# verses

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Neuertheles Gedeon saide vnto them: I wil not be lorde ouer you, nether shal my sonne be lorde ouer you, but the LORDE shalbe lorde ouer you.


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Gedeon sayde vnto them: One thinge I desyre of you, Euery man geue me the earinge that he hath spoyled. (For in so moch as ye men were Ismaelites, they had earinges.)


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They sayde: Them wyll we geue the. And they spred out a cloth, and euery man cast the earinge theron that he had spoyled.


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And the golden earynges which he requyred, had in weight, a thousande and seuen hundreth Sycles of golde, besyde the spanges and cheynes, and scarlet rayment which the kynges of the Madianites dyd weere, and besyde the neckbandes of their Camels.


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And Gideon made a cote armoure therof, and set it in his cite at Aphra. And all Israel wente there a whoringe after it, and it turned to an occasion of fallinge vnto Gedeon and his house.


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Thus were ye Madianites brought downe before the children of Israel, and lifte vp their heade nomore: and the londe was in rest fortye yeares, as loge as Gedeon lyued.


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And Gideon the sonne of Ioas dyed in a good age, & was buried at Aphra in ye sepulcre of his father Ioas the father of the Esrites.


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But whan Gedeon was deed, the childre of Israel turned backe, and wente awhoringe after Baalim, and made a couenaunt wt Baal Berith, yt he shulde be their God.


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And ye childre of Israel thoughte not on ye LORDE their God, which had delyuered them fro the hande of their enemies rounde aboute:


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and they shewed not mercy vnto the house of Ierubaal Gedeon, acordinge to all the good that he had done vnto Israel.


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Abimelech the sonne of Ierubaal, wente vnto Siche to his mothers brethren, & spake vnto them, & to all the kynred of his mothers fathers house, and sayde:


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I praye you speake in the eares of all the men at Sichem: What is better for you, that thre score and ten men all children of Ierubaal shulde be lordes ouer you, or that one man shulde be lorde ouer you? Remembre also that I am youre bone and youre flesh.


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Then spake his mothers brethre all these wordes for him, in ye eares of all ye men at Sichem. And their hert enclyned to Abimelech, for they thoughte: He is oure brother:


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and gaue him thre score and ten syluerlinges out of ye house of Baal Berith. And wt them Abimelech hyred men that were vagabundes and of light condicions, which folowed him.


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And he came to his fathers house vnto Aphra, and slew his brethren the children of Ierubaal, euen thre score men and te vpon one stone. But Iotham the yongest sonne of Ierubaal remayned ouer, for he was hydd.


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And all the men of Sichem, and all the house of Millo gathered them selues together, and wente and made Abimelech kynge by the Oke that stondeth at Sichem.


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Whan this was tolde Iotham, he wente, and stode vpon the toppe of mount Grisim, and lifte vp his voyce, cried, and sayde: Heare me ye men of Sichem, that God maye heare you also


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But the Olyue tre answered them: Shall I go and leaue my fatnesse (which both God and men commende in me) and go to be puft vp aboue the trees?


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But the fygge tre sayde vnto the: Shal I leaue my swetnes and my good frute, and go to be puft vp aboue the trees?


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But the vyne sayde vnto them: Shal I leaue my swete wyne, which reioyseth God and men, and go to be puft vp aboue the trees?


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And the thorne busshe sayde vnto the trees: Yf it be true, yt ye anoynte me to be kynge ouer you, the come, and put youre trust vnder my shadowe. Yf no, then go fyre out of the thorne busshe, & cosume ye Ceder trees of Libano.


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Yf ye haue done right now and iustly, yt ye haue made Abimelech to be kynge: and yf ye haue done well vnto Ierubaal and to his house, and haue done vnto him as he deserued vnto you.


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Which (euen my father) foughte for youre sakes, and ioperde his lyfe, to delyuer out of the Madianites hade,


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eue you, which are rysen vp this daye agaynst my fathers house, & haue slaine his childre, thre score personnes & ten vpon one stone, and haue made you a kynge (euen Abimelech the sonne of his handmaide) ouer the men at Sichem, for so moch as he is youre brother.


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Yf ye haue done right now and iustly vnto Ierubaal and his house this daye, then reioyse ouer Abimelech, and let him reioyse ouer you.


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Yf no, then go fyre out from Abimelech, and cosume the men of Sichem and the house of Millo: And fyre go out also fro the men of Sichem, and from the house of Millo, and consume Abimelech.


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And Iotha (whan he had spoken this out) fled, and gat him out of the waye, and wente vnto Ber, and dwelt there because of his brother Abimelech.


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God sent an euell mynde betwene Abimelech and the men of Sichen (for the men of Sichem despysed Abimelech,


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and rehearsed the wronge done to the sonnes of Ierubaal, and their bloude, and layed it vpon Abimelech their brother which slewe them, and vpon the men of Sichem that strengthed his hande therto, that he mighte slaye his brethren.


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And the men of Sichem set an hynder watch vpon the toppes of the mountaynes, and spoyled all them that walked nye them by the waye, and it was tolde Abimelech.


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But there came Gaal the sonne of Ebed and his brethren, and entred into Sichem, and the men of Sichem put their trust in him,


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and wete out in to the felde, and gathered their vynyardes, and pressed them, and made a daunse, and wente in to their gods house, and ate and dranke, and cursed Abimelech.


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And Gaal ye sonne of Ebed sayde: Who is Abimelech? and what is Sichem, that we shulde serue him? Is he not the sonne of Ierubaal, and hath set Sebul his seruaut ouer the men of Hemor the father of Sichem? Wherfore shulde we serue him?


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Wolde God the people were vnder my hade, yt I mighte put downe Abimelech. And it was tolde Abimelech: Increace thine hooste, and departe.


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For Sebul the chefe ruler of the cite, whan he herde the wordes of Gaal ye sonne of Ebed, he was wrothfully displeased,


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and sente message secretly to Abimelech, and caused to saye vnto him: Beholde, Gaal the sonne of Ebed and his brethren are come to Sichem, and make the cite to be agaynst the.


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and tomorow whan the Sonne aryseth, get the vp soone, and fall vpon the cite: and yf he and the people that is with him come out vnto the, the deale with him, as thyne hande fyndeth.


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Abimelech stode vp by night, and all the people that was with him, and layed wayte for Sichem with foure companies of men of warre.


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And Gaal the sonne of Ebed we out and stode at the dore of the gate of the cite. But Abimelech gat him vp out of the hinder watch, and the people that was with him.


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Now whan Gaal sawe the people, he sayde vnto Sebul: Beholde, there commeth a people downe from the toppe of ye mount. Sebul saide vnto him: Thou seist ye shadowe of the mountaines as though they were me.


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Gaal spake yet more and sayde: Beholde, there commeth a people downe from ye myddes of the londe, & one bonde of men cometh by the waye to ye witch Oke.


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The sayde Sebul: Where is now yi mouth yt sayde: Who is Abimelech, that we shulde serue him? Is not this ye people, whom thou hast refused? Go forth now, and fighte with him.


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But Abimelech chaced him, so that he fled, and there fell many slayne euen vnto the gate of the cite.


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And Abimelech abode at Aruma. But Sebul droue awaye Gaal and his brethren, so that they must not remayne at Sichem.


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he toke the people, and parted them into thre bodes of men, and wayted for the in the felde. Now whan he sawe yt the people wete out of the cite, he rose agaynst the, and smote them.


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Abimelech and ye company of men that was with him, fell vpon them, and stepte vnto the dore of the porte: but the other two companies fell vpon all them that were in the felde, and slewe them.


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The foughte Abimelech agaynst the cite all ye same daye, and wanne it, and slewe the people that was there in, and brake downe ye cite, and sowed salt theron.


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Whan all the men of the tower of Sichem herde this, they wente in to a stronge holde of ye house of their God Berith.


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he wente vp vnto mount Zelmon, and all the people that was with him, and toke an axe in his hade, and hewed downe a braunch of a tre, and toke it vp, & layed it vpon his shulder, and sayde vnto all the people that was with him: As ye haue sene me do, make ye haist, and do euen so as I.


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Then all the people hewed downe euery one a brauch, and folowed Abimelech: and they layed them to the holde, and set fyre vpon them agaynst them and the holde: and all the men of the tower of Sichem dyed thorow the smoke and fyre, vpon a thousande men and wemen.


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But in the myddes of the cite, there was a stronge tower, vnto the which all the men and wemen, and all the citesyns of the cite fled, and shutt it after them, and clymmed vp to the toppe of the tower.


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Then came Abimelech vnto the tower, and soughte agaynst it, and came nye vnto the dore of the tower, that he might burne it with fyre.


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Then Abimelech in all the haist, called the seruaunt that bare his wapen, and sayde vnto him: Drawe out thy swerde, and kyll me, that it be not sayde of me: A woman hath slayne him. Then his seruaunt thrust him thorow, and he dyed.


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Whan the Israelites which were with him, sawe, yt Abimelech was deed, they gatt them awaye euery one vnto his awne place.


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Thus God recompenced Abimelech the euell that he had done vnto his father, wha he slewe his threscore and ten brethren:


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likewyse all the euell of the men of Sichem, dyd God rewarde them vpon their heade: and so the curse of Iotham ye sonne of Ierubaal came vpon them.


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After Abimelech there rose vp another sauioure in Israel, Thola a man of Isachar, and the sonne of Pua, the sonne of Dodo. And he dwelt at Samir vpo the mount Ephraim,


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and hath thirtie sonnes, rydinge vpon thirtie asses foales: and had thirtie cities, whose names are Hauoth Iair (that is, the cities of Iair) vnto this daye, and lye in Gilead.


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But the children of Israel wrought wickednes in the sighte of the LORDE, and serued Baalim and Astaroth, and the goddes of Siria, and the goddes of Sidon, and the goddes of Moab, and the goddes of ye children of Ammon, and the goddes of the Philistines, and forsoke ye LORDE, and serued him not.


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Then was ye wrath of ye LORDE fearce vpon Israel, and he gaue the ouer vnder the hade of the Philistynes, and of the children of Ammo.


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And they vexed and oppressed ye children of Israel eightene yeare longe, all the children of Israel that were beyonde Iordane in the londe of the Moabites, which lyeth in Gilead.


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The children of Ammon also wente ouer Iordane, and fought agaynst Iuda, Ben Iamin, and agaynst the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was very sore troubled.


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Then cryed the children of Israel vnto the LORDE, and sayde: We haue synned agaynst the, for we haue forsaken oure God, & serued Baalim.


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But the LORDE sayde vnto the childre of Israel: Did not the Egipcias, the Amorites, the children of Ammon, ye Philistines,


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the Sidonians, the Amalechites and Maonites oppresse you, and I helped you out of their hande, whan ye cryed vnto me?


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Go youre waye, and crye vpon the goddes whom ye haue chosen, let them helpe you in the tyme of youre trouble.


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But the childre of Israel sayde vnto the LORDE: We haue synned, do thou vnto vs what pleaseth the, onely delyuer vs at this tyme.


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And they put the straunge goddes fro them, and serued the LORDE, And his soule had pytie on the mysery of Israel.


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And the children of Ammon called them selues together, and pitched in Gilead: But the children of Israel gathered them selues together also, and pitched at Mispa.


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And ye people of the chefest of Gilead sayde amoge them selues: Who so euer begynneth to fight agaynst the children of Ammon, shalbe heade ouer all them that dwell in Gilead.


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But whan the wyfe had borne children vnto Gilead, and the same wyues childre were waxe greate, they thrust out Iephtae, and sayde vnto him: Thou shalt not be heire in oure fathers house, for thou art another womas sonne.


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The fled he from his brethre, and dwelt in the londe of Tob. And there resorted vnto him vagabudes, and wete out with him.


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Now wha the childre of Ammon foughte thus with Israel, the Elders wente from Gilead to fetch Iephthae out of the londe of Tob,


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But Iephthae sayde vnto the Eldes of Gilead: Are not ye they that hate me and haue thrust me out of my fathers house, and now come ye to me whan ye are in trouble?


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The Elders of Gilead sayde: Therfore come we now againe vnto the, that thou mayest go with vs, and fighte agaynst the children of Ammon, and be oure captayne ouer all that dwell in Gilead.


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Iephthae sayde vnto the Elders of Gilead: Yf ye fetch me agayne to fighte agaynst the childre of Ammon, and the LORDE delyuer them before me shal I then be youre heade?


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The Elders of Gilead saide vnto Iephthae: The LORDE be hearer betwene vs, yf we do not as thou hast sayde.


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So Iephthae wete with the Elders of Gilead. And the people made him heade and duke ouer them. And Iephthae spake all this before the LORDE at Mispa.


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Then sente Iephthae messaungers to the kynge of the children of Ammon, and caused to saye vnto him: What hast thou to do with me, that thou comest vnto me to fight agaynst my londe?


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The kynge of the childre of Ammo answered Iephthaes messaungers Because that Israel toke awaye my londe (whan they departed out of Egipte) from Arnon vnto Iabock, and vnto Iordane: geue it me agayne now therfore peaceably.


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which sayde vnto him: Thus sayeth Iephthae: Israel hath taken no londe, nether from the Moabites ner from the children of Ammon:


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for when they departed out of Egipte, Israel walked thorow the wyldernes vnto the reed see, and came to Cades,


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and sent messaungers to the kynge of the Edomites, and sayde: Let me go thorow thy londe. But the kynge of ye Edomites wolde not heare the. They sent lykewyse vnto the kynge of the Moabites, which wolde not also. Thus Israel abode in Cades,


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and compased the lode of the Edomites and Moabites, and came on the eastsyde of the londe of the Moabites and pitched beyonde Arnon, and came not within the coaste of the Moabites. For Arnon is the border of the Moabites.


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And Israel sent messaungers vnto Sihon the kynge of the Amorites at Hesbon, and caused to saye vnto him: Let me go thorow thy londe vnto my place.


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Neuertheles Sihon wolde not trust Israel to go thorow the border of his londe, but gathered all his people, and pitched at Iahza, and foughte with Israel.


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Howbeit the LORDE God of Israel gaue Sihon with all his people in to Israels hade, so that they slewe them. Thus Israel conquered all the londe of the Amorites that dwelt in ye same countre.


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And they toke possessio of all the borders of the Amorites, from Arnon vnto Iabok, & from ye wyldernesse vnto Iordane.


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So ye LORDE God of Israel droue awaye the Amorites before his people of Israel, and wilt thou coquere them?


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Is it not so, yf thy God Camos gaue the oughte to possesse, woldest thou not possesse it? What so euer the LORDE oure God hath geue vs before vs to possesse, that shal we conquere and take in possession.


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Hast thou better right (thinkest thou) the Balac the sonne of Ziphor, the kynge of ye Moabites? Dyd he euer go to lawe or fighte agaynst Israel?


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Though Israel haue dwelt now vpo a thre hudreth yeare in Hesbon, and in the vyllages therof, in Aroer and in the vyllages therof, and in all the cities that lye by Arnon. Why dyd not ye rescue it at the same tyme?


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I haue not offended the, & thou doest me euell to fighte agaynst me? The LORDE geue sentence this daie betwene Israel and the children of Ammon.


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Neuertheles the kynge of the children of Ammon wolde not heare ye wordes of Iephthae, which he sent vnto him.


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Then came ye sprete of the LORDE vpon Iephthae, and he wente thorow Gilead and Manasse, and thorow Mispa which lieth in Gilead, and fro Mispa that lieth in Gilead, vnto ye children of Ammon.


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And Iephthae vowed a vowe vnto the LORDE, and sayde: Yf thou wilt delyuer the childre of Ammon in to my hande,


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what so euer commeth (first) out at the dore of my house in my waye, whan I returne agayne peaceably from the childre of Ammon, that same shalbe the LORDES, and I wyl offre it for a burtnofferynge.


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So Iephthae wente vpon the children of Ammon, to fighte against them. And ye LORDE gaue them in to his hande,


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and he smote the from Aroer tyll thou comest vnto Minnith, euen twentye cities, and vnto the playne of ye vynyardes a very greate slaughter, and thus were the children of Ammon subdued before the children of Israel.


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Now whan Iephthae came to Mispa vnto his house, beholde, his doughter wente out to mete him with tabrettes and daunces: and she was his onely childe, & he had els nether sonne ner doughter.


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And whan he sawe her, he rente his clothes, & sayde: Alas my doughter, thou makest my hert soroufull, and discomfortest me: for I haue opened my mouth vnto the LORDE, and can not call it agayne.


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She sayde: My father, yf thou hast opened thy mouth vnto the LORDE, then do vnto me as it is proceaded out of yi mouth, acordinge as the LORDE hath aueged the of thyne enemies the children of Ammon.


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And she sayde vnto hir father: Do this for me, geue me leue to go downe vpo the mountaynes two monethes, that I maye bewepe my virginite with my playfeeres.


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He sayde: Go thy waye. And he let her go two monethes. Then wente she with her playefeeres, and bewayled hir mayden heade vpon the mountaynes.


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And after two monethes she came agayne vnto hir father. And he dyd vnto her acordinge as he had vowed. And she had neuer bene in daunger of eny man. And it was a custome in Israel,


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that the doughters of Israel shulde go euery yeare, and mourne for the doughter of Iephthae the Gileadite, foure dayes in the yeare.


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And they of Ephraim made insurreccion, & wente northwarde, & sayde vnto Iephthae: Wherfore wetest thou to the battayll agaynst the children of Ammon, & hast not called vs, that we mighte go with the? We wil burne thy house and the with fyre.


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Iephthae sayde vnto the: I and my people had a greate matter with ye children of Ammon, and I cried vpon you, but ye helped me not out of their handes.


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Now whan I sawe yt there was no helper, I put my soule in my honde, and wente agaynst the children of Ammon, and the LORDE delyuered them in to my hande. Wherfore come ye vp to me, to fighte agaynst me?


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And Iephthae gathered all the men in Gilead, & foughte agaynst Ephraim. And the men in Gilead smote Ephraim, because they sayde: Ye Gileadites are as they yt fle awaye before Ephraim, (and dwell) amoge Ephraim & Manasse.


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And the Gileadites toke ye ferye of Iordane from Ephraim. Now wha one of ye fugityue Ephraites dyd saye: Let me go ouer, ye men of Gilead sayde: Art thou an Ephraite? yf he answered: No,


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they bad him saye: Schiboleth, & he sayde: Siboleth, & coulde not speake it righte: then they toke him, & slew him at ye ferye of Iordane, so yt the same tyme there fell of Epraim two & fortye M.


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Iephthae iudged Israel sixe yeares. And Iephthae ye Gileadite dyed, & was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.


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which had thirtie sonnes and as many doughters: and his thirtie doughters gaue he forth to mariage, and thirtie doughters toke he from without for his sonnes, and iudged Israel seuen yeare,


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which had fortye sonnes, & thirtie neuies ( which rode vpo seuentye Asses foales) and he iudged Israel eighte yeare,


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And the children of Israel wroughte more euell before the LORDE, & the LORDE gaue them ouer into the hades of the Philistynes fortye yeares.


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But there was a man at Zarga, of one of ye kynreds of the Danites, named Manoah, and his wife was vnfrutefull & bare him no children.


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And the angell of the LORDE appeared vnto ye woman, & sayde vnto her: Beholde, thou art baren, & bearest not: but thou shalt conceaue, & beare a sonne.


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for thou shalt conceaue, and beare a sonne, vpo whose heade there shal come no rasoure: for ye childe shal be a Nazaree of God, euen from his mother wombe, and shall begynne to delyuer Israel out of the hande of the Philistynes.


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Then came ye woman and tolde hir husbande, & sayde: There came a ma of God vnto me, & his proporcion was to loke vpon as an angell of God, very terrible, so yt I axed him not whence he came, & whither he wolde: nether tolde he me his name.


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But he sayde vnto me: beholde, thou shalt conceaue & beare a sonne: drynke no wyne therfore ner stroge drynke, & eate no vncleane thinge: for the childe shal be called a Nazaree of God, euen fro his mother wombe vnto his death.


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Then Manoah prayed the LORDE, & sayde: Oh LORDE, let ye man of God whom thou hast sent, come to vs agayne, yt he maye enfourme vs what we shall do vnto the childe which shalbe borne.


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And God herde the voyce of Manoah, & the angell of God came to his wife agayne. But she sat in ye felde, and his husbade Manoah was not wt her.


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The ranne she in all the haist, & tolde hir husbande, & saide vnto him: beholde, ye man hath appeared vnto me, yt came to me to daye.


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Manoah gat him vp, & wente after his wife, and came to the man, and sayde vnto him: Art thou ye man that spake to the woman? He sayde: Yee.


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And Manoah sayde: wha it commeth to passe that thou hast sayde, what shal be the maner and worke of ye childe:


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he shal not eate that which commeth of the vyne, and shal drynke no wyne ner stronge drynke, and eate no vncleane thinge: & all that I haue comaunded her, shal he kepe.


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Manoah sayde vnto ye angell of the LORDE: let vs holde the here (I praye the) we will prepare a kydd for the.


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Neuertheles ye angell of the LORDE answered Manoah: Though thou kepest me here, yet wyll I not eate of thy bred. But yf thou wilt make a burntofferynge vnto the LORDE, thou mayest offre it. (For Manoah wist not that it was an angell of the LORDE.)


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And Manoah sayde vnto the angell of the LORDE: What is thy name, that we maye prayse ye, whan it commeth now to passe, that thou hast sayde?


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Then toke Manoah a kyd and a meatofferynge, & layed it vpo a rocke vnto the LORDE, which doth ye wonders him selfe. But Manoah and his wife behelde it.


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And wha the flamme wente vp from ye altare towarde heauen, the angell of the LORDE asceded vp in the flamme of the altare. Whan Manoah & his wife sawe yt, they fell downe to ye earth vpo their faces.


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And the angell of ye LORDE appeared nomore vnto Manoah & his wife. The knewe Manoah, that it was an angell of the LORDE,


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But his wife answered him: Yf the LORDE wolde haue slaine vs, he had not receaued the burtnofferynge and meatofferynge of oure handes: nether had he shewed vs all these thinges, ner letten vs heare soch as is now come to passe.


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And the woman broughte forth a sonne, and called his name Samson. And the childe grewe, and the LORDE blessed him.


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And whan he came vp, he tolde his father & his mother, & sayde: I haue sene a woman amoge the doughters of the Philistynes, I praye you geue me the same to wife.


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His father & his mother sayde vnto him: Is there not a woman amonge the doughters of yi brethren, & in all yi people, but thou must go & take a wife amoge the Philistynes, which are vncircumcised? Samson sayde vnto his father: Geue me this woma, for she pleaseth myne eyes.


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But his father & his mother knewe not yt it came of the LORDE, & that he soughte an occasion agaynst the Philistynes. For the Philistynes reigned ouer Israel at ye same tyme.


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So Samson wente downe with his father and with his mother vnto Thimnath. And whan they came to the vynyardes of Thimnath, beholde, there came a yonge rearinge lyon against him.


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And the sprete of the LORDE came vpon him, and he rente him in peces, euen as a kydd is parted a sunder, and yet had he nothinge at all in his hade, and he tolde it not vnto his father & his mother.


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And after certayne dayes he came agayne, to receaue her, & wente out of ye waye, that he mighte se ye deed carcas of the lyon: and beholde, in ye lyons carcas there was a swarme of beyes, and hony:


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and he toke of it in his hande, and ate therof by the waye: and wete vnto his father and to his mother, and gaue them to eate also. But he tolde them not, that he had taken the hony out of the lyons carcas.


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And whan his father came downe to the woman, Samson made a feast there, as the yonge men vsed to do.


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Samson sayde vnto them: I wil expresse a darke sentence vnto you, yf ye expounde me the same with in these seuen dayes of the feast, I wyll geue you thirtye shertes, and thirtie chaunge of raymente.


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But yf ye can not expounde it, then shall ye geue me thirtie shertes, & thirtie chaunge of rayment. And they sayde vnto him: Shewe forth thy ryddle, let vs heare it.


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He sayde vnto them: Meate wente out from the deuourer, and swetenesse from the mightie. And in thre dayes they coulde not expounde the ryddle.


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Vpon the seuenth daye they sayde vnto Samsons wife: Persuade thy husbade, that he tell vs what the ryddle meaneth, or els we shal burne the and thy fathers house with fyre. Haue ye called vs hither, to brynge vs to pouerte?


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Then wepte Samsons wife before him, and sayde: Thou art displeased at me, and louest me not: thou hast expressed a darke sentence vnto the children of my people, and hast not tolde it me. But he sayde vnto her: Beholde, I haue not tolde it vnto my father and mother, and shulde I tell it the?


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And she wepte before him those seuen dayes, whyle they had ye feast. But on the seueth daye he tolde it her, for she was so importune vpon him. And she expounded the darke sentence vnto the children of her people.


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Then sayde the men of the cite vnto him vpon the seuenth daye oreuer the Sonne wente downe: What is sweter then hony? What is strouger then the lyon? But he sayde vnto the: Yf ye had not plowed wt my calfe, ye shulde not haue founde out my ryddle.


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And the sprete of ye LORDE came vpon him, and he wente downe vnto Ascalon, and slewe thirtie men of them, & toke their spoyles, and gaue chaunge of rayment vnto the, yt had expounded the ryddle. And he was wrothfully displeased, & wente vp vnto his fathers house.


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It fortuned after certaine daies aboute the wheate haruest tyme, yt Samson visited his wife wt a kydd. And wha he thoughte, I wyl go to my wife in to the chamber, hir father wolde not let him in,


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and sayde: I thoughte thou wast displeased at her, and I gaue her vnto thy frende. But she hath a yonger sister which is more beutyfull then she, let ye same be thine for her.


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The sayde Samson vnto the: I haue once gotte a righte occasion agaynst the Philistynes, I wyl do you displeasure.


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And Samson wete and catched thre hundreth foxes, and toke fyre brandes, and festened one tayle to another, and put euer a fyre brande betwene two tayles,


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and kynled the same with fyre, and let them go amonge the Philistynes corne, and thus he brent ye stoukes and the stondinge corne, and ye vynyardes, and the olyue trees.


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Then sayde the Philistynes: Who hath done this? And they sayde: Samson the husbande of the Thimnites doughter, because he toke awaye his wife from him, and gaue hir vnto his frende. Then wente the Philistynes vp, and brent her and hir father also with fyre.


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But Samson sayde vnto them: I can suffre you to do this, neuertheles I wyl be aueged vpon you my selfe, and then wyl I leaue of.


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And he smote them sore both vpo the shulders & loynes: and wete downe, & dwelt in the stone clyffe at Eram.


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But they of Iuda sayde: Wherfore are ye come vp against vs? They answered: we are come vp to bynde Samson, yt we maye do vnto him, as he hath done vnto vs.


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Then wete there thre M. men of Iuda downe to the stone clyffe of Etam, & sayde vnto Samson: Knowest thou not that the Philistynes raigne ouer vs? Wherfore hast thou done this then vnto vs? He sayde: As they dyd vnto me, so haue I done vnto the agayne.


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They sayde vnto him: We are come downe to bynde the, & to delyuer ye into the hade of the Philistynes. Samson sayde vnto the: Then sweare & promyse me, yt ye wyll not slaye me.


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They answered him: We wyll not kyll the, we wil but bynde the, & delyuer the in to their hande, & wyl not slaye ye. And they bounde him with two new coardes & caried him from the stone.


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And whan he came vnto Lechi, the Philistynes shouted, and rane vnto him. But ye sprete of ye LORDE came vpon him, & the coardes aboute his armes were like thredes burnt in the fyre, so yt the bondes were lowsed from his hondes.


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And he founde the cheke bone of a deed asse: then put he forth his hande, and toke it, & slewe a thousande men therwith:


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And Samson sayde: With an olde asses cheke bone, yee eue with the cheke bone of an asse haue I slayne a thousande men.


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But wha he was sore a thyrst, he called vpo the LORDE, & saide: Soch greate health hast thou geue by the hade of thy seruaunt, but now must I dye a thyrst, & fall in to ye hande of ye vncircucised.


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The God opened a gometothe in ye chekebone, so yt water wete out: & whan he dranke, his sprete came agayne, & he was refresshed. Therfore vnto this daye it is yet called ye well of ye cheke bone of him yt made intercession.


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The was it saide vnto the Gasites: Samson is come hither. And they compased him aboute, & caused to laye wayte for him preuely, & watched all the nighte in the gate of ye cite, & all that nighte they helde them styll, & sayde: Abyde, tomorow whan it is lighte, we wyll slaye him.


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But Samson laye vnto mydnighte, then rose he at mydnighte, & toke holde on both ye syde portes of ye gate of the cite, wt both the postes, & lifte them out with the barres, & layed them vpon his shulders, & bare them vp to ye toppe of ye mount ouer agaynst Hebron.


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vnto whom the prynces of the Philistynes came vp, and sayde vnto her: Persuade him, and loke wherin he hath soch greate stregth, & how we maye ouercome him, yt we mighte bynde him & subdue him, so wyll we geue the euery man a M. and an C. syluerlinges.


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And Dalila sayde vnto Samson: I praye the tell me, wherin thy greate stregth is, & how thou mightest be bounde to be subdued.


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Samson sayde vnto her: Yf I were bounde with seue roapes of fresh senowes, which are not yet dryed vp, I shulde be weake, and as another man.


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The the prynces of the Philistynes broughte vp vnto her seuen new roapes, which were not yet dryed vp. And she bounde him therwith.


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(But there was wayte layed for him besyde her in the chamber) and she sayde vnto him: The Pilistynes vpon the Samson. Neuertheles he brake the roapes in sunder, eue as a twyned threde breaketh, whan it hath catched the heate of the fyre. And it was not knowne wherin his strength was.


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Then sayde Dalila vnto Samson: beholde, thou hast begyled me & dyssembled with me: tell me yet, wherwithall mayest thou be bounde?


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He answered her: Yf they bounde me with new coardes, wherwith no labor hath bene done, I shulde be feble, & as another man.


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Then toke Dalila new coardes, & bounde him withall, and sayde: The Philistynes vpo the Samson (but there was wayte layed for him in the chamber.) And he brake them from his armes, euen as it had bene a threde.


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Dalila sayde vnto him: Yet hast thou begyled me & dessembled wt me: O tell me yet, wherwithall mightest thou be bounde? He answered her: Yf thou playtest seue hayrie lockes of my heade together in a fyllet,


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and fastenest them in with a nayle (I shulde be weake.) And she saide vnto him: The Philistynes vpo the Samson. But he awaked out of his slepe, & drue out ye playted hayrie lockes with the nale and the fyllet.


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The sayde she vnto him: How cast thou saye yt thou louest me, where as thine hert is not yet with me? Thre tymes hast thou disceaued me, and not tolde me wherin thy greate strength is.


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So whan she was euery daye importune vpon him wt her wordes, & wolde not let him haue rest, his soule was faynte euen vnto the death,


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& he shewed her his whole hert, & sayde vnto her: There came neuer rasoure vpon my heade, for I am a Nazaree of God fro my mothers wombe. Yf I were shauen, my strength shulde departe fro me, so that I shulde be weake, and as all other men.


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Now whan Dalila sawe that he had opened all his hert vnto her, she sent & called for the prynces of the Philistynes, & sayde: Come yet once vp, for he hath opened his whole hert vnto me. The came the prynces of the Philistynes vp vnto her, & broughte the money wt them in their handes.


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And she made him to slepe vpon hir lappe, & called one which shoue of the seue hayrie lockes of his heade. And she beganne to vexe him. The was his strength departed fro him.


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And she sayde vnto him: The Philistynes vpon the Samson. Now wha he awoke out of his slepe, he thoughte: I wil go forth as I haue done aforetyme, & ease my selfe, & knewe not yt the LORDE was departed from him.


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But the Philistynes toke him, & put out his eyes, and broughte him downe to Gasa, & bounde him wt fetters, and made him to grynde in the preson.


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Whan ye prynces of the Philistynes were gathered together, to make a greate sacrifice vnto Dagon their god, and to be ioyfull, they sayde: Oure god hath delyuered Samson or enemye in to or hande.


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Like wyse whan ye people sawe him, they praysed their god, & sayde: Oure god hath delyuered in to oure handes oure enemye, yt destroyed oure londe, & slewe many of vs.


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Now whan their hert was ioyfull, they sayde: Let vs fetch Samson, that he maye make some pastyme before vs. Then fetched they Samson out of the preson, & he made pastyme before them. And they set him betwene two pilers.


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But Samson sayde vnto the lad yt led him by the hande: Let me touche the pilers wher vpon the house stondeth, yt I maye leane ther vnto.


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As for ye house, it was full of men & wemen. All the prynces of the Philistynes were there also, and vpon the rofe were aboute a thre thousande men and wemen, which behelde what pastyme Samson made.


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But Samson called vpon the LORDE, & sayde: O LORDE LORDE, thynke vpon me, & strength me but this once O God I beseke the, yt for both myne eyes I maye auege me on the Philistynes.


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And he toke holde of ye two mydpilers, that the house stode vpon & was holden by, the one in his righte hade, & ye other in his lefte,


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& saide: My soule dye wt the Philistynes, & he bowed him selfe mightely. Then fell the house vpon the prynces & vpon all the people that were therin, so that there were mo of ye slayne which dyed in his death, the he slewe whyle he lyued.


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Then came his brethren downe and all his fathers house, and toke him, and caried him vp, and buried him in the graue of his father Manoah betwene Zarga and Esthaol. He iudged Israel twentye yeare.


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which sayde vnto his mother: The thousande and hundreth syluerlinges which thou hast taken vnto the, & sworne, and spoken of before myne eares: beholde, ye same money is by me, I haue taken it vnto me. Then sayde his mother: The blessinge of the LORDE haue thou my sonne.


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So he gaue his mother the thousande & hundreth syluerlinges agayne. And his mother saide: That money haue I sanctified vnto the LORDE wt my hande for my sonne, to make a molten ymage: therfore I geue it the agayne.


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Neuertheles he delyuered ye money agayne vnto his mother. Then toke his mother two hundreth syluerlinges, & put them forth to ye goldsmyth, which made a molten ymage, yt was afterwarde in Michas house.


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And thus the man Micha had a gods house, & made an ouerbody cote, & Idols, and fylled ye handes of one of his sonnes, yt he mighte be his prest.


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There was a yoge man of Bethleem Iuda, amoge the kynreds of Iuda, and he was a Leuite, and was a straunger there.


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The same wente out of the cite of Bethleem Iuda, to walke whither he coulde. And wha he came vp to mount Ephraim vnto the house of Micha, to go on his iourney,


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Micha axed him: Whence comest thou? He answered him: I am a Leuite of Bethleem Iuda, and am walkynge where I can.


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Micha sayde vnto him: Tary with me, thou shalt be my father and my prest, I will geue the euery yeare ten syluerlinges and thy appoynted raymet, and meate and drynke: and the Leuite wete on.


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At that tyme was there no kynge in Israel. And ye trybe of ye Danites soughte them an enheritaunce to dwell in, for vnto that daie there was no enheritaunce fallen vnto them amonge the trybes of Israel.


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And the childre of Dan sent out of their kynreds fyue captaynes (which were men of armes) from Zarga and Esthaol, to spye and search out the londe. And they sayde vnto them: Go youre waie, and search out the londe. And they came vp to mount Ephraim in to ye house of Micha, and taried there all nighte.


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And whyle they were there wt Michas hussholde, they knewe ye voyce of the yonge man the Leuite, and sayde vnto him: Who broughte ye hither? What makest thou here? and why woldest thou come hither?


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They sayde vnto him: O axe at God, yt we maye perceaue, whether oure iourney which we go, shal prospere well or not.


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Then the fyue men wente their waye, & came vnto Lais, and sawe that the people which was therin, dwelt sure, euen as ye Sidonians, at rest, and carelesse, and that there was no lorde in the londe to vexe them, and were farre from the Sidonias, and had nothinge to do with eny man.


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And they came to their brethre to Zarga and Esthaol. And their brethren saide vnto them: How is it wt you?


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They sayde: Arise, let vs go vp vnto them, for we haue sene the londe, yt it is a very good londe: make haist therfore, & be not slacke to go, that ye maye come to take possession of the londe.


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Whan ye come, ye shall come to a carelesse people, and the londe is wyde: for God hath delyuered this place in to yor hande, where nothinge wanteth of all yt is vpon earth.


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Then wente there thence out of the kynreds of Dan from Zarga and Esthaol, sixe hundreth men ready wapened to ye battayll,


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and wente vp, and pitched at Kiriath Iearim in Iuda: therfore called they the same place, ye hoost of Dan, vnto this daye, which is behinde Kiriath Iearim.


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Then answered the fyue men that wete out to spye the londe of Lais, & sayde vnto their brethren: Knowe ye not that in these houses there is an ouerbody cote, Idols, & molten ymages? Now maye ye loke what ye haue to do.


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They departed thence, and came to the house of the yonge man the Leuite in Michas house, and saluted him fredly.


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And the fyue men that were gone out to spye ye londe, wete vp, and came thither, and toke the ymage, the ouerbody cote, & the molten Idols. In the meane whyle stode ye prest at the gate, with the sixe hundreth readye harnessed.


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Now wha these were come in to Michas house, and toke the ymage, the ouerbody cote, and the molten Idols, the prest sayde vnto them: What do ye?


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They answered him: Holde thy peace, and laye thine hande vpon thy mouth, and go with vs, yt thou mayest be oure father & prest. Is it better for the to be prest in one mans house, then amonge a whole trybe & kynred in Israel?


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This pleased the prest well, & he toke both the ouerbody cote, and the Idols, and the ymage, and came in amonge the people.


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And whan they turned them and wente thence, they sent their children, and catell, and soch precious thynges as they had, before them.


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Whan they were come farre now from the house of Micha, the men yt were in Michas houses gathered the together by Michas house, & folowed ye childre of Dan, and cried vpon the childre of Dan.


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They turned their faces aboute, and sayde vnto Micha: What ayleth the, yt thou makest soch a crienge?


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He answered: Ye haue taken awaye my goddes, and the prest, & are goinge yor waie, and what haue I behynde? What is here? And yet ye saye vnto me: What ayleth the?


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But the childre of Dan saide vnto him: Let not thy voyce be herde amoge vs, that some wrothfull me thrust not at the, and so yi soule and the soule of yi house be destroyed.


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So the childre of Dan wete on their waye. And Micha, whan he sawe yt they were to stronge for him, turned backe, and came agayne to his house.


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But they toke that Micha had made, & the prest whom he had, & came vnto Lais, to a quyete carelesse people, and slewe them with the edge of the swerde, and burnt the cite with fyre,


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and there was no man to delyuer them: for they laye farre fro Sidon, and had to do with no man. And they laye in the valley, which is besyde Beth Rehob. Then buylded they the cite, & dwelt therin,


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& called it Dan, after name of their father Dan, whom Israel begat. And ye cite was called Lais afore tyme.


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And the children of Dan set vp the ymage for them, and Ionathan ye sonne of Gerson the sonne of Manasse, & his sonnes were prestes amoge the trybe of ye Danites, vnto the tyme yt they were led awaye captyue out of the londe.


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And thus they set amonge the the ymage of Micha, which he had made, as loge as ye house of God was at Silo.


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At the same tyme was there no kynge in Israel, and there was a man of Leui, which was a strauger besyde mout Ephraim, and had taken him a cocubine of Bethleem Iuda to wife.


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And wha she had played the harlot besyde him, she ranne fro him to hir fathers house vnto Bethleem Iuda, & was there foure monethes longe.


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And hir husbade gat him vp, & wente after her, to speake fredly wt her, & to fetch her againe, & had a seruaunt & a couple of asses wt him. And she led him in to hir fathers house. But whan the damsels father sawe him, he was glad, & receaued him:


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& his father in lawe, yt the damsels father kepte him, so yt he taried thre dayes wt him: thus they ate and droke, and remayned there all nighte.


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But on ye fourth daye he gat him vp early, & wolde go his waye. Then sayde ye damsels father vnto his sonne in lawe: Refresh thine hert first wt a morsell of bred, and then shal ye go.


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And they sat them downe, & ate and dronke both together: Then sayde the damsels father vnto the man: Oh tarye all nighte, yt we waie refresh thine hert.


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On the fifth daye in the mornynge he gat him vp, and wolde be gone. Then sayde the damsels father: I praye the conforte thine hert, & let vs tary tyll ye daye be farther past, and so they ate both together.


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And the man gat him vp, and wolde go with his concubyne and with his seruaunt. But his father in lawe the damsels father, saide vnto him agayne: Lo, the daye is spente, & it begynneth to be euen, tary all night: beholde, here is lodginge yet this daye, abyde here this night, it shal refresh thine hert: tomorow by times get you vp, and go youre waye vnto thy tent.


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Neuerttheles the man wolde not tary, but gat him vp, and wete his waye, and came ouer agaynst Iebus (that is Ierusalem) and his couple of asses lade, and his concubyne with him.


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Now whan they were come nye vnto Iebus, the daye fell fast awaye. And ye seruaut saide vnto his master: I praie you go on, and let vs turne in to this cite of the Iebusites, and tarye therin allnight.


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Not withstondinge his master sayde vnto him: I wil not turne in to ye cite of the aleauntes, that are not of the children of Israel, but I wyl go ouer vnto Gibea.


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And he sayde vnto his seruaut: Go thou before, that we maye come to some place, and tarye at Gibea or at Ramah allnight.


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And they wente on and walked, and the Sonne wente downe vpon the harde by Gibea, which lyeth in the trybe of BenIamin:


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and they turned in there, yt they mighte come in, and tarye at Gibea all nighte. But whan he came in, he sat him downe in ye strete of the cite: for there was noman that wolde lodge them in his house that night.


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And beholde, then came there an olde ma from his worke out of the felde in the eueninge: and he was also of mount Ephraim, and a strauger at Gibea: but ye me of that place were ye childre of Iemini.


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And whan he lifte vp his eies, & sawe the straunger in the strete he sayde vnto him: Whither wilt thou go? & whence comest thou?


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He answered him: We are goinge on oure iourney from Betlee Iuda, vntyll we come besyde mount Ephraim, whece I am, and wente vnto Bethleem Iuda, and now I go vnto ye house of ye LORDE & no ma wil harbarow me.


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We haue strawe and proueder for oure asses, and bred and wyne for me and thy handmayden, and for the yonge man which is with thy seruaunt, so yt we wante nothinge.


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The olde man sayde: Peace be with the: what soeuer thou wantest, thou findest it wt me, onely tarye not in the strete all nighte.


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And he broughte him in to his house, and gaue the asses prouender: and they washed their fete, and ate & dronke.


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And wha their hert was now ioyfull, the men of the cyte, the children of Belial, came, and compased the house rounde aboute, and russhed at ye dore, and sayde vnto ye olde man, which was the good man of ye house: Bringe out the ma which is come in to thy house, that we maye knowe him.


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But the good man of the house wente forth to them, and sayde vnto them: Oh no my brethren, do not so wickedly, consideringe this man is come in to my house: Oh do not soch folye.


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Beholde, I haue a doughter yet a virgin, and this man hath a cocubine, those wil I brynge forth vnto you, that ye maye humble them, and do with them as ye lyke: but do not soch foly vnto this man.


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Neuertheles the men wolde not herken vnto him. Then toke ye man his concubine and broughte her forth vnto them: and they knewe her, and dealte shamefully with her all yt night vntill the mornynge. And whan the mornynge brake on, they let her go.


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Then came the woman early in the mornynge, and fell downe at the dore of the mas house that her lorde was in, and laye there tyll it was light.


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Now whan hir lorde rose vp in the mornynge, and opened the dore of the house, and wente forth to go on his iourney, beholde, his concubyne laye at the dore of the house, and hir handes vpon the thresholde.


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He saide vnto her: stonde vp, let vs go, Neuertheles she gaue him no answere. The toke he her vp vpon his asse, gat him vp, and wente vnto his place.


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Now whan he came home, he toke a swerde, and helde his concubyne, and cut her wt the bones and all in to twolue peces, and sent them in to all the coastes of Israel.


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Who so euer sawe it, sayde: Soch a thinge hath not bene done ner sene, sence the tyme that ye children of Israel departed out of the londe of Egipte, vnto this daye. Now as concernynge this, take youre advysement, and geue yor councell, and shew it forth.


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Then wente the children of Israel out and gathered a congregacion together as one man, fro Dan vntill Bersaba, and from the londe of Gilead vnto the LORDE to Mispa:


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and there came together of all the quarters of the people, and of all the trybes of Israel in to the congregacion of the people of God, foure hundreth thousande fote men that drue out ye swerde.


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But the children of BenIamin herde, how that ye children of Israel were gone vp vnto Mispa. And the children of Israel sayde: Tell vs, how happened this euell?


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Then answered the Leuite the husbande of the woman that was slayne, and sayde: I came to Gibea in BenIamin with my concubyne, to tary there allnight,


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then the cytesins of Gibea gat them vp agaynst me, and compased me aboute in the house by night, and thoughte to slaye me, and defyled my cocubyne, so that she dyed:


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then toke I my cocubyne, and cut her in peces, and sent the peces in to euery countre of the inheritaunce of Israel: for they haue done an abhominacion and folye in Israel.


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So all the people gat them vp as one ma, and sayde: Noma shal go in to his tente, ner departe to his house,


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and take ten men of an hundreth, and an hundreth of a thousande, and a thousande of ten thousande, out of all ye trybes of Israel, yt they maie take fode for ye people, to come & do with Gibea BenIamin, acordynge to their folye which they haue done in Israel.


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Thus all the men of Israel beynge confederate, gathered them selues together as one man vnto the cite:


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and the trybes of Israel sent men vnto all the kinreds of BenIamin, and caused to saye vnto them: What maner of wickydnes is this, that is done amonge you?


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Delyuer here therfore the men the children of Belial at Gibea, that we maye put them to death, and do awaye the euell out of Israel. Neuertheles the children of BenIamin wolde not folowe the voyce of their brethren the children of Israel,


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but gathered them selues out of ye cities vnto Gibea, to go forth in battayll agaynst the children of Israel.


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And the same daye were there nombred of the children of BenIamin out of the cities, sixe and twentye thousande men, that drue the swerde, beside the citesyns of Gibea of whom there were tolde seue hundreth chosen men.


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And amoge all this people there were chosen out seuen hundreth men, which vsed not the right hande but the lefte, and yet wt the slynge coulde they touch an heer, and not mysse.


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But the men of Israel, beside them of BeIamin, were nobred foure hudreth thousande, which drue the swerde, & were all men of armes.


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And the children of Israel arose, and wente vp to the house of God (in Silo) and axed at God, and sayde: Who shall go vp for vs to beginne the battayll with ye children of BenIamin? The LORDE saide: Iuda shall begynne.


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& euery man of Israel wete out to fighte with Ben Iamin, and set them selues in araye to fighte agaynst Gibea.


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Then fell the children of Ben Iamin out of Gibea, and slewe the same daye amonge Israel two & twentye thousande to the grounde.


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But the people of the men of Israel comforted them selues, and made them ready to fighte yet more in the same place, after they had prepared them selues the daye afore.


