfore, yf ye do trulye and vncorruptlye, to make Abimelech kyng: and yf ye haue dealte well with Ierobaal and his house, & haue done vnto hym accordyng to the deseruyng of his handes, iudge ye.


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For euen he (my father) fought for you, and aduentured his lyfe, and rydde you out of the hande of Madian.


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And ye are rysen vp agaynst my fathers house this daye, and haue slayue hys chyldren, euen .lxx. personnes with one stone, and haue made Abimelech the sonne of his mayde seruaunt, kyng ouer the men of Sichem, because he is youre brother:


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yf ye then haue dealte trulye and purelye with Ierobaal and with his house thys daye, then reioyse ye wyth Abimelech, and let him reioyse with you.


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But yf you haue not dealt trulye, then I praye God a fyre maye come out of Abimelech, and consume the men of Sichem and the house of Mello. And that there maye come a fyre from among the men of Sichem, and out of the house of Mello, and consume Abimelech.


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


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God sent a sprete of hate betwene Abimelech, & the men of Sichem. And the citezens of Sichem rayled vpon Abimelech,


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& wisshed that the wickednes done to the .lxx. sonnes of Ierobaal myght come on him, and that god wolde laye the bloude of them vnto Amelech their brother which slewe them, and vpon the other men of Sichem which ayded him in the kylling of his brethren.


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And the cytezens of Sichem set men to laye awayte for hym in the toppe of the mountaynes, which men robbed all that came a longe the waye by them. And it was tolde Abimelech.


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And Gaal the sonne of Abed came wyth 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 feldes, & geathered in their grapes, and troade them, and made mery: and went into the house of their goddes, and dyd eate and drynke, and curssed Abimelech.


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And Gaal the sonne of Abed sayde: what is Abimelech? and what is Sichem? that we shulde serue him? Is he not the sonne of Ieroboal? and Zebul is his officer? Serue soche as come of Hemor the father of Sichem, for what reason is it that we shulde serue him?


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wold God this people were vnder my hande, then wolde I take Abimelech out of the waye. And he spake against Abimelech: make thyne hoste greater, & go out.


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and sent messengers vnto Abimelech priuely, saying: Behold, Gaal the sonne of Abed and his brethren be come to Sichem: & beholde, they sett the cytie against the.


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And ryse erlye in the mornynge as sone as the sonne is vp, and fall vpon the citie. And yf he and the people that is with hym, come out agaynst the, do to him what thine handes shalbe able.


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And Abimelech roase vp, & all the people that were wt him by night. and they layd awayte against Sichem in foure companyes.


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And Gaal the sonne of Abed went out, & stode in the entring of the gate of the cytie. And Abimelech rose vp, & the folcke that were wt him, from laying awayt.


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And when Gaal saw the people, he sayd to Zebul: beholde, there come people downe from the top of the mountaynes. And Zebul sayd vnto him: the shadow of the hylles seme men vnto the


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& Gaall answered agayne, & sayd: se, there come folcke downe by the myddell of the land, & another company come a long by the playne of the charmars.


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Then sayd Zebul vnto him: where is now thi mouth that sayd: what felow is Abimelech, that we shuld serue him? Is not this the people that thou hast despysed? Goo out now & fyght with them.


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And Abimelech chased him, that he fledd before him & many were ouerthrowen & wounded, euen vnto the entering of the gate,


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And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah. And Zebul thrust out Gaal & his brethren, that thei shulde not dwell in Sichem.


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And he toke the people, & deuided them into thre companies, and layd awayte in the feldes, and loked, & beholde, the people were come out of the cytie, and he ranne vpon them, and smote them.


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And Abimelech, & the companies that were wt him, reached forther, & stode in the entringe of the gate of the cytie. And the two other companies ranne vpon all the people that were in the feldes, & slue them.


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And when Abimelech had fought against the cytie all that daye, he toke it, & slew the people that was therin, & destroyed the cytie & sowed salt thorow it.


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And when all the men of the towre of Sichem heard that, they entered into a strong holde of the house of their God Baall Berith


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& Abimelech gat him to mount Zelmon, bothe he & all the people that were wt him, & toke axes wt him and cut downe bowes of trees, & toke them & bare them on his shulder, & sayde vnto the folcke that were with hym what ye haue sene me do, spede youre selues, and do lykewyse as I haue done.


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And all the men that were among the people, cut downe bowes, and folowed Abimelech, and put them into the holde, and sett the holde a fier by them: so that all the men of the tower of Sichem were slayne, vpon a thousande men and wemen.


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But there was a strong towre with in the cytie, and thither ranne all the men and wemen, and all the chefe that were in the cytie, and shut it to them, and got 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 dore of the towre, to set it on fier.


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Then Abimelech called hastelye vnto the young man that bare hys harnesse, & sayd vnto him: draw thy swerde and slee me, that men saye not of me: a woman slew him. And hys ladd thrust him thorow, and he dyed.


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


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And thus the wyckednesse of Abimelech whych he dyd vnto his father, in sleynge his seuentye brethren


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and therto all the wyckednesse of the men of Sichem, dyd God bring vpon their heedes And vpon them came the cursse of Ioatham the sonne of Ierobaal.


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After Abimelech there arose, to defende Israel, one Thola (the sonne of Phuah) his vncles sonne, a man of Isakar, which dwelt in Samir in mount Ephraim.


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And he had thyrtie sonnes that rode on thirtie Asse coltes, & they had thirtye cyties, which are called the townes of Iair vnto thys daye, and are in the lande of Gilead.


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And the children of Israel wrought wyckednesse yet agayne, in the syght of the Lord, & serued Baalim and Astharoth, & the goddes of Siria, the goddes of Sidon, and the goddes of Moab, the goddes of the children of Ammon, and the goddes of the Philistines, and forsoke the Lord & serued not him


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And the Lorde was wroth with Israel, & solde them into the handes of the Philistines, & into the handes of the children of Ammon:


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which from that yere forth, pyld & oppressed the children of Israel .xviii. yere, all that were on the other syde Iordan: in the lande of the Amorites which is in Gilead.


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Moreouer, the children of Ammon went ouer Iordan to fight agaynst Iuda, Beniamin, and the house of Ephraim: so that Israel was sore combred,


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And the children of Israel cryed vnto the Lord, sayinge: we haue synned agaynst the: for we haue forsaken oure awne God, and haue serued Baalim.


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And the Lorde sayde vnto the children of Israel: dyd not the Egypcians, the Amorites, the children of Ammon, the Philistines,


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the Sidonytes, the Amaleckites, & the Maonites, oppresse you? And ye cryed to me & I delyuered you out of their handes.


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Go & crye vnto the goddes which ye haue chosen, and lett them saue you in the tyme of youre tribulacion.


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And the children of Israel sayde vnto the Lorde: We haue sinned: do thou vnto vs whatsoeuer please the, delyuer vs onely this daye.


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And thei put away the straung goddes from them, and serued the Lorde. And hys soule had pytie on the miserie of Israel.


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Then the children of Ammon geathered togeather, & pitched in Gilead. And the children of Israel geathered them togeather, & pitched in Mizpa.


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And the Lords of Gilead sayd eche to other: whosoeuer will beginne the battell agaynst the children of Ammon, the same shalbe hed ouer all the enhabiters of Gilead.


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And there was one Iephthaha Gileadite, a strong man, the sonne of an harlott: and Gilead begat Iephthah.


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And Gileads wyfe bare him sonnes, which when they were come to age, thrust out Iephthah, and sayd vnto him: thou shalt not enheret in oure fathers house, for thou art the sonne of a straung woman.


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Then Iephtah fledd from his brethren, & dwelt in the land of Tob. And there geathered ydle men to Iephthah, and went out wt him.


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And whan the children of Ammon fought thus agaynst Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fett Iephthah out of the land of Tob


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Iephthah answered the elders of Gilead: did not ye hate me & expell me out of my fathers house? how happeneth it then, that you come vnto me now in tyme of youre tribulacion?


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And the elders of Gilead sayde vnto Iephthah: Therfore we turne agayne to the now, that thou mayest go wt vs, & fight agaynst the children of Ammon and be oure heed ouer all the enhabiters of Gilead.


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And Iephthah sayde vnto the elders of Gilead: If ye brynge me home agayn, to fight with the children of Ammon, then yf the Lord deliuer them before me, shall I be your heed?


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And the elders of Gilead sayde to Iephthah: that Lorde be witnesse betwene vs yf we do not according to thy wordes.


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Then Iephthah went wyth the elders of Gilead. And the people made hym heed and ruler ouer them. And Iephthah rehearsed all hys wordes before the Lorde in Mizpa.


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And Iephthah sent messenges vnto the king of the children of Ammon, saying: what hast thou to do wt me, that thou art come agaynst me, to fight in my land?


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The king of the children of Ammon answered vnto the messengers of Iephthah: Because Israel toke awaye my land, when they came out of Egypt: euen from Arnon vnto Iabok, and vnto Iordan. Now therfore restore those landes agayne wt faire meanes.


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and sayd vnto him: thus sayth Iepthah: Israel toke not awaye the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon.


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But when Israel came out of Egypt, & walked thorow the wildernesse, euen vnto the redd see, they came to Cades


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& sent messengers vnto the king of Edom, saying: let me (I praye the) go thorow thy land. But the king of Edom wolde not agre therto. And in lyke maner they sent vnto the king of Moab, but he wold not consent. And so Israel abode stil in Cades.


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And then they went along thorow the wildernesse, & compased the lande of Edom, & the land of Moab, & came a long by the east syde of the land of Moab, & pitched on the othersyde of Arnon, & wolde not come with in the coaste of Moab: for Arnon was the vtmost border of Moab.


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And then Israel sent messengers vnto Schon, king of the Amorites, & king of Hesbon, & sayd vnto him: Lett vs passe thorow thy land vnto oure awne contreye.


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But Sehon consented not to Israel, that he shulde go thorow hys coast: but gathered all his people togeather, & pitched in Iazah, & fought wt Israel.


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And the Lord God of Israel delyuered Sehon & all his folke into the handes of Israel. And so Israel smote them & conquered all the land of the Amorites, the enhabiters of the sayde contrey.


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And they conquered all the coastes of the Amorites, from Arnon vnto Iabok, & from the wildernesse vnto Iordan.


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So now, seyng the Lorde God of Israel hath cast out the Amorites before hys people Israel, shuldest thou possesse the land?


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Naye, but what people, Camos thy God dryueth out, that land possesse thou. Euen so whatsoeuer nacion the Lorde oure God expelleth, that lande ought we to enioye.


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And art thou better then Balack the sonne of Zephor king of Moab? dyd he striue wt Israel or fyght agaynst them,


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all the whyle Israel dwelt in Hesbon and her townes, in Aroer & her townes, & in all the cyties that be a longe by the coastes of Arnon, thre hundred yeres? why dydist thou not recouer them in all that space?


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Wherfore I haue not synned agaynst the. But thou doest me wronge, to warre agaynst me. The Lorde therfore which is a Iudge be Iudge thys daye betwene the children of Israel, and the children of Ammon.


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Howbeit the kynge of the chyldren of Ammon, harkened not vnto the wordes of Iephthah, which he sent him.


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Then the sprete of the Lorde came vpon Iephthah. And he passed ouer to Gylead & to Manasses, & came to Mazphah that lieth in Gilead, and from thence vnto the chyldren of Ammon.


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And Iephthah vowed a vowe vnto the Lord, and sayd: If thou shalt delyuer the chyldren of Ammon into my handes,


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then that thinge that cometh oute of the dores of my house against me, when I come home in peace, from the chyldren of Ammon, shalbe the Lordes, and I wyll offer it vp for a burnt offering:


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And so Iephthah went vnto the children of Ammon to fyght wt them. And the Lord delyuered them into hys handes.


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And he smote them from Aroer tyll thou come to Menith, euen .xx. cytes: and so forth to the playne of the vyneyardes, with an exceding great slaughter. And thus the children of Ammon were brought vnder, before the chyldren of Israel


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When Iephthah came to Mazphah vnto his house, se, his daughter came out agaynst him, with tymberelles & daunses, which was his onely childe: so that besyde her, he had nether sonne, nor daughter.


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


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And she sayd vnto him: my father, yf thou haue opened thy mouth vnto the Lorde, then do wt me accordyng to it that proceaded out of thy mouth, for as moch as the Lorde hath aduenged the of thyne enemyes the chyldren of Ammon.


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And she sayde vnto her father: do thys moche for me: lett me alone two monethes, that I maye go downe to the mountaynes, & be wayle my virginyte, I & my felowes.


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


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And after the ende of the two monethes, she turned agayne vnto her father, which dyd with her accordynge to hys vowe which 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 lament the daughter of Iephthah the Gyleadite, foure dayes in a yere


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And the men of Ephraim geathered them selues together, & went northwarde, and sayde vnto Iephthah: Wherfore wentest thou to fyght with the children of Ammon, and dydest not call vs to go with the? we will therfore burne thine house vpon the fyer.


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And Iephthah said vnto them: I & my people were at great stryfe wt the chyldren of Ammon. And when I called you, ye delyuered 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, & went vpon the children of Ammon. And the Lord delyuered them into my handes. Wherfore then are ye come vpon me now, to fyght wt me?


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


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Moreouer, the men of Gilead toke the passages of Iordan before the Ephraites. And when those Ephraites that were escaped, sayde: lett vs go ouer, then the men of Gilead sayd vnto them: Art thou an Ephraite? they sayde: naye.


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Then sayde they vnto him: then saye: Schibboleth. And he sayde: Sibboleth: for he coulde not so pronounce. And then they toke him, and slewe hym at the passages of Iordan. And there were ouerthrowen at that tyme of the Ephraites .xlij.M.


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& he had .xxx. sonnes and .xxx. daughters, whom he sent out, and toke .xxx. other in, for his sonnes. And when Abezan had iudged Israel .vii. yere,


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And he had .xl. sonnes, and thirty neueus, that rode on .lxx. asse coltes. And when Abdon the sonne of Hellel the Pharathonite had iudged Israell eyght yeare,


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And the chyldren of Israell began agayne to commytte wyckednes in the sight of the Lord. And the Lord delyuered them into the handes of the Philistines fourty yere.


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And ther was a man in Zaraah of the kynred of Dan, named Manoah, whose wyfe was barren, and bare not.


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And the Aungell of the Lorde apeared vnto the woman: and sayde vnto her: Beholde, thou art barren, and bearest not: But thou shalt conceaue, & beare a sonne.


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for se, thou shalt conceaue and beare a sonne. And there may no rasor come on hys heed. For the ladd shalbe an abstayner vnto God, euen from his byrth. And he shall begynne to delyuer Israell out of the handes of the Phylistines.


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Then the wyfe came, & tolde her husband sayenge: a man of God came vnto me, & the fassion of him was lyke the fassion of an Angell of God, excedyng fearfull. But I asked hym not whence he was, nether tolde he me hys name, but sayd vnto me:


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beholde, thou shalt be with childe & beere a sonne, and now drincke no wyne nor strong dryncke, nether eate any vncleane thyng: for the ladd shalbe an abstayner to God, euen from hys byrth, to the daye of hys death.


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Then Manoah made intercessyon to the Lorde, and sayde: I praye the my Lorde, lett the man of God whych thou sendest, come once moare vnto vs, and teache vs what we shal do vnto the ladd, when he is borne.


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And God hearde the voyce of Manoah, and the angell of God came agayne vnto the wyfe as she sat in the felde. But Manoah her husband was not with her.


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And the wyfe made hast, and ranne, and shewed her husbande, & sayde vnto hym: Beholde, the man apeared vnto me, that came vnto me to daye.


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And Manoah arose, and went after hys wyfe, and came to the man, and sayde vnto him: art thou the man that spakest vnto my wyfe? And he sayde: I am.


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Manoah sayde: now when thy saieng is come to passe: what shalbe the maner of the childe, and what shall he do?


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And the angell of the Lorde sayd vnto Manoah: thy wyfe must absteyne from all that I sayde vnto her:


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she maye eate of nothyng that cometh of the vyne tree, ner dryncke wyne or strong dryncke, nor eate any vncleane thynge: But must obserue all that I bad her.


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Manoah sayde vnto the aungell of the Lord: we wyl kepe the styll, vntyll we haue made redye a kydd, and haue sett it before the.


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And the angell of the Lorde sayde vnto Manoah: though thou make me abyde. I wyll not eate of thy bread. And yf thou wylt offre a burntoffring, thou must offer it vnto the Lorde. For Manoah wist not, that it was an angell of the Lord.


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And Manoah said agayne vnto the angel of the Lord: what is thy name, that when thy sayinge is come to passe, we maye do the some worshyppe?


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And so Manoah toke a kydde wt a meateofferinge, and offered it vpon a rocke vnto the Lorde. And the angell dyd wonderouslye. Manoah and hys wyfe lokynge vpon.


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And when the flame came vp toward heauen from the aultare, the angell of the Lord ascended vp in the flame of the aultare. And Manoah and hys wyfe loked vpon it, and fell flat on their faces vnto the grounde.


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But the angel of the Lorde dyd nomoare apeare vnto Manoah and his wife. And then Manoah knew that it was an angel of the Lorde,


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But his wife said vnto him: Yf the Lord wold kyll vs, he wolde not haue receaued a burntoffryng & a meateoffring of oure handes, nether wolde he haue shewed vs all these thinges, nor wolde now haue tolde vs any soche.


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And the wyfe bare a sonne, and called his name Samson. And the ladd grewe, and the Lorde blessed hym.


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and he came vp, and tolde hys father and hys mother, and sayde: I haue sene a woman in Thamnath of the daughters of the Phylistynes. And now geue me her to wyfe.


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Then hys father and mother sayde vnto hym: Is there neuer a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, and amonge all my people, but that thou must go, and take a wyfe of the vncircumcysed Phylistynes? And Samson sayde vnto his father: geue me thys woman, for she pleaseth me well.


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But hys father and mother wyst not that it was the Lordes doynge, and that he sought an occasion agaynst the Philistynes, for at that tyme the Philistines raygned ouer Israel.


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Then went Samson and hys father and his mother downe to Thamnath, and came to the vyne yardes of Thamnath. And behold a yonge lyon roared vpon hym.


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And the sprete of the Lorde came vpon hym. And he tare hym, as he wolde haue rent a kydde, and yet had nothynge in hys hande, neyther tolde hys father & mother what he had done.


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And within a shorte space after, as he went thyther agayne to take her to wyfe, he turned oute of the waye, to se the carkasse of the lyon. And beholde, there was a swarme of bees, and honye in the carkasse of the lion.


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And he toke of the honye in hys handes, and wente eatynge, and came to hys father and mother, and gaue them also. And they dyd eate. But he tolde not them, that he had taken the honye oute of the carkasse of the lyon.


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And so hys father came vnto the woman, and Samson made there a feaste, for so vsed the yonge men to do.


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And Samson sayd vnto them: I wil now put forth a ryddle vnto you. And yf you can declare it me within .vij. dayes of the feast, & fynde it out. I will geue you .xxx. shertes, and .xxx. chaunge of garmentes:


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But & yf you cannot declare it me, then shall ye geue me .xxx. shertes and .xxx. chaunge of garmentes. And they answered hym: put forth thy rydle, that we maye heare it.


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And he sayd vnto them: Out of the eater came meate: and out of the stronge came swetnes. And they coulde not in .iij. dayes expounde the ryddle.


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And when the seuenth daye was come, they sayde vnto Samsons wyfe: flater thyne husband, that he maye declare vs the ryddle, lest we burne the & thy fathers house with fyer. Haue ye called vs hyther, to make vs beggers?


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And Samsons wyfe wepte before hym and sayde: Surely thou hatest me and louest me not: for thou hast put forth a ryddle vnto the chyldren of my folcke, 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 the?


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And Samsons wyfe wepte before hym .vij. dayes, whyle the feast lasted. And the .vii. daye he tolde her, because she laye so sore vpon him. And she tolde it the children of her folke.


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And the men of the cytie sayd vnto hym the seuenth daye, before the sonne went downe. What is sweter then honye, & what is stronger then a lyon? Then sayde he vnto them: If ye had not plowed with my caulfe, ye had not founde out my rydle.


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And the sprete of the Lorde came vpon hym. And he went downe to Askalon, and slewe thyrty men of them, and spoyled them, and gaue chaunge of garmentes vnto them whych expounded the ryddle. And he was wroth, and went vp to hys fathers house.


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But it chaunced within a whyle after, euen in the tyme of whete heruest, that Samson visited hys wyfe with a kydde, sayenge: I wyll go into my wyfe into the chaumber: but her father wolde not suffre hym to go in.


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And her father sayd: I thought that thou haddest hated her, and therfore gaue I her vnto one of thy companions. Is not her yonger syster fayrer then she? Take her in steade of the other


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Samson sayd vnto them: Now am I more blamelesse then the Philistines, and therfore wyll I do them displeasure.


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And Samson went out, and caught thre hundred foxes, and toke fyrebrandes, and fastened tayle to tayle, and put a fyer brand in the myddes betwene two tayles.


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And whan he had set the brandes of fyer, he sent them out into the standing corne of the Philistines, and burnt vp both the reped corne and also the standing, with the vyneyardes and olyues.


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Then the Philistines sayde: who hath done thys? And it was tolde them that Samson the sonne in lawe of the Thamnite, because he had taken hys wyfe, and geuen her to hys companyon. And the Philistines came vp and burnt her and her father with fyer.


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And Samson sayde vnto them: Though ye haue done this, yet will I be aduenged of you, and then I wyll cease.


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And he smote them legge and thygh with a myghtye plage. And then he went and dwelt in the caue of the rocke Etam.


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And the men of Iuda sayde, why are ye come vp vnto vs? They answered: to binde Samson are we come vp, and to do to hym as he hath done to vs.


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Then thre thousande men of Iuda went downe to the caue of the rocke Etam, and sayde to Samson: wottest thou not that the Philistines are rulers ouer vs? Wherfore then hast thou done thus vnto vs? He answered them as they dyd vnto me, so haue I done vnto them.


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And they sayd vnto hym agayne: we are come downe to bynde the, and to delyuer the into the hand of the Philistines. And Samson sayd vnto them: swere vnto me that ye shall not fal vpon me your selues.


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They answered hym, sayenge: No, but we wyll bynde the, and delyuer the vnto their handes: But we wyll not kyl the. And they bounde him with two new cordes, & brought hym from the rocke.


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And when he came to Lehi, the Philistines showted agaynst him. And the sprete of the Lord came vpon hym, and the cordes that were vpon hys armes, became as flaxe that was burnt wt fyer, for the bandes lowsed from of hys handes.


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And he founde a rotten Iawe bone of an asse, and put forth hys hande, and caught it, and slue a thousande men therwith.


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And Samson sayde: with the Iawe of an asse, haue I made heapes of them: with the Iawe of an asse haue I slaine a thousand men.


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And when he had left speakyng, he cast awaye the Iawe bone out of hys hand, and called the place Ramath Lehi.


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


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But God brake a great toth that was in the Iawe, and ther came water therout. And when he had droncke, his sprete came agayne, and was refresshed, wherfore the name therof was called, vnto this daye, the well of the caller on, which came of the Iawe.


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And it was tolde the Azathites, sayeng: Samson is come hither. And they went aboute, & layde awayte for hym there, all nyght in the gate of the cytie, and were still all the nyght, saying: in the mornyng whan it is daye, we shall kyll hym.


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


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vnto whom came the Lordes of the Philistines, and sayde vnto her: perswade hym, and se wherin his great strength lieth, and by what meane we maye ouercome him that we maye bynde him, to bryng him vnder, and euery one of vs shal geue the aleuen hundred syluerlynges.


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


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Samson answered vnto her: If they bynde me with seuen grene withes that were neuer dryed, I shalbe weake as other men.


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


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Notwithstandynge she had men lyinge in wayte with her in the chaumbre. And she sayd vnto hym: the Philistines be vpon the Samson. And immediatly he brake the cordes as a strynge of towe breaketh, when it fealeth fier. And so his strength was not knowen.


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And Dalila sayde vnto Samson: Se, thou hast mocked me & tolde me lyes. Now therfore tel me, wherwith thou mightest be bounde.


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He answered her: yf they bynde me wyth new ropes that neuer were occupyed, I shalbe weake, and as another man.


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Dalila therfore toke new ropes, and bounde hym therwith, and sayde vnto him: the Philistines be vpon the Samson. And there were lyers of wayte in the chamber, & he brake them from of hys armes, as they had bene but a threde.


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And Dalila sayde vnto Samson: hytherto thou hast begyled me, and tolde me lyes: yet tell me, how thou myghtest be bounde. He sayde vnto her: If thou plattedest the .vij. lokes of my head with an heare lace.


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And she fastened them with a nayle, and sayde vnto hym: the Philistines be vpon the Samson. And he awaked out of his slepe, & plucked awaye the nayle, that was in the plattinge with the heare lace.


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And she sayde vnto hym agayne: How canst thou saye that thou louest me, when thyne herte is not with me? beholde, thou hast mocked me thys thre tymes, & hast not tolde me, wherin thy greate strength lyeth.


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And as she laye vpon him with her wordes continually vexyng of hym, hys soule was encombred euen vnto the death.


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And so he tolde her all his hert, & sayd vnto her: there neuer came raser vpon myne heed, for I haue bene an abstayner vnto God, euen from my mothers wombe: therfore whan I am shauen, my strength wyll go from me, and 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 hert, she sent and called for the lordes of the Philistines, sayeng: come vp yet this once, for he hath shewed me all hys herte. Then the lordes of the Philystines came vp vnto her, & brought the money in their handes.


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And she made him slepe vpon her knees & she sent for a man, & he dyd shaue of the seuen lockes of his heed, & beganne to vexe him, & his strength was gone from him.


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And she sayde: the Philistines be vpon the Samson. And he awoke out of his slepe, & sayd: I wil go out now as at other tymes before, & shake my selfe, & he wist not that the Lorde was departed from him.


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But the Philistines toke hym, and put oute his eyes, & brought hym downe to Azath, and bounde hym with two fetters of brasse. And he dyd grynde in the preson house,


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Then the lordes of the Philistines gathered them together, for to offer a solempne offrynge vnto Dagon theyr God, and to reioyse: for they sayde, oure God hath delyuered Samson oure enemy into oure handes.


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And when the people sawe hym, they praysed theyr God: for they sayde: our God hath delyuered into oure handes oure enemy, and destroyer of oure countreye, whych slue manye of vs.


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And when theyr hertes were merye, it fortuned, that they sayde: sende for Samson, that he maye make vs laugh. And they fette Samson oute of the preson house, and he played before them, and they set hym betwene the pyllers.


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And Samson sayd vnto the ladd that leed him by the hand: sett me that I maye touche the pyllers, that the house stande vpon, and that I maye leane to them.


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And the house was full of men & women. And there were all the lordes of the Philistines. And there were vpon the roufe a thre thousande men and wemen, that behelde whyle Samson played.


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And Samson called vnto the Lord, and sayde: O Lorde God, thyncke vpon me, and strengthen me, at thys tyme onlye, O God, that I maye be aduenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.


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And Samson caught the two middel pillers on which the house stode, and on which it was borne vp, the one in hys ryght hande, and the other in hys lefte,


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and sayde: my soule shall dye with the Philistines, and bowed them with all hys myghte. And the house fell vpon the lordes and vpon all the people that were therin. And so the deed which he slewe at hys deeth, were moo then they whych he slewe in hys lyfe.


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And then hys brethren and al the house of hys father came downe, & toke him vp, & brought hym, and buryed hym betwene Zarah and Estahol, in the buryinge place of Manoah hys father. And he iudged Israell twentye yeares.


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and he sayde vnto hys mother: the leuen hundreth syluerlynges that were taken from the, aboute which thou cursedst, & spakest it in myne eares. Behold, the syluer is with me, I toke it awaye. And hys mother sayde: blessed be thou my sonne, in the Lorde.


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And when he had restored the leuen hundred syluerlynges to his mother agayne, his mother sayde: I vowed the syluer vnto the Lord of myne hande for the my sonne: that thou shuldest make a grauen ymage and an ymage of metall. Now therfore, I wyll geue it the agayne.


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And when he restored the moneye againe vnto his mother, his mother toke two hundreth syluerlynges, and gaue them to a goldsmyth, which made therof a grauen image, and a ymage of metall, and it was in the house of Micah.


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And the man Micah had a temple of goddes, and made an Ephod and Theraphim, and fylled the hande of one of hys sonnes which became hys preaste.


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


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And the man departed oute of the cytie of Bethlehem Iuda, to go dwel 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 hym. whence commest thou? The leuite answered hym. I am of Bethlehem Iuda, & go to dwell where I maye fynde a place.


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And Micah sayd agayne vnto him: dwell with me, and be vnto me a father and a preste. And I wyll geue the ten syluerlynges by yeare, two garmentes, and thy meate and dryncke.


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And Micah consecrated the hande of the leuite, and the yonge man became his preste, and was in the house of Micah.


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Then sayde Micah: now I am sure, that the Lord wyll be good vnto me, seynge: I haue a leuyte to my preste.


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In those dayes there was no king in Israell. And in those dayes the tribe of Dan sought then an enheritaunce to dwell in for vnto that tyme there fel none enheritaunce vnto them amonge the trybe of Israell.


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And the children of Dan sent of their kinred fyue actyue men in feates of warre oute of theyr coastes, euen out of Zaraah and Estahol, to vewe 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 ther


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And when they were in the house of Micah, they knewe the voyce of the yonge man the leuite: and when they turned in thyther, they sayde vnto hym: who brought the hyther? what makest thou in thys place? and what hast thou here?


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And he answered them: thus and thus dealed Micah with me, and hath hired me, and I am become hys preste.


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And they sayde vnto hym agayne: Aske councell now of God, that we maye knowe, whether the waye whych we go, shalbe prosperous, or no.


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Then the fyue men departed, and came to Lais, and sawe the people that were therin, how they dwelt careles, after the maner of the Sydons, styll, and without castynge of parelles: and that no man made any trouble in the land, or vsurped any domynion, but were farre from the Sidons, and had no busines with other men.


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And they came vnto theyr brethren, to Zaraah & Estahol. And their brethren sayd vnto them: what haue ye done?


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And they answered: Aryse, that we maye go vp agaynst them, for we haue sene the lande: surely a very good one. And do ye sytt stil? be not slouthful to departe: But come to conquere the lande.


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Yf ye wyll go, ye shall come vnto a people that casteth no parelles, & it is a very large countre: which God hath geuen into your handes. It is also a place, which doth lacke nothynge that is in the worlde.


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And there departed thence of the kynred of the Dannites, euen out of Zaraah and Esthaol, syxe hundred men appoynted with instrumentes of warre.


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And they went vp, and pitched in kariath Iarim which is in Iuda. Wherfore they called the place, the hoost of Dan, vnto thys daye: and it is on the backsyde of kariath Iarim.


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Then answered the fyue men that went to spye out the countre of Lais, & sayde vnto their brethren: wot ye not that there is in these houses an Ephod, Theraphim, a grauen ymage, & an ymage of metall? Now therfore consydre what ye haue to do.


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And they turned thitherwarde and came to the house of the yong man the Leuite, euen vnto the house of Micah, and saluted hym peasably.


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And the syxe hundred men gyrded with weapons of warre, which were of the chyldren of Dan, stode by the enteryng of the gate.


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And the fyue men that went to spye out the lande, went in thyther and toke the kerued Image, and the Ephod, Theraphim, and the ymage of metall. And the preste stode in the enterynge of the gate with the syxe hundred men that were armed vnto batayl,


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whyle the other wente into Michas house, and fet the kerued ymage, the Ephod, Theraphim, and the ymage of metall. Then sayd the preste vnto them: what do ye?


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They answered hym: holde thy peace, laye thyne hande vpon thy mouth, and come with vs, to be oure father & preste. Is it better for the to be a preste vnto the house of one man, then to be a prest vnto a trybe or a kynred in Israell?


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And the preste was glad and toke the Ephod, and Theraphim, and the grauen ymage, & went with the people.


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


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And when they were a good waye from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses, and in Micahs house, made an oute crye, and folowed after the chyldren of Dan, and called vnto them.


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And he sayd: ye haue taken awaye my goddes whych I made, and also the preste, and go your wayes with them. And what haue I more? how then saye ye vnto me, what ayleth the?


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And the chyldren of Dan sayde vnto hym: let not thy voyce be hearde amonge vs, lest angrye felowes runne vpon the, and thou loose thy lyfe with the lyues of all thyne housholde.


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And so the chyldren of Dan wente theyr wayes. And when Micah sawe that they were to stronge for hym, he turned and went backe vnto hys house agayne.


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And they toke the thynges which Micah had made, & the preste which he had, & came vnto Lais, euen vnto a people that were at reast & without mistrust, & smote them with the edge of the swerd, & burnt the cytie with fyre.


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And there was no man to helpe, because Lais was farre from Sidon, & they had no medelyng with any other man. And the cyte stode in the valey that lyeth by Bethrehob. And they bylt them there a cytie, & dwelt therin.


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And called it Dan, after the name of Dan their father which was borne vnto Israell. Howbeit, in very dede the name of the cytie was Lais at the begynninge.


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And the chyldren of Dan set them vp the grauen ymage. And Ionathan the sonne of Gerson, the sonne of Manasses and hys sonnes were the prestes in the trybe of Dan vntyll they were caryed awaye out of the land captyue.


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And they sett them vp the kerued ymage which Micah made, all the whyle that the house of God was in Silo.


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It chaunced in those dayes, when there was no kyng in Israel, that a certayn leuyte sogeournynge on the syde of mount Ephraim, toke to wyfe a concubyne out of Bethlehem Iuda:


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and hys concubyne played the whore by hym, and went awaye from hym, 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 frendely vnto her, and to bring her home agayne, hauynge hys ladd with hym, and a couple of asses. And she brought him vnto her fathers house, and when the father of the damosell sawe hym, he reioysed of hys comyng.


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And his father in lawe the damosels father kept him. And the Leuyte aboade with hym thre dayes, and so they dyd eate and drincke, and lodged there.


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The fourth daye whan they arose erly in the mornynge, the man stode vp, to departe. And the damoselles father sayd vnto his sonne in lawe: confort thyne hert with a morsell of bread, and then go your waye.


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And they sate downe, and dyd eat and drincke both of them togeather. And the damoselles father sayd vnto the man: Be content I praye the, & tarye all nyght, and let thyne herte be mery.


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And when the man stode vp to departe, hys father in lawe compelled him to turne againe: and to tarie all nyght there.


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And he rose vp erlye the fyfth daye to departe, and the damoselles father sayde, comforte thine herte: & they taried vntyll after middaye. And they dyd eate bothe of them to geather.


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And when the man arose to departe with his concubine and his ladd, his father in law the damoselles father sayde vnto hym: beholde, the daye gothe fast awaye & draweth towarde euen, tary all night: at the least waye tarye this daye here, that thyne hert maye be merye. And to morowe get you erlye vpon your waye, that thou mayest get the to thy tent.


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Neuerthelater the man wolde not tary, but arose and departed, and came as ferre as Iebus, (which is Ierusalem) and his two asses laden, and his concubine and his ladd with him.


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And when they were fast by Iebus the daye was sore spent, and the younge man sayd vnto his master: come I praye the and let vs turne in, into this cytie of the Iebusites and lodge all night there.


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His master answered him: we will not turne into a straunge cytie that are not of the chyldren of Israel: we wyll go forth to Gibea.


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And he sayd vnto hys ladd, go forwarde, and we shall come to one of these places to lodge all night ether in Gibea or in Rama.


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And they went forwarde vpon theyr waye, and the sonne went downe vpon them, when they were fast by Gibea which belongeth to them of BenIamin.


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And they turned thither warde to go in, and lodge all nyght in Gibea. And when he came, he sat him downe in a streat of the cytie, for there was no man that toke them to lodginge.


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And behold, there came an olde man from his worke, out of the felde at euen, which was also of mount Ephraim, & dwelt as a straunger in Gibea. But the men of the place were the children of Iemim.


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And when he had lyfte vp his eyes, he sawe a wayefaring man in the streate of the cytie. And the olde man sayde: whether goest thou? And whence comest thou?


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He answered him: we come from Bethlehem Iuda towarde the syde of mount Ephraim: from thence am I, and I went to Behlehem Iuda, and go now to the house of the Lord. And there is no man that receaueth me to house.


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We haue strawe and prauender for oure Asses, and bread and wyne for me and thy handmayde, and for the ladd that is with thy seruaunt, and we lacke nothynge.


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The olde man sayd: peace be with the, all that thou lackest shalt thou fynde with me: onelye abyde not in the streate all nyght,


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and so he brought him into his house, and gaue fodder vnto his Asses. And they wasshed their fete, and dyd eate and drynck.


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And as they were makynge their herttes merye, beholde, the men of the cytie which were wicked, set the house rounde aboute, and thrust at the dore, and spake to the man of the house, the olde man, sayinge: brynge forth the man that came into thyne house, that we maye knowe hym.


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And the man of the house, the olde man went out, and sayde vnto them, Oh, naye my brethren, do not so wickedlye, seyng that this man is come into myne house: do not so vnmete a thing.


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Beholde, here is my daughter a mayden, and this mannes concubine, them I wyll bringe out now vnto you, and humble them, and do with them what semeth you good: but vnto this man, do not so abhominable a thinge.


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But the men wolde not herken to him. And the man toke his concubine, and brought her out vnto them, which knewe her, and abused her, all the nyght, euen vnto the mornynge. And when the daye beganne to sprynge, they let her go.


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And then came the woman in the dawnyng of the daye, and fell downe at the doore of the mannes house, where her Lorde was, tyll it was daye.


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And her Lorde arose vp in the mornyng, and opened the dores of the house, and went out to go hys waye. And beholde, the woman, euen his concubine laye a longe before the dore of the house, & her handes stretched out vpon the thressholde. And he


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sayde vnto her: vp and let vs be goynge. But she answered not. Then the man toke her vp vpon an Asse, and stode vp, and gat him vnto his awne home.


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And when he was come vnto his house, he toke a knyfe, & caught hys concubine, and deuided her with the bones into twelue peces, and sent her into all quarters of Israell.


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And all that sawe it, sayde: there was no soche dede done or sene sence the children of Israel cam out of Egipt vnto this daye, consyder the matter, take aduisement, and saye youre myndes.


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Then all the chyldren of Israel went out: and the congregacyon was gathered togeather as it had bene but one man, euen from Dan to Berseba and vnto the lande of Gilead, vnto the Lorde in Mizpa,


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and there stode folke out of al quarters and of all the trybes of Israell, in the congregacyon of the people of God, foure hundred thousande fote men that drewe swerdes.


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And whan the chyldren of BenIamin hearde that the chyldren of Israell were gone vp to Mizpa, and had sayde. O ye chyldren of Israell, tell vs how this wickednesse happened.


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And the Leuite, the womans husbande that was slayne, answered and sayde, I came into Gybea that is in BenIamin with my concubyne to lodge all nyght.


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And the men of Gibea rose agaynst me, and set the house rounde aboute vpon me by nyght, and thought to haue slayne me: and my concubyne haue they so forced, that she is deed.


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And I toke my concubyne, and cutt her in peces, and sent her thorow out all the landes of the enherytaunce of Israell. For they haue commytted abhominacyon and folly in Israell.


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And all the people arose, as it had ben one man, saying, there shall not a man of vs go to his tent, nether turne into his house.


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And we will take ten men of the hundred thorowe out all the trybes of Israell, and an hundred of the thousande, and a thousande out of ten thousande, to fett vitayle for the people to make that they maye go agaynst Gibea BenIamin, because of all the abhominacyon, that they haue wrought in Israell.


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And so all the men of Israell gathered to geather agaynst the cytie, knyte to geather, as it had ben but one man.


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And the trybes of Israell sent men thorow all the trybe of BenIamin sayinge what wyckednesse is this that is happened amonge you?


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Now therfore delyuer vs the men, those chyldren of Belial which are in Gibea, that we maye sley them, and put awaye euell from Israell. Neuerthelater the chyldren of BenIamin wolde not herken vnto the voyce of their brethren the chyldren of Israell:


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but geathered them selues to geather out of the cyties vnto Gibea, to come out and fight agaynst the chyldren of Israell.


