slain at one time. And after him was Eleazar the son of 9 Dodo the son of Ahohi, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel were gone away: he 10 arose, and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword; and Jehovah wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to spoil.

And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hara- 11 rite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a band, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles; and the people fled from the Philistines. But he stood in the midst of the 12 ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines; and Jehovah wrought a great victory.

And three of the thirty chiefs went down, and came to 13 David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam; and a band of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim. And David was then in the fastness, and there was 14 a garrison of the Philistines then in Beth-lehem. And David 15 longed, and said, "Who will give me to drink of the water of the well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate?" And the 16 three mighty men brake through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem, that was by the gate, and took it, and brought it to David; and he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto Jehovah. And he 17 said, "Be it far from me, O Jehovah, 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 the three mighty men.

And Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was 18 chief of three others. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred slain, and had the name among the three. He was the most honoured of the three, therefore he was 19 their captain; howbeit he attained not unto the first three.

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant 20 man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two champions of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow: and he slew an 21 Egyptian, 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.

These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had a 22

23 name among three mighty men. He was more honourable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David made him one of his council.

24

Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; El25 hanan the son of Dodo of Beth-lehem, Shammah the Haro26 dite, Elika the Harodite, Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of 27 Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anethothite, Mebunnai the 28 Hushathite, Zalmon the Ahohite, Mahari the Netophathite, 29 Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of 30 Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, Benaiah 31 the Pirathonite, Hiddai of Nachale-Gaash, Abi-albon the Ar32 bathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of 33 the sons of Jashen, Jonathan, Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam 34 the son of Sharar the Hararite, Eliphalet the son of Ahasbai,

the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the 36 Gilonite, Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, Igal the 37 son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, Zelek the Ammonite, Nahari the Beerothite, armour-bearer to Joab the son of 39 Zeruiah, Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite, Uriah the Hittite, thirty and seven in all.

1 CHAP. XXIV.-And again the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to 2 say, "Go, number Israel and Judah." And the king said to Joab the captain of the host, who was with him, "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 3 people." And Joab said unto the king, "Now Jehovah thy God add unto the people, how many soever they be, an hundredfold, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it; but 4 why doth my lord the king desire this thing?" Notwithstanding the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host.

And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the 5 presence of the king, to number the people of Israel. And they passed over Jordan, and encamped in Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the torrent of Gad 6 and towards Jazer: then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi; and they came to Dan-jaan, and 7 round to Sidon, and came to the fortified place of Tyre, and to all the cities of the Hivites, and of the Canaanites; and s they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beer-sheba. So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jeru

salem at the end of nine months and twenty days. And 9 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.

And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered 10 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." And when David arose in the morning, the 11 word of Jehovah came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying, "Go and say unto David, Thus saith Jehovah, I 12 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 13 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 pursue thee? or that there be three days of pestilence in thy land? now consider, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me." And David said unto 14 Gad, "I am in great distress: 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 sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morn- 15 ing even to the time appointed; and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba, seventy thousand men. And 16 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 angel of Jehovah was by the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. And David spake unto Jehovah 17 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 upon me, and upon my father's house."

And Gad came that day to David, and said to him, "Go 18. up, rear an altar unto Jehovah in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite." And David, according to the saying 19 of Gad, went up as Jehovah commanded. And Araunah 20 looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him; and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king with his face toward the ground. And Araunah said, 21 "Wherefore is my lord the king come to his servant?" And

David said, "To buy the threshing-floor of thee, to build an altar to Jehovah, that the plague may be stayed from the 22 people." And Araunah said unto David, "Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him; behold, here are oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing-machines, and 23 gear of the oxen for wood. All these things doth Araunah, Ŏ king, give unto the king." And Araunah said unto the 24 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 threshing-floor and the oxen for fifty 25 shekels 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.

THE

FIRST BOOK OF THE

KINGS.

CHAP. I.-Now king David was old and stricken in 1 years; and they covered him with clothes, but he got no heat. And his servants said unto him, "Let a young maiden 2 be sought for my lord the king, and let her stand before the king, and let her be his companion; and let her lie in his bosom, that my lord the king may get heat." So they 3 sought for a beautiful damsel throughout all the borders of Israel; and they found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. And the damsel was very beau- 4 tiful; and she became companion to the king, and ministered unto him; but the king knew her not.

And Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, 5 "I will be king;" and he procured chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. And his father had not 6 displeased him at any time, saying, "Why hast thou done thus?" And he was also exceeding comely; and his mother had borne him after Absalom. And he took counsel 7 with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest; and they helped Adonijah. But Zadok the priest, and Be- s naiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and David's valiant men, were not with Adonijah. And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth which is by En-rogel; and he invited all his brethren the king's sons, and all the men of Judah the king's servants. But Nathan the prophet, and 10 Benaiah, and the valiant men, and Solomon his brother, he did not invite.

Then spake Nathan unto Bath-sheba the mother of Solo- 11 mon, saying, "Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of