1 WYC Forsothe Saul spak to Jonathas, his sone, and to alle hise seruauntis, that thei schulden sle Dauid; certis Jonathas, the sone of Saul, louyde Dauid greetli. BSB BSB: Then Saul ordered his son Jonathan and all his servants to kill David. But Jonathan delighted greatly in David,
2 WYC And Jonathas schewide to Dauid, and seide, Saul, my fadir, sekith to sle thee, wherfor, Y biseche, kepe `thou thee eerli; and thou schalt dwelle priueli, and thou schalt be hid. BSB BSB: so he warned David, saying, “My father Saul intends to kill you. Be on your guard in the morning; find a secret place and hide there.
3 WYC Sotheli Y schal go out, and stonde bisidis my fadir in the feeld, where euer he schal be; and Y schal speke of thee to my fadir, and what euer thing Y shal se, Y schal telle to thee. BSB BSB: I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, so I can ask about you. And if I find out anything, I will tell you.”
4 WYC Therfor Jonathas spak good thingis of Dauid to Saul, his fadir, and seide to hym, Kyng, do thou not synne ayens thi seruaunt Dauid, for he `synnede not to thee, and hise werkis ben ful good to thee; BSB BSB: Then Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul and said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David; he has not sinned against you. In fact, his actions have been highly beneficial to you.
5 WYC and he puttide his lijf in his hond, and he killide the Filistei. And the Lord made greet heelthe to al Israel; thou siy, and were glad; whi therfor synnest thou in giltles blood, and sleest Dauid, which is with out gilt? BSB BSB: He took his life in his hands when he struck down the Philistine, and the LORD worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced, so why would you sin against innocent blood by killing David for no reason?”
6 WYC And whanne Saul hadde herd this, he was plesid with the vois of Jonathas, and swoor, `The Lord lyueth, `that is, bi the Lord lyuynge, for Dauid schal not be slayn. BSB BSB: Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan and swore an oath: “As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be put to death.”
7 WYC Therfor Jonathas clepide Dauid, and schewide to hym alle these wordis. And Jonathas brouyte in Dauid to Saul, and he was bifor hym as `yistirdai and the thridde dai ago. BSB BSB: So Jonathan summoned David and told him all these things. Then Jonathan brought David to Saul, and David was with Saul as before.
8 WYC Forsothe batel was moued eft; and Dauyd yede out, and fauyt ayens Filisteis, and he smoot hem with a greet wounde, and thei fledden fro his face. BSB BSB: When war broke out again, David went out and fought the Philistines and struck them with such a mighty blow that they fled before him.
9 WYC And the yuel spirit of the Lord was maad on Saul; sotheli he sat in his hows, and helde a spere; certis Dauid harpide in his hond. BSB BSB: But as Saul was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, a spirit of distress from the LORD came upon him. While David was playing the harp,
10 WYC And Saul enforside to prene with the spere Dauid in the wal; and Dauid bowide fro `the face of Saul; forsothe the spere `with voide wounde was borun in to the wal; and Dauid fledde, and was saued in that niyt. BSB BSB: Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear. But David eluded him and the spear struck the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.
11 WYC Therfor Saul sente hise knyytis in the nyyt in to the hows of Dauid, that thei schulden kepe hym, and that he `schulde be slayn in the morewtide. And whanne Mychol, the wijf of Dauid, hadde teld this to Dauid, and seide, If thou sauest not thee in this nyyt, thou schalt die to morew; BSB BSB: Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and kill him in the morning. But David’s wife Michal warned him, “If you do not run for your life tonight, tomorrow you will be dead!”
12 WYC sche puttide hym doun bi a wyndow. Forsothe he yede, and fledde, and was sauyd. BSB BSB: So Michal lowered David from the window, and he ran away and escaped.
13 WYC Sotheli Mychol took an ymage, and puttide it on the bed, and puttide `an heeri skyn of geet at the heed therof, and hilide it with clothis. BSB BSB: Then Michal took a household idol and laid it in the bed, placed some goat hair on its head, and covered it with a garment.
14 WYC Forsothe Saul sente sergeauntis, `that schulden rauysche Dauid, and it was answeride, that he was sijk. BSB BSB: When Saul sent the messengers to seize David, Michal said, “He is ill.”
15 WYC And eft Saul sente messangeris, that thei schulden se Dauid, and he seide, Brynge ye hym to me in the bed, that he be slayn. BSB BSB: But Saul sent the messengers back to see David and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed so I can kill him.”
16 WYC And whanne the messangeris hadden come, `a symylacre was foundun on the bed, and `skynnes of geet at the heed therof. BSB BSB: And when the messengers entered, there was the idol in the bed with the goat hair on its head.
17 WYC And Saul seide to Mychol, Whi scornedist thou me so, and `delyueredist myn enemy, that he fledde? And Mychol answeride to Saul, For he spak to me, and seide, Delyuere thou me, ellis Y schal slee thee. BSB BSB: And Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this? You sent my enemy away, and he has escaped!” Michal replied, “He said to me, ‘Help me get away, or I will kill you!’”
18 WYC Forsothe Dauid fledde, and was sauyd; and he cam to Samuel in to Ramatha, and telde to hym alle thingis which Saul hadde do to hym; and he and Samuel yeden, and dwelliden in Naioth. BSB BSB: So David ran away and escaped. And he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there.
19 WYC Forsothe it was teld to Saul of men, seiynge, Lo! Dauid is in Naioth in Ramatha. BSB BSB: When Saul was told that David was at Naioth in Ramah,
20 WYC Therfor Saul sente sleeris, that thei schulden rauysche Dauid; and whanne thei hadden seyn the cumpeny of profetis profeciynge, and Samuel stondynge ouer hem, the Spirit of the Lord, `that is, the spirit of deuocioun, was maad in hem, and thei also bigunnen to prophecie. BSB BSB: he sent messengers to seize him. But when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel leading them, the Spirit of God came upon them, and Saul’s messengers also began to prophesy.
21 WYC And whanne this was teld to Saul, he sente also othere messangeris; `sotheli and thei profesieden. And eft Saul sente the thridde messangeris, and thei prophecieden. And Saul was wrooth `with irefulnesse; BSB BSB: When this was reported to Saul, he sent more messengers, but they began to prophesy as well. So Saul tried again and sent messengers a third time, and even they began to prophesy.
22 WYC and he also yede in to Ramatha, and he cam `til to the greet cisterne, which is in Socoth, and he axide, and seide, In what place ben Samuel and Dauid? And it was seid to hym, Lo! thei ben in Naioth in Ramatha. BSB BSB: Finally, Saul himself left for Ramah and came to the large cistern at Secu, where he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” “At Naioth in Ramah,” he was told.
23 WYC And he yede in `to Naioth in Ramatha; and the Spirit of the Lord was maad also on him; and he `yede, and entride, and propheciede, `til the while he cam `in to Naioth in Ramatha. BSB BSB: So Saul went to Naioth in Ramah. But the Spirit of God came upon even Saul, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah.
24 WYC And `he also dispuylide him silf of hise clothis, and propheciede with othere men bifor Samuel, and he profeciede nakid in al that dai and nyyt. Wherfor `a prouerbe, that is, a comyn word, yede out, Whether and Saul among prophetis? BSB BSB: Then Saul stripped off his robes and also prophesied before Samuel. And he collapsed and lay naked all that day and night. That is why it is said, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
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