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And the chyldren of BenIamin were nombred at that tyme, out of the cyties .xxvj. thousand men that drewe swerdes, besyde the enhabiters of Gibea, which were nombred seuen hundred chosen men.


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And amonge all these folke were seuen hundred left handed men, which euery one coulde slyng stones at an heare breadeth, and not mysse.


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And the chyldren of Israell besyde BenIamin, were nombred foure hundred thousande men that drew swerdes, and were all men of warre.


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And the chyldren of Israell arose, & went vp to Bethel, & asked councell of God, who shulde begynne the battell agaynst the chyldren of BenIamin? And the Lord sayd. Iuda shall begynne.


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And the men of Israell went out to battell agaynst BenIamin, and the men of Israel put them selues in araye to fyght agaynst them, besyde Gibea.


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And the chyldren of BenIamin came out of Gibea, and destroyed of the Israelites that daye .xxij. thousande men, and brought them to the erth.


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And the folke of the chyldren of Israell plucked vp their hertes and went to agayne, and made batell in the same place where they dyd the fyrst daye.


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And the chyldren of Israel went vp, and wept before the Lord vnto euen, and asked of the Lord, saying, shall we go agayne to battell agaynst the chyldren of BenIamin oure brethren? And the Lord sayde: go vp agaynst them.


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And the chyldren of BenIamin went agaynst them out of Gibea, the seconde daye, and destroyed to the erth of the chyldren of Israell once agayne .xviij. thousande men that drew swerdes euery man of them.


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Then the chyldren of Israell and all the people went vp and cam vnto Bethell, and wepte and sat there before the Lord, and fasted the same daye vnto euen, & offered burntofferynges and peaceofferynges before the Lorde.


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in those dayes. And Phinehes the sonne of Eleazar, the sonne of Aaron waytynge vpon it at that tyme sayde: shall I get me vp to go out any moare to batell agaynst the chyldren of BenIamin my brethren, or shall I cease? The Lorde sayde: go, for to morowe I will delyuer them into youre handes.


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And the chyldren of Israel went vp agaynst the chyldren of BenIamin the thyrde tyme, and put them selues in araye agaynst Gibea, as twyse before.


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And the chyldren of BenIamin came out agaynst the people, and were drawen awaye from the cytie: And they beganne to smyte of the people deed (as twise before, by two hye wayes of which one gothe vp to Bethell and the other to Gibea thorowe the felde) vpon a thyrtye men of Israell.


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And the chyldren of BenIamin sayde. They are fallen before vs, as at the fyrst. But the chyldren of Israel sayde: let vs flye and plucke them awaye from the cytie, vnto the hye wayes.


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And all the men of Israell rose vp out of their place, and put them selues in araye at Baal Thamar. And lyke wyse the layers in wayte of Israel came forth out of their places, euen out of the medowes that were aboute Gibea,


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& came agaynst Gibea: ten thousande chosen men out of all Israel, and there was a sore battell. But the other wist not that so great euyll was so nye them.


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And the Lorde plaged BenIamin before Israel, & the chyldren of Israel destroyed of the Beniamites the same daye .xxv. thousande and a hundred men, that drue swerdes euerye one of them.


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And whan the chyldren of BenIamin sawe that they were put to the worste, the men of Israel gaue rowme to the Beniamites, because they trusted vnto the layers in wayte which they had layde besyde Gibea.


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And the layers in wayte hasted, and ranne vpon Gibea, and went and smote all the cytye with the edge of the swerde.


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And an apoyntment had the men of Israell from the layers in wayte that they shulde make a greate smoke ryse vp out of the cytie.


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And whan the men of Israel fledd in the battell BenIamin began to smyte deed of the chyldren of Israel, aboute a thyrtie parsonnes, and sayde: the other are put to the worsse before vs, as in the fyrst batell.


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But whan there began to aryse out of the cytie a pyller of smoke, the Beniamites loked backe: and beholde, the wastynge of the hole cytie began to ascende vp to heauen.


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When the men of Israell also turned agayne, the men of Ben Iamin were abasshed: for they saw that euel approched them.


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And therfore they turned their backes before the men of Israel vnto the waye that leadeth to the wildernesse, but the men of warre ouertoke them. And besyde that, they which came out of the cytie, destroyed them in the myddle of them.


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And thus they compassed the Beniamites aboute, and chased them to Menuha, and ouerranne them to Gibea on the east syde:


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And they turned and fledd to the wyldernesse warde, and vnto the rocke of Rymmon. And the other slue by the waye of the rest of them, fyue thousande men, and stycked vnto them, vntyll they cam to Gideom and slue two thousande men of them.


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So that all that were slayne that same daye of BenIamin were .xxv. thousande men that drue swerdes, which were all men of warre:


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onelye .vj. hundred men turned and fledd to the wyldernesse, vnto the Rocke of Rymmon and abode there .iiij. monethes.


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And the men of Israell turned backe agayne vnto the chyldren of BenIamin, & smote them with the edge of the swerde in the cyties, bothe man and beast and all that came to hande, and sett on fyer all the cyties that they coulde come by.


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And euery man of Israel sware in Mizpa, sayinge: there shall none of vs geue hys daughter vnto any of BenIamin to wyfe.


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And the people came to Bethell & abode there tyll euen before God, & lyfte vp theyr voyces and wept sore,


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and sayde. O Lorde God of Israel, why is thys chaunced in Israel, that there shulde be thys daye one trybe lackynge in Israell?


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And on the morow the people rose vp by tyme, and made there an altare, and offered burntofferinges and peaceofferynges.


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And the chyldren of Israell asked, who are they amonge all the tribes of Israel, that came not vp with the congregacyon vnto the Lorde? for they had made a greate othe concernynge him that came not vp to the Lord to Mizpa, sayinge: he shall suerlye dye.


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And the chyldren of Israell had pytie on BenIamin theyr brethren, and sayde: there is one trybe cut of from Israell thys daye:


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what shall we do vnto the remnaunt of them, that they maye haue wyues? we haue sworne by the Lorde, that we will not geue them of oure daughters to wyues.


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And beholde, ther came none of the enhabitoures of Iabes Gilead vnto the hoost and congregacyon. For the people were vewed: and beholde, there were none of the enhabiters of Iabes Gilead there.


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And they sent thether a multitude, euen .xij. thousande men of the strongest of them, and commaunded them, sayinge: go and smyte the enhabiters of Iabes Gilead with the edge of the swerde, both wemen and chyldren.


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And this is it that ye shall do: vtterlye destroye all the males and all the wemen that haue lyen by men.


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And they founde amonge the in habiters of Iabes Gilead foure hundred damoselles, virgines, that had knowen no man, by lyeng with any male. And they brought them vnto the host to Silo, which is in the lande of Canaan.


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And the hole congregacion sent and spake with the chyldren of BenIamin that were in the Rocke of Rymmon, and called peceablye vnto them:


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and BenIamin came agayne at that tyme, and they gaue them wyues, which they had saued alyue of the wemen of Iabes Gilead. But they suffysed them not.


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And the people had compassyon on BenIamin, because that God had made a gappe in the trybes of Israel.


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And then the elders of the congregacyon, sayde: what shall we do to the remnaunt of them, to get them wyues, seinge all the wyues of BenIamin are destroyed?


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And they sayde: there must be an enheritaunce for them that be escaped of BenIamin, that a trybe be not destroyed out of Israell:


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howbeit, we maye not geue them wyues of oure daughters. For the chyldren of Israell had sworne, sayinge: curssed be he, that geueth a wyffe to BenIamin.


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Then they sayde: beholde, there is a feast of the Lord yearly in Sylo, which is on the northsyde of Bethel, and on the east syde of the waye that goeth from Bethel to Sichen and south from Libanon.


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And when ye se that the daughters of Silo come out to daunce in a rowe, then come ye out of the vyneyardes, and catch you euerye man a wyfe of the daughters of BenIamin.


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And whan theyr fathers or brethren come vnto vs to complayne, we wyll saye vnto them: haue pytie on vs for theyr sakes, because we reserued not to eche man his wyfe in tyme of warre, Neither haue ye geuen vnto them, that ye shulde synne at this tyme.


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And the chyldren of BenIamin dy euen so: and toke them wyues accordynge to the nombre of them that daunced, whom they caught. And they went, and returned vnto theyr enheritaunce, and repayred the cyties, and dwelt in them.


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And the chyldren of Israell departed thence at that tyme, and went euery man to hys trybe, and to hys kynred, and went out from thence euery man to hys enheritaunce.


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In those dayes there, was no kynge in Israel: but euery man dyd that which semed ryght in his awne eyes.


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It fortuned, that when the Iudges iudged, there fell a darth in the lande, and a certen man of Bethlehem Iuda went for to soiourne in the contreye of Moab: he and hys wyfe, and hys two sonnes.


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The name of the man was Elimelec, and the name of hys wyfe, Naomi: and the names of hys two sonnes were, Mahlon and Chilion, and they were Ephraites, out of Bethlehem Iuda. And when they came into the land of Moab, they contynued there.


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which toke them wyues of the nacions of the Moabites: the ones name was Orpha, and the others Ruth. And they dwelled there about a ten yere.


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And Mahlon and Chilion dyed also euen both of them, and the woman was lefte desolate of her two sonnes and of her husbande.


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Then stode she vp with her daughters in lawe, and returned from the countrey of Moab: for she had hearde saye in the countrey of Moab, how that the Lorde had vysyted hys people, and geuen them bred.


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Wherfore she departed out of the place where she was, and her two daughters with her. And they went on theyr waye to returne vnto the lande of Iuda.


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And Naomi sayde vnto her two daughters in lawe: go and returne eche of you vnto your mothers house: and the Lord deale as kyndlye with you, as ye haue dealt with the deed, and with me.


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And the Lorde geue you, that you maye fynde rest, ether of you in the house of her husbande. And whan she kyssed them, they lyft vp theyr voyce, and wepte,


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And Naomi sayde: turne agayne my daughters: for what cause wyll you go with me? Are there any mo chyldren in my wombe, to be your husbandes?


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Turne agayne my daughters, and go: for I am to olde to haue an husbande. And yf I sayde, I haue hope, yf I toke a man also this nyght: yee and though I had all readye borne sonnes,


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wolde ye tarye after them, tyll they were of age? or wolde ye for them so long refrayne from takynge of husbandes? Not so my daughters: for it greueth me moch for youre sakes, that the hande of the Lorde is gone out agaynst me.


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And they lyft vp their voyces, and wepte agayne, & Orpha kyssed her mother in lawe, but Ruth aboade styll by her.


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And Naomi sayde: se, thy syster in lawe is gone backe agayne vnto her people and vnto her goddes: returne thou after her:


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And Ruth answered: entreate me not to leaue the, and to returne from after the: for whether thou goest, I will go also, & where thou dwellest, there I wyll dwell: thy people shalbe my people, and thy God my God,


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Where thou dyest, there wyll I dye, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so and so to me, yf ought but death onelye departe the and me asondre.


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And so they went both, vntyll they came to Bethlehem. And when they were come to Bethlehem, it was noysed of them thorow all the cytie, and the wemen sayd: is not this Naomi?


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And she answered them: call me not Naomi but call me Mara, for the Allmyghtye hath made me verye bytter.


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I went out full: and the Lorde hath brought me home agayne emptie. Why then call ye me Naomi: seynge the Lord hath humbled me, and the allmightie hath brought me vnto aduersyte?


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And so Naomi with Ruth the Moabitesse her daughter in lawe returned out of the countreye of Moab, and came to Bethlehem, in the begynninge of barley harueste.


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And Naomis husband had a kinsman of strength, and myght, (which was of the kynredd of Elimelec) named Booz.


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And Ruth the Moabitesse sayd vnto Naomi: let me go to the felde, and geather eares of corne after any man in whose syght, I fynde grace. And she sayde vnto her: go my daughter.


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And she went, and came to the felde, and geathered after the reapers, and her chaunce was, that the same felde pertayned vnto Booz, which was of the kynred of Elimelec.


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And behold, Booz came from Bethlehem, and sayd vnto the reapers: the Lorde be with you. And they answered him: the Lorde blesse the.


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And the younge man that stode by the reapers, answered, and sayde: it is the Moabityshe damosell, that came with Naomi out of the countrey of Moab,


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and she sayde vnto vs: Oh, let me lease & geather after the reapers, the eares that remayne: and so she came, and hath continued euen from the mornyng vnto now, saue that she taried a litle in the house.


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Then sayde Booz vnto Ruth: hearest thou my daughter: go to no nother felde to geather, nether go from hence: but abyde here by my maydens.


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Let thine eyes be on the felde that they reape, and go thou after the maydens. Haue I not charged the young men, that they shal do the no hurt? Moreouer when thou art a thyrst, go vnto the vessels, and drinck of that which the laddes haue drawen.


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Then she fell on her face and bowed her selfe to the grounde, and sayd vnto him: how is it that I haue founde grace in thine eyes, and that thou shuldest knowe me, seing I am an aliaunt?


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And Booz answered and sayde vnto her: all is tolde and shewed me, that thou hast done vnto thy mother in lawe, sence the death of thyne husbande, how thou hast lefte thy father and thy mother, and the lande where thou wast borne, and art come vnto a nacion which thou knewest not in tyme passed.


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The Lord quyte thy worcke, and a full rewarde be geuen the of the Lorde God of Israell, vnder whose wynges thou art come to abyde.


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Then she sayde: let me fynde fauoure in thy syghte my Lorde, thou that hast conforted me, and spoken hartely vnto thy mayde, which yet am not like vnto one of thy maydens.


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Booz sayde vnto her agayne: in tyme of refeccyon come thou hither, and eate of the breed, and dypp thy soppe in the vinegre. And she sate downe by the reapers, & he reached her parched corne: of the which she dyd eate, and was suffised, and lefte parte.


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And when she was rysen vp to gather, Booz commaunded hys young men, saying: let her gather euen amonge the heapes, and forbydde her not.


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


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And so she geathered in the felde, vntyll euen, and thresshed that she had geathered, and it was in measure vpon an Epha of barleye.


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


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And her mother in lawe sayd vnto her: where hast thou gathered to daye? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he, that knewe that. And she shewed her mother in lawe how she had wrought with him, and sayde: the mannes name with whom I wrought to daye is Booz.


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And Naomi sayd vnto her daughter in lawe: blessed be he of the Lorde, for he ceasseth not to do good to the lyuing and to the deed. And Naomi sayde agayne vnto her: the man is nye vnto vs, and of oure next kynne.


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And Ruth the Moabite sayde: he sayde vnto me also. Thou shalt be wt my young men, vntyll they haue ended all my haruest.


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And Naomi answered vnto Ruth her daughter in lawe: it is best my daughter that thou go out with hys maydens, that they fall not vpon the in any other felde.


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And so she kept her by the maydens of Booz, to gather, vnto the ende of barley haruest and of whete heruest also: and 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 reast for the, that thou mayst prosper?


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And is not Booz onre kynsman, with whose maydens thou wast? Beholde, he wenoweth barleye to nyght in the thresshynge floure:


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washe thy selfe therfore, and anoynt the, and put thy rayment vpon the, and gett the downe to the barne. But let not a man knowe of the, vntyll he haue leaft eatynge and drynckyng.


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And when he goeth to slepe, marcke the place where he layeth hym downe, and then go and lyfte vp the clothes, that are on his fete, and laye the downe there, and so shall he tell the what thou shalt do.


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And when Booz had eaten & droncken, and made him merye, and was gone in, to lye downe besyde the heape of corne, she came softlye, and lifte vp the clothes of his fete, and layde her downe.


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And he sayde: what art thou? she answered: I am Ruth thine hand mayde, sprede thy wynge ouer thine hand mayde, for thou art the next of the kynne.


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He sayd: blessed be thou in the Lorde my daughter, for thou hast shewed more goodnesse in the later ende, then at the beginnynge, in as moche as thou folowedest not younge men, whether they were poore or riche.


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And now my daughter feare not, I will do to the all that thou requirest, for all the cytie of my people doth knowe, that thou art a woman of vertue.


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Tary this night. And when mornyng is come, yf he will marye the, it is good, so let him do. But and yf he will not haue the, as sure as the Lorde lyueth I will haue the: lye styll vntil the morning.


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And so she laye at his fete vntill the morninge. And she arose vp before one coulde knowe another. And he sayde: let no man knowe, that there came any woman into the barne.


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And he sayde agayne: bringe thy mantell that thou hast vpon the, and holde it vp. And whan she helde it vp, he mette in sixe measures of Barleye, and layed it on her. And she gatt her into the cytie:


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and whan she came into her mother in lawe, she sayde: how is it with the my daughter? And she tolde her all that the man had done to her.


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And sayde also: these sixe measures of barlye gaue he me, and sayd: thou shalt not come emptie vnto thy mother in lawe.


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Then sayd she, my daughter, syt still, vntill thou knowe how the matter will chaunce. For the man wyll not be in reast, vntill he haue fynysshed the thinge this same day.


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Then went Booz vnto the gate and satt him downe there: and beholde, the kynsman of which Booz spake, cam by. Unto whom, he sayde: come and sytte downe here, and called him by his name. And he turned in, and sate downe.


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And he sayde vnto the kynsman: Naomi that is come agayne out of the contreye of Moab will sell a parcell of lande, which was oure brother Elimelecs.


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And I thought to do the to wete, and bid the bye it before the enhabitoures and elders of my people. Yf thou be disposed to redeme it, do: but and yf thou wilt not pourchase it, then tell me, that I maye knowe. For there is none to calenge it, saue thou, and I nexte the. And the other answered: I will pourchase it.


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Then sayde Booz, what daye thou biest the felde of the hand of Naomi, thou must take also Ruth the Moabite the wyfe of the deed, to stere vp the name of the deed vpon his enheritaunce.


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The kinsman answered: I cannot purchase it, for marringe of myne awne enheritaunce: take thou my right to the, for I cannot purchase it.


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Now, this was the maner of olde tyme in Israell concerninge purches and chaunging, for to stablishe all thinge: that a man must plucke of his showe, and geue it his neyghboure, and this was a sure witnesse in Israell.


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And Booz sayde vnto the elders and vnto all the people: ye are witnesses this daye, that I haue bought all that was Elimelecs, and all that was Chilions and Mahlons, of the hand of Naomi.


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And moreouer, Ruth the Moabite the wyfe of Mahlon, haue I purchased to be my wyfe, to stere vp the name of the deed vpon his enheritaunce, and that his name be not put out from amonge his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this daye.


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And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders sayde: we are wytnesses: the Lord make the woman that is come into thyne house, lyke Rahel and Lea, which twayne dyd builde the house of Israell: do thou also valeauntly in Ephrata, and be famouse in Bethlehem.


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Thy house be like the house of Pharez whom Thamar bare vnto Iuda, euen of the sede which the Lorde shall geue the of this younge woman.


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


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And the wemen sayde vnto Naomi: blessed be the Lorde, the which hath not left the without a kinsman, to haue a name in Israell,


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and that shall bring thy life agayne, and cherishe thine olde age. For thy daughter in lawe which loueth the, hath borne vnto him: and she is better to the then seuen sonnes.


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And her neybours gaue it a name, saying: there is a childe borne to Naomi, and 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 Ramaths (of the kinred of Zophim, of mount 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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whych had two wyues, the one called Hanna, & the other Phenenna. And Phenenna had children, but Hanna had none.


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And the sayd man went vp out of his citye euery feastfull daye, to praye & to offer vnto the Lord of hostes in Silo, where were the two sonnes of Eli (Hophni & Phinehes) the lordes prestes.


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And it fell on a solempne daye, that Elkana offered, and gaue to Phenenna his wife & to all her sonnes and daughters porcyons.


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But vnto Hanna he gaue a porcion wt a heuye chere, for he loued Hanna, and the Lord had made her barren.


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And her enemye (Phenenna) vexed her sore contynually, to moue her, because the lord had made her barren.


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And so did she yere by yere as ofte as she went vp to the house of the lord. And so chafed her, which wepte, and did 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 thyne herte troubled? am not I better to the, then ten sonnes?


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So Hanna rose vp after that they had eaten & droncke in Sylo. And Eli the Preaste sate vpon a stole by one of the syde postes of the temple of the Lorde.


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and vowed a vowe, and sayd: O Lord of hostes, yf thou wylt loke on the trouble of thine handmayde, & remembre me, and not forget thine handmayde, but geue vnto thine handmayde a man chylde: I wyll geue him vnto the Lord all the dayes of his lyfe, & there shall no raser come vpon his heed.


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For Hanna spake in her herte, & her lyppes did but moue onely, but her voyce was not heard: & therfore Eli thought she had bene droncken,


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Hanna answered and sayde: not so my Lord, I am a woman of a sorowfull herte: I haue droncke nether wyne nor stronge drynck, but haue powred out my soule before the Lord.


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Count not thyne handmayde to be lyke a daughter of Belial, for out of the aboundance of my heuynes & greafe: haue I spoken hitherto.


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Eli answered her agayne: & sayde go in peace: the God of Israell graunt the thy peticyon, that thou hast asked of hym.


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She sayde: let thyne hand mayde fynde grace in thy sight And so the woman went her waye, & dyd eat, & loked no more so sadde.


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And they rose vp earlye, & worshipped before the lord, & then returned, & came to theyr house to Ramath. And whan Elkana knew Hanna his wyfe, the Lord remembred her:


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for in processe of tyme it came to passe, that she conceaued, & bare a sonne, & called his name Samuel (sayeng:) because I haue asked him of the Lord.


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And Elkana & all his house went vp to offer vnto the Lord, the offerynge due for the feast, & also his vowe:


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Neuertheles, Hanna went not vp, but sayde vnto her husbande: I wyll tarye vntill the ladde be wened, & then I wyll bring him that he maye apeare before the Lord, & there abide for euer.


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Elkana her husband answered her: do what semith the best: tarye at home, vntill thou hast wened him, & I besech the Lord, to make good his sayeng. And so the woman abode, & gaue her sonne sucke, vntill she wened him.


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And when she had wened him she toke hym with her, with thre bullockes & an Epha of floure, & a bottel of wyne, and brought him vnto the house of the Lord in Silo, & the child was yet but tender of age.


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and she sayd: Oh my Lord: as truly as thy soule lyueth my Lord, I am the woman that stode before the here, prayeng vnto the Lorde.


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and therfore I haue geuen hym vnto the Lord, as long as he is mete for the lorde. And they worshipped the Lorde there.


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And Hanna prayed and sayde: myne herte reioyseth in the Lord, and myne horne is exalted in the Lorde. My mouth is wyde open ouer myne enemyes, for I reioyse in thy saluacyon.


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There is none so holye as the Lord, for without the, is nothing. Nether is there any of strength as is oure God.


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Talke not to moche proudlye let olde thynges depart 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 mightye men are broken: and they that were weake, haue girded them selues wt strength.


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They that were full, haue hired out them selues for breed, & they that were hongrye, ceasse so to be, tyll the baren hath borne seuen: & she that had many chyldren, is waxed feble.


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He reyseth vp the poore out of the dust, and lyfteth vp the begger from the dong hyll: to sett them amonge princes, and to enherett them with the seate of glorye. For the pillers of the erth are the lordes, and he hath sett the rounde worlde vpon them.


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He wyll kepe the fete of hys sayntes, and the wycked shall kepe sylence in darcknesse, & in his awne myght shall no man be stronge.


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The lordes aduersaries shall be destroyed of hym: and out of heauen shall he thunder vpon euery one of them. The lorde shall iudge the endes of the worlde, & shall gyue myght vnto his kynge, and exalte the horne of his anoynted.


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And Elkana went to Ramath to his house, & the ladd dyd mynistre vnto the lorde before Eli the preaste.


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And the Preastes made a lawe for the people, that whensoeuer any man offered any offerynge, the Preastes ladd came, while the fleshe was in sething, & a fleshoke wyth thre tethe in his hand,


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and thrust it into the panne: ketle, caldren, or potte. And all that the fleshe hoke brought vp, that the Preaste toke awaye. And so they did vnto all the Israelites, that came thyther to Silo.


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Yee & therto, before they burnt the fatte, the Preastes ladd came and sayd to the man that offered: geue flesh that I maye dresse it for the Preaste, for he wyll not haue sodden fleshe of the, but rawe.


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And yf any man sayde vnto hym: let them burne the fatt according to the daye, & then take as moche as thine herte desyreth. The ladd wold answere him, yee, thou shalt geue it me now: and yf thou wylt not, I wyll take it with violence.


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And the synne of the youngmen was very great before the Lorde. For men abhorred the offeryng of the Lorde.


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Moreouer, hys mother made him a lytle coate, & brought it to him from yere to yere, when she came vp with her husbande to offer the offeringe in the solempne feastes:


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and Eli blessed Elkana & his wyfe, and sayde: the Lorde geue the seede of thys woman, for the peticyon that she asked of the lorde. And they went vnto their awne home.


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And the lorde visited Hanna, so that she conceaued & bare thre sonnes & two daughters. And the chylde Samuel grewe before the lorde.


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Eli was very olde, & herde all that his sonnes dyd vnto all Israel, and how they laye with the wemen that wayted at the dore of the Tabernacle of wytnesse,


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& he sayde vnto them: why do ye soche thynges? For of all these people I heare euell reportes of you.


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Oh, naye my sonnes: for it is no good reporte that I heare, how that ye make the lordes people to trespasse.


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If one man synne agaynst another, daysemen maye be iudges: but yf a man synne agaynst the lorde who will be his dayseman? Notwythstandyng, they herkened not vnto the voyce of their father, because the lorde wolde slaye them.


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And there cam a man of God vnto Eli, & sayd vnto him: thus sayeth the lorde: dyd not I apeare vnto the house of thy father, when they were in Egipte subiect vnto Pharaos house?


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And I chose thy father out of all the trybes of Israel to be my Preaste, for to offer vpon myne aultare, & to burne incense, and to weare an Ephod before me. And I gaue vnto the house of thy father all the burnt offrynges of the chyldren of Israell.


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Wherfore treade ye downe my sacrifice and myne offeryng, which I commaunded to be made in the Tabernacle, & honorest thy chyldren aboue me, to make youre selues fatt of the first frutes of all the offerynges of Israel my people?


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Wherfore the lorde God of Israell sayeth: I sayde, that thy house and the house of thy father shuld walke before me for euer. But now the lorde sayeth: that be farre from me: for them that worshipe me, I will worshipe, & they that despyse me, shall come to shame.


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Beholde, the dayes come, that I will cut of thyne arme, & the arme of thy fathers house, that there shal not be an elder in thine house.


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And thou shalt se thyne enemye in the tabernacle of the lorde, & in all that welthe which God shal giue Israell, & there shall not be an elder in thyne house for euer.


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Neuerthelesse, I wyll not destroye all the males that come of the fro myne aultare. But to make thyne eyes dase, & to make thyne hert melte. And all they that be multiplyed in thyne house, shall dye, yf they be men.


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And this shalbe a signe vnto the, that shall come vpon thy two sonnes Hophny & Phinehes: euen in one daye they shall dye both.


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And I wyll stere me vp a faythfull preste, that shall do accordynge to my herte and mynde: And I will buylde him a sure house. And he shall walke before myne anoynted for euer.


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And they that are left in thyne house, shall come, and crouch to him for a lytle pece of syluer & a cake of bread, & shall saye: put me (I praye the) in one offyce or other amonge the prestes, that I maye eate a morsell of bread.


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And the chylde Samuel mynistred vnto the Lorde before Eli: & the worde of the Lorde was precious in those dayes, nether was there any open visyon.


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And it chaunsed at that tyme, that Eli laye in his place, and hys eyes beganne to waxe dymme that he coulde not se.


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And yer the lampe of God went out, Samuel layde hym downe to slepe in the temple of the Lord, where the arcke of God was.


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and he ran vnto Eli, & sayd: here am I, for thou calledst me. And he sayd: I called the not: go agayne, & slepe. And he went, and layde him downe to slepe.


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And the Lorde called once agayne: Samuel, & Samuel arose & went to Ely, & sayd, I am here, for thou dyddest call me. And he answered: I called the not, my sonne. Go agayne, and take thy rest:


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And the Lorde went to, & called Samuel the thyrd tyme. And he arose, & went to Eli, & sayde: I am here, for thou hast called me. And Eli perceaued that the Lorde had called the chylde.


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Therfore, Eli sayde vnto Samuel: go, & lye downe: & yf he call the agayne, then saye, speake on Lorde, for thy seruaunt heareth. So Samuel went, & layed hym downe in hys place.


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And the Lord came, & stode, & called as before, Samuel Samuel. Samuel answered: speake on: for thy seruaunt heareth.


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And the Lord sayde to Samuel: beholde, I will do a thinge in Israel, that both the eares of as many as heareth it, shall tyngle.


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In that daye I wyll rayse vp agaynst Eli, all thynges whych I haue spoken concernynge his house: from the begynnyng to the endyng.


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I haue tolde him, that I wyll iudge hys house for euer. For the wickednes which he knoweth. For when the people cursed hys sonnes for the same wickednes, he hath not corrected them.


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And therfore, I haue sworne vnto the house of Eli, that the wyckednesse of Elies house, shall not be purged wt sacrifyce nor offering for euer.


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Samuel laye tyll the mornynge, and opened the dores of the house of the Lorde. And Samuel feared to shewe Eli the visyon.


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He sayde: what is that the Lorde hath sayde vnto the? I praye the, se thou hyde it not from me. God do so, & so to the, yf thou hyde any thyng from me, of all that he sayde vnto the.


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And Samuel tolde hym euery whytte, and hydd nothynge from hym. And he sayd: it is the Lorde, let him do what semeth hym best,


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And the Lord appered agayne in Silo: for the Lorde opened hym selfe to Samuel in Silo, thorow the worde of the Lorde.


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And Samuel spake vnto all Israel. And Israel went out against the Philistynes to battayle, and pytched besyde the helpe stone. And the Philistynes pytched in Aphek.


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And put them selues in araye against Israel. And when they ioyned the battell, Israel was put to the worse before the Philistines. And the Philistynes slue in araye alonge by the feldes, about a foure thousande men.


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And when the people were come into their tentes, the elders of Israel sayde: wherfore hath the Lorde cast vs downe this daye before the Philistines? let vs fetch the arcke of the appoyntment of the Lorde oute of Silo vnto vs, that when it commeth amonge vs, it maye saue vs, oute of the hande of oure enemy.


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And so the people sent to Silo, & fet from thens the arcke of the appoyntment of the Lord of Hoostes, which dwelleth betwene the cherubins. And there were the two sonnes of Eli, Hophni, & Phinehes with the arcke of the appoyntment of God.


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And it fortuned, that when the arcke of the appoyntment of the Lorde came into the hoost, all Israel showted a myghtie showte, so that the erthe rangge agayne.


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And whan the Philistines herde the noyse of the showte, they sayd: what meaneth the sounde of this mighty showt in the host of the Ebrues? And they vnderstode, howe that the arcke of the Lorde was come into the hoost:


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And the Philistines were afrayed, and sayde: God is come into the hoost. And they sayd agayne: Wo vnto vs, for it was neuer so before this:


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Wo vnto vs, who shall delyuer vs out of the hande of these mighty Goddes? these are the Goddes that smote the Egypcians with so many plages in the wyldernes.


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Be stronge and quite youre selues lyke men, O ye Philistynes, that ye be no seruauntes vnto the Ebrues, as they haue bene to you. Be of a manly corage therfore & fyght.


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And the Philistines fought, & Israel was put to the worse & fledd euery man into his tente. And ther was an exceading great slaughter, for there were ouerthrowen of Israel .xxx.M. fotemen.


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And there ran a man of BenIamin out of the araye, and came to Silo the same daye with his clothes rent & earth vpon hys heed.


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And when he came, Eli sate vpon a stole, and loked toward the waye: for his hert feared for the arcke of God. And when the man came into the cytie, and tolde it, all the cytie cryed.


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And when Eli herde the noyse of the cryeng he sayd: What meaneth this noyse of the rumor? And the man came in hastely, & tolde Eli.


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And the man sayd vnto Eli: I am he that came out of the araye, & fled this daye out of the hoost. And he sayde: what thing is fortuned my sonne?


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The messenger answered & sayd. Israel is fled before the Philistines, & there is a greate slaughter chaunsed amonge the people, & thy two sonnes, Hophni & Phinehes are deed, & the arcke of God is taken.


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And it fortuned that whan he made mencion of the arcke of God, Eli fell from of hys stole backwarde vpon the thresholde of the gate, and hys necke brake, and he dyed: for he was an olde man and heuye, and iudged Israel fourtye yeares.


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And his daughter in lawe Phinehes wife was wt childe & nye the byrthe. And when she hearde the tydinges that the arcke of God was taken, & that her father in lawe, & her husbande were deed, she bowed her self, and traueled, for her paynes came vpon her.


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And about the tyme of her deeth, the wemen that stode aboute her, sayd vnto her: feare not, for thou hast borne a sonne: but she answered not, nor regarded it.


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And she named the childe Ichabod, sayinge: The glory is departed from Israel. Because the arcke of God was taken, & because of her father in lawe and her husbande.


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agayne the Philystynes toke the arcke of God, & brought it into the house of Dagon, and sett it by Dagon.


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And when they of Asdod were vp in the nexte daye in the mornynge, beholde, Dagon laye vpon the erth before the arcke of the Lorde. And they toke Dagon, & set him in hys place agayne.


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And when they were vp erly in the nexte mornyng, beholde, Dagon laye vpon the grounde before the arcke of the Lorde, and his heed, & his two handes cut of vpon the thresholde, that only the shape of a fyrst was left on hym.


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And therfore is it, that the prestes of Dagon (nether any man that commeth into Dagons house) treade not on the thresholde of Dagon in Asdod, vnto thys daye.


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But the hande of the Lorde was heuy vpon them of Asdod, & he destroyed them, & smote them wt emerodes, bothe Asdod & in all the coastes therof.


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And when the men of Asdod sawe that it was so, they sayde: the arcke of the God of Israel shall not abyde here with vs, for hys hande is sore vpon vs & vpon Dagon oure God.


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They sent therfore & gathered all the lordes of the Philistines vnto them & sayde: what shall we do wt the arcke of the God of Israel? They answered: let the arcke of the God of Israel be caryed aboute vnto Gath.


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And they caryed the arcke of the God of Israel about. And it fortuned, that when they had caryed it about, there was by the hande of the Lorde a myghtye greate noyse in the cytie, & he smote the men of the cytie both small and greate: & they had secrete diseases,


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Therfore they sent the arcke of God to Akaron. And assone as the arcke of God, came to Akaron, the Akaronites cryed out saying: they haue brought the arcke of the God of Israel to vs, to slee vs and oure people:


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And so they sent, and gathered together all the lordes of the Philistines & sayde: send awaye the arcke of the God of Israel, to go agayne to his awne place, that it slee vs not and oure people. For there was greate lamentacyon ouer the deade thorowout all the cytie, & the hande of God was exceadynge sore there.


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And the men that dyed not, were smytten wyth the Emerodes: and the crye of the cytie went vp to heauen.


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and the Philistynes called for the prestes & the soth sayers, sayinge: what shall we do wyth the arcke of the Lorde? tell vs, where with we shall sende it home agayne?


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They sayde: Yf you sende the arcke of the God of Israel home agayne, sende it not emptye. But rewarde it wt a trespasse offerynge: and then ye shalbe whole, and it shalbe knowen to you, why hys hande departeth not from you.


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Then sayde they: And what shalbe the trespasse offeringe, whych we shall rewarde hym wt? They answered: fyue golden arsses and .v. golden myce, according to the nombre of the lordes of the Philistines. For it is one maner of plage on you all, & on your lordes.


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Wherfore ye shal make ymages like to your arsses, and ymages lyke to your myce that corrupt the lande, and ye shall geue glory vnto the God of Israel: that he maye take his hand from of you, and from of your goddes, and from of youre lande.


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Wherfore do ye harden your hertes as the Egipcians and Pharao hardened their hertes? which when he toke on agaynst them, dyd they not let the people go, & they departed?


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Now therfore, make a newe carte, and take two melche kyne: on whose necke there hath come no yock. And tye the kyne to the carte, and bring the calues home from them.


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And take the arck of the Lord, and laye it vpon the carte, and put the iewels of golde (which ye rewarde him with for a synoffering) in a cofre by the side therof: and send it awaye, that it maye go.


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And yf ye se that he go vp by the waye of his awne coaste to Bethsames: then it is he that dyd vs this great euyll. Yf no, we shall knowe then, that it is not his hande that smote vs: but it was a chaunce that happened vs.


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And the men dyd euen so: and toke two kyne that gaue mylke, and tyed them to the carte, and kept the calues at home,


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and they layde the arck of the Lorde vpon the carte and the cofer wt the myce of gold, and wt the ymages of their arsses.


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And the kyne toke the streyght waye to Bethsames, & went on the streyght waye: & as they went, lowed, & turned nether to the right hande ner to the left. And the lordes of the Philistines went after them, vntyll the borders of Bethsames.


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And they of Bethsames were reapynge their wheate heruest in the valey. And they lift vp their eyes, and spied the arck. And reioysed when they sawe it.


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And the carte came into the felde of one Iehosua a Bethsamite, and stode still there. There was also a great stone. And they claue the wod of the carte & offred the kyne a burntoffring vnto the Lord.


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And the Leuites toke downe the arck of the Lorde & the coffer that was with it, wherin the iewels of golde were: and put them on the great stone. And the men of Bethsames sacrificed burntsacrifice, and offered offeringes that same daye vnto the Lorde.


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And these are the golden arsses which the Philistines gaue to amendes for a trespace offring, to the Lorde: for Asdod one: for Gaza one: for Askalon one: for Gath one: and for Akaron one.


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And golden myce, accordyng to the nombre of all the cityes of the Philistines, euen accordynge to the fyue lordes, both of walled townes and of townes vnwalled: euen vnto the greate stone of lamentacyon, wheron they set downe the arcke of the Lord: which stone remaineth vnto this daye in the felde of Iehosua the Bethsamite.


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And he plaged the men of Bethsames, because they had sene the arcke of the Lorde. And he slue amonge the people fiftye thousande and thre score and ten men. And the other people lamented, because the Lorde had slayne the people with so great a slaughter.


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Wherfore the men of Bethsames sayde: who is able to stande before the Lord so holy a God: and to whom shall he go from vs?


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And they sent messengers to the enhabiters of Kariath Iarim, saying: The Philistines haue brought agayne the arke of the Lorde: come ye downe therfore, and fet it vp to you.


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And so the men of Kariathiarim came, and fet vp the arck of the Lord: and brought it into the house of Aminadab in Gibea, & sanctifyed Eleazar his sonne, to kepe the arck of the Lorde:


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and whyle the arcke abode in Kariathiarim, the dayes multiyplied, and ther passed ouer .xx. yeres, and the house of Israel lamented after the Lorde.


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And Samuel spake vnto all the house of Israel, saying: yf ye be come agayne vnto the Lorde with all your hertes, then put awaye the straunge goddes and Astharoth from amonge you: and prepare your hertes vnto the Lorde, and serue hym only: for he shall ryd you out of the hande of the Philistines.


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And they gathred together to Mizpa, and drewe water: and powred it out before the Lorde, & fasted the same daye and sayde there: we haue synned against the Lorde. And Samuel iudged the chyldren of Israel in Mizpa.


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When the Philistines heard that the chyldren of Israel were gathered together to Mizpa, the lordes of the Philistines went vp against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard that they were afrayed of the Philistines,


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& the children of Israel saide to Samuel: ceasse not to crye vnto the Lorde oure God for vs, that he maye saue vs out of the hand of the Philistines.


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And Samuel toke a suckyng lambe, and offered it all together for a burntoffrynge vnto the Lorde: & cryed vnto the Lorde for Israel, & the Lord heard him.


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And as Samuel offred the burntoffring, the Philistines came to fyght agenst Israel. But the Lorde thondered a great thonder that same daye amonge the Philistines, and scatered them, that they fell before Israel.


