And it was

them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night. told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of 35 Saul, had done. And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabeshgilead, which had stolen them from the street of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, when the Philistines had slain Saul in Gilboa: and he brought up from thence the 40 bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son; and they gathered the bones of them that were hanged. And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son buried they in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the sepulchre of Kish his father and they performed all that the king commanded. And after that 45 God was intreated for the land.

21.15. Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint. And Ishbi-benob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of 50 whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David. But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, 55 that thou quench not the light of Israel. And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at 1 Gob: then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, which was of the sons of the giant. And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jair, the Beth-lehemite, 60 slew Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. And there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant. And when he defied Israel, Jonathan 65 the son of Shimeah the brother of David slew him. These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.

24.1. And again the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them, saying, Go, number 70 Israel and Judah. And the king said to Joab the captain of the host, which was with him, Go now through all the tribes of 1 Nothing is known of Gob. In 1 Chronicles 20.5 it is called Gezer.

Israel, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people. And Joab said 75 unto the king, Now Jehovah thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may see it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing? Notwithstanding the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And 80 Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel. And they passed over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the valley of Gad, and toward Jazer: then they came to Gilead, and to the land of the 2 Hittites unto 85 Kedesh; and they came to Dan, and from Dan they went about to Zidon, 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 country of Judah, even to Beer-sheba. So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto 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.

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24.10. And David's heart smote him after that he had num95 bered the people. And David said unto Jehovah, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O Jehovah, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. For when David was up in the morning, the word of Jehovah came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, 100 saying, Go and say unto David, Thus saith Jehovah, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee. So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they 105 pursue thee? or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me. And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of Jehovah; for his mercies are great and let me not fall into the hand of man. So Jehovah IIO sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the

2 These words are taken from the LXX. The Hebrew text is corrupt and unintelligible.

time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men. And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, Jehovah repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the 115 angel of Jehovah was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite. And David spake unto Jehovah 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 thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my 120 father's house.

24.18. And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto Jehovah in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite. And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as Jehovah commanded. And Araunah looked, 125 and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground. And Araunah said, Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant? And David said, To buy the threshingfloor of thee, to build an altar unto Jehovah, that 130 the plague may be stayed from the people. And Araunah said unto David, Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and the instruments of the oxen for wood. All these things did Araunah give unto the king. 135 And Araunah said unto the king, Jehovah thy God accept thee. And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto Jehovah my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels 140 of silver. And David built there an altar unto Jehovah, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So Jehovah was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.

LESSON LXI

ADONIJAH AND SOLOMON

I KINGS 1.1. to 2.11

1.1. Now king David was old and stricken in years; and Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. And his father had not 5 displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom. And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest and they following Adonijah helped him. But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the Io son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah. And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by En-rogel, and called all his brethren the king's sons, and all the men of 15 Judah the king's servants: but Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not.

1.11. Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son 20 of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not? Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon. Go and get thee in unto king David, and say unto him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thine hand25 maid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign? Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and confirm thy words. And Bath-sheba went in unto the king into the chamber and 30 the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king. And Bath-sheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king. And the king said, What wouldest thou? And she said unto him, My lord, thou swarest by Jehovah thy

God unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne. And 35 now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest it not: and he hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the host: but Solomon thy servant hath he not called. And thou, my lord, 40 O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders. And, lo, while she yet talked with the 45 king, Nathan the prophet also came in. And they told the king, saying, Behold Nathan the prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground. And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall 50 sit upon my throne? For he is gone down this day, and hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the king's sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, God save king Adonijah. But me, even me thy 55 servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, hath he not called. Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not shewed it unto thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?

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1.28. Then king David answered and said, Call me Bathsheba. And she came into the king's presence, and stood before the king. And the king sware, and said, As Jehovah liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress, even as I sware unto thee by Jehovah, the God of Israel, saying, Assuredly 65 Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day. Then Bath-sheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever. And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan 70 the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king. The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride