great in store And them to Dauid and his séede hast giuen for euermore When Dauid had now ended this his Psalme of thāks praise He speaketh certaine sentences for to conclude and sayes King Dauid which is cald the sonne of Isai hath sayde And the annoynted man of God whose kingdome sure is layde The holy spirite of the Lord my speach he doth it guyde For to my tong his sacred worde is fast and surely tyde The Lord my God of Israel hath this by promise made That in his feare and loue I shall the iust men guyde and ayde As morning light when sunne is vp voyde of clowde rayne So shall my house in shining bright clearnesse still remayne For by his euerlasting bonde it shall so stande alway That it may grow but not as grasse that hath his quick decay But wicked and vngodly men shall be like thornes that pricke Pluckt vp and not be suffered within the ground to sticke But yet the man that toucheth them he must be in that case Desenced well that he may take and burne them in their place It came now into Dauids minde his people for to somme To sée what number in his lande would rise thereof and come Commaunding Ioab for to go throughout all Israel And take a view of all his men that vnder him did dwell The Lord thy God increase quod he thy people in thy lande But what doth moue my lord the king to take this thing in hand The king would not be turned from his purposed intent And therefore for to view his men his lords abrode he sent And passing ouer Iordan brooke vnto the vale of Gad They went and summed eury man from thence to Gilead From thence to Iaan and so foorth to Sidon and to Tyre The Heuites and the Cananites their numbers to enquire And so from thence to Iuda lande which in the south is plaste And therein made to Beerseba their progresse at the laste Now when they had bene thus abrode nine monthes twenty daies Thē home vnto Ierusalē they turne againe their waies Where Ioab vnto Dauid gaue the summe of Israel Which were eight hundred thousand men as he did count tel All fighting men besides all those which Iuda well could yéeld Which were fiue hundred thousand men all able for the field When this was done within his heart the king conceiued then A great misliking of his déede for numbring of his men Wherfore with heauy hart and voyce vnto the Lorde he cryes That he would pardon this offence committed in his eyes That night the Lord commaunded Gad the Prophet for to go And breake with Dauid for his fault and tell him so and so And whē thou hast in eury point these plagues before him laide Then will him for to make his choyse as I to thée haue saide When Gad was come vnto the king the Lords will is quod he That of such plages I shall recite thou make thy choyse of thrée Wilt thou haue hunger seuen yeres space to ouerpresse thy lād Or els thrée monthes to féele the smart of wars mighty hand Or with the plague of pestilence be visited thrée dayes Choose which thou wilt I wil make report of that thou sayes Hard is the choyce O Lord quod he yet Lord let be thy will That I may fall into thine hands to saue or els to kill Then did the Lord for thrée dayes space a pestilence prouide Wherin of Dauids whole account a seuenty thousande dyed But when vpon Ierusalem the Angell now began To smite and to destroy the same the Lord repented than Of all the former faults commit and bad him hold his hand For he would haue compasson and pitie on the land Then Dauid with a sory heart laments that grieuous case And to the Lord with teares he cals for mercy and for grace The people sinned not O Lord to haue this plague of thine These shéepe alas what haue they done the sinne O Lord is mine Let not the harmles innocent be plagued now therfore But me and all my fathers house destroy for euermore The Prophet Gad to Dauid came him willing in this case To go and reare an Altar vp in Ornans threshing place And when that Ornan saw the king and all his men so nye He met him and with reuerence fell downe vpon his knée And said to him why doth my lord come vnto me this houre In sooth quod he it is to buy of thée thy threshing floore To make an Altar to the Lorde and pray to him for peace That this great plague of pestilence may from the people cease My lord quod he take what thou wilt and do as séemeth good Take Oxen Charrets with them the instrumentes for wood I fréely giue them to my lord and do beséeche thy God That he accept thée in his sight and do withdraw his rod. Not so quod he I will it shall be truely solde and bought I will not offer to the Lord the thing which cost me nought So Dauid bought the threshing floore and Oxe for sacrifice And gaue to Ornan for the same as they agréed of price Then