11 And one of Joab's men flood by him, and faid, He that favoureth Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after Joab. 12 And Amafa wallowed in blood in the midst of the highway. And when the man faw that all the people stood still, he removed Amafa out of the highway into the field, and calt a cloth upon him, when he saw that every one that came by him ftood still. 13 When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to purfue after sheba the fon of Bichri. 14 And he went through all the tribes of Ifrael unto Abel and to Beth-maachah, and all the Berites: and they were gathered together, and went alfo after him. 15 And they came and befieged him in Abel of Beth-maachah,and they caft up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench : and all the people that were with joab battered the wall, to throw it down. 16Then cried a wife woman out of the city, Hear, hear; fay, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may fpeak with thee. 17 And when he was come near unto her, the woman faid, Art thou Joab? And he anfwered, I am be. Then the faid unto him, Hear the words of thine handmaid. And he anfwered, I do hear. 18 Then the fpake, faying, They were wont to speak in old time, faying, They shall furely aik counsel at Abel: and fo they ended the matter. 19 I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Ifrael: thou feekeft to destroy a city and a mother in Ifrael: why wilt thou fwal low up the inheritance of the LORD! 20 And Joab anfwered and faid, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy. 21 The matter is not fo: but a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the fon of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand againft the king, even against David: deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman faid unto Joab, Behold, his head fhall be thrown to thee over the wall. 22 Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the fon of Bichri, and caft it out to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they retired from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerufalem unto the king. 23 Now Joab was over all the hoft of Ifrael: and Benaiah the fon of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites: 24 And Adoram was over the tribute: and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder : 25 And Sheva was scribe: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests: 26 And Iraalfo the Jairite was a chief ruler about David. CHAP. XXI. The three years' famine for the Gibeonites ceafe by the hanging of seven of Saul's fons. 10 Kizpah's kindnefs unto the dead. 12 Davidburieth the bones of Saul and Jonathan. THEN there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD anfwered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody houfe, because he flew the Gibeonites. 2 And the king called the Gibeonites, and faid unto them; (now the Gibeonites were Three years of famine. not of the children of Ifrael, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Ifrael had fworn unto them: and Saul fought to lay them in his zeal to the children of If. rael and Judah.) 3 Wherefore David faid unto the Gibeon. ites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith fhall I make the atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD? 4 And the Gibeonites faid unto him, We will have no filver nor gold of Saul, nor of his house; neither for us fhalt thou kill any man in Ifrael. And he faid, What ye shall fay, that will I do for you. S And they answered the king, The man that confumed us, and that deviled against us that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the coafts of Ifrael, 6 Let feven men of his fons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, whom the LORD did choofe. And the king faid, I will give them. 7 But the king fpared Mephibolheth, the fon of Jonathan, the fon of Saul, becaufe of the LORD'S oath that was between them, be tween David and Jonathan the fon of Saul. 8 But the king took the two fons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom the bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibotheth; and the five fons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom he brought up for Adriel the fon of Barzil. lai the Meholathite: 9 And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the LORD: and they fell all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest. 10 And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took fackcloth, an fpread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harveft until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and fuffered neither the birds of the air to reft on them by day, nor the beafts of the field by night. 11 And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine or Saul, had done. 12¶ And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his fon from the men of Jabeth-gilead, which had stolen them from the street of Beth-than, where the Philiftines had hanged them, when the Phili. ftines had flain Saul in Gilboa : 13 And he brought up from thence the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his fon; and they gathered the bones of them that were hanged. 14 And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his for buried they in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the fepulchre of Kith his father: and they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God was entreated for the land. 15 Morcover, the Philistines had yet war again with Ifrael; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint. 16 And Ifhbi-benob, which was of the fons of the giant, the weight of whofe fpear weighed three hundred ckels of brafs in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have flain David. 17 But Abishai the fon of Zeruiah fuccoured him, and fmote the Philiftine, and killed David's thanksgiving. Chap. xxii. him. Then the men of David fware unto him, faying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Ifrael. 18 And it came to pafs after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbechai the Hu.hathite flew Saph, which was of the fons of the giant. 