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And the children of Israel wente vp, and wepte before the LORDE vntyll the euenynge, and axed at the LORDE, & sayde: Shall we go enymore to fighte with oure brethren the children of Ben Iamin? The LORDE sayde: Go vp vnto them.


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the Ben Iamites fell out of Gibea agaynst them the same daye, and slewe yet eightene thousande of ye children of Israel to the grounde, which all drue the swerde.


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Then wente all the children of Israel vp, and all the people, and came to the house of God, and wepte, and taried there before the LORDE, & fasted that daye vntyll the euen, and offred burntofferynges and deedofferinges before the LORDE.


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And the children of Israel axed at the LORDE (the Arke of the couenaunt of God was there at that tyme,


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and Phineas the sonne of Eleasar the sonne of Aaron stode before him at the same tyme) & they sayde: Shal we go forth eny more to fighte with oure brethren the childre of Ben Iamin, or shal we leaue of? The LORDE sayde: Go vp, tomorow wyll I delyuer them in to youre handes.


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and so the children of Israel wente vp to the children of Ben Iamin on the thirde daye, and set them selues in araye agaynst Gibea like as the other two tymes afore.


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The came the children of Ben Iamin out agaynst the people, & brake out of the cite, & beganne to slaye certayne wounded of the people (like as the other two times afore) in the felde vpon two stretes: wherof one goeth towarde Bethel, the other vnto Gilead vpon a thirtye men in Israel.


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Then thought the childre of Ben Iamin: They are smytten before vs like as afore. But the childre of Israel sayde: Let vs flye, that we maie prouoke them out of the cite in to the hye stretes.


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Then all the men of Israel gat them vp from their place, and prepared them selues vnto Baal Thamar. And the hinder watch of Israel brake out of their place, from ye caue of Gaba,


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and came vnto Gibea, twentye thousande chosen men out of all Israel, so that it was a sore battayll: but they knewe not that the euell shulde happen vnto them.


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Thus the LORDE smote BenIamin before the children of Israel, so that the same daye the children of Israel destroyed fyue & twentye thousande and an hundreth men in Ben Iamin, which all drue the swerde.


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For whan the childre of BenIamin sawe that they were smitten, the men of Israel gaue them rowme (to flye). For they trusted to the watch, which they had sett by Gibea.


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And the watch made haist also, & brake forth vnto Gibea, and wente vpon it, and smote all the cite with the edge of ye swerde.


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They were appoynted betwene them selues the men of Israel and the hynder watch, to fall vpon them with the swerde, whan the smoke of the cite arose.


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Now whan the men of Israel turned them in the battayll, and Ben Iamin beganne to smyte the wounded in Israel vpon a thirtie men, and thoughte, they are smytten before vs, like as in the battayll afore,


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then beganne there a piler of smoke to arise vp from the cite. And BenIamin loked behinde them: and beholde, the flamme of ye cite wente vp vnto heauen.


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And the men of Israel turned them, and were fearce vpon ye men of BenIamin: for they sawe that the euell wolde happen vnto them.


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And they turned them before the men of Israel in the waye to the wyldernesse, but the battayll folowed vpon them. And them of the cite destroyed they amoge them.


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And they compased BenIamin rounde aboute, and folowed vpon them vnto Mennah, and trode them downe tyll afore Gibea eastwarde.


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Whan the remnaunt of BenIamin sawe that, they turned them and fled towarde the wildernesse vnto the stonye rocke of Rimon. But in the same strete they slewe fyue thousande men, and folowed vpon them vnto Gideom, and slewe two thousande of the:


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and so there fell the same daye of BenIamin fyue and twenty thousande men which drue ye swerde, and were all me of armes.


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Onely sixe hundreth men turned backe, and fled towarde the wyldernesse vnto the stonye rocke of Rimon, and abode in the rocke of Rimon foure monethes.


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And the men of Israel came agayne to the children of BenIamin, and smote them that were in the cite with ye edge of the swerde, both me and catell and all that was founde: and what soeuer was foude in the cite, they cast it in to the fyre.


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The men of Israel had swore at Mispa, and sayde: Noman shal geue his doughter to the BenIamites to wife.


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And the people came to the house of God (in Silo) & abode there before God vntill the euenynge, and lifte vp their voyce, and wepte sore,


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But on the morow the people gat the vp early, and builded there an altare, and offred burntofferinges and deedofferynges.


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And the children of Israel sayde: Where is there eny ma of the trybes of Israel, that is not come vp with the congregacion vnto the LORDE? For there was a greate ooth made, that who so came not vp to Mispa vnto the LORDE, shulde dye the deeth.


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And the children of Israel were sory for BenIamin their brother, and sayde: This daye is there one trybe lesse in Israel.


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How wyll we do that the remnaunt maye haue wyues? For we haue sworne by the LORDE, that we wyl not geue the wyues of oure doughters.


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And they saide: Where is there eny ma of the trybes of Israel, that is not come vp to the LORDE vnto Mispa?


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Then sent the congregacion twolue thousande men of armes thither, and commaunded them, and sayde: Go youre waye, and smite the citesyns of Iabes in Gilead with the swerde, the wemen also and the children,


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but so that ye do after this maner: Se that ye damne all them that are males, and all the wemen that haue lyen with men.


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And amonge the citesins of Iabes in Gilead they foude foure hundreth damsels, which were virgins, and had lyen with noman: those they broughte in to the hoost vnto Silo, which lyeth in the londe of Canaan.


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Then sent the whole congregacion, and caused to talke with the children of BenIamin, which were in the stonie rocke of Rimo and called vnto them frendly.


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So the children of BenIamin came agayne at the same tyme, and thy gaue them wemen which they had of the wemen of Iabes in Gilead, and founde no mo after that maner.


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And the Elders of the congregacio sayde: What wil we do, that the remnaunt maye haue wyues also? for the weme in Ben Iamin are destroied,


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and they sayde: The enheritaunce of them of BenIamin that are escaped, must nedes remayne, that there be not a trybe destroyed out of Israel:


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& we cannot geue them oure doughters to wiues. For the children of Israel haue sworne and sayde: Cursed be he that geueth a wyfe to the BenIamites.


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And they sayde: Beholde there is a yearly feast of the LORDE at Silo, which lieth on the northsyde of the Gods house, and on the eastside of the strete as a ma goeth from Bethel vnto Sichem, and lieth on the south side of Libona.


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And whan ye se that the doughters of Silo go forth by copanyes to daunse, get you out of the vynyardes, and euery man take him a wyfe of the doughters of Silo, and go youre waye in to the lode of BenIamin.


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As for their fathers and brethren, whan they come to lawe with vs, we wyll saye vnto them: Be fauourable to them, for they haue not taken the in battaill: but ye gaue the not vnto them by time, and it is youre faute.


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The children of BenIamin did so, and acordinge to their nombre toke them wyues from the daunse, whom they caught by violence, and wente their waye, & dwelt in their awne inheritaunce, and buylded cities and dwelt therin.


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The children of Israel also gat them vp from thence at the same time, euery one to his trybe and to his kinred, and departed thece, euery man to his awne inheritaunce.


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In ye tyme whan the Iudges ruled, there was a derth in the londe. And there wente a ma from Bethlee Iuda to take his iourney into the londe of the Moabites wt his wife and two sonnes,


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which man was called EliMelech, and his wife Naemi, & his two sonnes, the one Mahelon, and the other Chilion: these were Ephrates of Bethleem Iuda. And whan they came in to the londe of ye Moabites, they dwelt there.


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which toke Moabitish wyues: the one was called Arpa, the other Ruth. And whan they had dwelt there ten yeare,


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they dyed both, Mahelon and Chilion, so that the woman remayned desolate of both hir sonnes and hir husbande.


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Then gat she her vp wt both hir sonnes wyues, & wente agayne out of the lode of ye Moabites (for she had herde in the londe of the Moabites, yt the LORDE had visited his people & geuen them bred)


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& so she departed from ye place where she was, & both hir sonnes wyues wt her. And as they wete by the waye to come agayne into the londe of Iuda,


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she sayde vnto both hir sonnes wyues: Go yor waye, & turne backe ether of you to hir mothers house: the LORDE shewe mercy vpon you, as ye haue done on the yt are deed & on me.


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The LORDE graunte you, yt ye maie fynde rest ether of you in hir husbades house (whom ye shal get) and she kyssed them. Then lift they vp their voyce, and wepte,


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But Naemi sayde: Turne agayne my doughters, why wolde ye go with me? How can I haue children eny more in my body, to be youre husbandes?


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Turne agayne my doughters, and go youre waye, for I am now to olde to take an husbande. And though I shulde saye: I hope this night to take an husbande & to brynge forth children,


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yet coulde ye not tary tlll they were growne vp: for ye shulde be to olde, so that ye coulde haue no husbandes. No my doughters, therfore am I sory for you, for ye hade of the LORDE is gone forth ouer me.


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Then lifte they vp their voyce, and wepte yet more, and Arpa kyssed hir mother in lawe (and turned backe againe) but Ruth abode styll by her.


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Neuertheles she sayde: Beholde, thy syster in lawe is turned backe vnto hir people and to hir god, turne thou againe also after thy sister in lawe.


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Ruth answered: Speake not to me therof, that I shulde forsake the, and turne backe from the: whithersoeuer thou goest, thither wil I go also: and loke where thou abydest, there wil I abide also: Thy people is my people, & thy God is my God.


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Loke where thou diest, there wil dye, and euen there wil I also be buried. The LORDE do this and that vnto me, death onely shal departe vs.


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So they wente on both together, till they came vnto Bethleem. And whan they were come in to Bethleem, the whole cite was moued ouer them, and sayde Is not this Naemi?


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Neuerthelesse she sayde vnto them: call me not Naemi, but Mara: for the Allmightie hath made me very sory.


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I departed full, but the LORDE hath brought me home agayne emptye. Why call ye me then Naemi? wha the LORDE hath broughte me lowe, and the Allmightie hath made me sory?


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It was aboute the tyme of the begynninge of the barlye haruest, whan Naemi and his sonnes wife Ruth ye Moabitysse, came agayne from the londe of the Moabites vnto Bethleem.


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There was a kinsman also of ye kynred of EliMelech Naemis husbande, whose name was Boos, which was an honest man.


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And Ruth the Moabitisse saide vnto Naemi: Let me go in to ye felde, & gather eares of corne, after him, in whose sight I shal finde fauor. She sayde vnto her: Go yi waie my doughter.


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She wete on, & came & gathered after ye reapers in ye feld. And it fortuned that the same felde was the enheritaunce of Boos, which was of the kynred of Elimelech,


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and beholde, Boos came from Bethleem, and sayde vnto the reapers: The LORDE be with you. They answered: The LORDE blesse the.


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The yonge man that was set ouer ye reapers, answered and sayde: It is the damsell the Moabitisse, which came agayne with Naemi from the londe of the Moabites.


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And she sayde: Let me plucke vp and gather (I praie the) betwene the sheues after the reapers: and thus is she come, and hath stonde here euer sence the mornynge, and within a litle whyle she wolde haue bene gone home agayne.


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Then sayde Boos vnto Ruth: Hearest thou my doughter? Thou shalt not come vpon another mans londe to gather, and go not awaye from hence, but tary with my dasels,


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and loke where they reape in ye felde, go thou after them: for I haue comaunded my seruauntes that no man touch the. And yf thou be a thyrst, go thy waye to the vessell & drynke, where my seruauntes drawe.


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Then fell she downe vpon hir face, and bowed hir self downe to the earth, and sayde vnto him: How haue I founde this fauoure in yi sighte, that thou woldest knowe me, which am yet a straunger?


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Boos answered and sayde vnto her: It is tolde me alltogether, what thou hast done vnto thy mother in lawe after thy husbades death, how that thou hast left yi father and thy mother, and thy natiue countre, and art come to a people, whom thou hast not knowne afore.


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The LORDE recompence the thy doinge, and thy rewarde be parfecte wt the LORDE God of Israel, vnto whom thou art come to put thy trust vnder his wynges.


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She sayde: let me fynde fauoure (syr) before thyne eyes, for thou hast comforted me, and spoken frendly vnto thy handmayde, where as I am not yet like one of yi handmaydes.


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Boos sayde vnto her: Whan it is eatinge tyme, come hither, and eate of the bred, and dyppe thy morsell in the vyneger. And she sat hir downe besyde the reapers. And he set parched corne before her, and she ate, & was satisfyed, and lefte ouer.


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And wha she rose to gather, Boos commaunded his seruauntes, and sayde: Let her gather betwene the sheues also, and do her no dishonestye:


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and cast of the sheues vnto her, and let it lye that she maye gather it vp, and se that noman reproue her for it.


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So she gathered in the felde vntyll euen and she shaked out what she had gathered, and it was allmost an Epha of barlye:


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and she toke it vp, and came in to the cite, and shewed hir mother in lawe what she had gathered. She toke forth also, and gaue her of that which was left, wherof she was satysfyed.


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The sayde hir mother in lawe vnto her Blessinge haue the man that hath knowne the, where thou hast gathered and laboured this daye. She tolde hir mother in lawe by whom she had laboured, and sayde: The mans name, by whom I haue wroughte to daye, is Boos.


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Naemi sayde vnto hir doughter in lawe: The blessynge of the LORDE haue he, for he hath not lefte of to be mercifull vnto the lyuynge and to the deed. And Naemi sayde vnto her: The same man belongeth vnto vs, and is oure nye kynsman.


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Ruth the Moabitisse saide: He saide morouer vnto me: Thou shalt resorte vnto my seruauntes, tyll they haue made an ende of all my haruest.


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Naemi sayde vnto Ruth hir doughter in lawe: It is better my doughter, that thou go forth with his damsels, lest eny man withstode the in another felde.


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Thus she kepte herselfe with Boos damsels, so that she gathered vntill the barlye haruest and the wheate haruest was out, and came againe to hir mother in lawe.


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And Naemi hir mother in lawe sayde vnto her: My doughter, I wyll prouyde rest for the, that thou maiest prospere.


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Bathe thyselfe therfore, and moffell the, and put on thy clothes, and go downe vnto the barne, so yt noma knowe the, tyll they haue all eaten and dronken.


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Whan he layeth him downe then to sleape, mark ye place where he lyeth downe, and come thou, and take vp the couerynge at his fete, and laye the downe, so shall he tell the what thou shalt do.


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And wha Boos had eate & dronke, his hert was mery, & he came and layed him downe behynde a heape of sheues. And she came secretly, and toke vp the coueringe at his fete, and layed hir downe.


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Now wha it was midnight, the man was afrayed, and groped aboute him, and beholde, a woman laye at his fete.


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And he sayde: Who art thou? She answered: I am Ruth thy handmayden, sprede yi wynges ouer thy hadmayden: for thou art the nexte kynsman.


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He sayde: The LORDES blessinge haue thou my doughter. Thou hast done a better mercy here after then before, yt thou art not gone after yonge men, nether riche ner poore.


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Feare not now my doughter: All yt thou hast sayde, will I do for the: for all the cite of my people knoweth, yt thou art a vertuous woma.


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Tarye thou allnighte. Tomorow yf he take the, well: yf he like not to take ye, then wil I take ye my selfe, as truly as ye LORDE lyueth. Slepe thou tyll ye mornynge. And she slepte at his fete vntyll ye morow.


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And she rose vp or euer one coulde knowe another. And he thoughte thus: That no ma knowe now yt there hath come a woman in to the barne,


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and he sayde: Reach me the cloke yt thou hast on the, & holde it forth. And she helde it forth. And he meet her sixe measures of barlye, and layed it vpon her, & she wente in to the cite,


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& came to hir mother in lawe, which sayde: How is it wt the my doughter? And she tolde her all yt the ma had done vnto her,


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& sayde: These sixe measures of barlye gaue he me, for he sayde: Thou shalt not come emptye vnto yi mother in lawe.


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She sayde: Abyde my doughter, tyll thou se what ye matter wil growe to: for the man wilt not ceasse, tyll he brynge it to an ende this daye.


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Boos wente vp to ye gate, and sat him downe there: & beholde, whan ye nye kynsman wente by, Boos spake vnto him, & sayde: Come & syt the downe here (and called him by his name.) And he came & sat him downe,


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The sayde he to the nye kynsman: Naemi which is come againe fro the lode of the Moabites offreth to sell ye pece of londe, yt was oure brothers Eli Melech,


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therfore thoughte I to shewe it before thine eares, & to tell the: Yf thou wilt redeme it, then bye it before the citesyns & before the Elders of my people: but yf thou wylt not redeme it, then tell me, yt I maie knowe: for there is no nye kynsma excepte thou, and I nexte after the. He sayde: I wil redeme it.


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Boos saide: In the daye yt thou byest the lode out of ye hande of Naemi, thou must take Ruth also the Moabitisse the wife of the deed, that thou mayest rayse vp a name to ye deed in his inheritaunce.


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The sayde he: I can not redeme it, lest I happlye destroye myne awne enheritaunce. Redeme thou yt I shulde redeme, for I can not redeme it.


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But this was an olde custome in Israel concernynge the redemynge & chauginge, yt all matters mighte be stable, the one put of his shue, & gaue it vnto ye other: yt was the testimony in Israel.


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And Boos sayde vnto the Elders and to all the people: Ye are witnesses this daie, yt I haue boughte out of the hande of Naemi, all that belonged to Eli Melech, and all that was Chilions and Mahelons:


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And Ruth the Moabitisse Mahelons wife, take I to wife, that I maye rayse vp a name vnto ye deed in his inheritaunce, and that his name be not roted out from amonge his brethren, and out of the gate of his place: Of this are ye witnesses.


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And all the people that was in the gate with the Elders, saide: We are witnesses. The LORDE make the woman that commeth in to thy house, as Rachel and Lea ( which both haue buylded vp the house of Israel) that she maye be an ensample of vertue in Ephrata, and haue an honorable name in Bethleem.


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And thy house be as ye house of Phares ( who Thamar bare vnto Iuda) thorow the sede, that the LORDE shall geue the of this damsell.


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So Boos toke Ruth, and she became his wife. And whan he laye with her, the LORDE graunted her yt she conceaued, and bare a sonne.


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The sayde the wemen vnto Naemi: Praysed be the LORDE, which hath not suffred a kynsman to ceasse from the at this tyme, that his name maye contynue in Israel:


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he shal restore thy life agayne, and prouyde for thine age. For yi sonnes wife which hath loued the, hath borne him that is better vnto the, then seuen sonnes.


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and hir neghbours gaue him a name & sayde: There is a childe borne vnto Naemi, and they called his name Obed. The same is the father of Isai, which is ye father of Dauid.


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There was a man of Ramathaim Sophim of mount Ephraim, whose name was Elcana ye sonne of Ieroham, ye sonne of Elihu, ye sonne of Tohu, ye sonne of Zuph, yt was an Ephrate.


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And he had two wyues, ye one was called Anna, ye other Peninna. As for Peninna, she had children, but Anna had no childre.


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And ye same man wete vp fro his cite at his tyme, to worshippe and to offer vnto the LORDE Zebaoth at Silo. There were the prestes of the LORDE Ophni and Phineas, the two sonnes of Eli.


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Now whan it came vpon a daye that Elcana offred, he gaue partes vnto his wife Peninna, and to all his sonnes and doughters.


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But vnto Anna he gaue one deale heuely, for he loued Anna. Neuertheles the LORDE had closed hir wombe,


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& hir aduersary cast her in the tethe with hir vnfrutefulnes, because the LORDE had closed hir wombe:


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thus dyd she euery yeare, whan they wente vp to the house of the LORDE, and thus she prouoked her. So she wepte, and ate nothinge.


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But Elcana hir husbande sayde vnto her: Wherfore wepest thou? and why eatest thou not? And wherfore is thine hert so greued? Am not I better vnto the then ten sonnes?


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Then stode Anna vp, whan she had eaten and dronken at Silo. But Eli the prest sat vpon a stole by the poste of the temple of the LORDE.


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and vowed a vowe, and sayde: O LORDE Zebaoth, yf thou wilt loke vpon the aduersite of thy handmayden, and thynke vpon me, and not forget thy handmayden, and wilt geue thy handmayden a sonne, I wil geue him vnto the LORDE all his life longe, and there shal no rasoure come vpon his heade.


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for Anna spake in hir hert, hir lippes onely moued, but hir voyce was not herde. Then thoughte Eli she had bene dronken,


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and sayde vnto her: How longe wilt thou be dronken? Let come from the the wyne that thou hast by the.


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Neuertheles Anna answered and sayde: No my lorde, I am a soroufull woman, wyne and stronge drynke haue I not dronken but haue poured out my hert before ye LORDE.


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Counte not thy handmayden a doughter of Belial: for out of my heuy thoughte and sorow haue I spoken hitherto.


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Eli answered her, and sayde: Go yi waye in peace, the God of Israel shal graunte ye thy peticion that thou hast desyred of him.


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She sayde: Let thy handmayden fynde fauoure in thy sighte. So the woman wente hir waye and ate, and loked nomore so soroufully:


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and on ye morow they gat them vp by tymes. And whan they had worshipped before ye LORDE, they returned, and came home vnto Ramatha. And Elcana laye with Anna his wife, and the LORDE remembred her.


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And after certayne dayes, she coceaued and bare a sonne, and called his name Samuel, for I haue desyred him (sayde she) of the LORDE.


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And whan the man Elcana wente vp with all his housholde to offre sacrifice and his vowe vnto the LORDE at soch tyme as ye custome was,


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Anna wente not vp, but sayde vnto hir husbande: (I wil not go vp) tyll ye childe be weened: then will I brynge him, that he maye appeare before the LORDE, and cotynue there for euer.


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Elcana hir husbande sayde vnto her: The do as thou thynkest best, tary tyll thou haue weened him: but the LORDE perfourme that he hath spoken. So the woman abode, and gaue hir sonne sucke, tyll she weened him.


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And whan she had weened him, she broughte him vp with her, with thre bullockes, with an Ephi of fyne floure, and a bottell of wyne, and broughte him in to ye house of the LORDE at Silo. Neuertheles the childe was yet but yonge.


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And she sayde: O my lorde, as truly as thy soule lyueth my lorde, I am the woman that stode here by ye, and made intercession vnto the LORDE,


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therfore haue I geuen him ouer vnto the LORDE, as longe as he is lent vnto the LORDE. And they worshipped ye LORDE there.


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And Anna prayed, and sayde: My hert reioyseth in the LORDE, & my horne is exalted in the LORDE. My mouth is opened wyde vpo myne enemies, for I am glad of thy saluacion.


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There is no man holy as the LORDE, for without the is nothinge, and there is no coforte like vnto oure God.


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Let go yor greate boostinge of hye thynges, let go out of youre mouth that olde byworde: for the LORDE is a God yt knoweth all thinges, & he hath set all workes in order.


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They that were fylled afore, are solde for bred: and they that were hongrie, are satisfied: vntyll the baren bare seuen, and tyll she that had many childre, was become weake.


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He taketh vp the neady out of the dust, and lifteth vp ye poore out of the myre, that he maye set them amonge the prynces, and to let them inheret the seate of honoure: for the foundacions and corners of the worlde are the LORDES, and he hath set the compase of the earth theron.


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He shall preserue the fete of his sayntes, but ye vngodly shal be put to sylece in darcnesse. For there is no ma that can do oughte of his owne power.


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The LORDES enemies shal be put in feare before him, he shal thoder vpo the in heaue. The LORDE shall iudge the endes of the worlde, & shal geue stregth vnto his kynge, & shall exalte the horne of his anoynted.


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Elcana wente his waye to Ramath vnto his house. And the childe became the LORDES mynister before Eli the prest.


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ner the dutye of the prestes vnto the people: but whan eny man wolde offre oughte, the prestes boye came, whyle the flesh was seethinge, and had a thre forked fleshoke in his hande,


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and thrust it in to the cauldron, or ketell, or panne, or pot: and loke what he drue forth with the fleshoke, that toke the prest therof. Thus dyd they vnto all Israel, which came thither vnto Silo.


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Like wyse, or euer they burned the fatt, the prestes lad came, and sayde vnto him that broughte the offerynge: Geue me the flesh, that I maye roste it for the prest, for he wyl receaue no sodden flesh of ye, but rawe.


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Yf eny man sayde then vnto him: Let the fat burne as it oughte to do this daye, and afterwarde take what thine hert desyreth, then sayde he vnto him: Thou shalt geue it me euen now: yf no, I wyll take it from the by violece.


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Therfore was the synne of ye childre very greate before the LORDE, for ye people spake euell of ye meatofferynge of ye LORDE.


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But Samuel was a mynister before the LORDE, and the childe was gyrded with an ouer body cote of lynnen.


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His mother also made him a litle cote of sylke, and broughte it vp vnto him at couenient tymes, wha she wente vp with hir husbande to offer ye offerynge in due season.


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And Eli blessed Elcana & his wife, and sayde: The LORDE geue the sede of this woman, for this good that thou hast lent vnto the LORDE. And they wete vnto their place.


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And the LORDE vysited Anna, so that she coceaued and bare thre sonnes and two doughters: but the childe Samuel grewe vp with the LORDE.


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As for Eli, he was very olde, and herde of all that his sonnes dyd vnto all Israel, and how they laye with the wemen that serued God before the dore of the tabernacle of witnesse,


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and he sayde vnto them: wherfore do ye this? For I heare of youre euell conuersacion of all this people.


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Not so my childre, this is no good reporte that I heare, ye cause the people of the LORDE to offende.


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Yf eny ma synne agaynst a man, the iudge ca redresse it. But yf eny ma synne agaynst ye LORDE, who can redresse it? Neuertheles they herkened not vnto the voyce of their father, for the LORDES wyll was to slaye them.


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There came a man of God to Eli, and sayde vnto him: Thus sayeth the LORDE: I shewed my selfe vnto thy fathers house, whan they were yet in Egipte vnder ye house of Pharao,


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and chose him there vnto my selfe before all the trybes of Israel, for the presthode, that he shulde offer vpon myne altare, and burne incense, and weere the ouerbody cote before me, and vnto thy fathers house I gaue all the offeringes of the children of Israel.


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Why layest thou thy selfe then agaynst my sacrifices and meatofferinges, which I commaunded (to offer) in the habitacion: and thou honourest thy sonnes more then me, that ye mighte fede youre selues with the firstlinges of all the meatofferynges of my people of Israel?


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Therfore sayeth the LORDE God of Israel: I haue spoken, that thy house and thy fathers house shulde walke before me for euer. But now sayeth the LORDE: That be farre fro me. But who so euer honoureth me, him wil I honor also: as for those yt despyse me, they shal not be regarded.


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Beholde, the tyme shal come, that I wyll breake thyne arme in two, and the arme of thy fathers house, so that there shal no oldeman be in thy house.


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And thou shalt se thine aduersaries in the habitacion, in all the good of Israel, and there shal neuer be olde man in thy fathers house.


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Yet wyll I not rote out euery man of the fro myne altare, but yt thyne eyes maye be consumed, & that yi soule maye be sory: & a greate multitude of thy house shal dye, whan they are come to be men.


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And this shalbe a token vnto the, that shal come vpon thy two sonnes Ophni and Phineas: They shall both dye in one daye.


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But vnto my selfe I wyll rayse vp a faithfull prest, which shal do acordinge as it is in my hert & in my soule: vnto him wyll I buylde a sure house, that he maye allwaye walke before myne anoynted.


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And who so euer remayneth of thy house, shall come and worshipe him for a syluer peny and for a pece of bred, and shall saye: I praye the leaue me to one prestes parte, that I maye eate a morsell of bred.


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And whan the childe Samuel mynistred vnto the LORDE vnder Eli, the worde of ye LORDE was deare at the same tyme, nether was there eny sure & manifest vision.


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And it fortuned at the same tyme, that Eli laye in his place, and his eyes beganne to be dymme, so that he coulde not se.


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And Samuel had layed him downe in ye temple of the LORDE (where the Arke of God was) before ye lampe of God was put out.


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And he ranne vnto Eli, & sayde: Beholde, here am I, thou hast called me. But he saide: I haue not called the, go thy waye agayne, and laye the downe to slepe. And he wente his waye, and layed him downe to slepe.


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The LORDE called againe: Samuel. And Samuel arose, & wente vnto Eli, & sayde: Beholde, here am I, thou hast called me. Neuertheles he sayde: My sonne, I haue not called the. So thy waye agayne, and laye the downe to slepe.


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And ye LORDE called Samuel ye thirde tyme. And he arose, & wente vnto Eli, & sayde: Beholde, here am I, thou hast called me. Then perceaued Eli yt the LORDE called ye childe,


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& he sayde vnto him: Go thy waye agayne, & laye the downe to slepe: and yf the LORDE call the eny more, then saye: Speake LORDE, for yi seruaunt heareth. Samuel wete his waye, and layed him downe in his place.


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The came ye LORDE, & stode, and called like as afore: Samuel, Samuel. And Samuel sayde: Speake (LORDE) for thy seruaunt heareth.


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And the LORDE saide vnto Samuel: Beholde, I do a thinge in Israel, yt who so euer shall heare it, both his eares shal glowe.


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In yt daie will I rayse vp vpon Eli all yt I haue spoke cocernynge his house. I will take it in hande, & perfourme it:


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for I haue tolde him, yt I wilbe Iudge ouer his house for euer, because of the wickednes, yt he knewe how shamefully his childre behaued the selues, and hath not once loked sowerly therto.


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Therfore haue I sworne vnto ye house of Eli, yt this wickednes of ye house of Eli shall not be recocyled nether wt sacrifice ner wt meatoffringe for euer.


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And Samuel laye vnto ye morow, & opened the dores of the house of the LORDE. But Samuel was afrayed to tell the vysion vnto Eli.


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He sayde: What is ye worde yt the LORDE hath spoke vnto the? hyde it not fro me. God do this & that vnto ye, yf thou hyde oughte fro me, of all that he hath talked wt the.


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Then Samuel tolde him alltogether, & hyd nothinge from him. He sayde: It is the LORDE, let him do what pleaseth him.


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And the LORDE appeared agayne at Silo: for the LORDE shewed him selfe vnto Samuel at Silo, thorow the worde of the LORDE.


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And all Israel spake of Samuel. And Israel wente forth to the battayll against the Philistynes, & pitched besyde the. Helpe stone: As for the Philistynes, they pitched at Aphek,


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and prepared them selues agaynst Israel. And whan the battayll beganne, the hoost was deuyded, so that Israel was smytte before the enemies, & in the edge in the felde they slewe aboute a foure thousande men.


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And whan the people came in to the hoost, the Elders of Israel sayde: Wherfore hath the LORDE caused vs to be smytten this daie before the Philistynes? Let vs take vnto vs the Arke of the LORDES couenaunt from Silo, & let it come amoge vs, that it maye helpe vs from the hande of oure enemies.


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And the people sent vnto Silo, & caused to fet thece the Arke of ye couenaunt of the LORDE Zebaoth, that sytteth vpon the Cherubins. And with the Arke of the couenaunt of God there were the two sonnes of Eli, Ophni and Phineas.


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And whan the Arke of the couenaunt of the LORDE came in to the hoost, all Israel shouted wt a greate shoute, so that the earth sounded withall.


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But whan the Philistynes herde ye noyse of ye shoute, they sayde: what noyse is this of soch greate shoutinge in the tentes of the Hebrues? And whan they perceaued yt the Arke of the LORDE was come in to the hoost,


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they were afrayed & sayde: God is come in to the hoost. And they sayde morouer: Wo vnto vs, for it hath not bene thus afore tyme.


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Wo vnto vs. Who wil delyuer vs fro the hande of these hye goddes? These are the goddes that smote Egipte wt all maner of plages in the wyldernesse.


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Be stronge now and manly ye Philistynes, that ye serue not the Hebrues as they haue serued you. Be manly and fighte.


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Then foughte the Philistynes, & Israel was smytten, & euery one fled vnto his tete, & there was a very greate slaughter, so that there fell of Israel thirtye thousande fote me,


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Then rane there one of Ben Iamin out of the fore fronte of the battayl, & came vnto Silo the same daye, & had his clothes rente, and had earth vpo his heade.


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And whan he came in, Heli sat vpon the seate, that he mighte loke towarde the waye: for his herte was fearfull aboute ye Arke of God. And whan the man came in to the cite, he tolde it forth: and all the cite cried.


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And whan Eli herde ye noyse of the cryege, he axed: What noyse of busynes is this? The man came haistely, and tolde Eli.


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(As for Eli, he was fourescore and eightene yeare olde, and his eyes were dymme, so that he coulde not se.)


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The man sayde vnto Eli: I come and am fled this daye out of the hoost. He sayde: How is it my sonne?


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Then answered the tydinge bringer, & sayde: Israel is fled before the Philistynes, and a greate slaughter hath there bene amonge the people, & thy two sonnes Ophni & Phineas are deed, yee & the Arke of God is take awaye.


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Whan he had made mencion of the Arke of God, he fell downe bacwarde from the seate by the gate, and brake his neck, and dyed: for he was olde, & an heuy man. He iudged Israel fortie yeares.


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The wife of his sonne Phineas was wt childe, & shulde shortly be delyuered, whan she herde the tydinges yt the Arke of God was taken, and yt hir brother in lawe and hir husbade were deed, she bowed hir selfe and trauayled: for hir payne came vpon her.


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And whan she was now at the poynte of death, the wemen that stode by her, sayde: Feare not, thou hast a yoge sonne. But she gaue no answere, nether regarded it,


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and she called the childe Icabod, and sayde: The glory is gone from Israel, because the Arke of God was taken awaye, and hir brother in lawe and hir husbande.


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And whan they of Asdod rose vp early on the morowe, they founde Dagon lyenge on his face vpon the earth, before the Arke of the LORDE. But they toke vp Dagon, and set him agayne in his place.


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Neuertheles whan they rose vp early on the nexte morowe, they founde Dagon lyenge on his face agayne vpon the earth before the Arke of the LORDE: but his heade and both his hades hewen of vpon the thresholde, so that the block laie there onely.


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Therfore the prestes of Dagon, and all they that go in to his house, treade not vpo the thressholde of Dagon at Asdod vnto this daye.


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But the hande of the LORDE was heuy vpon them of Asdod, and destroyed them, and smote Asdod and all the borders therof in secrete places.


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Whan the men of Asdod sawe that they were so plaged, they sayde: Let not the Arke of the God of Israel tary with vs, for his hande is to harde vpo vs & vpon or god Dagon.


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And they sent forth and gathered all the prynces of the Philistynes vnto them, and sayde: What shal we do with the Arke of the God of Israel? Then answered they of Geth: Let the Arke of the God of Israel be borne aboute.


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And they caried the Arke of the God of Israel rounde aboute. But wha they bare it aboute, there was a very greate rumoure in the cite thorow the hande of the LORDE, and smote the people of the cite, from the smallest vnto the greatest, and destroyed them in the secrete places.


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Then sent they the Arke of the LORDE vnto Ekron. But wha the Arke of the LORDE came vnto Ekron, they of Ekron cried: They haue caried the Arke of God aboute vnto me, to slaye me and my people.


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Then sente they forth, and gathered all ye prynces of the Philistynes together, and sayde: Sende awaye the Arke of the God of Israel agayne vnto hir place, that it slaye not me & my people: for there is a very greate rumoure with the deed in all the cite, and the hande of God is there.


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And the people that dyed not, were smytten in secrete places, so that the noyse of the cite wete vp vnto heauen.


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And the Philistynes called their prestes and soythsayers, and sayde: What shal we do with the Arke of the LORDE? Shewe vs, wher with shal we sende it vnto hir place?


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They sayde: Yf ye wyll sende awaye the Arke of the God of Israel, sende it not awaye emptye, but geue a trespace offerynge: so shal ye be made whole, and ye shal knowe, why his hande departeth not from you.


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They sayde: What is the trespace offeringe that we shall geue him? They answered: Fyue hynder partes of golde, and fyue golden myce, acordinge to the nombre of the fyue prynces of ye Philistynes. For there hath bene one maner of plage vpon you all, and vpon youre prynces.


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Therfore must ye make youre hynder partes of one fasshion and youre myce, which haue destroyed youre londe, that ye maye geue the God of Israel the honoure: peraduenture his hade shal be the lighter vpon you and vpon youre God, and vpon youre londe.


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Why harden ye youre hert, as the Egipcians and Pharao hardened their hert? Whan he shewed him selfe vpon them dyd not they let them departe to go their waye?


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Go to now therfore, and make a new cart, and take two mylke kyne, vpon ye which there neuer came yock, and yocke them to ye cart, and let their calues tary behynde them at home:


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and take ye the Arke of the LORDE and laye it vpon the cart: and the Iewels of golde that ye geue him for a trespace offeringe put in a coffer beside it, & sende it awaye and let it go.


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And loke well: yf it go the waie of hir awne coaste BethSemes, the hath he done vs all this greate euell: Yf no, then shal ye knowe that his hande hath not touched vs, but yt it is happened vnto vs by chauce.


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The men dyd so, and toke two yonge mylke kyne, and yocked them to a cart, and helde their calues at home,


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and layed the Arke of the LORDE vpon the cart, and the coffer with the golden myce, and with the ymages of their disease.


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And the kyne wente straight waye vnto BethSemes vpon one hye strete, and wente on bleatynge, and turned nether to the righte hande ner to the lefte. And the prynces of the Philistynes wente after them vnto ye coast of BethSemes.


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The BethSamites were euen reapynge downe their wheate haruest in the valley, and lyfte vp their eyes, and sawe the Arke, and reioysed to se it.


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The cart came in to the felde of Iosua the BethSemite, and there it stode styll. And there was a greate stone, and they claue the tymber of the cart, and offred the kyne vnto the LORDE for a burntofferynge.


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But the Leuites toke downe the Arke of the LORDE, and the coffer that was by it, wherin the Iewels of golde were, and set the vpon the greate stone. The men of BethSemes offred burntofferynges, and other offerynges also vnto the LORDE the same daye.


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And whan the fyue prynces of the Philistynes had sene it, they departed agayne the same daye towarde Ekron.


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These are the golden diseases, that the Philistynes offred for a trespace offerynge vnto the LORDE: Asdod one, Gasa one: Ascalon one, Gath one, and Ekron one:


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and golden myce, acordynge to the nombre of all the cities of the Philistynes amonge the fyue prynces, from the walled cite vnto the vyllage, and vnto the greate playne felde, whervpon they set the Arke of the LORDE (which was) vnto this daye vpon the felde of Iosua the BethSemite.


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And certaine of BethSames were slaine because they had sene ye Arke of the LORDE, and he slewe fyftye thousande and seuentye men of the people. Then mourned the people, because the LORDE had done so greate a slaughter in the people.


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And the men at BethSemes sayde: Who maye stode before the LORDE so holy a God? And to who shal he go fro vs?


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And they sent messaungers to ye inhabiters of Kiriath Iearim, saiege: The Philistynes haue brought the Arke of God agayne, come downe, & fetch it vp vnto you.


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So the men of Kiriath Iearim came downe, & fetched vp ye Arke of ye LORDE, & brought it in to ye house of Abinadab at Gibea, & they consecrated Eleasar his sonne, yt he might kepe ye Arke.


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And fro yt daye that the Arke of ye LORDE abode at KiriathIearim, ye tyme extended forth so longe tyll it came to twentye yeares: and all the house of Israel wepte after the LORDE.


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But Samuel sayde vnto all the house of Israel: Yf ye turne you withall youre hert vnto the LORDE, then put awaye from you the straunge goddes and Astaroth, and directe youre hert vnto the LORDE and serue him onely, so shall he delyuer you out of the hande of the Philistynes.


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And they came together vnto Mispa, and drue water, & poured it out before the LORDE, and fasted the same daye, and there they sayde: We haue synned vnto the LORDE. So Samuel iudged the children of Israel at Mispa.


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But whan the Philistynes herde that ye children of Israel were come together vnto Mispa, the prynces of the Philistynes wete vp against Israel. Whan ye childre of Israel herde that, they were afrayed of ye Philistynes,


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& sayde vnto Samuel: Ceasse not to crye vnto the LORDE oure God for vs, yt he maie helpe vs out of the hande of ye Philistynes.


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Samuel toke a fat lambe, & offred an whole burntofferynge vnto the LORDE, & cried vnto the LORDE for Israel, and the LORDE herde him.


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And whyle Samuel was offerynge ye burnt sacrifice, ye Philistines came to fight agaynst Israel. But the LORDE thondred a thonder vpon the Philistynes the same daye & discofyted the, so yt they were smytte before Israel.


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Then toke Samuel a stone, & set it vp betwene Mispa & Sen, & called it ye Help stone, & sayde: Hither to hath the LORDE helped vs.


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Thus were the Philistynes brought downe, & came nomore within the border of Israel. And ye hade of ye LORDE was against the Philistynes, as longe as Samuel lyued.


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So Israel gat the cities agayne, that the Philistynes had conquered, fro Ekron vnto Gath, with the borders therof, those did Israel rescue out of the hande of the Philistynes: & Israel had peace wt the Amorites.


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& wete aboute euery yeare vnto Bethel & Gilgal & Mispa: & wha he had iudged Israel in all these places,


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he came agayne vnto Ramath for there was his house, & there he iudged Israel, & builded an altare there vnto ye LORDE.


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Neuertheles his sonnes walked not in his wayes, but enclyned vnto couetousnes, & toke giftes, & wraysted the lawe.


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& saide vnto him: Beholde, thou art waxen olde, & thy sonnes walke not in yi wayes, set a kynge now ouer vs therfore, to iudge vs, as all ye Heithe haue.


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The was Samuel displeased wha they sayde: Geue vs a kynge, to iudge as. And Samuel prayed before the LORDE.


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The LORDE saide vnto Samuel: Herken vnto the voice of the people in all yt they haue sayde vnto the. For they haue not refused the, but me, yt I shulde not be kinge ouer them.


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They do vnto the as they haue done euer, sence the daie yt I brought them out of the londe of Egipte vnto this daye, and haue forsaken me, and serued other goddes.


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Herke now therfore vnto their voyce. Yet testifye vnto them, and shewe them the lawe of the kynge that shall raigne ouer them.


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This shal be the lawe of the kynge yt shal raigne ouer you: Yor sonnes shall he take for his charettes, and for horsmen to runne before his charettes,


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and to be rulers & captaynes, to be plowemen to tyll his londe and to be reapers in his haruest, and to make his harnesse, and soch thinges as belonge to his charettes.


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Of youre sedes also and viniardes shal he take the Tithes, & geue vnto his chaberlaynes and seruauntes.


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And youre seruautes and youre maydes, and youre best yonge men, and youre asses shal he take, and do his busynes withall.


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Whan ye shal crye then at the same tyme ouer youre kynge, whom ye haue chosen you, the LORDE shall not heare you at the same tyme.


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Neuerthelesse the people refused to heare the voyce of Samuel, and sayde: Not so, but there shall be a kynge ouer vs,


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yt we maye be as all other Heithe, yt or kynge maie iudge vs, & go forth before vs, and gouerne oure warres.


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The LORDE sayde vnto the: Herken thou vnto their voyce, and make them a kynge. And Samuel sayde vnto the men of Israel: Go youre waye euery one vnto his cite.


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There was a man of Ben Iamin named Cis, the sonne of Abiel, the sonne of Zeor, the sonne of Bethorah, ye sonne of Apiah, the sonne of a man of Iemini, a valeaunt man,


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which had a sonne named Saul, which was so goodly a yonge man, that there was not a goodlier amonge the children of Israel, higher by the heade then all the people.


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Cis the father of Saul had lost his asses, and he sayde vnto Saul his sonne: Take one of the children with the, get the vp, go thy waye, aud seke the asses.


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And he wente his waye thorow mount Ephraim, and thorow the lode of Solisa, and founde them not. They wente thorow the lode of Saalim, & there they were not. They passed thorow ye lode of Iemini, & foude the not.


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But wha they came in to the londe of Zuph, Saul sayde vnto the childe that was with him: Come, let vs go home agayne, lest my father let go the asses, and take care for vs.


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He sayde: Beholde, here is an honorable man of God in this cite, all that he sayeth, commeth to passe. Let vs go thither now, perauenture he maye shewe vs oure waye which we go.


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But Saul saide vnto his childe: Though we shulde go, what brynge we the man? For the bred is gone out of or walet, and els haue we no gifte to brynge the man of God, what haue we?


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The childe answered agayne, and sayde: Beholde, I haue the fourth parte of a syluer Sycle by me, ye same wyll we geue the man of God, that he maye shewe vs oure waye.


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(Afore tyme in Israel, whan a man wente to axe councell at the LORDE, he sayde: Come, let vs go to the Seer: for they that now are called prophetes, were called Seers afore tyme).


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Saul sayde vnto his childe: Thou hast well spoken, come let vs go. And whan they wente vnto the cite where the man of God was,


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and came vp to the cite, they founde damsels which were gone forth to drawe water, vnto them they sayde: Is the Seer here?


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They answered them and sayde: Yee. Beholde, he is there, make haist, for he came in to the cite this daye, because the people haue a sacrifice to do to daye in the hye place.


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Whan ye come in the cite, ye shal fynde him, afore he go vp to the hye place for to eate: for the people wyll not eate tyll he come. For he shall blesse the offerynge, then shal they eate that are called. Therfore go yor waie vp, for eue now shal ye finde him


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And whan they came vp to the cite, and were euen in the myddes of the cite, beholde, Samuel came forth in their waye, and wolde go vp to the hye place.


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Tomorow aboute this tyme wyll I sende a man vnto the out of the lode of BenIamin, him shalt thou anoynte to be prynce ouer my people of Israel, that he maye delyuer my people from the hande of the Philistynes: for I haue loked vpon my people, and their crye is come before me.)


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Now whan Samuel behelde Saul, the LORDE answered him: lo, yt is the man of whom I tolde the, that he shulde raigne ouer my people.


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Then came Saul vnto Samuel vnder ye gate, and sayde: Tell me (I praye the) where is the Seers house?


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Samuel answered Saul, and sayde: I am the Seer. Go vp before me vnto the hye place: for ye shall eate with me to daye, tomorow wyll I lett the go, and all that is in thyne hert, wyll I tell the:


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and as for the Asses which were lost thre dayes agoo, care not thou for them, for they are founde. And to whom shall belonge all that is pleasaunt in Israel? Shall it not belonge vnto the and to all thy fathers house?


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Saul answered: Am not I a sonne of Iemini, and of the smallest trybe, and my kynred the leest amonge all the kynreds of ye trybe of BenIamin? Why speakest thou so the vnto me?


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Samuel toke Saul & his childe & brought them in to the perler where they shulde eate, and satt them aboue those that were called, of whom there were aboute a thirtie men.


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Then the coke toke vp a shulder, and bare it forth, and set it before Saul. And (Samuel) sayde: Beholde, this is left, laye it before the, and eate: for it was kepte for the agaynst this tyme, whan I called the people. Thus Saul ate with Samuel the same daye.


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And they rose vp early on the morow. And whan the mornynge sprynge arose, Samuel called Saul in the chamber, and sayde: Vp, yt I maye sende the thy waye. And Saul gat him vp: & they both wete forth together, he and Samuel.