offring vp peaceofferings vpon that Altar now The plague did cease and God the same did very well allow Now Dauid béeing old weake with yeres troubles past Could not in bed get any heate with clothes vpon him cast His seruauntes then did counsel him some yong tender thing Whose liuely blood with pleasant heat might cherish vp the king Should lye by him vpon his brest not meaning any harme But rayse a vitall heate in him and make his body warme And so they made a carefull search throughout all Israel And found at length one Abisag in Sunam that did dwell Who béeing brought vnto the king her seruice did imploy To call agayne that liuely heate which yeres and age destroy And now began Adonia for to aspire on hye As had his brother Absalon before vsurpingly And gan all things for his estate both horse and men to séeke His father did not séeme at all with any thing mislike The Capteine Ioab tooke his parte and eke Abiathar As chiefe of counsell eury way his matters to preferre But faithfull Sadoch that good priest would neuer take his part Nor Nathan nor Banaia would that way bend their hart At Rogel was his sacrifice and all prouision had And there vnto his brothers all and Iuda to he bad But Nathan nor Banaia nor other mightie men Nor yet his brother Salomon he called with him then And herevpon to Bethsabe the Prophet Nathan goes And what he sées and what he heares to her he playnly showes Hast thou not heard what wicked séede Adonia hath sowen And yet vnto our lord the king his purpose is vnknowen But if you loue your owne estate or Salomon your sonne Then marke what counsell I will giue and sée that it be done Go get thée forth vnto the
Samuel To whom he had declared all the case as it befell From Rama then to Naioth with Samuel he went Remayning there although that Saul his messengers had sent For they with other Prophets mo gan now to prophecie So that they had no mind to séeke for Dauid earnestlie But when as Saul himselfe was come to Naioth where he was He then for feare departed thence and fled to Ionathas Complayning thus O Ionathas what cause giue I of strife That still thy father and my lord so séeketh for my life Now God forbid quod Ionathas he deale so cruelly Expell all feare pull vp thine heart trust me thou shalt not dye For well I know my father will no one thing take in hand But or he doth attempt the same I shall it vnderstand And will he now hide this from me he is not so vnkinde To worke thy death so secretly and show me not his minde Oh Ionathas thy father knowes and playnly this doth sée What faithfull loue and tender heart thou bearest vnto me Therfore perhaps he will it hide as though it were not so To stay thy heart from pensiuenes and filling it with wo But truly as the Lord doth liue and thou dost liue with breath One step there is and scarcely that betwéene me and my death What wilt thou haue me do quod he declare to me thy minde For both in wealth and bitter wo thou shalt me faithfull finde Behold quod he to morow next the king doth hold the feast Where I should sit at boord with him my roome to fill at least But let me go into the fields and kéepe me out of sight Till all the feast be done and past the third day towards night If Saul thy father speake of me demaunding to and fro Say then I craued leaue of thée to Bethleem to go Where once a yere a solemne feast is holden there within For all the stocke and progenie of me and all my kinne If he be pleased there withall thy seruant shall haue peace But if he do intend me hurt his malice will not cease Then shall thy mercy do me good and with thy bond accord Which to thy seruant thou didst make promise in the Lord For if in me there can be found offence in all the land Then let me neuer farther go but kill me with thy hand God thée defend quod Ionathas for if I did it know That any harme were toward thee of truth I would it show Then Dauid sayd how shal I learne what Saul doth say to thée Or who shall tell me if my lorde do answere cruelly Come let vs go into the field and so they tooke their way Where Ionathas brast out in words and gan to Dauid sâ—â—â— O Lord the God of Israel when I haue gropen out My fathers minde or that all these thrée dayes be gone about If all things touching thée be well word shal be brought to thée And if I kéepe not touch therin the Lord then punish mée And also if my father Saul do séeke thy blood to shed I will my selfe be thy defence till thou away be fled And so the Lord kéepe and defend thée where so ere thou goes And be with thée as he hath bene with Saul agaynst his foes Now this request of thée I craue which grauÌ„t thou wilt I trust That I may liue my dayes in peace