47 The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the 22 God of the rock of my salvation.

48 It is God that 23 avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me, 49 And that bringeth me forth from my enemies: thou also hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.

50 Therefore I will give thanks to thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises to thy name.

51 He is the tower of salvation for his king: and he showeth mercy to his anointed, to David, and a to his seed for

evermore.

CHAP. XXIII.

.1 David in his last words professeth his faith in God's promises to be beyond sense or experience. The different state of the wicked. 8 A catalogue of David's mighty men.

NOW

these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,

2 The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, and his word was on my tongue.

3 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me, 1 He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.

4 And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.

the rock.

23 Heb. giv eth avengement for

me.

Rom. 15. 9. dc. 7. 12.

1or, Be thou ruler,

2or, shall not make it.

3 Heb. filled.

4or, Josheb

bassebet the Tachmo

nite, head of the three.

5 See 1 Chr.

11. 11.

6 Heb. slain.

@ 1 Chr. 11.

12.

1 Chr. 11. 27.

7 or, for

foraging

8 or, the three cap

tains over the thirty.

1 Chr. 11.

20.

9 Heb.

slain. 10 Heb.

great of

acts.

5 Although my house is not so with 11 Heb. lions God; yet he hath made with me an ev- of God. erlasting covenant, ordered in all things, 12 Heb. a and sure: for this is all my salvation, and man of counteall my desire, although he 2 maketh it not nance, or, to grow. sight: called,

6 But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:

7 But the man that shall touch them must be 3 fenced with iron and the staff

23. a man

1 Chr. 11.

of great stature.

of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place.

8¶ These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: 4 The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: she lifted up his spear against eight hundred, 6 whom he slew at one time.

9 And after him was a Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there assembled to battle, and the men of Israel had gone away:

10 He arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand adhered to the sword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder.

11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were collected into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentils: and the people fled from the Philistines.

12 But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.

13 And 8 three of the thirty chiefs went down, and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines encamped in the valley of Rephaim.

14 And David was then in a hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Beth-lehem..

15 And David longed, and said, Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate!

16 And the three mighty men broke through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink of it, but poured it out to the LORD.

17 And he said, Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this: is not this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of their lives? therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.

18 And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred, 9 and slew them, and had the name among three.

19 Was he not most honorable of three? therefore he was their captain: yet he attained not to the first three.

20 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, 10 who had done many acts, he slew two 11 lion-like men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow:

21 And he slew an Egyptian, 12 a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear

out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.

22 These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had a name among three mighty men.

23 He was 13 more honorable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his 14 15 guard.

24d Asahel the brother of Joab inas one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem,

25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

e

Before CHRIST,

1017.

13 or, honorable among the thirty.

14 or, counsel.

his command.

d c. 2. 18.

1 Chr. 11.

16 or, val

2

leys..

Satan:

See 1 Chr. 21. 1.

CHAP. XXIV.

1 David tempted by Satan, commandeth Joab to number the people. 5 The captains in nine months and twenty days, bring the mus ter of thirteen hundred thousand fighting men. 10 David having three plagues propounded by Gad, repenteth, and chooseth the three days' pestilence. 15 After the death of seventy thousand, David by repentance preventeth the destruction of Jerusalem. 18 David by Gad's direction purchaseth Araunah's threshing floor; where, having sacrificed, the plague is checked.

AND again the anger of the LORD was

kindled against Israel, and 1 he moved David against them to say, Go number Israel and Judah.

2 For the king said to Joab the captain of the host, who was with him, 2 Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people.

3 And Joab said to the king, Now the LORD thy God add to the people, how many soever they may be, a hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the

puss.

prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel.

5 And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the 3 river of Gad, and towards Jazer:

6 Then they came to Gilead, and to the 4 land of Tahtim-hodshi; and they came to Dan-jaan, and about to Zidon,

7 And came to the strong hold of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites: and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beersheba.

8 So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

9 And Joab presented the sum of the number of the people to the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

10 T And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said to the LORD, I have sinned greatly in what I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

11 For when David had risen in the morning, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,

12 Go and say to David, Thus saith 3 or, valley. the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it to thee.

4 or, nether land newly inhabited.