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And the men of Israel went out of Mizpa, and pursued the Philistines, & folowed vpon them, vntyll the place that is vnder Bethcar.


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And then Samuel toke a stone, and pitched it betwene Mizpa and the mark of the rock, and called the name therof, the stone of helpe, saying: Hitherto hath the Lord helped vs.


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And so the Philistines were brought vnder, & they came nomore into the coastes of Israel: & the hand of the Lord was agaynst the Philistines all the dayes of Samuel.


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Therto, the cities which the the Philistines had taken from Israel, were restored agayne to Israel, euen from Acaron to Gath, wt the coastes of the same, & Israel plucked them out of the handes of the Philistines. And there was peace betwene Israel & the Amorites.


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& came agayne to Rama: for there was his house, & ther 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 second Abia: & they were iudges in Beerseba.


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And his sonnes walked not in his wayes: but turned asyde after lucre, and toke rewarde, and peruerted the ryght.


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& sayd vnto him: behold, thou art olde, and thy sonnes walke not in thy wayes. Now therfore make vs a kinge to iudge vs, as all other nacions haue.


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But the thyng displeased Samuel, when they sayde: geue vs a king to iudge vs. And Samuel prayed vnto the Lorde.


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And the Lorde sayde vnto Samuel: heare the voyce of the people in all that they saye vnto the. For they haue not cast the awaye, but me: that I shulde not raygne ouer them.


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And as they haue euer done (sence I brought them out of Egypte vnto thys daye, and haue forsaken me, and serued other goddes) euen so do they vnto the.


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Nowe therfore herken vnto their voyce: howbeit, yet testifye vnto them and shewe them the aucthorite of the king that shall raygne ouer them.


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And Samuel told all the wordes of the Lorde vnto the people, that asked a kyng of him, and he sayde:


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thys shalbe the aucthorite of the kyng that shal raygne ouer you: he wyll take your sonnes and put them to hys charettes, and make hys horsemen of them, to runne before his charet:


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and will make him of them, captaynes ouer thousandes and ouer fiftyes, and wyll set them to eare his grounde, and to gather in his heruest, and to make instrumentes of warre, and apparell for his charettes.


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And he shall take the best of youre feldes, and of youre vyneyardes, and of your olyue trees, and geue them to hys seruauntes.


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And he shall take the tenth of your seed, and of your vyneyardes, and geue it to hys chamberlaynes, and to hys seruauntes.


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And he shall take the best of your menseruauntes and maydseruauntes and yong men, and of your asses, and put them to his worke.


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And ye shall crie out at that tyme vpon your kynge, which ye shall haue chosen you, & the Lorde will not heare you at that daye.


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Neuertheles, the people wolde not heare the voyce of Samuel, but dyd say: naye, not so. But there shalbe a king ouer vs,


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that we maye be lyke other nacyons, and that oure kyng maye iudge vs, and go out before vs, and fyght our battaylles.


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Therfore, when Samuel hearde all the wordes of the people, he rehearsed them in the eares of the Lorde.


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And the Lord sayde to Samuel: herken vnto theyr voyce, and make them a king: And Samuel sayde vnto the men of Israel: go euery man vnto his citye.


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Ther was a man of BenIamin named Cis the sonne of Abiel, the sonne of Zeror, the sonne of Bechorath, the sonne of Aphiah, the sonne of a man that was a Ieminite, a man of strength and might:


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and the same had a sonne called Saul, a goodly yong man and a fayre: so that amonge the chyldren of Israel there was none goodlyer then he. For from the shoulders vpwarde, he was hyer then all the other people.


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And the asses of thys Cis Sauls father were lost: and Cis sayde to Saul his sonne: take one of the laddes wt the and go vp & seke the asses.


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And he went thorow mount Ephraim, & thorowe the lande of Salisa: but they founde them not. Then they went thorowe the lande of Salim, and there they were not. When they went also thorowe the lande of Iemini, they founde them not.


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At the last, when they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul saide to his lad that was wt him: come, let vs returne, lest my father leaue caring for the asses, & take thought for vs.


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He sayd vnto him: behold, there is in this citye a man of God, & he is a worshipfull man: all that he sayth, cometh suerly to passe. Nowe then let vs go thyther: peraduenture he shal shewe vs what waye we maye go.


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Then sayd Saul to his lad: yf we will go, what shall we bring the man? For our bread is all spent out of oure vessels, & there is no nother present to bring the man of God: what haue we?


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And the lad answered Saul agayne, and sayde: I haue founde about me the fourth parte of a sycle, that will I geue the man of God, to tell vs oure waye.


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Before tyme in Israel when a man went to seke an answere of God, thus wise he spake, come, and let vs go to the sear. For he that is now called a prophet, was in the olde tyme called a sear.


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Then sayde Saul to hys lad: well sayde of the: come, let vs go. And so they went vnto the cytie where the man of God was.


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And as they were goinge vp into the cytie, they mett wyth damoselles that came out to drawe water, and sayd vnto them: is there here a sear?


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And the maydens answered them, yee, beholde, he is before you. Make hast nowe, for he cam thys daye to the cyte for there is an offerynge of the people this daye in the hill.


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When ye be come into the cytie, ye shall fynde hym strayght waye, yer he go vp to the hyll to eate: for the people wyll not eate vntyll he come, because he doth blesse the offering. And then eate they that be bydden to the feast. Nowe therfore get you vp, for this daye shall ye fynde hym.


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And they went vp into the cytie. And when they were come into the myddes of the citie: beholde, Samuel came out agaynst them, for to go vp to the hill.


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to morowe thys tyme I wyll sende the a man out of the lande of Ben Iamin, hym shalt thou anoynte to be captayne ouer my people Israel, that he maye saue my people out of the hande of the Philistines: for I haue loked vpon my people, and theyr crye is come vnto me.


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When Samuel therfore saw Saul, the Lord answered hym: se, this is the man, whom I spake to the of. Thys same shall raygne ouer my people.


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Then went Saul to Samuel in the myddle of the gate, & sayde: tell me I praye the, where the sears house is.


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Samuel answered Saul, and sayde: I am the sear, go vp before me vnto the hill, for ye shall eate wyth me to daye. And to morowe I wyll let the go, and wyll tell the all that is in thyne hert.


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And as for thyne asses that were lost thre dayes agoo, care not for them, for they are founde. And moreouer, whose shall the bewtifull thinges of Israel be? belonge they not to the, and vnto all thy fathers house?


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But Saul answered and sayde: am not I the sonne of a Ieminite of the smallest trybe of Israel? and my kynred is the least of all the kynredes of the trybe 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 them sytt in the chefest place amonge them that were bydden: which were vpon a thirtye persones:


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And Samuel sayde vnto the cooke: brynge forth the porcyon whych I gaue the, and of which I sayd vnto the: kepe it with the.


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And the cooke toke vp the shoulder, & that whych was vpon it, & set it before Saul. And Samuel sayd: beholde, that which is left: put it before the & eate, for hitherto hath it bene kept for the, of purpose, when I called the people. And so Saul dyd eat with Samuel that daye.


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And when they were come downe from the hyll into the cytie, Samuel comuned wyth Saul vpon the toppe of the house


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and whan they arose erlye about the sprynge of the daye, Samuel called Saul vpon the toppe of the house, sayenge: vp, that I maye sende the awaye. And Saul arose. And they went out at the dores both, he & Samuel.


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And when they were come almost out of the towne, Samuel sayd to Saul: byd the lad go before vs (and he went before) but stande thou styll a whyle, that I maye shewe the what God sayeth.


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And then Samuel toke a vessell of oyle, & powred it vpon hys heed, & kyssed him, & sayde: hath not the Lord anoynted the, to be captayne ouer hys enheritaunce?


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When thou art departed from me this daye, thou shalt fynde two men by Rahels sepulcre in the border of BenIamin, euen at Zalezah. And they will saye vnto the: the asses which thou wentest to seke, are founde. And lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, & soroweth for you, sayenge: what shall I do for my sonne?


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Then shalt thou go forth from thence, & shalt come to the playne of Thabor. And there shall mete the thre men goinge vp, to God to Bethel: one caryeng thre kiddes: & another caryeng thre loues of breed: & another caryeng a botell of wyne.


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After that shalt thou come to the hyll of God, where the Philistines kepe their watche. And when thou art come thyther to the cytie, thou shalt mete a companye of prophetes comminge downe from the hill, wt a psalter, a tymbrell, a pype, & a harpe before them, & they shall prophesye.


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And the sprete of the Lorde wyll come vpon the also, & thou shalt prophesye, with them, and shalt be turned into another man.


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And thou shalt go before me to Gilgal. And I also wyll come downe vnto the, to sacrifye burntsacrifyces, and to offre peace offerynges Tary for me seuen dayes, tyll I come to the, and shew the, what thou shalt do.


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And assone as he had turned hys shoulder to go from Samuel, God gaue hym another maner of herte, & all those tokens came to passe that same daye.


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And when they came to the hill: beholde, the companye of prophetes met hym, and the sprete of God cam vpon hym also, & he prophesyed among them.


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And all that knewe hym before, when they sawe that he prophesyed amonge the prophetes, they sayd eche to other: what is this that is happened vnto the sonne of Cis? Is Saul also amonge the prophetes?


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And one of the same place answered & sayde: who is their father? And therof came the prouerbe: what, is Saul also amonge the prophetes?


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And Saules fathers brother sayde vnto hym and to hys lad: whether went ye? He sayde: to seke the asses: & when we saw that they were no where, we came to Samuel.


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Saul answered his vncle: he tolde vs planely, that the asses were founde. But of the kyngdome wherof Samuel spake, tolde he hym not.


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and sayde vnto the chyldren of Israel: thus sayth the Lorde God of Israel: I brought Israel out of Egypt, and delyuered you out of the hande of the Egypcyans, & out of the handes of all kyngdomes that troubled you.


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And ye haue this daye cast awaye youre God that helped you out of all youre aduersyties & tribulacyons. And ye haue sayd vnto hym: make a kynge ouer vs. Nowe therfore stande ye before the Lorde by youre trybes & youre thousandes.


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When he had brought the tribe of BenIamin by their kynredes, the kynred of Matri was caught: and at the last Saul the sonne of Cis was caught. And whan they sought hym, he coulde not be founde.


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Therfore they asked the Lorde further, yf the man shulde come thither. And the Lorde answered: beholde, he hath hydd hym selfe amonge the stuffe.


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And they ranne & fet him thence. And when he stode amonge the people, he was hyer then any of the people, from the shoulders vpwarde.


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And Samuel sayde to all the people: Se ye not him, whom the Lorde hath chosen, & howe there is none lyke hym amonge all the people? And all the people showted & sayde: God lend the kynge lyfe.


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Then Samuel tolde the people the dutye of the kyngdome, & wrote it in a boke, and layde it vp before the Lorde, and sent all the people awaye, euery man to hys house.


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But the chyldren of Belial sayde: howe shall he saue vs? and they despised him, and brought him no presentes. And he helde is tonge.


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Nahas the Ammonite came, and beseged Iabes in Gilead. And all the men of Iabes sayde vnto Nahas: make a couenaunt wyth vs, and we wylbe thy seruauntes:


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And Nahas the Ammonite answered them: In thys will I make a couenaunt wyth you, yf I maye thrust out all youre ryght eyes, and brynge that shame vpon all Israel.


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To whom the elders of Iabes sayd: geue vs seuen dayes respite: that we maye sende messengers vnto all the coastes of Israel. And then yf there be no man to helpe vs, we wyll come out to the.


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Then came the messengers to Gibea vnto Saul, and tolde thys tydynges in the eares of the people. And all the people lyfte vp theyr voyces and wept.


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And beholde, Saul came folowynge the catell out of the felde, & Saul sayde: what ayleth thys people, that they wepe? And they tolde hym the tydynges of the men of Iabes.


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and toke a yocke of oxen, and hewed them in peces, & sent them thorowe out all the coastes of Israel by the handes of messengers, sayeng: whosoeuer commeth not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall hys oxen be serued. And the feare of the Lorde fell on the people, and they cam out as it had bene but one man.


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And when he nombred them in Bezek, the chyldren of Israel were thre hundred thousande men, and the men of Iuda thirtye thousande.


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And they sayde vnto the messengers that cam: so saye vnto the men of Iabes in Gilead: to morow by that tyme the sonne be hote, ye shal haue helpe. And the messengers cam & shewed the men of Iabes, which were glad.


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Therfore the men of Iabes sayde: tomorowe we wyll come out vnto you, and ye shall do wyth vs all that pleaseth you.


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And on the morowe it fortuned, that Saul put the people in .iij. partes. And they cam in vpon the host in the mornyng watche, & slue the Ammonites, vntyll the heat of the daye. And they that remayned, were skattered: so that two of them were not left together.


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And the people sayde vnto Samuel: what is he that darre saye: shall Saul raygne ouer vs? brynge those men, that we maye slaye them.


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And all the people went to Gilgal, & made Saul kyng there, before the Lorde in Gilgal. And there they offered peaceofferynges before the Lorde. And there Saul and all the men of Israel reioysed excedyngly.


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Samuel sayd vnto all Israel: beholde, I haue herkened vnto your voyce in all that ye sayde vnto me, & haue made you a kynge.


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Nowe therfore, youre kynge walketh before you. And I am olde and graye headed: and behold, my sonnes are with you, and I haue walked before you from my childehode vnto thys daye.


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Beholde, here I am: beare recorde of me before the Lorde and before hys anoynted: 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 brybe, to blynde myne eyes therwyth? & I wyll restore it you agayne.


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They sayde: thou hast done vs no wronge, nor hurt vs, nether hast thou taken ought of any mannes hande.


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He sayde vnto them agayne: the Lord is witnesse agaynst you, & hys anoynted is wytnesse thys daye, that ye haue founde naught in my handes. And they answered: he is wytnesse.


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And Samuel sayd vnto the people: it is the Lorde, that made Moses & Aaron, & that brought youre fathers out of the lande of Egypte.


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Nowe therfore stande still, that I maye reason wt you before the Lorde, accordyng to all the ryghtousnesses of the Lord, which he shewed both you and youre fathers.


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After that Iacob was come into Egypte, and youre fathers cryed vnto the Lorde the Lorde sent Moses & Aaron, which brought your fathers out of Egipt, & made them dwell in this place.


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And whan they forgat the lord their God, he delyuered them into the hand of Sisara captaine of the hoost of Hazor and into the hande of the Philistynes, and into the hande of the kynge of Moab, and they fought agaynst them.


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And they cryed vnto the Lorde, & sayde: we haue synned, because we haue forsaken the Lorde, and haue serued Baalim and Astharoth. Nowe therfore delyuer vs out of the handes of oure enemyes and we wyll serue the.


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And the Lorde sent Ierobaal Badan Iephthah, & Samuel, and delyuered you out of the handes of youre enemyes on euery syde, and ye dwelled safe.


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And for all that, when you sawe that Nahas the kyng of the chyldren of Ammon cam agaynst you, ye sayde vnto me: not so but a kyng shall raigne ouer vs, when yet the Lorde youre God was youre kynge.


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Nowe therfore, beholde, the kinge whom ye haue chosen, and whom ye haue desyred: lo, the Lord hath set a kynge ouer you.


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Yf ye wyll feare the Lorde & serue hym, and heare hys voyce, & not disobeye the worde of the Lorde: both ye & the kynge that raygneth ouer you, shall folowe the Lorde youre God:


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Yf ye wyll not herken vnto the voyce of the Lord, but disobeye the Lordes mouth: then shall the hande of the Lorde be vpon you and on youre fathers.


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is it not now wheatheruest? I will call vnto the Lorde, and he shall sende thunder and rayne: that ye maye perceaue and se, howe that youre wickednes is great, which ye haue done in the syght of the Lorde, in askynge you a kynge.


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And so, Samuel called vnto the Lorde, and the Lorde sent thunder and rayne the same daye. And all the people feared the Lorde and Samuel exceadyngly.


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And all the people sayde vnto Samuel: praye for thy seruauntes vnto the Lord thy God, that we dye not: for we haue synned in askynge vs a kynge, besyde all the synnes that euer we dyd.


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And Samuel sayde vnto the people: feare not. Ye haue in dede done all thys wyckednesse, yet departe not from folowynge of the Lorde. But serue hym euen wyth all youre hertes.


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For the Lorde wyll not forsake hys people, because of hys great names sake: because it hath pleased the Lord, to make you his people.


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Moreouer God forbydde, that I shulde synne agaynst the Lorde, and ceasse prayeng for you, but to shewe you the good & ryght waye.


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Therfore feare you the Lorde, and serue hym in the trueth, and wyth all youre hertes & consydre howe great thinges he hath done for you.


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Saul had bene kynge one yere (whan these thynges came to passe) and he raygned two yeares ouer Israel.


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And Saul chose him thre thousand men of Israel. Two thousande were wyth Saul in Michmas and in mount Bethel, & a thousande wyth Ionathas in Gibea BenIamin. And the rest of the people he sent, euery man to hys awne house agayne.


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And Ionathas smote the holde of the Philystines, that was in the hyll, and it came to the Philistines eares. And Saul blewe the trompet thorowe out all the lande, sayenge: let the Ebrues heare.


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And all Israel hearde saye, howe that Saul had destroyed an holde of the Philystines, wherfore Israel stancke before the Philystines. And the people gathered together after Saul to Gilgal.


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The Philistines also geathered them selues togeather to fyght wyth Israel, thirtye thousand charettes and syxe thousand horse men, with other people lyke the sand by the sees syde in multitude, and 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, & feare came vpon the people, and they hydd them selues in caues, and in preuy holes, and in rockes, and in hye places, & in pittes.


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And some of the Ebrues went ouer Iordan to go vnto the lande of Gad & Gilead. And Saul was yet in Gilgal, & all the people that folowed him were astonyed.


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And he taryed seuen dayes, euen vnto the tyme that Samuel had appoynted. But Samuel came not to Gilgal, & the people were therfore skatered from him.


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And as sone as he had made an ende of offerynge the burntsacrifyce, beholde, Samuel cam. And Saul went agaynst him, to blesse him.


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And Samuel sayde. what hast thou done? Saul sayde: because I saw that the people skatered from me, and that thou camest not wtin the dayes apoynted, and that the Philistines geathered them selues togeather to Michmas:


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therfore sayd I: the Philistines shall come downe nowe vpon me to Gilgal, & I haue not made supplicacion vnto the Lord. And whan I had ouercome my selfe, at the last I offered a burntofferynge.


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And Samuel sayde to Saul thou art become a fole, thou hast not kept the commaundment of the Lord thy God, which he commaunded the. For at this tyme wold the Lord haue stablysshed thy kingdome vpon Israel for euer,


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But nowe, thy kyngdome shall not continewe. The Lorde hath sought him a man after his awne hart, & the Lord hath commaunded him to be captayne ouer his people: because thou hast not kept that whych the Lorde commaunded the.


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And Samuel arose & gat hym vp from Gilgal to Gibea BenIamin. And Saul nombred the people that were founde wt him, & they were about a syxe hundred men.


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And Saul and Ionathas his sonne and the people that were founde wyth them, had theyr abydynge in the hyll of BenIamin. But the Philistines pitched in Michmas.


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And there came out of the host of the Philistines thre companies, to destroye: one companye turned vnto the waye that leadeth to Ophra vnto the lande of Saul.


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And a nother companye turned the waye to Bethoron. And the thryde company turned to the waye of the cost that is sene aboue the valeye of Zeboim towarde the wyldernesse.


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There was no smyth founde thorowe out all the lande of Israel. For the Philistines sayde: Lest happly the Ebrues make them swerdes or speres.


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But all the Israelites went downe to the Philistynes, to mende euerye man his share, his mattock, his axe & his necessary toles:


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And then the edges of the shares, mattockes, donge forkes, and axes were blunt, and also the forkes were to be set in.


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And so in tyme of battell there was nether swerde nor spere founde in the handes of any of the people that were wyth Saul and Ionathas. But with Saul and Ionathas hys sonne was there somwhat founde.


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And it fortuned the same tyme, that Ionathas the sonne of Saul sayd vnto hys younge man that bare hys harnes: come, and let vs go ouer to the Philistines watche that are younder on the other syde, and he tolde not his father.


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And Saul taryed in the vttmost parte of Gibea vnder Rimmon, whych is in Migron, & the people that were wyth him were vpon a syxe hundred men.


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And Ahia the sonne of Ahitob Iehabods brother, the sonne of Phinehes, the sonne of Eli, was the Lordes preaste in Silo, & ware an Ephod. And the people wyst not that Ionathas was gone.


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And in the myddes of the passage (by which Ionathas sought to go ouer vnto the Philistines watch) were there two sharpe rockes euen one on the one syde, & the other on the other syde: the one called Bozez, & the other Senne.


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The forefront of the one, leaned northwarde towarde Michmas, & the other was southwarde, towarde Gibea:


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And Ionathas sayd to the younge man that bare his harnesse: come and let vs go ouer vnto the watch of these vncircumcised, paraduenture the Lorde will worke wt vs: for it is no hardnesse wt the Lord to saue ether in manye or in fewe.


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And his harnesberar sayde vnto him: do all that is in thyne hert: Go where it pleaseth the: Behold, I am wt the, as thine hert lusteth.


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yf they saye on this wise to vs: tarye, vntill we come to you, then we will stande stil in or place, & not go vp vnto them.


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But & yf they saye: come vp vnto vs, then we will go vp, for the Lorde hath delyuered them into oure handes And thys shalbe a sygne vnto vs.


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And they bothe shewed them selues vnto the watch of the Philistines. And the Philistines sayde: se, the Hebrues come out of the holes where they had hydd them selues in.


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And the men of the watche answered Ionathas and his harnesbearer, & sayde, come vp to vs, and we will shew you a thinge. And Ionathas sayde vnto his harnesbearer, come vp after me, for the Lord hath delyuered them into the hande of Israel.


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And Ionathas clame vp vpon handes & fete, & his harnesberer after him. And they fell before Ionathas: & his harnesberer slue them after hym.


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And that first slaughter which Ionathas and his harnesberer made, was vpon a twentie men, within the compasse as it were about an halfe aker of lande.


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And ther was a feare in the host, in the felde, & amonge all people: in so moche that they that were gone out of the watche to robbe, were afrayde also: and the erth trymbled, for the feare that was sent of God.


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And the watche men of Saul in Gibea Ben Iamin, sawe. And beholde, the people (of the Philistines) were skatered & were smytten as they went.


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Then sayde Saul vnto the people that was with him. Searche and se, who is gone awaye from vs. And when they had nombred, beholde, Ionathas & hys harnesbearer were not there.


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And Saul sayde vnto Ahia: bringe hither the arcke of God. For the arcke of God was at that tyme wyth the chyldren of Israel.


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And it fortuned that while Saul talked vnto the preaste, the noyse that was in the hoste of the Philistines spred farther abrode, & increased. And Saul sayde vnto the preaste: wt drawe thyne handes.


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And Saul ioyned hymselfe vnto all the people that were with him, & they came to the battell. And beholde euery mannes swerde was agaynst his felowe, and there was a very greate rumore.


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Moreouer, the Ebrues that were wyth the Philistines before that tyme, and were come with them in all partes of the hoste, turned, to be with the Israelites that were wyth Saul & Ionathas.


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And all the men of Israel also, which had hidd them selues in mount Ephraim, as sone as they hearde howe that the Philistines were fledd, they folowed after them in the battell.


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And whyle the men of Israel were kepte downe wyth honger that daye, Saul charged the people with an ooth sayinge: Cursed be the man that eateth any foode vntyll nyght, tyll I be aduenged of myne enemyes: And so, none of the people tasted any sustinaunce.


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And the people came into the wood: And beholde, the honye dropped, and no man moued hys hande to his mouth, for the people feared the ooth.


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But Ionathas hearde not when hys father charged the people with the ooth, wherfore he put forth the ende of the rodd that was in his hande, and dipt it in an honye combe, & put his hande to his mouth, and his eyes receaued syght.


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Then answered one of the people and sayde: thy father adiured the people, sayinge: Cursed be the man that eateth any sustinaunce this daye, & the people were fayntye.


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Then sayde Ionathas: my father hath troubled the lande: se howe myne eyes hath receaued syght, because I tasted a lytle of this honye:


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howe much more then to daye yf the people had eaten of the spoyle of their enemyes whych they founde. And had there not bene then a moche greater slaughter amonge the Philistines?


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And they layed on the Philistines that daye, from Michmas to Atalon. And the people were excedinge fayntie.


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And the people gat them to the spoyle, & toke shepe, oxen, & calues, & slue them on the grounde, & the people dyd eate them wt the bloude.


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Then men tolde Saul, sayinge: Beholde, the people synne agaynst the Lord, in that they eate with the bloude. And he sayde: ye haue trespaced. Rowle a great stone vnto me this daye,


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and Saul sayde agayne: Go abroade amonge the people & bydd them brynge me euery man his oxe & euery man his shepe, and slaye them here, and synne not agaynst the Lorde in eatynge wt the bloude. And the people brought euery man hys oxe in his hande, by nyght, & slue them there.


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And Saul sayde: lett vs go downe after the Philistines by nyght and spoyle them, vntyll it be daye in the mornynge, & lett vs not leaue one man of them. And they sayd: do whatsoeuer thou thinkest best. Then sayde the preast: lett vs come hither vnto God.


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And Saul asked of God: shall I go downe after the Philistines? Wilt thou delyuer them into the handes of Israel? But he answered him not at that tyme.


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And Saul sayde: let the people come hyther out of all quarters, and knowe & se by whom thys synne is chaunced this daye:


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for as truly as the Lorde lyueth which saueth Israel, though it be in Ionathas my sonne, he shall dye the death. But there was no man amonge all the people that answered him.


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Then he sayde vnto all Israel: be ye on one syde, and I & Ionathas my sonne wilbe on the other syde. And the people sayde vnto Saul: what thou thynkest best, that do.


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Therfore Saul sayde vnto the Lorde God of Israel: geue a perfect lott. And Saul & Ionathas were caught, but the people skaped free.


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Then Saul sayde to Ionathas: tell me what thou hast done. And Ionathas tolde him, & sayde. I tasted a lytle honye with the ende of the rodd that was in myne hande: and lo, I must dye.


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And the people sayde vnto Saul: shall Ionathas dye, which hath so myghtelye helped Israel? God forbyd. As truly as the Lorde lyueth there shall not one heere of hys heed fall to the grounde: for he hath wrought with God thys daye. And so the people delyuered Ionathas, that he dyed not.


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And then Saul departed vp from folowinge the Philistines. And the Philistines went to their awne place.


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And so Saul helde the kyngdome ouer Israel, & fought agaynst all his enemyes on euery syde: agaynst Moab: agaynst the chyldren of Ammon: agaynst Edom: agaynst the kynges of Zoba, and agaynst the Philistines. And whether so euer he turned him selfe, there he wanne:


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and he gathered his host together, and smote the Amaleckites, & rydd Israel out of the handes of them that spoyled them.


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The sonnes of Saul were: Ionathas, Iesui, and Melchisua. And hys two daughters were thus named: the elder was called Merob, and the younger Michol.


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And the name of Saules wife, was Ahinoa the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of hys chefe captayne was Abner the sonne of Ner, Saules vncle.


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And there was sore warre agaynst the Philistines, all the dayes of Saul. And whomsoeuer Saul sawe to be a stronge man, and mete for the warre he toke him vnto him.


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Samuel sayde vnto Saul: the Lord sent me to anoynt the, to be kynge ouer his people Israel. Nowe therfore herken thou vnto the voyce of the wordes of the Lorde.


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Thus sayth the Lorde of hostes: I remembre that whych Amaleck dyd to Israel howe they layed wayte for them in the waye, as they came out of Egypte.


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Nowe therfore go, & smyte Amaleck, and destroye ye all that pertayneth vnto them, & se thou haue no compassyon on them slaye both man & woman, infant & sucklynge. oxe, and shepe, camell and Asse.


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And Saul gathered the people together, & nombred them in Telaim, two hundred thousande foote men, and ten thousande men of Iuda.


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And Saul sayde vnto the kenites: go, & departe, & gett you downe from amonge the Amaleckites, lest I destroye you with them: for ye shewed mercy to all the children of Israell, when they came out of Egypt. And so the kenites departed from amonge the Amaleckites.


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and toke Agag the kinge of the Amaleckites alyue, & vtterlye destroyed all the people with the edge of the swerde.


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But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the better shepe, & the fatter oxen, & the lambes, and all that was good, & wolde not destroye them. But all that was foule & naught worth, that they destroyed vtterlye.


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it repenteth me, that I haue made Saul kynge. For he is turned from me, and hath not parfourmed my commaundementes. And Samuel was euell apayed, and cried vnto the Lorde all nyght.


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And whan Samuel rose erlye, to mete Saul in the mornynge, it was tolde Samuel, that Saul was come to Carmel, & beholde, he hath made him there a place, & is turned, and departed, and gone downe to Gilgall.


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And Samuel came to Saul, & Saul sayde vnto him: Blessed be thou in the Lorde. I haue fulfylled the commaundement of the Lord.


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Samuel sayde: what meaneth then the bleatyng of the shepe in myne eares, and the noyse of the oxen which I heare?


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Saul answered: they haue brought them from the Amaleckites. For the people spared the best of the shepe and of the oxen, to sacrifyce them vnto the Lorde thy God. And the remnaunt haue we destroyed vtterly.


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Samuel sayde to Saul: lett me tell the what the Lorde hath sayde to me this nyght. And he sayde vnto hym: saye on.


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Samuel sayde when thou wast lytle in thyne awne syght, wast thou not made the heed of the trybes of Israel? And the Lorde anoynted the kyng ouer Israel.


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And the Lorde sent the on a iourneye, & sayde: Go, & vtterlye destroye those synners the Amaleckites, and fyght agaynst them, vntill thou vtterlye destroye them.


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And wherfore hast thou not herkened vnto the voyce of the Lorde, but hast turned to the praye, and hast done that whych is wycked in the syght of the Lorde?


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And Saul sayde vnto Samuel: yee, I haue harkened vnto the voyce of the Lorde, & haue gone the waye which the Lorde sent me vnto, and haue brought Agag the kyng of Amaleck, and haue vtterlye destroyed the Amaleckites,


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But the people toke of the spoyle shepe, oxen, and the chefest of the thynges whych shulde haue bene destroyed, to offer vnto the Lorde thy God in Gilgall.


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And Samuel sayde: hath the Lorde as great pleasure in burnt sacrifyces & offeringes, as whan the voyce of the Lord is obeyed? Behold, to obeye is better then sacrifyce, & to herken, is better then the fatt of rammes.


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For rebellyon is as the synne of witchcrafte, and stoburnesse is as the wickednesse of Idolatrie. Because thou hast cast awaye the worde of the Lorde, therfore hath the Lorde cast awaye the also, from beynge kynge.


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And Saul sayde vnto Samuel: I haue synned, for I haue gone farther then the sayinge of the Lorde and thy wordes, because I feared the people, & obeyed their voyce.


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And Samuel sayde vnto Saul: I wyll not returne with the: for thou hast cast awaye the worde of the Lorde, and the Lorde hath cast awaye the, that thou shalt not be kynge ouer Israel.


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And Samuel sayde vnto hym: the Lorde hath rent the kyngdome of Israel from the this daye, & hath geuen it to a neyghboure of thyne, that is better then thou.


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He sayde: I haue synned. But nowe honoure me before the elders of my people, and before Israel, & turne agayne with me, that I maye worshippe the Lorde thy God.


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Then sayde Samuel: Brynge ye hither to me, Agag the kynge of the Amaleckites. And Agag came vnto hym delycately. And Agag sayde: truly the bytter deeth cometh on.


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And Samuel sayde: As thy swerde hath made wemen chyldelesse, so shall thy mother be chyldelesse aboue other wemen. And Samuel hewed Agag in peces before the Lorde in Gilgal.


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And Samuel came nomore to se Saul vntill the daye of his deeth. Neuerthelesse Samuel mourned for Saul, & the Lord repented, that he had made Saul kynge ouer Israel.


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The Lorde sayde vnto Samuel: Howe longe wylt thou mourne for Saul, seynge I haue cast hym awaye from raygnynge ouer Israel? Fyll thyne horne with oyntment, and come, that I maye sende the to Isai the Bethlehemite, for I haue prouided me a kynge amonge hys sonnes.


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And Samuel sayd: howe can I goo? For yf Saul heare it, he will kyll me. The Lorde answered: Take an heifer wt the, and saye: I am come to offer to the Lorde.


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And call Isai to the offerynge, and I wyll shewe the, what thou shalt do: And thou shalt anoynt hym whom I name vnto the.


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And so Samuel dyd as the Lorde bad him, and came to Bethlehem, and the elders of the towne were astonnied at his commyng, and sayde: Commest thou peaceably?


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He answered: Yee, I am come to offer vnto the Lorde. Sanctifye youre selues, & come with me to the offerynge. And he sanctifyed Isai & his sonnes, & bad them to the offerynge.


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But the Lorde sayde vnto Samuel: loke not on his fashyon, or on the heyght of hys stature, because I haue refused hym: for God seyth not as man seyth. For man loketh on the outwarde apperaunce but God beholdeth the harte.


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Then Isai called Abinadab, and made him come before Samuel. And he sayde: nether hath the Lorde chosen thys.


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Agayne, Isai made seuen of his sonnes to come before Samuel. And Samuel sayde vnto Isai: the Lorde hath chosen none of these.


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And Samuel sayde vnto Isai: are here all thy chyldren? He sayde: there is yet a lytle one behynde, that kepeth the shepe. And Samuel sayd vnto Isai: sende and fette him, for we will not sytte downe, tyll he be come hyther.


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And he sent, & brought hym in. And he was browne, and of an excellent bewtye, & well fauored in syght. And the Lorde sayde: Aryse, and anoynt him, for this is he.


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Therfore Samuel toke the horne wyth the oyntment, & anoynted him in the myddes of hys brethren. And the sprete of the Lorde came vpon Dauid, from that daye forwarde. And Samuel rose vp, and went to Rama.


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lett oure Lord therfore commaunde his seruauntes (that are before the) to seke a man, that is a connynge player wyth an harpe: that when the euell sprete sent of God commeth vpon the, he maye playe with hys hande and thou shalt be eased.


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Then answered one of his seruauntes and sayde: Beholde, I haue sene a sonne of Isai the Bethlehemite, that can playe vpon instrumentes, and is an actiue felowe, and a man of warre and prudent in doynge of feates, & well made and the Lorde is with hym.


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Wherfore Saul sent messengers vnto Isai, and sayde: sende me Dauid thy sonne, which is wyth the shepe.


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And Isai toke an asse laden with breed, and a flacket of wyne, and a kyd, and sent them by Dauid his sonne vnto Saul.


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And Dauid came to Saul, & stode before him, & he loued him very well, and he was made his harnesbearer.


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And so it fortuned, that when the euell sprete sent of God came vpon Saul, Dauid toke an harpe, & played wyth his hande, & so Saul was refreshed, & dyd amende, and the euell sprete departed from him.


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The Philistines geathered their hoste to battel, and came together to Socoth which is in Iuda, and pitched betwene Sococh & Azekah, in the coast of Dammin.


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And Saul and the men of Israel came together, and pitched in the Oke valley, and put them selues in araye, to fyght agaynst the Philistines.


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And the Philistines stode on an hyll on the one syde, and Israel stode on an hyll on the other syde; and there was a valeye betwene them:


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And there came a man betwene them both, out of the tentes of the Philistines, named Goliath of Gath syxe cubytes and an handbredth longe,


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and had an helmet of brasse vpon hys heed, and a coate of mayle about hym. And the weyght of hys coate of mayle was fyue thousande sykles of brasse.


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And the shafte of his spere was like a weuers beame. And his speare heed weyed .vj. hundred sikles of yron. And one bearynge a shylde went before hym.


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And he stode and cryed agaynst the hoste of Israel, & sayde vnto them: Why are ye come out in araye to battell? am not I a Philistine and you seruauntes to Saul? chose you a man from amonge you, & lett him come downe to me.


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And yf he be able to fyght with me, & to beate me, then will we be youre seruauntes. But yf I can ouercome him and beate him, then shall ye be oure seruauntes, & serue vs.


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And the Philistine sayde: I defye the host of Israel this daye, geue me a man, that we maye fight together:


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When Saul and all Israel hearde those wordes of the Philistine, they were discouraged, & greatly afrayed.


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Dauid was the sonne of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem Iuda, named Isai, whych had eight sonnes. And was an olde man in the dayes of Saul, and came to age amonge men.


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And the thre eldest sonnes of Isai went, and folowed Saul to the battell. And the names of hys thre sonnes that went to battell, were: Eliab the eldest, & the next, Abinadab, and the thyrde Samma,


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And Isai sayde vnto Dauid his sonne take for thy brethren an Epha of this parched corne and these ten loaues, and brynge it vnto the hoste to thy brethren.


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And carye these ten freshe cheses vnto the captayne, & loke howe thy brethren fare, and fett out their pledge.


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And Dauid rose vp erlye in the mornynge, and lefte the shepe with a keper, & toke and went as Isai had commaunded him, and came with in the compasse of the host. And the hoste went out in araye, and showted in the battell:


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And Dauid toke downe the gear from him, and put them vnder the handes of the keper of the vessels, & ranne into the hoste, and came, and saluted his brethren.


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And as he talked wt them, Beholde: there stode a man in the myddes (Goliath the Philistine by name) of Gath out of the araye of the Philistines, & spake of the maner aboue rehersed, that Dauid hearde it.


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And euery man of Israel sayde: Sawe ye thys man come forth? euen to reuyle Israel is he come. And to hym that beateth hym, wyll the kynge geue great ryches, and will geue him his daughter therto: yee & make his fathers house fre in Israel.


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And Dauid spake to the men that stode by, and sayde: What shalbe done to the man that beateth this Philistine, & taketh awaye the shame from Israel? And what is thys vncircumcised Philistine, that he shulde reuyle the hoste of the lyuinge God?


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And the people answered him (after this maner,) sayinge: so shall it be done to the man, that beateth hym.


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And Eliab his eldest brother hearde when he spake vnto the men, and Eliab was angrye wt Dauid, and sayde: Why camest thou downe hither? and with whom hast thou lefte those few shepe in the wildernesse? I know thy pryde, and the malyce of thyne herte, that thou art come downe to se the battell.


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And he departed from hym into the presence of another, and spake of the same maner, and the people answered hym agayne, as before.


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And they that hearde the wordes whych Dauid spake, rehearsed them before Saul, which caused him to be fett.


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And Dauid sayd to Saul: Let no mannes hert fayle hym because of him. Thy seruaunt wyll go, & fyght with yonder Philistine.


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And Saul sayde to Dauid agayne: thou art not able to go agaynst yonder Philistine, to fyght wt him. For thou art but a chylde, but he is a man of warre euen from his youth.


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Dauid answered vnto Saul. Thy seruaunt kept his fathers shepe, & there came a Lyon and lykewise a Beare, & toke a shepe out of the flocke.


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And I went out after him, and smote hym, and toke it out of his mouth. And when he arose agaynst me, I caught him by the bearde, and smote hym, & slue hym.


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And so thy seruaunt slue the Lyon & the beare (also) hath thy seruaunt slayne. And truly thys vncircumcised Philistine shalbe as one of them seynge he hath rayled on the hoste of the lyuing God.


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And Dauid spake moreouer: the Lorde that deliuered me out of the hande of the Lyon & out of the hande of the beare, he shall delyuer me also out of the hande of this Philistine: And Saul sayde vnto Dauid: go, and the Lorde shall be with the.


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And Saul put hys rayment vpon Dauid, and put an helmet of brasse vpon hys heed, & put a coate of mayle vpon him,


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and gyrded Dauid with hys awne swerde vpon his rayment And he assayed to go. And because he neuer proued it, Dauid sayde vnto Saul: I cannot go with these, for I haue not vsed myselfe therto: and Dauid put them of hym,


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and toke hys staffe in hys hande, and chose him fyue smoth stones oute of a broke, and put them in a sheperdes bagge which he had, & in a slynge poke: & his slynge was in his hande, & he went to the Philistine.