to make thy couenant iust And when I haue ronne out my course theÌ„ for my sake to mine Thou wilt not cut thy mercy off when that the sword is thine No not euen when the Lord aboue thy foes hath all confounde And left thée not an enemie aliue vpon the ground So Ionathas renued his bond and to the Lord he spoke That Dauids foes might it reuenge if that the same were broke And further sware to kepe the bond that was betwene theÌ„ sowne For Dauids body life and soule he loued as his owne Then Ionathas to Dauid sayd to morow doth begin The feast whereas the king will spye thy place no man therin Therfore go hide thée out of sight till thrée dayes passe no more Make haste get thée to that place where thou was put before Euen when the matter was in hand and there remayne and ly By Ezel stone which doth direct the way for passers by And I will come shoote thrée shafts and they shall light beside As though my marke were therabout where thou thy selfe dost hide Then will I say vnto my boy go hence tary not Séeke out with spéede gather vp the shafts that I haue shot And if I call and say to him they be on this side thée Then all is well be not afrayde to shew thy selfe to me But if I say they are beyonde why standest thou so still The Lord hath sent thée then away and saued thée from ill As touching this and all that we haue spoken of before Betwéene vs two the Lord shall be a witnesse euermore So Dauid hid him selfe abrode when Saul the feast began Where all the lords saue he alone were placed eury man. 〈◊〉 Saul did note full wel and marke yet nothing did he say But thought some one or other let did kéepe him then away But on the next day when he saw his place was voyde agayne Of Ionathas he did demaund the cause of his refrayne Where is the sonne of Isai What is the cause I say He doth absent him from the feast both now and yesterday Then Ionathas made his excuse and sayd that he was gone To Bethleem towne askt him leaue for that it stoode him on For all his kinred there did méete an offering to present Unto the Lord and therfore had his brother for him sent This is the cause that doth him let to come and kéepe his place Among the péeres that present be at table with your grace Then Saul fell out with Ionathas at boord before them all The sonne of his rebellious wife he did him name and call I know that thou and Dauid both are ioyned in one frame Which will be thy confusion and eke thy mothers shame For be thou sure so long as he doth liue vpon the earth The kingdome thou shalt not possesse whilst thou hast any breath Wherfore go séeke and fet him out where euer he be now By force or any other meane for sure his death I vow What hath he done quod Ionathas with eyther hand or breath Agaynst your royall Maiestie that you haue sworne his death That said he shooke his speare at him with discontented brayne Which was a signe to Ionathas that Dauid should be slayne Whose hart did bléede his friends estate and danger to coÌ„ceiue No meate could downe and therupon he rose tooke his leaue So on the morow which was now his iust appoynted day He made his walke into the field and place where Dauid lay And while he tried his shafts to shoot he bad his page make hast and runne marke
our defence withstoode our mortall foes And for our better quietnes hath giuen them ouerthrowes And that he is our lawfull king whom we did once annoynt Whom Absalon of life and realme did séeke to disappoynt Since Absalon is dead therfore why take we not the payne To wayte vpon our Lord king and bring him home agayne The people reconciled thus the king to Sadoch sent And to Abiathar the priest declaring his intent Which was to go and séeke with those of Iuda to perswade Who ioynd themselues with Absalon in his attempts he made And say to them why haste ye not king Dauid to restore As do the men of Israel who ready are therefore Ye are by nature kinne to vs our brothers as ye know Why do ye linger last of all your loyaltie to show And thus much say to Amasa of all that may be found He is the nearest kinne I haue that liueth on the ground And that I sweare by God aboue I minde he shall succéede And be my Capteine generall to rule in Ioabs stéede This talke of theirs did so perswade with Iuda that they went And graunted him their present ayde that with one consent And thervpon they sent him word to let him vnderstand That he and his might safely now returne into that land So Dauid going with his trayne euen toward Iordane shore All Iuda met him by the way for to conduct him ore And Semei who had the king reuiled to his face Came now with Iuda for to séeke his mercy and his grace Who comming out of Bahurim with Iuda