1 Chronicles · Chapter 19

[ edit] It fel forſoþe, þat Naas, þe kynge of þe ſonys of Amon, ſchulde dyen, and his ſone regnen for hym. And Dauid ſeide, I ſchal do mercy wiþ Hanon, þe ſone of Naas; forſoþe his fadir ȝaue to me mercy. And Dauid ſente meſſagers, to coumforten hym vpon þe deþ of his fadir. Þe whiche whan weren commen in to þe lond of þe ſonys of Amon, þat þei coumforten Hanon, þe princis of þe ſonys of Amon ſeiden to Hanon, Þou perauenture weeneſt, þat Dauid by cheſoun of wirſchip vnto þi fadir ſente, þat he coumforten þee; and þou takiſt no heed, þat þat þei aſpyen, and ſechen, and enſerchen þi lond, ben commen to þee þe ſeruauntis of hym.

Þerfore Hanon maad balled and ſchoofe þe childre of Dauid, and kutte þe kootis of hem fro þe ers of hem vnto þe feet; and he laft hem. Þe whiche when weren gone awey, and þat hadden ſente to Dauid, he ſente in to aȝein commynge of hem; forſoþe grete deſpyte þei hadden ſuffred; and he comaundyde, þat þei ſchulden dwellen in Jericho, to þe tyme þat þe berd of hem weren ſprongen, and þanne þey ſchulden turnen aȝeyn.

Forſoþe þe ſonis of Amon, ſeeynge þat þei hadden don wronge to Dauiþ, boþe Hanon and þe toþer puple, þei ſenten a þouſand talentis of ſyluer, þat þei hiren to hem fro Meſopotanye and Ciria, Maacha and from Soba, charis and horſmen; and þei hyreden two and þritty þouſand of charis, and þe kyng of Maacha wiþ his puple. Þe whiche, whan weren commen, ſetten tentis forn aȝeynus Medaba; alſo þe ſonys of Amon gaderd fro þeir cytees, camen to bateil. Þe whiche þing whanne Dauid hadde herde, he ſente Joab, and al þe hooſt of ſtronge men. And þe ſonys of Amon gon out, dreſſeden ſcheltrun byſidis þe ȝate of þe cytee; þe kyngis forſoþe, þat weren commen to helpe, ſtoden apart in þe feld.

Þan Joab vndirſtondynge þe bateil forn aȝeynſt and behynde þe bac aȝeynſt hym to be maad, he chees moſt ſtronge men of al Yrael, and wente aȝein Cyrum; þe toþer forſoþe part of þe puple he ȝaue vndir þe hond of Abiſay, his broþer; and þei wenten aȝein þe ſonys of Amon. And he ſeide, Ȝif Cyries ouercommen me, þou ſchalt ben in helpe to me; ȝif forſoþe þe ſonys of Amon ouercommen þee, I ſchal ben to þee in to ſocour; take coumfort, and do we manly for oure puple, and for þe cytees of oure God; þe Lord forſoþe, þat in his ſiȝt is good, do. Þanne Joab, and þe puple þat was wiþ hym, wente aȝeyn Cyrus to bateil, and drofe hem.

Bot þe ſonis of Amon ſeeynge þat Cyres hadden flowen, þei alſo flowen Abiſay, his broþer, and wenten in to þe cytee; and Joab is turned aȝeyn in to Jeruſalem. Seeynge forſoþe Cyres, þat þey hadden falle beforn Yrael, ſenten meſſagers, and brouȝten forþe Cyre, þat was beȝond þe flode; Sophat forſoþe, prince of þe knyȝþode of Adadezer, was þe duyke of hem. Þe whiche þing whan was tolde to Dauid, he gaderde al Yrael, and paſſede Jordan, and fel in to hem, and dreſſide forn aȝeyns ſcheltrun, hem aȝeyn fiȝtynge. Forſoþe Cyres fleyȝ Yrael, and Dauiþ ſlowȝ of Cyres ſeuen þouſand of charis, and fourty þouſand of foote men, and Sophat, þe prince of þe hooſt.

Seeynge forſoþe þe ſeruauntis of Adadezer hem ſilf of Yrael to be ouercommen, ouerflowen to Dauiþ, and ſerueden to hym; and Cyre wolde no more ȝeuen help to þe ſonys of Amon.