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And the Philistine came and drue nere agaynst Dauid, and the man that bare the shilde went before hym.


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And when the Philistine loked aboute, and sawe Dauid, he disdayned him, for he was but yonge, and well coloured, and goodlye to loke vpon.


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And the Philistine said vnto Dauid: am I a dogge, that thou comest to me with a staffe? and the Philistine cursed Dauid in the name of his goddes.


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And the Philistine sayde to Dauid: come to me, & I wyll geue thy fleshe vnto the foules of the ayre, & to the beastes of the felde.


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Then sayde Dauid to the Philistine: thou comest to me wyth a swerde, a speare and a shylde: But I come to the in the name of the Lord of hostes, the God of the hoste of Israel, whom thou hast rayled vpon.


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This daye shall the Lorde delyuer the into my hande, and I shall smyte the, & take thine heed from the, and wyll geue the karcases of the hoste of the Philistines thys daye vnto the foules of the ayre, and to the beastes of the erth, that all they whych be in the worlde, maye knowe, that there is a God in Israel.


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And all thys congregacyon shall knowe, that the Lord saueth not with swerd and speare. For the battell is the Lordes, and he shall geue you into oure handes.


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And when the Philistine arose to come and drawe nie vnto Dauid, Dauid hasted, & ranne into the battayll euen agaynst the Philistine.


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And Dauid put his hande in hys bagge, and toke out a stone, and slange it, & smote the Philistine in his forheed, that the stone souncke into his forheed and he felle grouelynge to the erth.


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And so Dauid ouercame the Philistine with a slyng and a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slue hym, euen whan Dauid had no swerde in hys hande.


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But Dauid ranne, and stode vpon the Philistine, & toke hys swerde, and drue it out of hys sheth, and slue hym, & cutte of hys heed therwith. And when the Philistines sawe, that theyr champyon was deed they fled.


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And the men of Israel and of Iuda arose, and showted, & folowed after the Philistines, vntyll they came to the valeye, and vnto the gates of Akaron. And the Philistines fell downe wounded by the waye to Saaraiim, euen vnto Gath & Akaron.


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And Dauid toke the heed of the Philistine, and brought it to Ierusalem: But he put his armoure in hys tente.


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When Saul sawe Dauid go forth agaynst the Philistine, he sayde vnto Abner the captayne of his hoste: Abner, whose sonne is this yong man? Abner answered: as truly as thy soule lyueth (O kynge) I cannot tell.


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And when Dauid was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner toke hym, and brought hym before Saul, wyth the heed of the Philistine in hys hande.


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And Saul sayde to hym: whose sonne art thou, thou yonge man? Dauid answered: I am the sonne of thy seruaunt Isai the Bethlehemite.


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And when he had made an ende of speakynge vnto Saul, the soule of Ionathas was knyt wyth the soule of Dauid, and Ionathas loued hym as hys awne soule.


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And Ionathas put of his awne coate that was vpon him, & gaue it Dauid, & therto his cloke, his swerd, his bowe and hys gyrdle.


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And Dauid went oute whether soeuer Saul sent hym, and behaued him selfe wysely. And Saul sett hym ouer hys men of warre, and he was accepted in the syght of all the people, and in the syght of Sauls seruauntes.


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And it happened as they went, when Dauid was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that wemen came out of all cyties of Israel syngynge & daunsyng, agaynst kynge Saul, and wyth tymbrelles, wyth ioye, and with instrumentes of musick.


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And the wemen answered one another in theyr playe, & sayde Saul hath slayne his thousande, and Dauid hys ten thousande.


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And Saul was excedyng wroth, and the sayinge displeased him, and he sayde: they haue ascribed vnto Dauid ten thousande, and to me but a thousande, & what can he more haue, saue the kyngdome?


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And it happened on the morowe, that the euell sprete sent of God came vpon Saul, and he prophesyed in the myddes of the house. And Dauid played with hys hande lyke as at other tymes,


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and there was a iauelyng in Sauls hande. And Saul toke the iauelyng, & sayde: I wyll nayle Dauid to the wall with it. And Dauid auoyded oute of hys presence two tymes.


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Therfore Saul put him from hym, and made him a captayne ouer a thousand, and he went out & in before the people.


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And Saul sayde to Dauid. Beholde, my eldest daughter Merob, her I wyll geue the to wyfe Only playe the man with me, and fyght the Lordes batelles. For Saul thought: myne hande shall not be vpon hym, but the hand of the Philistines.


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And Dauid answered Saul: what am I? and what is my lyfe or the kynred of my father in Israel, that I shulde be sonne in lawe to the kynge?


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Howbeit when the tyme was come that Merob Sauls daughter shulde haue bene geuen to Dauid, she was geuen vnto Adriel a Meholothite, to wyfe.


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And Saul sayde: I wyll geue hym her that she maye be a snare to hym, & that the hande of the Philistines maye be agaynst him. Wherfore Saul sayde to Dauid: thou shalt this daye be my sonne in lawe in the other daughter.


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And Saul commaunded hys seruauntes, to comen wyth Dauid secretlye & to saye: Beholde the kyng hath a fauoure to the, and all his seruauntes loue the, be nowe therfore the kynges sonne in lawe.


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And Sauls seruauntes spake those wordes in the eares of Dauid. And Dauid sayde: semeth it to you a lyght thynge to be a kynges sonne in lawe: I am a poore man and of smalle reputacion.


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And Saul sayd: this wise shal ye saye to Dauid: the kynge careth for no nother dowrye, but for an hundred foreskynnes of the Philistines, to be aduenged of the kynges enemyes. But Saul thought to make Dauid fall into the handes of the Philistines.


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And when hys seruauntes tolde Dauid these wordes, it pleased Dauid well to be the kynges sonne in lawe.


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And or the dayes were expyred, Dauid arose with his men, and went & slue of the Philistines, two hundred men, and Dauid brought theyr foreskynnes, and satisfyed the kynge therof, to be hys sonne in lawe. Wherfore Saul gaue hym Michol hys daughter to wyfe.


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And Saul sawe and vnderstode, howe that the Lorde was with Dauid, and that Michol his daughter loued hym,


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The lordes of the Philistines vsed to go furth. And it fortuned that whan they went furth, Dauid behaued hym selfe wyselier then all the seruauntes of Saul: so that his name was moche set by.


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But Ionathas Sauls sonne had a greate fauoure to Dauid, and Ionathas tolde Dauid sayinge: Saul my father goeth aboute to slaye the. Nowe therfore take hede to thy selfe vntyll the mornynge, and abyde in some secret place, and hyde thy selfe.


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And I wyll go oute, and stande by my father in the felde where thou art, and wyll comen wyth my father of the, and whatsoeuer I se, I wyll tell the.


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And Ionathas spake good of Dauid vnto Saul hys father, and sayde vnto hym: let not the kynge synne agaynst hys seruaunt Dauid, for he hath not synned agaynst the, and hys workes haue bene to the ward very good.


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For he dyd put hys lyfe in hys hande, and slue the Philistine, and the Lorde brought to passe a greate health for all Israel. Thou sawest it, and thou reioysedest, wherfore then wilt thou synne against innocent bloude, and slaye Dauid without a cause?


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And Saul harkened vnto the voyce of Ionathas, and sware: as truly as the Lorde lyueth, he shall not dye.


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And Ionathas called Dauid, and shewed hym all those wordes, & brought Dauid to Saul. And he was in his presens as in tymes past.


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And the warre began agayne, and Dauid went out and fought wyth the Philistines, and slue them with a great slaughter, & they fledde from him.


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And the euell sprete sent of the Lorde was vpon Saul, as he sat in hys house hauinge a Iauelinge in his hande, and Dauid played with his hande.


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And Saul entended to nayle Dauid to the walle with the Iauelynge. But he ryd hym selfe out of Sauls presens, as he smote the speare into the walle. And Dauid fledde & was saued the same nyght.


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Saul also sent messengers vnto Dauids house, to watch him, and to sleye him in the mornynge. And Michol Dauids wyfe tolde it him, sayinge: If thou saue not thy selfe this night, to morowe thou wilt be slayne.


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And then she toke an Image and layed it in the bed, and put a pyllowe stuffed with goates hearre vnder the heed of it, and couered it with a clothe.


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And Saul sent the messengers agayne to se Dauid, sayinge: bringe him to me, bed & all, that I maye slaye him.


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And when the messengers were come in: Beholde, there laye an ymage in the bed, with a pyllowe of goates heare vnder the heed of it.


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And Saul sayde vnto Michol: why hast thou mocked me so, and sent awaye myne enemy that he is escaped? Michol answered Saul. For he sayde vnto me, let me go, or elles I wyll kyll the.


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And so Dauid fledde, and escaped, & came to Samuel to Rama, tolde hym 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 fett Dauid. And when they sawe a companye of prophetes prophesyenge, & Samuel standynge fast by them, the sprete of God fell vpon the messengers of Saul, and they prophesyed to.


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And when it was tolde Saul, he sent other messengers, & they prophesyed lykewyse. And Saul sent messengers yet agayne the thyrde tyme, and they prophesyed also.


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Then went he hym selfe to Rama, & came to a great well that is in Sechu, & he asked and sayde: where are Samuel and Dauid? And one sayde: Beholde, they be at Naioth in Rama,


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& he went thyther, euen to Naioth in Rama, and the sprete of God came vpon him also, & he went prophesyinge, vntyll he came to Naioth in Rama.


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And he stripte of his clothes, & prophesyed before Samuel in lyke maner, and fell naked all that daye & all that nyght. And therof it is, that they saye: is Saul also amonge the prophetes?


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And Dauid fled from Naioth which is in Rama, came, & sayde before Ionathas. What haue I done? wherin am I faultie? what is the synne that I haue committed before thy father, that he seketh my lyfe?


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He sayde vnto him: God forbyd, thou shalt not dye. Beholde, my father will do nothynge ether great or small, but that he will shewe it me. And howe shulde my father hyde thys thynge from me? He wyll not do it.


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And Dauid sware againe, and sayde, thy father knoweth that I haue founde grace in thyne eyes, and therfore he sayeth: Ionathas shall not knowe it, leste he be sorye. And in very dede, euen as truly as the Lorde lyueth, and as truly as thy soule lyueth, there is but a steppe betwene me and deeth.


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And Dauid sayde vnto Ionathas: Beholde to morowe is the begynnynge of the moneth, and I shulde sytt wt the kynge at meate. But let me go, that I maye hyde my selfe in the feldes vnto the thyrde daye at euen.


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If thy father speake of me, then saye, Dauid asked leaue of me, that he myght go to Bethlehem to his awne cytie, for there is holden a yerely feast for all the kynred.


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And yf he saye: it is well done, then thy seruaunt shall haue peace. But and yf he be angrye, then be sure that wyckednesse is vtterlye concluded of hym.


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And then thou shalt shewe mercye vnto thy seruaunt for thou hast made wyth me thy seruaunt a bonde in the Lorde. Notwithstandynge, yf there be in me any trespace, then sleye me thy selfe, and brynge me not to thy father.


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And Ionathas answered, God kepe that from the. For yf I knowe, that wyckednesse were concluded of my father, to come vpon the, thynkest thou that I shulde not tell it the?


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And Ionathas sayd vnto Dauid, come and lett vs go out into the felde. And they went out both of them into the felde.


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And Ionathas sayde vnto Dauid? The Lorde God of Israel loke on it, when I haue groped my fathers mynde, one tyme or other within this thre dayes, that it stande well with Dauid. If I then sende not vnto the & shewe it the,


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the Lord do so and so vnto Ionathas. But yf my father haue any pleasure to do the euell, I wyll shewe the also, and sende the awaye that thou mayst go in peace. And the Lorde be wyth the, as he hath bene with my father.


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And thou shalt performe vnto me the mercy of the Lorde, not onely whyle I lyue but euen when I am deed,


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and plucke not thy mercy awaye from my house for euer: No not when the Lorde hath destroyed the enemyes of Dauid, euery one from the face of the erth.


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And so Ionathas made a bonde with the house of Dauid, desyringe that the Lord shulde seke it out by the handes of Dauids enemyes (yf it were broken.)


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And wt other wordes dyd Ionathas sweare vnto Dauid, because he loued him. For he loued him, as his awne soule.


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Then sayde Ionathas to Dauid: to morowe is the first daye of the mone. And thou shalt be missed, because the place where thou wast wont to sytt, shall be emptye.


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Therfore this daye thre dayes come downe in any wyse vnto the place where thou dyddest hyde thy selfe, whan the busynes was in hande: euen by the stone Esell.


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& will sende a lad, and byd hym go seke the arowes. And yf I saye vnto the lad: se, the arowes are on thys syde the brynge them: then come thou: for it is peace, & no hurte, as sure as the Lorde lyueth.


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But and yf I saye vnto the lad, beholde, the arowes are be yonde the, then go for the Lord hath sent the awaye.


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And so Dauid hyd him selfe in the felde. And when the newe mone was come, the kynge sat him downe to eate meate.


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And the kynge sat him downe after the olde maner, in hys seate by the wall. And Ionathas arose and Abner sate by Sauls syde, & Dauids place was emptye.


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Neuerthelesse, Saul sayde nothinge at all that daye. For he thought: some thynge hath chaunced him that he is not cleane.


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But on the morowe which was the seconde daye of the newe mone, it happened that Dauids place was emptye agayne. And Saul sayde vnto Ionathas his sonne. Wherfore commeth not the sonne of Isai to meate, nether yesterdaye nor to daye?


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for he sayde: let me go I praye the for oure kynred dothe holde an offerynge in the cytie, and my brother hath sent for me. And therfore yf I haue founde fauoure in thyne eyes, lett me go, and se my brethren. This is the cause, that he commeth not vnto the kynges table.


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Then was Saul angrye with Ionathas, & sayde vnto him: Thou wycked rebell, do not I knowe, that thou hast chosen the sonne of Isai vnto thyne awne rebuke, & vnto the rebuke & shame of thy mother?


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For as longe as the sonne of Isai lyueth vpon the erth, thou shalt not be stablished, nor yet thy kingdome, wherfore now sende and sett him vnto me, for he is the chylde of deeth.


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And Ionathas answered vnto Saul his father, and sayde to him. Wherfore shulde he dye? what hath he done?


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And Saul lyfte vp a speare to hyt him, wherby Ionathas wyst well, that it was vtterlye determined of his father; to sleye Dauid.


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And so Ionathas arose from the table in a greate anger, & dyd eate no meat the seconde daye of the moneth, for he was sory for Dauid, because hys father had done him shame.


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On the nexte morning, Ionathas went out into the felde, at the tyme apoynted with Dauid, & a lytle ladd with him.


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And he sayde vnto his boye: runne & seke out myne arowes whych I shote. And as the boye ran he shot an arowe beyonde him.


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And when the lad was come to the place whether Ionathas had shot the arowe, Ionathas cryed after the lad, and sayde: Is not the arowe beyonde the?


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And Ionathas cried after the lad agayne: make spede, and stande not styll. And Ionathas lad geathered vp the arowes, & came to his master.


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And Ionathas gaue his weapons vnto the lad that was wyth him, & sayde vnto him: go & carye them to the towne.


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And as sone as the lad was gone, Dauid arose out of a place that was towarde the south, and fell on hys face to the grounde, and worshypped thre tymes. And they kissed ether other, & wept together so longe, tyll Dauid exceaded in weping.


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And Ionathas sayde to Dauid: go in peace. And the thynges which we haue sworne both of vs in the name of the Lorde, sayinge: the Lorde be betwene the & me, & betwene thy sede & myne, let them stonde for euer. And he arose, & departed. And Ionathas went into the towne.


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Then came Dauid to Nob to Ahimelech the preast: And Ahimelech was astonyed at the sodayne commynge of Dauid, & sayd vnto him: Why art thou alone, & no man wt the?


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And Dauid sayde to Ahimelech the preaste: the kynge hath commaunded me to do a certeyn thynge, and hath sayde vnto me, let no man knowe where aboute I sende the, and what I haue commannded the to do. And I haue appoynted my seruauntes, to soche and soche places.


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Nowe therfore yf thou hast ought vnder thyne hande geue me fyue loues of breade, or what cometh to hande.


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And the preast answered Dauid, and sayde: there is no comen bread vnder myne hande, but here is halowed bread, yf the younge men haue kepte them selues from vncleane thynges especiallye wemen.


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Dauid answered the Preaste, and sayde vnto hym: of a truth wemen hath bene locked vp from vs about a thre dayes. When I came out, & the vesselles of the young men were holy. How be it this waye is vnpure, and how much more shal there be holynes in the vessell.


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And so the preast gaue him halowed bred, for there was no nother bred there, saue the shewebreds, that were taken from before the Lorde, to put freshe bred there, the daye that it was taken awaye.


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And ther was there the same daye a certen man of the seruauntes of Saul abydyng before the Lorde, named Doeg an Edomite, the chefest of Sauls hearde men.


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And Dauid sayd vnto Ahimelech: is not here vnder thyne hande other speare or swerde? for I haue nether brought my swerde nor my harnesse with me, because the kynge busines required haste.


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And the preast sayd: the swerde of Goliath the Philistine whome thou sluest in the Ocke valley, beholde, it is here wrapt in a cloth behynd the Ephod. If thou wilt take that, take it, for there is no nother saue that here. And Dauid sayd: there is none to that, geue it me.


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And the seruauntes of Achis sayd of him: is not this Dauid the kyng of the lande? dyd they not syng vnto him, in daunses saying Saul hath slayne his thousand, & Dauid his ten thousand?


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And he chaunged his speche before them, & fayned him self madd in theyr handes, & scrabled on the dores of the gate, and let his spittel fall downe vpon his bearde.


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Then sayde Achis vnto his seruaunte: Loo, ye se that this man is besyde hym selfe, wherfore then haue ye brought hym to me?


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Haue I nede of madd men that ye haue brought this felow to playe the mad man in my presence? Shall he come into my howse.


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Dauid therfore departed thence, and escaped, and came vnto the caue Odollam. When his brethren also and all his fathers house heard it, they went downe thither to hym.


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And there geathered vnto him all men that were in combraunce, and in dett, and troubled in their mindes, & he became a captayne ouer them And there were with hym vpon a foure hundred men.


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And Dauid went thence to Mizpa in the lande of Moab, and sayde vnto the kyng of Moab: Let my father & my mother (I praye the) come forth vnto you, tyll I knowe what God will do for me.


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And he brought them before the king of Moab. And they dwelt wt him all the while that Dauid kepte him selfe in hold.


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And the prophet Gad sayde vnto Dauid: abide not in holde, but departe and go into the land of Iuda. Then Dauid departed and came into the forest Hareth.


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And Saul heard that Dauid was come abrode, and also the men that were wyth hym. And Saul satt in Gibea vnder a tree in Rama, hauyng hys speare in his hand, & all his men stode about hym


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And Saul sayde vnto his seruauntes that stode about him. Heare I praye you you sonnes of Iemini: will the sonne of Isai geue euery one of you feldes and vineardes, & make you all captaynes ouer thousandes & ouer hundredes?


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that ye haue also conspired agaynst me, and there is none that telleth it me in myne eare. And where as my sonne hath made a bonde wt the sonne of Isai, ther is none of you that mourneth for me, or sheweth it in myne eare: beholde, my sonne hath stered vp my seruaunt to lye awayte agaynst me thys same daye.


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Then answered Doeg the Edomite which also stode by the seruauntes of Saul, and sayde: I saw the sonne of Isai, when he cam to Nob, to Ahimelech the sonne of Ahitob,


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which asked councell of the Lorde for hym & gaue hym vitayles, & the swerde of Goliath the Philistine also.


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Then the Kynge sent & called for Ahimelech the preast the sonne of Ahitob, & all his fathers house: that is to saye, the preastes that were in Nob. And they cam all to the kyng.


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And Saul sayde vnto hym: why haue ye conspired agaynst me, thou & the sonne of Isai, in that thou hast geuen him vitaile, & a swerde, and hast asked councell of God for him, that he shuld aryse agaynst me, & lye awayte for me this daye?


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Ahimelech answered the king & sayd who is so faithfull among all thy seruauntes as Dauid, & therto the kinges sonne in law, & goeth at thy bydding, & is had in honoure in thyne house?


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haue I this daye begonne first to aske councell of God for him. That be farre from me: yf I had knowen it, lett not the kyng put soch a thyng vnto his seruaunt, in all the house of my father. For thy seruaunt knew nothing of all this, ether lesse or moare.


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And the king sayde vnto the fote men that stode about him: turne, & sley the preastes of the Lord, both because their hand is with Dauid, & because they knewe when Dauid fleed, & shewed it not to me. But the seruauntes of the kyng wolde not moue their handes, to fall vpon the preastes of the Lorde.


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And the kyng sayde to Doeg: turne thou, and fall vpon the preastes. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and ranne vpon the preastes, and slue that same daye foure skore & fyue persones, that dyd weare a lynnen Ephod.


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And Nob the cytie of the preastes smote he wyth the edge of the swerde, both men & wemen, children and sucklynges, oxen and asses and shepe.


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And Dauid sayde vnto Abiathar: I wilt it the same daye, whan Doeg the Edomite was there, that he wolde tell Saul. And I am cause of the deeth of all the soules of thy fathers house.


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Abide thou wt me, and feare not: For yf anye man seke my soule, he shall seke thyne also, wt me thou shalt be in sauegard.


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Therfore Dauid asked the Lords aduyse, saying: shall I goo and smyte these Philistines? And the Lorde answered vnto Dauid: go and smyte the Philistines, and saue keilah.


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And Dauids men that were with him, sayd vnto him: se, we be afrayed here in Iuda: how much more then yf we come to keila agaynst the host of the Philistynes?


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Then Dauid asked the Lorde agayne. And the Lord answered him and sayde: Aryse, & go downe to keila, for I will delyuer the Philistines in to thyne hande.


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And so Dauid and his men went to keila, and fought with the Philistynes, & droue awaye their catell, and smote them with a great slaughter. And so Dauid saued the enhabiters of keila.


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And it chaunced, when Abiathar the sonne of Ahimelech fled to Dauid to keila, that 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 delyuered him into myne hand. For he is shut in now that he is come into a towne that hath gates & barres.


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And Saul called all the people together to warre, for to go downe to keila, and to besege Dauid & his men.


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And Dauid hauing knowlege that Saul imagened myschef against him, sayd, to Abiathar the preast: Bryng the Ephod.


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Then sayde Dauid: O Lord God of Israel, thi seruaunt hath heard, that Saul is about to come against keila to destroye the cytie for my sake:


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Wyll the men of keyla delyuer me into hys hande? And will Saul come downe, as thy seruaunt hath heard saye? O Lord God of Israel, tell they seruaunt. And the Lorde sayde: he will come downe.


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Then sayd Dauid: will the men of keila delyuer me and the men that are with me into the hand of Saul? & the Lord sayde: they will betraye you.


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Then dauid & his men which were vpon a syxe hundred, arose & departed out of keila & went whether they could. And it was told Saul, that Dauid was fled from keila, & he let the iourney a lone.


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Dauid abode in the wildernesse in strong holdes, & remayned in a mountayne in the wildernesse of Ziph. And Saul sought him euery daye, but God delyuered him not into his hand.


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And Dauid saw that Saul was come out, to seke his life. And Dauid was in the wyldernesse of Ziph in a thickett.


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& sayde vnto hym: feare not, for the hand of Saul my father shall not fynd the, & thou shalt be king ouer Israel, & I must be next vnto the. And that doth Saul my father know.


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And they made abonde both of them togeather before the Lorde. And Dauid taryed styll in the thickett, and Ionathas 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 a thyckett that is by the hyll of Hachila, on the ryght syde of the wildernesse?


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Now therfore kyng, thou mayest come downe according to all the lust of thy soule: come downe, & oure parte shalbe to delyuer hym into the kynges hande.


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Go I praye you, & ordre the matter well, know & se his haunte, where hys fote hath bene, and who hath sene him there: for it is tolde me, that he is very sottel, & worketh craftely.


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Se therfore, & know all the lourkyng places, where he hideth him self, and come ye agayne to me with the certentye, & I will go wyth you. And yf he be in the land, I will serche him out thorow out all the thousandes of Iuda.


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And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul, But Dauid and his men were in the wildernesse of Maon, in the playne that is, on the ryght hand of Iesimon.


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Saul also and his men wente to seke: and they tolde Dauid. Wherfore he went vnto a Rocke, and abode in the wildernesse of Maon.


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And when Saul hearde that, he folowed after Dauid in the wildernesse of Maon. And Saul & his men went on the one syde of the mountayne, & Dauid & his men on the other syde. And Dauid toke thought, how to get from Saul. For Saul & his men compased Dauid & his men, rounde about, to take them.


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But there cam a messenger to Saul, saying Hast the, & come, for the Philistines are come into the land.


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Wherfore, Saul returned from persecuting Dauid, & went agaynst the Philistines. And therfore is it, that they called the place: The rock of separacion.


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When Saul was come agayne from folowing after the Philistines, it fortuned, that there were, which told him saying: beholde, Dauid is in the wildernesse of Engadi.


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Then Saul toke thre thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seke Dauid and his men in the height of the Rockes, where wilde gootes remayne.


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And he cam to the flockes of shepe in the waye. And Saul went in to a caue to couer his fete. And Dauid and hys men remayned in the inward partes of the caue.


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And the men of Dauid sayd vnto him: se, the daye is come, of which the Lorde sayde vnto the: Beholde: I will delyuer thyne enemyes into thyne hand, & thou shalt do to him as it shall seme good in thy syght. Then Dauid arose and cutt of a lappe of Sauls garment priuelye.


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And he sayde vnto his men: the Lorde kepe me from doing that thing vnto my master the Lords anoynted, to laye mine hande vpon hym, seyng he is the anoynted of the Lorde.


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And so Dauid kept of hys seruauntes with these wordes, and soffred them not to ryse agaynst Saul. But Saul rose vp out of the caue & went awaye,


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Dauid also arose and went out of of the caue, and cryed after Saul, saying: My Lorde kyng. And when Saul loked behynde hym. Dauid stowped to the erth, and bowed him self,


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& sayd to Saul: wherfore geuest thou an eare to mennes wordes that saye, Dauid seketh euell agaynst the?


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Beholde, this daye thyne eyes haue sene. how that the Lord had delyuered the thys daye into myne hand in the caue. And some bad me kyll the, but I had compassion on the, and sayde: I will not laye my handes on my master, for he is the Lordes anointed.


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And moreouer, my father, behold, & se yet the lapp of thy garment in my hand: in as moch as I kylled the not, when I cutt of the lapp of thy garment. Understande therfore & se, that there is nether euell nor wickednesse in me, and that I haue not synned agaynst the. And yet thou huntest after my soule to take it.


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The Lord be iudge betwene the and me, and the Lorde aduenge me of the. But myne hand be not vpon the.


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Accordyng as the olde prouerbe sayeth: wyckednesse proceadeth from the wycked: But myne hande be not vpon the.


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After whom is the kyng of Israel come out? After whom dost thou moue persecucion? after a deed dogg, and after a flee.


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The Lorde be iudge, and iudge betwene the and me, & se & pleate my cause, and avenge me 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 lyfte vp his voyce, and wepte,


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and sayde to Dauid: thou art ryghteouser then I, for thou hast rewarded me with good, where as I haue rewarded the wyth euell.


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And thou hast shewed thys daye, how that thou hast dealt louynglye wyth me, for as moche as when the Lorde had locked me in thyne handes, thou kylledst me not.


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For who shall finde his enemye, & lett him depart in to a good waye? Wherfore the Lord reward the with good, for that thou hast done vnto me this daye.


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And now beholde, I wote well that thou shalt be kyng, and that the kingdom of Israel shalbe stablyshed in thyne hande.


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Swere now therfore vnto me by the Lord that thou shalt not destroye my seade after me, & that thou shalt not put my name out of my fathers house.


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And Samuel dyed, and all the Israelites geathered togeather and lamented hym, and buryed hym in his owne house at Rama. And Dauid arose, and gat hym to the wildernesse of Pharan.


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And there was a man in Maon whose possession was in Carmel, and the man was excedyng myghtie, and had thre thousand shepe & a thousand gootes. And he was sheryng his shepe in Carmell.


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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 wisdome and bewtifull. But the man was churlyshe, and of shrewde condicions, and was of the kynred of Caleb.


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And Dauid sent out ten young men, and sayde vnto them: get you vp to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and grete hym in my name.


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And thus shal ye saye: peace be to the, peace be to thyne house, & peace be vnto all that thou hast.


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Beholde, I haue heard saye, that thou hast sherers. Now, thy sheperdes were with vs and we dyd them no spyte, nether was there ought myssing vnto them, all the whyle they were in Carmel:


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aske thy laddes, & they will shew the. Wherfore let these young men fynde fauore in thine eyes (for we come in a good ceason) and geue I praye the whatsoeuer commeth to thyne hande, vnto thy seruauntes, and to thy sonne Dauid.


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And whan Dauids youngmen came, they tolde Nabal all those wordes in the name of Dauid, & then helde theyr peace.


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And Nabal answered Dauids seruauntes, & sayde: what is Dauid? & what is the sonne of Isai? there is plentye of seruauntes now a dayes, that breake awaye euery man from his master.


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Shal I then take my breed, my water & my flesshe, that I haue kylled for my sherers, & geue it vnto men whom I wote not whence they be?


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And so Dauids seruauntes turned their waye, and went agayne, and came and told him all those sayinges.


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And Dauid sayd vnto hys men: gyrde euery man hys swerde aboute him. And they gyrded euery man his swerde aboute him, & Dauid was gyrded with his swerde. 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 oure master out of the wildernesse to salute him & he rayled on them.


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And yet the men are very good vnto vs, & dyd vs no displeasure, nether missed we any thing, as long as we were conuersant with them, when we were in the feldes.


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They were a wall of defence vnto vs both by nyght & daye, all the whyle we were with them keping shepe.


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Now therfore, take hede, and se what thou hast to do, for there is an occasion of euell geuen agaynst oure master and all his housholde, seyng: he is as a sonne of beliall vngracious to speake to.


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Then Abigail made hast, & toke two hundred loues, & two bottelles of wine, and fyue shepe readye dressed, and fyue measures of parched corne, and an hundred frayles of reasyngs, and two hundred topnettes of fygges, and laded them on asses,


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& sayde vnto her young men: go ye before me. Beholde, I come after you. But she tolde her husband Naball nothing therof.


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And as she rode on her asse she came preuely downe the syde of the hyll, & beholde, Dauid and hys men came downe agaynst her, & she met them.


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And Dauid sayde: in vayne haue I kept all that this felow hath in the wildernesse: so that nought was myssed of all that pertayned vnto hym. And he hath quite me euell for good.


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So and so do God vnto the enemyes of dauid, yf I leaue of all that pertayne to him, by the dawnyng of the daye, any thing that pisseth agaynst the walle.


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And when Abigail saw Dauid, she hasted & lyghted of her asse, and fell before Dauid on her face, and bowed her self to the ground


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and fell at his fete, and sayde: Let this vnhappie deade be counted myne, my Lorde, & let thine handmayde speake in thine audience, and heare the wordes of thy handemayde.


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Let not my Lorde regard this vnthriftye man Naball: for as his name is, so is he Nabal is his name, & follie is wt him. But I thine handmayd saw not the young men of my Lorde whom thou sendedst.


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Now therfore my Lorde, as sure as the lord lyueth, & as thy soule lyueth, the Lorde hath withholden the from comming to shede bloud, & withdraw thou thine hand from bloude sheade Now, I praye God, that thine enemyes & they that entende to do my Lorde euel, may be as Nabal.


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And now this is the blessyng which thyne hand mayde hath brought vnto my Lord: & lett it be geuen vnto the young men, that folow my Lorde.


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Forgeue the trespace of thine handmayde, for the Lord will make my Lorde a sure house, because my Lord fyghteth the batayles of the Lorde, and there coulde none euel be founde in the in all thy dayes.


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And yf any man ryse to persecute the, & to seke thy soule, the soule of my Lorde shall be bound as in the bondell of the lyuing wt the Lord thy God. And the soules of thy enemyes shal God cast out, euen as out of the mydle of a slyng.


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And when the Lord shall haue done to my Lord all the good that he hath promised the, & shall haue made the ruler ouer Israel:


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then shall it be no decaye vnto the, ner discourage of herte vnto my Lorde, that thou hast not shedde bloud causelesse, ner aduenged thy selfe. But when the Lord shall haue dealt well with my Lorde, then thynck on thyne handmayde.


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Blessed is thy sayeng, & blessed art thou, which hast kept me thys daye from coming to shede bloud, and from aduengyng my self with myne awne hand.


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For in very deade, as sure as the Lord God of Israel lyueth, which hath kept me backe from hurtyng the, excepte thou haddest hasted and met me, thinkest thou, there had bene left vnto Nabal by the dawnyng of the daye, a pisser agaynst the wall?


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And so Dauid receaued of her hand, that which she had brought him & sayd to her: go vp in peace to thyne house. Beholde, I haue herde thy voyce, and haue accepted thy persone.


text:
And Abigail came to Nabal: and behold, he held a feast in his house, lyke the feest of a kyng, & Nabals herte was mery within him, for he was very droncke. Wherfore she tolde him nothing, nether lytle nor moare, vntill the morow daye.


text:
But in the mornyng, when the wine was gone out of Naball, hys wife tolde him these wordes, and his herte dyed within him, and he became as a stone


text:
And when Dauid heard that Nabal was deed, he sayde: Blessed be the Lorde that hath iudged the cause of my rebuke of the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his seruaunt from euell, and hath recompensed the wickednesse of Nabal vpon his awne heed. And Dauid sent to comen wt Abigail: to thyn tent to take her to his wife.


text:
And when the seruauntes of Dauid were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake vnto her saying: Dauid sent vs vnto the, to take the to his wife.


text:
And she arose, & bowed her self on her face to the erth, and sayde: Beholde let thy handmayde be a seruaunt, to washe the fete of the seruauntes of my Lord.


text:
And Abigail hasted, and arose, and gat her vp vpon an Asse, wt fyue damoselles of hers that went at her fete, and she went after the messengers of Dauid, and became hys wife.


text:
The Ziphites came vnto Saul to Gibea, saying: Doth not Dauid hyde hym self in the hill of Hachila which is before Iesimon?


text:
Saul arose, and went dwne to the wyldernesse of Ziph, hauyng thre thousande chosen men of Israel with hym, for to seke Dauid in the wildernesse of Ziph.


text:
And Saul pitched in the hyll of Hachila which lyeth before Iesimon, by the waye side. But Dauid dwelt in the wildernesse. And he saw that Saul cam after hym into he wildernesse.


text:
And Dauid arose and came to the placewhere Saul had pitched, & Dauid beheld the place, where Saul laye, and Abner the sonne of Ner which was his chefe captayne Saul laye within, & the people & the hooste rounde about him.


text:
Then answered Dauid and spake to Ahimelech the Hethite, & to Abisai the sonne of Zaruia and brother to Ioab, saying: who will go downe with me to Saul to the hoste? And Abisai saide: I will go downe with the.


text:
And so Dauid and Abisai came downe to the people by nyght. And beholde, Saul laye sleping within the hoost, & his speare stacke in the ground at his heed. But Abner & the people laye round about hym.


text:
Then sayde Abisai to Dauid: God hath deliuered thyne enemye into thyne hande this daye. Now therfore, lett me smyte hym once with my speare to the erth, & I wyll not smyte hym the seconde tyme.


text:
And Dauid sayde to Abisai: destroye him not. For who can laye his hande on the Lordes anoynted, & be gyltlesse?


text:
And Dauid sayde furthermore: as sure as the Lorde lyueth, the Lorde shall smyte him or his daye shall come to dye, or he shall descende into battell, & there perishe.


text:
The Lord kepe me from laying myne hande vpon the Lordes anoynted: But take thou now the speare that is at his heed, & the crewse of water, & let vs go.


text:
And so Dauid toke the speare & the crewse of water from Sauls heed, and they gatt them awaye, and no man saw it or marked yt or awaked. For they were all a slepe, because the Lorde had sent a deade sleape vpon them.


text:
Then Dauid went ouer to the other syde, and stode on the toppe of an hyll a farre of (a great space beyng betwene them)


text:
and Dauid cryed to the people, and to Abner the sonne of Ner, saying: Hearest thou not Abner? Abner answered, and sayde: What art thou that cryest to the king?


text:
and Dauid sayd to Abner: art not thou a man: and who his lyke the in Israel? Wherfore then hast thou not kept thy Lord the kyng? For there came one of the folke in, to destroy the kyng thy lord.


text:
It is not good that thou hast done. As truly as the Lorde lyueth, ye are worthy to dye, because ye haue not kepte youre master, the Lordes anoynted. And nowe se where the kynges speare is and the crewse of water, that was at his heed.


text:
And Saul knew Dauids voyce, & sayde is this thy voyce my sonne Dauid? & Dauid sayd: it is my voyce, my Lord, O kyng


text:
And he sayde: wherfore doth my lord thus persecute his seruaunt? for what haue I done? or what euell is in myne hand?


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Now therfore let my Lord the kyng heare the wordes of his seruaunt. If the Lorde haue stered the vp agaynst me, let him smell the sauoure of a sacrifice. But & yf they be the children of men, cursed are they before the lord For they haue cast me out this daye from abidyng in the enheritaunce of the Lord, saying: hence, & go serue other gods.


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Now therfore let not my bloud fall to the erth before the face of the lorde. For the king of Israell is come out to hunt a flee, as whan one doth hunt a partrege in the mountaynes.


text:
Then sayde Saul: I haue synned, come agayn my sonne Dauid, for I will do the no moare harme, because my soule was preciouse in thyne eyes thys daye. Beholde, I haue played the fole, & haue erred excedyngly.


text:
And Dauid answered and sayd: Behold, the kyngs speare, lett one of the young men come ouer, & fett it.


text:
The Lorde reward euery man accordyng to his ryghtwesnesse & fayth: for the Lordde delyuered the into my hand thys daye, but I wolde not laye myne hand vpon the Lordes anoynted.


text:
And beholde, lyke as thy lyfe was moche set bye this daye in myne eyes: so be my lyfe set by in the eyes of the Lorde, that he delyuer me out of all tribulacion.


text:
Then Saul sayd to Dauid: Blessed art thou my sonne Dauid, for thou shalt be a doer and preuayle. And so Dauid went his waye, and Saul turned to his place agayne.


text:
And Dauid sayde in his hert: I shall perishe one daye or other by the hand of Saul. Therfore is there nothing better for me, then to flee and saue my selfe in the land of the Philistines, and Saul shall cease & seke me nomore in all the coastes of Israel, & so shall I escape out of his hand.


text:
And Dauid arose, & he & the syxe hundred men that were wt him went vnto Achis, the sonne of Maoch, king of Geth.


text:
And Dauid dwelt wt Achis at Geth, both he & his men, euery man wt his housholde, & Dauid wt hys two wiues: Ahinoam the Iezrahelite, & Abigail Nabals wife of Carmell.


text:
And Dauid sayd vnto Achis: If I haue now found grace in thine eyes, lett them geue me a place in some towne in the feldes, that I maye dwell there. For why shulde thy seruaunt dwell in the heed cytie of the kingdome wt the?


text:
Then Achis gaue hym Zikleg the same daye, for which cause Zikleg pertaineth vnto the kynges of Iuda vnto thys daye.


text:
And the tyme that Dauid dwelt in the contreye of the Philistines, was foure monethes, and certayne dayes.


text:
And Dauid & his men went vp, and ranne vpon the Gesurites, the Gerzites & the Amalekites: For those nacions were from the begynnyng the enhabiters of the lande, as men go to Sur, vnto the lande of Egypte.


text:
And Dauid smote the land, and left nether man ner woman alyue, and droue awaye the shepe, the oxen, the asses, camelles, and clothes, and retourned, and came to Achis.


text:
And Achis sayde: where haue ye bene a rouing this daye? And Dauid answered: Toward the south of Iuda, & towarde the south of the Iezrahelites, & towarde the south of the kenites.


text:
And Dauid saued nether man nor woman alyue ner suffred them to come to Geth, for feare (sayeth he) leste they shuld telle on vs saing so dyd Dauid & so wylbe his maner all the while he dwelleth in the contreye of the Philistines.


text:
And Achis beleued Dauid saying He abhorreth his people of Israel, & therfore he shalbe my seruaunt for euer.


text:
And it chaunced in those dayes, that the Philistines geathered their hoost together to warre, to fyght with Israel. And Achis sayde to Dauid: Be sure, thou shalt goo out with me to the battell, thou & the men that are with the.


text:
And Dauid sayde to Achis: then thou shalt know, what thy seruaunt can do. And Achis sayde agayne to Dauid: Then I will make the keper of my heed for euer


text:
Samuel was then deed, & all Israel had lamented hym, & buryed him in Rama his awne cytie. And Saul hat put the wemen that had spretes of prophesye, & the Sothsayers out of the land.


text:
And the Philistines geathered together, & came, & pitched in Sunem. And Saul gathered all Israel togeather, & they pitched in Giboa:


text:
And whan Saul asked councell of the Lorde, the Lorde answered him not, nether hy dreames, nor by Urim nor yet by prophetes.


text:
Then sayd Saul vnto his seruauntes seke me a woman that hath a sprete of prophesye, that I maye go to her & aske of her. And hys seruauntes sayde to him: Beholde, there is a woman that hath a sprete of prophesye at Endor.


text:
And Saul chaunged him self, and put on other rayment, & then went he & two men with hym, and they came to the woman by nyght. And he sayde: prophesye vnto me by the sprete, & bring me him vp whom I shall name vnto the.


text:
And the woman sayde vnto hym: Beholde thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath destroyed the wemen that had prophesying spretes, & the Sorcerars out of the lande. Wherfore then sekest thou an occasion agaynst my soule, that he maye kyll me?


text:
And Saul sware to her by the Lorde saying: As suerly as the Lorde lyueth, there shall no harme chaunce the for this thyng.


text:
When the woman saw Samuel, she cryed wt a lowde voyce, and spake to Saul saying: why hast thou disceaued me? for thou art Saul.


