¹ And it bifelde in a day, that Jonathas, the sone of Saul, seide to his squyer, a yong man, Come thou, and passe we to the staciouns of the Filisteis, which is biyende that place; `sotheli he schewide not this same thing to his fadir.

² Sotheli Saul dwellide in the laste part of Gabaa, vndur a pumgarnarde tre, that was in the feeld of Gabaa; and the puple as of sixe hundrid men was with hym.

³ And Achias, sone of Achitob, brother of Icaboth, sone of Fynees, that was gendrid of Ely, preest of the Lord in Silo, bar ephod, `that is, the preestis cloth; but also the puple wiste not whidur Jonathas hadde go.

⁴ Sotheli bitwixe the stiyngis, bi whiche Jonathas enforside to passe to the stacioun of Filisteis, weren stonys stondynge forth on euer either side, and scarris brokun bifore bi the maner of teeth on ech syde; name to oon was Boses, and name to `the tother was Sene;

⁵ o scarre was stondynge forth to the north ayens Machynas, and the tother scarre to the south ayens Gabaa.

⁶ Forsothe Jonathas seide to his yong squyer, Come thou, passe we to the stacioun of these vncircumcisid men, if in hap the Lord do for vs; for it is not hard to the Lord to saue, ethir in manye ethir in fewe.

⁷ And his squyer seide to hym, Do thou alle thingis that plesen thi soule; go whidur thou coueitist, Y schal be with thee, where euer thou wolt.

⁸ And Jonathas seide, Lo! we passen to these men; and whanne we apperen to hem,

⁹ if thei speken thus to vs, Dwelle ye, til we comen to you; stonde we in oure place, and stie we not to hem.

¹⁰ Sotheli if thei seien, Stye ye to vs; stie we, for the Lord hath bitake hem in oure hondis; this schal be a signe to vs.

¹¹ `Therfor euer either apperide to the stacioun of Filisteis; and Filisteis seiden, Lo! Ebreis goen out of caues, in whiche thei weren hid.

¹² And men of the stacioun spaken to Jonathas and to his squyer, and seiden, Stie ye to vs, and we schulen schewe to you a thing. And Jonathas seide to his squyer, `Stie we, sue thou me; for the Lord hath bitake hem in to the hondis of Israel.

¹³ Forsothe Jonathas stiede crepynge on hondis and feet, and his squyer after hym; and whanne thei hadden seyn the face of Jonathas, summe felden doun bifor Jonathas, his squier killed othere, and suede hym.

¹⁴ And the firste wounde was maad, which Jonathas and his squyer smoot, as of twenti men, in `the myddil part of lond which a peire of oxun was wont to ere in the dai.

¹⁵ And a myracle was don in the castels, and bi the feeldis, but also al the puple of the `stacioun of hem that yeden out to take prey, dredde, and `the castels weren disturblid; and it bifelde as a myracle of God.

¹⁶ And aspyeris of Saul bihelden, that weren in Gabaa of Beniamyn, and lo! a multitude cast doun, and fleynge awei hidur and thidur.

¹⁷ And Saul seide to the puple that weren with hym, Seke ye, and se ye, who yede awei fro vs. And whanne thei hadden souyt, it was foundun, that Jonathas and his squyer weren not present.

¹⁸ And Saul seide to Achias, Brynge the arke of the Lord; for the arke of God was there in that dai with the sones of Israel.

¹⁹ And whanne Saul spak to the preest, a grete noise roos in the castelis of Filisteis; and it encresside litil and litil, and sownede cleerliere. And Saul seide to the preest, Withdraw thin hond.

²⁰ Therfor Saul criede, and al the puple that was with hym; and thei camen `til to the place of batel, and, lo! the swerd of ech man was turned to his neiybore, and a ful grete sleynge was.

²¹ But also Ebreis that weren with Filisteis yistirday and the thridde dai ago, and hadde stied with hem in castels, turneden ayen to be with Israel, that weren with Saul and Jonathas.

²² Also alle men of Israel, that hadden hid hem silf in the hil of Effraym, herden that Filisteis hadden fled; and thei felouschipiden hem silf with her men in batel, and as ten thousynde of men weren with Saul.

²³ And the Lord sauyde Israel in that day. Sotheli the batel cam til to Bethauen.

²⁴ And men of Israel weren felouschipid to hem silf in that dai; forsothe Saul swoor to the puple, and seide, Cursid be the man, that etith breed `til to euentid, til `Y venge me of myn enemyes.

²⁵ And al the puple ete not breed. And al the comyn puple of the lond cam in to a forest, in which was hony on the `face of erthe.

²⁶ And so the puple entride in to the forest, and flowynge hony apperide; and no man puttide hond to his mouth, for the puple dredde the ooth.

²⁷ Forsothe Jonathas herde not, whanne his fadir swoor to the puple; and he helde forth the ende of a litil yerde, whiche he hadde in the hond, and dippide in to `a coomb of hony; and he turnede his hond to his mouth, and hise iyen weren liytned.

²⁸ And oon of the puple answeride, and seide, Thi fader boond the puple with an ooth, and seide, Cursid be the man that etith breed to dai. Forsothe the puple was feynt.

²⁹ And Jonathas seide, My fadir hath disturblid the lond; ye sien, that myn iyen ben liytned, for Y tastide a litil of this hony;

³⁰ hou myche more if the puple hadde ete the prey of hise enemyes, which `prey it foond; whether not gretter veniaunce hadde be maad in Filisteis?

³¹ Therfore thei smytiden Filisteis in that dai fro Machynas `til in to Hailon. Forsothe the puple was maad ful wery;

³² and the puple turnede to prey, and took scheep and oxun, and calues; and thei killiden in the erthe; and the puple eet with blood.

³³ And thei telden to Saul, and seiden, that the puple etynge with blood hadde synned to the Lord. And Saul seide, Ye han trespassid; walewe ye to me `riyt now a greet stoon.

³⁴ And Saul seyde, `Be ye spred abrood in to the comyn puple, and seie ye to hem, that ech man brynge to me his oxe and ram; and sle ye on this stoon, and ete ye, and ye schulen not do synne to the Lord, `and ete with blood. Therfor al the puple brouyte ech man an oxe in his hond `til to nyyt, and thei killiden there.

³⁵ Sotheli Saul bildide an auter to the Lord; and thanne firste he bigan to bilde an auter to the Lord.

³⁶ And Saul seide, Falle we on the Filisteis in the nyyt, and waste we hem til the morewtid schyne; and leeue we not of hem a man. And the puple seide, Do thou al thing that semeth good to thee in thin iyen. And the preest seide, Neiye we hidur to God.

³⁷ And Saul counselide the Lord, and seide, Whether Y schal pursue Filisteis? whether thou schalt bitake hem in to the hondis of Israel? And the Lord answeride not to him in that dai.

³⁸ And Saul seide, Brynge ye hidur alle the corneris of the puple, and wite ye, and se, bi whom this synne bifelde to dai.