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And whan they came downe to the ende of the cite, Samuel sayde vnto Saul: Speake vnto ye childe, that he go on forth before vs, but stode thou styll now, that I maie shewe the what God hath sayde:


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Then toke Samuel a glasse of oyle, and poured it vpo his heade, and kissed him, and sayde: Seist thou that the LORDE hath anoynted the, to be the prince ouer his enheritauce?


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Whan thou goest now fro me, thou shalt fynde two men besyde Rachels graue in the coast of BenIamin at Zelzah, which shal saie vnto the: The asses are founde, whom thou wentest to seke: and beholde, thy father hath put the asses out of his mynde, and taketh thoughte for the, and sayeth: What shall I do for my sonne?


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And whan thou goest on forth from thence, thou shalt come to the Oke of Thabor, there shall thre men fynde the, which go vp vnto God towarde Bethel: one beareth thre kiddes, another thre loaues of bred the thyrde a bottel with wyne:


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After that shalt thou come to the hyll of God, where the Philistynes watch is: and wha thou comest there in to the cite, there shall mete the a company of prophetes commynge downe from the hye place, and before them a Psaltery, and tabret, a pype and a harpe, and they them selues prophecienge.


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And the sprete of the LORDE shall come vpon the, and thou shalt prophecye with them, and shalt be chaunged in to another man.


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Whan these tokens now come vnto the, then do what so euer commeth vnder thyne hande: for God is with the.


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Thou shalt go downe before me vnto Gilgall: Beholde, thither wyl I come downe vnto the, that thou mayest offre burntofferynges and deedofferynges. Seuen dayes shalt thou tarye till I come to the, and shewe the what thou shuldest do.


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And whan he turned his shulder to go from Samuel, God chaunged him another hert, and all these tokes came the same daye.


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And whan they came vnto the hill, beholde, there met him a company of prophetes and the sprete of God came vpon him, so that he prophecyed amonge them.


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But wha they which knewe him before, sawe him that he prophecied with the prophetes, they sayde all amonge them selues: What is happened vnto the sonne of Cis? Is Saul also amonge the prophetes?


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And one yt was there, answered and sayde: Who is their father? Hereof came the prouerbe: Is Saul also amonge the prophetes?


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Sauls vncle sayde vnto him and to his childe: Whither wente ye? They answered: To seke the asses. And whan we sawe that they were awaye, we came vnto Samuel.


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Saul answered his vncle: He tolde vs, yt the asses were foude. But of ye kyngdome he tolde him nothinge what Samuel had sayde.


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and spake vnto the children of Israel: Thus saieth ye LORDE the God of Israel: I broughte Israel out of Egipte, and delyuered you from the hande of ye Egipcians, and from the hande of all the kyngdomes that oppressed you.


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But now haue ye refused yor God, which hath helped you out of all youre sorowes and troubles, & ye haue saide vnto him: Set a kinge ouer vs. Well, stonde ye now before ye LORDE acordinge to youre trybes and kynreds.


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And whan he had broughte forth the trybe of BenIamin with his kynreds, the kynred of Matri was take, & Saul the sonne of Cis was take. And they sought him, but they founde him not.


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Then axed they further at the LORDE, whether he was for to come thither. The LORDE answered: Beholde, he hath hyd him selfe amonge ye vessels.


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Then ranne they thither, and fetched him. And whan he stode amonge the people, he was hygher by the heade then all the people.


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And Samuel sayde vnto all the people: There se ye him whom the LORDE hath chosen, for in all the people there is none like him. Then gaue all the people a shoute, and sayde: God saue the new kynge.


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Samuel tolde the people all the lawe of the kyngdome, and wrote it in a boke, and layed it before the LORDE. And Samuel let all the people go, euery one to his awne house.


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And Saul wente home also vnto Gibea, and there wente with him one parte of the hoost, whose hertes God had touched.


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But the childre of Belial sayde: What shal this felowe helpe vs, and despysed him, & broughte him no presente. But he made him as though he herde it not.


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Nahas ye Ammonite wete vp & layed sege vnto Iabes in Gilead. And all the men of Iabes sayde vnto Nahas: Be at one with vs, & we wyll serue the.


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But Nahas ye Ammonite answered them: I wil make a couenauut with you, of this condicion, that I maye thrust out all youre right eyes, and put you to shame amonge all Israel.


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Then sayde all the Elders of Iabes vnto him: Geue vs seuen dayes respyte, that we maye sende messaungers into all ye coastes of Israel: Yf there be then no sauioure, we wyl go forth vnto the.


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So the messaungers came vnto Gibea of Saul, and spake this before the eares of the people. Then all ye people lifte vp their voyce, and wepte.


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And beholde, Saul came after the oxen out of the felde, and sayde: What ayleth the people that they wepe? So they tolde him the earande of the men of Iabes.


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and he toke a couple of oxen, and hewed them in sunder, and sent them in to all the coastes of Israel by the messaungers, sayenge: Who so euer goeth not forth after Saul and Samuel, his oxen shalbe thus dealte withall. Then fell the feare of the LORDE vpon the people, so that they wente forth like as one man,


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and they were tolde at Basek, and of the childre of Israel there were thre hundreth thousande men, and thirtie thousande of the children of Iuda.


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And they spake vnto the messaungers that were come: Saye thus to the men of Iabes in Gilead: Tomorow shal ye haue helpe, whan ye Sonne is at the whotest. Whan ye messaungers came and tolde this to the men of Iabes, they were glad.


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And the men of Iabes sayde: Tomorow wyll we come forth vnto you, that ye maye do vnto vs, what so euer it pleaseth you.


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And on ye nexte morow Saul set the people in thre partes, and came in to the hoost aboute the mornynge watch, and smote the Ammonites tyll the daye was at the whotest. As for those yt remayned, they were so scatred, that two of them abode not together.


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Then sayde the people vnto Samuel: Where are they that sayde: Shulde Saul raigne ouer vs? Delyuer vs here the men, that we maye put them to death.


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Then wente all the people vnto Gilgall, and there they made Saul kinge before the LORDE at Gilgal, and offred deedofferinges before the LORDE. And Saul with all the men of Israel reioysed there greatly.


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Samuel sayde vnto all Israel: Beholde, I haue herkened vnto youre voyce in all that ye sayde vnto me, and haue made a kynge ouer you.


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And now lo, there goeth youre kynge before you. As for me, I am waxen olde and graye heered, and my sonnes are with you: and I haue gone before you fro my youth vp vnto this daye.


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Beholde, here am I: answere ye agaynst me before the RORDE and his anoynted, yf I haue taken eny mans oxe or asse, yf I haue done eny man violence or wronge, If I haue oppressed eny ma, yf I haue receaued a gifte of eny mans hande, and kepte it secretly, I wil restore it you agayne.


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They saide: Thou hast done vs nether violence ner wronge, nether oppressed, ner taken ought of eny mans hande.


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He sayde: The LORDE be witnesse agaynst you, and so be his anoynted this daye, that ye haue founde nothinge in my hade. They saide: Yee they shalbe witnesses.


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And Samuel sayde vnto the people: The LORDE which made Moses and Aaron, and broughte youre fathers out of the londe of Egipte (is here present.)


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Stode forth now therfore, that I maye iudge you before the LORDE ouer the righteousnes of the LORDE, which he hath done for you and youre fathers.


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Whan Iacob was come in to Egipte, youre fathers cryed vnto the LORDE. And he sent Moses and Aaron to brynge youre fathers out of Egipte, and to cause them for to dwell in this place.


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But whan they forgat the LORDE their God, he solde them vnder the power of Sissera, the captayne at Hazor and vnder the power of the Philistynes and vnder the power of the kinge of the Moabites, which foughte agaynst them.


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But they cried vnto the LORDE, and sayde: We haue synned, in that we haue forsaken the LORDE, and serued Baalim and Astaroth. But now deliuer vs from the hande of oure enemies, and we wyl serue the.


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Then the LORDE sent Ierubaal, Bedan, Iephthae, and Samuel, & delyuered you from youre enemies rounde aboute, and caused you to dwell safe.


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But whan ye sawe that Nahas the kynge of the children of Ammon came agaynst you ye sayde vnto me: Not thou, but a kynge shal raigne ouer vs, where as notwithstodinge youre God was youre kynge.


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Now, there haue ye youre kynge, who ye haue chosen and desyred: for lo, the LORDE hath set a kinge ouer you.


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Yf ye shal feare the LORDE now, and serue him, and herken vnto his voice, and not be dishobedient vnto the mouth of the LORDE, then shall both ye and youre kynge that raigneth ouer you, folowe ye LORDE youre God.


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But yf ye herken not vnto ye voyce of the LORDE, but be dishobedient vnto his mouth, then shal the hande of the LORDE be agaynst you, and agaynst youre fathers.


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Is not now the wheate haruest? Yet wyll I call vpo the LORDE, so that he shal cause it thonder and rayne, that ye shall knowe and se the greate euell, which ye haue done in the sight of the LORDE, in that ye haue desyred to haue a kynge.


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And whan Samuel called vpon the LORDE, the LORDE caused it to thoder and raine the same daye. Then all the people feared the LORDE greatly and Samuel,


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and they sayde all vnto Samuel: Praie thou vnto the LORDE thy God for thy seruauntes, that we dye not: for beside oure sinnes we haue done this euell also, that we haue desyred vnto vs a kinge.


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Samuel sayde vnto the people: Feare not, ye haue done all this euell in dede. Neuertheles departe not backe from the LORDE, but serue the LORDE with all youre hert,


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and go not asyde after vanite, for it profyteth you nothinge, and can not delyuer you, in so moch as it is but a vayne thinge.


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For the LORDE shall not forsake his people because of his greate names sake: for the LORDE hath begonne to make you a people vnto him selfe.


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But God forbyd that I shulde synne so vnto the LORDE, to ceasse from prayenge for you, and from teachinge you the good & righteous waye.


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Feare ye the LORDE therfore, and serue him faithfully with all yor hert: for ye haue sene, how greate thinges he doth vnto you.


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he chose him thre thousande me out of Israel: two thousande were with Saul at Michmas vpon the mount of Bethel, and one thousande with Ionathas at Gibea of BenIamin. As for the other people, he let them go euery one vnto his tente.


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But Ionathas smote ye Philistynes in their awne watch, which was at Gibea. That came to ye Philistynes eares. And Saul caused to blowe the trompes in all the londe, & to saye: Let the Hebrues heare.


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And all Israel herde saye: Saul hath smytten the Philistynes watch, for Israel stanke before the Philistynes. And all the people cried after Saul vnto Gilgal.


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Then the Philistynes gathered them selues together to fighte wt Israel, thirtie thousande charettes, sixe thousande horsmen, and other people besyde, in nombre as the sonde by the See shore, and wente vp, and pitched at Michmas on the eastsyde of Bethauen.


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Whan the men of Israel sawe that mysfortune laye vpon the neckes of the (for the people was come therto) they crope in to caues and dennes, in to rockes, and holes and welles.


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But the Hebrues wente ouer Iordane in to ye lande of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul he was yet at Gilgal, and all the people were fayntharted after him.


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Then taried he seuen dayes acordinge to the tyme apoynted of Samuel. And whan Samuel came not vnto Gilgal, the people were scatered abrode from him.


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Then sayde Saul: Brynge me hither a burntofferinge and deedofferinges. And he offred a burntofferynge.


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But whan he had made an ende of the burntofferynge beholde, Samuel came. Then wente Saul forth to mete him, that he might salute him.


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But Samuel sayde: What hast thou done? Saul answered: I sawe that the people was scatered abrode fro me, and thou camest not in due season: and the Philistynes were gathered together at Michmas.


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Then sayde I. Now shall the Philistynes come downe to me vnto Gilgal, and I haue not besoughte the face of the LORDE: & so I boldened my selfe, & offred a burntofferynge.


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Samuel sayde vnto Saul: Thou hast done foolishly, and not kepte the commaundement of the LORDE thy God, which he commaunded the. For (yf thou haddest not done this) he had prospered thy kyngdome vpo Israel for euer:


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but now shall not thy kyngdome contynue. The LORDE hath soughte him out a man after his owne hert: him hath the LORDE commaunded to be prynce ouer his people, for thou hast not kepte yt the LORDE commaunded ye.


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And Samuel arose, and wente vp from Gilgal vnto Gibea Ben Iamin. And Saul nombred the people that was founde with him, vpon a sixe hundreth men.


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Saul & his sonne Ionathas, and ye people that was with them, taried at Gibea Ben Iamin: but ye Philistynes had pitched their tentes at Michmas.


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And out of the hoost of the Philistynes there wente thre bondes of men to destroye: one turned the waye towarde Ephra in to the londe of Sual:


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another turned towarde the waye of Bethoron: the thirde turned towarde the waye, that reacheth to the valley of Zeboim vnto the wyldernes.


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But there was not a smyth founde in all the lode of Israel: for ye Philistynes thoughte: The Hebrues mighte happly make swerdes and speares.


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And all Israel were fayne to go downe to the Philistynes, whan eny man had a plowshare, a mattock, an axe, or a sythe to sharpe:


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and the edges of the plowshares, and mattockes, & forckes, and axes, were laboured, and the poyntes blont.


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Now whan the daye of the battayll came, there was nether swerde ner speare founde in the hande of all the people, that was with Saul and Ionathas: but for Saul and Ionathas his sonne there was somwhat founde.


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It fortuned at ye same tyme, yt Ionathas sayde vnto his lad which was his wapen bearer: Come, let vs go ouer to the Philistynes watch yt lyeth aboue, & he tolde not his father.


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Saul dwelt at ye ende of Gibea vnder a Pomgranate tre, which was in the suburbe. And the people yt were by him, were vpon a sixe hundreth men.


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And Ahia the sonne of Achitob the brother of Icabod, the sonne of Phineas ye sonne of Eli ye prest of the LORDE at Silo, wayre the ouerbody cote. But the people knewe not that Ionathas was gone.


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Betwene the passages where Ionathas soughte to go ouer vnto the Phylistynes watch, there were two hye rockes, the one on the one syde, the other on the other: the one was called Bozez, the other Senne.


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And Ionathas sayde vnto his wapen bearer: Come, let vs go ouer to ye watch of these vncircumcised, peraduenture the LORDE shall worke with vs, For it is no harde matter for the LORDE to helpe by many or by fewe.


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Then answered him his wapen bearer: Do all that is in thine hert, go on thy waie, beholde, I am with the, euen as thine hert wyll.


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yf they saye: stonde styll, tyll we come to you, then wyll we stonde styll in oure place, and not go vp to them.


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But yf they saye: Come vp to vs, we wyll go vp to them, the hath the LORDE delyuered them in to oure hande, and this shalbe a token for vs.


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Now whan they came both in the sighte of the Philistynes watch, the Philistynes sayde: Se, ye Hebrues are gone out of their holes, that they were crepte in to.


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And the men in the watch answered Ionathas and his wape bearer, and sayde: Come vp to vs, and we wyll teach you what the matter is. Then sayde Ionathas to his weapen bearer. Come vp after me, the LORDE hath delyuered them into Israels hande.


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And Ionathas clamme vp with handes and fete, and his wapen bearer after him. And Ionathas smote them downe before him, and his wape bearer slewe behynde him,


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so that the first slaughter that Ionathas and his wapen bearer dyd, was vpo a twentye men, with in the length of halue an aker of londe, which a pare of oxen maye tyll in one daye.


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And there came a fearfulnes and flight in the hoost vpon the felde, and amonge all the people of the watch: and vpon the destroyers there came a fearfulnes also and flight, so that the londe was in a rumoure, and there came a flight thorow God.


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Saul sayde vnto the people that was with him: Tell and se which of vs is gone awaye. And whan they nombred, beholde, Ionathas & his wapen bearer was not there.


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Then saide Saul vnto Ahia: Brynge hither the Arke of God (for at that tyme was the Arke of God with the children of Israel.)


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And whyle Saul was yet speakynge to the prest, the multitude in the Philistynes hoost gat vp, ranne, and was greate. And Saul sayde vnto the prest: Withdrawe thine hande.


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And Saul cried, and all the people that was with him, and came to the battayll. And beholde, euery mans swerde was agaynst another, and there was a very greate rumoure.


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The Hebrues also that were with ye Philistynes afore, and had gone vp with them in the hoost on euery syde, ioyned them selues vnto Israel which were with Saul and Ionathas.


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And all the men of Israel which had hyd the selues vpon mount Ephraim, whan they herde that the Philistynes fled, folowed after them in the battayll.


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And whan the men of Israel came forth, Saul charged all the people the same daye, and sayde: Cursed be euery man, which eateth bred vntyll euen, that I maye auenge me on myne enemies. Then all the people taisted no bred.


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and whan the people came in to the wodd, beholde, the hony flowed, but no man put of it to his mouth with his hade: for the people were afraied because of the ooth.


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As for Ionathas he had not herde, that his father had charged the people, and he put forth his staff that he had in his hande, and dypped the ende of it in ye hony combe, and turned his hande to his mouth, and his eyes were lighted.


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Then answered one of the people, and sayde: Thy father hath charged the people, and sayde: Cursed be euery ma that eateth oughte this daye. Neuertheles the people were faynte.


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Then sayde Ionathas: My father hath troubled the londe: Se how lighte myne eyes are become, because I haue taisted a litle of this hony.


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Yf the people this daie had eate of the spoyle of their enemies that they founde, the slaughter shulde haue bene greater agaynst the Philistynes.


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Yet smote they the Philistynes the same daye fro Michmas vnto Aialon, and the people were very weery.


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And ye people turned to the spoyles, and toke shepe and oxen, and calues, and slewe them vpon the earth, and ate them with the bloude.


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Then was it tolde Saul: Beholde, the people synne agaynst the LORDE, in that they eate bloude. He sayde: Ye haue done euell: roll vnto me now a greate stone.


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And Saul sayde morouer: Go abrode amoge the people, and saye vnto them, that euery one brynge me his oxe and his shepe, and slaye them here, that ye maye eate, and not to synne agaynst the LORDE with eatynge of bloude. Then broughte all the people euery one his oxe with his hade the same nighte, and slewe them there.


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And Saul sayde: Let vs go downe after the Philistynes, by nighte, and spoyle them tyll it be cleare mornynge, that we let none escape. They answered: Do what so euer pleaseth the. But the prest sayde: Let vs go nye here vnto God.


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And Saul axed at God. Shal I go downe here after ye Philistines? & wilt thou delyuer the in to Israels hande? Neuertheles he answered him not at that tyme.


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Then sayde Saul: Let all the armyes of the people come hither, and make search and se, in whom is this synne at this tyme.


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For as truly as God the Sauioure of Israel lyueth, & though it be in my sonne Ionathas, he shal dye. And no man answered him of all the people.


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And he sayde vnto all Israel: Be ye on the one syde, I & my sonne Ionathas wyl be on this syde. The people sayde vnto Saul: Do as it pleaseth the.


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And Saul sayde vnto the LORDE the God of Israel: Do thou that right is. The was Ionathas and Saul taken: but the people wente forth fre.


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And Saul sayde vnto Ionathas: Tell me, what hast thou done? Ionathas tolde him, & sayde: I taisted a litle hony with the staff that I had in my hande, and beholde, must I dye therfore?


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But the people sayde vnto Saul: Shulde Ionathas dye, that hath done so greate health in Israel this night? God forbyd. As truly as the LORDE lyueth, there shal not one heer of his heade fall vpon ye earth: for with God hath he wroughte at this tyme. So the people delyuered Ionathas, that he dyed not.


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But whan Saul had coquered the kyngdome ouer Israel, he foughte against all his enemyes rounde aboute, against the Moabites, agaynst the childre of Ammon, agaynst the Edomites, agaynst the kynge of Zoba, agaynst ye Philistynes: and whither so euer he turned him, he gat ye victory.


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And he made an hoost, and smote ye Amalechites, and delyuered Israel from the hande of all those that spoyled them.


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Saul had these sonnes: Ionathas, Isui, and Malchisua. And these were ye names of his two doughters: the firstborne Merob, & ye yogest Michol.


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And Sauls wife was called Ahinoam, the doughter of Ahimaas. And his chefe captaynes name was Abner, the sonne of Ner, Sauls vncle.


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There was a mightie sore warre against the Philistynes, as loge as Saul lyued. And where Saul sawe a man that was stronge and mete for ye warre, he toke him to him.


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Samuel sayde vnto Saul: The LORDE sent me to anoynte the for to be kynge ouer his people of Israel: heare now therfore the voyce of the wordes of the LORDE.


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Thus sayeth ye LORDE Zebaoth: I haue remembred what Amaleck dyd vnto Israel, & how he layed wayte for him in ye waye, whan he wente out of Egipte:


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Go yi waye now therfore, and smyte the Amalechites, & damne them with all that they haue, & spare him not: but slaye both man and woman, children & sucklynges, oxen & shepe, Camels and asses.


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Saul commaunded the people the same, and nombred them at Talaim, two hudreth thousande fote men, & ten thousande men of Iuda.


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and sayde vnto ye Kenites: Get you hence, departe, and go downe from ye Amalechites, yt I smyte you not with them, for ye shewed mercy vnto all the children of Israel, wha they departed out of Egipte. So the Kenites gat them awaye from amonge the Amalechites.


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Neuertheles Saul and the people spared Agag, and the shepe and oxen yt were good and fat, and the lambes, and all that was good, and wolde not damne the: but loke what was foule and nothinge worth, that they damned.


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It repenteth me that I made Saul kynge, for he hath turned him selfe backe fro me, and not cofirmed my wordes. Therfore was Samuel angrye, & cried vnto the LORDE all that nighte.


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And Samuel gat him vp early, that he might mete Saul in ye mornynge. And it was tolde him, that Saul was come vnto Carmel, & had set him vp a piler, and was gone aboute, and come downe to Gilgall.


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Now wha Samuel came to Saul, Saul sayde vnto him: Blessed be thou vnto ye LORDE, I haue perfourmed the worde of ye LORDE.


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Saul sayde: They haue broughte them from the Amalechites: for the people spared the best shepe & oxen for the offerynge of ye LORDE thy God, the other haue we damned.


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Neuertheles Samuel answered Saul: Let me tell the what ye LORDE hath sayde vnto me this nighte. He sayde: Saye on.


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Samuel sayde: Whan thou wast but small in thine awne eyes, wast thou not ye heade amoge the trybes of Israel? & the LORDE anoynted the to be kynge ouer Israel?


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and ye LORDE sent ye in to the waye, & sayde: Go yi waie & damne the synners the Amalechites, and fighte agaynst them, tyll thou haue vtterly destroyed the?


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Wherfore hast thou not herkened vnto the voyce of the LORDE, but hast turned thy selfe to the spoyle, and done euell in the sighte of the LORDE?


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Saul answered Samuel: Yee I haue herkened vnto the voyce of the LORDE, & haue gone the waye that ye LORDE sent me, and broughte Agag the kynge of the Amalechites, & damned the Amalechites:


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but ye people haue take of the spoyle, shepe & oxen, and ye best amoge the damned, to offer vnto ye LORDE thy God in Gilgall.


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Samuel saide: Hath the LORDE pleasure in sacrifices and burntofferynges, as in obeynge the voyce of the LORDE? Beholde, obedience is better then offerynge, and to herken is better then the fat of rammes.


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For disobedience is as ye synne of witchcrafte, and rebellion is as the blasphemy of Idolatrye. In so moch now as thou hast refused the worde of the LORDE, he hath refused the also, that thou shuldest not be kynge.


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Then sayde Saul vnto Samuel: I haue synned, yt I haue transgressed the commaundement of the LORDE and thy worde: for I was afrayed of the people, and herkened vnto their voyce.


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Samuel saide vnto Saul: I wil not turne backe with ye, for thou hast refused the worde of the LORDE, and the LORDE hath refused the also, yt thou shuldest not be kynge in Israel.


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Then sayde Samuel vnto him: The LORDE hath rente the kyngdome of Israel from ye this daye, & geuen it vnto yi neghbor, which is better then thou.


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The ouerwynner in Israel also shal not lye, nether shal he repente: for he is no man, that he shulde repente.


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He sayde: I haue synned, yet honoure me now before the Elders of my people and before Israel, and turne backe with me, that I maye worshippe the LORDE thy God.


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But Samuel sayde: Bringe me hither Agag the kynge of the Amalechites. And Agag wente vnto him tederly. And Agag saide: Thus departeth the bytternesse of death.


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Samuel sayde: Like as thy swerde hath made wemen childlesse, so shal yi mother also be without children amonge wemen. So Samuel hewed Agag in peces before ye LORDE in Gilgall.


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And Samuel sawe Saul nomore vnto the daye of his death. Neuertheles Samuel mourned for Saul, because it repented the LORDE, that he had made Saul kynge ouer Israel.


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And ye LORDE sayde vnto Samuel: How longe mournest thou for Saul, whom I haue refused, that he shulde not be kynge ouer Israel? Fyll thine horne with oyle, go thy waye, I wyll sende the to Isai the Bethleemite: for amonge his sonnes haue I prouyded me a kynge.


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But Samuel sayde: How shal I go? Saul shal perceaue it, and shal slaye me. The LORDE sayde: Take the a calfe from the droue, & saye: I am come to do sacrifice vnto ye LORDE.


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And thou shalt call Isai to ye sacrifice, so shall I tell the what thou shalt do, that thou mayest anoynte me him, whom I shall shewe the.


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Samuel dyd as the LORDE sayde, and came to Bethleem. Then were the Elders of the cite astonnyed, and wente forth to mete him, and sayde: Is thy commynge peaceable?


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He sayde: Yee. I am come to do sacrifice vnto the LORDE. Sanctifye youre selues, & come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Isai and his sonnes, and called them to the sacrifice.


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Now wha they came in, he behelde Eliab, & thoughte, whether he shulde be his anoynted before the LORDE.


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But ye LORDE sayde vnto Samuel: loke not vpon his countenaunce, ner vpon the tallnesse of his person, For I iudge not after the sighte of man. A man hath respecte vnto the thinge that is before his eyes, but the LORDE loketh vpon the hert.


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Then Isai called Abinadab, & broughte him before Samuel. And he sayde: This hath not the LORDE chosen.


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Then broughte Isai his seuen sonnes before Samuel. Neuertheles Samuel saide vnto Isai: The LORDE hath chosen none of these.


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And Samuel sayde vnto Isai: Are here all the childre? He sayde: There is yet one ye leest of all, and beholde, he kepeth the shepe. The sayde Samuel vnto Isai: Sende & cause him to be fetched, for we will not syt downe at the table, vntyll he come.


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Then sent he, & caused him be broughte. And he was well coloured wt fayre eyes & of a beutyfull countenaunce. And the LORDE saide: Aryse, and anoynte him, that is he.


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The toke Samuel his oyle horne, & anoynted him amonge his brethre. And the sprete of the LORDE came vpo Dauid fro ye daye forth. As for Samuel, he gat him vp, & wente vnto Ramath.


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Let oure lorde saie vnto his seruauntes which stonde before him, yt they seke a man which can playe vpon the harpe, and instrumente, that whan the euell sprete of God cometh vpon the, he maye playe wt his hande, to ease the withall.


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Then sayde Saul vnto his seruautes: Prouyde me a ma, that can playe well vpon the instrumente, & brynge him vnto me.


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Then answered one of the children, & sayde: Beholde, I sawe a sonne of Isai ye Bethleemite, which can playe vpon the instrumete, an honest & valeaut man, and one yt hath vnderstodinge in matters, & is welfauoured.


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Then toke Isai an asse wt bred, & a bottell wt wyne, and a kyd, and sent it vnto Saul by Dauid his sonne.


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And Saul sente vnto Isai, sayege: Let Dauid remayne before me, for he hath founde fauor in my sighte.


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Now whan the sprete of God came vpo Saul, Dauid toke ye harpe, & played wt his hande: so was Saul refresshed, & eased, & the euell sprete departed from him.


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The Philistynes gathered their hoost to ye battayl, and came together to Socho in Iuda, & pitched their tentes betwene Socho & Aseka, at the ende of Damin.


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But Saul & the me of Israel came together, & pitched in the Oke valley, & prepared them selues to the battayll agaynst the Philistynes.


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And the Philistynes stode vpon a hyll on the one syde, and the Israelites vpon a hyll on the other syde, so that there was a valley betwene them.


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Then stepte there forth from amoge the Philistynes a stoute bolde man, named Goliath of Gath, sixe cubites and an hande breth hye,


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and had an helmet of stele on his heade, and a fast habergion vpon him, and the weight of his habergion was fyue thousande Sicles of stele,


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and the shaft of his speare was like a weuers lome, and the yron of his speare had sixe hundreth Sicles of yron, and his wapen bearer wente before him.


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And he stode and called vnto the hoost of Israel, and sayde vnto them: Wherfore are ye come forth to prepare youre selues to the battayll? Am not I a Philistyne, and ye the seruauntes of Saul? Chose one amonge you to come downe vnto me:


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yf he can fighte agaynst me and slaye me, then wil we be youre seruauntes: but yf I can ouercome him and slaye him, then shal ye be oure seruauntes, to do vs seruyce.


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And the Philistyne sayde: I haue spoke disdanedly vnto the hoost of Israel this daye. Geue me one, and let vs fighte together.


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Whan Saul and all Israel herde these wordes of ye Philistyne, they were astonnyed, and sore afrayed.


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But Dauid was the sonne of a man of Ephrata of Bethleem Iuda, whose name was Isai, which had eight sonnes, and was an olde man in Sauls tyme, and was well strycken in age amonge men.


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And the thre eldest sonnes of Isai were gone with Saul to the battayll. And there names were these: Eliab the first borne, Abinadab the seconde, and Samma the thirde.


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Isai sayde vnto Dauid his sonne: Take this Epha of firmentye for thy brethren, and these ten loaues of bred (and runne to the hoost vnto thy brethren)


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& these ten new cheses, and brynge them to ye captayne, and loke how thy brethren do, whether it go well with them or no, and take what they byd the.


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But Saul and they, and all the men of Israel were in the Oke valley, and foughte agaynst the Philistynes.


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Then Dauid gat him vp early in the mornynge, and commytted the shepe to ye keper, and toke his burthen, wente his waye, as Isai commaunded him, and came to the tet. And the hoost was gone forth, and had prepared them selues, and cried in the battayl:


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For Israel had set them selues in araye, and the Philistynes were agaynst their hoost in their araye also.


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Then lefte Dauid the vessell that he bare, with the keper of the stuffe, and ranne to the hoost, and wente in, and saluted his brethren.


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And whyle he was yet talkynge with them, beholde, then came vp the stoute bolde man, whose name was Goliath, the Philistine of Gath, out of the Philistynes hoost, and spake like as afore, and Dauid herde it.


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And euery man in Israel sayde: Haue ye sene the man commynge vp hither? For he is come vp hither, to speake disdanedly vnto Israel. And who so euer smyteth him, him wyll the kynge make ryche, and geue him his doughter, and make his fathers house fre in Israel.


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Then sayde Dauid vnto the men that stode by him: What shalbe done to the man, that smyteth this Philistyne, and turneth this shame awaye from Israel? For what is he this Philistyne this vncircucysed, that defyeth the hoost of ye lyuynge God?


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And Eliab his greater brother herde him talke with the men, and was very wroth agaynst Dauid, and sayde: Wherfore art thou come downe? and why hast thou left a fewe shepe in the wyldernesse? I knowe thy presumptuousnesse well ynough, and the wickednesse of thine hert: for thou art come downe to se the battayll.


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And he turned him selfe from him vnto another, and spake acordinge as he had sayde before. Then the people answered him like as afore.


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And whan they herde the wordes which Dauid sayde, they tolde them in the presence of Saul, and he caused him be fetched.


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And Dauid sayde vnto Saul: Let no mans hert be discoraged because of him. Thy seruaunt shall go, and fighte with the Philistyne.


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Neuertheles Saul sayde vnto Dauid: Thou art not able to go agaynst this Phylistyne to fighte with him, for thou art but a childe: but this is a man of warre from his youth vp.


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Dauid sayde vnto Saul: Thy seruaunt kepte his fathers shepe, and there came a lyon and a Bere, and caried awaye a shepe from the flocke,


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then wente I forth after him, and smote him, and delyuered it out of his mouth. And whan he wolde haue bene vpon me, I toke him by his beerde, and smote him, and slewe him.


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So thy seruaunt smote both the Lyon and ye Bere. Therfore shall this Philistyne this vncircumcysed be euen as one of them: for he hath defyed the hoost of the lyuynge God.


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And Dauid sayde: The LORDE that delyuered me from ye Lyon and Beer, shall delyuer me also from this Philistyne. And Saul sayde vnto Dauid: Go thy waye, the LORDE be with the.


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And Saul clothed Dauid with his clothes, and set an helmet of stele vpon his heade, and put an habergion vpo him.


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And Dauid girded his swerde aboue his clothes, and beganne to go, for he had neuer bene vsed to it afore. Then sayde Dauid vnto Saul: I can not go thus, for I haue not bene vsed to it, and so he laied it from him,


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and toke his staff in his hande, and chose fyue slighte stones out of the ryuer, and put them in the shepardes bagge which he had by him, and toke a slynge in his hande, and made him to the Philistyne.


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Now whan the Philistyne loked & sawe Dauid, he thoughte scorne of him: for he was but a childe, well coloured, and beutyfull to loke vpon.


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And the Philistyne sayde vnto Dauid: Am I a dogg then, that thou commest vnto me with a staffe? And he cursed Dauid by his God,


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and sayde vnto Dauid: Come hither to me, I wil geue thy flesh to the foules vnder the heauen, and to the beastes in the felde.


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Neuertheles Dauid sayde vnto the Philistyne: Thou commest vnto me with swerde, speare and shylde. But I come vnto the in the name of the LORDE Zebaoth the God of the hoost of Israel, whom thou hast despysed.


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This daye shall the LORDE delyuer the in to my hade, that I maye smyte the, and take thy heade from the, and geue the bodies of the hoost of the Philistynes this daye vnto the foules vnder the heauen, and to the wylde beestes vpon the earth, that all the londe maye knowe yt Israel hath a God.


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And all this congregacion shal knowe, that the LORDE saueth nether thorow swerde ner speare: for the battayll is the LORDES, & he shal delyuer you in to oure handes.


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Now whan the Philistyne gat him vp, and wente forth and drue nye vnto Dauid, Dauid made haiste, and ranne from ye hoost vnto the Philistyne.


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And Dauid put his hade in his bagg, and toke out a stone, & thrue it with the slynge, and hytt the Philistyne euen in the fore heade, so that the stone stacke in his fore heade, and he fell downe to the grounde vpon his face.


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So Dauid ouercame ye Philistyne with the slynge and with ye stone, and smote him, and slewe him. And for so moch as Dauid had no swerde in his hande,


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he ranne and stode ouer ye Philistyne, and toke his swerde, and drue it out of the sheeth, and slewe him, and smote of his heade withall. Whan the Philistynes sawe that the strongest of them was deed, they fled.


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And the men of Israel and Iuda gat the vp, and cryed and folowed vpon the Philistynes, tyll they came vnto the valley, and to the Portes of Ekron. And the Philistynes fell downe slayne vnto Gath and to Ekron.


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And the children of Israel turned agayne from chasynge of the Philistynes, and spoyled their tentes.


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But Dauid toke the heade of the Philistyne, and broughte it vnto Ierusalem, as for is armoure, he layed it in his tente.


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Whan Saul sawe Dauid go forth agaynst the Philistyne, he saide vnto Abner his chefe captayne: Abner, whose sonne is this childe? Abner sayde: As truly as thy soule lyueth O kynge, I wote not.


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Now whan Dauid came agayne from the slaughter of the Philistyne, Abner toke him, and broughte him before Saul, and he had the Philistynes heade in his hande.


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And Saul sayde vnto him: Whose sonne art thou, thou yonge man? Dauid sayde: I am a sonne of thy seruaunt Isai the Bethleemite.


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And whan he had made an ende of talkynge with Saul, the soule of Ionathas was bounde with the soule of Dauid, and Ionathas loued him as his owne soule.


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And Ionathas put of his owne cote that he had vpon him, and gaue it vnto Dauid: yee and his cloke, his swerde, his bowe, and his girdell.


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And Dauid wente forth whither so euer Saul sent him, and behaued him selfe wysely. And Saul set him ouer the men of warre, and he pleased all the people well, and all the seruauntes of Saul.


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It fortuned, that whan Dauid was come agayne from the slaughter of the Philistyne, the wemen wente out of all the cities of Israel with songes & daunses, to mete kynge Saul, with tymbrels, with myrth, and with fyddels.


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And the wemen sange one to another, and played & sayde: Saul hath smytten his thousande: but Dauid his ten thousande.


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Then was Saul very wroth, and yt worde displeased him sore, and he sayde: They haue ascrybed ten thousande vnto Dauid, and but one thousande vnto me: what shal he haue more but the kyngdome?


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The nexte daye after came the euell sprete of God vpon Saul, and prophecyed in ye myddes of the house. But Dauid played on the instrumente with his hande, as he was wonte daylie.


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And Saul had a iauelynge in his hande, and cast it, and thoughte: I wyll stycke Dauid fast to the wall. Neuerthelesse Dauid turned himselfe twyse awaye from him.


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Then Saul put him from him, and set him to be prynce ouer a thousande men, and he went out and in before the people.


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And Saul sayde vnto Dauid: Beholde, my greatest doughter Merob wyl I geue the to wyfe: be stronge now, & gouerne the warres of the LORDE. For Saul thought: my hade shal not be vpon him, but the hande of ye Pilistynes


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Neuertheles Dauid answered Saul: Who am I? & what is my life & the kynred of my father in Israel, that I shulde mary the kinges doughter?


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But whan the tyme came, that Merob ye doughter of Saul shulde haue bene geue vnto Dauid, she was geuen vnto Adriel ye Meholathite to wyfe.


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Neuerthelesse Michol Sauls doughter loued Dauid. Whan this was tolde Saul, ye matter pleased him well,


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& he sayde: I wyl geue him her, yt she maye be a snare vnto him, & that the handes of ye Philistynes maye come vpon him. And he sayde vnto Dauid: This daye shalt thou be my doughters husbade ye secode time.


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And Saul spake vnto his seruautes: Talke wt Dauid secretly & saye: Beholde, the kinge hath pleasure in the, and all his seruauntes loue the, mary thou therfore the kynges doughter.


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And Sauls seruauntes spake these wordes in the eares of Dauid. But Dauid saide: Thynke ye it but a small matter, to mary the kynges doughter? As for me, I am but a poore symple man.


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Saul sayde: Then saye ye vnto Dauid: The kynge desyreth no dowry, but onely an hundreth foreskynnes of the Philistynes, that vengeaunce maye be taken of the kinges enemies. Howbeit Saul thought to cause Dauid be slayne by the hades of the Philistynes.


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Then his seruauntes tolde Dauid these wordes, and Dauid was contente with the matter, to mary the kynges doughter.


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And after a fewe dayes Dauid gatt him vp, and wente with his men, and smote two hundreth men amonge the Philistynes. And Dauid broughte their foreskynnes, and made their nombre sufficient vnto the kynge, yt he mighte mary the kynges doughter. The Saul gaue him his doughter Michol to wyfe.


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And whan the prynces of the Philistynes wete forth, Dauid behaued him selfe more wysely then all the seruauntes of Saul in their outgoynge: so that his name was in greate reputacion.


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Neuerthelesse Ionathas the sonne of Saul loued Dauid exceadingly, and tolde him, and sayde: Saul my father goeth aboute to slaye the. Kepe the therfore (I praye the) in the mornynge and abyde in secrete, and hyde the.


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But I wyll go forth, and stonde besyde my father in the felde where thou art, and wyll speake of the vnto my father: and what soeuer I se I shal brynge the worde.


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And Ionathas reported ye best of Dauid vnto Saul his father, and sayde vnto him: Oh let not the kynge synne agaynst his seruaunt, for he hath not synned agaynst the, and his doynge is very necessary for the,


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he put his lyfe in his hande also, and smote the Philistyne, & the LORDE dyd a greate health vnto all Israel: this hast thou sene, and reioysed therof. Wherfore wylt thou then offende agaynst innocent bloude, that thou woldest kyll Dauid without a cause?


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Then herkened Saul vnto the voice of Ionathas and sware: As truly as the LORDE lyueth, he shal not dye.


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Then Ionathas called Dauid, and tolde him all these wordes, and brought him to Saul, so that he was in presence like as afore tyme.


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But there arose a battayll agayne, and Dauid wente forth, and fought agaynst the Philistynes, and smote a greate slaughter, so that they fled before him.


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Neuertheles ye euell sprete of the LORDE came vpon Saul, and he sat in his house, and had a iauelynge in his hande. But Dauid plaied vpon the instrument with his hade.


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And Saul thought with the iauelinge to sticke Dauid fast to the wall. Howbeit, he wente asyde fro Saul and the iauelynge smote in the wall. And Dauid fled, and escaped that night.


text:
Notwithstondinge Saul sent his messaungers to Dauids house, that they shulde laye wayte for him, and kyll him in the mornynge. Michol Dauids wyfe tolde him this, and sayde: Yf thou saue not thy soule this night, thou shalt dye tomorow.


text:
And Mickol toke an ymage, and layed it in the bed, and laied a goates skinne at the heade of it, and couered it with clothes.


text:
Neuerthelesse Saul sent messaungers to se Dauid, & sayde: Bringe him vp to me with the bed, that he maye be slayne.


text:
Now whan the messaungers came, beholde, the ymage laye in the bed, and a goates skynne at the heade of it.


text:
Then sayde Saul vnto Michol: Why hast thou begyled me, and let myne enemye go, that he mighte escape? Michol sayde vnto Saul: He sayde vnto me: Let me go, or I wyl kyll the.


text:
As for Dauid, he fled, and escaped, and came to Samuel vnto Ramath, and tolde him all yt Saul had done vnto him. And he wente wt Samuel, and they abode at Naioth.


text:
Then Saul sente messaungers to fetch Dauid. And they sawe a company of prophetes prophecienge, and Samuel had the ouersight of them. Then came the sprete of God vpon the messaungers of Saul, so that they prophecyed also.


text:
Whan this was tolde Saul, he sent other messaungers, which prophecied likewyse. Then sente he messaungers the thyrde tyme, and they in like maner prophecyed.


text:
Then wente he himselfe also vnto Ramath, and whan he came to the greate well which is at Secho, he axed and sayde: Where is Samuel and Dauid? Then was it tolde him: beholde, at Naioth in Ramath.


text:
And he wente thither, euen vnto Naioth in Ramath. And ye sprete of God came vpon him also, and he wete & prophecied till he came vnto Naioth in Ramath.


text:
And he put of his clothes, & prophecied likewise before Samuel, & fell downe naked all that daye and all that nighte. Here of came the prouerbe: Is Saul also amonge the prophetes?


text:
Dauid fled fro Naioth in Ramath, and came, & spake before Ionathas: What haue I done? What trespace haue I made? What haue I synned in ye sighte of thy father, yt he seketh to kyll me?


text:
He sayde vnto him: God forbyd, thou shalt not dye. Beholde, my father doth nothinge, nether greate ner small, but he sheweth it before myne eares. Wherfore shulde my father the hyde this fro me? It shal not be so.


text:
The sware Dauid agayne, and sayde: Thy father knoweth well, yt I haue founde fauoure in yi sighte, therfore shal he thynke: Ionathas shal not knowe of this, lest it greue him. Verely, as truly as the LORDE lyueth, and as truly as yi soule lyueth, there is but one steppe betwene me & death.


text:
Dauid sayde vnto him: Beholde, tomorow is the new Mone, that I shulde syt at the table with the kynge. Let me hyde my selfe therfore in the felde vnto the thirde daye at euen.