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And the kyng sayde vnto her, be not afrayde: What seest thou? The woman sayd vnto Saul. I se goddes ascending vp out of the erth.


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He sayde vnto her agayne: what fassion is he of? She answered: there cometh vp an olde man wt a mantell vpon hym. And Saul perceaued that it was Samuel & he stouped wt his face to the grounde, & bowed hym selfe.


text:
And Samuel sayd to Saul: why hast thou vnquieted me, to make me be brought vp? Saul answered: I am sore encombred. For the Philystynes make warre agaynst me, & God is departed from me and answereth me no more, nether by prophetes, nether by dreames. And therfore I haue called the, that thou mayest tell me, what I shall do.


text:
Then sayd Samuel: wherfore doest thou aske of me, whyle the Lorde is gone from the, & is become thyne enemye?


text:
Truly the Lord hath done for hym selfe, euen as he spake by my hand. For the Lorde hath rent the kingdome out of thyne hande, & geuen it thy neyboure Dauid.


text:
Because thou obeyedst not the voyce of the Lord, nor executedst hys fearce wrath vpon the Amaleckites, therfore hath the Lord done this vnto the this daye.


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And moreouer, the Lorde wyll delyuer Israel wt the, into the handes of the Philistines. To morowe shalt thou and thy sonnes be with me, and the Lorde shall geue the hoste of Israel into the handes of the Philistines.


text:
Then Saul fell streyght waye flatte on the erth a longe as he was, and was sore adread because of the wordes of Samuel. And there was no strength in hym, for he had eaten no bread all the daye and the nyght before.


text:
And the woman cam vnto Saul, and sawe that he was sore troubled, and sayde vnto hym: Se, thyne handmayd hath obeyed thy voyce, & haue put my soule in my hande, and haue harkened vnto thy wordes, which thou saydest vnto me.


text:
Nowe therfore harken thou also vnto the voyce of thyne handmayd, and let me sett a morsell of bread before the, that thou mayest eate and gett the strength, & then go on thy iourneye.


text:
He refused, and sayde: I wyll not eate. But hys seruauntes & the woman togeather compelled him, and he hearkened vnto theyr voyce. And so he arose from the erth, and sat him on a bedd.


text:
The woman had a fat calfe in the house, and she hasted & kylled it, and toke flowre & kneded it, and dyd bake swete cakes therof,


text:
and brought them before Saul and before his seruauntes. And when they had eaten, they stode vp, and went awaye the same nyght.


text:
The Philistines were geathered togeather wt all their armyes vnto Aphec: And the Israelites pitched in Aiin, which is in Iesrahel.


text:
And the Lordes of the Philistines went forth wt the hundreds. & thousandes. But Dauid & his men came behinde wt Achis.


text:
Then sayde the Lords of the Philistines, what are younder Ebrues? Achis sayd vnto the Lordes of the Philistines: Is not thys Dauid the seruaunt of Saul the kynge of Israel, whych hath bene wyth me these dayes or yeres? I haue founde no fault in hym, sence he fledd vnto me vnto thys daye.


text:
And the Lordes of the Philistines were wroth wyth hym and sayde vnto hym: Make this felowe returne, that he maye go agayne to hys place whych thou hast appoynted hym: and let hym not go downe wyth vs to battell, lest in the battell he be an aduersarye to vs. For wherwyth coulde he better obtayne the fauoure of hys master, then wyth the heedes of these men?


text:
Is not thys Dauid, to whom they sange in daunses: Saul slue hys thousande, and Dauid hys ten thousande?


text:
Then Achis called Dauid, and sayde vnto hym: As sure as the Lorde lyueth, thou hast bene honest, and good in my syght, whan thou wentest out & in wyth me in the hoost: neyther haue I founde euell with the, sence thou camest to me vnto thys daye: Neuerthelesse the Lordes of the Philistines fauoure the not:


text:
And Dauid sayde vnto Achis: And what haue I done? what hast thou founde in thy seruaunt, as long as I haue bene wyth the vnto thys daye, that I maye not go fyght against the enemyes of my Lorde the kynge?


text:
Achis answered & sayd to Dauid: I know that thou art good, & art in my syght, as an Angell of God. Not wythstandinge the Lordes of the Philistynes haue sayde: Let hym not go vp wt vs to battell.


text:
Wherfore nowe ryse vp earlye in the mornyng wt thy masters seruauntes that are come to the: and when ye be vp early (as sone as ye haue lyght) departe.


text:
And so Dauid and his men rose vp earlye to departe in the mornynge, & to returne into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went vp to Iezraell.


text:
But whan Dauid & hys men were come to Zikleg the thirde daye, the Amaleckites had russhed in vpon the south, and vpon Zikleg, & had smytten Zikleg, & burnt it wt fyre,


text:
& had taken the wemen (that were therin) presoners, both small & great: but slew not a man, saue caryed them wt them, & went theyr wayes.


text:
So Dauid and hys men came to the cytie: & beholde, it was burnt with fyre, & their wyues, theyr sonnes and their daughters were caryed awaye.


text:
Then Dauid and the people that was wyth hym, lyfte vp their voyces & wept, vntyll they could wepe no more.


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And Dauids two wiues were taken presoners also: Ahinoam the Iezrahelite, and abigail the wyfe of Nabal the Carmelite.


text:
And Dauid was in a shrewde combraunce: for the people entended to stone hym, because the hertes of all the people were vexed for theyr sonnes & theyr daughters. But Dauid toke a good courage to hym in the Lorde hys God


text:
& sayde to Abiathar the preste Ahimelechs sonne: I pray the, bring me the Ephod. And Abiathar brought the Ephod to Dauid.


text:
And Dauid asked councell at the Lorde, sayinge: shall I folowe after thys companie? and shall I ouertake them? And he answered him: folow, for thou shalt ouertake them, and recouer the praye.


text:
So Dauid and the syxe hundred men that were with hym, went & cam to the riuer Besor, where a part of them abode.


text:
But Dauid and foure hundred men folowed: For two hundred abode behinde, beynge to werye to go ouer the ryuer Besor.


text:
And they founde an Egypcian in the felde, and brought hym to Dauid and gaue hym bread to eate, & water to dryncke,


text:
& gaue hym a fewe fygges & two clousters of reasings. And when he had eaten, hys sprete cam agayne to hym: for he had eaten, no bread nor droncke no water in thre dayes & thre nyghtes.


text:
And Dauid sayd vnto him: to whom belongest thou? & whence art thou? he sayd: I am a yonge man of Egypt and seruaunt to an Amaleckite: and my master left me behynde, because it is thre dayes agone, that I fell sycke:


text:
we came a rouyng vpon the south of Chretus, and against Iuda, and towarde the south of Caleb. And we burnt Zikleg wyth fyre.


text:
And Dauid sayde to hym: canst thou brynge me to this company? And he sayde: swere vnto me by God, that thou wylt nether kyll me, nor delyuer me into the handes of my master, and I will brynge the to the companye.


text:
And when he had brought hym thyther, beholde, they laye skatered abroade vpon the erth, eatynge & drinckynge, & daunsynge, because of the plenteous & great pray, that they had caried awaye out of the land of the Philistines, & out of the lande of Iuda.


text:
And Dauid layd vpon them from the euen, vntill the twilyght on the morow: so that there escaped not a man of them, saue foure hundred young men which rode awaye vpon cameles, and fledd.


text:
so that ther was no person of them lacking, small or great, sonne or daughter, or of the spoyle of all that they had take awaye, Dauid recouered them all agayne.


text:
And Dauid toke all the shepe, & the oxen. And they draue them before his catell, & sayd: this is Dauids pray.


text:
And Dauid came to the two hundred men, that were to werye for to folowe Dauid, whom they had made also to abyde at the ryuer Besor. And they cam to mete Dauid, & the people that were wyth him. And when Dauid cam to the people, he saluted them.


text:
Then answered all the wycked & the vnthriftes (of the men that went with Dauid) & sayde: because they went not with vs, therfore will we geue them none of the praye, that we haue recouered, But let euery man take hys wyfe and hys chyldren: Those lett them cary awaye, and be walkynge.


text:
Then sayde Dauid: ye shall not do so (my brethren) wt that which the Lord hath geuen vs, & hath preserued vs, & delyuered the companye that came agaynst vs, into oure handes.


text:
For who shuld herken vnto you in thys matter? But as hys parte is that goeth downe & fyghteth, so shall his parte be, that taryeth by the stuffe, that it maye be parted alyke.


text:
When Dauid therfore cam to Zikleg he sent of the praye vnto the elders of Iuda and to hys frendes saying: se, there is a blessyng for you, of the spoyle of the enemyes of the Lorde.


text:
The Philistines fought agaynst Israel and the men of Israel fledd awaye from the Philistines, & fell downe wounded in mount Gilboa.


text:
And the Philistynes preased sore vpon Saul & his sonnes, & slewe Ionathas, & Abinadab & Melchisua Sauls sonnes.


text:
And whan the battell went sore agaynst Saul, the archers with bowes founde hym, & he was sore afrayed of the archers.


text:
Then sayd Saul vnto his harnesberer draw out thy swerde, & thrust me thorowe therwyth, lest these vncircumcised come, & thrust me thorowe and make a mockynge stocke of me. But hys harnesberer wolde not, for he was sore afrayed. And Saul toke a swerde, and fell vpon it.


text:
And when his harnesberer sawe that Saul was deed, he fell lykewyse vpon his swerde, & dyed wyth hym.


text:
And when the men of Israel that were on the other syde of the valeye, & they of the other syde Iordan, heard, that the men of Israel were put to flight, and that Saul and hys sonnes were deed, they left the cyties, & ranne awaye and the Philistines cam, and dwelt in them.


text:
On the morowe when the Philistines were come to spoyle them that were slayne, they founde Saul and hys thre sonnes lyenge in mount Gilboa.


text:
And they cut of his heed, and stripped him out of his harnesse: & sent into the lande of the Philistines on euery syde, that they shulde publysshe it in the temple of their Idolles, and amonge the people.


text:
And they layed vp hys harnesse in the house of Astharoth, but they hanged vp hys body on the wall of Bethsan.


text:
they arose (as manye as were stronge men) and went all nyght and toke the body of Saul, and the bodyes of hys sonnes from the wall of Bethsan, and came to Iabes, and burnt them there


text:
After the deeth of Saul when Dauid was returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and had bene two dayes in Zikleg:


text:
Beholde, there came a man the thyrde daye out of the hoste from Saul, with his clothes rent and erth vpon hys heed. And when he came to Dauid, he fell to the erth and dyd obeysaunce.


text:
Dauid sayde vnto him: whence comest thou? He sayde vnto him: Out of the hoste of Israel am I escaped.


text:
And Dauid sayde vnto him. And what is chaunced? tell me. He sayde: the people is fled from the battell: and many of the people are ouerthrowen, and deed: and Saul & Ionathas his sonne are deed also.


text:
And Dauid sayde vnto the younge man that tolde him these thynges: How knowest thou that Saul and Ionathas hys sonne be deed?


text:
The younge man that tolde him, answered: I came by chaunce to mount Gilboa: And beholde, Saul leaned vpon his speare. For the charettes and companyes of horsemen folowed harde after him.


text:
He sayde vnto me agayne: Stonde vpon me, and slee me: For anguysshe is come vpon me, though my lyfe be yet all in me.


text:
And so I stode vpon hym, and slue him: for I was sure that he coulde not lyue, after that he had fallen. And I toke the crowne that was vpon hys heed, and the Braselet that was on hys arme, and haue brought them hyther vnto my Lorde.


text:
And they mourned, and wepte, and fasted vntyll euen, for Saul and Ionathas his sonne, & for the people of the Lorde, and for the house of Israel, because they were ouerthrowen with the swerde.


text:
And Dauid sayde vnto the younge man that brought him these tydinges. Whence art thou? And he answered. I am the sonne of an alyaunt an Amalekite.


text:
And Dauid sayde vnto him: Howe is it that thou wast not afrayed, to laye thyne hande on the Lordes anoynted, to destroye hym?


text:
And Dauid called one of his younge men and sayde: Go to, and runne vpon him. And he smote hym: that he dyed:


text:
then sayde Dauid vnto him: thy bloude be vpon thyne awne heed. For thyne awne mouth hath testyfied agaynst the sayinge: I haue slayne the Lordes anoynted.


text:
and bad teache the chyldren of Israel the vse of the bowe. And Beholde, it is wrytten in the boke of the ryghtwes.


text:
Tell yt not in Gath, nor publishe it in the streats of Ashalon: lest the daughters of the Philistines reioyse, and lest the daughters of the vncircumcysed triumphe.


text:
Ye mountaynes of Gilboa, vpon you be nether dewe nor rayne, not vpon these feldes of offerynges. For there the shilde of the myghtie is cast downe: the shylde of Saul, as though he had not bene anoynted with oyle.


text:
The bowe of Ionathas & the swerde of Saul turned neuer backe agayne emptie, from the bloude of the slayne, & from the fatte of the myghtye warryoures.


text:
Saul and Ionathas were louely & pleasaunt in their lyues, and in their deathes they were not deuided: They were swifter then Egles, and stronger then Lyons.


text:
Ye daughters of Israel, wepe ouer Saul, which clothed you in purple with pleasures, and hanged ornamentes of golde vpon your apparell.


text:
Woo is me for the (my brother Ionathas) verye kynde hast thou bene vnto me. Thy loue to me was wonderfull, passynge the loue of wemen.


text:
After thys it fortuned, that Dauid asked councell at the Lorde, sayinge: shall I go vp into any of the cyties of Iuda? And the Lorde sayde vnto hym: go. And Dauid sayde agayne: Whither shall I go? He answered: Unto Hebron.


text:
And so Dauid went thither with his two wyues, Ahinoam the Iesrahelite, & Abigail Nabals wyfe the Carmelite.


text:
And the men that were wyth him, dyd Dauid carye 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 anoynted Dauid kynge, ouer the house of Iuda. And they tolde Dauid sayinge: It is the men of Iabes in Gilead that buryed Saul.


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And Dauid sent messengers vnto the men of Iabes in Gilead, and sayde vnto them: blessed are ye vnto the Lorde, that ye haue shewed soche kyndnesse vnto youre Lorde Saul, and haue buryed him.


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And nowe the Lorde shewe mercye & truthe vnto you. And I wyll do you also soche kyndnesse as ye haue done in thys thynge.


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Therfore nowe let youre handes be stronge, and playe ye the men: For your master Saul is deed. And they that are of the house of Iuda, haue anoynted me kynge ouer them.


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toke Isboseth the sonne of Saul, and brought him to Mahanaim, and made hym kynge ouer Gilead, and ouer the Assurites, & ouer Iesrahel, Ephraim, BenIamin, and ouer all Israel.


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And Isboseth Sauls sonne was fourtye yere olde, when he began to raygne ouer Israel, and raygned two yere. But the house of Iuda folowed Dauid.


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And the tyme which Dauid raygned in Hebron ouer the house of Iuda, was .vij. yere and syxe monethes.


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And Abner the sonne of Ner and the seruauntes of Isboseth the sonne of Saul went out of Mahanaim, to Gibeon.


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And Ioab the sonne of Zaruia and the seruauntes of Dauid went out, and mette them by the Pole of Gibeon. And they satt downe the one, on the one syde of the Pole, and the other on the other syde.


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And Abner sayde to Ioab: let the younge men aryse, and playe before vs. And Ioab sayde: Let them aryse.


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Then there arose and went ouer. twelue of Ben Iamin by nombre, which pertayned to Isboseth the sonne of Saul, and twelue of the seruauntes of Dauid.


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And euery one caught hys felowe (that came agaynst hym) by the heed, and thrust hys swerde in hys syde, and so they felle downe together. Wherfore the place was called: The felde of the myghtye. And it is in Gibeon.


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And there beganne an exceadinge cruell battell that same daye. For Abner and the men of Israel fell before the seruauntes of Dauid.


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And there were thre sonnes of Zaruiah there: Ioab, Abisai and Asahel. And Asahel was as lyght of fote as a wylde Roo,


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Abner sayde: turne the ether to the ryghthand or to the lefte and catche one of the younge men, and take the his weapons. But Asahel wolde not depart from hym.


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And Abner sayde agayne to Asahel departe fro me. Wherfore shulde I smyte the to the grounde, and not be able to holde vp my face to Ioab, thy brother?


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Howbeit, whan he wolde in no wyse departe, Abner with the hynder ende of the speare smote hym vnder the short rybbes, that the speare cam out behynde hym: that he fell downe in the same place, and dyed there. And as many as cam to the place where Asahel fell downe and dyed, stode still.


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Ioab also & Abisai folowed Abner. And the sonne went downe, when they were come to the hyll Ama that lyeth before Giah by the waye that goeth thorowe the wyldernesse of Gibeon.


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And the chyldren of Ben Iamin geathered them selues together on a heape, to Abner, & stode on the toppe of an hyll.


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Then Abner called to Ioab, and sayde: shall the swerde deuoure styll for euer? knowest thou not, that it wylbe bitternesse in the latter ende? howe longe shall it be, yer thou bydde the people returne from folowynge their brethren?


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And Ioab sayde: as truely as God lyueth yf thou haddest not spoken in the mornynge, the people had bene departed, euery one from persecutynge hys brother.


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And so Ioab blewe a trompet, and all the people stode styll, and pursued after Israel no more nether fought they any more.


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And Abner and his men walked all that nyght thorowe the playne, & went ouer Iordan, & past thorowe all Bethhoron tyll they cam to Mahanaim.


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And Ioab returned from persecuting Abner. And whan he had geathered all the people together, there lacked of Dauids seruauntes nyntene men, & Asahel.


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But the seruauntes of Dauid had slayne of Beniamin, and of Abners men, thre hundred & thre skore men.


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And they toke vp Asahel, and buryed hym in the sepulchre of his father in Bethlehem. And Ioab and his men went all nyght, vntyll the dawnyng of the daye, and came to Hebron.


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There was longe warre betwene the howse of Saul, and the howse of Dauid. But Dauid waxed stronger and stronger, & the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.


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And vnto Dauid were chyldren borne in Hebron: his eldest sonne also was Ammon, of Ahinoam the Iezrahelite:


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the seconde Cheleab, of Abigail the wyfe of Nabal the Carmelite: the thyrde Absalom, the sonne of Maachah the daughter of Thalmai, the kynge of Gessur:


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And it fortuned, that whyle there was warre betwene the house of Saul and the house of Dauid, Abner helde vp the house of Saul.


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And Saul had a concubyne named Rizpa, the daughter of Aia. And Isboseth sayde to Abner: Wherfore hast thou gone into my fathers concubyne?


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Then was Abner very wroth for the wordes of Isboseth, & sayde: Am I not a dogges heed, which agaynst Iuda do shewe mercye thys daye vnto the house of Saul thy father, & to his brethren and frendes, and haue not delyuered the into the hande of Dauid: and thou fyndest a fault in me this daye for this woman?


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to bryng the kyngdom from the house of Saul, that the throne of Dauid maye be stablysshed ouer Israel, and ouer Iuda euen from Dan to Bersabe.


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And Abner sent messengers to Dauid secretely, saying: Whose is the lande? Make a bonde with me, and beholde, my hande is wyth the, to bryng all Israel vnto the.


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He sayde: It is good, that I make a bonde with the. But one thyng I requyre of the, that thou se not my face, except thou fyrst bring Michol Sauls daughter, when thou comest to se me.


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And Dauid sent messengers to Isboseth Sauls sonne, saying, delyuer me my wife Michol, which I maryed with an hundred forskynnes of the Philistines.


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And her husband went with her, and cam wepyng behynde her, tyll they cam to Bahurim. Then sayde Abner vnto hym, go and returne. And he returned


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And Abner had communicacyon with the elders of Israel, sayeng: ye sought for Dauid in tymes past, that he might be your kyng.


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Now then do it: for the Lorde hath sayd of Dauid: By the hand 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 enemyes.


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And Abner spake in the eares of Beniamin, and went to tell in the eares of Dauid in Hebron, all that Israell was content wyth, and the whole house of Beniamin.


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And so Abner came to Dauid to Hebron, hauyng twentye men wt hym, & Dauid made him & the men that were with him a feast.


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And Abner sayde vnto Dauid: I wyll vp, and go geather all Israell vnto my Lorde the kyng, that they maye make an appoyntment wyth the, and that thou mayst commaunde all, as thyne hart desyreth. And whan Dauid had lett Abner departe, he went in peace.


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And beholde, the seruauntes of Dauid, & Ioab came from chasyng the robbers, and brought a great praye with them. But Abner was not with Dauid in Hebron: for he had sent him awaye to depart in peace.


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When Ioab and all the host that was with hym, were come, men tolde Ioab saying: Abner the sonne of Ner came to the kyng, and he hath sent hym awaye, that he is gone in peace.


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Then Ioab came to the kynge, and sayde: what hast thou done? Beholde, Abner cam vnto the: & why hast thou sent hym awaye, that he shulde skape quyte?


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Thou knowest Abner the sonne of Ner, for he came to disceaue the, & to know thy outgoing & ingoing, and to know all that thou doest.


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And when Ioab was come out from Dauid, he sent messengers after Abner, which brought him agayne from the well of Sira, vnknowyng to Dauid.


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And when Abner was come agayne to Hebron, Ioab toke hym a syde in the gate to speake with him secretly, & smote him vnder the short rybbes that he dyed, for the bloud of Asahel his brother.


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And when after warde it cam to Dauids eare, he sayd. I and my kyngdom are giltlesse before the Lorde for euer concernyng the bloude of Abner the sonne of Ner.


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Let the bloude remayne on the heed of Ioab & on all his fathers house that the house of Ioab be neuer wythout one or other that hath runnyng issues or leper, and that leaneth on a staff, and that doth fal on the swerde, & lacketh breed.


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And the cause why Ioab and Abisai slue Abner was, that Abner had slayne their brother Asahel at Gibeon in battell.


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And Dauid sayd to Ioab, and to all the people that were with hym. Rent youre clothes, and put on sacke cloth, and mourne before Abner. And king Dauid him self folowed the corse.


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And when they buried Abner in Hebron, the kyng lifte vp his voyce, & vepte besyde the sepulchre of Abner, and so dyd all the people.


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thy handes were not bounde, ner thy fete brought into cheynes: but as a man falleth before wicked children, so fellest thou. And all they that were of the people, wept yet moare ouer hym.


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And when all the people cam to eate meate with Dauid, while it was yet daye, Dauid sware saying: So & so do God to me, yf I tast breed or ought elles, tyll the sonne be downe.


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And the people wist it, and it pleased them. And whatsoeuer the kyng dyd, it pleased all the people.


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For all the people & all Israel vnderstode that day, how that it was not the kynges dede, that Abner the sonne of Ner was slayne.


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And the kyng sayde vnto his seruauntes: know ye not, how that there is a lorde and a great man fallen this daye in Israel?


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And I am this daye tender, and anoynted king. And these men the sonnes of Zaruia be to hard for me. The Lorde rewarde the doer of euel, accordynge to his wykednesse.


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When Sauls sonne heard that Abner was deed in Hebron, his handes were feble, & all the Israelites were afrayed:


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& Sauls sonne had two men that were captaynes ouer the soudiars, the one called Baanah, and the other Rechab, the sonnes of Rimmon a Berothite, of the chyldren of Beniamin: for Beroth was rekened to Beniamin.


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And Ionathas Sauls sonne had a sonne that was lame on hys feete. And he was fyue yere olde, when the tydinges cam of Saul & Ionathas out of Iesrahel. And his nourse toke him vp, & fled awaye. And as she made hast to flee, the childe fell, & beganne to halt, and hys name was Miphiboseth.


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And the sonnes of Rimmon the Berothite, Rechab an Baanah went, and cam in the heat of the daye to the house of Isboseth, which slept on a bed at none.


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And they cam into the myddes of the house as though they wold haue fetched whete, and Rechab and Baana hys brother smote him vnder the short rybbes and fled.


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For whan they cam into the house, he slept on his bed in hys resting chamber, and they smote hym and slue him, and behedded hym, and toke hys heed, & gat them awaye thorow the plaine all the night.


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And they brought the heed of Isboseth vnto Dauid, to Hebron, and sayde to the kyng: beholde, there is the heed of Isboseth Sauls sonne, thine enemye which sought after thy lyfe. And the Lorde hath aduenged my lord the kyng this daye of Saul and of his seede.


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And Dauid answered Rechab and Baana his brother, the sonnes of Rimmon the Berothite, and sayde vnto them: as surely as the lord lyueth, which hath delyuered my soule out of all aduersites:


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Whan one tolde me & sayd that Saul was deed, thinkyng to haue brought good tydynges, I caught hym, and slue hym in zikleg: whych thought that I wolde haue geuen hym a rewarde for hys tydynges brynging.


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How moch more whan wycked men haue slayne a ryghtuouse person, in his awne house and vpon his bed? Shall I not require his bloud of youre hande, and take you from the erth?


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And Dauid commaunded his young men, & they slue them, and cut of their handes and fete, & hanged them vp ouer the pole in Hebron. But they toke the heed of Isboseth, and buryed it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.


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Then cam all the trybes of Israel to Dauid, vnto Hebron and sayd, Beholde, we are of thy bone, and of thy fleshe.


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And in tyme past when Saul was oure kynge, thou leddest Israel in and oute. And the Lorde hath sayd to the: thou shalt fede my people Israell, and thou shalt be a captayne ouer Israel.


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And so all the elders of Israel came to the kynge to Hebron. And kyng Dauid made a couenaunt wyth them in Hebron before the Lord. And they annoynted Dauid kyng ouer Israell.


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In Hebron he raygned ouer Iuda seuen yere, and syxe monethes: And in Ierusalem he raygned thirtye and thre yeres ouer all Israel and Iuda.


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The kyng also and his men went to Ierusalem, vnto the Iebusites, the enhabiters of the land. Which spake vnto Dauid sayeng: except thou take awaye the blynde and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither. For they sayd: Thou art not able to come in hither.


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And Dauid sayd the same daye: Whosoeuer smyteth the Iebusites, & getteth vp to the gutters of the houses, & smyteth the lame & the blynd that hate Dauids soule? Wherfore: they sayd, the blynd and the lame shall not come into the house.


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And so Dauid dwelt in the towre, & called it in the citye of Dauid, & buylt round about it from Millo inwarde.


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And Hiram kyng of Tire sent messengers to Dauid, and Cedar trees, and carpenters & Masons for walles: and they builte Dauid an house.


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And Dauid perceaued, that the Lord had stablissshed hym kynge ouer Israel, & that he had exalted his kingdom for his people Israels sake.


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And Dauid toke him mo concubyues and wyues out of Ierusalem, after he was come from Hebron, & mo sonnes, & daughters were yet borne to Dauid.


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And these be the names of the sonnes that were borne vnto hym in Ierusalem: Sammua, Sobab, Nathan, & Salomon,


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But when the Philistines heard, that they had anoynted Dauid king ouer Israel, they cam all vp to seke Dauid. And as sone as Dauid heard of it, he gat hym to an holde.


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And Dauid asked councell of the Lorde sayeng: shall I go vp to the Philistines? wilt thou deliuer them into my handes? And the lord answered vnto Dauid: go vp, for I will doutlesse delyuer the Philistines into thy handes.


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And Dauid cam to the playne of Perazim, and smote them there, and sayd: the Lorde hath deuided myne enemyes asondre before me, as waters be deuyded asondre. And therfore, the name of the place was called: the playne of Perazim:


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And whan Dauid asked at the Lord: He answered: Thou shalt not go vp: but compasse them on the backsyde, & come vpon them ouer agaynst the Peretrees.


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And when thou hearest the noyse of a thing going in the toppe of the Peretrees, then remoue. For then shall the Lord go out before the, to smyte the hoste of the Philistines.


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And Dauid did as the Lord had commaunded hym, & smote the Philistines from Geba, vntyll thou come to Gazer.


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& arose, & went withall the folke that were with hym of the men of Iuda, to fett awaye from thence, the Arck of God: whose name is called the name of the Lorde of hostes that dwellyth vpon it, betwene the cherubyns.


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And they put the Arck of God vpon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was at Gibea. And Uza and Ahio the sonnes of Abinadab draue the new carte.


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And when they brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was at Gibea, with the Arck of God, Ahio went before the Arck.


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And Dauid and all the house of Israel playde before the Lorde in sondrye instrumentes made of Cedre wodd, with harpes, psalteries, timberelles, fedylles, and symbals.


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And when they cam to Nachons thresshyng floure, Uza put his hand to the arck of God, and held it, for the oxen stombled.


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And the Lorde was wroth wyth Uza, and God smote him in the same place for his fault, and there he dyed before the Arcke of God.


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And Dauid was displeased, because the Lord had smytten Uza. And the name of the place was called Perez. The renting of Uza, vntyll thys daye.


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And so Dauid wolde not bryng the Arcke of the Lorde vnto him into the citye of Dauid. But Dauid caried it into the house of Obeth Edom a Gethite.


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And the Arcke of the Lord continued in the house of Obeth Edom the Gethite, thre monethes, and the Lorde blessed Obeth Edom, and all hys housholde.


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And one tolde kynge Dauid, how that the Lorde had blessed the house of Obeth Edom, and all that pertayned vnto hym, because of the Arcke of God. And Dauid went and brought the Arck of God from the house of Obeth Edom, into the citye of Dauid wyth gladnes.


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And when they that bare the Arcke of the Lorde, had gone syxe spaces, he offered an oxe and a fat shepe.


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So Dauid and all the house of Israel brought the arck of the Lorde, wyth showtyng and trompet blowyng.


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And it fortuned, that as the arcke of the Lorde cam into the citye of Dauid, Michol Sauls daughter loked thorow a window, and saw kynge Dauid spryng, and daunce before the Lorde, and she dyspysed hym in her hert.


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And when they brought in the Arck of the Lorde, they set it in his place, euen in the myddes of the tabernacle that Dauid had pitched for it. And Dauid offered burnt offeringes & peace offeringes before the lord.


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And as sone as Dauid had made an ende of offeryng burnt offerynges & peace offerynges, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of Hostes,


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& gaue among all the folke, euen amonge the hole multitude of Israel, as well to the wemen as men, to euerye one a Cake of breed, & a pece of fleshe, & a flasket of drincke. And so all the people departed euery one to his house.


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Then Dauid returned to blesse hys housholde: and Michol the daughter of Saul came out to mete Dauid, & sayd: O how glorious was the king of Israel this daye, which was vncouered to daye, in the eyes of the maydens of his seruauntes, as yf it had bene a lyght brayned felow vncouered?


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And Dauid sayd vnto Michol. I thought to daunce before the Lord, which chose me rather then thy father, & all his kynne, and commaundyd me to be ruler ouer all the people of the Lord euen ouer Israel.


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And therfore will I playe before the Lorde. And wilbe yet more vyle then so, & wilbe meke in myne awne syght: & of the very same maydeseruauntes which thou hast spoken of: shal I be had in honoure


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It fortuned, that as the kyng satt in his house (after that the Lord had geuen hym rest rounde about from all his enemyes)


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he sayde vnto Nathan the prophet: behold, I dwell now in an house of Cedar trees, but the Arcke of God dwelleth within the curtayne.


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For I haue not dwelt in any house, sence the tyme that I brought the children of Israel out of Egipt, vnto this daye:


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but haue walked, in a tent and tabernacle. In all the places where in I haue walked with al the children of Israel, spake I one word wt any of the tribes of Israel (sens I commaunded the iudges to fede my people Israel) sayeng: why bylde ye not me an house of Cedar trees?


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Now therfore, so saye vnto my seruaunt Dauid: thus sayth the Lorde of Hostes. I toke the from the shepe cote (as thou wast folowyng shepe) that thou myghtest be ruler ouer my people Israel.


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And I was with the in all that thou wentest to, & haue destroyed all thyne enemyes out of thy syght, and haue made the a great name, lyke vnto the name of the great men that are in the worlde.


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And therfore, I will appoynt a place for my people Israel, and wyll plant it, that they maye dwell in a place of their awne, and moue no moare, nether shall wyckyd people trouble them any more, as they did at the beginnyng:


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sence the tyme that I sett Iudges ouer my people Israel. And I will geue the rest from all thine enemyes. And the Lord telleth the, that he wyll make the an howse.


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And when thy dayes he fulfilled, thou shalt slepe wyth thy fathers, and I wyll set vp thy seede after the, which shall procead out of thy bodye, & will stablyshe his kyngdome.


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I wylbe his father, and he shalbe my sonne: yf he synne, I wyll chasten hym wyth soche a rodde as men be chastened wt, & wt soche plages as the children of men be plaged wt.


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And thyne house and thy kyngdome shall endure wt out ende after the, and thy seate shalbe stablyshed foreuer.


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Then went Dauid in, and set hym downe before the Lord, and sayde: what am I, O Lord God? and what is my house? that thou shuldest haue brought me this farre forth?


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And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God, but thou hast spoken also of thy seruauntes house for a great while to come: For this is the vse of man, O lord God.


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Euen for thy wordes sake & according to thine awne hert hast thou done all these greate thynges to make them knowen vnto thy seruaunt.


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Wherfore thou art great, O Lord God: for there is none lyke the nether is there any God saue thou, according to all that we haue heard wt oure eares.


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And what one people in the erth is lyke thy people Israel whose God, went & delyuered them, that they myght be his people, & that he myght make hym a name, & to shewe great & terrible things in the erthe, for thy people which thou redemedst to the out of Egipt, euen the people with their goddes.


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For thou hast ordeyned thy people Israel, to be thy people for euer. And thou Lorde art become theyr God.


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And now (Lord God) the worde that thou hast spoken concernyng thy seruaunt and his house: make it good for euer, and do as thou hast sayd.


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For so shall thy name be magnified for euer, of men that shall saye: the Lorde of Hostes is the God of Israell: and the house of thy seruaunt shall be stablyshed before the.


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For thou, O Lord of Hostes, God of Israell, hast tolde in the eare of thy seruaunt, sayeng: I wyll bylde the an house And therfore hath thy seruaunt found in his harte, to praye this prayer vnto the.


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Therfore now Lord God, thou art God, and thy wordes must be true, thou that hast tolde this goodnesse vnto thy seruaunt.


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And now go to, and blesse the housse of thy seruaunt, that it maye contynew for euer before the. for thou. Lord God hast spoken it, and with thy blessyng shall the house of thy seruaunt be blessed for euer.


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After this it fortuned that Dauid smote the Philistines, and subdued them, & toke the brydell of bondage out of the hande of the Philistines.


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And he smote the Moabites & measured them with a lyne, & cast them downe to the grounde. Euen wyth two lynes measured he them whom he slue, and the length of one lyne saued he alyue. And so becam the Moabites Dauids seruauntes, & payed trybute. Dauid smote also,


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And Dauid toke a thousand & seuen hundred horsemen of his hoost, and twentye thousand fote men, and cut of the hofe of all his charette horses, reseruyng onely one hundred charettes.


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And whan the Sirians of Damascon came to succoure Hadarezer kynge of Zoba, Dauid slue of the Sirians two and twentye thousande men,


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and put soudyours in Siria Damascon. And the Sirians became seruauntes, to Dauid, payeng tribute. And thus the Lord sarued Dauid, in all that he went vnto.


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And Dauid toke the shildes of gold that belonged to the seruauntes of Hadarezer, & brought them to Ierusalem.


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he sent Ioram his sonne vnto kynge Dauid, to salute hym with peace, & to blesse hym, because he had fought agaynst Hadarezer, and beaten hym: for Thoy had greate warre wt Hadarezer, which (Ioram) brought with him, vesselles of siluer, vessels of golde, and vessels of brasse:


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Which brasse kyng Dauid dyd dedicat vnto the Lord wt the syluer and golde that he had consecrated of all nacyons, whych he subdued:


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of Siria of the Moabites, & of the chyldren of Ammon, of the Philistines, & of Hamalek, and of the spoyle of Hadarezer sonne of Rehob kyng of Zoba.


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And Dauid gat hym a name after that he returned & had smytten of the Siriens in the valeye of Salt .xviii. thousand men.


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And he put kepers in Edom, euen thorow out al Edom put he soudyoures, & all they of Edom becam Dauids seruauntes, And the Lorde kept Dauid whatsoeuer he toke in hand.


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And Sadoch the sonne of Ahitob, & Abimelech the sonne of Abiathar were the Preastes, and Saraia was the Scrybe.


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And Banaiahu the sonne of Iehoiada was ouer the Crethites and the Phelethites: & Dauids sonnes were chefe rulars.


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And Dauid sayd: is there yet any man left of the house of Saul? For I will shew hym mercye for Ionathas sake.


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And there was of the houshold of Saul a seruaunt whose name was Ziba: & whan they had called hym vnto Dauid, the kyng sayd vnto him: art thou Ziba? He sayd: thy seruaunt is he.


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And the kyng sayde: remayneth ther yet any man of the house of Saul, whom I maye shew the mercye of God vpon? Ziba answered the kynge: Ionathas hath yet a sonne, which is lame on his fete.


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The king sayd vnto him where is he? Ziba sayd vnto the kynge: behold, he is in the house of Machir the sonne of Amiel of Lodeber.


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Now when Miphiboseth the sonne of Ionathas, the sonne of Saul was come vnto Dauid, he fell on his face, and did reuerence. And the kyng sayde: Miphiboseth? He answered: Behold thy seruaunt.


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Dauid sayde vnto him: feare not, for I will surely shew the kindnesse for Ionathas thy fathers sake, & will restore the all the feldes of Saul thy father, & thou shalt eate bred on myne awne table continually.


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And he bowed hym self, and sayde: what is thy seruaunt, that thou shuldest vouchesafe to loke vpon soche a deed dogg as I am?


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Then the kyng called vnto Ziba Sauls young man & sayd vnto him: I haue geuen vnto thy masters sonne, all that pertayned to Saul and to all his house.


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Se therfore that thou, & thy sonnes and thy seruauntes tyll the lande, and bryng in, that thy masters sonne maye haue fode to eate. But Miphiboseth thy masters sonne shal eate bred allwaye vpon my table. For Ziba had fiftene sonnes and twentye seruauntes.