19 And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the fon of Jaare-oregim, a Beth-lehemite, flew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the ftaif of whofe fpear was like a weaver's beam.. 20 And there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a man of great ftature, that had on every hand fix fingers, and on every toot fix toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant. 21 And when he defied Ifrael, Jonathan the fon of Shimeah the brother of David flew him. 22 Thefe four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his fervants. HA P. XXII. David's pfalm of thanksgiving for God's powerful deliverance, and manifold blengs. ND David fpake unto the LORD the words of this fong, in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul: 2 And he faid, The LORD is my rock, and my fortrefs, and my deliverer; 3 The God of my rock; in bim will I truft; be is my fhield, and the horn of my falvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my faviour; thou faveit me from violence. 4 I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: fo fhall I be faved from mine enemies. 5 When the waves of death compaffed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid; 6 The forrows of hell comparted me about; the fnares of death prevented me; 7 In my diftrefs I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears. Then the earth fhook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and thook, becaufe he was wroth. 9 There went up a smoke out of his noftrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. 10 He bowed the heavens alfo, and came down; and darkness was under his feet. 11 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was feen upon the wings of the wind. 12 And he made darkness pavilions tound about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies. 13 Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled." 14 The LORD thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice. 15 And he fent out arrows, and fcattered them; lightning, and difcomfited them. 16 And the channels of the fea appeared, the foundations of the world were difcovered, at the rebuking of the LORD, at the blaft of the breath of his noftrils. 17 He fent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters; 18 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me for they were too ftrong for me. David's thanksgiving. 19 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my ftay. 20 He brought me forth alfo into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted a me. 21 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteou nefs: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompenfed me. 22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. 23 For all his judgments were before me : and as for his ftatutes, I did not depart from them. 24 I was alfo upright before him, and have kept myself from mine iniquity. 25 Therefore the LORD hath recompenfed me according to my righteoufnefs; according to my cleannefs in his eye-fight. 26 With the merciful thou wilt fhew thy. felt merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt fhew thyself upright. 27 With the pure thou wilt fhew thy felf pure; and with the froward thou wilt fhew thyself unfavoury. 28 And the afflicted people thou wilt fave: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayeft bring them down. 29 For thou art my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness. 30 For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall. 31 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried; he is a buckler to all them that truft in him. 32 For who is God, fave the LORD? and who is a rock, fave our God? 33 God is my ftrength and power: and he maketh my way perfect. 34 He maketh my feet like hinds feet, and fetteth me upon my high places. 35 He teacheth my hands to war; fo that a bow of feel is broken by mine arms. 36 Thou haft alfo given me the field of thy falvation: and thy gentleness Lath made me great. 37 Thou hast enlarged my fleps under me; fo that my feet did not flip. 38 I have pursued mine enemies, and deftroyed them; and turned not again until I had confumed them. 39 And I have confumed them, and wounded them, that they could not arife; yea, they are fallen under my feet. 40 For thou haft girded me with Arength to battle them that rofe up against me haft thou fubdued under me. 41 Thou also haft given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me. 42 They looked, but there was none to fave; even unto the LORD, but he answered them not. 43 Then did I beat them as fmall as the duft of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the street, and did spread them abroad. 44 Thou haft alfo delivered me from the ftrivings of my people, thou hart kept me to be head of the heathen: a people which I knew not thall ferve me. 45 Strangers fhall fubmit themselves unto as foon as they hear, they fhall be obedient unto me. me 46 Strangers fhall fade away, and they hall David profeffeth his faith II. SAMUEL. fhall be afraid out of their clofe places. 48 It is God that avengeth me, and that 49 And that bringein me forth from mine enemies: thou haft lifted me up on high above them that rofe up against me: thou hait delivered me from the violent man. 50 Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will fing praifes unto thy name. 51 he is the tower of falvation for his king: and theweth mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his feed for evermore. CHAF. XXIII. 1 David profefeth his faith in God's promifes: Now there be the last words of David. David the fon or Jeffe faid, and the man who was raifed up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the fweet pfalmift of Ifrael, faid, 2 The Spirit of the LORD fpake by me, and his word was in my tongue. 