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Yf thy father then axe after me, saye: Dauid prayed me, yt he mighte runne to Bethleem vnto his cite, for all his kynred haue there a yearly sacrifice.


text:
Yf he saye then: It is good, the stondeth it well with yi seruaunt. But yf he be wroth, thou shalt perceaue that he intendeth euell.


text:
Do mercy therfore vpon thy seruaunt: for with me yi seruaunt hast thou made a couenaunt in the LORDE. But yf there be eny trespace in me, then slaye me thy selfe, for why woldest thou brynge me vnto thy father?


text:
Ionathas sayde: That be farre from the, that I shulde perceaue my father to intende eny euell agaynst the, and shulde not tell the.


text:
Ionathas sayde vnto Dauid: Come, let vs go forth into the felde. And they wente out both in to ye felde.


text:
And Ionathas sayde vnto Dauid: LORDE God of Israel, yf I perceaue by my father tomorow or on the thirde daye, that it goeth well with Dauid, & sende not vnto the, and shewe the before thine eares,


text:
then let the LORDE do this and that vnto Ionathas. But yf my father delyte in euell agaynst the, I wil shewe it before thine eares also, and let ye go, that thou mayest departe in peace. And the LORDE be with the, as he hath bene with my father.


text:
and plucke thy mercy fro my house for euer. And whan the LORDE roteth out ye enemies of Dauid, euery one out of the londe,


text:
then let Dauid rote out Ionathas also with his house, and the LORDE requyre it of the hande of Dauids enemies.


text:
And Ionathas proceaded further, and sware vnto Dauid (he loued him so well: for he loued him euen es his owne soule)


text:
and Ionathas sayde vnto him: Tomorow is ye new Mone, and thou shalt be axed after: for thou shalt be wanted where thou wast wonte to sit.


text:
But on the thirde daye come downe soone, & go in to ye place where thou hydest the on the worckdaye, & set the downe by the stone of Asel:


text:
and beholde, I wil sende the boye, and saye vnto him, Go seke ye arowes. Yf I saye now vnto the lad: Lo, the arowes lye hitherwarde behynde ye, fetch them, then come thou, for it is peace, and there is no parell, as truly as the LORDE lyueth.


text:
But yf I saye vnto the lad: beholde, the arowes lye yonderwarde before the, then go thou thy waye, for the LORDE hath let the go.


text:
Dauid hid himself in the felde. And wha the new Mone came, the kynge sat him downe at the table to eate.


text:
Whan the kynge had set him downe in his place as he was wonte by the wall, Ionathas stode vp, but Abner sat him downe besyde Saul. And Dauid was myssed in his place.


text:
And Saul spake nothinge that daye, for he thoughte: There is somwhat happend vnto him, that he is not cleane.


text:
On the seconde daye of the new Mone, whan Dauid was myssed in his place, Saul saide vnto Ionathas his sonne: Wherfore is not the sonne of Isai come to the table nether yesterdaye ner to daye?


text:
and sayde: Let me go, for oure kynred hath a sacrifyce to do in the cyte, and my brother hath sent for me himselfe: yf I haue founde fauoure now in thy syghte, I wyll go, and se my brethren: therfore is he not come to the kynges table.


text:
Then was the kynge wroth at Ionathas, and sayde vnto him: Thou wicked and vnthrifte, I knowe how that thou hast chosen the sonne of Isai, to the shame of thy selfe and of yi shamefull mother.


text:
For as longe as ye sonne of Isai lyueth vpo earth nether thou ner thy kingdome shal prospere. Sende now therfore, and cause him to be fetched vnto me, for he is a childe of death.


text:
Then shot Saul the iauelynge at him, that he might smite him. The perceaued Ionathas, that his father was vtterly determed to kyll Dauid,


text:
and he rose vp from ye table in a wrothfull displeasure, and ate no bred yt same seconde daye of the new Mone: for he was vexed because of Dauid, that his father had done him soch dishonor.


text:
On the morow wente Ionathas forth in to the felde, at the tyme appoynted of Dauid, and a litle boy with him,


text:
and sayde vnto ye boy: Runne and seke me the arowes which I shute. Whan the boy ranne, he shot an arowe ouer him.


text:
And whan the boy came to the place whither Ionathas had shot ye arowe, Ionathas cryed after him, and sayde: The arowe lyeth yonderwarde before the.


text:
And he cryed after him agayne: haist the, and stonde not styll. Then the boy gathered vp Ionothas arowes, and brought them to his lorde.


text:
And whan the boy was gone, Dauid arose from the place towarde the south, and fell vpon his face to the groude, and worshipped thre tymes, and they kissed one another, and wepte together. But Dauid most specially.


text:
And Ionathas saide vnto Dauid: Go thy waye in peace: What soeuer we both haue sworne & spoke together in the name of the LORDE, the LORDE be witnesse betwene me and the, betwene my sede and yi sede for euer. And Ionathas gat him vp, and came in to the cite.


text:
Dauid came to Nobe to ye prest Ahimelech. And Ahimelech was astonnyed, whan he sawe Dauid comminge, and sayde vnto him: Why commest thou alone, and noman is with the?


text:
Dauid sayde vnto Ahimelech the prest: The kinge hath comytted a matter vnto me, and sayde: Let noma knowe wherfore I haue sent the, and what I haue commaunded the: for I haue appoynted my seruautes to mete me here & there.


text:
Yf thou haue now ought vnder thy hande, a loafe of bred or fyue, geue me the same in my hande, or what so euer thou findest.


text:
The prest answered Dauid, and sayde: I haue no comen bred vnder my hande, but the holy bred, yf the yonge men haue onely refrained them selues from wemen.


text:
Dauid answered the prest, and sayde vnto him: The wemen were kepte thre dayes from vs whan we departed forth, and the yonge mens vessels were holy. But this waye is vnholy, neuerthelesse it shalbe santifyed to daye in the instrumentes.


text:
Then the prest gaue him of ye holy, in so moch as there was none other bred but the shewbredes, which were taken vp before the LORDE, that there might be other freshbredes set therin the daye wha he toke them awaye.


text:
But the same daye was there a man sparred in before the LORDE, one of Sauls seruauntes, named Doeg an Edomite, ye mightiest amonge Sauls hyrdmen.


text:
And Dauid sayde vnto Ahimelech: Is there not a speare or a swerde here vnder thine hande? I haue not taken my swerde and weapens with me: for the kynges matter requyred haist.


text:
The prest sayde: The swerde of Goliath the Philistyne whom thou smotest in the Oke valley, is here wrapped in a cloth behynde the ouerbody cote. Yf thou wylt haue it, take it, for here is els none but it. Dauid sayde: There is not soch another, geue me it.


text:
But Achis seruauntes sayde vnto him: This is Dauid the kynge of the londe, of whom they sunge in the daunse, and sayde: Saul hath smytten his thousande, but Dauid his ten thousande.


text:
and altered his countenaunce before them, and shewed himselfe as he had bene madd in their handes, and stackered towarde the dores of the gate, and his slauerynges ranne downe his beerd.


text:
Then sayde Achis vnto his seruauntes: Beholde, ye se that the man is out of his wyt, why haue ye brought him vnto me?


text:
Haue I to fewe madd men, that ye haue brought this hither to be madd before me? Shulde he come in to my house?


text:
Dauid wente fro thence, & fled vnto the caue of Adullam. Whan his brethren and all his fathers house herde that, they came downe thither vnto him.


text:
And there gathered vnto him all men that were in trouble and det, and sory of hert, and he became their heade, so that there were with him vpon a foure hundreth men.


text:
And Dauid wente from thence towarde Mispa in the londe of the Moabites, and sayde vnto the kynge of the Moabites: Let my father and my mother go out and in amonge you, tyll I se what God wil do with me.


text:
And he lefte them before the kynge of ye Moabites, so that they remayned by him, as longe as Dauid was in the castell.


text:
Neuertheles the prophet Gad sayde vnto Dauid: Abyde not in the castell, but go yi waye, and come in to the londe of Iuda. Then departed Dauid, and came into the wodd of Hareth.


text:
And Saul herde that Dauid and the men which were with him, were come forth. Now whyle Saul dwelt at Gibea vnder a groue in Rama, he had a Iauelinge in his hande, and all his seruauntes stode by him.


text:
Then sayde Saul vnto his seruauntes that stode by him: Heare ye children of Iemini: Shal the sonne of Isai geue lodes and vynyardes vnto you all, & make you all captaynes ouer thousandes and ouer hudreds,


text:
that ye haue all conspyred agaynst me, and there is no ma that sheweth it before myne eares, for so moch as my sonne also hath made a couenaunt with the sonne of Isai? There is no man amonge you that letteth it for my sake, or yt openeth it vnto myne eares: for my sonne hath stered vp my seruauntes against me, that he maye laye wayte for me, as it is manifest.


text:
Then answered Doeg ye Edomite which stode besyde Sauls seruauntes, and sayde: I sawe the sonne of Isai, that he came vnto Nobe, to Ahimelech ye sonne of Achitob,


text:
which axed councell at the LORDE for him, and gaue him fode, & the swerde of Goliath the Philistyne.


text:
Then sent the kynge, and caused to call Ahimelech the prest the sonne of Achitob, and all his fathers house, the prestes that were at Nobe, and they came all to the kynge.


text:
And Saul sayde vnto him: Wherfore haue ye cospyred agaynst me, thou & the sonne of Isai, that thou hast geuen him bred and a swerde, and axed councell at God for him, to stere him vp, that he mighte laye awayte for me, as it is manifest?


text:
Ahimelech answered the kynge and saide: And who is amonge all thy seruauntes like Dauid, which is faithfull, and hath maried the kynges doughter, and goeth in thine obedience, & is honorably taken in thine house?


text:
Haue I begonne then first this daye to axe councell at God for him? That be farre frome. Let not the kinge laie soch to his seruautes charge in all my fathers house: for thy seruaunt knewe not of all these thinges nether small ner greate.


text:
And the kynge sayde to his fote men that stode by him: Turne you, and slaye the prestes of the LORDE, for their hande is with Dauid also. Not withstondinge the kynges seruauntes wolde not not laye their handes vpon ye prestes of the LORDE, to slaye them.


text:
Then saide ye kynge vnto Doeg: Turne the, and slaye the prestes. Doeg the Edomite turned him, and slewe the prestes, so that the same daye there dyed fyue and foure score men, which wayre ouerbody cotes of lynnen.


text:
And Nob the cite of the prestes smote he with the edge of the swerde, both men and wemen, children and sucklynges, oxen and asses, and shepe.


text:
Neuerthelesse there escaped a sonne of Ahimelech (the sonne of Achitob) whose name was Abiathar, and fled after Dauid,


text:
Dauid sayde vnto Abiathar: I knewe well the same daye that Doeg the Edomite was there, that he wolde tell Saul. I am giltye of the soules of thy fathers house.


text:
Abyde thou with me, and feare not. He that layeth wayte for my lyfe, shall laye wayte for thyne also, and thou shalt be preserued with me.


text:
Then Dauid axed at the LORDE, and sayde: Shal I go, & smyte these Philistynes? And the LORDE sayde vnto Dauid: Go thy waye, thou shalt smyte the Philistynes, and delyuer Cegila.


text:
But ye men that were with Dauid, sayde vnto him: Beholde, we are here in feare in Iewry, and shall we go to Cegila vnto the hoost of the Philistynes?


text:
The Dauid axed at the LORDE agayne. And the LORDE answered him, and sayde: Vp, get the downe to Cegila, for I wil delyuer the Philistynes in to thy hande.


text:
So Dauid wente with his men vnto Cegila, and foughte agaynst the Philistynes, & droue awaye their catell, and smote them wt a greate slaughter. Thus Dauid delyuered them of Cegila.


text:
For whan Abiathar the sonne of Ahimelech fled vnto Dauid at Cegila, he bare downe the ouerbody cote with him.


text:
The was it tolde Saul, that Dauid was come to Cegila, and he sayde: God hath deliuered him in to my hade, for he is shut fast in, now that he is come in to a cite which is kepte wt gates and barres.


text:
And Saul caused for to call all the people downe to ye battaill vnto Cegila, yt they might besege Dauid and his men.


text:
But whan Dauid perceaued yt Saul inteded euell against him, he saide vnto Abiathar ye prest: Brynge me hither the ouerbody cote.


text:
And Dauid sayde: O LORDE God of Israel, thy seruaunt hath herde, that Saul goeth aboute to come for to destroye the cite of Cegila for my sake.


text:
Shal the citysens of Cegila delyuer me ouer in to his handes? And shal Saul come downe, as thy seruaunt hath herde? Tell thy seruaunt this, O LORDE God of Israel. And the LORDE saide: He shal come downe.


text:
Dauid sayde: Shall the citysens of Cegila delyuer me and my men in to Sauls handes? The LORDE sayde: Yee.


text:
The Dauid gat him vp with his me, of whom there were vpon a sixe hundreth, & walked whither they coulde. Now whan it was tolde Saul that Dauid was escaped from Cegila, he let his iourney stonde.


text:
As for Dauid, he remayned in the wildernes in the castell, and abode vpon the mount in the wildernes of Siph. But Saul soughte him as longe as he lyued. Neuertheles God gaue him not in to his handes.


text:
And Dauid sawe, that Saul was gone forth to seke after his life. But Dauid was in the wildernes of Siph, in the wodd.


text:
Then Ionathas the sonne of Saul gat him vp, and wete vnto Dauid in to the wod, and strengthed his hande in God,


text:
and sayde vnto him: Feare not, my father Sauls hande shal not finde ye: and thou shalt be kynge ouer Israel, so will I be the nexte vnto the. And yt my father knoweth right well.


text:
And they made a couenaunt both together before the LORDE. And Dauid remayned in the wodd. As for Ionathas, he wente home agayne.


text:
But the Siphites wente vp to Saul vnto Gibeath, and sayde: Is not Dauid hyd with vs in the castell in ye wodd, vpon mout Hachila, which lyeth on the righte hande of the wildernesse?


text:
Let the kynge come downe now therfore acordinge to all the desyre of his hert, and we wyll delyuer him in to the kynges hande.


text:
Go youre waye now therfore, and be sure, that ye maye knowe and se in what place his fete haue bene, and who hath sene him there: for it is tolde me, that he is full of sotiltye.


text:
Loke well and spye out all the places, where he hydeth him, and come agayne to me, whan ye are sure, and I will go with you. Yf he be in the londe, I wyl enquere after him amonge all the thousandes in Iuda.


text:
Then gat they them vp, and wente their waye vnto Siph before Saul. But Dauid and his men were in the wyldernes of Mao, euen in the felde on the righte hande of the wildernes.


text:
Now whan Saul wente thither with his men to seke him, it was tolde Dauid and he gat him downe to the rocke, and abode in the wildernesse of Mahon.


text:
Whan Saul herde that, he folowed after Dauid in the wildernesse of Mahon. And Saul with his men wente on the one syde of the hyll: Dauid wt his men on ye other syde of ye hill. But whan Dauid made haist to escape from Saul, Saul with his men compased aboute Dauid and his men, that he might take the.


text:
Neuertheles there came a messauger vnto Saul, and sayde: Make haist and come, for the Philistynes are falle in to the londe.


text:
The Saul turned him from chacynge of Dauid, and wente agaynst the Philstynes. Therfore is ye place called Sela Mahelkoth.


text:
Now whan Saul came agayne from the Philistines, it was tolde him: Beholde, Dauid is in the wyldernes of Engaddi.


text:
And Saul toke thre thousande chosen men out of all Israel, and wente to seke Dauid with his men vpon the stony rockes of the wylde goates.


text:
And whan he came to the shepe foldes by ye waye, there was a caue, and Saul wente in to couer his fete. But Dauid and his men sat behinde within the caue.


text:
Then sayde Dauids men vnto him: Lo, this is the daye, wherof the LORDE thy God hath sayde vnto the: Beholde, I wyll delyuer thyne enemye in to thy hande, that thou mayest do wt him what it pleaseth the. And Dauid stode vp, & cut of the typpe of Sauls garment quyetly.


text:
and sayde vnto his men: The LORDE let that be farre frome, that I shulde do it, & laye my hande vpo my lorde the LORDES anoyntd: for he is ye anoynted of the LORDE.


text:
And Dauid withelde his seruautes with wordes, & suffred the not to ryse vp agaynst Saul. But whan Saul gat him vp out of the caue, and was goinge his waye,


text:
Dauid rose vp also after him, and wente out of the caue, and cried behynde Saul, & sayde: My lorde the kynge. And Saul loked behynde him. And Dauid bowed downe his face to the earth, and worshipped,


text:
and sayde vnto Saul: Why herkenest thou vnto the wordes of men, that saye: Dauid seketh thy mysfortune?


text:
Beholde, thine eyes se this daye that the LORDE gaue the into my hande in the caue, and I was counceled to slaye the: Neuertheles thou wast fauoured, for I sayde: I wil not laye my hande vpon my lorde, for he is the LORDES anoynted.


text:
Beholde, my father the typpe of thy garment in my hande, that I wolde not slaye the, whan I cut of the typpe of thy garment. Knowe and se, yt there is no euell ner trespace in my hande: nether haue I offended the, and thou folowest after my soule, to take it awaye.


text:
acordinge as it is sayde after the olde prouerbe: Vngodlynes commeth of the vngodly: but my hande shal not be vpon the.


text:
The LORDE be iudge, and geue sentence betwene me and the, and cosidre it, and defende my cause, and delyuer me from thy hande.


text:
Now whan Dauid had spoken out these wordes vnto Saul, Saul saide: Is not this thy voyce my sonne Dauid? And Saul lifte vp his voyce, and wepte,


text:
and saide vnto Dauid: Thou art more righteous then I: for thou hast recompesed me good, but I haue rewarded the euell.


text:
And this daye hast thou shewed me how thou hast done me good, for so moch as ye LORDE hath delyuered me in to thy hande, and thou neuertheles hast not slaine me.


text:
What is he, which yf he fynde his enemye, wyl let him go in a good waye? The LORDE rewarde the good for yt thou hast done vnto me this daye?


text:
sweare now therfore vnto me by the LORDE, yt thou shalt not rote out my sede after me, nether destroie my name out of my fathers house.


text:
And Dauid sware vnto Saul. Then wente Saul home, but Dauid gat him vp with his men vnto the castell.


text:
And Samuel dyed, and all Israel gathered them selues together, mourned for him, & buried him in his house at Ramath. As for Dauid, he rose, and wente downe into the wyldernesse of Paran.


text:
And there was a man at Maon, and his possession at Carmel, and the man was of greate power, and had thre thousande shepe, and a thousande goates. And it fortuned that he clypped his shepe at Carmel,


text:
and his name was Nabal, but his wyues name was Abigail, and she was a woman of good vnderstondinge, & bewtyfull of face. But the man was harde, and wicked in his doynges, and was one of Caleb.


text:
he sent out ten yonge men, & saide vnto them: Go vp vnto Carmel, & whan ye come to Nabal, salute him frendly on my behalfe,


text:
haue herde saye that thou hast shepe clyppers. Now yi shepherdes whom thou hast, haue bene with vs, we haue done them no dishonoure, and they wated nothinge of their nombre, as longe as they were at Carmel:


text:
Axe thy yonge men, they shal tell the, and let thy yonge men fynde fauoure in yi sighte: for we are come in a good daye, geue thy seruauntes & thy sonne Dauid what thy hande fyndeth.


text:
And wha Dauids yonge men came, and spake all these wordes on Dauids behalfe vnto Nabal, they lefte of.


text:
But Nabal answered Dauids seruauntes, & sayde: What is he yt Dauid? & who is the sonne of Isai? There are many seruauntes now yt runne awaye from their masters.


text:
Shulde I take my bred, water and flesh, that I haue slayne for my clyppers, & geue it vnto me whom I knowe not whence they are?


text:
The Dauids yonge me turned their waye agayne. And whan they came agayne vnto him, they tolde him all these wordes.


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The sayde Dauid vnto his men: Euery man gyrde his swerde aboute him. And euery one gyrde his swerde aboute him. And Dauid gyrde his swerde aboute him also, and there wete vp after him vpon a foure hundreth men, but two hundreth remayned wt the stuffe.


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Neuertheles Abigail Nabals wife tolde one of hir yonge men, and sayde: Beholde, Dauid sent messaungers out of the wyldernes to blesse oure lorde, Notwithstondinge he was fearce vpo them,


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and yet haue they bene very profitable men vnto vs, and haue done vs no dishonoure, and we wanted none of the nombre as loge as we walked with them, whan we were in the felde:


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Take hede now therfore, and loke well what thou doest, for there is surely a mysfortune at hande agaynst oure lorde, & agaynst all his house. And he is a man of Belial, to whom no man darre saye eny thinge.


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Then Abigail made haist, and toke two hundred loaues of bred, and two botels of wyne, and fyue shepe ready dighte, and fyue measures of firmentye, and an hundreth frayles of rasens, and two hundreth frayles of fygges, & layed them vpo asses,


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and sayde to hir yonge men: Go ye youre waye before me, beholde, I wyl come after. And she tolde Nabal hir housbade nothinge therof.


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And as she rode vpo the asse, and wente downe in the shadowe of ye hill, beholde, Dauid & his me met hir downe, so that she came vpon them.


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But Dauid sayde: Wel, all that this man had in ye wyldernes, haue I kepte for naughte, so that there wanted nothinge of all that he had, and he rewardeth me euell for good.


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God do this and yet more vnto the enemies of Dauid, yf vntyll tomorow in the mornynge I leaue this man (of all that he hath) so moch as one that maketh water agaynst ye wall.


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Now whan Abigail sawe Dauid, she lighte downe from the asse in all the haist, and fell vpo hir face before Dauid, and worshiped him to the grounde,


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and fell at his fete, and sayde: Oh my lorde, let this trespace be myne, and let thy handmayde speake before thine eares, and heare the wordes of thy handmayden:


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Let not my lorde set his hert agaynst this Nabal the man of Belial, for he is a foole, acordinge as his name is called: his name is foole, and foolishnes is with him. As for me thy handmayde, I sawe not my lordes yonge men, whom thou dyddest sende.


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But now my lorde, as truly as the LORDE lyueth, and as truly as thy soule lyueth, the LORDE hath kepte the backe, yt thou shuldest not come agaynst bloude, and he hath delyuered thine hande. Thine enemyes be now as Nabal, and so be they that wolde my lorde euell.


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Here is ye blessynge, yt thy handmayde hath brought my lorde, take it, and geue it vnto the yonge men, that walke vnder my lorde.


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For a sure house shal ye LORDE make my lorde, which fighteth the fighte of the LORDE, and no euell shall be founde in the all thy life longe.


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And yf eny man ryse vp to persecute ye, and to laye wayte for thy soule, then shal the soule of my lorde be bounde in the bundell of ye lyuynge, euen with the LORDE thy God. But ye soule of thine enemies shalbe turned backe wt the slynge.


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Whan the LORDE therfore doth all this good for my lorde (which he hath promysed the) and commaundeth ye to be his Duke ouer Israel,


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then shal it be no stomblinge blocke ner occasiion of fallynge vnto my lordes hert, that thou hast not shed bloude without a cause, and auenged thy selfe, then shal ye LORDE do good vnto my lorde, and thou shalt thynke vpon thy handmayden.


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Then saide Dauid vnto Abigail: Blessed be the LORDE God of Israel, which hath sent the to mete me this daye:


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and blessed be thy speach, and blessed be thou, which hast kepte me backe this daye, that I am not come agaynst bloude, to auenge me with myne awne hande.


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Verely (as truly as the LORDE the God of Israel lyueth, which hath hyndred me that I shulde do the no euell.) Yf thou haddest not met me in all the haist, Nabal shulde not haue had lefte him vntyll ye lighte mornynge, so moch as one that maketh water agaynst the wall.


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So Dauid toke of hir hade what she had broughte him, and sayde vnto her: Go vp in peace vnto yi house: beholde, I haue herkened vnto yi voyce, and accepted thy personne.


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But whan Abigail came to Nabal, beholde, he had prepared a feast in his house like a kynges feast, and his hert was mery, for he was very dronken. And she tolde him nothinge, nether small ner greate vntyll ye cleare mornynge.


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But whan it was daye, & the wyne was come from Nabal, his wife tolde him these thinges. Then was his hert deed in his body, so that he became euen as a stone:


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Whan Dauid herde that Nabal was deed, he sayde: Blessed be ye LORDE which hath auenged my rebuke on Nabal, and preserued his seruaunt from euell. And the LORDE hath rewarded Nabal that euell vpon his heade. And Dauid sent, and caused to talke with Abigail, yt he mighte take her to wife.


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And whan Dauids seruauntes came to Abigail vnto Carmel, they spake vnto her, and saide: Dauid hath sent vs vnto the, that he maye take ye to wife.


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She rose vp, and worshipped vpon hir face vnto the earth, and sayde: beholde, here is thy handmayde, that she maie do seruyce vnto the seruauntes of my lorde,


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and to wasshe their fete. And Abigail made haist, and gat her vp, and rode vpo an asse, and fyue maydens that were vnder her, and wente after Dauids messaungers, and became his wife.


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They of Siph came to Saul vnto Gibeath, & sayde: Is not Dauid hyd vpo the hill of Hachila, which lyeth ouer agaynst the wyldernesse?


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Then Saul gat him vp, and wente downe to the wildernes of Siph, and thre thousande chosen men of Israel with him, to seke Dauid in the wildernes of Siph,


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and pitched vpon the hill of Hachila, which lyeth by the waye before the wildernes. But Dauid remayned in the wyldernes, and whan he sawe that Saul came after him in to the wildernes,


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And Dauid gat him vp, and came to the place where Saul had pitched his tet, and sawe the place where Saul laye with his chefe captayne Abner ye sonne of Ner: for Saul laye in the tent, and the hoost aboute him.


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Then answered Dauid, and sayde vnto Ahimelech the Hethite, and to Abisai the sonne of Ieru Ia ye brother of Ioab: Who wil go downe wt me to Saul in to the hoost? Abisai sayde: I wil go downe with the.


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So Dauid and Abisai came to the people in the night season, & beholde, Saul laye and slepte in the tent, and his speare stacke in ye grounde at his heade. But Abner and the people laye rounde aboute him.


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The sayde Abisai vnto Dauid: God hath closed thine enemye in thyne hande this daye. Therfore will I now thrust him thorow once with the speare euen in to the grounde, yt he shall haue ynough of it.


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Neuertheles Dauid sayde vnto Abisai: Destroye him not, for who wil laye hande vpon the anoynted of ye LORDE, & remayne vngiltye?


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Dauid sayde morouer: As truly as the LORDE lyueth, yf ye LORDE him selfe smyte him not, or excepte his tyme come that he dye, or that he go in to the battayll and perishe,


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the LORDE let it be farre fro me, that I shulde laye my hande on the LORDES anoynted. Take ye speare now therfore at his heade, & the cuppe of water, & let vs go.


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So Dauid toke ye speare & the cuppe of water at Sauls heade, & they wente their waye. And there was no man yt sawe it, ner perceaued it, nether awaked, but they slepte euery one, for there was a depe slepe fallen vpon them from the LORDE.


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Now whan Dauid was come ouer on ye other syde, he stode vpon the toppe of the mount a farre of (so that there was a wyde space betwene them)


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and cried vpon ye people, and vpo Abner the sonne of Ner, & sayde: Hearest thou not Abner? And Abner answered and sayde: Who art thou that cryest so, and diseasest the kynge?


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And Dauid sayde vnto Abner: Art thou not a man? And where is there soch one as thou in Israel? Why hast thou not then kepte thy lorde ye kynge? for there is one of ye people come in to destroye thy lorde ye kynge.


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It is not well that thou hast done. As truly as the LORDE lyueth ye are the children of death, because ye haue not kepte youre lorde the LORDES anoynted. Beholde now, where is ye kynges speare, and the cuppe of water that was at his heade.


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Then knewe Saul the voyce of Dauid, and saide: Is not that thy voyce my sonne Dauid? Dauid sayde: It is my voyce my lorde the kynge.


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And he sayde morouer: Why doth my lorde so persecute his seruaunt? What haue I done? and what euell is there in my hande?


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Yet let my lorde the kynge heare but the wordes of his seruaunt? Yf ye LORDE prouoke the against me, let there be smelled a meatofferynge: but yf the childre of men do it, cursed be they before the LORDE, because they haue thrust me out this daye (that I shulde not dwell in the LORDES inheritaunce) and saye: Go yi waye, and serue other goddes.


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So fall not now my bloude vpon the earth from the face of the LORDE. For the kynge of Israel is gone forth to seke a flee, as a partriche is folowed on vpo the mountaynes.


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And Saul sayde: I haue synned: Come agayne Dauid my sonne, I wil do the nomore hurte, because my soule hath bene deare in yi sighte this daye. Beholde, I haue done foolishly and very vnwysely.


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Dauid answered and sayde: Beholde, here is the kynges speare, let one of the yongemen come ouer here and fetch it.


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But the LORDE shal rewarde euery one acordinge to his righteousnes and faith, for ye LORDE delyuered ye this daye in to my hande: neuertheles I wolde not laie my hande vpo the LORDES anoynted.


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And as yi soule hath bene greatly reputed in my sighte this daye, so let ye LORDE repute my soule in his sighte, & delyuer me from all trouble.


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Saul saide vnto Dauid: Blessed be thou Dauid my sonne, thou shalt do it, & be able. But Dauid wente his waye, and Saul turned agayne vnto his place.


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Dauid thoughte in his hert: One of these dayes shal I fall in to the handes of Saul: It is better that I get me my waye in to ye londe of ye Philistynes, that Saul maye leaue of from sekynge me in all the coastes of Israel, so shall I escape his handes.


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And he gat him vp, and wente ouer (with the sixe hundreth men that were with him) vnto Achis the sonne of Maoch kynge of Gath.


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So Dauid remayned by Achis at Gath, with his me, euery one with his housholde, and Dauid with his two wyues, Ahinoam the Iesraelitisse, and Abigail Nabals wife of Carmel.


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And Dauid sayde vnto Achis: Yf I haue founde grace in thy sighte, then let there be geuen me a place in one of the cities of the londe, that I maye dwell therin. Wherfore shulde thy seruaunt dwell in the kynges cite with the?


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Then Achis gaue him Siclag the same daye. Therfore belongeth. Siclag to the kynges of Iuda vnto this daye.


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Dauid wente vp with his men, and fell in to the londe of the Gessurites and Girsites, and Amalechites: for these were the inhabiters of this londe of olde, as thou commest to Sur vnto the lode of Egipte.


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But wha Dauid smote ye londe, he let nether man ner woman lyue, and toke the shepe, oxen, asses, Camels and rayment, and returned and came to Achis.


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So whan Achis spake: Whither fell ye in to daye? Dauid sayde: Towarde the south parte of Iuda, towarde ye south parte of the Ierahmielites, & towarde the south parte of the Kenites.


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But Dauid let nether man ner woman come lyuynge vnto Geth, and thoughte: They mighte peradueture speake & reporte agaynst vs: thus dyd Dauid, and this was his maner as longe as he dwelt in ye londe of the Philistynes.


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Therfore Achis gaue credence vnto Dauid, and thoughte: he hath made him selfe stynke before his people of Israel, therfore shal he be my seruaunt for euer.


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It fortuned at ye same tyme, that the Philistynes gathered their hoost together to the battayll, to go agaynst Israel. And Achis sayde vnto Dauid: Thou shalt knowe, that thou and thy men shal go forth with me in the hoost.


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Dauid sayde vnto Achis: Well, thou shalt se what thy seruaut shal do. Achis saide vnto Dauid: Therfore wyll I ordene the to be the keper of my heade as longe as I lyue.


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As for Samuel, he was deed, and all ye people had mourned for him, & buried him in his cite Ramath. So Saul had dryuen the soythsayers and expounders of tokens out of ye londe.


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Now whan the Philistynes gathered them selues together, and came and pitched their tentes at Sunem, Saul gathered all the people together, & they pitched at Gilboa.


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and he axed councell at the LORDE. But ye LORDE gaue him no answere, nether by dreames, ner by the lighte, ner by prophetes.


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The sayde Saul vnto his seruauntes: Seke me a woma which hath a sprete of soythsayege, that I maye go vnto her, and axe at her. His seruauntes sayde vnto him: Beholde, at Endor is there a woman, which hath a sprete of soythsayenge.


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And Saul chaunged his clothes, and put on other, and wente his waye and two men with him, and came by nighte vnto the woman, and sayde: Prophecye vnto me (I pray the) thorow the sprete of soythsayenge, and brynge me him vp whom I shal name vnto the.


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The woma saide vnto him: Beholde, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath roted out the soythsayers & witches from the londe, wherfore wilt thou brynge my soule then in to ye nett, that I maye be slayne?


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But Saul sware vnto her by ye LORDE, and sayde: As truly as the LORDE lyueth, there shall no harme happen vnto the for this.


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Now whan ye woman sawe Samuel, she cryed loude, and sayde vnto Saul: Wherfore hast thou begyled me? Thou art Saul.


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And the kynge sayde vnto her: Feare not, what seist thou? The woman sayde vnto Saul: I se goddes comynge vp out of ye earth?


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He sayde: How is he shapened? She sayde: There commeth vp an olde man, and is clothed with a longe garment. Then perceaued Saul that it was Samuel, & bowed him selfe downe wt his face to the grounde, and worshiped him.


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Samuel saide vnto Saul: Why hast thou disquyeted me, to cause me be broughte vp? Saul sayde: I am sore troubled, the Philistynes fighte against me, & God is departed frome, & geueth me no answere, nether by prophetes ner by dreames: therfore haue I called the, yt thou mightest shewe me, what I shal do.


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Samuel sayde: What wilt thou axe at me, seynge the LORDE is departed from the, and is become thine enemye?


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The LORDE shal do vnto the euen as he spake by me, and shall plucke the kyngdome out of thy hande, and geue it vnto Dauid thy neghboure,


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because thou hast not herkened vnto the voyce of the LORDE, ner perfourmed the displeasure of his wrath agaynst Amalek. Therfore hath the LORDE done this now vnto the.


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Morouer the LORDE shal delyuer Israel with the also in to the handes of the Philistynes: tomorow shalt thou and thy sonnes be with me. And the hoost of Israel shal the LORDE delyuer in to the handes of the Philistynes.


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Then fell Saul immediatly vnto the earth, for he coulde not stonde, and was sore afrayed at these wordes of Samuel, so that there was nomore strength in him: for he had eaten no bred all that daye and all that night.


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And the woman wente into Saul, & sawe that he was sore vexed, and sayde vnto him: Beholde, thy handmayde hath herkened vnto thy voyce, and I haue put my soule in my hande, so that I haue herkened vnto yi wordes which thou spakest vnto me.


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Therfore folowe thou also the voyce of thy handmayde. I wil set a morsell of bred before the to eate, that thou mayest come to thy strength, & go yi waye.


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But he refused, and sayde, I wil not eate. Then his seruauntes & the woman copelled him, so that he herkened vnto their voyce. And he rose vp from ye grounde, and sat vpon the bed.


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The woman had a fat calfe at home, so she made haist, and kylled it, and toke meell and dyd kneet it, and baked swete cakes,


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& broughte them forth before Saul, & before his seruauntes. And whan they had eaten, they stode vp, and wete their waye yt nighte.


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And the prynces of the Philistynes wete forth with hundreds and with thousandes, but Dauid and his men wete behynde with Achis.


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The sayde the prynces of the Philistynes: What shal these Hebrues do? Achis saide vnto the: Is not this Dauid ye seruaunt of Saul kynge of Israel, which hath bene with me now yeares and dayes, & I haue founde no euell in him sence the tyme that he fell to me vnto this daye?


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Neuertheles the prynces of ye Philistynes were wroth at him, & sayde vnto him: Let the man turne backe agayne, & abyde in his place, which thou hast appoynted him, that he go not downe with vs to ye batayll, and become oure aduersary in ye felde. For wherin coulde he better do his lorde a pleasure, the in the heades of these men?


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Is not this Dauid, of whom they sunge in the daunce: Saul hath smytte his thousande, but Dauid his ten thousande?


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Then Achis called Dauid, and sayde vnto him: As truly as the LORDE lyueth, I take the for an honest man, and thy out goynge and ingoynge with me in ye hoost pleaseth me well, and no euell haue I marked in the, sence ye tyme that thou camest to me vnto this daye. But thou pleasest not the prynces.


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Returne now therfore, and go yi waye in peace, that thou do no euell in the sighte of the prynces of ye Philistynes.


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Dauid sayde: What haue I done, & what hast thou marked in thy seruaunt, sence ye tyme that I haue bene in yi presence vnto this daye, that I shulde not come and fighte agaynst the enemies of my lorde the kynge?


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Achis answered and sayde vnto Dauid: I knowe well that thou pleasest myne eyes eue as an angell of God. But the prynces of ye Philistynes haue sayde: Let him not go vp with vs vnto the batayll.


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Get the vp therfore tomorow by tymes, and yi lordes seruauntes which are come with the. And whan ye haue gotten you vp early in the mornynge, whan it is lighte, go yor waye.


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So Dauid & his men gat them vp early, to go their waye in the mornynge, and to come agayne in to the londe of the Philistynes. But the Philistynes wente vp towarde Iesrael.


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Now whan Dauid came to Siclag on the thirde daie with his men, the Amalechites had falle in on ye south parte and at Siclag, and had smytten Siclag, and burned it with fyre,


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and had caried a waye the weme out of it, both small & greate. Neuertheles they had slayne no man, but dryuen the thence, and were goynge on their waye.


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Now whan Dauid with his men came to the cite, and sawe that it was brent wt fyre, and that their wyues, sonnes & doughters were led awaye captyue,


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Dauid and the people that was with him lefte vp their voyce, and wepte so longe tyll they coulde wepe nomore.


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For Dauids two wyues also were caried awaye captyue, Ahinoam ye Iesraelitisse, and Abigail Nabals wife of Carmel.


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And Dauid was very soroufull, for the people wolde haue stoned him: for ye soule of all the people was in greate heuynes, euery one ouer his sonnes and doughters. Neuertheles Dauid strengthed him selfe in the LORDE his God,


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& sayde vnto Abiathar ye prest the sonne of Ahimelech: Bringe me hither the ouerbody cote. And whan Abiathar had broughte the ouerbody cote vnto Dauid,


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Dauid axed at the LORDE, and sayde: Shal I folowe vpon the men of warre, and shal I ouertake them? He sayde: Yee, folowe vpo them, thou shalt ouertake them, and shalt rescue the pray.


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Then wente Dauid his waye, and the sixe hudreth men that were with him. And whan they came to the ryuer of Besor, some stode styll.


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But Dauid and the foure hundreth men folowed after: As for the two hudreth men that stode styll, they had bene slowe to go ouer the ryuer of Besor.


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And they founde a man of Egipte vpon the felde, him they broughte vnto Dauid, & gaue him bred to eate, and water to drynke,


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and gaue him a quantite of fygges, & two quantities of rasyns. And whan he had eaten, his sprete came to him againe: for in thre dayes and thre nightes he had eate no bred, and dronke no water.


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Dauid sayde vnto him: Whose art thou? & whence art thou? He sayde: I am a childe of Egipte, an Amalechites seruaunt, & my master hath forsaken me, because I was sicke thre dayes a goo.


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We fell her in towarde ye south syde of Chrethus, and vpon Iuda, and towarde ye south parte of Caleb, & haue burned Siclag with fyre.


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Dauid sayde vnto him: Wilt thou bringe me downe to these men of warre? He sayde: Sweare vnto me by God, yt thou shalt not slaye me, ner delyuer me in to my masters hade, and I wil brynge the downe to these me of warre.


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And he broughte the downe, and beholde, they were scatred vpon all ye grounde, eatinge and drynkynge, and kepynge holy daye, and were makinge mery chere, because of all the greate spoyles that they had taken out of the londe of the Philistynes and of Iuda.


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And Dauid smote them from ye morow tyll the euen, agaynst the nexte daye, so that there escaped none, excepte foure hundreth yonge men, which rode vpon camels, & fled.


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& there myssed nothinge, nether small ner greate, nether sonnes ner doughters, ner spoyles: and what so euer they had taken, Dauid broughte all agayne.


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And Dauid toke the shepe and oxe, and droue ye catell before him. And they sayde: This is Dauids spoyle.


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And whan Dauid came to the two hundreth men, which had bene slowe to folowe after Dauid, and abode at the ryuer of Besor, they wente forth to mete Dauid, and the people yt was with him. And Dauid came to the people, and saluted them frendly.


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Then answered soch men as were euell & Belials men (amonge them that had gone with Dauid) and sayde: Seynge they wente not wt vs, they shal haue none of the spoyles that we haue rescued: but let euery ma take his wife & his children and be goynge.


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Then sayde Dauid: Ye shall not do so (my brethren) with that which ye LORDE hath geuen vs, and hath preserued vs, and delyuered these men of warre (which were come agaynst vs) in to oure hades.


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Who shulde cosente vnto you herin? like as the porcion is of them that wente downe to the battayll, so shal ye porcion be of them also that a bode wt the stuffe, & shalbe deuyded a lyke.


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And whan Dauid came to Siclag, he sent of the spoyle vnto the Elders in Iuda his neghbours, and sayde: Beholde, there haue ye the blessynge out of the spoyle of the enemies of the LORDE,


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vnto them at Rachal, vnto them in the cities of the Ierahmielites, vnto them in the cities of the Kenites,


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Bvt ye Philistynes foughte against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistynes, and fell downe smytten vpon the mount Gilboa.


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And the Philistynes preassed vpon Saul and his sonnes, and slewe Ionathas, & Abinadab and Malchisua the sonnes of Saul.


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And the battayll was sore agaynst Saul, & the archers fell vpon him with bowes, and he was sore wounded of the archers.


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Then sayde Saul vnto his wapebearer: Drawe out thy swerde, and thrust it thorow me, that these vncircumcised come not and slaie me, and make a laughinge stocke of me. Neuertheles his wapenbearer wolde not, for he was sore afrayed. Then toke Saul ye swerde, and fell therin.


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Whan ye men of Israel which were beyonde the valley, and beyonde Iordane, sawe, yt the men of Israel were fled, and that Saul and his sonnes were deed, they lefte ye cities, and fled also. Then came the Philistynes, & dwelt therin.


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On the nexte daye came the Philistynes to spoyle ye slayne, and founde Saul and his thre sonnes lyenge vpon mount Gilboa,


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and smote of his heade, and toke of his harnesse, and sent it in to the lande of the Philistynes rounde aboute, to shewe it in the house of their Idols, and amonge the people,


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they gat them vp, as many as were men of armes, and wente all the nighte, and toke ye body of Saul, and the bodies of his sonnes from ye wall of Bethsan, broughte the to Iabes, and brent them there,


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After ye death of Saul whan Dauid was come agayne from the slaughter of ye Amalechites, and had remayned two dayes at Siclag,


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beholde, on the thirde daye there came a man out of Sauls hoost, with his clothes rente, and earth vpon his heade. And whan he came vnto Dauid, he fell downe to the grounde, and worshipped.


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Dauid sayde vnto him: Tell me, what is the matter? He sayde: the people is fled from the battayll, and many of the people are fallen: Yee and Saul also is deed and his sonne Ionathas.


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Dauid sayde vnto the yonge ma that brought him this worde: How knowest thou that Saul and Ionathas his sonne are deed?


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The yonge man yt tolde him this, sayde: I came by chaunce vnto mount Gelboa, and beholde, Saul leaned vpon his speare, & the charettes and horsme folowed harde after him:


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And he saide vnto me: Come to me, and kyll me, for anguysh hath gotten holde of me: for my life is yet whole within me.


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Then stepte I to him, and slewe him, for I knowe well that he coulde not lyue after his fall. And I toke the crowne from his heade, and the armelet fro his arme, and haue broughte it here vnto ye my lorde.


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& mourned, and wepte, and fasted vntyll the euen, ouer Saul & Ionathas his sonne, and ouer the people of the LORDE, and ouer the house of Israel, because they were fallen thorow the swerde.


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And Dauid sayde to the yonge man that broughte him worde: What art thou? He sayde: I am ye sonne of a straunger an Amalechite.


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Dauid sayde: How happeneth it that thou wast not afrayed to laye thine hade vpon the LORDES anointed to destroye him?


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And Dauid sayde vnto one of his yonge men: Come hither, and slaye him. And he smote him that he dyed.


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Then sayde Dauid vnto him: Thy bloude be vpon thyne owne heade. For thy mouth hath spoken against thyselfe and sayde: I haue slayne the anoynted of the LORDE.


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and commaunded to teach the childre of Iuda the bowe. Beholde, it is wrytten in the boke of the righteous.


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Tell it not at Gath: speake not of it in ye stretes at Ascalon: lest the doughters of ye Philistynes reioyse, lest the doughters of ye vncircumcysed tryumphe.


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Ye mountaynes of Gelboa, nether dew ner rayne come vpo you, nether lode be wherof commeth Heueofferynges: for there is ye shylde of the Worthies smytten downe, the shylde of Saul, as though he had not bene anoynted with oyle.


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The bowe of Ionathas fayled not, and the swerde of Saul came not agayne voyde from the bloude of the slayne, and fro the fat of the giauntes.


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Saul and Ionathas louely and pleasaut in their lyfe, and in their deeth were not parted asunder: lighter then Aegles, and stronger then lyons.


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Ye doughters of Israel wepe ouer Saul which clothed yow with purple in pleasures, and decked you with Iewels of golde on youre garmentes.


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I am sory for the my brother Ionathas: thou hast bene very louely vnto me: Thy loue hath bene more speciall vnto me, then the loue of wemen.


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After these actes Dauid axed at the LORDE, and sayde: Shall I go vp in to one of the cities of Iuda? And the LORDE sayde vnto him: Go vp. Dauid sayde: Whither? He sayde: Vnto Hebron.


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So Dauid wente thither with his two wyues, Ahinoam the Iesraelitisse, and Abigail Nabals wyfe of Carmel.


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And Dauid broughte vp the men that were him also, euery one with his housholde, and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.


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And ye men of Iuda came, and there they anointed him kynge ouer the house of Iuda. And wha it was tolde Dauid, that they of Iabes in Gilead had buried Saul,


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he sent messaungers vnto them, sayenge: Blessed be ye of the LORDE, that ye haue done soch mercy vpon youre lorde Saul, and haue buried him.


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The LORDE therfore shewe mercy now and faithfulnes vpon you. And because ye haue done this, I also wyll do you good.


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Let youre hade now therfore be comforted, and be ye stronge: for though Saul youre lorde be deed, yet hath the house of Iuda chosen me to be kynge ouer them.


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But Abner the sonne of Ner, which was Sauls chefe captayne, toke Isboseth the sonne of Saul, and broughte him thorow the hoost,


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And Isboseth the sonne of Saul was fourtye yeare olde, whan he was made kynge of Israel, & he raigned two yeares. But the house of Iuda helde with Dauid:


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The tyme yt Dauid was kynge at Hebron ouer the house of Iuda, was seuen yeare and sixe monethes longe.


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And Abner the sonne of Ner wete forth with the seruauntes of Isboseth the sonne of Saul, out of ye hoost vnto Gibeon.


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And Ioab the sonne of Zeru Ia wete forth with Dauids seruauntes, and they met together by the pole at Gibeon, and these laye on the one syde of the pole, the other on the other syde.


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And Abner sayde vnto Ioab: Let the yonge me get them vp, and playe before vs. Ioab sayde: Let them aryse.


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Then gat they them vp, & wente in nombre twolue of Ben Iamin on Isboseth Sauls sonnes syde, and twolue of Dauids seruauntes.


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And euery one gat another by the heade, and thrust his swerde in his syde, and fell together: therfore is the place called Helkath hazurim (that is, the felde of the Worthies) which is at Gibeon.


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And there arose a sore harde battayll the same daye. But Abner and the men of Israel were put to flighte of Dauids seruauntes.


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Thre sonnes of Zeru Ia were there, Ioab, Abisai & Asahel. As for Asahel, he was lighte of fete as a Roo in ye felde,


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Abner sayde vnto him: Go thy waye ether to the righte hande or to the lefte, and get the one of ye yonge men, and take his harnesse from him. Neuertheles he wolde not leaue of fro him.


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Then sayde Abner agayne to Asahel: Get the awaye fro me, why wilt thou that I smyte the to the grounde? and how darre I lifte vp my face before yi brother Ioab?


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Howbeit he wolde not go his waye. Then Abner thrust him in with a speare in to his bely, so that the speare wete out behynde him. And there he fell and dyed before him: and who so came to the place where Asahel laye deed, stode styll there.


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But Ioab and Abisai folowed vpon Abner, till the sonne wente downe. And whan they came to ye hyll of Amma, which lieth before Giah, by ye waye to the wildernes of Gibeon,


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the children of Ben Iamin gathered them selues together behynde Abner, and grewe to a multitude, and stode vpon the toppe of an hyll.


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And Abner called vnto Ioab, and sayde: Shal the swerde the deuoure without ende? Knowest thou not, that it wyll be bytter at the last? How longe wil it be or thou saie vnto the people, that they leaue of from their brethre:


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Ioab sayde: As truly as God lyueth yf thou haddest sayde thus daye in the morninge, the people had ceassed euery one from his brother.


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And Ioab blewe the trompet, & all the people stode still, and folowed nomore vpon Israel, nether foughte they eny more.


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Abner and his men wente all that same night ouer the playne felde, and passed ouer Iordane, & walked thorow all Bithron, and came to the tentes.


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Ioab turned him from Abner, and gathered all ye people together. And of Dauids seruauntes there myssed nynetene men, and Asahel.


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But Dauids seruautes had smytten so amonge Ben Iamin and the men of Abner, that thre hundreth and thre score men were deed.


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And they toke vp Asahel, and buried him in his fathers graue at Bethleem. And Ioab with his men wete all that nighte: and at the breake of the daie they came vnto Hebron.


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And there was a longe battayll betwene the house of Saul and the house of Dauid. But Dauid wente and increased, and the house of Saul wente and mynished.


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And vnto Dauid were children borne at Hebron. His firstborne sonne Ammon of Ahinoam the Iesraelitisse:


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the seconde Chileab of Abigail the wyfe of Nabal of Carmel: the thirde Absalon the sonne of Maacha the doughter of Thalmai kynge of Gessur:


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And Saul had a concubyne, whose name was Rispa the doughter of Aia. And Isboseth sayde vnto Abner: Wherfore liest thou with my fathers concubyne?