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Then sayd Ziba vnto the kyng: According to all that my Lord the kyng hath commaunded his seruaunt, so shall thy seruaunt do. Well (sayd the kyng) Miphiboseth shall eate vpon my table, as one of the kynges sonnes.


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Miphiboseth had a sonne that was younge, named Micha, and all that dwelled in the house of Ziba were seruauntes vnto Miphiboseth.


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And Miphiboseth dwelt in Ierusalem, for he dyd eate euer at the kynges table, and was lame on both his fete.


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It happened after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, & Hanon his sonne raygned in his steade.


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Then sayd Dauid: I will shew kyndnesse vnto Hanon the sonne of Nahas, as hys father shewed kyndnesse vnto me. And Dauid sent to confort hym by the hand of his seruauntes ouer hys father. And Dauids seruauntes came into the lande of the children of Ammon,


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and the Lordes of the children of Ammon sayd vnto Hanon their Lord: thynkest thou that Dauid dothe honoure thy father, that he hath sent comfortoures to the? Hath not Dauid rather sent his seruauntes vnto the, to searche the cytie, & to spye it out, and to ouerthrow it?


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Wherfore, Hanon toke Dauids seruauntes, & shaued of the one halfe of euerye mannes berd and cut of their garmentes in the myddle, euen harde to the buttockes of them, & sent them awaye.


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When they tolde it vnto Dauid, he sent to mete them (for they were men excedingly a shamed) & the kyng sayd: tarie at Iericho vntill your beerdes be growen, and then returne.


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And when the chyldren of Ammon saw that they stancke in the sight of Dauid, they sent and hired the Syrians of the house of Rehob, & the Sirians of Zoba .xx. thousand fote men, and of kyng Maacha a thousand men, & of Istob twelue thousand men.


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And the children of Ammon came out, and waged battell at the entring in of the gate, & the Sirians of Zobah, of Rehob, Istob and Maacah were by them selues in the felde.


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When Ioab saw that the front of the battell was agaynst hym before and after, he chose of all the fresh young men of Israell, & put them in araye agaynst the Syrians.


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And the rest of the people he delyuered into the hand of Abisay hys brother, that he myght put them in araye agaynst the children of Ammon.


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And be sayd, yf the Sirians be stronger then I, thou shalt helpe me. But yf the chyldren of Ammon be to strong for the, I will come and succoure the.


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Therfore quyte the lyke a man, & let vs stonde stiff for oure people, & for the cities of oure God. And the Lord do that which is good in his owne eyes.


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And Ioab proceded forth, & the people that was with hym, to fight with the Sirians. But they fled before him.


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And when the children of Ammon saw that the Sirians were fled, then fled they also before Abisay, and entred into the citye. And so Ioab returned from the children of Ammon, & came to Ierusalem.


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And when the Sirians saw that they were put to the worsse before Israel, they geathered them togeather.


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And Hadarezer sent, & brought out the Sirians that were beyounde the ryuer. And they came with their armye and Hobah the captayne of the host of Hadarezer went before them.


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And when it was shewed Dauid, he geathered all Israel togeather, and passed ouer Iordan, & cam to Helam: And the Sirians set them selues in araye agaynst Dauid, & fought with him:


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and the Sirians fled before Israel. And Dauid destroyed seuen hundred charettes of the Sirians, and fourtye thousand horsemen, and smote Sobah the captayne of their host, which also dyed there.


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And when all the kinges (that were seruauntes to Hadarezer) saw that they were put to the worse before Israell, they made peace with them, & serued them. And so the Sirians feared to helpe the children of Ammon any moare.


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And it came to passe that (after the yeare was expyred) in the tyme when kynges vse to go forth to battell, Dauid sent Ioab and hys seruauntes wyth hym, and all Israel, whych destroyed the chyldren of Ammon, and beseged Raba. But Dauid taryed styll at Ierusalem.


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And it chaunced in an euenynge, that Dauid arose out of hys bed, and walked vpon the roufe of the kynges palace, and from the roufe he sawe a woman wasshynge her selfe: and the woman was very bewtyfull to loke vpon.


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And he sent to enquyre what woman it shuld be, sayenge: is it not Bethsabe the daughter of Eliam, and wyfe to Urias the Hethite?


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And dauid sent messengers, and fett her. And she came in vnto hym & he laye wyth her. And she was purifyed from her vnclennesse, and returned vnto her house.


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And when Urias was come vnto hym. Dauid demaunded of him: howe Ioab dyd, and howe the people fared, and howe the men of warre prospered.


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And Dauid sayd to Urias: go downe to thyne house, and washe thy fete. And Urias departed out of the kynges palace, and there folowed hym a seruyce from the kinges table.


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But Urias slept at the dore of the kynges palace wythall the seruauntes of hys Lorde, and went not downe to hys house.


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Which when they had tolde Dauid (sayenge: Urias went not downe into hys house.) Dauid sayde vnto Urias: Camest thou not from thy iorney? why dyddest thou not go downe then vnto thyne house?


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Urias answered Dauid. The arcke & Israel and Iuda dwell in pauylyons: and my Lorde Ioab and the seruauntes of my Lorde lye vpon the flatt erthe: and shall I then go into myne house, to eate, and to dryncke, and lye wyth my wyfe? By thy lyfe and by the lyfe of thy soule, I wyll not do thys thynge.


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And Dauid sayde vnto Urias: tarye here this daye also, and tomorowe I wyll lett the depart. And so Urias abode in Ierusalem that daye, and the morowe.


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And whan Dauid had called hym, he dyd eate and dryncke before hym, and he made hym droncke. And at euen he went out to lye on hys couche wyth the seruauntes of his Lord, but went not downe to hys house.


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And he wrote thus in the letter, sayeng: put Urias in the forefront of the sharper battell, and come ye backe from hym, that he maye be smytten and dye.


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So whan Ioab beseged the cytie, he assygned Urias vnto a place, where he wyst that stronge men were.


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And the men of the cytie cam out, and fought wyth Ioab. And there were certen ouerthrowen of the people, and of the seruauntes of Dauid, and Urias the Hethite dyed also.


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and charged the messenger, sayenge: when thou hast made an ende of tellynge the matters of the warre vnto the kynge,


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yf he begynne to fume, and saye vnto the: wherfore approched ye so nye vnto the cytie, whan ye dyd fyght? wyst ye not that they wolde hurle and shote from the wall?


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who smote Abimelech sonne of Iereboseth? dyd not a woman cast a pece of a mylstone vpon hym from of the wall, and he dyed in Thebes? why went ye nye the wall? then saye thou? thy seruaunt Urias the Hethite is deed also.


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and the messaunger sayd vnto Dauid: the men preuayled agaynst vs, and cam out vnto vs into the felde, & we stacke vnto them, euen vnto the enteryng of the gate.


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And the shoters shotte from the walles, vpon thy seruauntes, and some of the kinges seruauntes be deed. And thy seruaunt Urias the Hethite is deed also.


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And Dauid sayde vnto the messenger: thus shalt thou saye vnto Ioab: let not that thynge trouble the. For the swerde deuoureth one as well as another: make thy battell more stronge agaynst the cytye to ouerthrowe it, & se that thou courage Ioab.


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And whan the mournynge was past, Dauid sent and fett her to hys house, and she became hys wyfe, and bare hym a sonne. But this thynge that Dauid dyd, displeased the Lorde.


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And the Lorde sent Nathan vnto Dauid. And he came vnto him and tolde hym: there were two men in one cytie, the one ryche, and the other poore.


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But the poore had nothynge saue one lytle shepe, whych he had bought, and noryshhed vp. And it grewe vp wyth hym and wyth hys chyldren also, and dyd eate of hys awne meate, and drancke of hys awne cuppe, and slept in hys bosome, and was vnto hym as hys daughter.


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And there cam a straunger vnto the ryche man. And he coulde not fynde in hys heart to take of hys awne shepe, and of hys awne oxen, to dresse for the straunger that was come vnto hym. But toke the poore mannes shepe, and dressed it for the man that was come to him:


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And Dauid was excedyng wroth wt the man, and sayde to Nathan: as surely as the Lorde lyueth, the man that hath done this thyng is the chylde of deeth.


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And Nathan sayth to Dauid: thou art the man. Thus sayth the Lorde God of Israel, I anoynted the kynge ouer Israel, and rydde the out of the hande of Saul,


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I gaue the thy masters house, and thy masters wyues into thy bosome, and gaue the, the house of Israel and of Iuda, & might (yf that had bene to lytle) haue geuen the so moche moare.


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Wherfore then hast thou despised the commaundement of the Lorde, to do wyckednesse in hys syght? thou hast kylde Urias the Hethite with the swerde, and hast taken his wife to thy wyfe, & hast slayne hym with the swerde of the chyldren of Ammon.


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Nowe therfore, the swerde shall neuer depart from thyne house, because thou hast despysed me, and taken the wyfe of Urias the Hethite, to be thy wife.


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Wherfore thus sayth the Lorde: beholde, I wyll stere vp euell agaynst the, euen out of thyne awne house, & wyll take thy wyues before thyne eyes, and geue them vnto thy neyghboure, and he shall lye wyth thy wyues in the syght of the sonne.


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For thou dydest it secretly, But I wyll do thys thynge before all Israel, and in the open sonne lygth.


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And Dauid sayde vnto Nathan I haue synned agaynst the Lorde. And Nathan sayd vnto Dauid: the Lorde also hath put awaye thy synne, thou shalt not dye.


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Howbeit, because in doyng thys deade, thou hast geuen the enemyes of the Lord a cause to rayle, the chylde that is borne vnto the, shall surelye dye.


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And Nathan departed vnto hys house. And the Lorde stroke the chylde that Urias wyfe bare vnto Dauid, and it sickened sore.


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Dauid therfore besought God for the chylde, and fasted and went in, and laye all nyght vpon the erthe.


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And the elders of hys house arose and went to hym, to take him vp from the erth. But he wolde not, nether dyd he eate meat wyth them.


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And it happened the seuenth daye, that the chylde dyed. And the seruauntes of Dauid durst not tell him, that the chylde was deed. For they sayd: beholde, while the chyld was yet alyue, we spake vnto hym, and he wolde not herken vnto oure voyce. Howe wyll he then vexe hym selfe, yf we tell hym, that the chylde is deed?


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But Dauid seynge hys seruauntes whysperynge, perceaued, that the chylde was deed, & Dauid sayd vnto hys seruauntes: is the chylde deed? They sayde: yee.


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And Dauid arose from the erth, and washed and anoynted him selfe, and chaunged his apparell, & came into the house of the Lorde, & worshypped, & afterward cam to hys awne house and badd that they shulde set bred before hym, and he dyd eate.


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Then sayd his seruauntes vnto hym: what thynge is thys, that thou hast done? Thou dyddest faste and wepe for the chylde, whyle it was a lyue, & as sone as it was deed, thou diddest ryse vp, and eate meate.


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He sayde: whyle the chylde was yet a lyue, I fasted and wepte. For this I thought: who can tell whether God wyll haue mercye on me, that the chylde maye lyue.


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But nowe, seynge it is deed, wherfore shulde I fast? can I brynge him agayne any moare? I shall go to hym, rather then he shall come agayne to me.


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And Dauid conforted Bethsabe his wyfe, and went in vnto her, and laye wyth her, and she bare a sonne, and called his name Salomon, and the Lorde loued hym.


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And he sent by the hande of Nathan the prophete, and called his name Iedidia, of the Lordes behalfe.


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And Ioab sent messengers to Dauid, sayeng: I haue made assawt to Raba, and haue taken the cytie wyth waters.


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Nowe therfore geather the rest of the people together, and besege the cytie, that thou mayest take it: lest I take it, and call it after my name.


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And he toke theyr kynges croune from of hys heed, which wayed an hundred wayght of golde, and in it were precyous stones. And it was set on Dauids heed. And he brought out the spoyle of the cytie in excedynge great aboundance.


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And he caryed out the people that was therin, and put them vpon sawes and vpon yron harowes, and vpon axes of yron, & thrust them into the tylekell. Thus dyd he with all the cyties of the children of Ammon. And so Dauid and all the people returned vnto Ierusalem.


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After this it chaunced that Absalom the sonne of Dauid had a fayre syster, named Thamar, whom Amnon the sonne of Dauid loued.


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And he was so sore vexed, that he fell sycke for the loue of hys syster Thamar: for she was a virgyn, and he thought it harde for hym to haue hys purpose of her.


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But Amnon had a frende, called Ionadab, the sonne of Simeah Dauids brother: and Ionadab was a very wyse man.


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And he sayde vnto him: how cometh it, that thou beyng the kinges sonne, art thus consumed euery daye? Wylt thou not tell me? Amnon answered hym: I loue Thamar my brother Absaloms syster.


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Ionadab sayde vnto him: laye the downe on thy bedde, & make thy selfe sicke. And when thy father is come to se the, saye vnto hym: Oh let my syster Thamar come, and geue me meate, & dresse it in my syght, that I maye se it and eate it of her hande.


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And so Amnon laye downe, & made hym selfe sycke. And when the kynge was come to se him, Amnon sayde vnto him: Oh let Thamar my syster come, & make me a couple of frytters in my sygth, that I maye eate of her hande.


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So Thamar wente to her brother Amnons house, and he was layed downe. And she toke floure, and made paste, and dressed frytters in his syght, & dyd bake them,


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And Amnon sayde: Haue out all men from me. And they went all out from hym. And Amnon sayde vnto Thamar: brynge the meate into the chambre, that I maye eate of thyne hand. And Thamar toke the frytters, whych she had made, & brought them into the chambre to Amnon her brother.


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And whan she had set them before him, to eate, he toke her, and sayd vnto her: come lye wt me my syster.


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And she answered him: nay my brother, do not force me, for there hath no such thinge bene done in Israel: do not thou this abhominacion.


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For whither shall I be able to go wt my shame? And thou shalt be as one of the foles in Israel. O speake vnto the kynge, and he shall not denye me vnto the.


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And then Amnon hated her excedynglye: so that the hate wher wyth he hated her, was greater then the loue, wt which he before loued her. And Amnon sayde vnto her: vp, & get the hence.


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She answered him: Thou hast no cause. This euell that thou puttest me awaye is greater then the other that thou dyddest vnto me. Neuerthelesse he wolde not heare her,


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but called his boye that serued him, & sayd: put a waye this woman from me, & bolt the dore after her.


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And she had a kirtell of diuerse coloures vpon her: for wt soche were the kynges daughters (that were virgines) appareled. Then his seruaunt brought her oute, and locked the dore after her.


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And Thamar toke & put asshes on her heed, & rent her gaye kyrtell that was on her, & layed her hande on her heed, & so went: & as she went, cryed.


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And Absalom her brother sayde vnto her: hath Amnon thy brother bene with the? Now yet be still my syster: he is thy brother. Let not this thynge greue thine hert And so Thamar remayned desolate in her brother Absaloms house.


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And Absalom sayde vnto hys brother Amnon nether good ner badd. Howbeit Absalom hated Amnon because he had forced hys syster Thamar.


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And it happened after two yere, that Absalom had shepe shearers in the playne of Hazor besyde the trybe of Ephraim, & bad all the kynges sonnes,


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and cam to the kyng, & sayd: beholde, thy seruaunt hath shepe sherers, let the kynge wt his seruauntes come to thy seruaunte.


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The king answered Absalom: naye my sonne. We will not go all, ner be chargeable vnto the. And Absalom laye sore vpon hym: howbeit he wolde not go, but blessed hym.


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Then sayd Absalom: Yf thou wylt not come, then let my brother Amnon go wt vs. And the kynge answered hym: what nedeth it, that he go wyth the?


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Nowe had Absalom commaunded his younge men, sayenge: marke when Amnons hert is mery wyth wyne & when I byd you smyte Amnon, then kyll hym: and feare not, haue not I bydden you? be bolde therfore, & playe the men.


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And the younge men of Absalom dyd vnto Amnon euen as Absalom had commaunded. And all the kynges sonnes arose, & euery man gat hym vp, vpon hys Mule, & fled.


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And it fortuned, that whyle they were yet in the waye, tydynges cam to Dauid sayeng: Absalom hath slayne all the kynges sonnes, & there is none left alyue.


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Then Dauid arose, & tare his garmentes, and laye along on the erth: & all his seruauntes stode by with theyr clothes rent.


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And Ionadab the sonne of Simeah Dauids brother, answered, and sayde: let not my Lorde suppose that they haue slayne all the younge men the kynges sonnes, saue Amnon only is deed. For that hath bene determined in Absaloms mynde, sence he forced hys syster Thamar.


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Nowe therfore, let not my Lorde the kynge take the thynge so greuouslye, to thincke that all the kinges sonnes are deed, saue Amnon only is deed.


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But Absalom fled. And the younge man that kept the watche, lyfte vp hys eyes, and loked: And beholde, ther cam moche people by a waye, a longe by the hynder parte on an hylles syde.


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And as sone as he had lefte speakynge: beholde, the kynges sonnes came, and lyfte vp theyr voyces, and wepte. The kynge also and all hys seruauntes wepte excedyngly.


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But Absalom escaped, and went to Thalmai the sonne of Amihur kynge of Gesur. And Dauid mourned for hys sonne euery daye.


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And kynge Dauid desyred to go forth vnto Absalom: For where as Amnon was deed, he was comforted ouer hym.


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& he sent to Thekoa, and fett thence a wyse woman, and sayde vnto her: fayne thy selfe to be a mourner, and put on mournynge apparell. And anoynt not thy self with oyle. but be as a woman that had longe tyme mourned for some deed bodye.


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And come to the kynge, and speake of thys maner vnto hym. And so Ioab taught her what she shuld saye


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And when the woman of Thekoa had fallen on her face to the grounde, and done obeysaunce, she sayde vnto the kynge: helpe me O kynge.


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And thy handmayde had two sonnes, and they two fought together in the felde, (where was no man to go betwene them) but the one smote the other and slewe hym.


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And beholde, the whole kynred is rysen agaynst thy handmayde, and they sayd: delyuer vs him that smote hys brother: that we maye kyll hym for the soule of his brother whome he slue. We will destroye the heyre also. And so they shall quenche my sparkle whych is left, that he shall stere vp (to my husbande) nether name ner issue vpon the erth.


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And the woman of Thekoa sayde vnto the kynge: My Lorde O kynge, thys trespace be on me and on my fathers house, and the kynge and hys seate be giltlesse.


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And the kynge sayd: yf any man saye ought vnto the, bryng hym to me, and he shall hurte the no moare.


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Then sayde she: lett the kynge remember hys Lorde God, that the auenger of the bloude geather not on heapes together to destroye, and that they slaye not my sonne. And he answered: as sure as the Lorde lyueth there shall not one heere of thy sonne fall to the erthe.


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The woman sayde: let thyne handmayde speake one worde moare vnto my Lorde the kynge. And he sayde: saye on.


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The woman sayde: wherfore then hast thou determined such a thyng agaynst the people of God? For the kyng doth speake this thynge as one which is fautye, that he shulde not fett agayne hys banesshed.


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For we must nedes dye, & perysh as water spylt on the grounde, which cannot be geathered vp agayne: Neither doth God spare any soule. Let the kynge therfore fynde the meanes, that hys banysshed be not vtterly expelled from hym.


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Nowe therfore am I come, to speake of this thing vnto the kynge my Lorde: For they that be of the people, haue feared me. And thy handmayde sayde: Nowe wyll I speake vnto the kyng, parauenture the kynge will perfourme the request of his handmayde.


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And the kinge shall heare his handmayde, to delyuer her out of the hande of the man that wolde haue destroyed me and also my sonne out of the enheritaunce of God.


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And thyne handmayde sayde: the worde of my Lorde the kynge shall nowe be confortable? For my Lorde the kynge is as an Angel of God, in hearyng of good and badd: therfore the Lorde thy God be with the.


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Then the kynge answered, & sayde vnto the woman: hyde not from me (I praye the) the thynge that I shall aske the: And the woman sayde: let my Lorde the kyng nowe saye on.


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And the kynge sayde: Is not the hande of Ioab wyth the in all this matter? The woman answered, and sayde: as sure as thy soule lyueth my Lorde kynge, there is els no man (on the ryght hande nor on the leaft) but as my Lorde the kynge hath spoken, thy seruaunt Ioab he bad me, and he put all these wordes in the mouthe of thyne handmayde.


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For to the intent that I shulde alter my communicacyon, hath thy seruaunt Ioab done this thinge. And my Lord is wise, euen as an Angell of God, to vnderstand all thynges that are in the erthe.


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And the kynge sayde vnto Ioab beholde, I am content to do this thing. Go, and fett home the chylde Absalom agayne.


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And Ioab fell to the grounde on his face, and bowed hym selfe, & blessed the kynge And Ioab sayde: nowe thy seruaunt knoweth, that I haue founde grace in thy syght (my Lorde O kynge) in that the kynge hath fulfylled the request of hys seruaunt.


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And the kyng sayd: let him turne to hys awne house, and not se my face. And so Absalom returned to hys awne house, and sawe not the kynges face.


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But in all Israel there was not so goodlye a man as Absalom, for he was very bewtifull: in so moche that from the sole of his fote to the toppe of his heed, there was no blemeshe in him.


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And when he shaued hys heed (for at euery yeares end he shaued it, because the heer was heute on hym and must nedes shaue it) the heere of his heed wayed two hundred cycles after the kynges weyght.


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And this Absalom had thre sonnes borne him and one daughter, named Thamar, whyche was afayre, woman to loke vpon.


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Therfore Absalom sent for Ioab, to haue sent hym to the kinge. But he wolde not come to him. And whan he sent agayne, he wolde not come.


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Therfore he sayde vnto hys seruauntes: beholde, Ioab hath a parcell of lande fast by my place, and he hath barlye therin. Go, and set it on fire. And Absaloms seruauntes sett it on fyre.


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Then Ioab arose & came to Absalom vnto his house, & sayde vnto him: wherfore haue thy seruauntes burnt my felde wyth fyre.


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And Absalom answered Ioab: beholde, I sent for the, desyringe the to come, because I wolde haue sent the to the kinge, for to saye: wherfore am I come from Gesur. It had bene better for me, to haue bene there styll. Nowe therfore, wolde I se the kynges face. And yf there be any trespace in me, kyll thou me.


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And so Ioab came to the kynge, & tolde him: whych whan he had sent for Absalom, he came to the kynge, and fell to the grounde on hys face before hym. And the kynge kyssed Absalom.


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After this it fortuned, that Absalom gatt hym charettes and horsses, and fyftie men to runne before him.


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And he roase vp erlye in the morninges, and stode in the place of the entring in of the gate. And euery man that had anye matter and came to the kynge for iudgement, him dyd Absalom call vnto hym, and sayde: of what cytie art thou? He answered: thy seruaunt is of one of the trybes of Israel.


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And Absalom sayde vnto hym: se, thy matter is good and ryghteous, but there is no man deputed of the kynge to heare the.


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Absalom sayde moreouer: Oh, that I were made iudge in the lande, that euery man which hath anye pleye and matter in the lawe, myght come to me, and that I myght do him iustice?


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And whan any man came nye to hym, and dyd him obeysaunce, he put forth his hande and toke hym to hym, and kyssed hym.


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And on this maner dyd Absalom to all Israel that came to the kynge for Iudgement, and he stale the hertes of the men of Israel.


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And after fourtye yeres it fortuned that Absalom sayde vnto the kynge: let me go nowe to Hebron, and paye 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 the lande of Siria) sayeng: yf the Lord shall bringe me agayne to Ierusalem, I will serue the Lord.


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But Absalom sent spyes thorowe out all the tribes of Israel sayenge: as sone as ye heare the voyce of the trompet blowe, ye shall saye: Absalom raigneth kynge in Hebron.


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And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Ierusalem, that were called. And they went wt pure hertes, not knowinge of any thynge.


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And Absalom sent also for Ahithophel the Gilonite Dauids counseller, that he shulde come out of hys cytie Gilo, whyle he offered sacrifyces. And there was wrought stronge treason. For the people went and increased wt Absalom in multitude.


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And there cam a messenger to Dauid & sayd: the hertes of the men of Israel are turned after Absalom.


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And Dauid sayde vnto all his seruauntes that were wt him at Ierusalem: vp, that we maye be gone, for we shall not else escape from Absalom. Make spede, to departe: leste he come sodenlie, and catche vs, & bringe some myscheffe vpon vs, and smyte the cytie with the edge of the swerde.


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And the kynges seruauntes sayde vnto him: beholde, thy seruauntes are redye, to do whatsoeuer my Lord the kyng shall apoynte.


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And the kynge & all his housholde departed a fote. And he left behinde hym ten concubines, to kepe the house.


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And all his seruauntes went about him. And all the Cerethites and all the Phelethites and all the Gethites (euen .vj. hundred men whych were come a fote from Geth) went before the kynge.


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Then sayde the kynge to Ithai the Gethite, wherfore commest thou wyth vs? Returne and abide with the kynge, for thou art a straunger, and art remoued from thyne awne place.


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Thou camest but yesterdaye, and shulde I vnquyet the to daye to go wt vs? I wyll go whether I can. Therfore returne thou, & carye agayne thy brethren. Mercye and truthe.


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And Ithai answered the kynge and sayd: as trulye as God lyueth & as my Lord the kinge lyueth, in what place my Lord the kynge shalbe, whether in deeth or lyfe, euen there also wyll thy seruaunt be.


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And Dauid the kynge sayde to Ithai: come then and go forwarde. And Ithai the Gethite went forth, & all hys men, & all the chyldren that were wt hym.


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And all the countreye wepte wyth a loude voyce, & so dyd all the people that went forth. The kynge also hym selfe passed ouer the broke Kydron. And all the people went towarde the waye that leadeth to the wyldernesse.


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And Sadock and all the Leuites were wyth him, and bare the arcke of the apoyntment of God. And there they set downe the Arcke of God. And Abiathar went vp, vntill the people were all come ouer, out of the cytie.


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And the kynge sayde vnto Sadock. Carye the Arcke of God agayne into the cytie. If I shall fynde fauoure in the eyes of the Lorde, he will bringe me agayne, and shewe me both it, & the tabernacle therof.


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But and yf the Lorde thus saye: I haue no lust vnto the, beholde, here am I, let him do wyth me, what semeth good in his eyes.


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The kynge sayde also vnto Sadock the preaste: Art not thou a Sear? Returne into the citie in peace. And take your two sonnes wyth you: Ahimaaz thy sonne, and Ionathas the sonne of Abiathar.


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Beholde, I will tarye in the feldes of the wyldernesse, vntyll there come some worde from you to be tolde me.


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And Dauid went vpon mount olyuet, and wepte as he went, and had his heed couered, & went barefote. And all the people that was wyth hym, had euery man hys heed couered, and as they went vp, they wepte also.


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And one tolde Dauid sayenge: Ahithophel is one of them that haue conspired wyth Absalom. And Dauid sayde. O Lorde, turne the councell of Ahithophel into folyshenes.


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When Dauid was come to the toppe of the mount he worshypped God: and beholde, Husai the Arachite came agaynst hym with hys coote torne, and hauynge erth vpon his heed.


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But yf thou returne to the cytie, & saye vnto Absalom: I wyll be thy seruaunt O kynge: (as I haue thus longe bene thy fathers seruaunt, so am I nowe thy seruaunt) thou mayst for my sake destroye the councell of Ahithophel.


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And thou hast there with the Sadock and Abiathar the Preastes, vnto whom thou shalt shewe all that thou canst heare out of the kynges house.


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And beholde, they haue there wyth them theyr two sonnes: Ahimaaz Sadockes sonne, and Ionathas Abiathars sonne: by them also shall ye sende me all that ye can heare.


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And when Dauid was a lytle past the toppe of the hyll: beholde Ziba the seruaunt of Miphiboseth came to mete hym with a couple of Asses sadeled, and vpon them two hundred loues and one hundred bonches of Resynges, and an hundred frayles of dryed fygges, and a bottell of wyne.


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And the kyng sayd vnto Ziba: what meanest thou wyth these? And Ziba sayde. They be Asses for the kynges houshold to ryde on, and bread and frute for the younge men to eate, and wyne: that such as be faynt in the wyldernesse, maye drynk.


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And the kynge sayde: where is thy masters sonne? Ziba answered vnto the kynge: beholde, he taryeth styll at Ierusalem. For he sayde: thys daye shall the house of Israel restore me the kyngdome of my father.


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Then sayde the kyng to Ziba, beholde, thyne are all that pertayned vnto Miphiboseth. And Ziba sayde: I do homage to the. I beseche the that I maye fynde grace in thy syght, my Lorde, O kynge.


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And when kynge Dauid came to Bahurim: beholde, thence cam out a man of the kynred of the house of Saul, named Semei the sonne of Gera, and he cam out cursynge.


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And he cast stones at Dauid, and at all the seruauntes of kynge Dauid: And all the people also and all the men of warre were on hys ryght hande, and on hys lefte,


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And thus sayde Semei whan he cursed: come forthe, come forth thou bloude sheder, and thou man of Belyall.


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The Lorde hath brought vpon the all the bloude of the house of Saul, in whose steade thou hast raygned, and the Lord hath delyuered the kyngdom into the hande of Absalom thy sonne. And beholde thou art come to thy mischeffe, because thou art a bloudesheder.


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Then sayde Abisai the sonne of Zaruia vnto the kynge: why doth thys deed dogg cursse my Lorde the kynge? let me go nowe, and take of the heed of hym.


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And the kynge sayde: what haue I to do wyth you ye sonnes of Zaruia: let hym cursse: for the Lorde hath bydden hym cursse Dauid, Who dare then saye: Wherfore hast thou done so?


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And Dauid sayde to Abisai, and to all his seruauntes, beholde, my sonne whych cam of myne awne bodye, seketh my lyfe. How moche more then maye thys sonne of Iemini do it? Suffre him to cursse for the Lord hath bydden him:


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haplye the Lorde wyll loke on my wepyng eyes & wretchednesse, & do me good for hys curssynge this daye.


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And as Dauid and his men went by the waye, Semei went alonge on the hylles syde ouer agaynst hym, & curssed as he went, and threwe stones at him, and cast dust.


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And as sone as Husai the Arachite was come vnto Absalom, he sayde vnto hym: God saue the kynge, God saue the kyng.


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And Absalom sayde agayne to Husai: is this the kyndnesse thou owest to thy frende? Why wentest thou not wyth hym?


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Husai answered vnto Absalom: naye not so, but whom the Lorde and this people and all the men of Israel chose, hys will I be, and with hym wyll I dwell.


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Moreouer, vnto whome shall I do seruice, but euen to hys sonne? And as I was seruaunt before wt thy father, euen so shall I be with the.


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And Ahithophell sayde vnto Absalom: get the in vnto thy fathers concubines, which he hath lefte to kepe the house. And all Israel shall heare, that thou art cast out of thy father: then shall the handes of all that are wyth the, be stronge.


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And so they pitched Absalom a tent vpon the toppe of the house. And he went in vnto hys fathers concubynes in the syght of all Israel.


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And the councell of Ahithophel which he counceled in those dayes, was as a man had asked councell of God: euen so was all the councell of Ahithophel, both wyth Dauid and wyth Absalom.


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Ahithophel sayde vnto Absalom: let me chose out nowe twelue thousande men. And I will vp, & folowe after Dauid thys nyght.


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And I wyll come vpon hym, whyle he is werye and weake handed, and wyll feare hym: And all the people that are with hym, shall flee. And so will I smyte the kynge onlye,


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and wyll bryng agayne all the people vnto the, euen as easely as yf I wolde brynge anye other thing. And whan I haue slayne the man whom thou sekest, all the people shall haue rest.


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When Husai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake vnto hym, sayinge: Ahithophel hath geuen soche councell: Shall we do after his saying, or no? tell thou.


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For (sayd Husai) thou knowest thy father, & his men, howe that they be strong. And they be chafed in their myndes, and are euen as a Beare robbed of her whelpes in the felde. Thy father is a man also practised in warre, & maketh no tarienge with the people.


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Beholde he lurketh now in some caue, or in some other stronge place. And though some of his men be ouerthrowen at the fyrst brunt, yet they that heare it will saye: The people that foloweth Absalom, be put to the worsse.


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And the best men thou hast whose herttes are as the hertes of Lyons, shall shrynke therat. For all Israel knoweth, that thy father is a myghtye man, and they whych be wyth him are all men of warre.


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Therfore my councell is, that all Israel be geathered vnto the, from Dan to Beerseba, (which are as the sande of the see in nombre) and that thou go to batayle in thyne awne person.


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For so shall we come vpon him in one place or other, where we shall fynde hym, & we will fall vpon him euen as thicke as the dewe falleth on the grounde. And of all the men that are wyth hym, we shall not leaue hym one.


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Moreouer, yf he be gotten into a towne then shall all the men of Israel bringe ropes to that cytie, and we wyll drawe it into the ryuer, vntyll there be not one stone founde there.


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And Absalom and all the men of Israel sayde: the councell of Husai the Arachite is better, then the councell of Ahithophell. For it was euen the Lordes determinaycon to destroye the good councell of Ahithophel: that the Lorde myght brynge euell vpon Absalom.


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Then sayde Husai vnto Sadock and Abiathar the Preastes of this and that maner dyd Ahithophel and the elders of Israel councell Absalom. And thus and thus haue I counceled.


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Nowe therfore send quicklye, and shewe Dauid saying tarye not all nyght in the feldes of the wyldernesse, but gett the ouer, lest the kynge be deuoured and all the people that are wt hym.


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Nowe Ionathas and Ahimaaz abode by the well Rogell: (for they myght not be sene to come into the cytie.) And a wenche went and tolde them. And they went, & shewed kynge Dauid.


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Neuerthelesse a lad sawe them, and tolde it to Absalom. But they went both of them awaye quycklye, and cam to a mannes house in Bahurim, which had a well in his yarde into the whych they went downe.


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And a woman toke and sprede a couerlet ouer the welles mouth, and strawed fyrmentie corne theron. And the thynge was not spyed.


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And when Absaloms seruauntes came to the wyfe to the house, they sayde. Where is Ahimaaz & Ionathas? The woman answered them they be gone ouer the lytell broke of water. And when they had sought them and coulde not fynde them, they returned to Ierusalem.


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And as sone as they were departed, the other came out of the well, and went and tolde kynge Dauid, and sayde vnto hym: vp, and get you quyckly ouer the water for soche councel hath Ahithophel geuen, agaynst you.


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Then Dauid arose, & all the people that were wt hym, and they were come ouer Iordan be that it was daye: so that there lacked not one of them, that was not come ouer Iordan.


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And when Ahithophel sawe, that his councell was not folowed, he sadelled his Asse, & arose, & gate hym home to hys awne house, and to hys awne cytie, and put hys housholde in order, and hanged him selfe, and dyed, and was buryed in the sepulchre of hys father.


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And Absalom made Amasa captayne of the hoste in stede of Ioab, whych Amasa was a mannes sonne named Iethra an Israhelite, that went into Abigail the daughter of Nahas syster to Zeruia Ioabs mother.


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And when Dauid was come to Mahanaim, Sobi the sonne of Nahas out of Rabba the citie of the children of Ammon, & Machir the sonne of Ammiel out of Lodeber, and Berzelai the Gileadite out of Roglim,


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brought beddes, basens, erthen vesselles, wheat & barly, floure, and parched corne, beanes, rice, ootmell, hony,


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butter, shepe and chese of kyene, for Dauid and all the people that were with him, to eate. For they sayd: The people is hongrye, weerye, and thyrstye in the wyldernesse.


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And Dauid nombred the people that were wyth hym, and sett captaynes of thousandes and of hundredes ouer them.


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And Dauid sent forth the thirde parte of the people vnder the hande of Ioab, and another parte vnder the hande of Abisai the sonne of Zeruia Ioabs brother, and the other thyrde parte vnder the hande of Ithai the Gethite. And the kynge sayde vnto the people: I wyll go with you also.


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And the people answered: Thou shalt not go forth: for yf we fle, oure aduersaries will not care for vs: nether shall they regard vs, though halfe vs were slayne: but thou art worth ten thousande of vs: Wherfore it is better, that thou succoure vs out of the cytie.


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And the kynge sayde vnto them: what semeth you best, that wyll I do. And the kynge stode by the gate syde, and all the people came out by hundredes and by thousandes.


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And the kynge commaunded Ioab & Abisai, & Ithai sayeng: intreate the younge man Absalom gently for my sake. And all the people hearde, that the kynge gaue all the captaynes charge concernynge Absalom.


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And so the people went out into the felde agaynst Israel, and the battel was in the woode of Ephraim:


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Where the people of Israel were put to the worsse before the seruauntes of Dauid, & there was a great slaughter that daye, euen of twentye thousande men.


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For the felde was fought there in dyuerse places, all abroade vpon the erthe. And the wodd deuoured moo people that daye, than dyd the swerde.


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And Absalom came before the seruauntes of Dauid rydynge vpon a Mule, whych caryed hym vnder the thicke bowes of a great Oke. And his heed was caught of the Oke, and he was lifte vp betwene heuen & erthe: & the Mule that was vnder hym, went his waye.


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and Ioab sayde vnto the man that tolde him. Yf thou dydest se hym, why dydest not thou there smyte him to the ground, & I wold haue geuen the ten sicles of siluer, & a girdle?


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The man sayde vnto Ioab: though thou woldest laye a thousande sycles of syluer in my hande, yet wolde I not stretche out myne hande agaynst the kynges sonne. For we hearde with oure eares when the kynge charged the, and Abisai and Ithai, sayenge: Beware, that none touch the younge man Absalom:


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Moreouer, yf I had done it, I shulde haue done agaynst myne owne life: for there is no matter hyd from the kinge: yee and thou thy selfe woldest haue bene agaynst me.


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Then sayde Ioab: I may not stande thus taryeng wyth the. And he toke thre speares in his hande, & thrust them thorowe Absalom, while he was yet a lyue on the bodye of the tree.


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And when Ioab blewe the trompet, the people returned from folowynge Israel: for Ioab spared the people.


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And they toke Absalom, and cast hym into a great pytt in the wood, & layed a myghtie great heape of stones vpon hym. And all Israel fled to their tentes.


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And thys Absalom yet in hys lyfe tyme toke counsell & reared vp a piller, whyche is in kynges dale. For he sayd: I haue no sonne. And therfore to kepe my name in remembraunce do I it. And he called the pyller after hys awne name. And it is called vnto thys daye: Absaloms pyller.


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Then sayde Ahimaaz the sonne of Sadock: let me runne nowe, and beare the kyng tydinges, how that the Lorde hath iudged hym quyte of the hande of hys enemyes.


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And Ioab sayd vnto hym: thou art no man to beare good tydynges to daye: thou shalt beare tydynges another tyme: but to daye thou shalt beare none, because the kynges sonne is deed.


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Then sayde Ioab to Chusi: go and tell the kynge, what thou hast sene: And Chusi bowed him selfe vnto Ioab, and ranne.


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Then sayd Ahimaaz the sonne of Sadock agayne to Ioab: come what come wyll, let me also runne after Chusi. And Ioab sayd: Wherfore wilt thou runne my sonne? seing that for the tydynges thou shalt haue no rewarde: well (sayde he) come what will, let me runne.


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And Dauid sat betwene the two gates. And the watcheman went vp to the rouffe ouer the gate vnto the walle, & lyfte vp hys eyes, and sawe: & beholde, there cam a man runnynge alone.


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And the watcheman cryed, & tolde the kynge. And the kynge sayde: yf he be alone, there is good tydinges in his mouth. And he came, & drewe nye.


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And the watcheman sawe another man runnynge, and he called vnto the porter and sayde: beholde, there commeth another man runnynge alone. And the kynge sayde: he is also a tydinges brynger.


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And the watcheman sayde. me thynketh the runnynge of the formost is lyke the runnynge of Ahimaaz the sonne of Sadock The kynge sayde: he is a good man, and commeth with good tydinges.


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And Ahimaaz called, & sayde vnto the kynge: good tydinges, and he fell downe flatt to the erth vpon his face before the kynge, and sayde: blessed be the Lorde thy God, which hath shutt vp the men that lyft vp their handes agaynst my Lorde the kynge.