3 The God or Ifrael faid, the Rock of Ifrael ake to me. He that ruleth over men nuft be jut, ruling in the fear of God. 4 And he fall be as the light of the morning, when the fun rifeth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grafs fpringing out of the earth by clear thining after rain. 5 Although my houfe be not foith God; yet he hath made with me an everlafting co. venant, ordered in all things, and fure: for this is all my falvation, and all my defire, although he make it not to grow. 6 But the fans of Belial ball be all of them as thorns thruft away, because they cannot be taken with hands: 7 But the men that fhall touch them, muft be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the fame place. 8Thefe be the names of the mighty men whom David had: the Tachmonite that fat in the feat, chief among the captains; the fame was Adino the Eznite; be lifted up his spear againft eight hundred, whom he flew at one time. 9 And after him was Eleazar the fon of Dodo the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David, when they defied the Philistines that were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Ifrael were gone away: 10 He arofe, and fmote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the fword: and the LORD wrought a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to fpoil. II And after him was Shammah the fon of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he food in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and flew the Philiftines: and the LORD wrought a great victory. 13 And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time, unto the cave of Adullam and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim. 14 And David was then in an hold, and in God's promifes. Beth-lehem. 15 And David longed, and faid, Oh that one the host o. the Philiitines, and drew water 17 And he fai 1, Be it far from me, O blood of the men that went in jeopardy of LORD, that I thould do this: is not this the their lives? therefore he would not drink it. Thefe things did theic the mighty men. of Zeruiah, was chie among three. And he 18 And Abishai the prover of Joab, the fon flew them, and had the name among three. lifted up his fpear against three hundred, and therefore he was their captain: howbeit, he 19 Was he not moft honourable of three? attained not unto the firft three. of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done 20 And Benaiah the fon of Jehoiada, the fen he went down alio and flew a lion in the midst many acts, he flew two lionlike men of Moab : of a pit in time of now: and the Egyptian had a pear in his hand; 21 And he flew an Egyption, a goodly man: but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the fear out of the Egyptian's hand, and flew him with his own fpear. hoiada, and had the name among three migh22 These things did Benaiah the fon of Jety men. 23 He was more honourable than the thirty, rodite, the Tekoite, Huthathite, tophathite, thite, Ittai the fon of Ribai out of Gibeah of brooks of Gaafh, Barhumite, of Jafhen, Jonathan, 33 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the fon of Sharar the Hararite, the Maachathite, Eliam the Son of Ahithophel 35 Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharal the Bee- 38 Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite, 1 David numbereth the people: 10 be, having Araunah's generofity, and chanfeth three days' peftilence: 17 bis fee what anfwer I fhall return to him that intercel on to God. Again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Ifracl, and he moved David against them to fay, Go, number Ifrael and Judah. 2 For the king faid to Joab the captain of the hot, which was with him,Go now through all the tribes of Ifrael, trom Dan even to Beer. theba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people. 3 And Joab faid unto the king, Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many foever they be, an hundredfold, and that the eyes of my lord the king may fee it: but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing? 4 Notwithstanding the king's word pre. varied against Joab, and against the captains of the hoft. And Joab and the captains of the hoft went out from the prefence of the king, to number the people of Ifrael. 5 And they paled over Jordan, and pitched in Aroer, on the right fide of the city that lierb in the midst of the river of Gad, and toward Jazer: 6 Then they came to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim-hodhi ;and they came to Dan. jaan, and about to Zidǝn, 7 And came to the ftrong 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 Beer-Sheba. 8 So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerufalem at the end of Dine months and twenty days. 9 And Joab gave up the fum of the number of the people unto the king; and there were in Ifrael eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the fword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men, 10 And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David faid unto the LORD, I have finned greatly in that I have done: ant now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy fervant; for I have done very foolishly. 11 For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's feer, faying, 12 Go and fay unto David, Thus faith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choofe thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee. 13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and faid unto him, Shall feven 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' pestilence in thy land? now advife, and fent me. 14 And David faid unto Gad, I am in a great trait: let us tail now into the hand of the LORD; (for his mercies are great:) and let me not tall into the hand of man. 15 So the LORD fent a peftilence upon Ifrael from the morning even to the time appointed and there died of the people from Din even to Beer-theta feventy thousand men. 15 And when the angel ftretched out his hand upon Jerufalem to deftroy it, the LORD repented nim or the evil, and faid to the angel that deftroyed the people, It is enough: itay now thine hand. And the angel of the LoD was by the threshing-place of Araunah the Jebusite. די And David fpake unto the LORD when he faw the angel that fmote the people, and faid, Lo, I have finned, and I have done wickedly but these theep, what have they dose? Let thine hand, I pray thee, be againit me, and against my father's house. 