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Then was Abner very wroth at these wordes of Isboseth, and sayde: Am I a dogges heade then, that I agaynst Iuda do mercy vnto the house of Saul thy father, and vnto his brethren and kynsfolkes? and haue not delyuered the into ye hande of Dauid, and thou layest a trespace to my charge this daye for a womans sake?


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that the kyngdome maye be taken fro the house of Saul, and ye seate of Dauid set vp ouer Israel and Iuda, from Dan vnto Berseba.


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And Abner sent messaungers vnto Dauid, sayenge: Whose is the londe? And sayde: Make thy couenaunt with me. Beholde, my hande shall be with the, to turne all Israel vnto the.


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He sayde: Wel, I wyll make a couenaunt with the, but one thynge I desyre of the, that thou se not my face, excepte thou brynge me first Michol Sauls doughter, whan thou commest to se my face.


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Dauid sent messaungers also vnto Isboseth the sonne of Saul, sayenge: Geue me my wyfe Michol, whom I maried with an hundreth foreskinnes of the Philistynes.


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And hir husbande wente with her, and wepte behynde her vnto Bahurim. Then sayde Abner vnto him: Turne backe agayne, and go thy waye. And he turned backe agayne.


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And Abner talked with the Elders in Israel, and sayde: Youre myndes haue bene set afore tyme and longe a goo vpon Dauid, that he mighte be kynge ouer you,


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do it now therfore, for ye LORDE hath sayde of Dauid: I wil delyuer my people of Israel by the hade of Dauid my seruaunt, from the hande of the Philistynes, and from the hande of all their enemies.


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Abner spake also before the eares of Ben Iamin, and wente to speake before the eares of Dauid at Hebron all that Israel and the whole house of Ben Iamin was contente withall.


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And Abner sayde vnto Dauid: I wyll get me vp, and go gather all Israel together to my lorde the kynge, and that they maye make a couenaunt with the, that thou mayest be kynge, at thy soules desyre. So Dauid let Abner go from him in peace.


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And beholde, Dauid seruautes and Ioab came from the men of warre, and broughte a greate spoyle with them. And Abner was not now with Dauid at Hebron, for he had sent him from him, so that he was gone his waye in peace.


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But whan Ioab and all the hoost with him was come, it was tolde him that Abner the sonne of Ner came to the kynge, and how he had sent him fro him, so that he was gone his waye in peace.


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Then wente Ioab in to the kynge, and sayde: What hast thou done? Beholde, Abner came to the, why hast thou sent him from the, that he is gone his waye?


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Knowest thou not Abner the sonne of Ner? For he came to the to disceaue the, that he mighte knowe thy outgoynge, and ingoynge, and to spie out all that thou doest.


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And whan Ioab wente out from Dauid, he sent messaugers after Abner, to fetch him agayne from Boharsira, and Dauid knewe not therof.


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Now whan Abner came agayne vnto Hebron, Ioab brought him in to ye middes vnder ye gate, to talke wt him secretly, and thrust him there in to ye bely that he dyed, because of his brother Asahels bloude.


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Whan Dauid knewe of it therafter, he sayde: I am vngiltye, and so is my kyngdodome for euer before the LORDE concernynge the bloude of Abner ye sonne of Ner:


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but vpon the heade of Ioab fall it, and vpon all his fathers house, and in the house of Ioab there ceasse not one to haue a renninge yssue and a leprosy, and to go vpon a staffe, and fall thorow the swerde, and to haue scarnesse of bred.


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Thus Ioab and his brother Abisai slewe Abner, because he had slayne their brother Asahel in the battaill at Gibeon.


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Dauid sayde vnto Ioab and to all ye people yt was with him: Rente youre clothes, and gyrde sack cloth aboute you, and make lamentacion for Abner. And the kynge wente after the Bere.


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And whan they buryed Abner at Hebron, the kynge lifte vp his voyce, and wepte besyde Abners graue, and all the people wepte also.


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Thy handes were not bounde, thy fete were not vexed with fetters, thou art fallen as a man falleth before wicked vnthriftes. Then all the people bewayled him yet more.


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Now whan all the people came in to eate with Dauid, whyle it was yet hye daye, Dauid sware, and sayde: God do this and that vnto me, yf I taist ether bred or oughte els afore the Sone go downe.


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And all ye people knewe it, and it pleased them well all that ye kynge dyd in the sighte of all the people.


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And all the people and all Israel perceaued the same daye, that it came not of the kynge, that Abner the sonne of Ner was slayne.


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And the kynge sayde vnto his seruauntes: Knowe ye not that this daye a prynce and a greate man is fallen in Israel?


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As for me, I am yet but tender and anoynted kynge. But the men the children of Zeru Ia are to harde for me. The LORDE recompence him that doth euell, acordinge to his wickednes.


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But there were two men captaynes ouer the soudyers vnder the sonne of Saul, the one was called Baena, the other Rehob, sonnes of Rimon ye Berothite, of the childre of Ben Iamin: for Beroth was couted also in Ben Iamin.


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Ionathas also the sonne of Saul had a sonne which was lame on his fete, & was fyue yeare olde whan the rumoure of Saul and Ionathas came from Iesrael. And his norse toke him, and fled. And whyle she made haist and fled, he fell, and was lame: And his name was Mephiboseth.


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Then wente the sonnes of Rimon ye Berothite, Rehob & Baena, & came to the house of Isboseth, in the heate of the daye, & he laye vpo his bed at the noone daie.


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For wha they came into ye house, he laye vpo his bed in his chamber, & they stickte him to death, & smote of his heade, and toke his heade, and departed by the waye of the playne felde all that nighte,


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and broughte the heade of Isboseth to Dauid vnto Hebron, and sayde vnto the kynge: Beholde, there is the heade of Isboseth the sonne of Saul thine enemye, which layed wayte for thy soule. This daye hath the LORDE auenged my lorde the kynge of Saul and his sede.


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Then answered Dauid vnto Rehob and Baena his brother, ye sonnes of Rimon ye Berothite, & sayde: As truly as the LORDE lyueth, which hath deliuered my soule out of all trouble,


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I toke him yt brought me worde and sayde: Saul is deed, and he thoughte he had bene a good messaunger, and at Siclag I put him to death, vnto whom I shulde haue geuen a rewarde for his message.


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And these vngodly personnes haue slayne a righteous man in his owne house vpon his bed. Yee shulde not I requyre his bloude of youre handes, and take you awaye from ye earth?


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And Dauid commaunded his yonge men, which slewe them, and smote of their handes and fete, and hanged them vp by ye pole at Hebron. But the heade of Isboseth toke they, and buried it in Abners graue at Hebron.


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And all the trybes of Israel came to Dauid vnto Hebron, and sayde: Beholde, we are thy bone and thy flesh.


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And afore tyme wha Saul was kynge ouer vs, thou leddest Israel out and in. So the LORDE hath sayde: Thou shalt kepe my people of Israel, and shalt be the duke ouer Israel.


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And all the Elders in Israel came to ye kynge vnto Hebron. And kynge Dauid made a couenaunt with them at Hebron before ye LORDE. And they anoynted Dauid to be kynge ouer Israel.


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At Hebron raigned he seue yeares and sixe monethes ouer Iuda: but at Ierusalem he reigned thre and thirtie yeares ouer all Israel and Iuda.


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And the kynge wente with his men to Ierusalem, agaynst the Iebusites, which dwelt in the londe. Neuertheles they sayde vnto Dauid: Thou shalt not come hither but the blynde and lame shal dryue ye awaie. (They thoughte planely, that Dauid shulde not come in.)


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Then sayde Dauid the same daye: Who so euer smyteth the Iebusites, and optayneth the perquellies, the lame & the blynde, which (Iebusites) Dauids soule hateth. Herof cometh the prouerbe: Let no blynde ner lame come in to the house.


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So Dauid dwelt in ye castell, and called it the cite of Dauid. And Dauid builded roude aboute fro Millo and within.


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And Hiram the kynge of Tyre sent messaungers vnto Dauid, and Ceder trees for walles, and Carpenters, and Masons, to builde Dauid an house.


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And Dauid knewe, that the LORDE had confyrmed him kynge ouer Israel, and exalted his kingdome for his people of Israels sake.


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And Dauid toke yet mo wyues and concubynes at Ierusalem, after he was come from Hebron, and there were yet mo sonnes & doughters borne vnto him.


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And these are the names of them that were borne vnto him at Ierusalem: Samma Sobab, Nathan, Salomon,


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And whan the Philistines herde that Dauid was anoynted kinge ouer Israel, they wete vp all to seke Dauid. Whan Dauid perceaued that, he wete downe in to a castell.


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And Dauid axed at the LORDE, and sayde: Shal I go vp agaynst the Philistynes? and wylt thou delyuer them in to my hande? The LORDE sayde vnto Dauid: Go vp, I wyll delyuer the Philistynes in to thy hande.


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And Dauid came vnto Baal Prazim, and smote the there, and sayde: The LORDE hath deuyded myne enemies, euen as the waters parte asunder: therfore is the same place called Baal Prazim.


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Neuerthelesse the Philistynes wente vp agayne, and scatered them selues beneth in the valley of Rephaim.


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And Dauid axed at the LORDE. The LORDE sayde: Thou shalt go vp, but compase them behinde, that thou mayest be vpon them ouer agaynst the Peertrees:


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and whan thou hearest vpon the toppe of the Peertrees, the sounde of the goinge be bolde, for then is the LORDE gone forth before the, to smyte the hoost of the Philistines


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Dauid dyd as the LORDE commaunded him and smote the Philistynes from Geba, tyll thou commest vnto Gaser.


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and gat him vp, and wente with all the people that was with him of the citesins of Iuda, to fetch vp the Arke of God from thence: whose name is: The name of the LORDE Zebaoth dwelleth theron betwene the Cherubins


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And they caused the arke of God to be caried vpo a new cart, and fetched it out of ye house of Abinadab, which dwelt at Gibea. Vsa and Ahio the sonnes of Abinadab droue ye new cart.


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And whan they broughte it with the Arke from the house of Abinadab which dwelt at Gibea, Ahio wente before the Arke:


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and Dauid and all the house of Israel played before the LORDE, with all maner of instrumentes of Pine tre, with harpes, and Psalteries, and tabrettes, and belles, and Cymbals.


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And whan they came to the barnefloore of Nahon, Vsa stretched out his hande, and helde the Arke of God, for the oxen wete out asyde.


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Then waxed the wrath of the LORDE fearce agaynst Vsa, and God smote him there because of his presumpcio, so that he dyed there besyde the Arke of God.


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Then was Dauid sory, because the LORDE had made soch a rente vpon Vsa, and he called the same place Perez Vsa vnto this daye.


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And he wolde not let it be broughte to him in to the cite of Dauid, but caused it be brought in to ye house of Obed Edom the Gathite.


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And whan the Arke of the LORDE had contynued thre monethes in the house of Obed Edom the Gathite, the LORDE blessed him and all his house.


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And it was tolde kynge Dauid, that the LORDE had blessed the house of Obed Edo and all that he had because of the Arke of God. Then wente he, and fetched vp the Arke of God out of ye house of Obed Edom in to the cite of Dauid with ioye.


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And wha they were gone sixe steppes in with the Arke of the LORDE, they offered an oxe and a fat shepe.


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And Dauid daunsed wt all his mighte before the LORDE, and was girded with an ouerbody cote of lynne.


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And whan the Arke of the LORDE came into the cite of Dauid, Michol the doughte of Saul loked out at a window, and sawe kynge Dauid leapynge, sprynginge and dausynge before the LORDE, and despysed him in hir hert.


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But whan they brought in ye Arke of the LORDE, they set it in hir place in the myddes of the Tabernacle, which Dauid had pitched for it. And Dauid offred burntofferynges and deedofferyges before ye LORDE.


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And whan Dauid had made an ende of offerynge the burntofferynges and deedofferynges, he blessed the people in the name of the LORDE Zebaoth,


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and dealte out vnto all the people, and to the multitude of Israel, both to man & woma, vnto euery one a cake of bred, and a pece of flesh, and a meece of potage. Then wente all the people their waye, euery one vnto his house.


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Whan Dauid came agayne to blesse his house, Michol the doughter of Saul wente forth to mete him, and sayde: How glorious hath the kynge of Israel bene to daye, which hath vncouered himselfe before the maydes of his seruauntes, like as the rascall people discouer them selues.


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But Dauid saide vnto Michol: I wil playe before ye LORDE, which hath chosen me afore yi father, and afore all his house, because he hath commaunded me to be the prynce ouer the people of the LORDE, euen ouer Israel,


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and yet wyl I be vyler then so, and wyll be lowe in myne owne sighte: and with the maydens wherof thou hast spoken, wyll I be honoured.


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Now whan the kynge sat in his house, and the LORDE had geuen him rest from all his enemies on euery syde,


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he sayde vnto the prophet Nathan: Beholde, I dwell in a house of Cedre, and the Arke of God dwelleth amonge the curtaynes.


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Nathan sayde vnto the kynge: Go thy waye, what so euer thou hast in thine hert, yt do: for the LORDE is wt the.


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I haue dwelt in no house sence the daye that I broughte the children of Israel vnto this daye, but haue walked in the Tabernacle and Habitacion,


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whither so euer I wente with the children of Israel. Dyd I euer speake to eny of the trybes of Israel (whom I commaunded to kepe my people of Israel) & sayde: Wherfore do ye not buylde me an house of Ceder wodd?


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So shalt thou speake now vnto my seruaunt Dauid: Thus sayeth the LORDE Zebaoth: I toke the from the pasture whan thou wentest behynde the shepe, yt thou shuldest be ye prynce ouer my people of Israel,


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& haue bene wt the whither so euer thou wentest, & haue roted out all thine enemies before the, & haue made the a greate name, acordinge to the name of the greate men vpon earth.


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And for my people of Israel I wyll appoynte a place, and wyll plante them, that they maye remayne there, nomore to be remoued, and yt the childre of wickednes oppresse them nomore, like as afore,


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and sence the tyme that I ordeyned Iudges ouer my people of Israel. And I wyll geue the rest from all thine enemies. And the LORDE sheweth the, that the LORDE wyl make the a house.


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Now whan yi tyme is fulfylled yt thou shalt slepe wt thy fathers, I wil after ye rayse vp thy syde, which shal come of thy body: his kyngdome wyl I stablishe,


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I wyll be his father, and he shall be my sonne. Whan he doth a trespace, I wyll reproue him with the rodd of men and with the plages of ye childre of men:


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But my mercy shal not be withdrawen fro him, as I haue withdrawe it fro Saul, who I haue take awaye before the.


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As for yi house & thy kyngdome, it shal be stablished for euer before the, & thy seate shal endure fast for euermore.


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kynge Dauid came and sat him downe before the LORDE, and sayde: O LORDE God, who am I? and what is my house, yt thou hast broughte me thus farre?


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This O LORDE God hast thou thoughte to litle also, but hast spoken of the house of thy seruaunt yet loge for to come. O LORDE God, is that the lawe of men?


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for thy wordes sake and acordinge to yi hert hast thou done all these greate thinges, yt thou mightest shewe the vnto thy seruaunt.


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Therfore art thou greatly magnified O LORDE God: for there is none like the, & there is no God but thou, acordinge vnto all that we haue herde with or eares.


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For where is there a people vpon earth as thy people of Israel? For whose sake God wente to delyuer him a people, and to make him selfe a name, and to do them soch greate and terrible thinges in thy lode before yt people, whom thou hast delyuered vnto thy selfe fro Egipte, from the people, and from their goddes.


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And thy people of Israel hast thou prepared the to be a people vnto thyne owne selfe for euer, and thou O LORDE art become their God.


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Stablish now ye worde therfore for euer (O LORDE God) which thou hast spoke ouer thy seruaunt & ouer his house, & do acordinge as thou hast sayde.


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So shall thy name be greate for euer, so that it shal be sayde: The LORDE Zebaoth is the God ouer Israel, & the house of thy seruaunt Dauid shal be made sure before the.


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For thou LORDE Zebaoth, thou God of Israel hast opened the eare of thy seruaunt, and sayde: I wil buylde the an house. Therfore hath yi seruaunt founde his hert, to praye this prayer vnto the.


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Now LORDE God thou thy selfe art God, & thy wordes shal be the trueth. Thou hast spoken soch good ouer thy seruaunt.


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Begynne now therfore, and blesse yi seruauntes house, that it maye be before the for euer, for thou LORDE God thine awne selfe hast spoken it: and with thy blessynge shal thy seruauntes house be blessed for euer.


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And it fortuned after this, yt Dauid smote ye Philistynes, and discomfited them, and toke the brydell of bondage out of the Philistynes hande.


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He smote the Moabites also to the grounde, so that he broughte two partes of them to death, and let one parte lyue. Thus the Moabites were subdued vnto Dauid, so yt they broughte him giftes.


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Dauid smote Hadad Eser also the sonne of Rehob kynge of Zoba, whan he wete to fetch his power agayne at ye water Euphrates.


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And of them toke Dauid a thousande & seuen hundreth horsmen, and twenty thousande fote men, and lamed all the charettes, saue an hundreth which he kepte behynde.


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But the Siryans came from Damascon to helpe Hadad Eser kynge of Zoba. And Dauid smote two and twentye thousande men of the Syrians,


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and layed people vnto Damascus in Syria. Thus was Syria subdued vnto Dauid, so that they broughte him giftes: for ye LORDE helped Dauid whither so euer he wente.


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And Dauid toke ye shyldes of golde, which Hadad Esers seruauntes had, and broughte them to Ierusalem.


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he sent his sonne Ioram vnto Dauid to salute him frendly, & to blesse him, because he had foughten with Adad Eser and smytten him (for Thoi had warre with Hadad Eser) and had Iewels with him of syluer, of golde, and of brasse:


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which kynge Dauid halowed also vnto ye LORDE, with the syluer and golde which he sanctified vnto the LORDE from all the Heythe, whom he subdued,


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from Siria, fro Moab, from the childre of Ammon, from the Philistynes, fro Amalek, from the spoyle of Hadad Eser ye sonne of Rehob kynge of Zoba.


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Dauid gat him selfe a name also whan he came, and smote eightene thousande of ye Sirians in ye Salt valley.


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And he layed people in all Edomea, and all Edem was subdued vnto Dauid: for the LORDE helped Dauid, whither so euer he wente.


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Thus was Dauid kynge ouer all Israel. And he executed iudgmente and righteousnes vnto all ye people.


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Benaia the sonne of Ioiada was ouer ye Chrethians & Plethians. And the sonnes of Dauid were prestes.


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And Dauid sayde: Remayneth there yet eny man of Sauls house, that I maye do mercy vpon him for Ionathas sake?


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There was a seruaunt of Sauls house, named Siba, whom they called vnto Dauid, & the kynge sayde vnto him: Art thou Siba? He sayde: Yee thy seruaunt.


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The kynge sayde: Is there yet eny man of Sauls house, yt I maye do the mercy of God vpon him? Siba sayde vnto the kynge: There is yet a sonne of Ionathas, lame on his fete.


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The kynge sayde vnto him: Where is he? Siba sayde vnto ye kynge: Beholde, he is at Ladober in ye house of Machir ye sonne of Ammuel.


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The sent kynge Dauid thither, & caused for to fetch him from Lodaber out of ye house of Machir the sonne of Ammuel.


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Now whan Mephiboseth the sonne of Ionathas the sonne of Saul came vnto Dauid, he fell vpon his face, & worshiped him. Dauid sayde: Mephiboseth. He sayde: Here am I thy seruaunt.


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Dauid sayde vnto him: Feare not, for I wyll do mercy vpon the for thy father Ionathas sake, and wil restore vnto the all the londe of thy father Saul: but thou shalt eate bred daylie at my table.


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Then the kynge called Siba ye seruaunt of Saul, and sayde vnto him: All yt hath belonged vnto Saul & to all his house,


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haue I geuen to thy lordes sonne. Tyll his londe for him therfore, thou & thy children & seruauntes, & brynge it in, yt it maye be bred for yi lordes sonne, and yt he maye enioye it: but Mephiboseth yi lordes sonne shal eate bred daylie at my table. Siba had fyftene sonnes & twentye seruauntes.


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And Siba sayde vnto ye kynge: Acordinge vnto all as my lorde the kynge hath commaunded his seruaunt, so shal his seruaunt do. And let Mephiboseth (sayde Dauid) eate at my table, as one of the kynges owne children.


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And Mephiboseth had a yoge sonne, whose name was Micha. But all yt dwelt in the house of Siba, serued Mephiboseth.


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As for Mephiboseth him selfe, he dwelt at Ierusalem: for he ate daylie at the kynges table and was lame on both his fete.


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And it fortuned after this, that ye kynge of the children of Ammon dyed, & his sonne Hanun was kynge in his steade.


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Then sayde Dauid: I wyll do mercy vpon Hanun the sonne of Nahas, as his father dyd mercy vpon me. And so he sent, and comforted him by his seruautes ouer his fathers death. Now whan Dauids seruautes came into the londe of the children of Ammon,


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the mightie men of the children of Ammon sayde vnto Hanun their lorde: Thynkest thou it is for the honor of yi father in yi sighte, yt Dauid hath sent comforters vnto the? Hath he not sent his seruauntes vnto ye (thynkest thou) to spye and search out the cite and to ouerthrowe it?


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Then toke Hanun the seruauntes of Dauid, and shoue of the one halue of their beerdes, and cut of the halfe of their garmetes euen by the girdell, and so let them go.


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Wha this was tolde Dauid, he sent to mete them: for the men were put to greate shame. And the kynge caused to saye vnto them: Abyde at Iericho, tyll youre beerdes be growne, & then come agayne.


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Whan the childre of Ammon sawe that they stynked in the sighte of Dauid, they sent and hyred the Sirians of the house of Rehob, and the Sirians at Zoba euen twentye thousande fote men, and from the kynge of Maecha a thousande men, and from Istob twolue thousande men.


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And the children of Ammon wente forth, and prepared them selues to ye battayll before the intraunce of the gate. But the Siryans of Soba, of Rehob, of Istob and of Maecha were alone in the felde.


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Now whan Ioab sawe that the battayll was set vpo him before and behynde, he chose of all the best yonge men in Israel, & prepared him selfe agaynst the Syrians.


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And the resydue of the people put he vnder the hande of his brother Abisai, that he mighte prepare him agaynst the childre of Ammon.


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And sayde: Yf ye Syrians be to mightie for me, helpe thou me: but yf the children of Ammon be to mightie for the, I shal helpe the.


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Take a good corage vnto the, and let vs be stronge for oure people, and for ye cite of oure God: neuertheles the LORDE do what pleaseth him.


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And Ioab made him forth with the people that was with him, to fighte agaynst the Syrians: and they fled before him.


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And whan the children of Ammon sawe that the Syrians fled, they fled also before Abisai, & wente in to the cite. So Ioab turned agayne from the children of Ammon, & came to Ierusalem.


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And Hadad Eser sent & broughte out ye Syrians beyonde the water, and conueyed their power in, & Sobath the chefe captayne of Hadad Eser wente before the.


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Whan this was tolde Dauid, he gathered all Israel together, & wente ouer Iordane, and came to Helam, & the Syrians prepared them selues against Dauid to fighte with him,


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howbeit the Syrians fled before Israel. And Dauid slewe of the Syrians seue hundreth charettes, & fortye thousande horsme, & Sobath the chefe captayne smote he also, so that he dyed there.


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Whan the kynges which were vnder Adad Eser, sawe, that they were smytten before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and were subdued vnto them. And the Syrians were afrayed to helpe the children of Ammon enymore.


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And whan ye yeare came aboute what tyme as ye kynges vse to go forth, Dauid sent Ioab and his seruautes with him, and all Israel, to destroye the children of Ammon, and to laye sege vnto Rabba: but Dauid abode at Ierusalem.


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And aboute the euetyde it fortuned that Dauid arose from his restinge place, & wente vp to ye toppe of the kynges palace, and from ye toppe he sawe a woman wasshinge hir selfe, and the woman was of a very fayre bewtye.


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And Dauid sent, and caused to axe what woman it was, and sayde: Is not that Bethseba the doughter of Eliam the wife of Vrias the Hethite?


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And Dauid sent messaugers, and caused for to fetch her. And wha she was come in vnto him, he laye with her. Neuertheles she halowed hir selfe from hir vnclennes, and turned agayne vnto hir house.


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And whan Vrias came to him, Dauid axed him yf it stode well with Ioab, and with the people and with the battayll.


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And Dauid sayde to Vrias: Go downe in to thy house, and wash thy fete. And whan Vrias wente out of the kynges palace, the kynges gifte folowed him.


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And Vrias layed him downe to slepe before the kynges palace gate, where all his lordes seruauntes laye, & wente not downe in to his house.


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Whan worde came to Dauid: Vrias is not gone downe in to his house, Dauid sayde vnto him: Camest thou not ouer the felde? Why wentest thou not downe in to thy house?


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Vrias sayde vnto Dauid: The Arke and Israel & Iuda abyde in the tentes: And Ioab my lorde and my lordes seruauntes lye in ye felde, and shal I go in to my house to eate and drynke, and to lye with my wife? As truly as thou lyuest, and as truly as thy soule lyueth, I wyll not do this thinge.


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Dauid sayde vnto Vria: Abyde here then to daye, tomorow wil I let the go. So Vrias abode at Ierusalem the same daye, and the nexte also.


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And Dauid called him to eate & drynke before him, & made him dronken. And at euen he wente to lye him downe for to slepe vpon his couche with his lordes seruauntes, and wente not downe in to his house.


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After this maner wrote he in the letter: Set Vrias in ye forest parte of ye batayll, & turne you behynde him, yt he maye be slayne.


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Now wha Ioab layed sege to the cite, he set Vrias in ye place, where he knewe yt the mightiest men of Armes were.


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And whan the men of the cite fell out and foughte agaynst Ioab, there fell certayne of ye people of Dauids seruauntes. And Vrias the Hethite dyed also.


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and comaunded the messaunger, and sayde: Whan thou hast tolde ye kynge all the matter concernynge the batayll,


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and seist that he is wroth, and yf the kynge saye vnto the: Wherfore came ye so nye the cite with the batayll? Knowe ye not how they vse to shute from the wall?


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Who smote Abimelech the sonne of Ierubaall? Dyd not a woma cast a pece of a mylstone vpo him from the wall, so that he dyed at Thebez? Why came ye so nye the wall? Then shalt thou saye: Thy seruaunt Vrias the Hethite is deed also.


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And the messaunger sayde vnto Dauid: The men preuayled against vs, and fell out vnto vs in to ye felde: and we were vpon them harde at the dore of ye porte.


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And the archers shot from the wall vpon thy seruauntes, and slewe certayne of the kynges seruauntes: and thy seruaunt Vrias the Hethite is deed also.


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Dauid sayde vnto the messaunger: Thus shalt thou saye vnto Ioab: Let not yt vexe the, for the swerde consumeth now one now another. Go forth with the battayll against the cite, that thou mayest destroye it, and coforte the men.


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But wha she had made an ende of mournynge, Dauid sent, and caused her be fetched vnto his palace, and she became his wyfe, and bare him a sonne. Neuertheles this dede yt Dauid dyd, displeased the LORDE.


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And the LORDE sent Nathan vnto Dauid. Whan he came to him, he tolde him: There were two men in one cite, the one riche, the other poore.


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but the poore man had nothinge saue one litle shepe, which he had boughte, and norished it, so that it grewe vp with him and his children together. It ate of his bred, and dranke of his cuppe, and slepte in his lappe, and he helde it as a doughter.


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But whan there came a straunger vnto the riche man, he spared to take of his awne shepe & oxen (to prepare oughte for the straunger that was come vnto him) and toke the poore mans shepe, and prepared it for the man that was come vnto him.


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The was Dauid wroth with greate displeasure agaynst that man, and sayde vnto Nathan: As truly as the LORDE lyueth, the man that hath done this, is the childe of death.


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The shepe also shal he make good foure folde, because he hath done soch a thinge, and not spared it.


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Then sayde Nathan vnto Dauid: Thou art euen the man. Thus sayeth the LORDE the God of Israel: I haue anoynted the to be kynge ouer Israel, and delyuered the out of the hande of Saul,


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and haue geuen the yi lordes house, and his wyues into thy lappe, and the house of Israel and Iuda haue I geuen the: and yf that be to litle, I wyl yet do this and that for the also.


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Wherfore hast thou then despysed the worde of the LORDE, to do soch euell in his sighte? Vrias the Hethite hast thou slayne with the swerde: His wife hast thou taken to be thy wyfe, but him hast thou slayne with ye swerde of the children of Ammon.


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Now therfore shal not ye swerde departe from thy house for ouer, because thou hast despysed me, and taken the wife of Vrias the Hithite, to be thy wife.


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Thus sayeth the LORDE: Beholde, I wyll rayse vp euell of thyne awne house, and wyll take thy wyues before thyne eyes, and wyl geue them vnto thy neghboure, so that he shall lye with thy wyues by Sonnelighte.


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Then sayde Dauid vnto Nathan I haue synned vnto the LORDE. Nathan sayde vnto Dauid: So hath the LORDE also taken awaye thy synne, thou shalt not dye.


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But for so moch as thou thorow this dede hast caused the enemies of the LORDE to blaspheme, ye sonne that is borne vnto the, shall dye the death.


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And Nathan wente home. As for the childe which Vrias wife bare vnto Dauid, the LORDE smote it, so that it was deedsicke.


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And Dauid besoughte God for the childe, and fasted, and wente in, and laie all nighte vpon the earth.


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Then rose the Elders of his house, and wolde haue taken him vp fro the grounde: neuertheles he wolde not, nether ate he wt them.


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Vpon the seuenth daye ye childe dyed. And Dauids seruauntes durst not tell him that the childe was deed. For they thoughte: Beholde, whan the childe was yet alyue, we spake vnto him, and he herkened not vnto oure voyce, How moch more shall it greue him, yf we saye: The childe is deed?


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And Dauid sawe that his seruauntes made a whisperinge together, and perceaued that the childe was deed, and sayde vnto his seruauntes: Is the childe deed? They sayde: Yee.


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Then rose Dauid vp from the earth, and wasshed him selfe, and anoynted him, and put on other garmentes, & wente in to the house of the LORDE, and worshipped. And whan he came agayne, he commaunded to set bred before him, and ate.


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Then sayde his seruauntes vnto him: What maner of thinge is this that thou doest? Whan the childe was alyue, thou fastedst and weptest: but now that it is deed, thou stodest up and eatest?


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He sayde: I fasted and wepte for the childe whan it was yet a lyue, for I thoughte: Who knoweth, peraduenture the LORDE maye be gracious vnto me, that the childe maye lyue.


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But now that it is deed, wherfore shulde I fast? Can I fetch it agayne. I shal go vnto it, but it shall not come agayne vnto me.


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And whan Dauid had comforted Bethseba his wife, he wente in vnto her, and laye with her. And she bare a sonne, whom he called Salomon. And the LORDE loued him.


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& sent messaugers vnto Dauid, & caused to saye vnto him: I haue foughte against Rabba, and haue wonne the water cite also.


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Gather thou therfore the residue of the people together, and laye sege to ye cite, and wynne it, that I wynne it not, and haue the name therof.


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and toke their kynges crowne fro his heade (which in weight had a talente of golde, and precious stones) and was set vpon Dauids heade, and very moch spoyle caried he out of the cite.


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As for the people that was therin, he broughte the forth, and layed them vnder yron sawes and hokes and wedges of yron, and burned the in tyle ouens. Thus dyd he vnto all the cities of the children of Ammon. Then returned Dauid and all the people vnto Ierusalem agayne.


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And it fortuned after this, that Absalom ye sonne of Dauid had a fayre sister, whose name was Thamar, & Ammon the sonne of Dauid loued her.


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And Ammon was in greate combraunce, in so moch that he was euen sicke, because of Thamar his sister. For she was a virgin, and Ammon thoughte it shulde beharde for him to do eny thinge vnto her.


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But Ammon had a frede, whose name was Ionadab the sonne of Simea Dauids brother, And the same Ionadab was a very wyse man,


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which sayde vnto him: Why art thou so leane (thou kynges sonne) from daye to daye? Mayest thou not tell me? Then sayde Ammon vnto him: I loue Thamar my brother Absaloms sister exceadingly.


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Ionadab sayde vnto him: laye the downe vpon thy bedd, and make the sicke. And whan thy father commeth to loke how thou doest, saye vnto him: Oh let my sister Thamar come, that she maye fede me, and make a meece of meate before me, that I maye se it, & eate it of hir hande.


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So Ammon layed him downe, and made him sicke. Now wha the kynge came in to loke how he dyd, Ammon sayde vnto the kynge: Oh let my sister Thamar come, and make me a syppynge or two, and that I maye eate it of hir hande.


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Then sent Dauid for Thamar in to the house, and sayde vnto her: Go thy waye to thy brother Ammons house, & make him a meece of meate.


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Thamar wente vnto hir brother Amons house, but he laye in his bed. And she toke floure, and mixte it, and dighte it before his eyes, and made him a syppynge.


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And Ammon saide: Put forth euery man fro me. And euery man wete forth from him. Then sayde Ammon vnto Thamar: Brynge me that meece of meate in to the chamber, that I maye eate it of thy hande. Then toke Thamar ye syppynge that she had made, and broughte it vnto Ammon hir brother into the chamber.


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And whan she broughte it vnto him yt he mighte eate, he toke holde of her, & sayde vnto her: Come my sister, lye with me.


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Neuertheles she saide: Oh no my brother, force me not: for so do they not in Israel, do not thou soch foly.


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Whither shal I go with my shame? And thou shalt be as one of the vnwyse in Israel. But speake vnto the kynge, he shal not withholde me from the.


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And Ammon hated her exceadingly, so that the hate was greater then the loue was before. And Ammon sayde vnto her: Vp, and get the hence.


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She saide vnto him: This euell that thou thrustest me out, is greater then the other, that thou hast done vnto me. Neuertheles he herkened not vnto her,


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but called his boye that serued him, and sayde: Put awaye this woman fro me, and locke the dore after her.


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And she had a partye garment on: for soch garmentes wayre ye kynges doughters whyle they were virgins. And wha his seruaunt had put hir forth, & lockte the dore after her,


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Thamar strowed asshes vpon hir heade, and rente the partye garment which she had vpon her, and layed hir hande vpon hir heade, and wente on, and cryed.


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And hir brother Absalom sayde vnto her: Hath thy brother Ammon bene with the? Now holde thy peace my sister, it is thy brother, and take not the matter so to hert. So Thamar remayned a wyddowe in brother Absaloms house.


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As for Absalom, he spake nether euell ner good to Ammon: but Absalom hated Ammon, because he had forced his sister Thamar.


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After two yeares had Absalom shepe clyppers at Baal Hazor, which lyeth by Ephraim. And Absalom called all the kynges children,


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and came to the kynge, and sayde: Beholde, thy seruaunt hath shepe clyppers, let it please ye kynge with his seruauntes to go with his seruaunte.


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But the kynge sayde vnto Absalom: No my sonne, let vs not all go, lest we be to chargeable vnto the. And he wolde nedes haue had him to go, howbeit he wolde not, but blessed him.


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Absalom sayde: Shall my brother Ammon go with vs then? The kynge sayde vnto him: Wherfore shall he go with the?


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But Absalom commaunded his yongemen, and sayde: Take hede whan Ammon is mery with wyne (and I saye vnto you: Smyte Ammon, and slaye him) that ye be not afrayed: for I haue commaunded you, be stronge, and playe the men.


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So Absaloms yonge men dyd vnto Ammon, as Absalom had commaunded them. Then stode all the kynges children vp, and euery one gat him vp vpo his Mule, and fled.


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And whyle they were yet on their waye, the rumoure came to kynge Dauid, that Absalom had slayne all the kynges children, so that not one of them was lefte.


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Then stode the kynge vp, and rente his clothes, & layed him downe vpon the earth, and all his seruautes that stode aboute him, rente their clothes.


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Then answered Ionadab ye sonne of Simea Dauids brother, and sayde: Let not my lorde thynke that all the yonge men the kynges children are deed, but yt Ammon is deed onely: for Absalom hath kepte it in him selfe sence the daie that he forced his sister Thamar.


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Therfore let not my lorde the kynge take it so to hert, that all the kynges children shulde be deed, but that Ammon is deed onely.


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As for Absalom, he fled. And the yongeman that kepte the watch, lifte vp his eyes, and loked, and beholde, A greate people came in the waye one after another by the hill syde.


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Then sayde Ionadab vnto the kynge: Beholde, the kynges children come. Euen as thy seruaunt sayde, so is it happened.


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And whan he had ended his talkynge, the kynges children came, and lifte vp their voyce, and wepte. The kynge and all his seruauntes wepte also very sore.


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But Absalom fled, and wente vnto Thalmai the sonne of Ammihud kynge of Gesur. As for Dauid, he mourned for his sonne euery daye.


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And kynge Dauid ceassed from goinge out agaynst Absalom, for he had comforted him selfe ouer Ammon that he was deed.


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and sent vnto Thecoa, and caused to fetch from thence a prudent woman and saide vnto her: Make lametacion, and weere mournynge garmentes, & anoynte the not with oyle: but fayne thy selfe as a woman which hath mourned longe ouer a deed,


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and thou shalt go in to the kynge, and speake for so vnto him. And Ioab tolde her what she shulde saye.


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And whan the woman of Thecoa wolde speake with the kynge, she fell vpon hir face to the grounde, and worshipped, and sayde: Helpe me O kynge.


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The kynge sayde vnto her: What ayleth the? She sayde: I am a wedowe, a woman that mourneth, and my husbade is deed.


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And thy handmayde had two sonnes, which stroue together in the felde: and whyle there was noman to parte the a sunder, the one smote the other, and slewe him.


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And beholde, all the whole kynred ryseth vp agaynst thy handmayden, and saye: Delyuer him which hath smytten his brother, that we maye kyll him, for the soule of his brother whom he hath slayne, and that we maye destroye the heyre also. And thus are they mynded to put out my sparke, which yet is lefte, that there shulde no name ner eny thinge els remayne ouer vnto my husbade vpon earth.


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And the woman of Thecoa saide vnto ye kynge: The trespace be vpon me (my lorde ye kynge) and vpon my fathers house: but the kynge and his seate be vngiltye.


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She sayde: Let the kynge thynke vpon the LORDE his God, that there be not to many auengers of bloude to destroye, and that they brynge not my sonne to naught. He sayde: As truly as the LORDE lyueth, there shall not one heer of thy sonne fall vpon the earth.


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The woman sayde: Wherfore hast thou deuised soch a thinge agaynst the people of God? And how happeneth it that the kynge speaketh soch, to make himselfe giltie, and causeth not his outlawe to be broughte agayne?


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For we all dye the death, and as the water that sinketh in to the earth, which is not taken vp. And God will not take awaye the lyfe, but vnbethynketh himselfe, yt euen the very outlawe be not cleane thrust out from him.


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Thus am I come also to speake this to my lorde the kynge in the presence of the people, for thy handmayden thoughte: I wyll speake to the kynge, peraduenture he shall do that his handmayden sayeth,


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for he shall heare his handmayden, to delyuer me from the hande of all them, that wolde destroye me with my sonne from the enheritaunce of God.


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And thy handmayden thoughte, ye worde of my lorde the kynge shall be as a meatofferynge, for my lorde the kinge is as an angell of God, so that he can heare good and euell, therfore shall the LORDE thy God be with the.


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The kynge answered and sayde vnto the woman: Kepe nothynge fro me that I axe the. The woman sayde: Let my lorde the kinge speake on.


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The kynge sayde: Is not the hande of Ioab with the in all this? The woman answered and sayde: As truly as thy soule lyueth (my lorde O kynge,) there is els noman nether at the righte hande ner at ye lefte, but euen as my LORDE the kynge hath sayde, for thy seruaunt Ioab hath commaunded me, and he himselfe hath taughte thy handmayden all these wordes,


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that I shulde turne this matter of this fasshio, this hath Ioab thy seruaunt done. But my lorde is wyse, as the wysdome of an angell of God, so that he knoweth all thynges vpon earth.


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Then sayde the kynge vnto Ioab: Beholde, I haue done this: go thy waye therfore and brynge the childe Absalom agayne.


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Then fell Ioab vpon his face vnto the grounde, and worshipped, and thanked the kynge, and sayde: This daye doth thy seruaunt perceaue, that I haue founde grace in thy syghte my lorde the kynge, in that the kynge doth as his seruaunt hath sayde.


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But the kinge sayde: Let him go againe in to his house, and not se my face. Thus Absalom came agayne to his house, and sawe not ye kynges face.


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But in all Israel there was not so fayre, and so maruelous goodly a man, as Absalom. From the sole of his fote vnto the toppe of his heade there was not one blemysh in him.


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And whan his heade was rounded (that was comonly euery yeare, for it was to heuy for him, so that it must nedes haue bene rounded) the heer of his heade weyed two hudreth Sicles after ye kynges weight.


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And vnto Absalom there were borne thre sonnes and one doughter, whose name was Thamar, and she was a woman of a fayre bewtye:


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And Absalom sent for Ioab, that he mighte sende him to the kynge. And he wolde not come to him. But he sent the seconde tyme, yet wolde he not come.


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Then sayde he vnto his seruauntes: Ye knowe Ioabs pece of londe that lyeth by myne, and he hath barlye theron: go youre waye therfore and set fyre vpon it. So Absaloms seruauntes sett fyre vpon Ioabs pece of londe.


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Then Ioab gat him vp, and came to Absalom in to the house, and sayde vnto him: Wherfore haue thy seruauntes set fire vpon my pece of londe?


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Absalo sayde vnto Ioab: Beholde, I sent for the, and caused to saye vnto the: Come hither, that I maye sende the to the kynge, and to saye: Wherfore came I from Gesur? It were better for me that I were there yet. Let me therfore se the kynges face. But yf there be eny trespace in me, then put me to death.


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And Ioab wente in to the kynge, and tolde him. And he called Absalom, to come in to the kynge, and he worshipped vpon his face to the grounge before the kynge. And the kynge kyssed Absalom.


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And after this it fortuned that Absalom caused to prepare himselfe chearettes and horses, and fyftye men, which were his fote me.


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And Absalo gat him vp allwaye early in the mornynge, and stode in the waye by the porte: and whan eny man had a matter which shulde come to the kynge for iudgment, Absalom called vnto him and sayde: Of what cite art thou? Yf he sayde then: thy seruaunt is of one of the trybes of Israel,


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then sayde Absalom vnto him: Beholde, thy matter is righte and plaine: but there is noman appoynted ye of the kynge to heare the.


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And Absalom sayde: O who setteth me to be iudge in ye londe, that euery man which hath a plee or matter to do in ye lawe, might come to me, that I might helpe him to right


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And whan eny man came to him to do worshippe & to do him obeisaunce, he put forth his hade, and helde him & kyssed him.


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After this maner dyd Absalom vnto all Israel whan they came to the lawe vnto the kynge, and so dyd he steale awaye the hert of ye men of Israel.


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After fortye yeares sayde Absalom vnto the kynge: I wil go and perfourme my vowe at Hebron, which I made vnto the LORDE.


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For thy seruaunt made a vowe, whan I dwelt at Gesur in Siria, and saide: Whan ye LORDE bryngeth me agayne to Ierusalem, I shal do a Gods seruyce vnto the LORDE.


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But Absalom had sent out spyes in all the trybes of Israel, sayenge: Whan ye heare the noyse of the trompe, saye: Absalom is made kynge at Hebron.


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There wente with Absalom two hundreth men called from Ierusalem, but they wente on symply, and knewe not of the matter.


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Absalom sent also for Achitophel (the Gilonyte) Dauids counceler, out of his cite Gilo. Now whan he did the sacrifice, the conspiracion was mightie and the people ranne together, and multyplied with Absalom.


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Dauid sayde vnto all his seruauntes that were with him at Ierusalem: Vp, let vs fle, for here shall be no escapynge for vs before Absalom. Make haist that we maye be goynge, lest he ouertake vs and catch vs, and dryue some mysfortune vpon vs, and smyte the cyte with the edge of the swerde.


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Then sayde the kynges seruauntes vnto him: Loke what my LORDE ye kinge choseth, beholde, here are thy seruauntes.


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And the kynge wente forth on fote wt all his housholde. But ten concubynes lefte he to kepe the house.


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and all his seruauntes wente by him, and all the Chrethians and Plethians, and all the Gethites (euen sixe hundreth men) which were come on fote from Gath, wente before the kynge.


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And the kynge sayde vnto Ithai ye Gethite: Why goest thou also with vs? Turne backe, and byde with the kynge, for thou art a straunger: get the hence agayne vnto thy place.


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Thou camest yesterdaye, and to daye thou iuperdest to go with vs: As for me, I wyl go whither I can: turne thou backe agayne, and mercy and faithfulnes happen vnto thy brethren with the.


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Ithai answered, and sayde: As truly as the LORDE lyueth, and as truly as my lorde the kynge lyueth, loke in what place my lorde the kynge shalbe, (whether it chaunce to life or death) there shal thy seruaunt be also.


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Dauid sayde vnto Ithai: Then come, and go with vs. So wente Ithai the Gethite and all his men, and the whole multitude of the children that were with him.


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And all the lande wepte with loude voyce, and all the people with them. And the kynge wete ouer the broke Cedron, and all the people wente ouer by the waye that goeth to the wyldernes.


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And beholde, Sadoc was there also, and all the Leuites that were with them, & they bare ye Arke of the couenuat of God, and set it there. And Abiathar wente vp, tyll all the people came out of the cite.


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But the kynge sayde vnto Sadoc: Brynge the Arke of God into the cite agayne. Yf I shal fynde grace before the LORDE, he shall fetch me agayne, and shall let me se it, and the house of it.


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But yf he saye thus: I haue no pleasure to ye, beholde, here am I, let him do with me as it pleaseth him.


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And the kynge saide vnto Sadoc ye prest: O thou Seer, turne agayne to ye cite with peace, and Ahimaas thy sonne with the and Ionathas the sonne of Abiathar:


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But Dauid wente vp to mount Olyuete and wepte, & his heade was couered. And all the people that was with him, had euery man his heade couered and wente on and wepte.


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And whan it was tolde Dauid, that Achitophel was in the cofederacy with Absalom, he sayde: LORDE turne thou Achitophels councell to foolishnes.


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And whan Dauid came vp to the toppe of the mount, where the vse was to worshippe God, Chusai the Arachite met him with his cote rent, and earth vpon his heade.


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but yf thou goest agayne in to the cite, and sayest vnto Absalom: I am thy seruaunt O kynge euen as I was thy fathers seruaunt, so wyll I now be thy seruaunt, Then shalt thou brynge Achitophels councell to naughte.


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So is Sadoc and Abiathar ye prestes with the, and all that thou hearest out of the kynges house, tell it vnto Sadoc and Abiathar the prestes.