for to go A thousand of the Beniamites he brought with him also And Ziba of the house of Saul with all his sonnes fiftéene And twentie seruauntes in a rowe was there among thē séene Who gat them ore the water brooke of Iordane to abide The spéedy passage of the king to méete him on that side The king now béeing passed ore but euen a litle while There came before him Semei him selfe to reconcile And falling flat vnto the ground in mild and humble plight Besought him pardon for his faultes and his great ouersight Impute not now the wickednesse that then thy seruaunt did And lay it not vnto my charge but let it all be hid I did misuse full wickedly my lord king Dauid when He from Ierusalem went out and fled with all his men I do it know and now confesse that I haue done amisse Beséeching thée my lord and king to pardon me for this And now behold I am the first of Iosephs house this day That am come down to méete my lord bring him on his way Abisai with grudging heart offended at his worde Said to the king shall not this dogge now dye vpon the sword That matter doth not apperteine to you quod Dauid than I say this day in Israel there shall not dye a man. For I am king I know it well therfore to Semei He spake gaue him gentle words and said he should not dye So forth he went vntill he came Ierusalem vnto Where that Miphiboseth him met as well as he could go Who neither trimmed vp his beard nor yet did wash his féete vntill the king in quiet peace returning he did méete Then Dauid said as soone as that he cast on him his eye Miphiboseth how chaunced it thou wentst not out with me O my most deare and soueraigne lord my seruaunt was vniust For falsly he deceyued me that put in him my trust I wild him to prepare mine Asse and all things for the same To ride vpon with thée my lord thy seruaunt béeing lame But with his subteltie he hath thy seruaunt sore abusde And vnto thée my lord and king vniustly me accusde My lord thou as an Angell art that can iudge all things right And therfore do as thou shalt thinke most méetest in thy sight For where as all my fathers house was worthy for to dye For that with thée and thine king Saul did deale so cruelly Yet was thy mercy vnto me thy seruaunt then so great That at thy table with thy sonnes thou settest me to eate But séeing mine inheritaunce by thée is giuen away What right haue I to come before the king or more to say Thou néede no more to speake quod he we will that this ye do That thou and Ziba shall deuide the land betwéene you two Since that my lord quod he agayne is now returnd in peace Let Ziba take all to him selfe and make his best increase From Roglim comes Berzelai to méete the king also In well appoynted wise to wayte and with his grace to go Who for the space the king did lye within Mahanaim Did friendly of his store conuay all néedefull things to him For God had blest him very well with riches and with wealth And he wisht Dauid great increase of honour and of health The king requested that he would go with him if he might And he would by all meanes he could his curtesie requite I haue not long to liue quod he and néedfull t is that I Should not so much for honour séeke as learne how well to dy For I am stept so farre in yéeres that I haue no good skill To iudge or yet discerne betwéene the good and that is ill My stomacke is so weake it can away with litle meate Thy seruaunt hath no tast at all of that which he doth eate In musike I haue no delite nor yet in skilfull man Why should I to your maiestie be such a burthen then Thy seruaunt will a litle bring the king forth on his way And will beséech my lord that then returne agayne I may Unto the lande where I was borne and there to lay my bones Euen with my parents in the graue among the grauell stones But if it please my lord the king Chimham my sonne shal be Thy seruaunt vnto whom thou mayst do what it pleaseth thée Then said the king and for thy sake I will him so rewarde That thou shalt well perceiue I do thy kindnes much regarde So all the people passed foorth the king with all his trayne Berzelai then tooke his leaue and turned backe agayne When Iuda and halfe Israel were passed Iordans bankes And had the king to Gilgal brought as men most worthy thanks Then came the rest of Israel to Dauid and gan say Why hath all Iuda stole thée now so secretly away And brought the king with al his house past Iordan riuer thus And made not priuie therevnto so much as one of vs Then Iuda hearing Israel this great complaynt to make Did shape an answere out of hand to them and thus they spake The king is neare of kin to vs we haue him therfore brought Of loue and not for great reward or honour that we sought They said againe our part in him is ten times more thē yours And being ten to one we say the greatest part is ours Ye did not well for to despise our