5 or, many.

13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said to him, Shall seven years of famine come upon thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thy enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? Now consider, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.

14 And David said to Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are 5 great: and let me not fall into the band of man.

15 So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men.

16 And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, a the LORD repented of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thy hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing-place of Araunah the Jebusite.

17 And David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thy hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my

11.

18 T And Gad came that day to David, and said to him, Go up, rear an altar to

the LORD in the threshing-floor of Arau-] nah the Jebusite.

19 And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded.

20 And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming towards him: And Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground.

21 And Araunah said, Why is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshing-floor of thee, to build an altar to the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people.

22 And Araunah said to David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good to him: behold, here are

oxen for burnt-sacrifice, and threshinginstruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood.

23 All these things did Araunah, as a king, give to the king. And Araunah said to the king, The LORD thy God accept thee.

24 And the king said to Araunah, No; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt-offerings to the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

25 And David built there an altar to the LORD, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings. So the LORD was entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.

CHAP. I.

1 Abishag cherisheth David in his extreme age: 5 Adonijah, David's darling, usurp eth the kingdom. 11 By the counsel of Nathan, 15 Bath-sheba moveth the king, 22 and Nathan secondeth her. 28 David reneweth his oath to Bath-sheba. 32 Solomon, by David's appointment, being anointed king by Zadok and Nathan, the people triumph. 41 Jonathan bringing the news, Adonijah's guests flee. 50 Adonijah, fleeing to the horns of the altar, upon his good behavior is dis. missed by Solomon.

No

TOW king David was old and 1 advanced in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he got no heat. 2 Wherefore his servants said to him, Let there be sought for my lord the king 3 a young virgin: and let her stand

son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they s following Adonijah, helped him.

the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the 8 But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.

9 And Adonijah slew sheep, and oxen, and fat cattle, by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by 9 En-rogel, and called all his brethren the king's sons, and all the men of Judah the king's servants:

10 But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not.

him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.

3 So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the borders of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunamite, and brought her to the king.

4 And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him but the king knew her not.

5 Then Adonijah the son of Hag

1

12 Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thy own life, and the life of thy son Solomon.

13 Go, and enter in to king David, and say to him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear to thy handmaid, saying,

king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before

him.

6 And his father had not displeased him sat any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very

after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign?

14 Behold, while thou art yet talking there with the king, I will also come in after thee, and 10 confirm thy words. 15 ¶ And Bath-sheba went to the king

7 And he conferred with Joab the

old; and Abishag the Shunamite ministered to the king.

Adonijah were afraid, and arose, and went every man his way.

50 ¶ And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

Before CHRIST, 1014.

Josh. 1. 7.

naim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I swore to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.

9 Now therefore hold him not guilt

est what thou oughtest to do to him; but his hoary head do thou bring down to the grave with blood.

ly.

2 Sam.7.12.

Heb. be cut off from thee from

the throne.

10 So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.

11 And the days that David i reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.

12 Then Solomon was seated upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly..

CHAP. II.

d 2 Sam. 20. 10.

31.

13 ¶ And Adonijah the son of Haggith

mon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably? and he said, Peaceably.

14 He said moreover, I have somewhat to say to thee. And she said, Say

on.

15 And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign but the kingdom is turned about,

his from the LORD.

16 And now I ask one petition of thee, 5 deny me not. And she said to him, Say

on.

17 And he said, Speak, I pray thee, to Solomon the king, (for he will not say to

a man;

3 And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself.

4 That the LORD may continue his word which he spoke concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not 2 fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.

Shunamite for a wife.

18 And Bath-sheba said, Well; I will speak for thee to the king.

19 ¶ Bath-sheba therefore went to king Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself to her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand.

20 Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee; I pray thee, deny me not. And the king said to her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not deny thee.

21 And she said, Let Abishag the Shunamite be given to Adonijah thy brother 1 Chr. 29. for a wife.

my face.

22 And king Solomon answered and said to his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunamite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is my elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.

23 Then king Solomon swore by the LORD, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah hath not spoken this word against his own life.

24 Now therefore, as the LORD liveth, who hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me a house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day. 25 And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him that he died.