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Beholde, their two sonnes are with the: Ahimaas the sonne of Sadoc, and Ionathas the sonne of Abiathar, by them mayest thou sende me worde what thou hearest.


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And whan Dauid was gone a lytle by from the toppe of the mount, beholde, Siba the seruaut of Mephiboseth met him with a couple of asses sadled, wheron were two hundreth loaues of bred, and an hundreth quantities of rasyns and an hudreth quantities of fygges, and a bottell of wyne.


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Then sayde the kynge vnto Siba: What wilt thou do herewith? Siba sayde: The asses shalbe for the kynges housholde to ryde vpon, and the loaues and fygges for the yonge men to eate, and the wyne shallbe for them to drynke whan they are weery in the wyldernes.


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The kynge sayde: Where is thy lordes sonne? Siba sayde vnto the kynge: Beholde, he abyde that Ierusale, for he saide: To daye shal ye house of Israel restore my fathers kigdome vnto me.


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The kynge saide vnto Siba: Beholde, all that Mephiboseth hath, shalbe thine. Siba sayde with reuerence, Let me finde grace in thy sight my lorde O kynge.


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But whan kynge Dauid came to Bahurim, beholde, there wente out a man of the kynred of the house of Saul, whose name was Semei the sonne of Gera, which wente forth and cursed,


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and cast stones at Dauid, and at all kynge Dauids seruauntes and all the people and all the mightie men men were at his righte hande and at his lefte.


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Thus sayde Semei whan he cursed: Get the forth, get the forth thou bloudy hounde, thou man of Belial.


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The LORDE hath rewarded the for all the bloude of the house of Saul, yt thou becamest kynge in his steade. Now hath the LORDE geuen the kyngdome into ye hande of Absalom thy sonne, and beholde, now stickest thou in thine owne myschefe, for thou art a bloudy hounde.


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But Abisai the sonne of Zeru Ia sayde vnto the kynge: Shall this deed dogg curse my lorde the kynge? I wyl go and take the heade awaye from him.


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The kynge saide: Ye children of Zeru Ia, what haue I to do wt you? Let him curse on, for the LORDE hath commaunded him: Curse Dauid. Who can saye now: Why doest thou so?


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And Dauid sayde vnto Abisai and to all his seruauntes: Beholde, my sonne which came of my body, seketh after my lyfe, how moch more now the sonne of Iemini? Let him curse on, for the LORDE hath commaunded him:


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peraduenture the LORDE shall consydre my aduersyte, and recompence me good for his cursynge this daye.


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So Dauid wente on his waye with his men. But Semei wente on by the mount besyde him, and cursed, and cast stones at him, & threwe clottes of earth.


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Whan Chusai the Arachite Dauids frende came into Absalom, he sayde vnto Absalom: God saue the kynge God saue the kynge.


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Absalom sayde vnto Chusai: Is this thy mercy vnto thy frende? Why art thou not gone with thy frende?


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Chusai sayde vnto Absalom: Not so, but loke whom the LORDE choseth, and this people, and all the men in Israel, his wyl I be, and byde with him.


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Secondly, whom shulde I serue? Shulde I not do seruyce before his sonne? Like as I haue serued in the presence of thy father, so wyll I do seruyce before the also.


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Achitophel sayde vnto Absalom: Go lye with thy fathers concubynes, whom he hath lefte to kepe the house, so shall all Israel heare that thou hast made thy father to stynke, and the hande of all them that are with ye, shal be the bolder.


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Then made they a tente vnto Absalom vpon the house toppe. And Absalom laye with his fathers concubynes in the sighte of all Israel.


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At that tyme whan Achitophel gaue a councell, that was euen as yf a man axed councell at God: So were all the councels of Achitophel both with Dauid and with Absalom.


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And Achitophel sayde vnto Absalom: I wil chose out twolue thousande me, and wyl get me vp, and persue Dauid by nighte,


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and fall vpo him whan he is feble and weery: When I vexe him the, so that all the people which is by him, flieth, I wil smite the kynge onely,


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and brynge all the people vnto the agayne. So whan euery man is brought vnto the as thou desyrest, then shal all the people be in peace.


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But Absalom sayde: I praye you call Chusai the Arachite also, and let vs heare what he sayeth therto.


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And wha Chusai came in to Absalom, Absalom saide vnto him: Thus hath Achitophel spoken, Saye thou now, shal we do it or not?


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And Chusai sayde morouer: Thou knowest thy father well and his men, that they are stronge and of a wrothfull stomack, euen as a Beer that is robbed of hir yonge ones in the felde, Thy father also is a man of warre, and wyl not be necliget with the people.


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Beholde, he hath now peraduenture hyd hymselfe in some caue or in some place. Yf it came to passe then that it chaunced euell at the first, & there shulde come a rumor and saye: There is a slaughter done in the people that folowed Absalo:


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the shulde euery man be discoraged, which els is valeaunt, & hath a hert like a lyo: for all Israel knoweth that thy father is stronge, and that all they which be with him, are mightie men.


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But this is my coucell, that thou gather together all Israel from Dan vnto Berseba in nombre as the sonde of the See, and go thou thine owne person amonge them,


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then wil we fall vpon him in what place we finde him, and wyll ouerwhelme him euen as the dew falleth vpon the earth, so that we shal not leaue one of him and of all his men.


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But yf he resorte in to a cite, then shal all Israel cast roapes aboute the same cite, and drawe it in to the riuer, so that there shal not one stone of it be founde


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Then sayde Absalom and euery man in Israel: The councell of Chusai the Arachite is better then Achitophels councell. But the LORDE broughte it so to passe, that ye good councell of Achitophel was hyndred, that the LORDE mighte brynge euell vpon Absalom.


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And Chusai sayde vnto Sadoc & Abiathar the prestes: Thus and thus hath Achitophel counceled Absalom and the Elders in Israel: but so and so haue I counceled.


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Sende now therfore in all the haist, and tell Dauid, and saye: Abyde not all nighte in the playne felde of the wyldernes, but get the ouer, that the kynge be not swalowed vp, and all the people that is with him.


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As for Ionathas and Ahimaaz, they stode by the well of Rogel, and a damsell wente thither and tolde them. They wente on their waye, and tolde kynge Dauid, for they durst not be sene to come in to the cite.


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But a lad sawe them, and tolde Absalom. Neuertheles they wente on their waye, and came to a mans house at Bahurim, which had a well in his courte, and they wete downe in to it.


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And the woman toke and spred a couerynge ouer the welles mouth, & strowed firmentye corne theron, that it was not perceaued.


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Now whan Absaloms seruauntes came to the woman in to the house, they sayde: where is Ahimaaz and Ionathas? The woma sayde vnto them: They are gone ouer the litle water. And wha they soughte and founde them not, they wente agayne to Ierusalem.


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And whan they were gone, they clymmed vp out of the well, and wente their waye, and tolde Dauid ye kynge, and sayde vnto Dauid: Get you vp, and go soone ouer ye water, for thus and thus hath Achitophel geuen councell agaynst you.


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Then Dauid gat him vp, and all the people that was with him, and passed ouer Iordane tyll it was cleare mornynge. And there was not one, but he wente ouer Iordane.


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Whan Achitophel sawe that his coucell wente not forth, he sadled his asse, gat him vp, and wete home in to his cite and put his house to poynte, and hanged him selfe, and dyed, and was buried in his fathers graue.


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And Absalom had set Amasa ouer the hoost in Ioabs steade. Amasa was the sonne of a man, whose name was Iethra a Iesraelite, which laye with Abigail the doughter of Nahas the sister of Zeru Ia Ioabs mother.


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Whan Dauid was come to Mahanaim, Nahas of Rabbath of the childre of Ammon, and Machir the sonne of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barsillai a Gileadite of Roglim


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broughte bedstuffe, tapestrie worke, basens, earthen vessell, whete, barly, meel, parched corne, beenes, otemeell, ryse,


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hony, butter, shepe and fat oxen vnto Dauid, and to ye people that was with him, for to eate: for they thought, The people shall be hongrie, weerye and thirstye in the wyldernes.


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And Dauid mustred the people yt was with him, and set captaynes ouer the, ouer thousandes and ouer hundreds.


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And sent out of the people one thirde parte vnder Abisai the sonne of Zeru Ia Ioabs brother, and one thirde parte vnder Ithai the Gethite. And the kynge sayde vnto the people: I wyll go forth with you also.


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Neuertheles the people sayde: Thou shalt not go forth, for though we fle, or die halfe of vs they shal not regarde vs. For thou art as ten thousande of vs. Therfore is this better that thou mayest helpe vs out of the cite.


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The kynge sayde: Loke what ye are content withall, that wyl I do. And the kynge stode in the gate, and all the people wente forth by hundreds and by thousandes.


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And ye kinge comaunded Ioab and Abisai, and Ithai, and sayde: Intreate me the yonge man Absalom gently. And all the people herde it, wha the kynge comaunded all the captaynes concernynge Absalom.


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And whan the people were come forth in to the felde agaynst Israel, the battayll beganne in the wod of Ephraim.


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And the people of Israel were smitten there before Dauids seruauntes, so that there was a greate slaughter the same daye, of twentye thousande men.


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And the battaill was scatred abrode there in the londe. And the wod consumed moch more people the same daye, then the swerde consumed.


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And Absalom met Dauids seruauntes, and rode vpon a Mule. And whan the Mule came vnder a greate thicke Oke tre, his heade toke holde on the Oke, and so hanged he betwene heauen and earth, but the Mule ranne awaye from vnder him.


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Whan a certayne man sawe that, he tolde Ioab, and saide: Beholde, I sawe Absalom hange vpo an Oke tre.


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And Ioab saide vnto the ma yt tolde it him: Beholde, sawest thou that, why smotest thou him not there to the groude? so wolde I haue geuen the of myne awne behalfe ten syluerlynges and a gyrdell.


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The man sayde vnto Ioab: Yf thou haddest weyed me a thousande syluerlynges in my handes, yet wolde I not haue layed my handes on the kynges sonne. For the kynge commaunded the and Abisai and Ithai before oure eares, and sayde: Kepe me the yonge man Absalom.


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Or yf I had dyssembled vpon the ioperdy of myne owne soule (for so moch as nothinge shulde be hyd from ye kinge) thou thy selfe shuldest haue stode against me.


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Ioab sayde: Not so, I wil vpon him before thy face. Then toke Ioab thre speares in his hande, and thrust Absalom thorow ye hert, while he was yet alyue vpon the Oke.


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Then blewe Ioab the trompe, and broughte the people agayne, that they shulde folowe nomore vpon Israel. For Ioab wolde fauoure the people.


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And they toke Absalom, and cast him in the wod in to a greate pytt, and layed a greate heape of stones vpon him. And all Israel fled, euery one vnto his tente.


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Absalom had set him vp a piler whyle he was yet alyue, which stode in the kynges valley, for he sayde: I haue no sonne, therfore shall this be a remembraunce of my name: and he called the piler after his owne name. And vnto this daie it is yet called Absaloms place.


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Ahimaas the sonne of Sadoc sayde: Let me runne now, and brynge the kynge worde, that the LORDE hath gotten him righte fro the hande of his enemies.


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But Ioab sayde: Thou shalt bringe no good tidinges to daie another daye shalt thou brynge him worde, and not to daye, for the kynges sonne is deed


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But vnto Chusi sayde Ioab: Go thou thy waye, and tell the kynge what thou hast sene. And Chusi did his obeysauce vnto Ioab, and ranne.


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Ahimaas the sonne of Sadoc saide agayne vnto Ioab: What and I ranne also? Ioab sayde: What wilt thou runne my sonne? Come hither, thou shalt brynge no good tydinges. (He answered:) What and I ranne yet.


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He saide vnto him: Renne on yi waye then. So Ahimaas ranne the straight waye, and came before Chusi.


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As for Dauid, he sat betwene the two gates. And the watchman wente vp to ye toppe of the porte vpon the wall, and lifte vp his eyes, and sawe a man renninge alone,


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and cryed, and tolde the kinge. The kynge sayde: Yf he be alone, then is there good tydinges in his mouth. And as the same wente and came forth,


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the watchman sawe another man rennynge, and cryed in the porte and sayde: Beholde, there renneth a man alone. The kinge sayde: The same is a good messaunger also.


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The watchman sayde: I se the rennynge of the first as it were the rennynge of Ahimaas the sonne of Sadoc. And the kynge sayde: He is a good man, and bryngeth good tidinges.


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Ahimaas cryed, and sayde vnto ye kinge: Peace, and worshipped before the kynge vpon his face to the grounde, and sayde: Praised be the LORDE thy God, which hath geuen ouer ye men that lifte vp their handes agaynst my LORDE the kynge.


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The kynge sayde: Goeth it well with the yonge man Absalom? Ahimaas sayde: I sawe a greate vproure, whan Ioab the kynges seruaunt sent me thy seruaunt, and I wote not what it was.


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Beholde, then came Chusi and sayde: I brynge good tydinges my lorde the kynge: The LORDE hath executed righte for the this daye, from the hande of all them that rose vp agaynst the.


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But the kynge sayde vnto Chusi: Goeth it well with the yonge man Absalom? Chusi sayde: Euen so go it wt all the enemyes of my lorde the kynge, and with all them that ryse vp agaynst the to do euell, as it goeth with the yonge man.


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Then was the kynge soroufull, and wente vp in to the perler vpon the gate, and wepte, and as he wente, he sayde thus: O my sonne Absalo, my sonne, my sonne Absalom, wolde God yt I shulde dye for the. O Absalom my sonne, my sonne.


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And so out of ye victory of yt daye there came a mourninge amonge all the people. For the people had herde the same daye, yt the kynge toke on heuely because of his sonne.


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And ye people stale awaye the same daye, so that they came not in to the cite: as a people that is put to shame, pycketh them selues awaye, whan they are fled in a battayll.


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As for the kynge, he had couered his face, and cryed loude, and sayde: Oh my sonne Absalom, Absalom my sonne, my sonne.


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But Ioab came to the kynge in to the house, and sayde: This daye hast thou shamed all thy seruauntes (which haue delyuered thy soule this daye, and the soules of thy sonnes, of thy doughters, of thy wyues, and of thy cocubynes)


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in that thou louest them that hate the, and hatest those that loue ye. For to daye thou shewest thy selfe, that thou carest not for the captaynes and seruauntes: For I perceaue this daye, that yf Absalom onely were alyue, and we all deed this daye, thou woldest thynke it were well.


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Get the vp now therfore, and go forth, and speake louyngly vnto thy seruauntes. For I sweare vnto the by ye LORDE, yf thou go not forth, there shall not be lefte the one man this nighte: this shalbe worse vnto ye, then all the euell that happened the sence yi youth vp hither to.


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The the kynge gat him vp, and sat in the gate. And it was sayde vnto the people: beholde, the kynge sytteth in the gate. Then came all the people before ye kynge. But Israel was fled euery one vnto his tent.


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And all the people stroue in all the trybes of Israel, and sayde: The kynge ryd vs from the hande of oure enemies, and delyuered vs from the hande of the Philistynes, and was fayne to fle out of the lode for Absalom.


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So Absalom whom we had anoynted ouer vs, is deed in the battayll. Why are ye so styll now, that ye fetch not the kynge agayne?


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The kynge sent vnto Sadoc & Abiathar the prestes, & caused to saye vnto the: Speake to the Elders of Iuda, & saye: Why wyl ye be the last to fetch the kynge agayne vnto his house? (for ye sayenge of all Israel was come before the kynge into his house)


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ye are my brethren, my bone, and my flesh. Wherfore wyl ye then be the last to brynge the kynge agayne?


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And saye vnto Amasa: Art not thou my bone and my flesh? God do this & that vnto me, yf thou shalt not be the chefe captayne before me in Ioabs steade, as longe as thou lyuest.


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And he bowed the hert of all the men of Iuda as of one man. And they sent vnto ye kynge: Come agayne, thou and all thy seruauntes:


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So the kynge came agayne. And whan he came vnto Iordane, ye men of Iuda were come to Gilgal, for to go downe to mete the kynge, that they mighte brynge ye kynge ouer Iordane.


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And Semei the sonne of Gera the sonne of Iemini, which dwelt at Bahurim, made haist, and wente downe with ye men of Iuda to mete kynge Dauid,


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and there were with him a thousande me of Ben Iamin. Siba also the seruaunt of the house of Saul with his fyftene sonnes and twenty seruauntes, & gat them thorow Iordane and passed ouer ye fery,


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that they mighte brynge ouer the kynges housholde, and to do him pleasure. But Semei the sonne of Gera fell downe before the kynge, whan he passed ouer Iordane,


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and sayde vnto the kynge: O my lorde, laye not the trespace vnto my charge, & thynke not vpon it that thy seruaunt vexed the, in the daye whan my lorde the kynge wente out of Ierusalem: and let not ye kynge take it to hert,


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for thy seruaunt knoweth that he hath synned. And beholde, this daye am I come the first amonge all the house of Ioseph, for to go downe to mete my lorde the kynge.


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Neuertheles Abisai the sonne of Zeru Ia answered and sayde: And shulde not Semei dye therfore, seynge he hath cursed ye anoynted of ye LORDE?


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But Dauid sayde: What haue I to do with you ye children of ZeruIa, that ye wyll become Sathan vnto me this daye? Shulde eny man dye this daye in Israel? Thynkest thou that I knowe not, yt I am become kynge ouer Israel this daye?


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Mephiboseth the sonne of Saul came downe also to mete the kynge. And he had not made cleane his fete ner combde his beerde, nether had he wasshed his clothes from the daye that the kynge was gone awaye, vntyll the daye that he came agayne in peace.


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Now wha he came to Ierusalem for to mete the kynge, the kynge sayde vnto him: Mephiboseth, wherfore wentest thou not with me?


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And he sayde: My lorde O kynge, my seruaut hath dealte vnrighteously with me: for thy seruaunt thoughte: I wyl saddell an asse and ryde theron, and go vnto the kynge: for thy seruaunt is lame,


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and he hath accused thy seruaunt before my lorde ye kynge. But my lorde ye kynge is an angell of God, and thou mayest do what pleaseth the.


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For all my fathers house was nothinge, but people of death before my lorde ye kynge. And yet hast thou set thy seruaunt amonge them that eate at yi table. What other righteousnes haue I, that I shulde crye eny more vnto the kynge?


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The kynge sayde vnto him: What speakest thou yet more of thy matter? I haue sayde: Thou and Siba parte the londe betwene you.


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Mephiboseth sayde vnto the kynge: Let him take it all, in as moch as my lorde ye kynge is come home in peace.


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And Barsillai the Gileadite came downe from Roglim, and broughte the kynge ouer Iordane, that he mighte coueye him in Iordane.


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And Barsillai was very olde, so good as foure score yeare olde, the same had prouyded ye kynge of fode whyle he was at Mahanaim, for he was a very noble man.


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And the kynge sayde vnto Barsillai: Thou shalt go ouer with me, I wyll take care for the wt myne awne selfe at Ierusalem.


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But Barsillai sayde vnto the kynge: What haue I yet to lyue, that I shulde go vp to Ierusalem wt the kynge?


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This daye am I foure score yeare olde. How shulde I knowe what is good or euell, or taist what I eate or drynke, or heare what the Musicians do synge? Why shulde thy seruaunt be chargeable first vnto my lorde the kynge?


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thy seruaunt shall go a litle with the kynge ouer Iordane. Why wil the kynge recompence me after this maner?


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Let thy seruaunt turne backe agayne, that I maye dye in my cite besyde my father and my mothers graue. Beholde, there is thy seruaunt Chimeam, let him go ouer with my lorde the kynge, and do vnto him what pleaseth the.


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The kynge sayde: Chimeam shal go ouer with me, and I wyll do for him what liketh the: and what so euer thou desyrest of me, that wyll I do for the also.


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And whan all ye people was gone ouer Iordane and the kynge likewyse, the kynge kyssed Barsillai and blessed him, and he turned vnto his place.


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And ye kynge passed ouer vnto Gilgal, and Chimeam wente with him. And all the people of Iuda broughte the kynge ouer, howbeit there was but halfe of the people of Israel there.


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And beholde, the came all the men of Israel vnto the kynge, & sayde vnto him: Why haue oure brethren the men of Iuda stollen the awaye, and haue conueyed ye kynge and his housholde ouer Iordane, and all Dauids men with him?


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Then answered they of Iuda vnto them of Israel: The kynge is of oure nye kynred, why are ye angrie therfore? Thynke ye that we haue receaued eny fode or giftes of the kynge?


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Then answered they of Israel vnto them of Iuda, & sayde: We haue ten tymes more with the kynge and with Dauid, the thou, why hast thou regarded me then so lightly, that oures were not the first to fetch oure kynge agayne? But they of Iuda spake harder then they of Israel.


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There was a famous man of Belial there, whose name was Seba ye sonne of Bichri, a ma of Iemini, which blewe the trompe, and sayde: We haue no porcion in Dauid, ner inheritaunce in ye sonne of Isai: let euery get him to his tent, O Israel.


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Then fell euery man in Israel from Dauid, and folowed Seba the sonne of Bichri. But the men of Iuda cleued vnto their kynge from Iordane vnto Ierusale.


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Whan Dauid came home to Ierusalem, he toke the ten concubynes ( whom he had lefte to kepe the house) and put them in a holde to be kepte, and made prouysion for them: but he laye not with them, and so were they shut vp vnto their death, and lyued wedowes.


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And ye kynge sayde vnto Amasa: Call me all the men of Iuda together agaynst the thirde daye, & be thou here present also.


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And Amasa wete to call Iuda together. And he was slacke to come at ye tyme which he had appoynted him.


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And Dauid sayde vnto Abisai: Now shall Seba the sonne of Bichri do vs more harme then Absalom. Take thou yi lordes seruauntes, and folowe vpon him, yt he fynde not some stroge cities for him, and so escape out of oure sighte.


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Then wente Ioabs me forth after him, and the Chrethians and Plethians, and all the mightie me: and they wete out of Ierusalem to folowe vpon Seba the sonne of Bichri.


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But whan they were by the greate stone at Gibeon, Amasa came before them. As for Ioab, he was gyrded aboue his garment which he had on, and vpon it he had a swerde gyrded, which hanged by his thye in the sheeth, and wente easely out and in, and fell fro him.


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And Ioab sayde vnto Amasa: Peace be with the my brother. And Ioab toke Amasa by the beerde with his righte hade, to kysse him.


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And Amasa toke no hede vnto ye swerde in Ioabs hande, and he thrust him therwith in to the bely, yt his bowels ranne out vpon the earth, and he thrust at him nomore. And so he dyed. Ioab & his brother Abisai folowed vpon Seba ye sonne of Bichri.


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And one of Ioabs seruauntes stode by him, and sayde: What is he this yt wolde be agaynst Ioab to please Dauid, and to be with Dauid in Ioabs steade?


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As for Amasa, he laye rolled in the bloude in ye myddes of the strete. But wha one sawe that all the people stode there still, he remoued Amasa from the strete vnto the felde, and cast a clothe vpon him, for so moch as he sawe, that who so euer came by him, stode styll.


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Now whan he was put out of the waye, euery man wete after Ioab, to folowe vpon Seba the sonne of Bichri.


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And he wente thorow all ye trybes of Israel vnto Abel Beth Maacha, and all the best chosen men gathered them selues together, & folowed after him,


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and came and beseged him at Abel Beth Maacha, and made a banke aboute to cite harde on ye wall. And all the people that was with Ioab, layed to their ordynaunce, and wolde haue cast downe the wall.


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Then cried there a wyse woma out of ye cite: Heare, heare, saye vnto Ioab that he come hither, I wyl speake with him.


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And wha he came to her, the woman sayde: Art thou Ioab? He sayde: Yee. She sayde vnto him: Heare the wordes of thy handmayden. He sayde: I heare.


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She sayde: The comonsayenge was somtyme: Who so wyll axe, let him axe at Abel, and so came it to a good ende.


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This is ye noble and faithfull cite in Israel, and wilt thou destroye the cite and the mother in Israel? Why wilt thou swalowe vp the enheritaunce of the LORDE?


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Ioab answered and sayde: That be farre, that be farre fro me, that I shulde swalowe vp and destroye.


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The matter is not so, but a certayne man of mount Ephraim named Seba the sonne of Bichri, hath lifte vp him selfe agaynst kynge Dauid, delyuer him onely, and I wyl departe from the cite. The woman sayde vnto Ioab: Beholde, his heade shal be cast vnto the ouer the wall.


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And the woman came in to all the people with hir wysdome. And they smote of the heade of Seba the sonne of Bichri, and cast it vnto Ioab. Then blewe he the trompe, and they departed from the cite, euery one vnto his tent. But Ioab came agayne to Ierusalem vnto the kynge.


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Ioab was captayne ouer all the hoost of Israel: Benaia ye sonne of Ioiada was ouer the Chrethians and Plethians:


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There was a derth also in Dauids tyme thre yeares together. And Dauid soughte the face of ye LORDE. And the LORDE sayde: Because of Saul and because of that bloudy housholde yt he slewe the Gibeonites.


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Then the kynge caused for to call the Gibeonites, and spake vnto them. (As for the Gibeonites, they were not of ye children of Israel, but a remnaunt of the Amorites: howbeit the children of Israel had sworne vnto the, and Saul soughte for to smyte them in his gelousy, for the childre of Israel and Iuda.)


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Then sayde Dauid to the Gibeonites: What shal I do vnto you? And where withall shal I make the attonement, that ye maye blesse ye enheritaunce of ye LORDE?


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The Gibeonites sayde vnto him: It is not for golde and syluer that we haue to do wt Saul and his house, nether haue we oughte to do for to slaye eny ma in Israel. He sayde: What saye ye then, that I shal do vnto you?


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They sayde vnto ye kynge: The man that hath destroyed vs and broughte vs to naughte, shulde we destroye, that nothinge be lefte him in all the coastes of Israel.


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Let there be geuen vs seuen men of his sonnes, that we maye hange them vp vnto the LORDE at Gibea of Saul the chosen of the LORDE. The kynge sayde: I wyll geue them.


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Howbeit the kynge spared Mephiboseth ye sonne of Ionathas ye sonne of Saul, because of the ooth of the LORDE yt was betwene them: namely, betwene Dauid & Ionathas the sonne of Saul.


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But the two sonnes of Rispa ye doughter of Aia, whom she had borne vnto Saul, Armoni & Mephiboseth, And the fyue sonnes of Michol the doughter of Saul, whom she bare vnto Adriel the sonne of Barsillai the Mahalothite,


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dyd the kynge take, and gaue them in to the handes of ye Gibeonites, which hanged the vp vpo the mount before the LORDE. So these seuen fell at one tyme, and dyed in the tyme of the first haruest, whan ye barly haruest begynneth.


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Then toke Rispa the doughter of Aia a sack cloth, & spred it vpon the rock in the begynnynge of the haruest, tyll the water from the heauen dropped vpo them, and suffred not the foules of the heauen to rest on them on the daye tyme, nether the wylde beestes of the felde on the nighte season.


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And Dauid wente and toke the bones of Saul and the bones of Ionathas his sonne from ye citesens at Iabes in Gilead (which they had stollen from ye strete at Bethsan, where ye Philistynes had hanged the, what tyme as the Philistynes had smytten Saul vpon mount Gilboa)


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And the bones of Saul and of his sonne Ionathas buried they in ye londe of Ben Iamin, besyde ye graue of his father Cis. So after this was God at one with the londe.


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But there arose warre agayne of ye Philistynes agaynst Israel. And Dauid wente downe & his seruauntes with him, & foughte agaynst the Philistynes. And Dauid was weery,


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& Iesbi of Nob (which was one of the children of Rapha, and the weight of his speare was thre C. weight of brasse, and had a new harnesse vpon him) thoughte to smyte Dauid.


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Neuertheles Abisai the sonne of Zeru Ia helped him, & smote the Philistyne to death. Then sware Dauids men vnto him, & sayde: Thou shalt nomore go forth with vs vnto the warre, that the lanterne in Israel be not put out.


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Afterwarde there arose yet warre at Nob with the Philistynes. Then Sibechai the Husathite smote Saph, which also was one of the childre of Rapha.


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And there arose yet warre at Gob with the Philistynes. Then Elhanan the sonne of Iaere Orgim a Bethleemite smote Goliath the Gethite, which had a speare, whose shaft was like a weeuers lome.


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And there arose yet warre at Gath, where there was a cotencious man, which had sixe fyngers on his handes, and sixe toes on his fete, that is foure and twety in the nombre, and he was borne also of Rapha.


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These foure were borne vnto Rapha at Gath, and fell thorow the hande of Dauid and of his seruauntes.


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And Dauid spake the wordes of this songe before the LORDE, what tyme as the LORDE had delyuered him fro the hande of all his enemies, and from the hande of Saul,


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God is my strength, in him wyl I put my trust: my shylde & the horne of my saluacion, my defence & my refuge, my Sauioure, thou shalt helpe me from violent wronge.


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Wha I was in trouble, I called vpo the LORDE, yee euen my God called I vpon, & so he herde my voyce fro his holy temple, & my coplaynte (came) into his eares.


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The pourynges out of the See were sene, and the foundacions of the earth were discouered at the chydinge of the LORDE, & at the breth of the sprete of his wrath.


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The LORDE shal rewarde me after my righteousnes, and acordinge to the clennes of my handes shal he recompence me.


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So shal ye LORDE rewarde me after my righteousnes, acordinge to the clenes of my handes in his eye sighte.


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For thou shalt saue the poore oppressed people, and shalt set thine eyes agaynst the proude to brynge them downe.


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The waye of God is perfecte: ye wordes of the LORDE are tryed in the fyre: he is a shylde for all the that put their trust in him.


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And thou hast geuen me the shylde of yi health, and with yi louynge correccion shalt thou multiplye me.


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I wyl folowe vpon myne enemies, and destroye the: and wyl not turne backe agayne, tyll I haue broughte them to naught.


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Thou hast girded me with strength to ye battayll, and hast subdued them vnder me yt rose vp agaynst me.


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I wil beate them as small as the dust of the earth: euen as ye claye of the stretes wil I make them thynne, and sprede them out abrode.


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But me shalt thou delyuer from the stryuynges of the people, and shalt kepe me to be ye heade of the Heythen: A people whom I haue not knowne, shal serue me.


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He bryngeth me out fro myne enemies: & from them yt ryse vp agaynst me, shalt thou exalte me, and from ye cruell man shalt thou delyuer me.


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Which doth greate health for his kynge, & sheweth mercy vnto Dauid his anoynted, and to his sede for euermore.


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These are the last wordes of Dauid: Dauid the sonne of Isai sayde. The man, that was set vp to be ye anoynted of the God of Iacob, & a pleasaunt dyter of songes of Israel, sayde:


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He sayde: The God of Israel hath spoke vnto me, the strength of Israel, the gouernoure amonge men, the righteous gouernoure in the feare of God.


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As the lighte is in ye mornynge whan the Sonne aryseth, so that for the brightnesse therof no cloude remayneth: and as the grasse loketh vpon the earth thorow the rayne,


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euen so shal my house be with God. For he hath made an euerlastinge couenaunt with me, well appoynted on euery syde and sure. For this is all my health & pleasure, that it shal growe.


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And they yt touch them, shal destroye them wt yrons & speares: & in the fyre shal they be brent, that they maye be broughte to naught.


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These are the names of Dauids Worthies: Iasabeam ye sonne of Hachmoni, the chefest amonge thre, which lifte vp his speare, & slewe eight hundreth at one tyme.


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After him was Eleasar the sonne of Dodi the sonne of Ahohi amonge the thre Worthies with Dauid, whan they spake despytefully to the Philistynes, and were gathered together to the battayll, and the men of Israel wente vp.


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Then stode he vp and smote the Philistynes, tyll his hande was so weery that it crompled with the swerde. And the LORDE gaue a greate victory at the same tyme, so that the people turned after him to spoyle.


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After him was Samma the sonne of Age ye Hararite. Wha the Philistynes had gathered themselues in a company, and in the same place there was a pece of lode full of small corne, and the people fled before the Philistynes,


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the stode he in the myddes of ye pece of londe, & delyuered it, & smote ye Philistynes. And God gaue a greate victory.


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And these thre pryncipall amonge thirtie, came downe in the haruest vnto Dauid, into the caue of Adullam, & the hoost of ye Philistynes laye in ye valley of Rephaim.


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And Dauid was desyrous, and sayde: Wolde God yt some man wolde fetch me a drynke of water out of the well at Bethleem vnder the gate.


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The brake the thre Worthies into the hoost of the Philistynes, and drue of the water out of the well at Bethleem vnder ye gate, & caried it & broughte it vnto Dauid: neuertheles he wolde not drynke it, but offred it vnto the LORDE,


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& sayde: The LORDE let this be farre fro me, that I shulde do it. Is it not the bloude of the men that ioperded their lyues, and wente thither? And he wolde not drynke it. This dyd the thre Worthies.


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Abisai ye brother of Ioab the sonne of Zeru Ia was one also chefe amoge thre. He lifte vp his speare & smote thre hundreth, & was an awncient man amoge thre,


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And Benaia the sonne of Ioiada, the sonne of Ishail (a man of greate actes of Cabzeell) smote two mightie giautes of ye Moabites, & wete downe, & slewe a lyon at a well in the snowe tyme.


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He smote also a fayre goodly man of Egipte, which had a speare in his hande. But he wete downe to him with a staffe, and toke the speare out of the Egipcians hande by violence, and slewe him with his owne speare.


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and more honorable then the thirtie, but he came not vnto the thre. And Dauid made him of his secrete coucell.


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And the LORDE was wrothfully displeased of ye new agaynst Israel, and moued Dauid amonge them, because he saide: Go, nombre Israel and Iuda.


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And the kynge sayde vnto Ioab ye chefe captayne of his hoost: Go aboute in all the trybes of Israel, from Dan vnto Berseba, and nombre the people, that I maye knowe how many they be.


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Ioab sayde vnto the kynge: The LORDE thy God adde vnto this people an hundreth tymes as moch as it is now, that my lorde the kynge maye se his eyes lust theron. But why hath my lorde the kynge a desyre to this thinge?


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Neuertheles the kynges worde preuayled agaynst Ioab and the captaynes of the hoost.So Ioab and ye captaynes of the hoost wente forth from the kynge, to nombre the people of Israel,


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and passed ouer Iordane, and pitched at Aroer, at the righte hande of the cite which lyeth in ye ryuer of Gad, and at Iaseer,


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and came to the stronge cite of Tyrus, and all the cities of the Heuites and Cananites, and came forth to the south parte of Iuda vnto Berseba,


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and wete rounde aboute that countre, and after nyne monethes and twenty daies they came to Ierusalem.


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And Ioab delyuered vnto ye kynge the summe of the people that was nombred. And in Israel there were eight C. thousande stronge men, that drue out the swerde: and in Iuda fyue hundreth thousande men.


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And after that the people was nombred, Dauids hert smote him selfe. And Dauid sayde vnto ye LORDE: I haue synned sore, that I haue done this. And now LORDE take awaie the trespace of thy seruaunt. For I haue done very vnwysely.


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And whan Dauid rose vp in the mornynge, the worde of the LORDE came vnto the prophet Gad, Dauids Seer, & sayde:


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Go & speake vnto Dauid. Thus sayeth the LORDE: I brynge the thre thinges, chose the one of them, that I maye do it vnto the.


text:
Gad came vnto Dauid, and tolde him, and sayde vnto him: Wilt thou that seuen yeare derth shall come in to thy londe? Or that thou be fayne to flye before thine aduersaries thre monethes, and they to persecute the? Or that there be pestilence thre dayes in the londe? Take aduysement therfore and se, what answere I shal bringe agayne vnto him yt sent me.


text:
Dauid sayde vnto Gad: I am in extreme trouble. Neuertheles (yf it maye be) let me rather fall in to ye handes of the LORDE (for his mercy is greate) I wyll not fall in to the handes of men.


text:
So the LORDE sent pestilece in to Israel from the morow vnto the tyme appoynted, so that there dyed of the people from Dan vnto Berseba, thre score and ten thousande men.


text:
And whan the angel stretched his hande ouer Ierusalem to destroye it, the LORDE repented ouer the euell, and sayde vnto the angell: It is ynough, holde now thy hande. The angell of the LORDE was besyde the barne of Arafna the Iebusite.


text:
But whan Dauid sawe the angell that smote the people, he sayde vnto the LORDE: beholde, It is I that haue synned, I haue done the trespace: As for these shepe, what haue they done? Oh let thy hade be agaynst me and agaynst my fathers house.


text:
And Gad came to Dauid at the same tyme, and saide vnto him: Go vp, and set vp an altare vnto the LORDE in ye barne of Arafna the Iebusite.


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And wha Arafna loked aboute him, he sawe the kynge with his seruauntes goinge vnto him, and he worshipped vpon his face to the grounde,


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and sayde: Wherfore commeth my lorde ye kynge vnto his seruaunt? Dauid sayde: To bye the barne of the, and to buylde an altare vnto the LORDE, that the plage maye ceasse from the people.


text:
But Arafna sayde vnto Dauid: Let my lorde the kynge take it, and offre what pleaseth him. Beholde, there is an oxe for a burntofferynge, and sleddes, and vessels of oxen to the wodd.


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All this gaue Arafna vnto the kynge. And Arafna sayde vnto ye kynge: The LORDE thy God make the accepted vnto him.


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Neuertheles ye kynge sayde vnto Arafna: Not so, but I wyll bye it of the for as moch as it is worth. For I wyl not offre burntofferynges vnto ye LORDE, of yt which I haue for naughte. So Dauid boughte the barne and the oxe for fiftye Sicles of syluer,


text:
and buylded an altare there vnto the LORDE, and offred burntofferynges & deedofferynges. And the LORDE was mercifull vnto ye londe, and ye plage ceassed from the people of Israel.


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And wha kinge Dauid was olde & well strycke in age, he coulde not be warme, though he was couered with clothes.


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Then sayde his seruauntes vnto him: Let vs seke a yonge damsell a virgin for oure lorde the kynge, to stonde before the kynge, and to norish him, & to slepe in his armes, and to warme oure lorde the kynge.


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And they sought a fayre dasell, in all the coastes of Israel, and founde Abisag of Sunem, and brought her vnto ye kynge.


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And she was a very fayre damsell, and noryshed ye kynge, and serued him. Howbeit the kynge knewe her not.


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Adonias ye sonne of Hagith lifte vp him selfe and sayde: I wyl be kynge. And he prepared him charettes and horsmen, and fyftie men to be renners on fote before him.


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And his father reproued hi not therfore, so moch as to saye: Wherfore doest thou so? And he was a man of a very fayre bewtye and he had begotten him nexte after Absalo.


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But Sadoc the prest, and Benaia the sonne of Ioiada, and Nathan the prest and Semei and Rei, and Dauids Worthies were not with Adonias.


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And wha Adonias offred shepe and oxe, and fat catell besyde the stone of Soheleth, which lyeth by the well of Rogel, he called all his brethre the kynges sonnes, and all the men of Iuda the kynges seruautes.


text:
Then sayde Nathan vnto Bethseba Salomons mother: Hast thou not herde yt Adonias is kynge, and oure lorde Dauid knoweth not therof?


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Come now therfore, I wyll geue the councell, that thou mayest delyuer thy soule and the soule of thy sonne Salomon.


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Come now and go in to kinge Dauid and saye vnto him: Hast not thou my lorde the kynge sworne and sayde vnto thy handmayden: Salomon thy sonne shall be kynge after me, and he shall sytt vpon my seate? Why is then Adonias made kynge?


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Beholde, while thou art yet there, and talkest with the kynge, I wyll come in after the, and tell forth thy tayle.


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And Bethseba wente in to the kynge to ye chamber. And the kynge was very olde. And Abisag of Sunem serued the kynge.


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She sayde vnto him: My lorde, Thou hast sworne vnto thy handmayde by the LORDE thy God: Thy sonne Salomon shall be kynge after me and syt vpon my seate.


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He hath offred oxen and fat catell, and many shepe, and hath called all the kynges sonnes, and Abiathar the prest, and Ioab the chefe captayne. But thy seruaunt Salomon hath he not bydden.


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Neuertheles thou my lorde art kynge, the eyes of all Israel loke vnto the., that thou shuldest shewe them who shall syt vpon the seate of my lorde the kynge after the.


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And wha my lorde the kynge slepeth with his fathers then shal I and my sonne Salomon be fayne to be synners.


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and she tolde ye kinge: beholde, there is the prophet Nathan. And whan he came in before the kynge, he worshipped the kynge vpon his face to the grounde,


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For he is gone downe this daye, and hath offred oxen, and fat catell, & hath called all the kynges sonnes, and the captaynes, and the prest Abiathar. And beholde, they eate and drynke before him, and saye: God saue the kynge Adonias.


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But me thy seruaunt, and Sadoc the prest, and Benaia the sonne of Ioiada, and thy seruaunt Salomon hath he not called.


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Hath my lorde the kynge commaunded this, and not certifyed his seruauntes who shall sytt vpon the seate of my lorde the kynge after him?


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The kinge answered and saide: Call Bethseba vnto me. And she came in before the kinge. And whan she stode before the kynge,


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the kynge sware and sayde: As truly as the LORDE lyueth (which hath delyuered my soule out of trouble,)


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I wyl do vnto the this daye, euen as I sware vnto the by the LORDE the God of Israel, so that Salomon thy sonne shalbe kynge after me, and he shal sit pon my seate in my steade.


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Then Bethseba bowed hir selfe with hir face to the grounde, and thanked the kynge and sayde: God saue my lorde kynge Dauid for euermore.


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And the kynge sayde: Call me the prest Sadoc & the prophet Nathan, and Benaia the sonne of Ioiada.And whan they came in before the kynge,


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the kynge sayde vnto them: Take youre lordes seruauntes with you, and set my sonne Salomon vpon my Mule, and cary him downe to Gihon:


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and let Sadoc ye prest and the prophet Nathan, anoynte him there to be kynge ouer Israel, and blowe the trompe, and saye: God saue kynge Salomon,


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and go ye vp after him: and whan he commeth, he shal syt vpo my seate, and be kynge in my steade: for I haue ordeyned him to be prynce ouer Israel and Iuda.


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Then answered Benaia the sonne of Ioiada vnto the kynge, & sayde: Amen. The LORDE God of my lorde the kynge saye thus also.


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As the LORDE hath bene with my lorde the kynge, so be he with Salomon also, that his seate maye be greater then the seate of my lorde kynge Dauid.


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Then wente they downe, the prest Sadoc and the prophet Nathan, and Benaia the sonne of Ioiada, and the Chrethians, & Plethians, & set Salomon vpon kynge Dauids Mule, & broughte him to Gihon.


text:
And Sadoc the prest toke the oyle horne out of the Tabernacle, and anoynted Salomon. And they blewe the trompe: And all ye people sayde: God saue kynge Salomon.


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And all the people wente vp after him, and the people pyped with pypes, and was very ioyfull, so that the earth range at the noyse of them.


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And Adonias herde it, and all they whom he had called, which were wt him, and they had new eaten. And whan Ioab herde the noyse of the trompe, he sayde: What meaneth this noyse of the cite and this busynes?


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But whyle he yet spake, beholde, Ionathas the sonne of Abiathar ye prest came.And Adonias sayde: Come in, for thou art a valeaunt man, and bryngest good tydinges.


text:
and hath sent with him Sadoc the prest, and the propheth Nathan, and Benaia the sonne of Ioiada, and the Chrethians and Plethians, and they haue set him vpon the kynges Mule:


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and Sadoc ye prest with the prophet Nathan hath anoynted him kynge at Gihon, and from thece are they gone vp with ioye, that the cite range with all: that is the noyse that ye haue herde.


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and the kynges seruauntes are gone in to wysh good lucke vnto ouer lorde kynge Dauid, and haue sayde: Thy God make Salomon a better name then thy name is, and make his seate greater then thy seate. And they haue wy?shed the kynge good lucke vpon the bed.


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Morouer ye kynge hath sayde thus: Praysed be ye LORDE God of Israel, which this daye hath made one to syt vpon my seate, that myne eyes haue sene it.


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Then were they afrayed, and gatt them vp all that were called by Adonias, and so they departed euery man his waye.


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But Adonias was afrayed of Salomon, and gat him vp, and wete his waye, & toke holde of ye hornes of ye altare.


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And it was tolde Salomon: beholde, Adonias feareth kynge Salomo, & beholde, he taketh holde of the hornes of ye altare, & sayeth: Let kige Salomo sweare vnto me this daye, that he shall not slaye his seruaunt with the swerde.


text:
Salomon sayde: Yf he wil be an honest man, there shall not one heer fall from him vpon the earth: but yf there be euell founde in him, he shall dye.


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And kinge Salomo sent, and caused him to be fetched from the altare. And whan he came, he fell downe before kynge Salomon. But Salomon sayde vnto him: Go yi waye in to thy house.


text:
and kepe the watch of the LORDE thy God, that thou walke in his wayes, and holde his ordinaunces, his commaundementes, his lawes, and his testimonies, as it is written in the lawe of Moses, that thou mayest be wyse in all that thou doest, and whither so euer thou turnest the:


text:
that the LORDE maye rayse vp his worde, which he hath spoke ouer me, and saide: Yf thy children kepe their waye and walke before me faithfully and truly and with all their hert and withall their soule, the shal there neuer fayle the a man vpon the seate of Israel.


text:
Thou knowest well also what Ioab the sonne of Zeru Ia hath done vnto me, what he dyd vnto the two chefe captaynes of Israel, Abner the sonne of Ner, and Amasa the sonne of Iether, whom he slewe and shed the bloude of warre wha it was peace, & put the bloude of warre vpon his girdel yt was aboute his loynes, and in his shues that were vpon his fete:


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And to the children of Barsyllai the Gileadite, thou shalt shewe mercy, that they maye eate at thy table. For so ioined they the selues vnto me, whan I fled before thy brother Absalom.


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And beholde, thou hast with the Semei the sonne of Gera the sonne of Iemini of Bahurim, which cursed me with very bytter and shamefull cursynges, what tyme as I wente to Mahanaim. Yet came he downe to mete me at Iordan, where I sware vnto him by the LORDE, and sayde: I wyll not slaye the with the swerde.


text:
But suffre not thou him to be vngiltye, for thou art a wyse man, and shalt wel knowe what thou oughtest to do vnto him, that thou mayest brynge his graye heer downe to the graue with bloude.


text:
The tyme that Dauid was kynge ouer Israel, is fortie yeare. Seuen yeares was he kynge at Hebro and thre and thirtie yeare at Ierusalem.


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But Adonias the sonne of Hagith came in to Bethseba Salomons mother. And she sayde: Is thy commynge peaceable? He spake: Yee,


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He sayde: Thou knowest that the kyngdome was myne, and that all Israel had sett them selues vpon me, that I shulde be kynge, but now is the kyngdome turned, and become my brothers: for he hath it of the LORDE.


text:
He sayde: Speake vnto kynge Salomon (for he shall not shame thy face) that he maye geue me Abisag to wyfe.


text:
And Bethseba came in to kynge Salomon to speake with him. And the kynge stode vp, and wente to mete her, and worshipped her, and sat him downe vpon his seate. And there was a chayre set for the kynges mother, so that she sat at his righte hande.