king and thus vnto him say My lord O king didst thou not make an oth to me for aye That Salomon my sonne should sit vpon thy kingly seate And now thy sonne Adonia thereof doth him defeate And while thou talkest with the king about thy sonne alone I will come after and confirme thy sayings eury one So Bethsabe to Dauid went into his chamber bolde Where Abisag was ministring because the king was olde She bowing downe with reuerence and great humilitie He then demaunded what the cause of her repayre should be My lord quod she thou didst loÌ„g since vnto thine haÌ„dmaid sweare That Salomon should after thée as king the scepter beare And now beholde Adonia he is proclaymed king And thou my lord vnto this houre not priuy to the thing His Oxen are all offred vp his shéepe and cattell fat And hath both Ioab and his priest Abiathar thereat And all thy sonnes be there with him saue Salomon alone With many other mightie men that vnto him are gone And now my lorde the eyes of all the people Israel WhoÌ„ thou wilt haue succéede do looke that thou thy self should tel For els when that my lord doth rest both Salomon and I We shall trausgressours counted be as worthy so to dye And while she thus stoode with the king debating to and fro The Prophet Nathan commeth in his pleasure for to know And when he had with reuerence obeisance duely made He told his tale and with the king gan wisely to perswade My lord O king hast thou commaunde or so ordeined it That after thée Adonia vpon thy seate shall sit For he hath made his kingly feast and thereto hath he bid Thy sonnes Capteins of the hoast which thing to thée is hid Abiathar with many mo in bankets cheerefully God saue our king Adonia God saue our king they cry But me and Sadoch that good priest nor Salomon thy sonne Nor yet Banaia they cald to this they haue begonne Is this the kings good pleasure now and made to me so dim That of my lord I may not know who shall reigne after him Then Dauid called Bethsabe and thus vnto her sware As God doth liue who hath me rid from trouble and from care Assure thy selfe that Salomon thy sonne shall after me Sit on the seate of Israel and thereof king shall be The Quéene then yéelding harty thanks bowing him before To God she prayde that he might reigne and liue for euermore The king did call Banaia and Sadoch to him than And Nathan to and then his minde to breake he thus began Go forth and take with you my men and set vp Salomon Upon the mule whereon I rid and leade him to Gihon And there let Sadoch him annoint with truÌ„pets blowing braue And then with trumpets do you cry king Salomon God saue Then come you all and follow him and set him on my throne For I haue sworne and do appoynt he shall be king alone Amen then said Banaia the liuing Lorde permit That on thy seate a happy king he many dayes may sit And as the Lord hath bene with thée so let him giue his streÌ„gth Unto the seate of Salomon and stretch it more in length So they departed from the king and set vp Salomon vpon the Mule as they were bid and brought him to Gihon Where Sadoch then anoynted him and vp the trumpets blow God saue our lord king Salomon the peoples voyce doth go And comming after him with pipes they ioyfully do sing Whose sound of voyce instrumeÌ„ts made all the earth to ring The voyce was such that it did come to Adonias place And made his gests to turne chaunge the colour in their face But Ioab gan to stirre said what meanes this passing noyse Of trumpet blowing in the towne and sound of men boyes He had no sooner spoke the word but in came Ionathan Who in the presence of them all to tell him newes began Our lord and king assuredly vpon some weightie thing Hath caused Salomon his sonne to be proclaymed king They haue him brought on Dauids Mule to Gihon regally Where Sadoch hath annoynted him our king and lord to be Wher at the people shoute for ioy that he shall ore them reigne Which is the noyse sounde ye heare of him and all his trayne And furthermore the people hath giuen thanks to Dauid great And pray to God the sonne may passe the father in his seate The king likewise hath praysed God whose mercy brought to pas That in his seate before he dyed his sonne inuested was Then all the gestes Adonia had feasted that same day Were sore afrayde and made great haste to rise and get away And he him selfe as one that feard the sight of Salomon Did flée and catch the Aulters hornes to saue him selfe thereon Then one comes vnto Salomon and humbly doth begin To tell the daunger