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And the kynge sayde: is the younge man Absalom safe? Ahimaaz answered: When Ioab sent (Chusi) the kynges seruaunt, and me thy seruaunt, I sawe much a doo. But I whotte not what it was.


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And beholde, Chusi came also, and sayde: Good tydinges my Lorde the kynge, For the Lorde hath quytte the thys daye out of the hande of all them that rose agaynst the.


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And the Kynge sayde vnto Chusi. Is the younge man Absalom safe? Chusi answered: The enemyes of my Lord the kynge, and all that ryse agaynst the, to do the hurt, be as that younge man is.


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And the kynge was moued, and went vp to a chambre ouer the gate, and wept. And as he went, thus he sayde: O my sonne Absalom, my sonne, my sonne Absalom, wolde God I had dyed for the: O Absalom my sonne, my sonne.


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And the victorie of that daye was turned into mournynge vnto all the people. For the people hearde saye that daye, howe the kynge sorowed for hys sonne.


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And the people stale awaye that daye from goynge into the cytie, as people confounded stele awaye, when they flee in battel.


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But the kynge hyd his face, and cryed with a loude voyce. O my sone Absalom, O Absalon my sonne, my sonne.


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And Ioab came into the house to the kynge, and sayde: thou hast shamed this daye the faces of all thy seruauntes, which this daye haue saued thy lyfe, and the lyues of thy sonnes and of thy daughters, & the lyues of thy wiues, and of thy concubynes,


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in that thou louest thyne enemyes, and hatest thy frendes. For thou hast declared thys daye, that thou regardest nether thy Lordes nor seruauntes. And this daye I do perceaue, that yf Absalom had lyued, & all we had dyed this daye, that had pleased the well.


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Nowe therfore vp, and come out, and speake kyndely vnto thy seruauntes: For I swere by the Lorde, except thou come out, there will not tarye one man with the thys nyght. And that wilbe worsse vnto the, then all the euell that fell on the from thy youth vnto thys houre.


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Then the kynge arose, and satt downe in the Gate. And they tolde vnto all the people, sayinge: Beholde, the kynge doth sytt in the Gate. And all the people came before the kinge. But Israel fled, euery man to hys tent.


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And it fortuned that all the people were at stryffe thorowe out all the trybes of Israel, sayinge: the kyng saued vs out of the hande of oure enemyes, he delyuered vs out of the hande of the Philistines, and nowe he is fleed out of the lande for Absalom.


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But Absalom whom we anoynted ouer vs, is deed in battell. Therfore, why are ye so styll, that ye brynge not the kynge agayne?


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And kyng Dauid sent to Sadock and Abiathar the preastes, sayinge: speake vnto the elders of Iuda & saye: why are ye behynde, to brynge the kynge agayne to his house, seynge that soch tydinges is come from all Israel vnto the kynge euen to hys house?


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Ye are my brethren, my bones & my fleshe: wherfore then are ye the last that bringe the kynge home agayne?


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And saye ye to Amasa: art thou not of my bone & of my fleshe? God do so and so to me, yf thou be not captayne of the host to me for euer in the roume of Ioab.


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And he bowed the hertes of all the men of Iuda, euen, as the hert of one man: so that they sent this worde to the kyng: Returne thou with all thy seruauntes.


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So the kynge returned, & came to Iordan. And Iuda came to Gilgal, for to go downe to mete the kynge, & to conueye him ouer Iordan.


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And Simei the sonne of Gera, the sonne of Iemini, whych was of Bahurim, hasted, and came with the men of Iuda to mete king Dauid,


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and there were a thousande men of Beniamin wt hym, & Ziba the seruaunt of the house of Saul and his .xv. sonnes and twentye seruauntes with him. And they went quyckly ouer Iordan before the kynge. And there went ouer a boate


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that caryed ouer the kynges housholde and they dyd him pleasure. And Simei the sonne of Gera fell before the kynge (as he was come ouer Iordan)


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and sayde vnto him: let not my Lorde impute wickednesse vnto me, ner remember the thinges (that they seruaunt dyd wickedly when my Lorde the kyng departed out of Ierusalem) that the kyng shulde take it to herte.


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For thy seruaunt doth knowe, howe that I haue done amysse. And therfore beholde, I am the fyrst this daye of all the house of Ioseph, that am come to go downe, to mete my Lorde the kynge.


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But Abisai the sonne of Zeruia answered, and sayde: shall not Semei dye for this, because he cursed the Lords anoynted?


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And Dauid sayde: what matter is betwene you and me ye sonnes of zeruia? For thys daye ye be aduersaryes vnto me. Shall there any man dye this daye in Israel? Do not I knowe, that I am this daye kynge ouer Israel?


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And Miphiboseth the sonne of Saul came also to mete the kynge, & had nether wasshed his fete, ner shauen his beerde, ner wasshed his clothes from the tyme the kynge departed, vntyll he came agayne in peace.


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And it fortuned that when he was come to Ierusalem, and mett the kynge, the kynge sayde vnto him: wherfore wentest not thou wyth me Miphiboseth?


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He answered: my Lorde, O kynge, my seruaunt deceaued me. For thy seruaunt sayde I wolde haue mine Asse sadled to ryde theron, for to go to the kynge, because thy seruaunt is lame.


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And Ziba hath falsely reported of thy seruaunt vnto my Lorde the kynge. And my Lorde the kynge is as an angel of God: do therfore what semeth good in thine eyes.


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For all my fathers house were but deed men before my Lorde the kynge: and yet dydest thou put thy seruaunt amonge them that dyd eate at thyne awne table. What ryght therfore haue I yet, to crye any more vnto the kynge?


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And the kynge sayde vnto him: Why speakest thou yet in thyne awne cause? I haue sayde: thou and Ziba deuide the landes betwene you.


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And Miphiboseth sayde vnto the kynge: yee lett him take all: for so moch as my Lorde the kynge is come agayne in peace vnto his awne house.


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And Berselai the Gileadite came downe from Roglim, and went ouer Iordan with the kyng, to convaye him ouer Iordan:


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Berselai was a very aged man, euen foure skore yere olde, & prouyded the kynge of sustenaunce, whyle he laye at Mahanaim: for he was a man of verye great substaunce.


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And Berselai sayde vnto the kynge: I am thus olde, and howe am I able to go vp with the kynge vnto Ierusalem?


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I am this daye foure skore yere olde: and can I decerne betwene good and euell? Hath thy seruaunt any tast in that he eateth or drincketh? Can he heare any more the voyce of synginge men & women? Wherfore then shulde thy seruaunt be yet a burthen vnto my Lorde the kynge?


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Thy seruaunt will go a lytle waye ouer Iordan with the kynge: and why wyll the kynge recompence it me with soch a rewarde?


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O let thy seruaunt turne back agayne, that I maye dye in myne awne cytie, and (be buryed) in the graue of my father and of my mother. Beholde, here is thy seruaunt Chimeam: let him go with my Lorde the kynge, and do to him, what shall please the:


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And the kynge answered: Chimeam shall go with me. And I will do to him that thou shalt be content with. And whatsoeuer thou shalt requyre of me, that same will I do for the.


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And all the people went ouer Iordan. And when the kynge was come ouer Iordan, he kyssed Berselai, and blessed him, & he went backe agayne vnto his awne place.


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And then the kynge went to Gilgal, and Chimeam went with him, & so dyd all the people of Iuda, and brought ouer the kynge, and there were but halfe the men of Israel.


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And beholde, all the men of Israel came to the kynge, and sayde vnto him, why haue oure brethren the men of Iuda stolen the awaye and haue brought the kyng & his housholde, and all Dauids men with him ouer Iordan?


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And all the men of Iuda answered the men of Israel: the kynge is nere of kynne to vs: wherfore be ye angrye for that matter? thynke ye that we eate of the kynges cost, or that we take vs any gyftes?


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And the men of Israel answered the men of Iuda and sayde: we haue ten partes in the kynge, & haue therto more ryght to Dauid then ye. Why then dyd ye despyse vs, that oure aduise shulde not be fyrst had in restoringe oure kynge agayne? And the wordes of the men of Iuda were fearcer, then the wordes of the men of Israel.


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Whan there cam thither a certayne man of Belial (named Seba, the sonne of Bichri, a man of gemini) he blew a trompet & sayde: we haue no parte in Dauid, neither haue we enheritaunce in the sonne of Isai, let the men of Israel departe vnto there tentes.


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And so euery man of Israel went from Dauid, and folowed Seba the sonne of Bichri. But the men of Iuda claue fast vnto their kynge, from Iordan to Ierusalem.


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And Dauid came to his house to Ierusalem, and toke the ten women his concubines, that he had left behynde him to kepe the house, and put them in warde, and fedd them: but laye no moare wyth them. And so they were enclosed vnto the daye of their deeth, lyuynge in wedowhode.


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Then sayde the kynge to Amasa: call me the men of Iuda togeather agaynst the thirde daye, and be thou here also.


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And so Amasa went to gather the men of Iuda to geather: but taried longer, then the tyme which he had appoynted him.


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And Dauid sayde to Abisai: nowe shall Seba the sonne of Bichri do vs more harme, then dyd Absalom. Take thou therfore thy Lordes seruauntes, & folowe after him: lest he gett him walled cyties, and escape vs.


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And there went out after hym Ioabs men, and the Crethites and the Phelethites, and all the myghtiest men. And they departed out of Ierusalem to folowe after Seba the sonne of Bichri.


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And when they were at the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa went before them. And Ioabs garment (that he had about him) was gyrde vnto him, and he had gyrded theron, a knyfe, which was ioyned fast to hys loynes, in soch a sheth that (as he went) it fell some tymes out.


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And Ioab sayde to Amasa: art thou in health my brother? And Ioab toke Amasa by the chynne with the ryght hande, to kysse hym.


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But Amasa toke no hede to the knyffe that was in Ioabs hande, for therwith he smote hym in the short rybbes, and shed out hys bowelles to the grounde, and thrust at him nomore, and he dyed. So Ioab and Abisai his brother folowed after Seba the sonne of Bichri.


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And one of Ioabs men stode by him, and sayde: He that beareth any fauoure to Ioab, or good will to Dauid, let him go after Ioab?


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And Amasa laye walowed in bloude, in the myddes of the waye. And there was a man, which when he sawe that all the people stode styll, he rowled Amasa out of the waye into the felde, & cast a cloth vpon him, because he sawe that euery one that came, stode styll by hym.


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And as sone as he was tombeled out of the waye, all the people went after Ioab, to folowe after Seba the sonne of Bichri.


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And he went thorowe all the trybes of Israel vnto Abel, and to Bethmaacha and all the places of Barim. And they geathered together, and went after him.


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And they came, & beseged him in Abel & in Bethmaacha And they cast vp a bancke agaynst the cytie that stode in the valleye. 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 cytie, heare heare, byd Ioab come hither, that I maye speake with hym.


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When Ioab was come vnto her, the woman sayde: art thou Ioab? He answered: I am he. She sayde vnto him: heare the wordes of thy handmayde? And he answered: I do heare.


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And she sayde agayne: They spake in the olde tyme, sayinge: men must aske peace first, how moche rather shulde they so do to Abell? For so haue they contynued hytherto:


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I am one of them that are peaceable and faythfull in Israel. And thou goest about to destroye a citie and a mother in Israel. Why wilt thou deuoure the enheritaunce of the Lorde?


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And Ioab answered, and sayde: God forbyd, God forbid it me, that I shulde ether deuoure or destroye.


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The matter is not so: but a man of mount Ephraim (Seba the sonne of Bichri by name) hath lyfte vp his hande agaynst the kynge, euen against Dauid. Delyuer vs him only, and I will departe from the cytie. And the woman sayde vnto Ioab: Beholde, his heed shalbe throwen to the, ouer the wall.


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And then the woman went vnto all the people with her wisdome. And they smote of the heed of Seba the sonne of Bichri, and cast it out to Ioab. And he blewe a trompet, and they skatered from the cytie, euery man to his tent. And Ioab returned to Ierusalem, vnto the kynge.


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Ioab was ouer all the hoste of Israel. And Banaia the sonne of Iehoiada was ouer the Crethites & Phelethites.


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Then there fell an hongre in the dayes of Dauid, thre yeres together. And Dauid enquired of the Lorde. And the Lorde answered: it is for Saul, and the house of bloude, because he slue the Gibaonites.


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And the kynge called the Gibaonites, & sayde vnto them (Nowe the Gibaonites were, not of the chyldren of Israel, but a remnaunt of the Ammorites, and the chyldren of Israel sware vnto them: And Saul sought to sley them, for a zele that he had to the children of Israel and of Iuda.)


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Wherfore Dauid sayde vnto them, what shall I do for you, and wherwith shall I make the attonement, that ye maye blesse the enheritaunce of the Lorde?


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The Gibaonites answered him: we wyll haue no syluer ner gold, of Saul ner of hys house: nether is it oure mynde, that thou shuldest kyll any man in Israel. He sayde: what saye ye then that I shall do for you?


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They answered the kinge: the man that consumed vs, & ymagened to brynge vs to nought him will we destroye, that nought of him continewe in any of the coastes of Israel.


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Let seuen men of his sonnes be delyuered vnto vs, and we will hange them vp vnto the Lorde, in Gibeah of Saul, whom the Lorde dyd chose. And the kynge sayde: I will geue them you.


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But the kynge had compassyon on Miphiboseth the sonne of Ionathas, the sonne of Saul, because of the Lords othe that was betwene them: euen betwene Dauid and Ionathas the sonne of Saul.


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But he toke the two sonnes of Rizpa the daughter of Aia (whom she bare vnto Saul) euen Armoni and Miphiboseth, & the fyue sonnes of Michol (the daughter of Saul) whom she bare to Adriel the sonne of Barselai the Meholathite.


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And he delyuered them vnto the handes of the Gibeonites, which hanged them in the hill before the Lorde. And they fell all seuen togeather, and were slayne in the dayes of heruest: euen in the fyrst dayes, and in the beginnynge of Barley heruest:


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And Rizpa the daughter of Aia toke sackclothe and hanged it vp for them vpon the Rocke, euen from the begynninge of haruest vntyll rayne dropped vpon them out of heuen: and suffered nether the byrddes of the Ayre to fall on them by daye, nor beastes of the felde by nyght.


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and Dauid went, & toke the bones of Saul and of Ionathas his sonne, from the men of Iabes in Gilead (which had stolen them from the strete of Bethsan, where the Philistines had hanged them when the Philistines had slayne Saul in Gilboa.)


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And he brought thence the bones of Saul, and the bones of Ionathas his sonne, & they toke vp the bones of them that were hanged.


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And the bones of Saul and Ionathas hys sonne buryed they in the contrey of Beniamin, in Zela, in the sepulchre of Cis hys father. And when they had performed all that the kynge commaunded. God was then at one with the lande.


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It fortuned, that the Philistines had yet warre agayne with Israel. And Dauid went downe & his seruauntes with hym, & fought agaynst the Philistines. And Dauid waxed fayntie,


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and Iesby of Nob one of the sonnes of the gyauntes (the yron of whose speare wayed thre hundred sycles, and he beynge gyrded with a newe swerde) thought to haue slayne Dauid.


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But Abisai the sonne of Zaruia succoured hym, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the seruauntes of Dauid sware vnto him, sayinge: Thou shalt go no moare out with vs to battell, that thou quench not the lyght of Israel.


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And yet after this, there was a battell with the Philistines at Nob, and then Sibbechai the Husathite slewe Saph which was one of the sonnes of the giauntes.


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And there was yet another battell in Nob with the Philistines, where Elhanam the sonne of Iaere Orgim, a Bethlemite slue one Goliath a Gethite: the staffe of whose speare was as great as a weuers cloth beame.


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And there was yet another battell in Geth where was a man of a great stature, & had on euery hand .vj. fyngers and on euery fote .vj. toes .xxiiij. in all. And was borne also of the kynred of the giauntes in Geth.


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These foure giauntes were borne in Geth, & fell into the hande of Dauid and into the handes of his seruauntes.


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And Dauid spake the wordes of thys songe vnto the Lorde, what tyme the Lorde had delyuered him out of the hande of all his enemyes, and out of the hande of Saul.


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God is my strength, in him will I trust: he is my shylde, and the horne of my saluacyon: my worshyp and my refuge: my sauiour, thou shalt saue me from wronge.


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In my tribulacyon will I call vpon the Lorde, and crye to my God. And he shall heare my voyce out of his temple, and my crye shall enter into his eares.


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He made darcknesse a tabernacle rounde about hym, with waters geathered to geather in thycke cloudes.


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The flowinges of the see appered, and the foundacyons of the worlde were sene, by the reason of the rebukinge of the Lorde, and thorowe the blastynge of the breeth of hys nostrelles.


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He shall delyuer me from my myghtye aduersarye, and fro myne enemyes, for they are to stronge for me.


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The Lord will rewarde me accordinge to my ryghtwysnesse: accordynge to the purenesse of my handes will he recompense me.


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And the Lorde dyd to me agayne, accordynge to my ryghtwesnes, euen after my purenesse in his eyesyght.


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And the pore people that are in aduersyte, thou shalt helpe. And on the proude shalt thou cast thine eyes.


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God is vncorrupt in his waye: the worde of the Lorde is tryed in the fyre: he is the defender of all them that trust in him.


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Thou hast geuen me the shild of thy saluacyon, and with thy louinge mekenesse thou dost multiplie me.


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I wyll folowe vpon myne enemyes and destroye them, and turne not agayne vntyll I haue consumed them.


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I will waste them and smyte them, that they shall not be able to aryse: yee, they shall fall vnder my fete.


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Thou hast gyrded me about with myght to battell, and them that roase agaynst me, hast thou subdued vnder me.


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And thou madest myne enemyes (& them that hated me) to turne their backes to me, that I myght destroye them.


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They loke for helpe, but there is none to saue them: Yee, euen vnto the Lorde do they crye, but he heareth them not.


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I will beate them as smalle as the dust of the erth: I will stampe them as the dyrte of the strete, and will spreade them abroade.


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Thou shalt delyuer me from the dissencyon of my people: thou shalt kepe me to be an heed ouer nacyons: the people whych I knewe not, shall serue me.


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He delyuereth me fro myne enemyes, thou also shalt lyfte me vpon hye from them that ryse agaynst me, thou shalt delyuer me from the wicked men.


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Whych sheweth greate saluacyon for his kynge, and dealeth mercyfully with his anoynted: euen wyth Dauid, and wyth his sede for euermore.


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These be the last sayinges of Dauid. Dauid the sonne of Isay sayde. And the man (which was made, the anoynted of the God of Iacob, and the noble Psalmist of Israel) sayde:


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The God of Israel spake of me, euen the most myghtie of Israel, sayde: he that beareth rule ouer men, ought to rule iustlye in the feare of God.


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And as the mornynge lyght when the sonne is vp, a mornynge in whych are no cloudes to lett the bryghtnesse, and as the grasse of the erth is by the vertue of the rayne.


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Shall not my house be so wt God? For he hath made with me an euerlastinge couenaunt, perfecte and sure in all poyntes & this is truly all my health & all my desire that it growe but not as grasse.


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But the vngodly man of Belial shall be as a thorne cleane pluckt vp, which can not be taken wt handes:


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But the man that shall touche them, must haue yron, or a longe helue. Or els must they be burnt with fyre in the same place.


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These be the names of the myghtye men whom Dauid had: one that satt in the seat of wisdome, beinge chefest amonge thre, pleasaunt was he and stronge: he slue eyght hundred at one tyme.


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After him was Eleazar the sonne of Dodi the sonne of Ahohi, one of the thre worthies wt Dauid, which defyed the Phylistines that were there geathered together to battell: whan the men of Israel were gone vp.


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He arose & layed on the Philistines, vntyll hys hande was werye, and claue vnto the swerde. And the Lorde gaue great victorye the same daye. And the people returned, and went after him to runne to the spoyle.


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After him was Samma the sonne of Age the Hararite: and the Philistines geathered together besyde a towne. (Where was a parcell of lande full of ryce) and the people fled from the Philistines.


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But he stode in the myddes of the grounde, and defended it, and slue the Philistines. And the the Lorde gaue great victorye.


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These thre (which were of the thirtye chefe captaynes) went downe to Dauid in the haruest tyme vnto the caue Adullam, & the hoost of the Philistines abode in the valeye of Geauntes.


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And Dauid longed and sayde. Oh, that I had of the water that is in the well by the gate of Bethlehem, for to drincke.


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And the thre myghtie brake thorowe the Host of the Philistines, & fett water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and toke and brought it to Dauid: Neuerthelesse he wolde not dryncke therof, but offered it vnto the Lorde,


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and sayde: the Lorde forbyd that I shulde do so. Is not this the bloude of the men that wente in ieopardye of their lyues? and therfore he wolde not dryncke it. And these thinges dyd these thre myghtie men.


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Abisai the brother of Ioab, the sonne of Saruiah, was chefe amonge the thre, and he lyfte vp hys speare agaynst thre hundred, & slue them, and had the name amonge the thre.


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And Banaiahu the sonne of Iehoiada (the sonne of a myghtie man) valyant in actes, of kabzeel, slue two stronge lyons, euen lyons of Moab. He went downe also, & slue a lyon in a pyt in tyme of snowe.


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And he slue an Egypcyan, a goodly bygge man, which had a speare in his hande. But he went downe to him with a staffe, and plucked the speare out of the Egypcians hande, and slue him wt hys awne speare.


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He was honorable amonge thirtye, but he attayned not to the (first) thre. And Dauid made him of hys councell.


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Asahel the brother of Ioab also was one of the thirtye. Then Elhanan the sonne of Dodo of Bethlehem:


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Heleb the sonne of Baanah an Netophatite: Ithai the sonne of Ribai out of an hill of the chyldren of Beniamin:


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Eliphelet the sonne of Aasbai the sonne of a Maachathite: Eliam the sonne of Aithophel the Gilonite:


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And agayne, the Lord was wroth agaynst Israel, and he moued Dauid agaynst them, in that he sayde: go and nombre Israel and Iuda.


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For the kynge sayde to Ioab the captayne of his host: go thou abroade nowe, thorow out all the trybes of Israel, euen from Dan to Beer Seba, & nombre ye the people, that I maye knowe the nombre of them.


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And Ioab sayde vnto the kynge: I beseche the Lorde thy God, to make the people as many moo as they be: ye and an hundred tymes so many mo, and that the eyes of my Lorde the kynge maye se them. And what is the cause that my Lorde the kynge hath a lust to this thinge?


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Not witstandynge the kynges worde preuayled agaynst Ioab and agaynst the captaynes of the hoste: And Ioab and the captaynes of the host went out from the presence of the kynge, to nombre the people of Israel.


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And they passed ouer Iordan, and pitched in Aroer on the ryght syde of the cytie that lyeth in the myddes of the valeye of Gad, ouer agaynst Iazer.


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And then they came to Gilead, and to the nether lande, where was a newe habitacyon, & from thence they came to Dan Iaan about to Sidon,


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& came to the stronge holde of Tyre, and to all the cyties of the Heuites and of the Cananites, & then went out to the South of Iuda, euen to Beerseba.


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And so, when they had bene abroade thorowe out all the lande, they returned to Ierusalem agayne, after the ende of nyne monethes and twentye dayes.


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And Ioab delyuered vp the nombre and summe of the people vnto the kynge. And there were in Israel eyghte hundred thousande men of myght that drewe swerdes. And the men of Iuda were fyue hundred thousande men.


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And Dauids hert smote hym, after that he had nombred the people. And Dauid sayde vnto the Lorde: I haue synned excedyngly in that I haue done. And nowe Lorde take awaye the trespace of thy seruaunt: for I haue done very folyshely.


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And when Dauid was vp in a morninge, the worde of the Lord came vnto the prophet Gad Dauids sear, sayinge:


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go and saye vnto Dauid, thus sayth the Lord: I offer the thre thynges, chose the which of them I shall do vnto the.


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So Gad came to Dauid, and shewed him, & sayde vnto him. Wilt thou haue seuen yeres hunger to come in thy lande, or wilt thou flee .iij. monethes before thyne enemies, they folowinge the, or that there be thre dayes pestilence in thy lande? Nowe therfore aduyse the, & se, what answere I shall geue to him that sent me.


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And Dauid sayde vnto Gad: I am in extreme trouble. We will fall now into the hande of the Lorde, for moch is his mercye, and lett me not falle into the hande of man.


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And so the Lorde sent a pestilence in Israel. from the mornynge vnto the tyme appoynted. And there dyed of the people from Dan to Beerseba seuenty thousande men.


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And when the Angell stretched out his hande vpon Ierusalem to destroye it, the Lorde had compassion to do that euell, and sayde to the Angell that destroyed the people: it is nowe sufficient: holde thyne hande. And the angell was by the thresshinge place of Arefna the Iebusite.


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And Dauid spake vnto the Lorde (when he sawe the angell that smote the people) and sayde: loo, it is I that haue synned, and I that haue done wyckedly. But these shepe, what haue they done? lett thyne hande (I praye the) be agaynst me and agaynst my fathers house.


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And Gad came the same daye to Dauid, and sayde vnto him: go vp and reare an aultare vnto the Lord in the thresshinge flowre of Arefna the Iebusite.


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And Arefna loked, and sawe the kynge and his seruauntes cominge towarde him. And Arefna went out, and bowed him selfe before the kynge flat on his face vpon the grounde,


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and Arefna sayde wherfore is my Lorde the kynge come to his seruaunt? Dauid answered: to bye the thresshynge flowre of the, and to make an aultare vnto the Lorde, that the plage maye cease from the people.


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And Arefna sayde vnto Dauid: let my Lord the kynge take and offer what semyth him good in his eyes: Beholde, here be oxen for burnt sacrifyce, and steades and the other instrumentes of the oxen for wood.


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All these thynges dyd Arefna geue vnto the kynge, & sayde moreouer vnto the kynge: the Lorde thy God accept the.


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And the kynge sayde vnto Arefna: not so, but I wyll bye it of the at a pryce, and wyll not offer sacrifyce vnto the Lorde my God of that which doth cost me nothinge. And so Dauid bought the thresshynge flowre, & the oxen for fyftie sycles of syluer.


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And Dauid buylt there an aultare vnto the Lorde, & offered burnt sacrifyces and peace offeringes. And so the Lorde was intreated for the lande. And the plage ceased from Israel.


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And kynge, dauid was olde & stryken in yeres: so that whan they couered hym wt clothes, he caught no heat.


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wherfore his seruauntes sayde vnto him let there be sought for my Lord the kynge a younge mayden, to stonde before the kynge and to cheryshe him. And let her lye in thy bosome, that my Lorde the kinge maye get heate.


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And so they sought for a fayre damosell thorow out all the coastes of Israel, & founde one Abisag a Sunamite, & brought her to the kynge.


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And the damosell was excedinge fayre, & cherisshed the kynge, & ministred to him. But the kyng knewe her not.


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And Adonia the sonne of Hagith exalted him selfe, sayinge: I willbe kyng. And he gatt him charettes & horsmen, and fyftie men to runne before him.


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And his father wolde not displease him at anye tyme, nor sayd so moch to him as, why doest thou so? And he was a goodlye man, & his mother bare him next after Absalom.


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But Sabock the preast, Banaiahu the sonne of Iehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Semei and Rei, and all the men of myght which were with Dauid, fauoured not Adonia.


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And Adonia sacrifyced shepe and oxen, and fatt catell, by the stone of Zoheleth, which is fast by the well of Rogell, and called all his brethren the kynges sonnes, and the men of Iuda the kynges seruauntes.


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But Nathan the prophet and Banaiahu, and the other myghtie men, and Salomon his brother, he called not.


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Wherfore, Nathan spake vnto Bethsabe the mother of Salomon, sayinge: hast thou not hearde howe that Adonia the sonne of Hagith doth rayne, and Dauid oure Lord knoweth it not?


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Nowe therfore come, & I will geue the councell, howe to saue thyne awne lyfe, & the lyfe of thy sonne Salomon.


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Go and get the in vnto kynge Dauid, and saye vnto him: didest not thou (my Lorde O kynge) swere vnto thy handmayde, sayinge? Salomon thy sonne shall raygne after me, & he shall sytt vpon my seate? Why is then Adonia kynge?


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Beholde, whyle thou yet talkest there with the kyng, I will come in after the, & confirme thy wordes.


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And Bethsabe went in vnto the kynge into the chambre. And the kinge was very olde, and Abisag the Sunamite ministred vnto the king.


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She answered him: My Lorde, thou swarest by the Lorde thy God vnto thyne handmayde: Salomon thy sonne shall raygne after me, & he shall sytt vpon my seate.


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And he hath offered oxen, fat catell, & many shepe, and hath called all the sonnes of the kynge, & Abiathar the preast, and Ioab the captayne of the hoste. But Salomon thy seruaunt hath he not bydden.


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And nowe my Lorde (O kynge,) the eyes of all Israel wayte on the, that thou shuldest tell them, who ought to sytte on the seate of my Lord the kynge after him.


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For elles when my Lorde the kynge shall sleape with his fathers, I and my sonne Salomon shalbe synners.


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And they tolde the kynge sayinge: beholde, here commeth Nathan the prophete. And when he was come into the kynge, he made obeysaunce before the kynge vpon his face on the ground,


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& Nathan sayde: My Lorde (O kynge) hast thou sayd, Adonia shall raygne after me, & he shall sytt vpon my seate?


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For he is gone downe this daye, & hath slayne many oxen, & fat shepe, and hath called all the kynges sonnes, & the captaynes of the host, & Abiathar the preast. And beholde, they eate and dryncke before him, and saye: God saue kynge Adonia.


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But me thy seruaunt, and Sadock the preast, and Banaiahu the sonne of Iehoiada, & thy seruaunt Salomon hath he not called.


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Is thys thynge done of my Lorde the kynge, & thou hast not shewed it vnto thy seruaunt, who shulde sytt on the seate of my Lord the kyng after him?


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Then kyng Dauid answered & sayde: call me Bethsabe. And she came into the kynges presence, and stode before him.


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And the kynge sware sayinge. As truly as the Lorde lyueth (that hath rydd my soule out of all aduersyte)


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euen as I sware vnto the by the Lorde God of Israel, sayinge: Salomon thy sonne shall raygne after me, & he shall syt vpon my seate for me, so will I do this daye.


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Then Bethsabe bowed on her face to the erth, & dyd reuerence vnto the kyng, & sayde. I praye God that my Lorde kyng Dauid maye lyue euer.


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And kyng Dauid sayde: call me Sadoch the preast, & Nathan the prophet, and Banaiahu the sonne of Iehoiada. And they came before the kynge.


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The kinge also sayde vnto them: take wt you the seruauntes of youre Lorde, & set Salomon my sonne vpon myne awne Mule, & carye him downe to Gihon.


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And let Sadock the preast, & Nathan the prophet anoynte him there, kynge ouer Israel. And blowe ye wt trompettes, & saye: God saue kyng Salomon.


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And then come vp after him, that he maye come and sytte vpon my seate. For he shalbe kynge in my steade. And I will commaunde him to be captayne ouer Israel and Iuda.


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And Banaiahu the sonne of Iehoiada answered the kynge, & sayde, Amen. I praye God that the Lorde God of my Lorde the kynge saye so to.


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And as God hath bene with my Lorde the kynge, euen so be he with Salomon also, & make his seate greater, then the seate of my Lorde kynge Dauids hath bene.


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And so Sadock the preast, and Nathan the prophet, & Banaiahu the sonne of Iehoiada, & the Crethites and Phelethites went downe, & sett Salomon vpon kynge Dauids Mule, and brought him to Gihon.


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And Sadock the preast toke an horne of oyle out of the tabernacle, and anoynted Salomon. And all they of the people blewe trompettes, and sayde: God saue kynge Salomon.


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And all the people cam vp after him, pyping with pipes and reioysynge greatlye, so that the erth range with the sounde of them.


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And Adonia and all the gestes that he had called vnto him, hearde it, euen as they had made an ende of eatynge. And when Ioab hearde the sounde of the trompet, he sayde: howe happeneth it that there is soche a noyse in the cytie?


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And as he yet spake: beholde, Ionathas the sonne of Abiathar the preast came. And Adonia sayde vnto him: come in, for thou art thou valeaunt man, and bryngest good tydynges.


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And the kynge hath sent wt him, Sadock the preaste, & Nathan the prophet, and Banaiahu the sonne of Iehoiada, and the Crethites, and the Phelethites, and they haue set him vpon the kynges mule.


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And Sadock the preast, and Nathan the prophet haue anoynted hym kyng in Gihon. And they came vp agayne, and reioysed, that the cytie dyd sounde agayne. And that is the noyse, that ye haue hearde.


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And moreouer the kynges seruauntes came to blesse oure Lorde kinge Dauid, sayinge: thy God make the name of Salomon more honorable then thy name, and make hys seate greater then thy seate. And the kynge bowed hym selfe vpon the bedd.


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And thus sayde the kynge: Blessed be the Lorde God of Israell: which hath made one to syt on my seate thys daye, myne eye seynge it.


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And Adonia fearyng the presence of Salomon, arose, and went, and caught holde on the hornes of the aultare.


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And one tolde Salomon, sayinge: beholde, Adonia doth feare kynge Salomon: for he hath caught holde on the hornes of the aultare, saying: let king Salomon swere vnto me thys daye that he wyll not sley his seruaunt with the swearde.


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And Salomon sayde: yf he wyllbe a chylde of vertue, there shall not an heer of hym fall to the earth. But and yf wickednes be founde in him, he shall dye.


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And so kynge Salomon sent, and they brought hym from the aultare. And he came, and dyd obeysaunce vnto kyng Salomon. And Salomon sayde vnto hym: gett the to thyne house.


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Kepe thou the watch of the Lorde thy God, that thou walke in hys wayes, and kepe his statutes, and his preceptes, hys iudgementes, and hys testimonyes, euen as it is wrytten in the lawe of Moses: that thou mayest prospere in all that thou doest, and in euery thynge that thou medlest withall.


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That the Lorde also maye make good hys worde which he spake vnto me, sayinge: yf thy chyldren take heade to theyr waye, that they walke before me in truethe, with all their hertes, and with all their soules, then shalt thou not be without a man on the seat of Israell.


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Moreouer, thou wottest howe Ioab the sonne of Zaruia serued me, and what he dyd to that two captaynes of the hoostes of Israell: vnto Abner the sonne of Ner, and vnto Amasa the sonne of Iether: whom he slue and shed bloude in tyme of peace (euen as it had bene in warre) and put the bloude of warre vpon hys gyrdle that was about hys loynes, and in hys shoes that were on hys fete.


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Deale with hym therfore accordynge to thy wysdome, and brynge not hys hoore heed downe to the graue in peace.


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But shewe kyndnes vnto the sonnes of Berselai the Gileadite, that they maye eate at thy table. For they came to me, when I fled from Absalon thy brother.


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And beholde, thou hast with the Semei the sonne of Gera, the sonne of Gemini, of Bahurim, which cursed me with an horryble curse, in the daye whan I went to Mahanahim. But he came to mete me at Iordan, and I sware to hym by the Lorde, sayinge: I wyll not sley the with the swearde:


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But thou shalt not counte him as vngyltie. For thou art a man of wysdome, and knowest what thou oughtest to do vnto hym. His hoore heed shalt thou brynge to the graue with bloude.


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And the dayes which Dauid raygned vpon Israel, were fourtye yeares: seuen yeares raygned he in Hebron: and thirtye and thre yeares raygned he in Ierusalem.


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And Adonia the sonne of Hagith came to Bethsabe the mother of Salomon. And she sayde: Commest thou peaceably? And he sayde: peaceably.


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And he sayde: thou knowest that the kyngdome was myne, and that all Israell set their faces on me, that I shulde raygne, howbeit, the kingdome is turned awaye, and geuen to my brother: for it is appoynted him of the Lorde:


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And he sayde: speake, I praye the, vnto Salomon the kinge, for he will not saye the naye, that he geue me Abisag the Sunamite to wyfe.


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Bethsabe therfore went vnto the kinge Salomon, to speake vnto him for Adonia. And the kinge rose vp to mete her, and bowed him selfe vnto her, and satt him downe on his seate. And there was a seate sett for the kinges mother, and she sat on his right syde.


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Then she sayde: I desyre a lytell peticion of the, I praye the, saye me not naye. And the kynge sayde vnto her: Aske on, my mother: for I will not saye the naye.


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And kinge Salomon answered and sayde vnto his mother: why doest thou aske Abisag the Sunamite for Adonia? aske for him the kyngdome also: for he is myne elder brother, and hath for hym Abiathar the preaste and Ioab the sonne of Zaruia.


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Then kyng Salomon sware by the Lorde, sayinge: God do so, and so to me, yf Adonia haue not spoken this word agaynst his awne lyfe.


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Nowe therfore, as trulye as the Lorde lyueth, which hath ordeyned me, and set me on the seate of Dauid my father, and made me an house, as he promised, Adonia shall dye thys daye.


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And kyng Salomon sent by the hande of Banaiahu the sonne of Iehoiada, and he smote hym, that he dyed.


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And vnto Abiathar the preste, sayde the kynge: get the to Anatoth vnto thyne awne feldes: for thou arte worthy of deeth: but I wyll not at this tyme kyll the, because thou barest the arcke of the Lorde God before Dauid my father, and because thou hast suffred with my father in all hys affliccyons.


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And so Salomon put awaye Abiathar from being preste vnto the Lorde: that he myght fulfill the wordes of the Lord which he spake ouer the house of Eli in Silo.


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Then tidynges 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 aultare.


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And it was tolde kynge Salomon, howe that Ioab fled vnto the tabernacle of the Lorde, and stode by the aultare. Then Salomon sent Banaiahu the sonne of Iehoiada, sayinge: go and fall vpon him.


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And Banaiahu came into the tabernacle of the Lord, and sayde vnto hym, Thus sayeth the kynge: come out. And he sayde: naye, but I will dye euen here. And Banaiahu brought the kynge worde agayne, saying: thus sayd Ioab, and thus he answered me.


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And the kynge sayde. Do euen as he hath sayde: smyte hym, and burye hym, that thou mayest take awaye the bloude, which Ioab shed causelesse, from me, and from the house of my father.


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And the Lorde shall bryng hys bloud vpon his awne heed, for he smote two men right wyser and better then he, and slue them with the swerde, my father Dauid not knowynge therof: euen Abner the sonne of Ner, captayne of the hoost of Israel, and Amasa the sonne of Iether captaine of the hoost of Iuda.


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Theyr bloude shall therfore returne vpon the heed of Ioab, and on the heed of hys seed for euer. But vpon Dauid, and vpon his seed, and vpon hys house, and vpon hys seate shall there be peace for euer of the Lord.


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So Banaiahu the sonne of Iehoiada went vp, and smote hym, and slue hym, and buryed hym in hys awne house in the wyldernesse.


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And the kynge put Banaiahu the sonne of Iehoiada in hys rowme ouer the hoost and put Sadock the preste in the rowme of Abiathar.


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And the kynge sente and called Semei, and sayde vnto hym: buylde the an house in Ierusalem, and dwell there: and se that thou go not forth thence any whether.


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For be thou sure, that the daye that thou goest out, and passest ouer the ryuer of Cedron, thou shalte dye that daye, and thy bloude shalbe vpon thyne awne heade.


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And Semei sayde vnto the kynge. Thys is a good thinge: as my Lorde the kynge hathe sayde: so wyll hys seruaunt do. And Semei dwelt in Ierusalem many a daye.


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And it chaunced after thre yeres, that two of the seruauntes of Semei ranne away vnto Achis, sonne of Maacha king of Geth. And they tolde Semei, sayinge: beholde, thy seruauntes be in Geth.


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And Semei stode vp, & sadled hys asse, and gat hym to Geth to Achis, to seke hys seruauntes, and returned, and brought hys seruauntes agayne from Geth.


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And the kynge sent, and called Semei, and sayd vnto hym: Dyd I not charge the by the Lorde with an othe, and testifyed vnto the, sayinge: be sure, that whensoeuer thou goest out, and walkest abroade any whether, thou shalt dye the deeth? And thou saydest vnto me: it is good tidynges that I haue hearde.