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And she sayde: One peticion desyre I of the make not my face ashamed. The kynge saydt: Axe O my mother, I wyl not shame thy face.


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Then answered kynge Salomon, and saide vnto his mother: Why desyrest thou Abisag of Sunem for Adonias? Axe the kyngdome or him also, for he is my greater brother, and hath Abiathar the prest, and Ioab the sonne of Zeru Ia.


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And the kynge sware by the LORDE, and sayde: God do this and that vnto me, Adonias shall haue spoken this agaynst his lyfe.


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And now as truly as the LORDE lyueth which hath ordeyned me, and made me to syt vpon the seate of my father Dauid, and hath made me a house ( acordynge as he sayde) this daye shal Adonias dye.


text:
And to the prest Abiathar sayde ye kynge: Go thy waye vnto Anathot to thy londe, for thou art a man of deeth. Neuerthelesse I wyl not slaye the this daye for thou hast borne the Arke of the LORDE God before my father Dauid, and hast suffred also where my father suffred.


text:
Thus Salomo put forth Abiathar, that he must nomore be the prest of the LORDE, that the worde of the LORDE mighte be fulfilled, which he spake ouer the house of Eli at Silo.


text:
And this rumonre came before Ioab: for Ioab cleued vnto Adonias, and not vnto Salomon. Then fled Ioab into the Tabernacle of the LORDE, and toke holde of the hornes of the altare.


text:
And it was tolde kynge Salomon, that Ioab was fled in to the Tabernacle of the LORDE, and beholde, he stondeth at the altare.Then sent Salomon Benaia the sonne of Ioiada, and sayde: Go slaye him.


text:
And whan Benaia came to the Tabernacle of the LORDE, he sayde vnto him: Thus sayeth the kynge: Come forth. He sayde: No, I wyl dye here. And Benaia tolde this vnto the kynge agayne. and sayde: Thus hath Ioab spoken, and thus hath he answered me.


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The kinge saide vnto him: Do as he hath spoken, and slaye him, and bury him, that thou mayest put fro me and my fathers house the bloude which Ioab hath shed without a cause,


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and that the LORDE maye recompence him his bloude vpon his heade, because he smote two men, which were more righteous and better then he, and slewe them with ye swerde that my father Dauid knewe not of: namely, Abner ye sonne of Ner the chefe captaine ouer Israel, & Amasa the sonne of Iether ye chefe captaine ouer Iuda yt


text:
their bloude maye be recompensed vpo ye heade of Ioab and of his sede for euer: but Dauid and his sede, his house and his seate haue peace for euermore of the LORDE.


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And Benaia the sonne of Ioiada wente vp, and smote him, and slewe him: & he was buried in his house in the wyldernes.


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And ye kynge set Benaia ye sonne of Ioiada in his steade ouer the hoost. And Sadoc ye prest dyd the kynge set in the steade of Abiathar.


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And the kynge sent, and caused for to call Semei, and sayde vnto him: Buylde the an house at Ierusalem, and dwell there, and departe not from thence, nether hither ner thither.


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In what daye so euer thou departest forth, and goest ouer ye broke Cedron, be thou sure, that thou shalt dye the deeth: thy bloude be vpon thy heade.


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Semei sayde vnto the kynge: This is a good meanynge, as my lorde the kynge hath sayde, so shal thy seruaunt do. So Semei dwelt at Ierusalem a longe season.


text:
But after thre yeare it fortuned that two seruauntes ranne awaye from Semei vnto Achis the sonne of Maecha kynge of Gath.And it was tolde Semei: beholde, thy seruauntes are at Gath.


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Then Semei gat him vp, and sadled his asse, and wete vnto Gath to Achis, for to seke his seruautes. And wha he came thither, he broughte his seruauntes from Gath.


text:
Then sent the kynge, and caused for to call Semei, and sayde vnto him: Sware not I to the by the LORDE, and assured the, and sayde: Loke what daye so euer thou departest out and goest hither or thither, be sure that thou shalt dye the death? And thou saydest vnto me: I haue herde a good meanynge.


text:
Why hast thou not kepte the then acordinge to the ooth of the LORDE, and commaundement that I commaunded the?


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And the kynge sayde vnto Semei: Thou remembrest all ye wickednes, which thy hert knoweth that thou dyddest vnto my father Dauid. The LORDE hath recompenced ye thy wickednes, vpon thy heade.


text:
And the kynge commaunded Benaia ye sonne of Ioiada, which wente forth, and smote him that he dyed. And the kyngdome was stablished by Salomons hande.


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And Salomon made mariage wt Pharao the kynge of Egipte, & toke Pharaos doughter, and broughte her in to the cite of Dauid, tyll he had buylded his house, and the LORDES house, and the walles rounde aboute Ierusalem.


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But the people offred yet vpon the hye places: for as yet there was no house buylded vnto the name of the LORDE vnto that tyme.


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But Salomon loued the LORDE, and walked after the ordinaunces of Dauid his father: excepte onely that he offred and brent incense vpon the hye places.


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And the kynge wente vnto Gibeon, to do sacrifice there: for that was a goodly hye place. And Salomon offred a thousande burntofferynges vpon the same altare.


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And the LORDE appeared vnto Salomon at Gibeon in a dreame of the nighte, and God sayde: Axe what I shal geue ye.


text:
Salomo saide: Thou hast done greate mercy vnto my father Dauid thy seruaunt. Like as he walked before the in faithfulnes and righteousnes, and in a true hert with the, & this greate mercy hast thou layed vp for him, and geuen him a sonne to syt vpon his seate, as it is now come to passe.


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Now LORDE my God, thou hast made thy seruaunt kynge in my father Dauids steade: As for me, I am but a small yonge man, knowynge nether my outgoynge ner ingoynge.


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And thy seruaunt is amonge the people whom thou hast chosen: which is so greate, that no man can nombre them ner descrybe them for multitude.


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Geue thy seruaunt therfore an obedient hert, that he maye iudge thy people, & vnderstonde what is good & bad: for who is able to iudge this thy mightie people?


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And God sayde vnto him: For so moch as thou axest this, and desyrest not longe lyfe, nether riches, nether ye soules of thine enemies, but vnderstodinge to heare iudgment,


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beholde, therfore haue I done acordynge to thy wordes. Beholde, I haue geuen the an hert of wy?dome and vnderstondynge, so that soch one as thou hath not bene before the, nether shall ryse vp after the.


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Yee and that thou hast not prayed for, haue I geuen the also, namely, ryches, and honoure, so that amonge the kynges in yi tyme there is not soch one as thou.


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And yf thou wilt walke in my wayes, so that thou kepe myne ordinaunces and lawes, as Dauid thy father hath walked, then wyll I geue the a longe lyfe.


text:
And whan Salomon awaked, beholde, it was a dreame, and he came to Ierusale, and stode before the Arke of the LORDES couenaunt, and offred burntofferynges, and healthofferinges, and made a greate feast vnto his seruauntes.


text:
And the one woman sayde: Oh my lorde, I and this woman dwelt in one house, and I was delyuered of a childe in the house with her:


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& on the thirde daye after that I was delyuered, she was delyuered of a childe also. And we were together, so yt there was no straunger in ye house, but we two:


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and she rose vp in the nighte, and toke my sonne fro my syde (where thy handmayde slepte,) and layed it in hir arme, and hir deed sonne layed she in myne arme.


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And whan I rose vp in the mornynge to geue my sonne sucke, beholde, he was deed. But in the mornynge I loked well, and beholde, it was not my sonne, whom I had borne.


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The other woman sayde: Not so, my sonne lyueth, and thy sonne is deed. But she sayde: Not so, thy sonne is deed, and my sonne liueth. And thus spake they before the kynge.


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And the kynge sayde: This woma saieth: my sonne lyueth and thy sonne is deed: Yonder woman sayeth: Not so, thy sonne is deed, & my sonne lyueth.


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the kynge sayde: Parte the lyuynge childe in two partes, and geue this woman the one halfe, and yonder woman the other halfe.


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Then sayde the woman whose sonne lyued, vnto ye kinge: (for hir motherly hert was kyndled with pite ouer hir sonne) Oh my lorde, geue hir the childe alyue, and kyll it not. But the other sayde: Let it nether be myne ner thine, but let it be parted.


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Then answered the kynge, and sayde: Geue this woman the lyuynge childe, and slaye it not, for she is his mother.


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And all Israel herde of this iudgment that the kynge had geuen: and they feared the kynge, for they sawe that ye wysdome of God was in him to kepe iudgmet.


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Elihoreph, and Ahi Ia the sonnes of Sisa, were prestes: Iosaphat the sonne of Ahilud was chaunceler:


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Asaria the sonne of Nathan was ouer the officers: Sabud the sonne of Nathan the prest was the kynges frende:


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And Salomon had twolue offycers ouer all Israel, which made prouysion of fode for the kynge and his house: One had a moneth longe in ye yeare to make prouysion:


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Baena ye sonne of Ahilud at Thaenach & at Magiddo, & ouer all BethSean, which lyeth besyde Zarthana vnder Iesrael from BethSean vnto the playne of Mehelo, tyll the other syde of Iakmeam.


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The sonne of Geber at Ramoth in Gilead: he had the townes of Iair the sonne of Manasse in Gilead, and had ye coastes of Argob which lyeth in Basan, euen thre score greate walled cities, and with brasen barres.


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Geber the sonne of Vri in the londe of Gilead, in the londe of Sihon kynge of the Amorites, and of Og the kynge in Basan. One officer was in the same londe.


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As for Iuda and Israel, they were in nombre as the sonde of the see, and ate and dronke, and were mery.


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Thus was Salomo lorde ouer all the kyngdomes (from the water of the londe of the Philistynes, vnto the border of Egipte) which broughte him giftes, and serued him as longe as he lyued.


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And Salomon had daylie to his vytayles thirtye quarters of fyne meel, threscore quarters of other meel,


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ten fat oxen, and twety small catell, and an hundreth shepe, beside hartes and Roes, and wilde goates, and fat capons, and foules.


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For he had the lordshippe of all the londe on this syde the water, fro Tiphsa vnto Gasa, and ouer all ye kynges on this syde ye water: & had peace of all his subiectes rounde aboute,


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so that Iuda and Israel dwelt safe, euery one vnder his vyne, and vnder his figge tre, from Dan vnto Berseba, as longe as Salomon lyued.


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And the officers prouyded the kynge Salomon with vytayles: and whatsoeuer belonged to the kynges table, that brought euery man in his moneth, and myssed not:


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Barlye also & strawe for the horses and coursers, & broughte them vnto the place where ye kynge was, euery one after his charge.


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And God gaue Salomon maruelous greate wy?dome and vnderstondinge, and a large hert, as the sonde that lyeth vpon ye See shore:


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so that the wy?dome of Salomon was greater then the wy?dome of all the children towarde the south and of all ye Egipcians.


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And he was wyser then all men, yee wyser then Ethan the Esrahite, Heman, Chalcal, and Darda, the sonnes of Mahol: and had a greate name amonge all the Heythe on euery syde.


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And he spake of trees, from ye Ceder of Libanus vnto the Isope yt groweth out of ye wall: he talked also of catell, of foules, of wormes, of fishes.


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And there came of all nacions to heare ye wy?dome of Salomon, and there came of all the kynges of ye earth, which had herde of his wy?dome.


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And Hiram ye kynge of Tyre sent his seruauntes vnto Salomon, for he had herde, yt they had anoynted him kynge in his fathers steade: For Hiram loued Dauid as loge as he lyued.


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Thou knowest that my father might not buylde an house vnto the name of the LORDE his God, because of the warre that was aboute him, vntyll the LORDE delyuered them vnder the soles of his fete:


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But now hath the LORDE my God geuen me rest on euery syde, so that there is no aduersary ner euell hynderaunce:


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Beholde, I am therfore aduysed to buylde an house vnto the name of the LORDE my God, acordinge as the LORDE spake vnto Dauid my father, and sayde: Thy sonne, whom I shal set vpon thy seate in thy steade, shal buylde an house vnto my name.


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Commaunde therfore that they hewe me downe Ceders out of Libanus, and that thy seruauntes be with my seruauntes, & the rewarde of thy seruauntes wyll I geue the, what so euer thou shalt axe: for thou knowest, yt with vs there is no ma which can hewe tymber as the Sidonians.


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Whan Hiram herde the wordes of Salomon, he was very glad, and sayde: Praysed be the LORDE this daye, which hath geuen Dauid a wyse sonne ouer this greate people.


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And Hiram sent vnto Salomon, sayenge: I haue herde what thou hast sent vnto me: I wyl do acordinge vnto all thy desyre with Ceders and Pynetrees.


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My seruautes shall brynge them downe from Libanus vnto ye See, and I wyl make them to flote vpo the See, vnto the place which thou shalt shewe me, and there wyl I cause them to aryue, & thou shalt make the to be fetched. But thou shalt fulfyll my desyre also, and geue fode vnto my housholde folkes.


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But Salomon gaue Hiram twentye thousande quarters of wheate to eate for his housholde, and twetye quarters of beaten oyle. This gaue Salomon yearly vnto Hiram.


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And the LORDE gaue Salomon wy?dome, acordynge as he had sayde vnto him, & there was peace betwene Hiram and Salomon, and they made a couenaunt both together.


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And Salomon made an outchosynge (of workmen) thorow out all Israel. And ye outchosynge was thirtie thousande me,


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and he sent the to mount Libanus euery two monethes ten thousande, so that they were one moneth vpon Libanus, and two monethes at home. And Adoniram was ouer the outchosynge.


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And Salomon had thre score thousande & ten that bare burthens, & foure score thousande that hewed tymber vpon the mount,


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besyde Salomons chefe officers, which were ordeyned ouer the worke: namely thre thousande and thre hundreth, which ruled ye people that laboured there in the worke.


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And ye kynge commaunded, that they shulde breake out greate and costly stones, namely frestone, for the foundacion of the house.


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And Salomons masons, and Hirams, and they that were in those coastes, hewed out & prepared tymbre and stones to the buyldinge of the house.


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In the foure hundreth and foure score yeare after the departinge of the children of Israel out of the londe of Egipte, in the fourth yeare of the raigne of Salomon ouer Israel, in the moneth Sif (yt is the seconde moneth) was the house buylded vnto the LORDE.


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This house that kynge Salomon buylded vnto ye LORDE, was thre score cubytes loge, twenty cubytes brode, & thirtie cubites hye.


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And he buylded a Porche before the temple of twentye cubytes longe after the bredth of the house, & ten cubites brode before the house.


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And rounde aboute by the wall of ye house he buylded a compase, so yt it wente both aboute the temple and the quere, and made his outwarde wall roude aboute.


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The nethermost stacion was fyue cubytes wyde, and ye myddest sixe cubites wyde, and the thirde seuen cubites wyde. For he layed balkes rounde aboute the house, that they touched not ye wall of the house.


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And whan ye house was buylded, it was buylded of whole and outbroken stones, so yt there was herde nether hammer ner axe, ner eny other instrument of yron, whan the house was a buyldinge.


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But on the righte syde of the myddes of the house there was a dore, so yt they might go vp to the myddest stacion by a turne grese, & from the myddest stacion vnto ye thirde.


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Thus buylded he the house, & fynished it, & syled ye house both aboue & by the walles wt Ceder wodd.


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He buylded a galery also aboue vpon the whole house fyue cubytes hye, and couered the house with Ceder tymber.


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Let this be the house yt thou buyldest. Yf thou shalt walke in myne ordinaunces, & do acordinge to my lawes, & kepe all my comaundementes, to walke therin, then wyl I stably?she my worde with ye, ( as I sayde vnto Dauid thy father)


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& buylded the walles on the insyde with Ceder tymber, from the grounde of ye house vnto the rofe, and syled it with tymbre on the ynsyde, and ouerlayed the floore of ye house with bordes of Pyne tre.


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And behynde in the house he buylded a wall of Ceder tymber twentye cubytes longe, from the floore vnto the rofe. And there on the ynsyde buylded he the quere for the most holy.


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on the ynsyde was the whole house of Ceder with throwne knoppes and floures, so that there was no stone sene.


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As for the quere, he prepared it on the ynsyde of the house, that the Arke of the couenaunt of the LORDE might be set therin.


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And before the quere (which was twentye cubites longe, twentye cubytes brode, and twentye cubytes hye, and ouerlayed with pure golde) he syled the altare with Ceder.


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And Salomon ouerlayed the house on ye ynsyde wt pure golde, & shot barres of golde before the quere, which he had ouerlayed wt golde,


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so that ye whole house was layed ouer with golde. And all the altare also before ye quere ouerlayed he with golde.


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One wynge of ether of the Cherubs had fyue cubytes, so that from the edge of his one wynge to the edge of his other wynge there were ten cubytes.


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Euen so had the other Cherub ten cubites also, and both the Cherubs were of one measure and of one quantitie


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And the Cherubins spred forth their wynges, so that the wynge of the one touched the one wall, and the other Cherubs wynge touched the other wall. But in the myddes of ye house the one wynge touched another.


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And on all the walles of the house rounde aboute, he caused to make carued worke, with carued Cherubins, palme trees, and floures.


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And at the intraunce of the quere he made two dores of olyue thre with fyue squared postes, and caused carued worke to be made therof with Cherubins, palme trees and floures, & ouerlayed them with plates of golde.


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And he buylded a courte also within wt thre rowes of fre stone, and with one rowe of playne Ceder tymber.


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and in the eleuenth yeare in the moneth Bul (that is the eight moneth) was the house fynished as it shulde be, so that they were seuen yeare a buyldinge of it.


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he buylded an house of the wodd of Libanus, an hundreth cubites longe, fiftye cubites wyde, & thirtie cubites hye, fouresquared with rowes of pilers, and wt carued Ceders.


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And the rofe aboue syled he also with Cederwodd vpon the fyue & fortie pilers, for one rowe had fyftene pilers,


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And he made a porche with pilers which was fiftye cubites longe, and thirtie cubites brode, & yet a porche before it with pilers & wt a greate poste.


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He made a porche also vnto ye kynges seate (wherin ye iudgment was kepte) and made it to be the porche of iudgment, and syled it with Ceder from the pauement vnto the pauement agayne,


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and his owne house wherin he dwelt, in ye back courte made betwene ye house and the porche like the other. And like vnto the porche made he a house for Pharaos doughter, whom Salomon had taken to wife.


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All these were costly stone hewen after ye measure, cut with sawes on euery syde, from the grounde vnto the rofe: and without the greate courte also.


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But the greate courte rounde aboute had thre rowes of fre stone, & one rowe of playne Ceders: Euen so also the courte by ye hou of the LORDE within, and the porch by the house.


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a wedowes sonne, of the trybe of Nephtali, and his father had bene a man of Tyre, which was a connynge ma in metall, full of wy?dome, vnderstondinge and knowlege to worke all maner of metall worke. Whan he came to kynge Salomon, he made all his worke,


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and made two brasen pilers, ether of them eightene cubites hye: and a threde of xij. cubites was the measure aboute both ye pilers:


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and he made two knoppes of brasse molten, to set aboue vpon the pilers: and euery knoppe was fyue cubytes hye:


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And vpon euery knoppe he made two rowes of pomgranates rounde aboute on one rope, wherwith ye knoppe was couered.


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And the pomgranates in the rowes rounde aboute were two hudreth aboue and beneth vpon the rope, which wete rounde aboute the thicknes of the knoppe, on euery knoppe vpon both the pilers.


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And set vp the pilers before the porche of the temple. And that which he set on the right hande, called he Iachin: and that which he set on the lefte hande, called he Boos.


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And he made a molten lauer ten cubytes wyde from the one syde to the other rounde aboute, and fyue cubites hye, and a threde of thirtie cubites loge was ye measure rounde aboute:


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and aboute the same lauer that was then cubites wyde, there wente knoppes on the edge therof rounde aboute the lauer. Two rowes were there of the knoppes molten with the lauer.


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And it stode vpon twolue bullockes, wherof thre were turned towarde the north, thre towarde the west, thre towarde the south, and thre towarde the east, and the lauer aboue theron, so that all their hynder partes were within vnder the lauer:


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wherof the thicknesse was an handbreth: and the edge of it was like the edge of a cuppe, and as a floured rose, and it conteyned two thousande Battes.


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And on the sydes betwene the ledges there were lyons, bullockes and Cherubins. And on ye ledges which were aboue and beneth the lyons and bullockes, were the sydes made so, that they were set downwardes.


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And euery stole had foure brasen wheles with brasen axeltrees. And vpon the foure corners there were proppes molten, euery one ouer agaynst another, vnderset vnto the kettell.


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And the soket vpon the stole was a cubyte hye and rounde, a cubyte and an halfe wyde: and on the soket there were knoppes in foldes, which were foure squared & not rounde.


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The foure wheles stode beneth by the sydes, & the axeltrees of the wheles were harde on ye seate. Euery whele was a cubite and a halfe hye,


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and they were wheles like cart wheles. And their axeltrees, spokes, nales, & shaftes were all molten.


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And on the soket aboue vpon the seate a cubyte and an halfe rounde aboute, there were ledges and sydes harde on the seate.


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And on the plat of the same sydes and ledges, he caused to carue Cherubins, lyons and palme trees, one by another rounde aboute theron.


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And he made ten copper kettels, so that one kettell coteyned fortye Battes, and was foure cubites greate, and vpon euery seate was a kettell.


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And fyue seates set he on the righte syde of the house, and the other fyue on the lefte syde. But the lauer set he before on the righte hande towarde the south.


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And Hiram made pottes also and shouels and basens, & so fynished he all the worke, that kynge Salomon caused to be made in the house of the LORDE:


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namely ye two pilers, and the rounde knoppes aboue vpon the two pilers, and the two wrythen ropes to couer the two rounde knoppes vpon the pilers.


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And the foure hudreth pomgranates on the two wrythen ropes, euer two rowes of pomgranates vnto euery rope, to couer the two rounde knoppes vpon the pilers.


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And the pottes, shouels and basens. And all the ornamentes which Hiram made vnto kynge Salomon for the house of the LORDE, were of pure metall.


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In the countre by Iordane, caused the kynge them to be molten in thicke earth, betwene Sucoth and Zarthan.


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Morouer Salomon made all the apperell that belonged vnto the house of the LORDE: namely a golden altare, a golden table that the shewbred laye on,


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fyue candelstickes on the righte hande, and fyue candelstickes on the lefte (before the quere) of pure golde, wt floures,


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lampes and snoffers of golde, therto flat peces, charges, basens, spones and censours of pure golde. And the hokes of ye dores on the insyde of the house in the most holy, and in the dores of the house of the teple of the LORDE were of golde.


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Thus all the worke that kynge Salomon made in ye house of the LORDE, was fynisshed. And Salomon brought in that his father Dauid had sanctified, of syluer and golde and ornamentes, and layed it amonge the treasures of the house of the LORDE.


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Then gathered kynge Salomon all ye Elders in Israel together, all the rulers of the trybes and prynces of the fathers amonge the children of Israel, vnto Ierusalem, to brynge vp the Arke of the couenaunt of the LORDE, out of the cite of Dauid, that is Sion.


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And there resorted vnto kynge Salomon all the men in Israel, at the feast in the moneth Ethanim, that is ye seuenth moneth.


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and broughte it vp, and the Tabernacle of witnesse, and all the ornamentes of the Sanctuary that were in the Tabernacle. This dyd the prestes and the Leuites.


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And kynge Salomon and all the congregacion of Israel yt were gathered vnto him, wente with him before the Arke, and offred shepe and bullockes, so many, that they coulde not be nombred ner tolde.


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So the prestes broughte the Arke of the LORDES couenaunt vnto hir place, euen in to ye Quere of the house in the most holy vnder ye wynges of the Cherubins.


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For ye Cherubins spred out their wynges in the place where the Arke stode, and couered the Arke and the staues therof from aboue.


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And the staues were so loge, that ye knoppes of them were sene from the Sanctuary before ye quere, but on the outsyde were they not sene, and they were there vnto this daye.


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And in the Arke there was nothinge, but onely the two tables of stone, which Moses had layed therin at Horeb, whan ye LORDE made a couenaunt with the children of Israel, what tyme as they were departed out of the londe of Egipte.


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so yt the prestes coulde not stonde & execute the office for the cloude: for the glory of the LORDE fylled the LORDES house.


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I haue buylded an house, to be an habitacion vnto the: a seate, yt thou mayest dwell there for euer.


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And ye kynge turned his face, & blessed all the congregacion of Israel. And all the cogregacion of Israel stode,


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& he sayde: Praysed be the LORDE God of Israel, which promised by his mouth vnto my father Dauid, and by his hade hath fulfylled it, and sayde:


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Sence the daye yt I broughte my people of Israel out of Egipte, haue I chosen no cite amoge all the trybes of Israel, to buylde me an house, that my name might be there. But Dauid haue I chosen, to be ouer my people of Israel.


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neuertheles the LORDE sayde vnto my father Dauid: Where as thou wast mynded to buylde an house vnto my name, thou hast done well, that thou art so aduysed.


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Howbeit thou shalt not buylde the house, but thy sonne which shal come out of thy loynes, he shal buylde an house vnto my name.


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And the LORDE hath perfourmed his worde that he spake: For I am come vp in my father Dauids steade, and syt vpon the seate of Israel, as the LORDE sayde: and haue buylded an house vnto the name of the LORDE God of Israel:


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and there haue I ordeyned a place for the Arke, wherin is the LORDES couenaunt, which he made with oure fathers, whan he broughte them out of ye londe of Egipte.


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And Salomon stode before the altare of the LORDE in the presence of the whole congregacion of Israel, and helde out his handes towarde heauen,


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and sayde: O LORDE God of Israel, there is no god like the, nether aboue in heauen, ner beneth vpo earth, thou that kepest couenaut and mercy for all thy seruauntes that walke before ye with all their hert,


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thou that hast kepte promes with my father Dauid thy seruaunt: With thy mouth thou saydest it, and with thy hande hast thou fulfylled it, as it is come to passe this daye.


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Now LORDE God of Israel make good vnto my father Dauid yi seruaunt, that which thou hast promysed him, and sayde: Thou shalt not wante a man before me to syt vpon the seate of Israel, yf thy childre kepe their waye, so yt they walke before me like as thou hast walked before me.


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Now thou God of Israel, let yi worde be verified, which thou hast promysed vnto my father Dauid thy seruaunt.


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For thynkest thou yt God dwelleth vpon earth? Beholde, the heauens and the heauens of all heauens maye not contayne the: how shulde then this house do it, that I haue buylded?


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But turne the vnto the prayer of thy seruaunt, and to his supplicacion (O LORDE my God) that thou mayest heare the thankesgeuynge and prayer, which thy seruaunt maketh before the this daye,


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so that thine eyes be open ouer this house night and daye, euen ouer this place (wherof thou saydest: My name shall dwell there.) That thou mayest heare the prayer which thy seruaut maketh in this place,


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& heare the intercession of yi seruaunt & of thy people of Israel, which they shall make here in this place of thy habitacion in heauen: and whan thou hearest it, be gracious.


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Whan eny ma synneth agaynst his neghboure, and taketh vpon him an ooth wherwith he byndeth him selfe, and ye ooth commeth before thine altare in this house,


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then heare thou in heaue, and se that thy seruauntes haue right, to condemne the vngodly, and to brynge his waye vpon his owne heade, and to iustifie the righteous, to geue him acordinge to his righteousnes.


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Whan thy people of Israel is smytten before their enemies (whyle they haue synned agaynst the) and yf they turne vnto the and knowlege thy name, & make their prayer and intercession vnto the in this house,


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the heare thou them in heauen, and be mercifull vnto the synne of thy people of Israel, and brynge them agayne into the londe, yt thou hast geuen vnto their fathers.


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Whan the heauen is shut vp, so yt it rayneth not (for so moch, as they haue synned agaynst the) and yf they make their prayer in this place, and knowlege thy name, and turne from their synnes wha thou troublest them,


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heare thou them then in heauen, and be mercifull vnto the synnes of thy seruauntes, and of thy people of Israel, that thou mayest shewe them the good waye, wherin they shulde walke, and let it rayne vpon the londe that thou hast geuen thy people to inheritaunce.


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Whan a derth, or pestilence, or drouth, or burnynge, or greshopper or catirpiller, is in their londe, or whan his enemye layeth sege to his portes in the londe, or whan eny other plage or disease happeneth,


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who so euer then maketh his prayer and peticion, whether it be eny other men or thy people of Israel (which the are aware of their plage) euery one in his hert, and spredeth out his handes vnto this house:


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Heare thou then in heauen in the seate where thou dwellest, and be mercifull, & se that thou geue euery one acordinge as he hath walked, like as thou knowest his hert (for thou onely knowest the hert of all the children of men)


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that they maye allwaye feare the, as longe as they lyue in the lande, which thou hast geuen vnto oure fathers.


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And whan eny straunger, that is not of thy people of Israel, commeth out of a farre countre for thy names sake


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(for they shall heare of thy greate name, and of thy mightie hade, and of thy outstretched arme) and commeth to make his prayer in this house,


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heare thou him then in heauen, euen in the seate of thy dwellynge, and do all for the which that straunger calleth vpon the, that all the nacions vpon earth maye knowe thy name, and that they maye feare the, as thy people of Israel do: and that they maye knowe, how that this house which I haue buylded, is named after thy name.


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Whan thy people go forth to the battayll agaynst their enemyes, the waye that thou shalt sende them and shall praye vnto the LORDE towarde the waye of the cite which thou hast chosen, and towarde the house that I haue buylded vnto thy name,


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Whan they synne agaynst the (for there is no ma that synneth not) & thou be wroth, and delyuer the vnto their enemyes, so that they cary them awaye captyue in to the enemyes londe farre or nye,


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and yf they remembre them selues in the londe where they are captyue, and turne, and make their intercession vnto the in the londe of their captyuite, and saye: We haue synned, & done amysse, and haue bene vngodly,


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and so turne vnto ye with all their hert, and with all their soule in the lode of their enemies (which led them awaye captyue) and make their prayer vnto the towarde the waye of their londe, that thou hast geuen vnto their fathers, euen towarde the cite which thou hast chosen, and towarde the house that I haue buylded vnto thy name:


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then heare thou their prayer and supplicacion in heauen, from the seate of thy dwellynge, and execute iudgment for them,


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and be mercifull vnto thy people that haue synned agaynst the, and vnto all their trespaces, wherwith they haue transgressed agaynst the, and graunte the mercy in the sighte of them which led them awaye presonners, that their enemyes maye be mercyfull vnto them:


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for they are thy people, and thyne enheritaunce, whom thou broughtest out of Egipte, from the yron fornace:


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that thine eyes maye be open vnto the peticion of thy seruaunt, and of thy people of Israel, that thou maiest heare them in all thinges for the which they shall call vpon the


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(for thou O LORDELORDE) hast sundered them out to be an inheritaunce vnto thy selfe, from amoge all the nacions vpon earth, acordinge as thou saydest by Moses thy seruaunt, whan thou broughtest oure fathers out of Egipte.


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And wha Salomon had ended all this prayer and peticion before the LORDE, he rose vp from the altare of the LORDE, and lefte of from knelynge and holdynge out of handes towarde heauen,


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Praysed be the LORDE which hath geuen rest vnto his people, acordinge as he sayde. There hath not one fayled of all his good wordes, which he spake by his seruaunt Moses.


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nether withdrawe his hande from vs, but bowe oure hertes vnto him, that we maye walke in all his wayes, and kepe his commaundementes, ordinaunces and lawes, which he commaunded oure fathers.


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And these wordes wherwith I haue made my peticion before the LORDE, come nye vnto the LORDE oure God daye and nighte, that he maye execute iudgment for his seruaunt and for his people of Israel, euery one at his tyme:


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And let youre hert be perfecte with the LORDE oure God, to walke in his statutes, and to kepe his commaundementes, as it is this daye.


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And Salomon offred deed offerynges (which he offred vnto the LORDE) two and twenty thousande oxen, and an hundreth & twenty thousande shepe. So the kynge and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the LORDE.


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The same daye dyd the kynge dedicate the myddelmost courte, which was before the house of the LORDE: that he mighte there perfourme the burntofferynges, meatofferynges, and the fat of the deedofferynges: for the brasen altare that stode before ye LORDE, was to litle for the burntofferynges, meatofferynges, and for the fat of the deedofferynges.


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And at the same tyme made Salomon a solempne feast, and all Israel a greate congregacion with him, from the border of Hemath vnto the ryuer of Egipte, before the LORDE oure God, seuen dayes, and yet seuen dayes, that were fourtene daies.


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And on the eight daye he let the people go. And they blessed the kynge, and wente vnto their tentes reioysinge and with a mery hert, because of all the good that the LORDE had done vnto Dauid his seruaunt, & to his people of Israel.


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And whan Salomon had fynished ye buyldinge of the house of the LORDE, and the kynges house, and all that his desyre and pleasure was to make,


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And the LORDE sayde vnto him: I haue herde thy prayer and peticion, that thou hast made before me, and haue sanctified this house which thou hast buylded, that I maye set my name there for euer: and myne eyes and my hert shalbe there allwaye.


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And yf thou walke before me (as thy father Dauid walked) with a perfecte and a true hert, so that thou do all that I haue commaunded the, and kepe myne ordinaunces and lawes,


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then wyll I stablish the seate of thy kyngdome ouer Israel for euer, acordinge as I promysed thy father Dauid, and sayde: Thou shalt not wante a man from the seate of Israel.


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But yf ye turne back fro me, ye and youre childre, and kepe not my commaundementes and ordinaunces which I haue layed before you, but go and serue other goddes, and worshipe them,


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then wyll I rote Israel out of the londe that I haue geuen them. And the house that I haue halowed vnto my name, wyll I put awaye fro my face. And Israel shall be come a byworde and fabell amoge all nacions,


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and so shal this hye house: so that euery one yt goeth by, shall be astonyed, and make an hyssynge, and saye: Wherfore hath the LORDE done thus vnto this londe and to this house?


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Then shal it be answered: Because they forsoke ye LORDE their God, (which brought their fathers out of the londe of Egipte) and haue receaued other goddes, and worshipped them, and serued them. Therfore hath ye LORDE brought all this euell vpon them.


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Now whan the twentye yeares were ended, wherin Salomon buylded the two houses, the LORDES house and the kynges house,


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where vnto Hiram the kynge of Tyre brought Salomo Ceder trees & Pyne trees, and golde after all his desyre, then gaue kynge Salomon vnto Hiram twentye cities in the countre of Galile.


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And Hiram departed from Tyre to vyset the cities which Salomon had geuen him, & they pleased him not,


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and he sayde: What maner of cities are these (my brother) that thou hast geue me? And he called them the londe of Cabul vnto this daye.


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And the same is the summe of the taxe, that kynge Salomon raysed to the buyldinge of the house of the LORDE, and his awne house, & Millo, and the walles of Ierusalem, and Hasor, and Megiddo, and Gaser.


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For Pharao ye kynge of Egipte came vp, and wane Gaser, & brent it with fyre, & slewe the Cananites yt dwelt in the cite, & gaue it for a gifte vnto his doughter Salomos wife.


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& all the cities of the corne houses that Salomon had, and all the cities of the charettes, & all the cities of the horsmen, and what it pleased him to buylde at Ierusalem, in Libanus, & in euery countre of his domynion.


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And all the remnaunt of the people of the Amorytes, Hethites, Pheresites, Heuites and Iebusites, which were not of the children of Israel,


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their children which they lefte behynde them in the londe (whom the children of Israel coulde not vtterly destroye) those dyd Salomon make tributaries vnto this daye.


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But of the children of Israel he made no bondmen, but let them be men of warre, and his seruauntes, and prynces, and knightes, and ouer his charettes and horsme.


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And the officers which were ouer Salomons busynesse, were fyue hundreth and fyftye, which ruled the people, and perfourmed the worke.


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And Pharaos doughter wente vp from the cite of Dauid, in to hir house which he had buylded for her. Then buylded he Millo likewyse.


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And thre tymes in the yeare dyd Salomon offre burntofferynges and deedofferynges vpon the altare that he had buylded vnto the LORDE, and burnt incense vpon it before the LORDE, and so was the house ended and fynished.


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And Salomon made shippes also at Ezeon Geber, which lyeth by Eloth besyde the Reed See shore in ye londe of the Edomites.


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And Hiram sent his seruauntes by shippe, which were shipmen, and had experience of the See, with Salomons seruauntes,


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and they came vnto Ophir, and fetched from thence one & twenty score hundreth weight of golde, and brought it vnto Salomon.


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And whan kynge Salomons fame of the name of the LORDE came to the eares of the Quene of riche Arabia, she came to proue him with darke sentences.


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And she came to Ierusalem with a maruelous greate trayne, with camels which bare spyces, and moch golde, and precious stones And whan she came in to kynge Salomon, she spake vnto him all that was in hir hert.


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But whan the Quene of riche Arabia sawe all the wy?dome of Salomon, and the house that he had buylded,


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and the meates of his table, and the dwellinges of his seruauntes, & the offyces of his ministers, and their garmentes, and his butlers and the burntofferynges which he offred in the house of the LORDE, she wondred exceadingly, and coulde no longer refrayne,


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but sayde vnto the kynge: It is true that I haue herde in my londe of thy behauoure and of thy wy?dome.


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And I wolde not beleue it, tyll I came and sawe it with myne eyes: and beholde, the halfe hath not bene tolde me. hou hast more wy?dome and good, the the fame is that I haue herde.


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Praysed be the LORDE thy God, which had soch a pleasure vnto the, that he set the vpon the seate of Israel: because he hath allwaye loued Israel, and hath set the to be kynge, that thou shuldest mantayne iustyce and equyte.


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And she gaue the kynge syxe score hundreth weighte of golde, and very moch spyce, and precious stones. There came neuer so moch spyce thyther, as the Quene of riche Arabia gaue vnto kynge Salomon.


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And Hirams shippes, which caried golde out of Ophir, broughte maruelous moch costly tymber and precious stones from Ophir.


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And of that costly tymber the kynge caused to make pilers in the house of the LORDE, and in ye kinges house, and harpes and Psalteries for the Musicians. There came nomore soch costly tymber, nether was it sene vnto this daye.


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And kynge Salomon gaue the quene of riche Arabia, all that she desyred and axed, besydes that which he gaue her of a frye hande. And she returned, and departed in to hir lande with hir seruauntes.


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besydes that which came of chapmen, marchauntes and Apotecaries, and of the nexte kynges, and of the mightie men in the londe.


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And kynge Salomon caused to make two hundreth speares of beaten golde, sixe hundreth peces of golde put he to euery speare:


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and thre hundreth shyldes of ye best golde, euen thre pounde of golde vpon euery shylde. And the kynge put them in the house of the wod of Libanus.


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And the seate had sixe steppes, and ye heade of the seate was roude behynde. And there were two postes to leane vpo on both the sydes of the seate, and two lyons stode vpon the leanynge postes,


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and twolue lyons stode vpon the sixe steppes on both the sydes. Soch one hath not bene made in eny kyngdome.


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All kynge Salomos drynkynge vessels were of golde, and all the vessels in the house of ye wod of Libanus were of pure golde also: for syluer was not regarded in Salomons tyme.


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For the kynges Seeshippe yt sayled vpon the See with ye shippe of Hiram, came once in thre yeare, and broughte golde, syluer, Yuery, Apes, and Pecockes.


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And all the worlde desyred to se Salomon, that they mighte heare the wy?dome which God gaue him in his hert.


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And they broughte him yearly euery man his present, vessels of syluer and golde, rayment and harnesse, spyces, horses and Mules.


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And Salomon broughte charettes and horsmen together, so that he had a thousande and foure hundreth charettes, and twolue thousande horsmen: and those he put in ye charet cities, and with the kynge at Ierusalem.


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And the kynge broughte it to passe, that there was as moch syluer at Ierusale as stones: and as many Ceders as there were wylde figge trees in the valleys.


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And Salomos horses were broughte out of Egipte, and fro Reua: for the kynges marchauntes fetched them from Reua for money.


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And a charet came vp out of Egipte for sixe hudreth Sycles of Syluer, and an horse for an hudreth and fyftye. Thus were they brought also vnto all the kynges of the Hethites and to the kynges of Siria by their handes.


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But kynge Salomon loued many outlandish wemen, Pharaos doughter, and wemen of Moab, of Ammo, of Edom, of Sidon, and of Heth,


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euen of those nacions, that the LORDE spake of vnto the children of Israel: Go not ye vnto them, and let not them come vnto you: they shal surely bowe youre hertes after their goddes: Vnto these dyd Salomon enclyne with affeccion.


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And he had seuen hundreth wemen to wyues, and thre hundreth concubynes, and his wyues turned his hert asyde.


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And whan he was now olde, his wyues bowed his hert after straunge goddes, so that his hert was not whole with the LORDE his God, as was the hert of Dauid his father.


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So Salomon walked after Astaroth the god of the Sidonians, and after Malcom the abhominacion of the Ammonites.


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And Salomon dyd yt which displeased the LORDE, and folowed not ye LORDE to ye vttemost as dyd his father Dauid.


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The buylded Salomo an hie place vnto Chamos the abhominacio of ye Moabites (vpon the mount that lyeth before Ierusale) and vnto Moloch the abhominacion of the Ammnnites.


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But the LORDE was wroth at Salomon, because his hert was turned asyde from ye LORDE God of Israel, which had two tymes appeared vnto him,


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and comaunded him, that he shulde not walke after other goddes: and yet kepte he not that the LORDE commaunded him.


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Therfore sayde the LORDE vnto Salomon: For so moch as this is done with the, and hast not kepte my couenaunt and myne ordinaunces, which I commaunded the, therfore wyll I also plucke thy kyngdome from the, and geue it vnto thy seruaunt:


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Neruertheles in yi tyme will I not do it, for thy father Dauids sake, but from the hande of thy sonne wyl I plucke it.


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Howbeit I wyl not plucke ye kyngdome cleane awaye. One trybe wyll I geue vnto thy sonne, for Dauid my seruauntes sake, and for Ierusalems sake which I haue chosen.


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And the LORDE raysed vp an aduersary vnto Salomon, euen Hadad the Edomite of the kynges sede, which was in Edom.


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For whan Dauid was in Edom, and Ioab the chefe captayne wente vp to bury the slayne, he smote all the males in Edom.


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(For Ioab remayned there sixe monethes and all Israel, tyl he had roted out all ye males that were in Edom.)


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Then fled Hadad, and certayne men of ye Moabites with him, of his fathers seruauntes. As for Hadad, he was a yonge man.


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And they gat them vp fro Madian, and came vnto Paran, and toke men with them out of Paran, and came in to Egipte vnto Pharao the kynge of Egipte: which gaue him an house and certayne vytales appoynted, & gaue him a countre.


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And Adad founde greate fauoure in the sighte of Pharao, so that he gaue him to wife euen the sister of his owne wife Thaphenes the Quene.


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And Thaphenes sister bare him Genubath his sonne, and Thaphenes norished him vp in Pharaos house, in so moch that Genubath was in Pharaos house amonge Pharaos children.


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Now wha Hadad herde in Egipte, that Dauid was falle on slepte with his fathers, and yt Ioab the chefe captayne was deed, he sayde vnto Pharao: Let me go in to my countre.


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Pharao sayde vnto him: What lackest thou with me, that thou wilt go in to thy countre? He sayde: Nothynge, but yet let me go.


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God raysed him vp another aduersary also, one Reson the sonne of El Iada, which fled from his lorde Hadad Eser kynge of Zeba,


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and gathered men agaynst him, and was a captayne of the men of warre whan Dauid slewe them: and they wente vnto Damascus and dwelt there, and reigned at Damascus,


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and he was Israels aduersary as loge as Salomon lyued. This is the harme yt Hadad suffred: therfore had he euell will at Israel, and was kynge ouer Israel


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Morouer Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat an Ephraite Salomons seruaunt (and his mothers name was Zeruga, a wedowe) lifte vp his hande also agaynst the kynge.


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And this is the cause wherfore he lifte vp his hande agaynst the kynge: Whan Salomon buylded Millo, he shut vp a gappe in the cite of Dauid his father.


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And Ieroboam was a ma of armes. And whan Salomon sawe that it was a mete yonge man, he set him ouer all the burthens of the house of Ioseph.


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But at the same tyme it fortuned, that Ieroboam wente out from Ierusalem, and the prophet Ahias of Silo founde him by the waye, and he had a new cloke vpon him, and they two were alone in the felde.


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and sayde vnto Ieroboam: Take thou ten peces vnto the. For thus sayeth the LORDE God of Israel: Beholde, euen thus wyll I rente the kyngdome from the hande of Salomo, and wyll geue the ten trybes.


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One trybe shall he haue for my seruaunt Dauids sake, and because of the cyte of Ierusalem, which I haue chosen out of all the trybes of Israel:


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for they haue forsaken me, and worshipped Astaroth the god of the Sidonians, Chamos the god of the Moabites, and Malco the god of the children of Ammon, and haue not walked in my wayes, to fulfill my pleasure, myne ordinaunces, and lawes, as dyd Dauid his father.


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Notwithstondynge I wyll not take the whole kyngdome from out of his hande, but wil make him a prynce as longe as he lyueth for my seruaunt Dauids sake, whom I dyd chose, which kepte my commaundementes & ordinaunces.


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and one vnto his sonne, that Dauid my seruaunt maye allwaye haue a lanterne before me in the cite of Ierusalem, which I haue chosen, that I maye set my name there.


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Therfore wyl I take the now, to raygne ouer all that thine hert desyreth, and thou shalt be kynge ouer Israel.


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Yf thou folowe now all that I shall commaunde the, and walke in my wayes, and fulfill my pleasure to kepe myne ordinaunces and commaundementes, as dyd my seruaut Dauid, then wyll I be with the, and buylde the a sure house, as I buylded vnto Dauid, and wyl geue Israel vnto the


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But Salomon soughte to kyll Ieroboam. Then Ieroboam gat him vp, and fled in to Egipte to Sisak the kynge of Egipte, and remayned in Egipte, tyll Salomon dyed.


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What more there is to saye of Salomon, and all that he dyd, and his wy?dome, it is wrytten in the Cronicles of Salomon.


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And Salomon fell on slepe with his fathers, and was buryed in the cite of Dauid his father, and Roboam his sonne was kynge in his steade.


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And whan Ieroboam ye sonne of Nebat herde that, while he was yet in Egipte (whither he was fled for Salomon) he came agayne out of Egipte.


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And they sent for him, and called him. And Ieroboam with all the congregacion of Israel came and spake to Roboam, and sayde:


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Thy father made oure yock to harde: therfore make thou now the harde bondage and the sore yock lighter, and we wyll submytte oure selues vnto the.


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He sayde vnto them: Go youre waye vnto the thirde daye, and then come to me agayne. And the people wete their waye.


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And Roboam the kynge helde a councell with the Elders that stode before Salomo his father whyle he lyued, & he sayde: What is youre councell, that we maye geue this people an answere?


