1 Chronicles · Chapter 12

[ edit] Thes forſoþe camen to Dauid in Sichelech, whanne ȝit he fleiȝ Saul, þe ſone of Ciz; þe whiche weren moſt ſtronge and noble fiȝters, bendynge bowe, and wiþ eiþer hond þrowynge ſtones wiþ ſlyngis, and dreſſynge arewis; of þe breþeren of Saul of Beniamyn, prynce Achieſer, and Joas, þe ſone of Samaa Gabatites, and Jaſahel, and Phalleg, ſonys of Aſmod, and Barachia, and Jeu Anoþoþites; alſo Samayas Gabaonytes, moſt ſtronge among þritty and vpon þritty; Jeremyas, and Jezihel, and Johannan, and Zebadga Zeroþites, Eluſai, and Jerymuþ, and Baalia, and Samaria, and Saphia Araphites, Helchana, and Jeſia, and Azrael, and Jeſer, and Jeſbaam of Tharemy, Joelam forſoþe, and Sabadia, ſonys of Jeroam of Jedor.

But and of Gaddi ouerflowen to Dauid, whanne he lurkide in deſert, moſt ſtronge men, and beſt fiȝters, holdynge target and ſpere; þe faces of hem as faces of a lyoun, and ſwyft as capretis in hillis; Ozer prince, Obdias þe ſecound, Eliab þe þridde, Maſmana þe ferþ, Hieremyes þe fyfte, Becchi þe ſixte, Heliel þe ſeuenþ, Johannan þe eiȝte, Elzadad þe nynþe, Jeremyas þe tenþe, Bachana þe elleuenþ; þes of þe ſonys of Gad, princes of þe hooſt; þe laſt was before to an hundriþ knyȝtis, and þe moſt to a þouſand. Þes ben þat paſſeden ouer Jordan þe firſt moneþ, whanne it was wont to flowen vpon his brynkis; and þei dryuen alle þat dwelliden in þe valeys at þe eſte cooſt and at þe weſt.

Forſoþe and þere camen of Beniamyn and of Juda to þe ſtrengþe, in þe whiche dwellide Dauid. And Dauid wente out to meet wiþ hem, and ſeiþ, Ȝif peſybly ȝe ben commen to me, þat ȝe helpen to me, myn herte be ioyned to ȝou; ȝif forſoþe ȝe weyten to me for myn aduerſaries, whanne I wickidneſſe haue not in myn hondis, God of oure fadirs ſee and deme. Þe ſpirit forſoþe cloþed Abiſay, þe prince among þritty, and ſeiþ, Þine we ben, O Dauid, and wiþ þee, þe ſone of Yſay; peſe, peſe to þee, and peſe to þyn helpers, þee forſoþe helpiþ þe Lord þi God. Þan Dauid toke hem, and ſette hem princis of þe cumpanye.

Forſoþe of Manaſſes ouerflowen to Dauid, whanne he came wiþ Philiſteis to fiȝten aȝenus Saul, and he fauȝte not wiþ hem, for, þe counſeil goon in, þe princis of Philiſteis ſenten him aȝein, ſeyinge, In perele of ȝoure heued be he turned aȝeyn to his lord Saul. Whanne þanne he is turned aȝein in to Sichelech, ouerflowen to hym fro Manaſſe, Eduas, and Joſadab, and Jedielech, Mychael, and Naaz, and Jozabaþ, and Helieu, and Salaþy, princis of knyȝtis in Manaſſe. Þes ȝeuen help to Dauid aȝeyns þe lityl þeeues; alle forſoþe weren moſt ſtronge men, and ben maad princis in þe hooſt.

Bot and by eche days þei camen to Dauiþ, to helpen to hym, vnto þe time þat þere were maad a grete noumbre as þe hooſt of God.

Þis forſoþe is þe noumbre of þe princis of þe hooſt þat camen to Dauid, whan he was in Ebron, þat þei tranſlate þe rewme of Saul to hym, aftir þe word of þe Lord; þe ſonys of Juda, berynge target and ſpere, ſexe þouſand and eiȝt hundriþ, redy to batail; of þe ſonys of Symeon, moſt ſtronge men to fiȝten, ſeuen þouſand and an hundriþ; of þe ſonys of Leuy, foure þouſand and ſixe hundriþ; and Joiada, prince of þe ſtok of Aaron, and wiþ hem þre þouſand and ſeuen hundriþ; Sadoch alſo, a chijld of noble preuynge, and þe hous of his fadir, princis two and twenty; of þe ſonys forſoþe of Beniamyn, þe breþeren of Saul, þre þouſand; forſoþe a grete partye of hem ȝit folowede þe hous of Saul; but of þe ſonys of Effraym, twenty þouſand and eiȝt hundriþ, moſt ſtronge in ſtreyngþe, men namyd in þeir kynredis; and of þe half partye of þe lynage of Manaſſe, eiȝteene þouſand; eche bi þeir names camen, þat þei ordeyn kyng Dauiþ; of þe ſonys alſo of Yſachar, men tauȝt, þat knewen alle tymes to comaunden what Yrael ſchuld done, princis two hundreþ; al forſoþe þe toþer lynage folowede þe counſeils of hem; bot of Zabulon þat wenten out to bateil, and ſtoden in þe ſcheltrun, enfourmed in armys of batail, fyfty þouſand camen in to help, not in double hert; and of Neptalym, princis of knyȝþode, and wiþ hem enfourmed in ſcheelde and ſpere, ſeuen and þritty þouſand; of Dan alſo, redy to bateil, eyȝt and twenty þouſand and ſexe hundreþ; and of Aſer, goynge out to fiȝten in þe ſcheltrun egre, fourty þouſand.

Beȝond Jordan forſoþe, of þe ſonys of Ruben, and of Gad, and of þe half lynage of Manaſſe, enfourmed in armes of batel, an hundreþ and twenty þouſand. Alle þes men fiȝters and redy to fiȝten, wiþ perfijt hert camen in to Ebron, þat þei ſetten Dauid kyng vpon al Yrael; bot and al þe remnaunt of Yſrael weren in oon hert, þat Dauiþ wer maad kyng vpon al Yrael.

And þei weren þere anentis Dauiþ þre days, etinge and drynkynge; forſoþe þe breþeren of hem hadde beforne maad redy to hem; bot and þilk þat weren beſidis hem, vnto Yſachar and Zabulon and Neptalym, brouȝten looues to eten, in aſſis, and chamoilis, and mulis, and oxen; mele, and chargis of fijgis, and dried grapis, wijne, oyle, oxen, and weþers, at al plente; ioye forſoþe was in Yrael.