Capitulum I. And kyng Dauid hadde eeldid, and he hadde of age manye dais; and whanne he was couerd wiþ cloþis, he was not maad hoot. Þanne his ſeruauntis ſeiden to hym, Seche we to oure lord kyng a ȝong wexen mayden; and ſtonde ſhe before þe kyng, and fede ſhe hym, and ſleep in his boſum, and make ſhe hoot oure lord kyng. Þanne þei ſouȝten a fayre ȝong womman in alle þe cooſtis of Irael; and þei founden Abiſaag Sunamytem, and brouȝten hir to þe kyng. Forſoþe ſhe was a child womman fayr ful mych, and ſhe ſlepte wiþ þe kyng, and ſeruede to hym; forſoþe þe kyng knewe hyre not. Forſoþe Adonyas, þe ſone of Agiþ, was reryd vp, ſeiynge, I ſhal regne. And he made to hym a chaar, and horſmen, and fifti men, þat before him ſhulden renne. And his fadir vndurnam not hym eny tyme, ſeiynge, Whi þus diddiſt þou? Forſoþe and he was ful fayr, þe ſecound born after Abſolon; and þe word of hym wiþ Joab, þe ſone of Saruye, and wiþ Abiaþar, preeſt, þat helpiden þe parties of Adonye. Forſoþe Sadoch, þe preeſt, and Banayas, þe ſone of Joiade, and Naþan, þe prophete, and Semei, and Cereþi, and Phereþi, and al þe ſtrengþ of þe ooſt of Dauid, was not wiþ Adonye. Þanne weþers, and calues, and alle þe fat offrid biſide þe ſtoon of Zoelech, þat was nyȝ to þe welle of Rogel, Adonyas clepede alle his briþeren, þe ſones of þe kyng, and alle þe men of Juda, ſeruauntis of þe kyng. Forſoþe Naþan, þe prophet, and Banaye, and alle þe ſtronge men, and Salomon, his broþer, he clepide not. And ſo Naþan ſeide to Berſabe, þe modir of Salomon, Wheþer haſt þou herd, þat Adonyas, þe ſone of Agiþ, haþ regnyd, and oure lord Dauid þes þingis vnknowiþ? Now þanne come, and tak counſeil of me, and ſaue þi lijf, and of þi ſone Salomon. Go, and weend in to kyng Dauid, and ſey to him, Wheþer not þou, lord, my kyng, ſwore to me þin hoond womman, ſeiynge, þat Salomon þi ſone ſhal regne aftir me, and he ſhal ſitte in my ſee? Whi þanne regneþ Adonyas? And ȝit þere þee ſpekynge wiþ þe kyng, I ſhal come after þee, and fulfil þi wordis. And ſo Berſabe is goon yn to þe kyng in þe bedplace; forſoþe þe kyng hadde eeldid ful myche, and Abiſaag Sunamyte ſeruede to him. Berſabe bowid hir, and honourede þe king; to whom þe king, he ſeiþ, What wolt þou to þee? Þe which anſwerynge ſeiþ, My lord kyng, þou ſwore bi þe Lord þi God to þin hoond womman, Salomon þi ſone ſhal regne after me, and ſhal ſitte in my ſee; and loo! now Adonye haþ regned, þee, my lord kyng, vnknowynge; he haþ ſlayn oxen, and alle þe fatte, and manye weþers; and clepide alle þe ſones of þe kyng, and Abiaþar, þe preeſt, and Joab, þe prince of þe chyualrie; forſoþe Salomon, þi ſeruaunt, he clepide not. Neuerþelater, my lord kyng, in þee þe eyen of al Yrael beholden, þat þou deme to hem, who owiþ to ſit in þi ſee, my lord kyng, aftir þee; and it ſhal be, whanne my lord kyng ſhal ſleep wiþ his faders, I and my ſone Salomon ſhulen be ſynful. Ȝit ſhe ſpekynge wiþ þe kyng, Naþan, þe prophete, cam. And men toolden to þe kyng, ſeiynge, Naþan, þe prophete, is nyȝ. And whanne he was comen in þe ſiȝt of þe kyng, and hadde honourde hym redi into þe erþe, Naþan ſeide, My lord kyng, haſt þow ſeide, Adonye regne after me, and he ſitte vpon my trone? For he cam doun to day, and offride oxen, and fatte þingis, and manye weþers; and clepide alle þe ſonys of þe kyng, and þe prince of þe ooſt, and Abiaþar, þe preeſt; and hem etynge, and drynkynge before hym, and ſeiynge, Lyue þe kyng Adonye, me, þi ſeruaunt, and Sadoch, þe preeſt, and Benanye, þe ſone of Joiade, and Salomon, þi ſone, he clepide not. Wheþer of my lord þe kyng wente out þis word, and to me, þi ſeruaunt, þou ſhewediſt not, who ſhulde be to ſitte vpon þe trone of my lord kyng after hym? And kyng Dauid anſwerde, ſeiynge, Clepiþ to me Berſabe. Þe which whanne was goon in before þe kyng, and hadde ſtoonden before hym, þe king ſwore, and ſeiþ, Þe Lord lyueþ, þat haþ delyuerd my ſoule fro al angwiſh; for as I ſwore to þee bi þe Lord God of Irael, ſeiynge, Salomon, þi ſone, ſhal regne after me, and he ſhal ſitte vpon my ſee after me, ſo I ſhal do to day. And Berſabe, þe cheere put doun into þe erþe, honourde þe kyng, ſeiynge, Lyue my lord kyng Dauid wiþ outen eende. And kyng Dauid ſeide, Clepiþ to me Sadoch, þe preeſt, and Naþan, þe prophete, and Banayam, þe ſone of Joiade. Þe whiche whanne þei weren comyn yn before þe kyng, þe king ſeide to hem, Takiþ wiþ ȝou þe ſeruauntis of ȝoure lord, and puttiþ my ſone Salomon vpon my mule, and lediþ hym into Gion.