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They sayde vnto him: Yf thou do this people a pleasure to daye, and folowe their mynde, and heare them, and geue them good wordes, then shal they be obedient vnto the as longe as thou liuest.


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Neuertheles he forsoke the councell that ye Elders had geuen him, and axed councell at the yonge men which were growne vp with him, and stode before him.


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And he sayde vnto them: What is youre councell that we maye answere this people which haue sayde vnto me: Make the yock lighter, that thy father hath layed vpo vs.


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And the yonge men that were growne vp with him, sayde vnto him: Where as the people haue sayde vnto the: Thy father hath made oure yock to sore, make thou it easyer for vs, Thus shalt thou saye vnto them: My litle fynger shall be thicker then my fathers loynes.


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Now, my father layed a sore yock vpon you, but I wyl yet laye more theron: My father correcte you with scourges, but I wyl nourtoure you with scorpions.


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So vpon the thyrde daye came Ieroboam with all the people vnto Roboam, as ye kynge had appoynted and saide, come to me agayne on the thyrde daye.


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And the kynge gaue the people an harde rough answere, and forsoke the coucell that the Elders had geuen him,


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and talked with them after the councell of the yonge men, and sayde: My father made youre yock sore, but I wyll make it yet sorer vpon you. My father correcte you with scourges, but I wil nourtoure you with scorpios.


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Thus the kynge folowed not the peoples mynde, for he was turned so fro the LORDE, that he mighte stablish his worde which he spake by Ahias of Silo vnto Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat.


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But whan all Israel sawe that the kynge wolde not heare them, the people gaue ye kynge an answere and sayde: What porcion haue we then in Dauid or inheritaunce in the sonne of Isai? Get the to thy tentes O Israel. Loke thou now to thy house thou Dauid. So Israel wente vnto their tentes.


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And whan kynge Roboam sent thither Adoram the rentgatherer, all Israel stoned him to death. But kynge Roboam strengthed himselfe, and gat him vp in to a charet, to fle vnto Ierusalem.


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Now whan all Israel herde, that Ieroboam was come againe, they sent for to call him to the whole congregacion, and made him kynge ouer all Israel. And no man folowed the house of Dauid, saue onely the tribe of Iuda.


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And whan Roboam came to Ierusalem, all the house of Iuda and the trybe of Ben Iamin (euen an hundreth and foure score thousande chosen men of armes) gathered themselues together to fight against ye house of Israel, & to brynge the kyngdome agayne vnto Roboam ye sonne of Salomo.


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Speake thou to Roboam the sonne of Salomon kynge of Iuda, and to all ye house of Iuda and Ben Iamin, and to the other people, and saye:


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Thus sayeth the LORDE: Ye shall not go vp and fighte agaynst youre brethren the children of Israel. Let euery man go home agayne, for this is my dede. And they herkened vnto the worde of the LORDE, and turned back, to go their waye, as the LORDE sayde.


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But Roboam buylded Sichem vpon mount Ephraim, and dwelt therin, and departed thence, and buylded Penuel.


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yf this people go vp to offre in the LORDES house at Ierusalem, and so shall the hert of this people turne to their lorde Roboam kynge of Iuda, and the shal they slaye me, and fall agayne to Roboam kynge of Iuda.


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And the kynge helde a councell and made two golden calues, and sayde vnto them: It is to moch for you to go to Ierusale: beholde, there is thy God (O Israel) which broughte ye out of Egipte.


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He made an house also in the hye places, and made prestes of the smallest in the people, which were not of the childre of Leui.


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And vpon the fiftene daye of the eighte moneth he made an holy daye, like as the solempne feast in Iuda, and offered vpon the altare. Thus dyd he at Bethel, in doynge sacrifice vnto the calues which he had made,and at Bethel he ordeyned the prestes of the hye places that he had made:


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and offred vpon the altar (which he had made) at Bethel, the fiftene daye of the eight moneth, which he inuented of his owne hert. And he made the children of Israel an holy daye, & wente vp to the altare to burne incense.


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And beholde, there came a ma of God from Iuda (thorow the worde of the LORDE) vnto Bethel, and Ieroboam stode by the altar to burne incense.


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And he cried agaynst the altare thorow the worde of the LORDE, and sayde: O altar, altar, thus sayeth the LORDE: Beholde, there shal be borne vnto ye house of Dauid a sonne, Iosias by name which on the shal offer the prestes of the hye places, that burne incense vpon the, and mens bones shal he burne on the.


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And he gaue a wonder token the same daye, and sayde: This is the token, that the LORDE hath spoken it, beholde, the altar shall ryue, and the a?shes, that are theron, shall be poured out.


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But whan the kynge herde the worde of the man of God, that cried agaynst the altare at Bethel, he stretched out his hande by ye altare, and sayde: Laye hondes on him. And his hande that he stretched out, wythered, and he coulde not drawe it vnto him agayne.


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And ye altare roue, and the a?shes were poured out from the altare, acordinge to the wonder token that the man of God had geuen by the worde of the LORDE.


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And the kynge answered, and sayde vnto the man of God: O praye the face of the LORDE thy God, and make intercession for me, that my hande maie be restored vnto me agayne. Then prayed the man of God vnto the face of the LORDE. And the kynges hande was restored him agayne, and became as it was afore.


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But the man of God sayde vnto the kynge: Yf thou geuest me halfe thy house, I wil not come with the: for in this place wyll I nether eate bred, ner drynke water.


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For thus am I commaunded, and thus is it sayde vnto me by the worde of the LORDE: Thou shalt eate no bred, and drynke no water, nether returne the waye that thou wentest.


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But at Bethel there dwelt an olde prophet vnto who his sonnes came, & tolde him all the workes yt the ma of God had done that daye at Bethel, & the wordes that he had spoken vnto the kynge.


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And their father sayde vnto them: Which waye is he gone? And his sonnes shewed him the waye that the man of God was gone: which came from Iuda.


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He sayde vnto his sonnes: Saddell me the asse. And wha they had sadled him the asse, he rode theron,


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and wente after the man of God, and founde him syttinge vnder an Oke tre, and sayde vnto him: Art thou the man of God that came from Iuda? He sayde: Yee.


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He sayde: I maye not turne backe with the, and come with the. Nether wyll I eate bred, ner drynke water with the in this place:


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for it is spoken vnto me by the worde of the LORDE: Thou shalt nether eate bred there, ner yet drynke water, nether shalt thou go agayne by the waye which thou wentest.


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He sayde vnto him: I myselfe am a prophet as well as thou, and an angell hath spoken with me by ye worde of the LORDE, and saide: Bringe him againe with the, that he maye eate bred, and drynke water. But he lyed vnto him,


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And whan they sat at the table, the worde of the LORDE came to the prophet that had broughte him agayne,


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and cryed vnto the man which was come fro Iuda, and sayde: Thus sayeth the LORDE: Because thou hast bene dishobedient vnto the mouth of ye LORDE, and hast not kepte the commaundement that the LORDE thy God commaunded the,


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but hast turned backe, and hast eaten bred, and dronke water in ye place, wherof he saide vnto the: Thou shalt nether eate bred ner drynke water, therfore shall not thy body come in to thy fathers graue.


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And whan he had eaten bred and dronke the asse was sadled vnto the prophet whom he had brought agayne.


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And wha he was gone, a lyon founde him by the waye, & slewe him, and his body was cast in ye waye. And the asse stode by him, and the lyon stode by the body.


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And wha men wente by, they sawe the body cast in the waye, and the lyon stondynge besyde the body, and came and tolde it in the cite, where the olde prophet dwelt.


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Whan the prophet which had broughte him agayne, herde that, he sayde: It is the man of God, that hath bene dishobediet vn the mouth of the LORDE, therfore hath ye LORDE delyuered him vnto the Lyon, which hath rente him, and slayne him, acordynge to the worde that the LORDE spake vnto him.


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he wente, and founde his body cast in the waie and the asse and the lyon stondynge beside ye body. The lyon had eate nothinge of the body, nether had he torne the asse.


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Then toke the prophet the deed coarse of the man of God, and layed it vpo the asse, and broughte it agayne in to the cite of the olde prophet, to mourne, and to burye him.


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And whan they had buryed him, he saide vnto his sonnes: Whan I dye, burye me in the graue where the ma of God is buried, and laye my bones besyde his bones.


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For it shal come to passe, that he cried (thorow the worde of the LORDE) against Bethel, and agaynst all ye houses of the hye places, which are in the cities of Samaria.


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Howbeit after this acte dyd not Ieroboa turne from his euell waye, but was peruerted, and made prestes of the hye places, eue of the smallest of the people: Loke whom it pleased him, his handes he fylled, & he was prest of the hye places.


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and Ieroboam saide vnto his wyfe: Get the vp, and disguise the, so that no man perceaue that thou art Ieroboams wyfe, and go vnto Silo: beholde, there is the prophet Ahias, which promysed me yt I shulde be kynge ouer this people:


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and take with the ten loaues of bred and cakes, and a cuppe with hony, & go to him, that he maye tell the how it shal go wt the childe.


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And Ieroboams wyfe did so, and gat hir vp, and wente vnto Silo, and came in to the house of Ahias. But Ahias coulde not se, for his eyes were dymme for age.


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Neuerthelesse the LORDE sayde vnto Ahias: Beholde, Ieroboams wyfe commeth, to axe a matter at the for hir sonne, for he is sycke. Speake thou therfore vnto her thus & thus Now whan she came in, she shewed hirselfe straunge.


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But whan Ahias herde the noyse of hir fete goynge in at the dore, he saide: Come in thou wyfe of Ieroboa. Why shewest thou thy selfe so straunge? I am sent vnto ye an harde messaunger.


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Go thy waye and tell Ieroboam: Thus sayeth ye LORDE God of Israel: I haue exalted the from amonge the people, and set the to be prynce ouer my people of Israel,


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and haue rente the kyngdome from the house of Dauid, and geuen it the. But thou hast not bene as my seruaunt Dauid, which kepte my commaundemetes, and walked after me with all his hert, so that he did onely ye thinge that was righte in my sighte:


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and thou hast done worse then all they that haue bene before the: thou hast gone thy waye and made the other goddes, and molten ymages, to prouoke me vnto wrath, and hast cast me behynde thy backe.


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Beholde therfore, I wil brynge mysfortune vpon the house of Ieroboam, and wyl rote out from Ieroboam eue him that maketh water agaynst the wall, the presoner and forsaken in Israel: and the posterite of ye house of Ieroboam wyll I swepe out, as donge is swepte out, tyll he be cleane broughte to naught.


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He that dieth (of Ieroboam) in the cite, the dogges shal eate him vp. But him yt dyeth in the felde, shall the foules of the aire eat vp, for the LORDE hath spoken it.


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And all Israel shal bewayle him, and burye him. For he onely of Ieroboam shal come to the graue, because there is some good founde in him before the LORDE God of Israel, in Ieroboams house.


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But the LORDE shall rayse him vp a kynge, which shal rote out ye house of Ieroboam in that daie. And what is it, yt is now in hande all ready?


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And the LORDE shal smyte Israel, like as a rede is moued in the water: & shal rote out Israel from this good londe, that he gaue vnto their fathers, & shal scater them beyonde the water, because they haue made their groues to prouoke the LORDE vnto wrath.


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And Israel shall be geuen ouer because of the synne of Ieroboam, which hath synned him selfe, & made Israel to synne.


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And Ieroboams wife gat her vp, wente hir waye, & came vnto Thirza. And whan she came vpo the thresholde of the house, ye childe dyed,


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& they buried him, & all Israel made lamentacion for him, acordinge to ye worde of the LORDE, which he spake by his seruaunt Ahia ye prophet.


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What more there is to saye of Ieroboam, how he foughte & raigned, beholde, it is wrytten in the Cronicles of the kynges of Israel.


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The tyme that Ieroboam raigned, was two & twentye yeare. And he slepte with his fathers. And Nadab his sonne was kynge in his steade.


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Roboam ye sonne of Salomon was kynge in Iuda. One and fortye yeare olde was Roboam wha he was made kynge, & seuentene yeare raigned he at Ierusalem, in the cite yt the LORDE had chosen out of all ye trybes of Israel, to set his name there. His mothers name was Naemaan Ammonitisse.


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And Iuda dyd yt which displeased the LORDE, & prouoked him to indignacion more the all yt their fathers had done wt their synnes which they dyd:


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for they likewyse buylded them hye places, pilers, and groues vpo euery hye hill, and amonge all grene trees.


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There were whoremogers also, & they dyd all ye abhominacios of ye Heythe, whom ye LORDE droue out before the children of Israel.


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& toke the treasure out of ye house of the LORDE, & out of the kynges house, & all that mighte be gotten, & toke all the shyldes of golde, which Salomon caused to be made.


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In steade wherof ye kynge Roboam caused for to make shyldes of stele, & commytted them vnder the handes of the chefe fotemen, which kepte the dore of the kynges house.


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And as oft as the kynge wente in to ye house of the LORDE, the fote men bare them, and brought them agayne in to the fote mens chamber.


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What more there is to saye of Roboam, and all that he dyd, beholde, it is wrytten in the Cronicles of the kynges of Iuda.


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And Robobam slepte with his fathers, & was buried wt his fathers in the cite of Dauid. And his mothers name was Naema an Ammonitisse. And his sonne Abia was kynge in his steade.


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and he walked in all the synnes of his father, which he had done before him, and his hert was not perfecte with the LORDE his God, as was the hert of Dauid his father.


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For because of Dauids sake dyd the LORDE his God geue him a lanterne at Ierusalem, so yt he raysed his sonne after him, & manteyned him at Ierusalem,


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because Dauid dyd the thinge yt was righte in ye sighte of the LORDE, and departed not from all that he commaunded him as longe as he lyued (sauynge in the matter with Vrias ye Hethite).


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What more there is to saye of Abia, and all that he dyd, beholde, it is wrytten in the Cronicles of the kynges of Iuda. There was warre also betwene Abia and Ieroboam.


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And Abia slepte with his fathers, and they buried him in the cite of Dauid. And Asa his sonne was kynge in his steade.


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and reigned one & fortye yeare at Ierusalem. His graundmothers name was Maecha the doughter of Abisalom.


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And he remoued ye whoremongers out of the londe, and put downe all the Idols that his fathers had made.


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He put his mother from the mynistracion, that she had made vnto Miplezeth in ye groue. And Asa roted out hir Miplezeth, and brent it in the broke Cedron:


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but the hye places put he not downe. Yet was the hert of Asa perfecte with the LORDE as longe as he lyued.


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And the syluer and golde, and vessels that his father had halowed, & soch as was sanctified vnto ye house of the LORDE, that broughte he in.


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Baesa the kynge of Israel wente vp agaynst Iuda, and buylded Rama, that no man shulde go out and in of Asas syde the kynge of Iuda.


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Then toke Asa all the syluer and golde that was lefte in the treasure of the house of the LORDE, and in the treasure of the kynges house, and delyuered it in to his seruauntes handes, & sent it vnto Benadab the sonne of Tabrimon the sonne of Hesion kynge of Siria, which dwelt at Damascon, and let saye vnto him:


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There is a couenaunt betwene me and the, and betwene my father and thy father: therfore sende I the a present of syluer and golde, that thou shuldest breake the couenaunt which thou hast with Baesa the kynge of Israel, that he maye departe fro me.


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Benadab agreed vnto kynge Asa, and sent his captaynes agaynst the cities of Israel, and smote Iion and Dan, & Abel Beth Maecha, and all Cineroth with the whole londe of Nephtali.


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Kynge Asa caused it be proclamed in all Iuda: Here be no man excepte. And they toke awaye the stones and tymber from Rama, wherwith Baesa had buylded. And kynge Asa buylded Geba Ben Iamin & Mispa therwith.


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What more there is to saye of Asa, and of all his power, and all that he dyd, and of ye cities which he buylded, beholde, it is wrytten in the Cronicles of the kynges of Iuda: sauynge that in his olde age he was diseased in his fete.


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And Asa slepte with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the cite of Dauid his father. And Iosaphat his sonne was kynge in his steade.


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But Nadab the sonne of Ieroboam was kynge ouer Israel in the secode yeare of Asa kynge of Iuda, & raigned ouer Israel two yeare,


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and dyd euell in the sighte of the LORDE, and walked in the waye of his father, and in his synnes, wherwith he made Israel to synne.


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Howbeit Baesa the sonne of Ahia of the house of Isachar conspired agaynst him, & smote him at Gibbethon, which was the Philistynes: for Nadab and all Israel layed sege to Gibbethon.


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Now whan he was kynge, he smote all the house of Ieroboam, and let nothinge of Ieroboam remayne that had breth, tyll he had destroyed it, acordynge to ye worde of the LORDE, which he spake by his seruaunt Ahia of Silo,


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because of Ieroboams synnes which he dyd, & made Israel synne withall: euen with ye prouokynge wherwith he displeased the LORDE God of Israel.


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What more there is to saye of Nadab, & all that he dyd, beholde, it is wrytten in the Cronicles of the kynges of Israel,


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In the thirde yeare of Asa kynge of Iuda was Baesa ye sonne of Ahia kynge ouer all Israel at Thirza foure and twentye yeare,


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and dyd that which was euell in the sighte of the LORDE, and walked in the waye of Ieroboam, and in his synnes, wherwith he made Israel to synne.


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For so moch as I lifted the out of the dust, and made the prynce ouer my people of Israel, and thou walkest in the waye of Ieroboam, and makest my people ouer Israel for to synne, to prouoke me vnto wrath thorow their synnes,


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beholde, therfore wyll I take awaye the posterite of Beasa, and the posterite of his house, and wyll set thine house euen as the house of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat.


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He that of Baesa dyeth in the cite, the dogges shal deuoure him: and who so beynge of him dyeth in the felde, the foules of the ayre shall eate him vp.


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What more there is to saye of Baesa, & what he dyd, & of his power, beholde, it is wrytten in ye Cronicles of the kynges of Israel.


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And Baesa slepte with his fathers, & was buried at Thirza: & his sonne Ella was kynge in his steade.


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And the worde of ye LORDE came by the prophet Iehu the sonne of Hanani, ouer Baesa, and ouer his house, and agaynst all the euell that he dyd in the sighte of ye LORDE, to prouoke him vnto wrath thorow the workes of his handes: so that he became as the house of Ieroboam, and because he slewe this man.


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In the sixe & twentieth yeare of Asa kynge of Iuda, was Ella the sonne of Baesa kynge ouer Israel at Thirza two yeare.


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Neuertheles his seruaunt Simri, ye principall man ouer the halfe of ye charettes cospyred against him. As for Ella, he was at Thirza, dranke & was dronke in ye house of Arza the ruler of Thirza.


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And Simri came in, and slewe him in the seuen & twentieth yeare of Asa kynge of Iuda, and was kynge in his steade.


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And whan he was kynge, and sat vpon his seate, he smote all the house of Baesa, & lefte not so moch as one to make water agaynst ye wall: his bloud auengers also & his frendes.


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Thus dyd Simri destroye all the house of Baesa, acordinge to the worde of the LORDE, which he spake ouer Baesa by the prophet Iehu,


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because of all the synnes of Baesa and of Ella his sonne, which they dyd, and made Israel for to synne, to prouoke the LORDE God of Israel vnto wrath thorow their vanities.


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What more there is to saye of Ella, and all that he dyd, beholde, it is wrytten in the Cronicles of the kynges of Israel.


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In the seuen and twentieth yeare of Asa kynge of Iuda, was Simri kynge vij. dayes at Thirza, and the people laye before Gibbethon of the Philistynes.


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But whan the people in the hoost herde saye yt Simri had conspired and slayne the kynge, then all Israel the same daye made Amri the chefe captayne kynge ouer all in the hoost.


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But whan Simri sawe yt the cite shulde be wonne, he wente in to the palace in the kynges house, & brent it with ye kynges house, & dyed


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because of his synnes which he had committed, in that he dyd euell in the sighte of the LORDE, and walked in the waye of Ieroboam, and in his synnes which he dyd, wherwith he made Israel to synne.


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What more there is to saye of Simri, and how he conspired, beholde, it is wrytten in ye Cronicles of the kynges of Israel.


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At the same tyme were ye people deuyded in two partes: the one parte helde with Thibni the sonne of Ginath, that they might make him kynge: the other halfe helde with Amri.


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But the people that helde with Amri, were mightier then the people which helde with Thibni ye sonne of Ginath. And Thibni dyed, and Amri was kynge.


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In ye one and thirtieth yeare of Asa kynge of Iuda, was Amri kynge ouer Israel twolue yeares, & raigned at Thirza sixe yeares.


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He boughte the mount of Samaria of Semer for two hundreth weight of syluer, & buylded vpon the mount, and called the cite which he buylded, after ye name of Semer ye owner of ye mount of Samaria.


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And Amri dyd that which was euell in ye sighte of the LORDE, and was worse then all they that were before him,


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and walked in all ye wayes of Ieroboam ye sonne of Nebat, and in his synnes, wherwith he made Israel to synne, so that they prouoked the LORDE God of Israel vnto wrath in their vanities.


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What more there is to saye of Amri, & all that he dyd, and his power that he exercysed, beholde, it is wrytten in the Cronicles of the kynges of Israel.


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And Amri slepte with his fathers, & was buried in Samaria, and Achab his sonne was kynge in his steade.


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In the eight & thirtieth yeare of Asa kynge of Iuda, was Achab the sonne of Amri kynge ouer Israel, & raigned ouer Israel at Samaria two & twentie yeare,


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And he thoughte it but a small matter to walke in the synnes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat: and toke Iesabel the doughter of Eth Baal kynge of Sidon to wife, and wente and serued Baal, and worshiped him.


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and made a groue: so that Achab dyd more to prouoke the God of Israel vnto wrath, then all the kynges yt were before him in Israel.


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At ye same tyme dyd Hiel of Bethel buylde Iericho: It cost him his first sonne Abiram, yt he layed ye foundacion: & his yongest sonne Segub, yt he set vp the portes: Acordinge to the worde of the LORDE, which he spake by Iosua the sonne of Nun.


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And Elias ye The?bite one of the inhabiters of Gilead, saide vnto Achab: As truly as the LORDE God of Israel lyueth, whose seruaunt I am, there shal nether rayne ner dew come this yeare, excepte I speake it.


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Get the hence, and turne the towarde the east, and hyde the by the ryuer Crith, which is ouer agaynst Iordane,


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and thou shalt drynke of the ryuer: and I haue commaunded the rauens, that they shal fede the there.


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He departed, and dyd acordinge to the worde of the LORDE, and wente his waye, and sat him downe by the ryuer Crith, which is ouer agaynst Iordane.


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And the raues broughte him bred and flesh in the mornynge and in the euenynge, and he dranke of the ryuer.


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And it fortuned after cerayne dayes, that the riuer was dryed: vp for there was no rayne in the lode.


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Get ye vp, and go vnto Sarepta, which lieth by Sido: for there haue I commaunded a wedowe to make prouysion for the.


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And he gat him vp, and wente vnto Sarepta. And whan he came to the gate of ye cite, beholde, the wedowe was there, and gathered stickes. And he called her, and sayde: Fetch me a litle water in a vessell, yt I maye drinke.


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And as she was goinge to fetch it, he cried vnto her, & sayde: Brynge me a morsell of bred also in thine hande.


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She sayde: As truly as the LORDE yi God lyueth, I haue no bred, but an handfull of floure in a pitcher, & a curtesy oyle in a cruse: and beholde, I haue gathered vp one or two stickes, & wyll go and prepare it for me and my sonne, that we maye eate and dye.


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Elias sayde vnto her: Feare not, go thy waye, & do as thou hast sayde: yet make me first a morsell of bred therof, & brynge it me forth: & afterwarde shalt thou make it for ye & thy sonne.


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For thus sayeth ye LORDE God of Israel: The meell in the pitcher shall not be spent, & the oyle in ye cruse shall not fayll, vnto the daye yt the LORDE shal cause it for to rayne vpo earth.


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The meel in the pitcher was not mynished, and the oyle in the cruse fayled not, acordinge to the worde of ye LORDE which he spake by Elias.


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And after these actes the sonne of the wife of ye house was sicke: and his sicknes was so exceadinge sore, that there remayned no breth in him.


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And she sayde vnto Elias: What haue I to do with the, thou man of God? Art thou come in vnto me, yt my synne shulde be kepte in remembraunce, & that my sonne shulde be slayne?


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He sayde vnto her: Geue me thy sonne. And he toke him fro hir lappe, & caried him vp in to ye chamber where he himselfe dwelt, and layed him vpo his bed,


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& called vpon the LORDE, and sayde: O LORDE my God, hast thou dealt so euell wt the wedow with whom I dwell, yt thou woldest slaye hir sonne?


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And he stretched out him selfe ouer the childe thre tymes, & called vpon the LORDE, and saide: O LORDE my God, let the soule of this childe come agayne in to him.


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And the LORDE herde the voyce of Elias. And the soule of the childe came agayne vnto him, & he reuyued.


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And Elias toke the childe, and broughte him downe from the chamber in to the house and delyuered him vnto his mother, and sayde: Beholde, thy sonne lyueth.


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And the woman sayde vnto Elias: Now knowe I, that thou art a man of God, & that the worde of the LORDE is in thy mouth of a trueth.


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And after a longe season came ye worde of the LORDE vnto Elias in the thirde yeare, & sayde: Go thy waye, & shewe yi selfe vnto Achab, yt I maye cause it for to rayne vpon earth.


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for wha Iesabel roted out ye prophetes of ye LORDE, Abdia toke an C. prophetes, and hyd them in caues, here fiftye, & there fiftye, & prouyded for them wt bred and water.)


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Achab now sayde vnto Abdia: Go thorow the londe vnto all the welles of water & ryuers, yf happlye we maye finde hay, & to saue ye horses & mules, yt all the catell perishe not.


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And they parted the selues into the londe, to go thorow it. Achab departed the one waye alone, and Abdia ye other waye alone.


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Now whan Abdia was on ye waye, Elias met him. And whan he knewe him, he fell downe vpon his face, & sayde: Art not thou my lorde Elias?


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But he sayde: What haue I offended, that thou wilt delyuer thy seruaunt in to the handes of Achab, that he maye slaye me?


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As truly as the LORDE thy God lyueth, there is no people ner kingdome, but my lorde hath sent thither to seke the. And whan they sayde: He is not here, he toke an ooth of the same kyngdome and nacion, that they had not founde the.


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Now whan I were gone from the, the sprete of the LORDE shulde take ye awaye, I can not tell whither: and yf I then came and tolde Achab, and founde the not, he shulde slaye me: But thy seruaunt feareth the LORDE from his youth vp.


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Hath it not bene tolde my lorde what I dyd, whan Iesabel slewe the prophetes of the LORDE, how that I hyd an hundreth of the LORDES prophetes, here fiftye, and there fiftye in the caues, and prouyded for them with bred and water?


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Elias saide: As truly as ye LORDE Zebaoth lyueth, before whom I stode, I wil shewe my selfe vnto him this daye.


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He sayde: I trouble not Israel, but it is thou and thy fathers house, because ye haue forsaken the commaundementes of the LORDE, and walke after Baal.


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Go to, sende forth now, and gather me all Israel together vnto mount Carmell, and the foure hundreth and fiftye prophetes of Baal, and the foure hundreth prophetes of ye groue, which eate of Iesabels table.


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So Achab sent vnto all the children of Israel, & gathered the prophetes together vnto mount Carmell.


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Then stepte Elias vnto all the people, & sayde: How longe halte ye on both ye sydes? Yf the LORDE be God, the walke after him: but yf Baal be he, the folowe him. And the people gaue him no answere.


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The sayde Elias vnto the people: I onely am lefte a prophet of ye LORDE: but Baals prophetes are foure C. and fiftie me.


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Geue vs now two bullockes, & let them chose one bullocke, & hewe him in peces, & laye him vpo the wod, & put no fyre theron: so wil I take ye other bullock, & laye him vpo the wod, & put no fyre theron also:


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call ye then vpo the name of yor god, & I wil call vpo the name of the LORDE: loke which God now answereth with fyre, let the same be God. And all the people answered & sayde: That is righte.


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And Elias sayde vnto Baals prophetes: Chose ye one bullock, and do ye it first (for ye are many) and call ye vpon the name of youre god, & laye no fyre theron.


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And they toke the bullock which he gaue them, & prepared it, & called vpon the name of Baal from the mornynge vntyll the noone daye, and sayde: O Baal heare vs. But there was nether voyce ner answere. And they hopped aboute the altare, as their vse was to do.


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Now whan it was noone daye, Elias mocked them, and sayde: Crye loude. For he is a god, peradueture he is musynge, or hath somwhat to do, or is gone some iourneye, or happlye he slepeth, so that he wolde be waked vp.


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And they cried loude, and prouoked the selues with knyues & botkens, (as their maner was) tyll ye bloude folowed.


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But whan ye noone daye was past, they prophecied vntyll the tyme that the meatofferynge shulde be offered, & there was nether voyce ner answere, ner one to regarde them.


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Then sayde Elias vnto all the people: Come hither all ye people vnto me. And whan all ye people came to him, he repayred ye altare of the LORDE yt was broken,


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& toke twolue stones acordinge to the nombre of ye trybes of the childre of Iacob (vnto whom the worde of the LORDE spake, and sayde: Thy name shal be Israel)


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and of ye stones he buylded an altare in the name of the LORDE, & made a pytt rounde aboute the altare, like two forowes in the corne londe,


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& prepared the wod, & hewed ye bullock in peces, and layed him vpon the wod, & sayde: Fetch foure pitchers full of water, and poured it vpo the burntofferynge, and vpon the wod.


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And he sayde: Do it yet once. And they dyd it once agayne. And he sayde: Do it ye thirde tyme. And they dyd it the thirde tyme.


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And whan the tyme was to offer ye meatofferynge, Elias stepte forth, and sayde: O LORDE God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Israel, let it be knowne this daye, that thou art God in Israel, and I thy seruaunt, and that I haue done all this acordinge vnto yi worde.


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Heare me O LORDE, O heare me, yt this people maye knowe, how that thou art the LORDE God, that thou mayest afterwarde turne their hertes.


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Then fell downe the fyre of the LORDE, and consumed the burntofferinge, the wodd, the stones and the earth, and licked vp the water that was in the pytt.


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Whan all the people sawe that, they fell vpon their faces, and sayde: The LORDE is God, ye LORDE is God.


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Elias sayde vnto them: Laye handes vpon Baals prophetes, yt none of them escape. And they toke them. And Elias broughte them downe vnto ye broke Cyson, & slewe the there.


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And whan Achab wete vp to eate & drinke. Elias asceded vp to the toppe of Carmel, & bowed him selfe downe to the earth, & put his heade betwene his knees,


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& sayde vnto his lad: Go vp, and loke towarde the See. He wente vp & loked, & sayde: There is nothinge. He sayde: Go agayne seuen tymes.


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And at the seueth tyme he sayde: Beholde, there goeth vp a litle cloude out of the see, like a mans hande. He sayde: Go vp, and saie vnto Achab: Bynde yi charet, & go downe, yt the rayne ouertake the not.


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And or a ma coulde turne him, the heauen was blacke wt cloudes & wynde, & there came a greate rayne. But Achab rode his waie, & departed vnto Iesrael.


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And the hade of ye LORDE came vpo Elias, and he gyrde his loynes, & ranne before Achab, tyll he came vnto Iesrael.


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And Achab tolde Iesabel all yt Elias had done, & how he had slayne all Baals prophetes wt the swerde.


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The sent Iesabel a messaunger vnto Elias, sayenge: The goddes do this & that vnto me, yf I tomorow aboute this tyme, make not thy soule as one of these.


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Then was he afrayed, & gat him vp, & wente where he wolde, & came vnto Berseba in Iuda, and lefte his lad there.


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But he him selfe wente a daies iourney in to ye wyldernes, & came in, & sat him downe vnder a Iuniper tre, & wy?shed vnto his soule yt he mighte dye, & sayde: It is now ynough LORDE, take my soule, for I am no better then my fathers.


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And he layed him downe & slepte vnder the Iuniper tre. And beholde, ye angell touched him, & sayde vnto him: Stonde vp, and eate.


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And he loked aboute him, & beholde, at his heade there was a bred baken on the coles, & a cruse wt water. And whan he had eaten and dronke, he layed him downe agayne to slepe.


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And ye angell of the LORDE, came agayne the seconde tyme, & touched him, & sayde: Stonde vp, and eate, for thou hast a greate waye to go.


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And he arose, and ate and drake, and wente on thorow the strength of that meate fortye dayes and fortye nightes, eue vnto Horeb ye mount of God:


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and there he came to a caue, and abode there all nighte. And beholde the worde of the LORDE came to him, and sayde vnto him: What doest thou here Elias?


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He sayde: I haue bene zelous for the LORDE God Zebaoth: for the children of Israel haue forsaken thy couenaunt, and broken downe thine altares, and slayne thy prophetes with the swerde, and I am lefte onely, & they seke to take awaye my life.


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He sayde: Go forth, and stonde vpon the mount before the LORDE. And beholde, the LORDE wete ouer: and a greate mightie wynde, which roue the mountaynes, and brake the harde stones, came before the LORDE, but the LORDE was not in the wynde. After the wynde came there an earthquake, but the LORDE was not in the earthquake.


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And after the earth quake there came a fyre, but the LORDE was not in the fyre. And after the fyre came there a styll softe hyssinge.


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Whan Elias herde that, he couered his face with his cloke, and wente forth, and stode in the dore of the caue. And beholde, there came a voyce vnto him, and sayde: What hast thou here to do Elias?


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He sayde: I haue bene zelous for the LORDE God Zebaoth: for the children of Israel haue forsake thy couenaunt, broken downe thine altares, slayne yi prophetes wt the swerde, & I onely am lefte, and they seke to take awaye my life.


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But the LORDE sayde vnto him: Go yi waye agayne thorow the wyldernes vnto Damascon, & go in, & anoynte Hasael kynge ouer Siria,


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& Iehu the sonne of Nimsi kynge ouer Israel, & Eliseus ye sonne of Saphat of Abel Mehola to be prophet in yi steade.


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And it shal come to passe, yt, who so escapeth the swerde of Hasael, Iehu shall slaye him, & who so escapeth ye swerde of Iehu, Eliseus shal slaye him.


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And I wil reserue vnto me vij.M. men in Israel: namely, all ye knees which haue not bowed the selues vnto Baal, and euery mouth yt hath not kyssed him.


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And he departed thence, & founde Elizeus ye sonne of Saphat, plowinge wt twolue yocke of oxen before him, & he him selfe was amoge the twolue. And Elias wete vnto him, & cast his cloke vpon him.


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And he lefte the oxen, & ranne after Elias, & sayde: Let me kysse my father & my mother, and so wil I folowe the. And he sayde vnto him: Go thy waye, & come agayne, for I haue some what to do with the.


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And he ranne agayne from him, and toke a yock of oxen, and offred it, and sod ye flesh with the wod of the oxen plowes, and gaue it vnto the people to eate, and gat him vp, & folowed Elias, and mynistred vnto him.


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And Benadab ye kynge of Siria gathered all his power, & there were two & thirtie kynges wt him, & horses & charettes, and he wente vp, and layed sege vnto Samaria, & foughte agaynst it.


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And he sent messaungers vnto Achab ye kynge of Israel in to ye cite, & caused to saye vnto him: Thus sayeth Benadab:


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The kynge of Israel answered, & sayde: My lorde O kynge, euen as thou hast sayde, I am thine, and all that I haue.


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And the messaungers came agayne, & sayde: Thus sayeth Benadab: For so moch as I haue sent vnto the, sayenge: Thy syluer & thy golde, thy wyues & thy childre


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shalt thou geue me, tomorow aboute this tyme wil I sende my seruautes vnto the, yt they maye serch thyne house and the houses of thy subiectes: & loke what pleasaunt thinge thou hast, yt shal they take in their handes, and cary it awaye.


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So the kynge of Israel called all ye Elders of the lode, & sayde: Mark well & se, what myschefe this ma seketh: He sent vnto me for my wyues & children for syluer & golde, & I haue not sayde him naye.


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And he spake vnto Benadabs messaugers, Saye vnto my lorde ye kynge: All ye thynges wherfore thou dyddest sende vnto me yi seruaunt at ye first, wil I do, but this can I not do. And ye messaungers wete, and tolde this againe.


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The sent Benadab vnto him sayege: The goddes do this and yt vnto me, yf the dust of Samaria shalbe ynough, for euery one of my people to brynge me an handfull therof.


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But ye kynge of Israel answered, & sayde: Tell him, Let not him yt putteth on ye harnes, make his boast like him yt hath put it of


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Wha Benadab herde yt (eue as he was drynkinge wt the kynges in ye pauylion) he sayde vnto his seruautes: Set yor selues in araye. And they set the selues in araie against ye cite.


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And beholde, there came a prophet vnto Achab ye kynge of Israel, & saide: Thus sayeth the LORDE: Hast thou sene all this greate multitude? Beholde, this daie wil I delyuer the in to yi hande, so yt thou shalt knowe, how yt I am ye LORDE.


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Achab sayde: By whom? He sayde: Thus sayeth the LORDE: Euen by the yonge men of the rulers of the londe. He sayde: Who shal order the battayl? He sayde: Thou.


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Then mustered he the yonge men of the rulers of the londe, & there were two hudreth and two and thirtie of them: & after the mustured he of the whole people of all the childre of Israel, seue thousande men,


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and they wente out in the noone daye. As for Benadab, he dranke and was dronken in the pauylion with the two & thirtie kynges which were come to helpe him.


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And the yonge men of the rulers of the londe wente forth first. Benadab sent forth, & they brought him worde, & sayde: There come men out of Samaria.


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But whan the londe rulers yonge men were gone forth, and the hoost behynde them, euery one smote him yt came in his waye.


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And the Sirians fled, and Israel folowed after them. And Benadab the kynge of Syria escaped with horses and horsme.


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And the kynge of Israel wente forth, and smote horses and charettes, and dyd a greate slaughter on the Syrians.


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Then came there a prophet vnto the kynge of Israel, and sayde vnto him: Go thy waye and strength the, and take hede, and loke well what thou doest: for whan the yeare is aboute, the kynge of Syria shall come agaynst the of the new.


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For the kynge of ye Syrians seruauntes sayde vnto him: Their goddes are goddes of the mountaynes, therfore haue they gotten the victory. But let vs fyghte with them on the playne, and thou shalt se that we shal ouercome them.


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and appoynte the an hoost as was that which thou hast lost, & horses & charettes as the other were, and let vs fight agaynst the in the plaine, and thou shalt se that we shal haue the victory. He cosented vnto their voyce, and dyd so.


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Now whan the yeare was gone aboute, Benadab appoynted the Sirians, and wente vp towarde Aphek, to fighte agaynst Israel,


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and the childre of Israel mustured, and prouyded them selues with vytailes, and wete to mete them, and pitched their tetes ouer against them, like two litle flockes of goates but the londe was full of the Syrians.


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And there came a man of God, and sayde vnto the kynge of Israel: Thus sayeth the LORDE: Because the Syrians haue sayde, that the LORDE is a God of the moutaynes and not a God of the valleys, therfore haue I geuen all this greate heape in to thy handes, that ye maye knowe how that I am ye LORDE.


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And they pitched their tentes right ouer agaynst them seuen dayes. But vpon ye seuenth daye they wente together in to the battayll: and the children of Israel smote of the Sirians an hundreth thousande fote men in one daye,


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and the remnaunt fled to Aphek in to the cite, and the wall fell vpon the other seuen and twenty thousande men. And Benadab fled also vnto the cite in to a litle chamber.


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Then sayde his seruauntes vnto him: Beholde, we haue herde that the kynges of the house of Israel are mercifull kinges, Let vs therfore put sack cloth aboute oure loynes, and halters aboute oure neckes, & go forth to the kynge of Israel, peraduenture he shal let yi soule lyue.


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And they put sack cloth aboute their loynes, and halters aboute their neckes, and came to the kynge of Israel, and sayde: Benadab thy seruaunt sayeth vnto the: O let my soule lyue. He sayde: yf he be yet alyue, he is my brother.


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And the men toke him shortly at his worde, and expounded it for them selues and sayde: Yee Benadab is thy brother. He sayde: Come and brynge him. The wente Benadab forth vnto him, and he caused him to syt vpon the charet,


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and sayde vnto him: The cities that my father toke from thy father, wyl I geue the agayne. And make thou stretes for thyselfe at Damasco, as my father did at Samaria, so wyl I let the go with a bonde of peace. And he made a couenaunt with him, and let him go.


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Then spake there a man amonge the children of the prophetes vnto his neghboure by the worde of the LORDE: I praye the smite me. But he refused to smite him.


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Then saide he vnto him, because thou hast not herkened vnto the voyce of the LORDE, beholde, therfore shall there a lyon smyte the, whan thou goest fro me. And whan he wente fro him, a lyon founde him, and slewe him.


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Then wente the prophet, and stepte vnto the kynge by the waye syde, and altered his face with a?shes.


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And whan the kynge wente by, he cried vpon ye kynge, and sayde: Thy seruaunt wente forth in to the battayll, and beholde, there wente one asyde, and broughte a man vnto me, and sayde: Kepe this ma: yf he be myssed, thy soule shall be in steade of his soule, or els thou shalt weye downe an hundreth weighte of syluer.


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And whyle thy seruaunt had here & there to do, he was awaye. The kynge of Israel sayde vnto him: It is thine owne iudgment, thou hast geuen it thyselfe.


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Then put he the a?shes from his face in all the haist. And the kynge of Israel knewe him, that he was one of the prophetes.


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And he sayde vnto him: Thus sayeth the LORDE: Because thou hast let the damned man go, therfore shall thy soule be for his soule, and thy people for his people.


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And the kynge of Israel departed vnto his house, beinge troubled in his mynde and full indignacion, and came to Samaria.


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After these actes it fortuned, that Naboth the Iesraelite had a vyniarde at Iesreel besyde the palace of Achab kynge of Samaria.


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And Achab spake to Naboth, and sayde: Geue me thy vynyarde, I wyll make me an herbgarden therof, because it is so nye my house: I wyl geue the a better vynyarde for it: or yf it please the, I wyll geue the syluer for it, as moch as it is worth.


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But Naboth sayde vnto Achab: The LORDE let that be farre fro me, that I shulde geue ye my fathers heretage.


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Then came Achab home, beinge moued and full of indignacion, because of the worde that Naboth the Iesraelite had spoken vnto him, & sayde: I wyl not geue the my fathers inheritaunce. And he laied him downe vpon his bed, and turned his face asyde, and ate no bred.


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Then Iesabel his wyfe came in to him and sayde vnto him: What is ye matter, that thy sprete is so cobred, and that thou eatest no bred?


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He sayde vnto her: I haue spoke vnto Naboth the Iesraelite, and sayde: Geue me thy vynyarde for money: or yf it please ye, I wyl geue the another for it. But he sayde: I wyll not geue the my vynyarde.


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Then sayde Iesabel his wyfe vnto him: What kingdome were in Israel, yf thou diddest it? Stonde vp, and eate bred, I wyl get the the vynyarde of Naboth the Iesraelite.


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And she wrote a letter vnder Achabs name, and sealed it with his signet, and sent it vnto ye Elders and rulers in his cite, which dwelt aboute Naboth,


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and set two men of Belial before him, to testifye and saye: Thou hast blasphemed God and the kynge. And brynge him forth, and stone him to death.


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And the Elders and rulers of his cyte, which dwelt in his cite, dyd as Iesabel had commaunded them, acordynge as she had wrytten in the letter that she sent vnto them


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Then came the two men of Belial, and stode before him, and testyfyed agaynst Naboth in ye presence of the people, and sayde: Naboth hath blasphemed God and the kynge. Then broughte they him out of the cite, and stoned him to death.


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Wha Iesabel herde that Naboth was stoned and deed, she sayde vnto Achab: Vp, and take possession of the vynyarde of Naboth the Iesraelite, which he denyed to geue the for money: for Naboth lyueth nomore but is deed.


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And whan Achab herde yt Naboth was deed, he rose to go downe vnthe vyniarde of Naboth the Iesraelite, and to take possession of it.


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Get the vp, and go downe to mete Achab the kynge of Israel, which is at Samaria: beholde, he is in Naboths vynyarde, in to the which he is gone downe to take possession of it,


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and talke thou with him, and speake: Thus sayeth the LORDE: Thou hast slayne, and taken in possession. And thou shalt talke morouer vnto him, and saye: Thus sayeth the LORDE: Euen in the place where the dogges licked vp Naboths bloude, shall the dogges licke thy bloude also.


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And Achab sayde vnto Elias: Hast thou euer founde me thine enemye? He saide: Yee, I haue founde the, because thou art euen solde to do euell in the sighte of the LORDE.


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Beholde, I wyll brynge mysfortune vpon the, and take awaye thy posterite, and wil rote out from Achab, euen him that maketh water agaynst the wall, and him that is shut vp and lefte behynde in Israel:


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and thy house wyll I make as the house of Ieroboam ye sonne of Nebat, and as the house of Baesa the sonne of Ahia, because of ye prouocacion wherwhith thou hast prouoked me vnto wrath, and made Israel to synne.


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And ouer Iesabel spake the LORDE also and sayde: The dogges shal deuoure Iesabel in ye felde of Iesrael.


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Who so of Achab dyeth in ye cite, him shal the dogges eate vp: and who so dyeth in the felde, the foules vnder the heauen shall eate him vp.


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So cleane solde to do myschefe in ye sighte of the LORDE hath no man bene, as Achab: for his Iesabel hath so disceaued him,


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and he maketh him selfe a greate abhominacion, that he goeth after Idols, acordige vnto all as dyd the Amorites, whom the LORDE expelled before the children of Israel.


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But whan Achab herde these wordes, he rete his clothes, & put a sack cloth on his body, & fasted, and slepte in sack cloth, and wente aboute hanginge downe his heade.


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Hast thou not sene how Achab humbleth him selfe before me? For so moch now as he hubleth him selfe in my sighte, I wil not brynge that plage whyle he lyueth: but by his sonnes life wil I brynge mysfortune vpon his house.


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And the kynge of Israel sayde vnto his seruauntes: Knowe ye not yt Ramoth in Gilead is oures? and we syt styll, and take it not out of the hande of the kynge of Syria.


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And he sayde vnto Iosaphat: Wilt thou go with me to the battaill vnto Ramoth in Gilead? Iosaphat sayde vnto the kynge of Israel: I wyll be as thou my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses.


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Then the kynge of Israel gathered the prophetes aboute a foure hundreth men, and sayde vnto them: Shal I go vnto Ramoth in Gilead to fighte, or shal I let it alone? They sayde: Go vp, ye LORDE shal delyuer it in to ye kinges hande.


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The kinge of Israel saide vnto Iosaphat Here is yet a man, one Micheas the sonne of Iemla, at whom we maye axe of the LORDE: but I hate him, for he prophecieth me no good, but euell. Iosaphat sayde: Let not the kynge saye so.