and the feare Adonia is in Add makes request that he would sweare promise by his word That he would not his seruaunt put that day vnto the sword If that he may quod Salomon to me be faythfull founde No haire that is vpon his head shall fall vnto the grounde But if I finde vntruth in him or wickednes espye He may make his account thereof that he shall surely dye So béeing brought to Salomon he did him selfe submit And home was sent vnto his house there quietly to sit Now came the time that Dauid should passe froÌ„ this world away Wherfore he called Salomon and thus gan to him say My time drawes on for me to dye and passe an other way Shew thou thy selfe a man therfore and on the Lord thée stay Kéepe thou his watch with careful eye walke in al his waies That thou in all thy good attempts mayst prosper all thy daies So shall the Lord make good his worde promise firmely laide Unto his seruaunt long ago when thus to me he saide If that thy children take good héede and guyde their steps aright And walke before me in the truth with all their heart might Then shalt thou neuer want a man to sit vpon thy throne To rule and gouerne Israel when thou art dead and gone And furthermore thou knowest right well how Ioab serued me And with a couple how he dealt farre better men then he How Amasa and Abner to he falsly did betray And shed their blood most cruelly and cast them both away Deale thou therfore with Ioab as thy wisdome shall increase And let not his hore head be brought downe to the graue in peace But let the sonnes of Berzella be at thy table fed For they came to me when away from Absalon I fled Thou hast with thée one Semei a man of Bahurim Who curst me all the way I went vnto Mahanaim But yet at my returne he came and brought me home agayne Wheras I made an othe to him that he should not be slayne Yet shalt thou not him giltlesse count but by thy wisdome good Sée that his hore head downe be brought vnto the graue with blood Thus now wheÌ„ Dauid in his reigne had runne out al his race His soule departed vnto God and left his sonne in place FINIS Cap. 17. Isai sent Dauid to releue his brethreÌ„ but God sent him for the deliuerance of Israel Cap. 18. The vnmoueable loue of Ionathas and Dauid Cap. 19. The firste profe of Ionathas fidelitie to Dauid The faithfâ—nnesse of Michol to her husband Dauid â—he secondeâ—â—ofe of Ioâ—â—thas ' fideâ—â—tie Cap. 21. Now Dauid feigned him selfe to be madde The Priests of Nob are slayne Cap. 23. Dauid saued the towne of Keilah The thirde profe of Ionathas fidelitie Cap. 24. The great gentlenes of Dauid compelled Saul his enemy to yéelde Cap. 25. Of the churlish parte of Nabal Cap. 26. Of Dauids faythfulnes to Saul Cap. 28. Cap. 29. 2. Regum Cap. 1. Here Saul is slayne Cap. 2. Cap. 3. Cap. 4. Here Isboseth is slaine trayterously Cap. 5. Dauid is annoynted king Cap. 6. Michol despiseth Dauid for dauncing before the Arke Cap. 7. Dauids prayer Cap. 8. The victorie that God gaue to Dauid ouer the Philistines and other straunge nations Cap. 9. The restoring of Miphiboseth the sonne of Ionathas Micah was Miphiboseths sonne Cap. 10. Cap. 11. Dauid committeth adultery and homicide Cap. 12. Dauid is reproued for his adultery and homicide A rare example in a Capteine The ingratitude of the Ammonites punished Cap. 13. Ammon rauisheth his sister Thamar Ionadab was the sonne of Simeah Dauids brother Ammon is slayne Thalmai was the king of Gesur father to Maacha Absolons mother Cap. 14. Cap. 15. Absalon aspireth to the kingdome Dauid flieth froÌ„ his sonne Absalon The fidelitie of Ithai the sonne of Achis king of Geth as some do write Sadoch foloweth after Dauid with the Arke is sent backe agayne Chusai commeth to Dauid who sendeth him to Absalon Cap. 16. Ziba coÌ„meth to Dauid to deceiue Miphiboseth his master Semei curseth Dauid Achitophels counsell agaynst Dauid Chusai ouerthroweth the counsell of Achitophel Ahimaas Ionathan are hid in a well Cap. 18. Achitophel hangeth him selfe Dauid mouâ—â—neth for his sonne Absalon Cap. 19. The wilines of Semei Miphiboseth meeteth the king in Ierusalem Berselai méeteth king Dauid A strife betwéene the men of Israel and the men of Iuda for king Dauid Cap. 20. Seba maketh an insurrectioÌ„ against Dauid Dauid shutteth vp his Concubines Ioab slue Amasa some think he did it for that Amasa tooke parte with Absalon and that Dauid had made him captein generall in his stead Cap. 21. The dearth that fell in Dauids time Cap. 22. Dauid for his victories prayseth God. Cap. 23. Here Dauid numbreth his people Dauid is plagued for numbring his people 3. Regum Cap. 1. Adonia aspireth to the kingdome Salomon is proclaymed king Cap. 2.