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Why then hast thou not kept the othe of the Lorde, and the commaundement that I charged the withall?


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The kynge sayde moreouer to Semei: thou remembrest all the wyckednesse which thyne hert knoweth, and that thou dyddest to Dauid my father. The Lorde also shall brynge thy wyckednesse vpon thyne awne heed:


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So the kynge commaunded Banaiahu the sonne of Iehoiada: which went out, and smote hym that he dyed: And the kyngdome was stablysshed in the hande of Salomon.


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Salomon made affinite with Pharao kynge of Egypt, & toke Pharaos daughter, and brought her into the cytie of Dauid, vntyll he had made an ende of buyldinge his awne house, & the house of the Lord, and the wall of Ierusalem rounde about.


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Onely the people sacrificed in aultars made on hylles, because there was no house buylte vnto the name of the Lord, vntill those dayes.


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And Salomon loued the Lorde, and walked in the ordynaunces of Dauid hys father, saue onely that he sacrificed and offered incense vpon aultares in hylles.


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And the kyng went to Gibeon, to offer there: for that was a speciall offerynge place. A thousand burnt offeringes dyd Salomon offre vpon that aultare:


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and in Gibeon the Lorde apeared to Salomon in a dreame by nyght. And God sayde: aske what thou wylt, that I maye geue it the.


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And Salomon sayde: thou haste shewed vnto thy seruaunt Dauid my father great mercy, when he walked before the in trueth, in ryghtewesnes, & in playnesse of hert with the. And thou hast kepte for hym this greate mercy, that thou hast geuen hym a sonne, to sytt on hys seate: as it is come to passe thys daye.


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And nowe, O Lord my God, it is thou that hast made thy seruaunt kynge in steade of Dauid my father, And I am but yonge, and wote not howe to go out and in.


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And thy seruaunt is in the myddes of thy people, which thou haste chosen. And verely, the people are so manye, that they cannot be tolde nor nombred for multitude.


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Geue therfore vnto thy seruaunt an vnderstandynge hert, to iudge thy people, that I maye decerne betwene good and bad. For who is able to iudge thys, thy so myghtye a people?


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And God sayde vnto him: because thou hast asked this thynge, and hast not asked longe lyfe, nether hast asked ryches, nor the soule of thyne enemyes, but hast asked vnderstandynge and discrecyon in iudgement.


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Beholde, I haue done accordynge to thy peticyon. For I haue geuen the a wyse and an vnderstandynge herte, so that there was none like the before the, nether after the shal eny aryse lyke vnto the.


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And I haue also geuen the, that which thou hast not asked, euen rychesse and honoure, so that there shalbe no kynge lyke vnto the all thy dayes.


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And yf thou wylt walke in my wayes, to kepe myne ordinaunces and my commaundmentes, as thy father Dauid dyd walke, I will lengthen thy dayes. When Salomon awoke, behold, it was a dreame.


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And he came to Ierusalem and stode before the arck of the testament of the Lorde, and offered burntofferynges and peace offerynges, and made a feaste to all his seruauntes.


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And the one woman sayde: Oh my Lorde, I and thys woman dwell in one house. And I was delyuered of a chyld with her in the house.


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And the thyrde daye after that I was delyuered, she was delyuered also: and we were together, and no straunger with vs in the house, saue we two.


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And she rose at mydnyght, and toke my sonne from my syde, whyle thyne handemayde slepte, and layde it in her bosome, and putt her deed chylde in my bosome.


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And when I rose vp to geue my chylde sucke: beholde, it was deed. But whan I had loked vpon it in the mornynge, beholde, it was not my sonne, which I dyd beare.


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The other woman sayde: it is not so: but my sonne lyueth, and thy sonne is deed. And she sayde agayne: No, but thy sonne is deed, and my sonne is alyue. And thus they pleated before the kynge.


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Then sayde the kyng: the one sayth, this that is alyue is my sonne: and the deed is thyne. And the other saythe, naye: but thy sonne is the deed, & the lyuinge chylde is myne,


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And the kynge sayde. Deuyde the lyuinge chylde in two, and geue the one halfe to the one, and the other to the other.


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Then spake the woman, whose the lyuynge chylde was, vnto the kynge, for her bowelles yerned vpon her sonne, and sayde: I beseche the my Lorde, geue her the lyuyng chylde, and in no wyse sleye it. But the other sayd: let it be nether myne nor thyne, but deuyde it.


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Then the kynge answered and sayd: geue her the lyuing chylde, and sley it not: for she is the mother therof.


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And all they of Israel hearde of the iudgement, which the kynge hath iudged, and feared the kynge: for they sawe that the wysdome of God was in hym, to do iustice.


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And Azariahu the sonne of Nathan was ouer the officiers. And Zabud the sonne of Nathan was a preste, the kynges companyon.


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And Salomon had twelue officiers ouer all Israel, which prouyded vitayle for the kynge and his housholde: eche man hys moneth in a yeare, made prouision for necessary thinges.


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Baana the sonne of Ahilud was ouer Chanach & Magiddo, & ouer all Bethsan, which is by Zarthana beneth Iezrael, from Bethsan to the playne of Mehola, euen vnto the place that is ouer agaynst Iechmeam:


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the sonne of Gaber had Ramoth Gilead, & his were the townes of Iair: the sonne of Manasse, which are in Gilead, & vnder him was the region of Argob which is in Basan thre skore greate cyties with walles and barres of brasse.


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Gaber the sonne of Ury was in the countrey of Gilead, the lande of Sehon kyng of the Amorites, & of Og king of Basan, and was officer alone in the lande.


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And Iuda and Israel were many, euen as the sand of the see in nombre, eatyng, drynckyng & making mery.


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And Salomon raygned ouer all kyngdoms, from the ryuer vnto the lande of the Philistines: euen vnto the border of Egypt, and they brought presentes, and serued Salomon all the dayes of hys lyfe.


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And Salomons breed for one daye was .xxx. quarters of manchet floure, and thre skore quarters of meale:


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ten stalled oxen, and .xx. out of the pastures, and a hundred shepe, besyde hertes, buckes, and wilde goates and capons.


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For he ruled in all the region on the other side Euphrates, from Thiphsah to Aza; ouer all the kynges on the other syde the ryuer. And he had peace with all hys seruauntes on euery syde.


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And Iuda and Israel dwelt without feare, euery man vnder hys vyne and vnder hys fygg tre, from Dan to Beerseba, all the dayes of Salomon.


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And the officers prouyded vytayle for kyng Salomon and for all that came out of any place to kynge Salomons table, euery man hys moneth, so that there lacked nothyng.


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Barlye also and straw for the horses and mules, brought they vnto the place where the offycers were, euery man in hys offyce.


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And God gaue Salomon wysdome and vnderstandynge exceadynge moche, and a large hert, euen as the sand that is on the see shore:


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and Salomons wysdome excelled the wysdome of all the chyldren of the east contrey, and all the wysdome of Egipt.


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For he was wyser then all men, yee then, Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Chalcol, & Darda the sonnes of Mahol. And his name was spoken of thorowe out all nacyons on euery syde.


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And he spake of trees, euen from the Cedar tre that groweth in Libanon, vnto the Isope that spryngeth out of the wall. He spake also of beastes, of foules, of wormes, and of fysshes.


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And there came of all nacyons to heare the wysdome of Salomon, and from all kynges of the earth, which had hearde of hys wysdome.


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And Hiram kinge of Tire sent his seruauntes vnto Salomon, for he had heard, that they had anoynted hym kynge in the rowme of hys father. For Hiram was euer a louer of Dauid.


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thou knowest how that Dauid my father coulde not builde an house vnto the name of the Lorde hys God, for the warres which were aboute him on euery side, vntyll the Lorde putt them vnder the soles of hys fete.


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But nowe the Lorde my God hath geuen me rest on euery syde, so that there is nether aduersarye, nor anye euyll plage.


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And behold, I am determined to buyld an house vnto the name of the Lorde my God, as the Lorde spake vnto Dauid my father sayinge: thy sonne whom I wyll set vpon thy seate for the, he shall buylde an house vnto my name.


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Nowe therfore, commaunde thou that they hewe me Cedar trees out of Libanon. And my seruauntes shalbe with thyne, and vnto the, wyll I geue the hyre for thy seruauntes, accordynge to all soche thynges as thou shalt appoynte, for thou knowest that ther are not amonge vs, that can skyll to hewe tymber, lyke vnto the Sidones.


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Whan Hiram heard the wordes of Salomon, he reioysed greatly, & sayd. Blessed be the Lord this daye which hath geuen vnto dauid a wyse sonne ouer this myghty people.


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And Hiram sent to Salomon, saying: I haue consydred the thynges which thou sentest to me for: & will accomplysh all thy desyre, concerning tymbre of Cedar trees and fyrre.


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My seruauntes shall bryng them from Libanon to the see. And I will conuey them by ship vnto the place that thou shalt shewe me: & wyll cause them to be discharged there, and thou shalt receaue them. And thou shalt do me a pleasure agayne yf thou minystre fode for myne house.


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And Salomon gaue Hiram .xx.M. quarters of whete for fode to his housholde, and twentye buttes of pure oyle. Thus much gaue Salomon to Hiram yeare by yeare.


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And the Lorde gaue Salomon wisdome as he promised him. And ther was peace betwene Hiram and Salomon: & they two were confedered together.


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whom he sent to Libanon .x.M. a moneth by coursse, so that when they had bene one moneth in Libanon, they abode two monethes at home. And Adoniram was ouer the some.


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And Salomon had thre score and ten thousande that bare burthens, and foure score thousand masons in the mountaynes,


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besydes the lordes, whom Salomon appoynted to ouer se the worke, euen thre thousand and thre hundred, which ruled the people that wrought in the worke.


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And the kynge commaunded them to bryng great stones, weighty stones and hewed stones for the foundacion of the house.


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And Salomons masons and the masons of Hiram dyd hewe them, wt the workmen of the corners. And so they prepared both tymbre & stones for the buildyng of the house.


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And it came to passe that in the .iiij.C. and .lxxx. yere (after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egipt) and the .iiij. yere of the raygne of Salomon vpon Israel: and in the moneth ziff, which is the .ij. moneth, he beganne to buylde the house of the Lord.


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And the house which Salomon buylt for the Lorde, was .lx. cubytes longe, and .xx. cubytes broade, and .xxx. cubites hye.


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And he made a porche before the body of the temple, which was .xx. cubytes long after the bredth of the house, and .x. cubites broade, euen in the forefront of the house.


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And in the wall of the house, he made chambers rounde about, (euen in the walles of the house) rounde about the temple & the queer: and made sydes rounde about.


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The nethermost chamber was fyue cubytes broad, and the myddle was syxe cubytes broade, & the thyrd was seuen cubites broad. For without in the wall of the house he layed beames round about, that the beames of the chambers shuld not be fastened in the walles of the house.


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And the house was buylt of stone, made perfecte allready before it was brought thyther, so that there was neither hammer, ner axe, ether any tole of yron heard in the house, whyle it was in buyldinge.


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The dore of the myddle chambre was in the ryght syde of the house: and men went vp wt windyng stayres into the myddle chambre, and out of the myddle, into the thyrde.


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And then he buylt chambers to all the temple, of fyue cubytes heygth, and they were ioyned to the house with beames of Cedar.


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concernynge the house which thou arte in buyldynge, yf thou wylt walke in myne ordinaunces, and execute my lawes, and kepe my commaundementes, to walke in them: then wyll I make good vnto the my promes, which I promysed Dauid thy father.


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and syled the walles of the house within, wt borders of Cedar tree: euen from the pauement of the house vnto the rouffe dyd he syle the walles of it within, with Cedar tre: and borded the floure of the house wt planckes of fyrre.


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And he syled .xx. cubytes in the sydes of the queer of the temple, both floore & walles with bordes of Cedar, & dressed it within in the secrete place of the temple, euen in the moost holye.


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And the Cedar of the house within, was kerued with knoppes, & grauen with floures, and all was Cedar timber, so that no stone was sene.


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And the queer that was within the temple, he prepared, to set there the arcke of the appoyntement of the Lorde:


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And the queer before was twentye cubites longe, and twenty cubites in bredth, and twentye cubytes in heygth. And he syled it with pure golde, and borded the aultare with Cedar.


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And Salomon also syled the house within with pure golde. And he made golden barres runne alonge the queer, which he had couered with golde.


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And the whole house, he ouerlayd with golde vntyll he had ended it. And the aultare that was in the queer he ouerlayde with golde also.


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Fyue cubytes longe was a wynge of the one Cherub, and fyue cubites longe was a winge of the other Cherub: so that from the vttermost parte of one wyng vnto the vttermost part of the other, were ten cubites.


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And the other Cherub was ten cubites hye also, so that both the Cherubes were of one measure & one syse.


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For the heigth of the one Cherub was ten cubites, and so was it of the other. And he put the Cherubes within the ynner house.


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And the Cherubes stretched out their winges, so that the one winge of the one touched the one wall, and the one winge of the other touched the other wall. And the other two winges of them touched one another in the myddes of the house.


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And in all the walles of the house round about, he made fygures of carued and syled worke: as namely, pictures of Cherubs and Palmetrees and grauen floures, both within in the queer, & without in the temple.


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And the floure of the house he couered with golde both within in the queer and also without in the temple.


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And in the enteryng of the queer he made two dores of Olyue tree. And both the vpper & two syde postes were .v. square. The two dores also were of Oliue tree,


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and he graued them with grauynge of Cherubs and Palmetrees, and grauen floures, & couered them with gold, and layed thinne plates of golde vpon the Cherubs and Palmetrees.


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And in like maner dyd he in the dore of the temple, sauynge that the postes were of Oliuetre fouresquare.


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he graued theron Cherubs Palmetrees, and flours: and couered them with golde, which was layed thynne vpon the carued worke.


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And in the eleuenth yere in the moneth Bull, which is the eyght moneth, was the house full fynisshed thorowout all the partes therof, and accordynge to all the fasshyon of it. And so was he seuen yere in buyldynge it.


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And he buylt the house in the wodd of Libanon, an hundred cubytes longe, and fyftye cubytes broad, & .xxx. cubytes hye. And it stode vpon foure rowes of Cedar pyllars, and Cedar beames were layed vpon the pyllers.


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And the rouffe was Cedar aboue vpon the beames, that laye on the pyllers: euen fyue and fourtye beames in fyftene rowes.


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And the dores with the syde postes, and the vpperposte were fouresquare, and had windowes one agaynst another thre folde.


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And he made a porch by the pillars, that bare vp the house .l. cubites longe, and .xxx. cubites broad: & that porch was before those & the other pillers. For there was a thick tree set before them.


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And hys awne house (that he kept residence in: & that was in another courte without the porch) was made of that same worcke. And then Salomon made an house for Pharaos daughter whom he had taken to wyfe, lyke vnto the fasshion of that porche.


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And all these were of the best stones, hewed after a measure, and sawed wt sawes within and without, from the foundacion vnto the beames that laye aboue, after the measure, & euen so on the outsyde towarde the great court.


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And the foundacyon was layed vpon rych stones & the very great stones: wherof some were .x. cubites, & some .viij. cubites.


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And the great court round about was wt thre rowes of hewed stone, & one rowe of Cedar planckes, after the maner of the ynner court of the house of the Lorde, & of the porch of the temple.


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a wedowes sonne of the tribe of Nephtalim, his father beyng a man of Tire. Which Hiram was a craftes man in brasse full of wysdome, vnderstandynge and connynge: to worke all maner of worcke in brasse. And he came to king Salomon, & wrought all his worcke.


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For he cast two pillers of brasse of .xviij. cubites hye a pece, & a stringe of .xij. cubites dyd compasse ether them about.


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And he made .ij. heed peces of molten brasse (after the fasshion of a crowne) to sett on the toppes of the pyllers. The heigth of the one heed pece conteined .v. cubites, & the heigth of the other heed pece conteyned .v. cubites also:


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he made also net worck & garlandes of cheyne worcke, vpon the heed peces that were on the top of the pyllers, euen seuen rowes vpon the one heed pece, and seuen vpon the other.


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And so he made the pyllers, and two rowes round about, in the one wrethen worcke, to couer the heed peces that were vpon the pomgranates. And thus dyd he also for the other heed pece.


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And the heed peces that were on the toppes of the pillers, couered he aboue with a curyous worke of roses: towarde the palace by the space of .iiij. cubytes.


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Likewyse, vnder the heed peces in those .ij. pillers beneth, oueragainst the middes & before the net worke. And vpon the seconde heed pece were ther .ij.C. pomgranates 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 rightpiller, he called the name therof Ioachim: & whan he had set vp the left piller, he called the name therof Boaz.


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And in the toppe of the pyllers was a worke of roses, and so was the workmanshyp of the pyllers finyshed.


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And he made a molten lauatory, ten cubytes wyde from brym to brym, round in compasse, & .v. cubytes hye. And a stryng of thirtye cubytes dyd compasse it about:


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and vnder the brym of it, there were knoppes round about, ten in one cubite: and they compassed the lauatory round about. And the knoppes were cast wt it, in two rowes, when it was caste.


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And it stode on twelue oxen: of which thre loked toward the north .iij. towarde the west .iij. towarde the south, & .iij. toward the east. and the lauatory stode vpon them, & all theyr hinderpartes were inward.


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It was an hand breadeth thycke, & the brym wrought lyke the brim of a cup wt floures of lylies. And it conteyned two thousande bates.


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And he made .x. sokettes of brasse .iiij. cubites longe, and .iiij. cubites broade a pece, & .iij. cubites hye.


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And the worke of the sokettes was on this maner. They had sides, and the sydes were betwene the ledges.


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And on the sydes that were betwene the ledges, were lyons, oxen and cherubs. And lykewyse, vpon the ledges that were aboue: and beneth the lyons and oxen were certayne addicions made of thynne worke.


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And vnder euery soket, were foure brasen wheles, and bordes of brasse. And in the foure corners therof, were vndersetters vnder the lauatorye, cast eche oueragaynst hys felowe.


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And the stalke of the lauatory was in the myddle of it, one cubite hye, and a cubite and an halfe rounde: and in the heigth of it were grauen workes, whose sydes were made foursquare, and not rounde.


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And vnder the sydes were .iiij. wheles: and the axeltrees ioyned fast to the bottome. And the heygth of euery whele was a cubyte and an halfe.


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And the workmanshyp of the wheles was lyke the worke of a charret whele. And the axeltrees, the nauelles, spokes and shaftes were all molten:


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And there were foure vndersetters in the .iiij. corners of one socket: and the vndersetters were of the very bottome selfe.


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And in the heygth of the bottome was there round compasse of a cubite hye: and in that heygth of the bottome, there proceaded both ledges & sydes out of the same.


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For in the bordes of the ledges, and on the sydes, he had grauen pyctures of cherubins, lyons and palmetrees, one by an other rounde aboute.


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Thus made he the ten sockettes after this maner. And they had all one fashion of castyng: one measure, and one sise.


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Then made he .x. lauers of brasse, one lauer conteyning .xl. bates: and one lauer was foure cubytes, and vpon euery one of the ten sockettes, he put one lauer.


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And he put fyue of those sockettes on the right side of the house and other fyue on the lefte. And he set the lauatorye on the ryght syde of the house eastwarde and towarde the south.


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And Hiram made pottes, shouels and basens, and so finyshed all the worke that he made kyng Salomon for the house of the Lorde:


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that is to saye, two pillers, two round heed peces, that were to be sett on the toppes of the two pillers .ii. net workes to couer the two round heed peces set vpon the toppes of the pyllers,


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and .iiij.C. pomgranates for the two net workes, euen two rowes of pomgranates in one net worke, to couer the two heed peces that were to be sett on the toppes of the pyllers.


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and pottes, shouelles and basens. And all these vessels which Hiram made to kyng Salomon for the house of the Lord, were of bright brasse.


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In the playne of Iordan did the king cast them: euen in the thycke claye betwene Sococh and Zarthan.


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And Salomon left all the vessels vnwayed, because they were so exceadyng many, neyther founde they oute the weyght of the brasse.


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And so Salomon made all the vessels that pertayned vnto the house of the Lorde: the golden aulter and the golden table, wheron the shewe bread was.


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And fyue candelstyckes, for the ryght syde, and fyue for the lefte before the queer of pure golde: with floures,


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lampes, and snoffers of golde: & boules, flat peces, basons, spones and masoures of pure golde: and hindges made he of golde for the dores of the queer, the place moost holy, and for the dores of the temple also.


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And so was ended all the worke that kyng Salomon made for the house of the Lorde. And Salomon brought in the thinges which Dauid his father had dedicated: euen the siluer, golde, & vessels: and layed them vp amonge the treasures of the house of the Lorde.


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Then Salomon gathred together the elders of Israel, all the heades of the tribes, and them that were captaynes among the father of the children of Israel, vnto him in Ierusalem, that they might bryng vp the arck of the appointement of the Lorde out of the citye of Dauid, which is Syon.


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And all the men of Israel assembled vnto kynge Salomon to the festae that falleth in the monethe Ethanim, which is the seuenth moneth.


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They bare the arck of the Lord into the tabernacle of witnes, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle: those dyd the prestes and the Leuites beare.


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And kyng Salomon and all the congregacion of Israel that were assembled vnto hym, and went wyth hym before the arcke, dyd offer shepe and oxen, that coulde not be tolde nor nombred for multitude.


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And so the prestes brought the arcke of the appoyntement of the Lorde vnto his place: euen into the queer of the temple & place most holy, vnder the winges of the cherubs.


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For the cherubs stretched out their winges ouer the place of the arck, & couered both it & also the staues therof a hie vpon it.


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And they drewe out the staues, that the endes of them myght appeare out of the holy place within the queer: but they were not sene wt out. And there they haue bene vnto this daye:


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and ther was nothyng in the arcke, saue the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, in the which tables the Lord made an apoyntement with the chyldren of Israel, when he brought them out of the lande of Egypt.


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And it fortuned that when the prestes were come out of the holy place, the cloude fylled the house of the Lorde,


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that the preastes coulde not stande and minister, because of the cloude: for the glory of the Lord had fylled the house of the Lorde.


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And the kyng turned his face, and blessed all the congregacyon of Israel: and all the congregacion of Israel stode styll.


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And he sayd: Blessed be the Lorde God of Israel, which spake wt hys mouth vnto Dauid my father, and hath wt his hande fulfylled it, saying:


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Sens the daye that I brought my people Israel out of Egipt, I chose no cytie of all the trybes of Israel, to buylde an house, that my name myght be therin. But I haue chosen Dauid to be ruler ouer my people Israel.


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And it was in the herte of Dauid my father to builde an house for the name of the Lord God of Israel.


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And the Lord sayd vnto Dauid my father. Where as it was thyne herte to buylde an house vnto my name, thou diddest well, that thou was so mynded.


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Neuerthelesse thou shalt not buylde the house, but thy sonne that shall come out of thyne loynes, he shall buyld the house vnto my name.


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And the Lord hath made good his worde that he spake. And I am rysen vp in the rowme of Dauid my father, and sytt on the seate of Israel as the Lorde promised and haue buylt an house for the name of the Lorde God of Israel.


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And I haue prepared therin a place for the arcke wherin is the couenaunt of the Lorde, which he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the lande of Egypte,


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Salomon stode before the aultare of the Lorde in the syght of all the congregacyon of Israel, and stretched out hys handes towarde heauen,


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and sayde: Lorde God of Israel, ther is no God like the in heauen aboue, or in the earth beneth, thou that kepest couenaunt and mercy for thy seruauntes that walke before the with all their hert:


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thou that hast kept with thy seruaunt Dauid my father, that thou promysedest hym. Thou spakest also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it wt thyne hande, as it is come to passe this daye.


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Therfore nowe Lorde God of Israel kepe with thy seruaunt Dauid my father that thou promysedest hym, saying: thou shalt not be without a man in my syght to syt in the seate of Israel: so that thy children take hede to their waye, that they walke before me as thou hast walked in my syght.


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And nowe, O God of Israel, let thy worde be verifyed, which thou spakest vnto thy seruaunt Dauid my father.


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Will God in dede dwell on the erth? Beholde the heauens, and heauens of all heauens are not able to conteyne the. And howe shulde than this house do it, that I haue builded?


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Haue thou therfore respect vnto the prayer of thy seruaunt, and to hys supplicacyon, O Lorde my God, to heare the voyce and prayer before the this daye:


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that thyne eyes maye be open towarde this house, night and daye, euen toward this place, of which thou hast sayde: My name shal be there. That thou mayest herken vnto the prayer which thy seruaunt praieth in this place.


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And regarde thou, the supplicacion of thy seruaunt & of thy people Israel, when they praye in this place. And heare thou in heauen thy dwellynge place, & when thou hearest, haue mercy.


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Yf any man trespace against his neyghbour, and there go an oth betwene them, and the one compelled the other, and come swearyng before thyne aulter in this house,


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then herken thou in heauen, and worke and iudge thy seruauntes, that thou condempne the vngodly to bryng hys waye vpon his head, and iustifye the righteous to geue hym accordyng to hys ryghteousnesse.


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When thy people Israel be put to the worse before the enemye, because they haue synned agaynst the: and afterwarde turne agayne to the, and knowledge vnto thy name, and praye and make intercession vnto the in thys house:


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then heare thou in heauen, to be mercyfull vnto the synne of the people Israel, & brynge them agayne into the lande, which thou gauest vnto their fathers.


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If heauen be shut vp, & there be no rayne because they haue synned agaynst the: yet yf they praye in thys place, & knowledge vnto thy name, & turne from their synne, thorow thy scourgynge of them:


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then heare thou in heauen, and be mercyfull of thy seruauntes and of thy people Israel, that thou shewe them a good waye to walke in, and geue rayne vpon thy londe that thou hast geuen vnto thy people to enheret.


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If there be in the lande derth, or pestilence, drouth, blastynge, greshopper or caterpiller, or yf theyr enemye besege them in the lande of theyr cyties, or whatsoeuer plage or sycknesse chaunce:


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then what prayers & supplicacyon soeuer be made of any man of all thy people Israel, which shall knowledge euery man the plage of his awne hert, and stretche forth hys handes to warde thys house:


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heare thou then in heauen, euen in thy dwellynge place, and be mercyfull, and worke, and geue euery man accordinge to all hys wayes (euen as thou that only knowest his hert, for thou onely knowest the hertes of all the chyldren of men:)


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And lykewyse, yf a straunger that is not of thy people Israel come out of a farre contrey for thy names sake,


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for they shall heare of thy greate name, & of thy myghtie hande and of thy stretched out arme & shall come and praye in thys house.


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Therfore, heare thou in heauen thy dwellynge place, and do all that the straunger calleth to the for: that all nacions of the erth maye knowe thy name and feare the, as do thy people Israel: and that they maye knowe that thy name is called vpon in thys house whych I haue buylte.


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Yf thy people go out to batell agaynst their enemye, whether soeuer thou shalt sende them and shal praye vnto the, (O Lord) to warde the waye of the cytie whyche thou hast chosen, and towarde the house that I haue buylte for thy name:


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Yf they synne aganst the (for there is no man that synneth not) and thou be angrie with them, and delyuer them into the hande of theyr enemyes: so that they carye them awaye prysoners vnto the lande of theyr enemyes, whether farre or neare,


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yet yf they turne agayne vnto theyr hertes in the lande (to the whych they be caryed awaye captyue,) and returne and praye vnto the in the lande of theyr enemyes, saying: we haue synned, we haue done wyckedlye, and haue committed vngodlynesse,


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and so turne agayne vnto the with all theyr herte, and all theyr soule in the lande of their enemies, which led them awaye captyue, and praye vnto the toward the waye of theyr lande, whych thou gauest vnto theyr fathers, and towarde the cytie, which thou hast chosen, & towarde the house which I haue buylt for thy name:


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and be mercyfull vnto thy people, that haue synned agaynst the, and vnto all theyr iniquyties, wherby they haue done wyckedly agaynst the, and get thou them the fauoure of those which led them awaye captyue, that they maye haue compassyon on them.


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For they be thy people, and thyne enherytaunce, which thou broughtest out of Egypte, euen from the myddes of the fornace of yron.


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And let thyne eyes be open vnto the prayer of thy seruaunt, and vnto the prayer of thy people Israel to herken vnto them, in all that they call for vnto the.


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For thou dyddest seperat them, from amonge all the nacyons of the erth, (to be thyne owne enheritaunce) as thou saydest by the hande of Moses thy seruaunt, when thou broughtest oure fathers oute of Egipte O Lorde God.


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And when Salomon had made an ende of prayinge all thys prayer and supplicacyon vnto the Lorde, he arose from before the aultare of the Lorde, and from knelynge on hys knees, and from stretchynge of his handes vp to heauen,


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Blessed be the Lorde, that hath geuen reste vnto hys people Israel, accordyng to all that he promised, there hath not fayled one word of all the good promyse, whych he promysed by the hande of Moses hys seruaunt.


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nether leaue vs: but that he may bowe oure hertes vnto him, that we maye walcke in all his wayes and kepe hys commaundementes hys statutes and hys lawes, whyche he commaunded oure fathers.


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And these my wordes whych I haue prayed before the Lorde, be nye vnto the Lorde oure God daye and nyght, that he defende the cause of his seruaunt, and the cause of hys people Israel (what thynge soeuer chaunce at any tyme)


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Let youre herte therfore be perfecte with the Lord oure God, that ye walke in hys statutes, and kepe hys commaundementes, as thys daye.


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And Salomon offered a sacrifyce of peace offeringes vnto the Lorde, and he offered vnto the Lorde .xxii. thousande oxen and an hundred & twenty thousande shepe. And so the kynge & all the chyldren of Israel dedicated the house of the Lorde.


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The same daye dyd the kynge halowe the myddel of the courte, that was before the house of the Lorde: for there he offered burnt offerynges, meate offerynges and the fat of the peace offeringes: because the brasen aultare that was before the Lord, was to lytle to receaue the burnt offeringes, meate offerynges, and the fatt of the peace offerynges.


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And Salomon helde that same tyme an hye feast & all Israel with hym, a very great congregacyon, euen from the entrynge in of Hemath vnto the ryuer of Egypt, before the Lorde oure God, seuen dayes & seuen dayes euen .xiiii. dayes.


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And the eyght daye he sent the people awaye. And they blessed the kyng and went vnto theyr tentes ioyous and with glad herte, because of all the goodnesse that the Lorde had done for Dauid his seruaunt, and for Israel hys people.


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And when Salomon had fynysshed the buyldynge of the house of the Lorde and the kynges palace, & all that he had in hys mynde, and was apoynted to make:


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And the Lorde sayde vnto hym: I haue hearde thy prayer and thy intercessyon, that thou hast made before me. For I haue halowed this house (which thou hast buylte) to put my name ther for euer, and myne eyes and myne herte shalbe there perpetuallye.


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And yf thou wylt walcke before me (as Dauid thy father walcked, in purenesse of herte and in ryghteousnesse) to do all that I haue commaunded the, and wylt kepe my statutes, & my lawes,


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then wyll I stablysshe the seate of thy kyngdome vpon Israel for euer, as I promysed to Dauid thy father sayinge. Thou shalt not be without a man vpon the seate of Israel.


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But and yf ye and youre chyldren turne awaye from me, and wyll not kepe my commaundementes and my statutes (whyche I haue set before you) but go and serue other Goddes, and worshyppe them:


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then wyll I wede Israel oute of the lande, whych I haue geuen them. And thys house whych I haue halowed for my name, wyll I cast oute of my syght. And Israel shalbe a prouerbe and a fable amonge all nacyons.


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And thys house shalbe taken awaye: so that euery one that passeth by it, shalbe astonyed, and shall hysse, and they shall saye: why hath the Lorde done thus vnto thys lande and to thys house?


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And they shall answere: because they forsoke the Lorde theyr God, whyche brought theyr fathers out of the lande of Egypt, and haue taken holde vpon other Goddes, and haue worshipped them, and serued them, therfore hath the Lorde brought vpon them all thys euell.


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And it fortuned, that at the ende of twentye yeres, Salomon fynisshed the buyldynge of the two houses, that is to wete, the house of the Lorde and the kynges palace.


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And Hyram the kynge of Tyre brought Salomon tymbre of Cedar, and fyrre trees, golde, and whatsoeuer he desyred. And Salomon agayne gaue Hyram .xx. cyties into the lande of Galile.


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And Hyram came oute from Tyre to se the cyties whyche Salomon had geuen hym, and they pleased hym not.


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And he sayde: what cyties are these, which thou hast geuen me, my brother? and he called them the lande of Cabull vnto thys daye.


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And thys is the summe, which kynge Salomon raysed for a trybute whan he buylded the house of the Lorde and hys awne house, and Millo, and the wall of Ierusalem, and Hazoer, and Megeddo, and Gazer.


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For Pharao kynge of Egypte went vp, & toke Gazer, and burnt it with fyre, and slue the Cananites that dwelt in the cytie, and gaue it for a present vnto hys daughter, Salomons wyfe.


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and all the treasure cyties that Salomon had, and cyties for hys charettes, & cyties for hys horsemen, and all that Salomon desyred and wolde buylde in Ierusalem, in Libanon, and in all the lande of hys dominyon.


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And all the people that were lefte of the Amorites, Hethites, Pheresites, Heuites and Iebusites, (whych were not of the chyldren of Israel)


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theyr chyldren that were lefte after them in the lande, whom the chyldren of Israel also were not able to destroye. Those dyd Salomon compell to bryng tribute vnto thys daye.


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But of the chyldren of Israel dyd Salomon make no bonde men. But they were men of warre, hys ministers, hys Lordes, his captaynes, and rulers of his charettes, and of hys horsemen.


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And these were the Lordes, that were sett ouer Salomons worke: euen fyue hundred were they and fyftye, and they ruled the people that wrought the worcke.


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And Pharaos daughter came vp oute of the cytie of Dauid vnto the house which Salomon had buylt for her. And then dyd he also buylde Millo.


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And thryse a yere dyd Salomon offer burntofferinges and peace offeringes vpon the aultare, whyche he buylt vnto the Lorde. And he burnt incense vpon the altare that was before the Lorde, and so he fynisshed the house.


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And kynge Salomon made a nauye of shyppes in Azion Gaber whyche is besyde Eloth, on the bryncke of the redd see, in the lande of Edom.


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And Hyram sent by shyppe also of hys seruauntes, that were shypmen, and had knowledge of the see, wyth the seruauntes of Salomon.


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And they came to Ophyr and fet from thence one and twentye skore hundred weyght of golde, & brought it to kynge Salomon.


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And the Quene of Saba hearynge the fame of Salomon (concernynge the name of the Lorde) came to proue him with harde questyons.


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And she came to Ierusalem with a very great trayne: with Camelles that bare swete odoures, and golde exceadynge moche, and preciouse stones. And she came to Salomon and comoned with him of all that was in her hert.


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And Salomon declared vnto her all her questions, so that there was not one thinge hydd from the kynge, which he expounded not vnto her.


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and the meate of his table, & the syttynge of hys seruauntes, the order of hys mynisters, and theyr apparell, hys dryncke, and his burnt sacrifices that he offered in the house of the Lorde, and she was astonnied.


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And she sayde vnto the kynge. It was a true worde that I hearde in myne awne lande of thy sayinges, and of thy wysdome.


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Howbeit I beleued it not, tyll I came, & sawe it wyth myne eyes. And beholde, the one halfe was not tolde me: for thy wysdome and prosperite exceadeth the fame whych I hearde of the.


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Happy are thy men: and happye are these thy seruauntes, which stande euer before the, and heare thy wysdome.


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Blessed be the Lord thy god, which loued the, to set the on the seat of Israel, because the Lord loued Israel for euer, and made the kynge, to do equyte and ryghtewysnesse.


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And she gaue the kynge syxe skore hundred weight of golde, and of swete odoures excedynge moch, and preciouse stones. There came nomore soche aboundaunce of swete odoures, as the quene of Saba gaue to kynge Salomon.


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The nauye also of the shyppes of Hyram (that caryed golde from Ophyr) brought lyke wyse greate plenty of Almuge tre and preciouse stones.


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And the kynge made of the Almuge trees, pillers for the house of the Lorde and for the kynges palace, and made harpes and psalteryes for syngers. There came no moare suche Almuge trees, nor were anye moare sene vnto thys daye.


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And kyng Salomon gaue vnto the Quene of Saba accordynge to all her desyre whatsoeuer she asked: besydes that he gaue her of a fre wyll with his awne hande. And so she returned vnto her awne countrey: both she, and her seruauntes.


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The weyght of golde that came to Salomon in one yeare, was syxe hundred thre score and syxe talentes of golde,


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besydes that he had of chapmen and of marchauntes and of Potycaryes, and of all the kynges of Arabye, and of the Lordes of the countreye.


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And kynge Salomon made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold, syxe hundred sycles of gold went to a buckler.


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And he made thre hundred shyldes of beaten golde, thre pounde of golde went to one shylde, and the kynge put them in the house of the wood of Libanon.


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And the seate had syxe steppes. And the toppe of the seate was rounde behynde, & there were pomelles on ether syde on the place of the seate and two Lyons stode besyde the pomelles.


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And there stode .xii. Lyons on the steppes .vi. on a syde. Ther was none lyke (worke) sene in any kyngdome.


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And all kynge Salomons drynckynge vesselles were of golde, & lykewyse al the vesselles of the house of the wood of Libanon were of pure gold. And as for syluer, it was nothing worth in the dayes of Salomon,


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For the kinges nauye of shyppes went on the see vnto Tharsis wt the nauie of Hyrams shippes: euen once in the yere went the nauye to Tharsis, & brought golde and syluer Elephantes teth, apes and pecokes.


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And brought him euery man his present, vessels of syluer and vessels of golde, rayment, harnesse, and swete odoures and horsses and Mules, yere by yere.


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And Salomon gathered together charettes and horsmen: and he had a thousande and foure hundred charettes, & twelue thousande horsemen, whom he bestowed in the charette cyties, and with the kynge at Ierusalem.


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And the kynge made syluer in Ierusalem as plenteous as stones, & Cedar as plenteouse as the wylde fygge trees that growe aboundauntly in the feldes.


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The bryngyng of horses also out of Egypte: & the collection of the wares: dyd the kynges marchauntes take agayne, and sold the stuffe for a pryce.


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A charet came vp out of Egypte for syxe hundred sycles of syluer: that is one horsse for an hundred and fyftye. And euen so so for all the kinges of the Hethithes and for the kynges of Syria, dyd they brynge them oute thorowe theyr handes.


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But kynge Salomon loued many outelandishe wemen: and the daughter of Pharao: and wemen of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonites, and Hethites.


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Where as yet (concernynge these nacyons) the Lorde sayde vnto the chyldren of Israell: come not ye at them, nor let them come at you: elles wyll they turne youre hertes after theyr goddes. Neuerthelesse, Salomon claue vnto them in loue.


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And he had seuen hundred Quenes, and thre hundred concubines, and his wyues. turned a waye his hert.


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For it came to passe, when Salomon was olde, hys wyues turned his herte after other Gods: and his herte was not perfecte with the Lord his God, as was the herte of Dauid his father:


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And Salomon wrought wyckednesse in the sight of the Lorde, & folowed not the Lorde perfectly, as dyd Dauid hys father.


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For than did Salomon buylde an hye place for Chamos the abominacyon of Moab, in the hyll that is before Ierusalem, & vnto Moloch the abhominacyon of the chyldren of Ammon.


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And lykewise dyd he for all his out landishe wyues, which burnt incense and offered vnto theyr gods.


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And the Lorde was angrye with Salomon, because hys hert was turned from the Lorde God of Israel which had appeared vnto him twyse,


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and gaue him a charge (concerninge this thinge) that he shuld not folowe other gods. But he kepte not that, which the Lorde commaunded him,


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wherfore the Lord sayde vnto Salomon: for as moch as this is done of the, and thou hast not kepte myne appoyntment, and my statutes (which I commaunded the) I wyll rent the kyngdome from the, and wyll geue it to thy seruaunt.