18 And Gad came that day to David, and faid unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD in the thrething floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 19 And David according to the faying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded. 20 And Araunah looked, and faw the king and his fervants coming on toward him: and Araunah went out, and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground. 21 And Araunah iaid, Wherefore is my Lord the king come to his fervant? And Dávid faid, To buy the threshing floor of thee, to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be ftayed from the people. 22 And Araunah faid unto David, et my lord the king take and offer up what feemeth good unto him: behold, here be oxen for burnt-facrifice, and threshing inttruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood. 23 All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah faid unto the king, The LORD thy God accept thee. 24 And the king faid unto Araunah, Nay; but I will furely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt-offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth oft me nothing. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty fhekels of filver. 25 And David built there an altar unto the Lok, and offered burnt-offerings and peace offerings. So the LOR was entreated for the land, and the plague was tayed from Ifrael. The First Book of the KINGS, commonly called The Third Book of the KINGS. CHAP. I. 1 Abifbag cherisheth David in his extreme age. Adonijah, David's darling, ufurpeth the kingdom. 2 Solomon, by David's appointment, is anointed king by Zadok and Nathan. 50 Adonijab, fleeing to the horns of the altar, 53 is difmiffed by Solomon. N Ow king David was old and fricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat. 2 Wherefore his fervants faid unto him, Let there be fought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her fland before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bofom, that my lord the king may get heat. 3 so they fought for a fair damfel throughout all the coafts of Ifrael, and found Abihag a Shunamite, and brought her to the king. 4 And the damfel was very fair, and che Adonijab's treafon difcovered. rished the king, and miniftered to him: but 1. KINGS. the king knew her not. 24 And Nathan faid, My lord, Oxing, haft he thall fit upon my throne? thou faid, Adonijab fhall reign after me, and Then Adonijah the fon of Haggith exalted himself, faying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horfemen, and fifty men to run before him. 6 And his father had not difpleafed him at any time, in faying, Why haft thou done fo? and he alfo was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Abfalom. And he conferred with Joab the fon of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him. 8 But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the fon of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah. 9 And Adonijah flew theep and oxen and fat cattle by the ftone of Zoheleth, which is by En-rogel, and called all his brethren the king's ons, and all the men of Judah the king's fervants : 12 Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counfel, that thou mayett fave thine own life, and the life of thy fon Solomon. 13 Go and get thee in unto king David, and fay unto him, Didft not thou, my lord, O king, fwear unto thine handmaid, faying, Affuredly Solomon thy ton fhall reign after me, and he thall fit on my throne? Why then doth Adonijah reign? 14 Behold, while thou yet talkeft there with the king, I will alfo come in atter thee, and confirm thy words. 15 And Bath-fheba went in unto the king into the chamber: and the king was very old; and Abifhag the Shunamite miniftered unto the king. 16And Bath-theba bowed, and did obeifance unto the king. And the king faid, What wouldeft thou? 17 And the faid unto him, My lord, thou fwareft by the LORD thy God unto thine handmaid, faying, Affuredly Solomon thy fon fhall reign after me, and he fhall fit upon my throne. 18 And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knoweft it not 19 And he hath flain oxen and fat cattle and theep in abundange, and hath called all the fons of the king, and Abiathar the prieft, and Joab the captain of the hoft: but Solomon thy fervant hath he not called. 20 And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Ifrael are upon thee, that thou fhouldeft tell them who thall fit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21 Otherwife it shall come to pafs, when my lord the king hall fleep with his fathers, that I and my fon Solomon fhall be counted offenders. 22 And, lo, while fhe yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet alfo came in. 23 And they told the king, faying, 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. flain oxen and tat cattle and theep in abund 25 For he is gone down this day, and hath the captains of the hoft, and Abiathar the pricft; ance, and hath called all the king's fons, and and, behold, they eat and drink before nim, and fay, God fave king Adonijah. dok the priest, and Benaíah the fon of jehoiada, and thy fervant Solomon, hath he not 26 But me, even me thy fervant, and Zacalled. and thou haft not thewed it unto thy fervant Call me Bath-fheba: and the came into the of all dift refs, God of Ifracl, faying, Affuredly Solomon thy faid, Let my lord king David live for ever. naiah the fon of Jehoiada. And they came be- you the fervants of your lord, and caufe Solo- prophet anoint him there king over Ifrael: may come and fit upon my throne; for he fwered the king, and faid, Amen: the LORD 37 As the LORD hath been with my lord phet, and Benaiah the fon of Jehoiada, and oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solo- and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced were with him, heard it as they had made an 42 And while he yet fpake, behold, Jona- and |